Tonight at 7:30, the Canes will face a very different Devils team than the one they shellacked 6-0 on Saturday afternoon.
I know that the Devils will make some adjustments. I know Martin Brodeur will be sharper. I know the Canes won't get as many good bounces as they did on Saturday.
I still expect Cam Ward to be great. I still expect the blueliners to play well. They've gotten better with each playoff game. I still expect the forward lines to be aggressive and the special teams to play with purpose.
The Devils are way too good, though, to allow anything close to a repeat of Saturday. Even if the Canes take this game tonight, there is no reason to expect a series sweep. I have confidence that the Canes will win the series, but it will take at least 6 games.
The atmosphere won't be as festive in the parking lot today. Saturday's weather was beautiful. It was 75 degrees and sunny. Tonight, the gametime weather will be 55 degrees and gray. I'm still drinking beer in the parking lot, but it won't be as ideal.
Puck drop is 7:30, and national tv coverage will be from OLN.
Monday, May 08, 2006
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Canes bury Devils in game one
On Saturday afternoon, the Hurricanes completely annihilated New Jersey in the first game of the second round. The scoreboard showed 6-0, and even though Carolina had some lucky bounces, it wasn't even that close.
This was a highly anticipated matchup. The Devils, hitherto winners of 15 straight, going up against the Canes, who had won four straight after dropping the first two games to Montréal.
It was also special for Carolina's upstart goaltentder, Cam Ward. Martin Brodeur was always Ward's hero as a child, and he was getting the chance to go toe-to-toe with him on a big stage in front of a national TV audience.
It was also supposed to be special for Martin Brodeur, who turned 34 years old today.
Cam Ward, Ray Whitney, and the rest of the Canes came out to wish Brodeur a very unhappy birthday, and eventually chased him from the game with seven minutes to go after surrendering six goals.
This was a very solid performance on all levels. The defense was outstanding. There were few if any lapses, and they made sure that Wardo didn't have to stand on his head. Sure, he made some spectacular saves, but the D corps made his job a lot easier today.
Special teams were completely awesome. The Canes fought off three consecutive power plays in the second, including a brief two man disadvantage. On the flipside, Carolina converted a staggering five of eight power play chances.
Special teams clicked, defense really clicked, Wardo clicked, the forwards clicked. Everything fell into place. The way they played reminded me of the way they played in October, and again in January, when they were hotter than Lucifer's oven.
There were several multi-point nights, but Ray Whitney was the only multiple goal scorer. Both of his tallies were the result of good bounces, but they were completely legit, and were ultimately the product of good playmaking. His efforts were rewarded with the game's first star. Wardo was second, and Eric Staal was third.
There is no chance that the rest of the series will go like that. The Devils were rustier than the lugnuts on a '57 Ford (to borrow from Dan Rather), and might have missed the morning skate because of the 2:00 puck drop. While the Canes played a very solid game, the Devils were definitely off their game. I expect them to be more like themselves on Monday.
Even though there were a handful of empty seats, the crowd was great today, and I'm lucky to have been a part of it.
As a side note, there was a fight between Mikey "Robe" Commodore and Cam Janssen with about 8:00 to play in the game. Early in the fight, Commy got his left hand entangled with Janssen's helmet, and he was pretty much stuck with it. Unlike Darcy Tucker, though, he had the presence of mind to not strike his combatant with the helmet. You could tell he was being very careful to only throw short jabs with the left, which he was clutching Janssen with the whole time. Commodore wasn't able to get rid of the helmet until well after the fight was over.
Still, though, what had to be the coolest thing of all is that they played "Brass Bonanza" during the pre-game stuff. I've heard the organist play bits of it before, but I think this was the first time they've played the song over the PA. It was great. The folks in Hartford still get all emotionally misty-eyed just thinking about that song, and I think it was a nice touch to pay homage to our roots. "Brass Bonanza", of course, was the theme song written exclusively for the Hartford Whalers. You can hear the song in it's 2:43 glory by clicking here. You can enjoy a :31 version of the song by clicking here. You can also enjoy the song by dragging out your EA Sports NHL94 for your Sega Genesis to enjoy the 16 bit versions of Robert Kron and Pat Verbeek lighting the lamp for the Whale. I highly recommend a visit to Brassbonanza.com for all sorts of stuff related to the Whalers. Obviously, the main focus is the legendary song, but there's lots of other cool stuff there as well. Make sure you listen to the radio call of the "infamous fight" while you're there.
Game two of the Canes-Devils series will be Monday night. Puck drop will be 7:30, and the came will be broadcast on OLN.
This was a highly anticipated matchup. The Devils, hitherto winners of 15 straight, going up against the Canes, who had won four straight after dropping the first two games to Montréal.
It was also special for Carolina's upstart goaltentder, Cam Ward. Martin Brodeur was always Ward's hero as a child, and he was getting the chance to go toe-to-toe with him on a big stage in front of a national TV audience.
It was also supposed to be special for Martin Brodeur, who turned 34 years old today.
Cam Ward, Ray Whitney, and the rest of the Canes came out to wish Brodeur a very unhappy birthday, and eventually chased him from the game with seven minutes to go after surrendering six goals.
This was a very solid performance on all levels. The defense was outstanding. There were few if any lapses, and they made sure that Wardo didn't have to stand on his head. Sure, he made some spectacular saves, but the D corps made his job a lot easier today.
Special teams were completely awesome. The Canes fought off three consecutive power plays in the second, including a brief two man disadvantage. On the flipside, Carolina converted a staggering five of eight power play chances.
Special teams clicked, defense really clicked, Wardo clicked, the forwards clicked. Everything fell into place. The way they played reminded me of the way they played in October, and again in January, when they were hotter than Lucifer's oven.
There were several multi-point nights, but Ray Whitney was the only multiple goal scorer. Both of his tallies were the result of good bounces, but they were completely legit, and were ultimately the product of good playmaking. His efforts were rewarded with the game's first star. Wardo was second, and Eric Staal was third.
There is no chance that the rest of the series will go like that. The Devils were rustier than the lugnuts on a '57 Ford (to borrow from Dan Rather), and might have missed the morning skate because of the 2:00 puck drop. While the Canes played a very solid game, the Devils were definitely off their game. I expect them to be more like themselves on Monday.
Even though there were a handful of empty seats, the crowd was great today, and I'm lucky to have been a part of it.
As a side note, there was a fight between Mikey "Robe" Commodore and Cam Janssen with about 8:00 to play in the game. Early in the fight, Commy got his left hand entangled with Janssen's helmet, and he was pretty much stuck with it. Unlike Darcy Tucker, though, he had the presence of mind to not strike his combatant with the helmet. You could tell he was being very careful to only throw short jabs with the left, which he was clutching Janssen with the whole time. Commodore wasn't able to get rid of the helmet until well after the fight was over.
Still, though, what had to be the coolest thing of all is that they played "Brass Bonanza" during the pre-game stuff. I've heard the organist play bits of it before, but I think this was the first time they've played the song over the PA. It was great. The folks in Hartford still get all emotionally misty-eyed just thinking about that song, and I think it was a nice touch to pay homage to our roots. "Brass Bonanza", of course, was the theme song written exclusively for the Hartford Whalers. You can hear the song in it's 2:43 glory by clicking here. You can enjoy a :31 version of the song by clicking here. You can also enjoy the song by dragging out your EA Sports NHL94 for your Sega Genesis to enjoy the 16 bit versions of Robert Kron and Pat Verbeek lighting the lamp for the Whale. I highly recommend a visit to Brassbonanza.com for all sorts of stuff related to the Whalers. Obviously, the main focus is the legendary song, but there's lots of other cool stuff there as well. Make sure you listen to the radio call of the "infamous fight" while you're there.
Game two of the Canes-Devils series will be Monday night. Puck drop will be 7:30, and the came will be broadcast on OLN.
playoff beards (with photos)
There's no way I'll ever be able to write anything about the playoff beard that is anywhere near as brilliant as the post by sacamano over at Battle of Alberta the other day. I highly encourage reading that post. As a caveat, you may want to put your coffee down first. You will... repeat, WILL ... spit-take coffee all over your monitor. This is really great hilarious stuff. Maybe the funniest blogger post I've read in months.
Here's a snippet of that post, explaining the point in the progression of the playoff beard where you start to look like a homeless person:
I have been playing along with the playoff beard. It's coming along pretty nicely, I guess. Early in the season, I thought it would be funny to grow a playoff beard, but when I was unexpectedly forced to shop for a new car, I thought it better if I didn't look like an out-of-work lumberjack. On December 5, the beard went after being there since game one. I kind of liked having it, and I was repeatedly complemented by the ladies while I had it, so I knew I had to get in on the action for the playoffs.
I know there is some bit of debate about when it's proper to begin the playoff beards. Some say you shave for the last time on the morning of the first playoff game. Others say you shave for the last time on the morning of the last regular season game. I took it a baby-step further by shaving for the last time a few days before the end of the regular season.
As you can see in this first photo, I am clean shaven. This was taken after the April 14 game against Tampa. I shaved that morning and put my razor away, hoping that I don't see it again until mid-June.
Just a few days later, at the Buffalo game, I had my standard three-day stubble going on. I'm not an especially furry guy, so I typically go two or three days between shaves. In the second photo, you can see a little scruff, but it was way before the itchy stage.
I'm nowhere near done, but I reached and passed the itchy stage. I passed the PNR. I've always used a standard manual shaver rather than an elecric or battery powered job. I've most recenly used the Gillette Turbo Excel Mach 5 Extreme, or whatever that newest one is called. Anyway, just after the itchy stage is the PNR. The point of no return. The point at which it would be a lost cause to shave with a standard manual shaving instrument. This last photo is one I took just a few hours ago. Clearly you can see that it is no longer a question of being too lazy to shave. This is facial hair with a purpose.
I made the mistake of assuming that people understood the concept of the playoff beard. When I was recently complimented about my beard, I said that it was a playoff beard, and I assumed no further explanation was needed. This person, though, thought that there was a ritual of growing a beard for the entire period of time between the NFL draft and the Superbowl. Then when I explained, I was sort of given this "I wish I hadn't asked" look.
Anyway, it's on in full swing. With the massive amounts of money I'll save on shaving cream and razor blades, I might be able to afford my tickets for the remainder of the playoffs.
Today we have a 2:00 puck drop, and there will be national tv. NBC in the USA and TSN in Canada. For the fourth time in the last five home games, we'll be given rally towels when we enter the arena. I wish they'd give us t-shrits, or beer coupons, or something useful. I don't mind the rally towel, but as soon as the game is over, it serves no purpose. Not even as a memento.
Remember -- 2:00 puck drop, eastern time.
Here's a snippet of that post, explaining the point in the progression of the playoff beard where you start to look like a homeless person:
5) Concern II
* Your beard is now full. Very full. Some might say too full. You are on the verge of crossing the threshold from Sexy Bearded Man to Goddamned Hippy.
* In the non-playoff world, this can be remedied by trimming up. In the playoff world--where trimming is generally frowned upon--you must ensure that everyone around you knows that you are growing a playoff beard. I can't emphasize this enough. If you don't let them know, then they will just assume that you spend your weekends and evenings protesting the World Bank and playing the bongos for change on Whyte Avenue. If you let them know, they can join in the fun. Everybody loves watching train wrecks, and make no mistake, if your team makes it through the second round of NHL playoffs you are that train wreck.
I have been playing along with the playoff beard. It's coming along pretty nicely, I guess. Early in the season, I thought it would be funny to grow a playoff beard, but when I was unexpectedly forced to shop for a new car, I thought it better if I didn't look like an out-of-work lumberjack. On December 5, the beard went after being there since game one. I kind of liked having it, and I was repeatedly complemented by the ladies while I had it, so I knew I had to get in on the action for the playoffs.
I know there is some bit of debate about when it's proper to begin the playoff beards. Some say you shave for the last time on the morning of the first playoff game. Others say you shave for the last time on the morning of the last regular season game. I took it a baby-step further by shaving for the last time a few days before the end of the regular season.
As you can see in this first photo, I am clean shaven. This was taken after the April 14 game against Tampa. I shaved that morning and put my razor away, hoping that I don't see it again until mid-June.
Just a few days later, at the Buffalo game, I had my standard three-day stubble going on. I'm not an especially furry guy, so I typically go two or three days between shaves. In the second photo, you can see a little scruff, but it was way before the itchy stage. 
I'm nowhere near done, but I reached and passed the itchy stage. I passed the PNR. I've always used a standard manual shaver rather than an elecric or battery powered job. I've most recenly used the Gillette Turbo Excel Mach 5 Extreme, or whatever that newest one is called. Anyway, just after the itchy stage is the PNR. The point of no return. The point at which it would be a lost cause to shave with a standard manual shaving instrument. This last photo is one I took just a few hours ago. Clearly you can see that it is no longer a question of being too lazy to shave. This is facial hair with a purpose. I made the mistake of assuming that people understood the concept of the playoff beard. When I was recently complimented about my beard, I said that it was a playoff beard, and I assumed no further explanation was needed. This person, though, thought that there was a ritual of growing a beard for the entire period of time between the NFL draft and the Superbowl. Then when I explained, I was sort of given this "I wish I hadn't asked" look.
Anyway, it's on in full swing. With the massive amounts of money I'll save on shaving cream and razor blades, I might be able to afford my tickets for the remainder of the playoffs.
Today we have a 2:00 puck drop, and there will be national tv. NBC in the USA and TSN in Canada. For the fourth time in the last five home games, we'll be given rally towels when we enter the arena. I wish they'd give us t-shrits, or beer coupons, or something useful. I don't mind the rally towel, but as soon as the game is over, it serves no purpose. Not even as a memento.
Remember -- 2:00 puck drop, eastern time.
Friday, May 05, 2006
things we won't be missing in round two
Now that we are down to eight teams, some time-honored traditions and some new-fangled ones have been eliminated from Stanley Cup competition.
I really wanted to come up with at least one thing about each eliminated team that I will not be missing in the second round. However, I couldn't really come up with anything for some teams.
As an example, the only things I can say about Dallas have to do with the 1999 team rather than the 2006 team. Neither Brett "illegal skate in the crease" Hull nor Ed "I will give you one BILLION dollars if you don't throw me in jail" Belfour play for them anymore. I don't have anything on them.
Anyway, the best I could come up with is three. Three things that I'm glad are gone from the Stanley Cup playoffs.
TOP THREE THINGS WE WON'T BE MISSING IN THE SECOND ROUND OF THE STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
While we say "good riddance" to the above things, there are actually some things that we will miss about some of the eliminated teams. Most notably, we will miss the Calgary Flames and their "C of Red". They get everybody, EVERYbody, to wear red to home playoff games, creating a completely red environment. It has to be intimidating as all get out. It sure looks great on TV. Tip of the hat obviously goes to the Winnipeg Jets (RIP) and the "Winnipeg Whiteout", which was the inspiration for Calgary's "C of Red". The Flyers tried their own "Orange Crush", but it was more of a one time thing than an ongoing tradition.
If I've missed anything, feel free to let me know.
Also, in this post (and in general), when I say "we", I mean "we" in the editorial sense, in the royal sense of the word. It's really just me.
I really wanted to come up with at least one thing about each eliminated team that I will not be missing in the second round. However, I couldn't really come up with anything for some teams.
As an example, the only things I can say about Dallas have to do with the 1999 team rather than the 2006 team. Neither Brett "illegal skate in the crease" Hull nor Ed "I will give you one BILLION dollars if you don't throw me in jail" Belfour play for them anymore. I don't have anything on them.
Anyway, the best I could come up with is three. Three things that I'm glad are gone from the Stanley Cup playoffs.
TOP THREE THINGS WE WON'T BE MISSING IN THE SECOND ROUND OF THE STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
- #3 --- French (Montréal Canadiens). We did well in high school French, but got a D in college French. We don't like their language. The world is a much better place without it. French people speak French because they have to. We will grudgingly let them slide on this. Quebeccers speak it by choice. This makes no sense to us.
- #2 --- Octopi. (Detroit Red Wings) The bizarre tradition of heaving an octopus on the ice in Detroit began at some point in the 1950s, when only 4 teams were in the Stanley Cup playoffs. You needed to win a total of eight games (two best of seven series) to win the Cup. Each tentacle of the octopus symbolizes a win. Initially, fans threw octopi on the ice after the Wings had won the Cup. Since then, fans in Detroit have launched octopi onto the ice before, during and after games, even during the regular season. I still don't know how a person carries an actual octopus into the arena. Maybe I don't want to know.
- #1 --- "Fang Fingers" (Nashville Predators) I've never been to a home game in Nashville, or even watched a Preds home game on TV. According to some websites that haven't been updated since James K. Polk was in the White House (Tar Heel!!!!), the Predators have what has to be the stupidest tradition in all of organized sports. Allegedly, every time the Preds go on a power play, fans in the arena claw at the air with their index and middle fingers while the theme to "Psycho" is played over the PA. Someone please tell me that they don't actually do this.
While we say "good riddance" to the above things, there are actually some things that we will miss about some of the eliminated teams. Most notably, we will miss the Calgary Flames and their "C of Red". They get everybody, EVERYbody, to wear red to home playoff games, creating a completely red environment. It has to be intimidating as all get out. It sure looks great on TV. Tip of the hat obviously goes to the Winnipeg Jets (RIP) and the "Winnipeg Whiteout", which was the inspiration for Calgary's "C of Red". The Flyers tried their own "Orange Crush", but it was more of a one time thing than an ongoing tradition.
If I've missed anything, feel free to let me know.
Also, in this post (and in general), when I say "we", I mean "we" in the editorial sense, in the royal sense of the word. It's really just me.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
second round ready to go.
With all eight conference quarterfinals complete, we're down to eight teams total.
In the West, the top four seeds all got beaten. Out East, all four of the top seeds advanced. No matter what happens, the Eastern Conference champion will be the "home team" in the Stanley Cup Finals. Please note also that the Eastern Conference champ will definitely be a team that wears RED AND BLACK.
Even considering the upsets in the West, my first round picks were shit. I only got three series winners (San Jose, Carolina and Ottawa) correct. Meanwhile, Maggie the Monkey got four (San Jose, Colorado, Carolina, Buffalo) correct. I'm dumber than a monkey.
I've taken the time to generate this "bracket" for the remaining eight teams, and made my picks all the way to the Cup. Of course, I've picked my Canes to win it all, walking all over the Avs in the Cup final.
What does everyone else think?
In the West, the top four seeds all got beaten. Out East, all four of the top seeds advanced. No matter what happens, the Eastern Conference champion will be the "home team" in the Stanley Cup Finals. Please note also that the Eastern Conference champ will definitely be a team that wears RED AND BLACK.
Even considering the upsets in the West, my first round picks were shit. I only got three series winners (San Jose, Carolina and Ottawa) correct. Meanwhile, Maggie the Monkey got four (San Jose, Colorado, Carolina, Buffalo) correct. I'm dumber than a monkey. I've taken the time to generate this "bracket" for the remaining eight teams, and made my picks all the way to the Cup. Of course, I've picked my Canes to win it all, walking all over the Avs in the Cup final.
What does everyone else think?
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Ducks win last WC quarterfinal
The Anaheim Mighty Ducks won the only series that went to seven games on Wednesday night. They staved off elimination on Monday by winning at home, then they took it on the road, defeating Calgary 3-0 despite being in "the C of Red".
The Ducks were fueled by Teemu Selanne and Ruslan Salei, both of whom had second period goals and an empty netter by Jeff Friesen in the third.
The rest of the hockey world was waiting for this result, so the second round schedules could be posted. All the teams in the east knew their opponent, and they were given two quite different scenarios depending on the outcome of this game.
Now that that's done, Carolina knows that it's schedule will be (home games in red):
Saturday May 6, @ 2:00 (NBC)
Monday May 8 @ 7:30 (OLN)
Wednesday May 10 @ 7:00 (OLN)
Saturday May 13 @ 3:00 (NBC)
Sunday May 14 @ 7:00 (OLN)
Tuesday May 16 @ 7:30 (OLN)
Thursday May 18 @7:30 (OLN)
In other news, the Canes announced the ticket prices for the rounds three and four of the playoffs. I think I fooled myself into thinking that they would only increase by a few bucks per round, so I was initially in shock when I looked at my invoice. For rounds one and two, the price was only a few dollars more than the same seat in regular season. The price for my tickets in the final round will be more than 2X the face value of the same seat in the regular season. Still, though, our seats are cheap compared to the rest of the league, so I can't really complain. I don't know how I'm going to afford it, but I can't pass on it either.
I suppose I'll have to get a second and third job.
The Ducks were fueled by Teemu Selanne and Ruslan Salei, both of whom had second period goals and an empty netter by Jeff Friesen in the third.
The rest of the hockey world was waiting for this result, so the second round schedules could be posted. All the teams in the east knew their opponent, and they were given two quite different scenarios depending on the outcome of this game.
Now that that's done, Carolina knows that it's schedule will be (home games in red):
Saturday May 6, @ 2:00 (NBC)
Monday May 8 @ 7:30 (OLN)
Wednesday May 10 @ 7:00 (OLN)
Saturday May 13 @ 3:00 (NBC)
Sunday May 14 @ 7:00 (OLN)
Tuesday May 16 @ 7:30 (OLN)
Thursday May 18 @7:30 (OLN)
In other news, the Canes announced the ticket prices for the rounds three and four of the playoffs. I think I fooled myself into thinking that they would only increase by a few bucks per round, so I was initially in shock when I looked at my invoice. For rounds one and two, the price was only a few dollars more than the same seat in regular season. The price for my tickets in the final round will be more than 2X the face value of the same seat in the regular season. Still, though, our seats are cheap compared to the rest of the league, so I can't really complain. I don't know how I'm going to afford it, but I can't pass on it either.
I suppose I'll have to get a second and third job.
somebody just woke up from a long nap
I happened to notice that In the Crease is back up and running! For some unknown reason, this great Sabres blog went MIA back in September. It took me a while to notice, but it's back.
Accordingly, I have added it back to the blogroll. While I was at it, I deleted a couple of inactive ones, including one Canes blog.
Welcome back, In the Crease!
Accordingly, I have added it back to the blogroll. While I was at it, I deleted a couple of inactive ones, including one Canes blog.
Welcome back, In the Crease!
Canes win, advance
On Tuesday night, the Hurricanes won another heartstopping game 2-1. Again it went to overtime. Again Cristobal Huet was very good for the Habs. Again, Cam Ward was even better for the Canes.
By finishing off the series, the Canes advance to the Conference semifinals, where they'll face the blistering hot New Jersey Devils.
I was drunk last night, and Blogger was acting up this morning, so this post is a little late. Sorry.
I didn't get to watch the game because I was working, but I had text message updates. And again, just like game 3, I happened to catch the game-winning goal out of the corner of my eye.
Cory Stillman got the game winner just 79 seconds into the extra session. It was already his second goal of the second season, which matches his goal output from his Stanley Cup winning postseason with Tampa in 2004. In fact, his 5 points (2/3) have him on pace to have the best playoff season of his career. The Captain had the lone assist.
Sheldon Souray got the Habs off and running with a goal at 6:31, but Mark Recchi answered back for the Canes just 30 seconds later. It was Recchi's first goal of this playoff season. Eric Staal picked up his sixth assist.
The next 53 minutes were a showcase for good goaltending.
Ultimately, Cam Ward was the winning goalie, and was probably the star of the entire series. However, the Montréal media saw fit to give the game's first star to Huet.
I can't emphasize this enough, but Cam Ward wasn't even expected to see any time in the pipes. He has performed brilliantly, and has remained cool and collected throughout.
Despite giving up three goals in game 2, and taking the loss, his numbers are in the top three all the way across the board. His GAA of 1.54 is third only to New Jersey's Martin Brodeur (1.00) and Anaheim's Ilja Bryzgalov (1.08). His save percentage of .940 is third only to Brodeur (.965) and Bryzgalov (.958).
It's almost fitting that the distinguished veteran Brodeur and the Cinderella story Cam Ward will be going head to head in the next round. I don't imagine either goaltender will have as outstanding numbers as in the first round. I can't wait for the series to start.
Unfortunately, we still don't know when that series will start. If I had to guess, I would say Saturday, but that's just a guess. I suppose when tonight's Calgary/Anaheim game ends and the West is all straightened out, they'll have the schedules up.
By finishing off the series, the Canes advance to the Conference semifinals, where they'll face the blistering hot New Jersey Devils.
I was drunk last night, and Blogger was acting up this morning, so this post is a little late. Sorry.
I didn't get to watch the game because I was working, but I had text message updates. And again, just like game 3, I happened to catch the game-winning goal out of the corner of my eye.
Cory Stillman got the game winner just 79 seconds into the extra session. It was already his second goal of the second season, which matches his goal output from his Stanley Cup winning postseason with Tampa in 2004. In fact, his 5 points (2/3) have him on pace to have the best playoff season of his career. The Captain had the lone assist.
Sheldon Souray got the Habs off and running with a goal at 6:31, but Mark Recchi answered back for the Canes just 30 seconds later. It was Recchi's first goal of this playoff season. Eric Staal picked up his sixth assist.
The next 53 minutes were a showcase for good goaltending.
Ultimately, Cam Ward was the winning goalie, and was probably the star of the entire series. However, the Montréal media saw fit to give the game's first star to Huet.
I can't emphasize this enough, but Cam Ward wasn't even expected to see any time in the pipes. He has performed brilliantly, and has remained cool and collected throughout.
Despite giving up three goals in game 2, and taking the loss, his numbers are in the top three all the way across the board. His GAA of 1.54 is third only to New Jersey's Martin Brodeur (1.00) and Anaheim's Ilja Bryzgalov (1.08). His save percentage of .940 is third only to Brodeur (.965) and Bryzgalov (.958).
It's almost fitting that the distinguished veteran Brodeur and the Cinderella story Cam Ward will be going head to head in the next round. I don't imagine either goaltender will have as outstanding numbers as in the first round. I can't wait for the series to start.
Unfortunately, we still don't know when that series will start. If I had to guess, I would say Saturday, but that's just a guess. I suppose when tonight's Calgary/Anaheim game ends and the West is all straightened out, they'll have the schedules up.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
playoff jokes
The good folks over at Vancouver Canucks Op-Ed have done a nice series of jokes targeting each NHL playoff team. Every day, a different team took it's turn being the whipping boy.
Today was our turn. But we got gypped. No joke. No good-natured hazing. When it came to be our turn, Jeff and Alanah suddenly got lazy. No joke.
We are very disappointed. We deserve to be made fun of too.
Game 6 tonight in Montréal. Puck drop at 7:00. Unfortunately, I have to work, but I should be able to watch bits and pieces.
I'll also temporarily turn off the "don't text message me" rule. If you wanna txt me with updates, fire away.
Today was our turn. But we got gypped. No joke. No good-natured hazing. When it came to be our turn, Jeff and Alanah suddenly got lazy. No joke.
We are very disappointed. We deserve to be made fun of too.
Game 6 tonight in Montréal. Puck drop at 7:00. Unfortunately, I have to work, but I should be able to watch bits and pieces.
I'll also temporarily turn off the "don't text message me" rule. If you wanna txt me with updates, fire away.
how are your picks doing?
Most of us are screwed in our first round picks. Nobody could have imagined that the #1 and #2 seeds in the West would go down.
I looked back at my own picks and at some of the picks made by other bloggers and other hockey-types. We're all in the same boat.
Maggie the Monkey, however, nailed the Colorado over Dallas thing. While most folks are sitting on 3-2, Maggie is sitting on 2-3. Not bad.
As for me, I'm also 2-3 so far. I foolishly picked the Rangers to put an end to the Devils' hot streak.
When all first round series are concluded, I'll throw together some sort of chart comparing the picks of fellow bloggers.
I looked back at my own picks and at some of the picks made by other bloggers and other hockey-types. We're all in the same boat.
Maggie the Monkey, however, nailed the Colorado over Dallas thing. While most folks are sitting on 3-2, Maggie is sitting on 2-3. Not bad.
As for me, I'm also 2-3 so far. I foolishly picked the Rangers to put an end to the Devils' hot streak.
When all first round series are concluded, I'll throw together some sort of chart comparing the picks of fellow bloggers.
a creepy dream
Last night I had the strangest dream.
It didn't involve going away to China in a little row boat to find you and you saying you had to get your laundry clean.
No. It was much stranger than that.
I was abducted by strange men who took me to some unknown place and to a seven story building with no windows. All along, they assured me that I wasn't going to be hurt, and I was going to be taken for an interview. What, like a job interview? No. A police interview? No. An interview for a newspaper story? No. They wouldn't give me any other details.
Upon entering the building through a heavy steel door, there was a cargo elevator. There were a few other guys waiting for the elevator. We all got in, and I was discharged on the fourth floor. The first thing I saw on the fourth floor was a weight room. There were maybe six guys working out. Two of whom I recognized as Markus Naslund and Anson Carter. (side note -- in real life, I probably wouldn't recognize Naslund)
I was then taken to a back room, where to make a long story short, I was immersed in a very aggressive brainwashing regimen by Vancouver Canucks operatives. I'm not talking about the high-tech surgical implant of computer chips in the brain. I'm talking about old school Manchurian Candidate subversive techniques. The methodical corrosion of the mind and allegiances through hypnosis and repeated mantras and disruption of sleep patterns and the watching of videos and listening to propagandist Nucks speeches. Oh yes. I was there for several days. I didn't realize what was going on at first because it seemed innocuous enough, but after a while, I realized -- THE VANCOUVER CANUCKS ARE TRYING TO BRAINWASH ME!!! I didn't know what their ultimate purpose was, but they were brainwashing me and several other people.
I don't know how it all panned out, because I woke up.
It didn't involve going away to China in a little row boat to find you and you saying you had to get your laundry clean.
No. It was much stranger than that.
I was abducted by strange men who took me to some unknown place and to a seven story building with no windows. All along, they assured me that I wasn't going to be hurt, and I was going to be taken for an interview. What, like a job interview? No. A police interview? No. An interview for a newspaper story? No. They wouldn't give me any other details.
Upon entering the building through a heavy steel door, there was a cargo elevator. There were a few other guys waiting for the elevator. We all got in, and I was discharged on the fourth floor. The first thing I saw on the fourth floor was a weight room. There were maybe six guys working out. Two of whom I recognized as Markus Naslund and Anson Carter. (side note -- in real life, I probably wouldn't recognize Naslund)
I was then taken to a back room, where to make a long story short, I was immersed in a very aggressive brainwashing regimen by Vancouver Canucks operatives. I'm not talking about the high-tech surgical implant of computer chips in the brain. I'm talking about old school Manchurian Candidate subversive techniques. The methodical corrosion of the mind and allegiances through hypnosis and repeated mantras and disruption of sleep patterns and the watching of videos and listening to propagandist Nucks speeches. Oh yes. I was there for several days. I didn't realize what was going on at first because it seemed innocuous enough, but after a while, I realized -- THE VANCOUVER CANUCKS ARE TRYING TO BRAINWASH ME!!! I didn't know what their ultimate purpose was, but they were brainwashing me and several other people.I don't know how it all panned out, because I woke up.
Monday, May 01, 2006
Wings slain by Oilers
The Mighty Detroit Red Wings have just fallen 4 games to 2 to the Edmonton Oilers.
This is quite a stunning occurrence, and Chris from Covered In Oil can hardly contain himself. Can you blame him?
Wow! Out West, the #1 AND the #2 seed have been ousted. Oh. And Nashville(4), too. This means somebody will be backing their way into home ice in the second round. Calgary (3) should be able to finish off the Ducks (6), so they will be the top seed in the second round, and will "host" the Oil. San Jose, although initially a five seed, will play "host" to the Avs.
Back East, meanwhile, there don't look to be any upsets on the horizon.
I'm not going to harp on this, but it just goes to show you that the President's Trophy doesn't mean shit. I'm sure that if the Wings had to chose between the President's Trophy and a birth in the second round, they'd opt for the playoffs.
This is quite a stunning occurrence, and Chris from Covered In Oil can hardly contain himself. Can you blame him?
Wow! Out West, the #1 AND the #2 seed have been ousted. Oh. And Nashville(4), too. This means somebody will be backing their way into home ice in the second round. Calgary (3) should be able to finish off the Ducks (6), so they will be the top seed in the second round, and will "host" the Oil. San Jose, although initially a five seed, will play "host" to the Avs.
Back East, meanwhile, there don't look to be any upsets on the horizon.
I'm not going to harp on this, but it just goes to show you that the President's Trophy doesn't mean shit. I'm sure that if the Wings had to chose between the President's Trophy and a birth in the second round, they'd opt for the playoffs.
my two cents on Jack Todd
I first caught wind of this from Casonblog, who first got it from the talented Jeff J over at Sisu Hockey.
Jack Todd, who is a native Nebraskan, and an army deserter-turned Canadian citizen is a little bent out of shape about the Hurricanes having the audacity to take the lead in their series with the Habs. Before launching into a tirade that has nothing to do with hockey, he said the following about the Canes and Caniacs:
I agree that "bang sticks" or "thunder sticks" are pretty evil. I'm not sure, though, how a bad promotional giveaway means that anybody who has anything to do with the Canes is a "cretin". What's up with the hostility? A shot of tobacco juice in the eye? Yeah. That's award winning journalism right there.
Todd deserted the US Army to avoid going to Viet Nam, and penned the book Desertion: In the Time of Vietnam. In Canada, this book is titled The Taste of Metal : A Deserter's Story. I have no idea why the different title, but he won a 2001 book award from the Quebec Writer's Federation for it. Two actually. Best first book and best non-fiction. Among English-language books published in Quebec. I'm not making this up.
Somewhere along the line, he was given a national award for his sportswriting, and he has that "award winning" book. So why is he so hateful? He made a very bad life decision that he's lived to regret and he probably spends every waking moment lashing out at the nearest American. In this case, the Canes happen to be the nearest American. The decision I'm talking about wasn't the actual desertion. Lots of folks did that, but were later pardoned by Jimmy Carter. The decision he made was to renounce his citizenship. That act made him ineligible for amnesty, and although he has made a decent life for himself in Quebec, he deeply regrets putting himself in that situation.
After all of that, I deserve to take a shot of tobacco juice in the eye? And the other 18,800 of us in the RBC Center deserve to be "swallowed up" by an earthquake? Dude's got serious issues. There's a lot of misguided hate there.
I'll let the Acid Queen do the honors on that one.
Jack Todd, who is a native Nebraskan, and an army deserter-turned Canadian citizen is a little bent out of shape about the Hurricanes having the audacity to take the lead in their series with the Habs. Before launching into a tirade that has nothing to do with hockey, he said the following about the Canes and Caniacs:
We were wrong. Hockey doesn't belong in Carolina because the fans and the people who run the Hurricanes organization are a bunch of lobotomized basketball-loving cretins who wouldn't know an icing call from a spear to the ribs.
They don't deserve Eric Staal, they don't deserve Erik Cole, they don't deserve Rod Brind'Amour, they don't deserve Cam Ward - but they do deserve a shot of tobacco juice right in the eye.
Why? Because last night, the RBC Centre (may an earthquake swallow it up) became Carolina's version of hell on Earth. Why? Because the powers that be in their infinite stupidity decided to pass out IdiotStix to the crowd.
I agree that "bang sticks" or "thunder sticks" are pretty evil. I'm not sure, though, how a bad promotional giveaway means that anybody who has anything to do with the Canes is a "cretin". What's up with the hostility? A shot of tobacco juice in the eye? Yeah. That's award winning journalism right there.
Todd deserted the US Army to avoid going to Viet Nam, and penned the book Desertion: In the Time of Vietnam. In Canada, this book is titled The Taste of Metal : A Deserter's Story. I have no idea why the different title, but he won a 2001 book award from the Quebec Writer's Federation for it. Two actually. Best first book and best non-fiction. Among English-language books published in Quebec. I'm not making this up.
Somewhere along the line, he was given a national award for his sportswriting, and he has that "award winning" book. So why is he so hateful? He made a very bad life decision that he's lived to regret and he probably spends every waking moment lashing out at the nearest American. In this case, the Canes happen to be the nearest American. The decision I'm talking about wasn't the actual desertion. Lots of folks did that, but were later pardoned by Jimmy Carter. The decision he made was to renounce his citizenship. That act made him ineligible for amnesty, and although he has made a decent life for himself in Quebec, he deeply regrets putting himself in that situation.
After all of that, I deserve to take a shot of tobacco juice in the eye? And the other 18,800 of us in the RBC Center deserve to be "swallowed up" by an earthquake? Dude's got serious issues. There's a lot of misguided hate there.
I'll let the Acid Queen do the honors on that one.
Canes win 2-1, lead series 3-2
On Sunday night, with a standing-room only crowd on hand, the Hurricanes became the first home team to win a game in this series. In defeating the Habs 2-1, they took a controlling 3-2 lead in the series. The Habs will try to stave off elimination on Tuesday night at the Bell Center, where the Canes have won four consecutive times. They have also won four straight playoff games at the Molson/Bell Center dating back to 2002. The Canes played sound hockey for the majority of the game, and it was surely their best all-round performance of this young playoff season. I simply cannot say enough good things about the dazzling play of Cam Ward in the Carolina net. Carolina didn't make many mistakes tonight, but when they did, Wardo bailed them out. I wish I had enough time and enough adjectives in my vocabulary to describe his performance. Not just tonight, but all throughout.
Defensively, Carolina was solid. Bret Hedican had a a few lapses, but for the most part, they did everything right. Probably the most important thing that they did tonight is that they did a superb job of clearing the zone on penalty kills. They never allowed the Canadiens to set up shop on the power play. They were more aggressive, more patient, and just better.
Offensively, they missed a bundle of chances to open the game wide, but fortunately two goals was enough to get the job done. Both tallies came via the power play, which is very satisfying.
Staalsy got his second goal of the second season at 4:27 of the first on a blast from the point, near the corresponding spot where he got the game winner on Wednesday. Stillman and Brind'Amour got helpers on the goal.
At 13:57 of the second, Matt Cullen got his third tally of the playoffs with a similar long range blast. Doug Weight and Frantisek Kaberle helped.
With just 28 seconds to play in the middle stanza, Alex Kovalev erased any hope of a shutout when he found the net. Sheldon Souray got the only assist.
Once again, Cam Ward was the big story. The unproven, unheralded backup goalie wasn't expected to play at all in this series. He hasn't just "filled in". He's stolen the job from Martin Gerber. I was kind of noticing, and my friend Andy also pointed out that Gerber was pouting a little over on the bench, and lagging behind in the pre-game skate. I don't know if he's still not feeling well, or if he's going all Arturs Irbe on us, or a combination of both. I still think we'll see Gerber again at some point. It just won't be on Tuesday night.
In the above photo, which I took at tonight's game, observe two things. One. Just what in the hell is Frantisek Kaberle doing to Mark Recchi? Two. Observe Kerry "Aqua Net" Fraser at the top of the picture. This is one of the last times you'll see him without a helmet. As part of the new agreement between the Referees Association and the League, ALL officials will be required to wear helmets beginning in 2006-07. Further, any newbies will be required to wear visors. There's still one other ref in the league (I can't remember who) who doesn't wear the lid. Fraser and that guy have been around forever, and are grandfathered out of wearing the headgear for now.
On Tuesday, Carolina will have a chance to eliminate Les Habitants on the road. This would surely lead to the restoration of a Canes playoff tradition: there will probably be hundreds of Caniacs waiting for them at the airport. This started in 2002, and since the Canes clinched all three series on the road that year, there was always a celebration waiting for them when they flew home at two, three in the morning. With each series victory, the celebration, and the welcoming party got larger until there were finally thousands awaiting them when they flew home from Toronto with the Prince of Wales in hand.
Puck drop on Tuesday will be 7:00.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
fun with game photos
I already used the below photo (taken from hurricanes.com) once, but I was looking at it, and I noticed something strange. The photo was taken in game four just after Rod Brind'Amour scored the go-ahead (and game-winning) goal at 5:54 of the third period. Check out the expressions/body language of the Montréal fans. Take a good look, and formulate your own ideas, then scroll down for my take. 
First, there's the guy with the white sweater on in the front row. He's somewhat obstructed from view, but you can clearly see that he's clutching his head, looking more stunned than anything else. He's probably screaming something like "No! No! Oh no!". There's the girl(?) in the extreme upper left corner with her left hand on her mouth, looking more dejected than anything else. She's probably thinking something like "I can feel the momentum shifting, and I have a bad feeling we're going to lose this game". My favorite is the guy beside her. He's asleep. Asleep! Game four of a heated playoff series. A tie game to that point. He's got a seat that most people would probably exchange their only son for, and he's taken the opportunity to catch a little shut-eye.
First, there's the guy with the white sweater on in the front row. He's somewhat obstructed from view, but you can clearly see that he's clutching his head, looking more stunned than anything else. He's probably screaming something like "No! No! Oh no!". There's the girl(?) in the extreme upper left corner with her left hand on her mouth, looking more dejected than anything else. She's probably thinking something like "I can feel the momentum shifting, and I have a bad feeling we're going to lose this game". My favorite is the guy beside her. He's asleep. Asleep! Game four of a heated playoff series. A tie game to that point. He's got a seat that most people would probably exchange their only son for, and he's taken the opportunity to catch a little shut-eye.
Mark Recchi, your 411 operator
Everybody knows about the Justin Williams/Saku Koivu incident in game three of the Habs/Canes series. One of the many side stories there is that Mark Recchi has been a great guy through it all. He visited Koivu in the hospital. He gave Koivu's cellphone number to Williams, which allowed Williams to send his apologies and best wishes. According to this article about Erik Cole's injury, Mark Recchi was involved in a potential cellphone number exchange there. Recchi was still with the Penguins when Cole got hurt after being boarded by Brooks Orpik. Many Canes fans have ostracized Orpik for making no attempt to contact Colesy, and for his initial comments, which ranged from "he helped himself into the boards" to "you hit guys to hurt guys". As the linked article states, Orpik did actually try to contact Cole. Nearly a month after the incident, Orpik asked Recchi for Cole's cellphone number, but Cole forbade it. I haven't agreed with Cole 100% on his remarks on the incident, and I don't really know how I feel about this one:
"I told Mark to tell him not to bother. I wasn't interested in his call," Cole said. "At that point, I felt a call was more for his benefit than for mine, of him trying to clear his conscience."
I sort of understand where Cole is coming from. A month after the fact is a little too late to express concern, and it certainly isn't going to do Cole any good. However, I think it's a bit bullheaded to reject Orpik's ill-timed efforts at reconciliation.
Where I have been completely in dissent with Cole is when he repeatedly says "I definitely look forward to next year, when we get to play Pittsburgh.", which is a thinly veiled 'eye for an eye' (sorry for the unfortunate pun) threat. I have said, and I will continue to say that I hope there will never be an on-ice retaliation for the Cole injury, or the Koivu injury, or any injury. I have always had this outlook, and it hasn't wavered when one of my favorite players is involved. I was happy that the Avalanche never gooned it up against the Nucks after the Bertuzzi/Moore thing, and I hope that Cole doesn't do anything stupid if and when he takes the ice against the Penguins next season.
So,anyway, the initial point is that it seems like if you need to get in touch with an NHL player, Mark Recchi is your man. He's got all the digits.
Somewhere, there's probably a good nickname in there.
"Di-Recch-tory Assistance"? There's gotta be something better.
What say you?
Saturday, April 29, 2006
OLN to change names, piss me off
Here's something that's been somewhat under the radar, but I heard about thanks to The Puck Stops Here: OLN will undergo another name change. Starting in September, The Outdoor Life Network, err... the Lance Armstrong Network, err... OLN will be called "Versus". Cue the speech where the OLN executive explains that the network is shifting away from the huntin' and fishin' and more into the team sports thing, and they need a name that reflects that.
So just years after it re-invented itself as the Lance Armstrong/Tour De France Network, and just months after it re-invented itself as the NHL's home, it is going through much more than just an image change.
I'm not that happy about it, and I can think of four people who probably have more of a vested interest in not being happy about it. See, in the mid-nineties there was this really kick ass indie rock band (pictured at right) from NYC named Versus. They're only semi-defunct. They're not putting out records anymore, and they don't tour together, but they still play an occasional show. They've mostly moved on to side projects such as +/-, Whysall Lane, and The Fontaine Toups.
One of my favorite things about that band was the fact that the frontman, Richard Baluyut, smoked like a chimney onstage. With both hands furiously busy on the guitar, he'd just puff away while the ash end of the cigarette got impossibly long.
Aside from the spectacle of that, their shows were loud, energetic, and fun. They were, and still are one of my favorite bands from the nineties.
So anyway, I don't like the OLN name change because of that. I can think of a few other reasons I don't like it, but that's the chief reason. If the shoes were on the other feet, the band would get sued into the stone age, but obviously the band won't be suing the network.
There are several articles from real news sources about the impending name change. This one is just as good as any.
So just years after it re-invented itself as the Lance Armstrong/Tour De France Network, and just months after it re-invented itself as the NHL's home, it is going through much more than just an image change.
I'm not that happy about it, and I can think of four people who probably have more of a vested interest in not being happy about it. See, in the mid-nineties there was this really kick ass indie rock band (pictured at right) from NYC named Versus. They're only semi-defunct. They're not putting out records anymore, and they don't tour together, but they still play an occasional show. They've mostly moved on to side projects such as +/-, Whysall Lane, and The Fontaine Toups.One of my favorite things about that band was the fact that the frontman, Richard Baluyut, smoked like a chimney onstage. With both hands furiously busy on the guitar, he'd just puff away while the ash end of the cigarette got impossibly long.
Aside from the spectacle of that, their shows were loud, energetic, and fun. They were, and still are one of my favorite bands from the nineties.
So anyway, I don't like the OLN name change because of that. I can think of a few other reasons I don't like it, but that's the chief reason. If the shoes were on the other feet, the band would get sued into the stone age, but obviously the band won't be suing the network.
There are several articles from real news sources about the impending name change. This one is just as good as any.
Friday, April 28, 2006
Canes win, restore home ice
On Friday night, the Canes won a nail-biter 3-2 in Montréal. With the win, the series is evened at two games apiece and Carolina has restored home ice.The Canes took the lead early and looked to be off and running. Public enemy #1 Justin "Viva" Williams got a goal at 10:22 of the first, assisted by Staalsy and Dougie. It was Viva's first goal of the playoffs, Staal's fifth assist, and Weight's second.
Barely a minute later, AWard increased the lead to two goals. His tally was assisted by Viva and Cory Stillman. That was the second assist for each guy.
Nobody likes a two goal lead, but the Canes made it stand up through the end of one. In the first 20 minutes, there were no penalties called, and the Habs were outshot 12-6.
As expected, the two goal lead wouldn't hold up. Alexander Perezhogin cut the lead in half at 5:01. From the mid-point on, there were some strange things going on.
At 10:55, CrAdams was sent to the box for tripping, then at 11:45, Bret Hedican was found guilty of a high-sticking double minor. The Habs had 70 seconds of five-on-three. Somehow, they found a way to nearly piss it away. Carolina had two different scoring chances while at a two man disadvantage, including a breakaway by Brindy. "Crystal Ball" Huet made a sensational save on what was tantamount to a penalty shot, then made a dandy save on the rebound attempt. A few seconds later, he was forced to make yet another amazing save. They didn't convert on the five-on-three, but still had nearly three minutes of power play left.
Sheldon Souray got the equalizer just three seconds after the expiration of CrAdams' penalty, but they remained on the power play because Hedican's was a double minor.
That would be all of the official scoring in the period.
At 18:38 of the second, Brindy had what he thought was the go-ahead goal. There was a mad frenzy in front of Huet's crease, and the puck was loose. Brindy kept hacking at it and knocked the puck in. However, the goal was disallowed for contact with the goaltender. There was a slew of red shirts, and only Rod Brind'Amour in white. Contact certainly was made, it looked like the contact was the result of Craig Rivet and Sheldon Souray attempting to remove Brindy from the crease. They both pushed Brindy, who made contact with Huet as the puck crossed the line. The refs have a lot of discretion in that case. They can allow the goal, saying that the contact was incidental; they can wave off the goal without calling an interference penalty; or they can wave the goal and call a penalty. I thought they should have gone with option A, but they went with B. For the record, it was Tim Peel, who made the call from all the way at center ice.
The third was full of tension, and fortunately, the Canes didn't let the controversy get the best of them. They had a good period, and Brindy eventually got the game winner at 5:54.
I could write a lengthy piece about Rod Brind'Amour's play in game four. He did a spectacular job of doing everything right. He created a breakaway situation while down two men. If not for a dazzling save by Huet, he would have put the Canes up 3-1, and taken the slowly shifting momentum away from the Habs. He pitched in defensively on several occasions, perfectly demonstrating why he will win the Selke. He earned third star accolades for his performance, and I can't disagree with giving the first star to Viva, but I think Brindy was the story tonight. And I think he'll be one of the big stories of this series.
Once again, Cam Ward was great. He didn't have to stand on his head as much as he did in game three, but he was pretty great. Again, he did a fantastic job of controlling his rebounds, and was just seeing the puck really well. He lived up to his reputation of being cool and collected. While many players will say that the key to success in the playoffs is to maintain one's heartbeat, to keep it low. All the Canes players say that Cam Ward doesn't have a pulse at all. I don't know where he gets that collectedness, but I see no reason to question it.
For his one goal/one assist night, the public enemy #1 was given the first star, and I can't imagine that went over with the fans in the
So the series will return to Raleigh on Sunday night, with a special 7:30 puck drop time. Since neither team has won a home game, it kind of makes things interesting.
I have a lot of confidence in my boys, though. With every game, the defense is getting better. Truth be told, it would be impossible for there to not be an improvement over game one, but I seriously have seen improvement in each game. One area that still needs A LOT of improvement though, is clearing the zone on the PK. Carolina can't seem to get the puck out. On the other side, Montréal is doing a textbook job of doing the same. Every chance they get, they clear it all the way out.
Anyway, we've got a brand new series. Best of three. It should be a doozy.
new addition to the blogroll
It was brought to my attention that the inimitable Ron Francis is writing a blog for WRAL. It naturally covers the Hurricanes through their Stanley Cup playoff run. Click the link above, or in the blogroll on the right to visit his blog.
As far as I can tell, it really is Ronnie.
As far as I can tell, it really is Ronnie.
Ward to start game 4
Hurricanes netminder Cam Ward was the big story for the Canes in game three of the Habs-Canes series. His outstanding performance on Wednesday will be rewarded with another opportunity to start. He'll be the man in net tonight for the important game four of the series.If the Canes can pull off another win on the road, they'll even the series at two games and restore home ice. Martin Gerber, who was suffering from a stomach virus, will watch the game from the bench. He hasn't been particularly good since before the Olympic break, and is perhaps in need of a rest. I wouldn't be surprised to see Gerber back in net at some point.
This goaltender scenario should ring a bell to Canes fans. During their '02 Cup run, they used a goaltender by committee approach with Kevin Weekes and Arturs Irbe.
Tonight's puck drop will be at 7:00.
In other games, the Stars have their back very much against the wall as they face elimination on the road in Denver. I'm guessing, though, that they'll live to see at least one more day.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Koivu out indefinitely
The news came early Thursday that Habs captain Saku Koivu will be out indefinitely with an eye injury suffered Wednesday night. He required a few stitches, and there was concern that the actual eye was damaged. Doctors cannot determine the severity of the injury until the swelling in that left eye subsides. Koivu cannot be replaced, just as Erik Cole cannot be replaced, but they will do their best to fill his void. In the meantime, Red and Black Hockey will extend their best wishes for a healthy recovery for Koivu. Bob Gainey did not ask the league to suspend Justin Williams.
Clearly, a foul occurred. Clearly there should have been a penalty. Denis LaRue, who I have called out at least once this season, was there in perfect position, and missed the call. He should be benched for the remainder of the playoffs.
Both Mark Recchi and Justin Williams have phoned Koivu to leave messages, but neither was able to speak with him. The Recchin ball played in Montréal for four seasons where he and Koivu became good friends.
On Friday, I expect the fans, but not the Habs players, to lash out at Williams. Over on the Habs board, there isn't very much anti-Williams talk, but a lot of anti-ref talk. Mostly though, they are, as they should be, concerned for Koivu's well-being. If the damage is severe enough it could threaten his career. We certainly hope it isn't anything like that.
If there's a positive side to this, it is that Koivu is in good spirits. He has been quoted as saying that he's more concerned with the fact that the Habs lost game three than he is with the injury.
Details of the injury probably won't develop for another 36 hours or so.
Staal lifts Canes, series 2-1.
On Wednesday night, Eric Staal scored 3:38 into overtime to give Carolina a 2-1 victory in the Bell Center. The series is now 2-1 in favor of Montréal, and we are guaranteed another home game. Unfortunately, the giveaway on Sunday will be "bang sticks", which I find to be only slightly more desirable than terminal cancer.
The story of Wednesday's game was Cam Ward. He was un freakin believable. He made a series of highlight reel saves in the second period. On most of those saves, he stopped it cleanly, with no rebound. Montréal continued to use their long bomb approach to shooting, which worked great against Martin Gerber. However, it would not work against the 22 year old rookie who was getting his first Stanley Cup start. He came on in relief of Gerber on Monday, and played well, but took the loss.
After a scoreless first, Richard Zednik gave the Habs the lead at 9:17 of the second with a power play goal. It was one of only three power play chances awarded the Habs, and the only one they would connect on.
Rod Brind'Amour tied it at 11:27 of the third after he hustled to get to a loose puck and squeezed it through the five hole of Huet.
With 3:38 gone in the fourth frame, and the Canes enjoying their seventh power play opportunity, Eric Staal lit the lamp with a shot from the point. The game-winner was his first Stanley Cup goal. He now has five points in three games of the second season.
One bit of controversy in the game was an injury to Habs captain Saku Koivu. Early in the first period, he caught a stick to the face from Carolina's Justin "Viva" Williams. Referee Denis LaRue was in perfect position to make a call, but didn't. Carolina gained control of the puck and was streaking down ice, but play was immediately whistled dead when LaRue noticed the injury. Koivu was rushed to a hospital and did not return. He needed a few stitches to close a cut near his left eye, and did not return. It isn't known yet whether Koivu, who wears a half shield, suffered an injury to the actual eye. Tomorrow he will visit with the team opthamologist for what has been called a "precautionary" visit. Koivu's head was very low to the ice at the time, but there still can and should have been a penalty. Obvoiusly it wasn't intentional, but the player still has to be responsible with his stick.
Canadiens players had two different takes on how that went down. While many complained that the referees were nit-picky in some cases, but missed that one, at least one wouldn't play the blame game.
Sheldon Souray:
The series will continue on Friday night in the Bell Center, and will return to the RBC Center on Sunday. Friday's puck drop will be again at 7:00. Again, no national TV.
The story of Wednesday's game was Cam Ward. He was un freakin believable. He made a series of highlight reel saves in the second period. On most of those saves, he stopped it cleanly, with no rebound. Montréal continued to use their long bomb approach to shooting, which worked great against Martin Gerber. However, it would not work against the 22 year old rookie who was getting his first Stanley Cup start. He came on in relief of Gerber on Monday, and played well, but took the loss.
After a scoreless first, Richard Zednik gave the Habs the lead at 9:17 of the second with a power play goal. It was one of only three power play chances awarded the Habs, and the only one they would connect on.
Rod Brind'Amour tied it at 11:27 of the third after he hustled to get to a loose puck and squeezed it through the five hole of Huet.
With 3:38 gone in the fourth frame, and the Canes enjoying their seventh power play opportunity, Eric Staal lit the lamp with a shot from the point. The game-winner was his first Stanley Cup goal. He now has five points in three games of the second season.
One bit of controversy in the game was an injury to Habs captain Saku Koivu. Early in the first period, he caught a stick to the face from Carolina's Justin "Viva" Williams. Referee Denis LaRue was in perfect position to make a call, but didn't. Carolina gained control of the puck and was streaking down ice, but play was immediately whistled dead when LaRue noticed the injury. Koivu was rushed to a hospital and did not return. He needed a few stitches to close a cut near his left eye, and did not return. It isn't known yet whether Koivu, who wears a half shield, suffered an injury to the actual eye. Tomorrow he will visit with the team opthamologist for what has been called a "precautionary" visit. Koivu's head was very low to the ice at the time, but there still can and should have been a penalty. Obvoiusly it wasn't intentional, but the player still has to be responsible with his stick.
Canadiens players had two different takes on how that went down. While many complained that the referees were nit-picky in some cases, but missed that one, at least one wouldn't play the blame game.
Sheldon Souray:
"You can sit here and talk about the refereeing and whatever, but they're not going to see everything and there have been questionable calls probably all year long. It's black, white and gray this year, the refereeing. You can't blame them but is it frustrating? Yeah, sure it's frustrating. They certainly missed it, but stuff happens during the game. You don't want to blame the referees for anything."
The series will continue on Friday night in the Bell Center, and will return to the RBC Center on Sunday. Friday's puck drop will be again at 7:00. Again, no national TV.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Taking the bait
JP over at Japers' Rink has been busy over there. He's put up a nice video summary of the Caps season, added some worthwhile/worthless stat of the night posts, and even had time to make a music recommendation. Since he invited Carolina fans to "recommend their favorite Toby Keith record", I'll take the bait. So here's the non-hockey post. I'll take time here to suggest a record that very few, if any of you are listening to -- Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever by Explosions in the Sky. This is one of my favorite records from the last five years, and is the one that blew me away more than any in my collection. The first time I listened, I was left breathless. Every single time I've listened since then, I still get completely struck with awe.
Explosions in the Sky is a four piece instrumental band from Austin Texas. Their brand of music is most commonly referred to as "post-rock", and their songs are more like overtures than traditional rock songs. They are typically between seven and twelve minutes in length, and each song usually has at least four different parts with a recurring theme. At some point in each song there is almost dead silence for several seconds, and at some point in each song there is a crescendo leading to a near deafening cacophony of guitar and drum. All the while, it feels much more like classical music than rock.
Those Who Tell the Truth... was released, depending on which account you believe, in late August 2001, September 4, or September 11, 2001. I bring this up because of the album's artwork and the inscription on the inside front cover "This plane will crash tomorrow".
You may be familiar with the band without knowing it. If you saw "Friday Night Lights", that was their music throughout the film.
Go somewhere where you can listen to the whole album (rather than the :30 bites you get from Amazon). Give it a twirl, and try to have patience. It requires a patient and thorough listen, but you probably won't regret it. If you don't want to take my word for it, see what Pitchfork Media has to say about it here.
Oh... Go Canes.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
A lesson in history
Before anybody (including myself) starts to talk about how it's over for the Canes, they need to take a look at last night's game, to think about how Carolina adapted mid-game. They also need to look not very far back in the history books.
The last point first. Back in 2002, eventual Stanley Cup champion Detroit was in the same position that Carolina in in right now. In the first round, they had lost games 1 and 2 to Vancouver at home and headed into enemy territory with a tough task. They regrouped, faced their challenge, and won four straight to win the series. Of course they also went on to win the Cup.
I think Carolina is capable of doing the same thing. Especially if they continue to play the way they did in periods two through five last night. I don't know what happened in the room between periods one and two, but they sure came out looking differently. The change in goaltender had something to do with it. Sure. But everything looked different.
Wednesday should be a good one.
The last point first. Back in 2002, eventual Stanley Cup champion Detroit was in the same position that Carolina in in right now. In the first round, they had lost games 1 and 2 to Vancouver at home and headed into enemy territory with a tough task. They regrouped, faced their challenge, and won four straight to win the series. Of course they also went on to win the Cup.
I think Carolina is capable of doing the same thing. Especially if they continue to play the way they did in periods two through five last night. I don't know what happened in the room between periods one and two, but they sure came out looking differently. The change in goaltender had something to do with it. Sure. But everything looked different.
Wednesday should be a good one.
Canes lose a heartbreaker, fall behind 2-0
On Monday, the Canes played a MUCH better game, but ended up on the losing end of a 6-5 double overtime thriller. They will head up to Montréal down two games. The Habs will have a chance to pull off a shocking sweep on home ice. I wouldn't bet on that, though.
For the first 20 minutes, things didn't look so good. The Habs were more aggressive than the Canes, they did a better job of completing their own passes and denying our passing lanes. Some poor officiating aside, the Habs absolutely had control of the first period. Martin Gerber was sent to the showers after surrendering three goals on 13 shots in only 14 minutes of play. After that, things started to turn around for the home team.
Early in the second, Matt Cullen got a bit of a fluky goal, which got the ball rolling for Carolina. Midway through the second, Brindy connected on a power play goal just seconds after a five-on-three had elapsed. They were awarded a great chance to make a lot of ground when Richard Zednik took a high-sticking double minor at 9:36, but they failed to score on either side of the penalty.
The mood was much better in the concourse and seating bowl during the second intermission. We had confidence in the boys and we had two penalties to the Habs on the board. There's not a better situation to ask for. Fresh sheet of ice, start of the period, two man advantage. Carolina struck twice to take the lead 4-3 at 1:15 of the third. Ray Whitney got the first one at 0:22 of the period, then Brindy got a wrap around to give us the lead early in the period. Needless to say, the mood had gotten even better.
The Habs would score the next two goals in quick succession to take a 5-4 lead. Kovalev at 5:22 and Zednik at 5:58. We still felt good, though.
At 18:30, with Cam Ward pulled for an extra attacker, Cory Stillman evened the score at 5, and we could breathe again.
First overtime was dominated by Carolina. They had loads of scoring chances, even shorthandedly, but Huet stood tall. In the end, it would be the Habs' Michael Ryder who got the game winner. Obviously, that made him the first star of the game. Second star went to Alex Kovalev, who had one goal and one assist. Third star went to Rod Brind'Amour with two goals. I don't understand why Eric Staal, who had four assists, wasn't one of the stars, but I guess that's how it goes.
Despite being down two games, I don't feel that bad. They showed strength and will in Monday's game. Now they now that the pressure is on, it's time for them to show some character. I think if the Canes can take game 3, up in La Belle Province, they have a chance. Of course winning them both would be better, but we have to take game 3.
Puck drop on Wednesday will be 7:00.
For the first 20 minutes, things didn't look so good. The Habs were more aggressive than the Canes, they did a better job of completing their own passes and denying our passing lanes. Some poor officiating aside, the Habs absolutely had control of the first period. Martin Gerber was sent to the showers after surrendering three goals on 13 shots in only 14 minutes of play. After that, things started to turn around for the home team.
Early in the second, Matt Cullen got a bit of a fluky goal, which got the ball rolling for Carolina. Midway through the second, Brindy connected on a power play goal just seconds after a five-on-three had elapsed. They were awarded a great chance to make a lot of ground when Richard Zednik took a high-sticking double minor at 9:36, but they failed to score on either side of the penalty.
The mood was much better in the concourse and seating bowl during the second intermission. We had confidence in the boys and we had two penalties to the Habs on the board. There's not a better situation to ask for. Fresh sheet of ice, start of the period, two man advantage. Carolina struck twice to take the lead 4-3 at 1:15 of the third. Ray Whitney got the first one at 0:22 of the period, then Brindy got a wrap around to give us the lead early in the period. Needless to say, the mood had gotten even better.
The Habs would score the next two goals in quick succession to take a 5-4 lead. Kovalev at 5:22 and Zednik at 5:58. We still felt good, though.
At 18:30, with Cam Ward pulled for an extra attacker, Cory Stillman evened the score at 5, and we could breathe again.
First overtime was dominated by Carolina. They had loads of scoring chances, even shorthandedly, but Huet stood tall. In the end, it would be the Habs' Michael Ryder who got the game winner. Obviously, that made him the first star of the game. Second star went to Alex Kovalev, who had one goal and one assist. Third star went to Rod Brind'Amour with two goals. I don't understand why Eric Staal, who had four assists, wasn't one of the stars, but I guess that's how it goes.
Despite being down two games, I don't feel that bad. They showed strength and will in Monday's game. Now they now that the pressure is on, it's time for them to show some character. I think if the Canes can take game 3, up in La Belle Province, they have a chance. Of course winning them both would be better, but we have to take game 3.
Puck drop on Wednesday will be 7:00.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Hockey Night in Carolina Canes vs Habs Game 2
First off, I want to apologize for my post of late Saturday night. The title "...outlook bleak", and the overall attitude of it is more embarrassing to me than the 6-1 undressing I had just witnessed.
My head wasn't in the right place. My comments were fueled in part by frustration, in part by fatigue and in part by a post-drunk haze. That post wasn't the only bad idea I had that night. Fortunately, I didn't have any ideas that were dumb enough to get me into any trouble. Yet.
In the drunkenness that preceded the "post-drunk haze" my friends and I hatched a plan for tonight's game that sounded like a good idea at the time, but in retrospect is a horrible idea. I won't get into the specific details of it, but it involved:
Get it? Of course we're not going to go through with our plan. And the truth of it is, there isn't a Leafs chance in the Cup Final of us being able to succeed anyway. We're too close to the ice and the netting is too high. Damn the netting.
So we'll go to the game tonight and behave ourselves and root our boys on.
We should see a different look to the boys tonight. They'll make some adjustments and we'll see more pucks in the net.
According to everything I've read, Peter Laviolette is going to "dance with the one who brung him" tonight. Despite a lot of talk about slotting rookie Cam Ward into net tonight, he'll be sticking with Martin Gerber.
I read that Ray Whitney is ready to go. I don't know if the doctors have cleared him, but he wants to play tonight and says he's ready. That will be a good sight indeed.
Yesterday, every series went to 1-1. I'm confident that the Canes can do the same. I'm also confident that we can go up to Montréal on Wednesday and Friday to at least take a split there, which would restore "home ice".
Puck drop at 7:00.
My head wasn't in the right place. My comments were fueled in part by frustration, in part by fatigue and in part by a post-drunk haze. That post wasn't the only bad idea I had that night. Fortunately, I didn't have any ideas that were dumb enough to get me into any trouble. Yet.
In the drunkenness that preceded the "post-drunk haze" my friends and I hatched a plan for tonight's game that sounded like a good idea at the time, but in retrospect is a horrible idea. I won't get into the specific details of it, but it involved:
- A grudge still held against Montréal fans for the way they treated Kevin Weekes (and the specific items they threw at him) years ago when the Canes were visiting Molson Center.
- Small soft toys resembling a certain amphibious creature.
- "Crystal Ball" Huet, who is French. Not La Belle Province French, but France French.
Get it? Of course we're not going to go through with our plan. And the truth of it is, there isn't a Leafs chance in the Cup Final of us being able to succeed anyway. We're too close to the ice and the netting is too high. Damn the netting.
So we'll go to the game tonight and behave ourselves and root our boys on.
We should see a different look to the boys tonight. They'll make some adjustments and we'll see more pucks in the net.
According to everything I've read, Peter Laviolette is going to "dance with the one who brung him" tonight. Despite a lot of talk about slotting rookie Cam Ward into net tonight, he'll be sticking with Martin Gerber.
I read that Ray Whitney is ready to go. I don't know if the doctors have cleared him, but he wants to play tonight and says he's ready. That will be a good sight indeed.
Yesterday, every series went to 1-1. I'm confident that the Canes can do the same. I'm also confident that we can go up to Montréal on Wednesday and Friday to at least take a split there, which would restore "home ice".
Puck drop at 7:00.
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Sabres take first game, set tone
Yeah. I know I'm a little late with this.The Sabres took the first game of their series with Philly with a 3-2 double overtime victory on Friday night. They also set the tone with some very physical play. Most of it had to do with a very uncharacteristic hit by Brian "Soupy" Campbell on Philly's RJ Umberger. By now, you've all seen the clip of the hit, and I wouldn't point to it if the player was badly hurt, but in case you haven't seen it, here it is. Tip of the cap to Jes Golbez for making the clip short and simple. OLN replayed it ad nauseum, like the Joe Theismann leg breaking, and apparently the Jumbotron at HSBC showed it a few too many times.
Not just that hit, but the way the Sabres played in general was a statement that they won't be pushed around by a more physical team. I like to see that.
I also like to see this. Brian Campbell showed class in his post game quotes on the hit, like this one:
"It was just the situation," said Campbell. "It doesn't happen too often. I think he got a bad suicide pass and skated forward with his head down. It was a good, clean hit but it stinks that he got hurt. You never want to see that.".
It was undoubtedly a clean hit, but you always worry about serious injury on a play like that. Although Umberger didn't return to the game after the hit, which occurred at 11:26 of the first overtime, he has been deemed "fine" and "good to go" for game two. It's almost impossible to not think of Paul Kariya when looking at the above photo, from the Buffalo News . You know exactly what I'm talking about, and you probably remember exactly where you were when you first saw Scott Stevens lay out Kariya. The two hits are similar in that they were open ice where the skater never saw it coming. In Stevens/Kariya though, the play was well off the puck. It went unpenalized, but was filed away with all the others as "spectacular, but questionable".
Although I didn't see a single minute of the Buffalo/Philly game, and I probably won't see a single minute of any of those games (I've got my own team to watch), I expect this one to go to seven, and I expect that whomever emerges from this matchup will be a little banged up. I initially picked Philly to win in seven. In my heart, I want the Sabres to win, but in my head, I'll stick with my initial pick.
Canes demolished by Habs; outlook bleak
On Saturday night, the Canes got off to an early start, scoring on their very first shot against Cristobal Huet and the Canadiens. Unfortunately, that would be the best the Canes could muster in a 6-1 loss to the visitors.
All over the ice, they looked bad. Bad passing, bad defensive adjustments, bad line changes. Somehow they managed to unleash 35 shots against the Frenchman in the first two periods, but only one of them was worth a crap.
Meanwhile, the Habs played a very solid game. They didn't make many mistakes, they capitalized on Canes miscues, and they were extremely efficient. They only took 21 shots, but that was still 19 more than was necessary to beat the downtrodden Canes.
It's easy to blame Martin Gerber. He looked bad on at least two of those. The shooter had a clear lane from well out, with no traffic. That should be an easy stop, but not on Saturday. Sure, a couple of times he was hung out to dry by sloppy defensive play or by neutral zone turnovers, but the bottom line is that he let 6 out of 21 shots get through. His save % for the 2006 postseason is a horrifying .714.
On Monday, I expect Gerber to be benched/rested in favor of Cam Ward. I don't think he could possibly fare any worse.
If Montréal continues to play with the kind of focus they had on Saturday, and if Carolina continues to play with the lack of same, this series will be swept by Montréal.
That would be completely unacceptable.
All over the ice, they looked bad. Bad passing, bad defensive adjustments, bad line changes. Somehow they managed to unleash 35 shots against the Frenchman in the first two periods, but only one of them was worth a crap.
Meanwhile, the Habs played a very solid game. They didn't make many mistakes, they capitalized on Canes miscues, and they were extremely efficient. They only took 21 shots, but that was still 19 more than was necessary to beat the downtrodden Canes.
It's easy to blame Martin Gerber. He looked bad on at least two of those. The shooter had a clear lane from well out, with no traffic. That should be an easy stop, but not on Saturday. Sure, a couple of times he was hung out to dry by sloppy defensive play or by neutral zone turnovers, but the bottom line is that he let 6 out of 21 shots get through. His save % for the 2006 postseason is a horrifying .714.
On Monday, I expect Gerber to be benched/rested in favor of Cam Ward. I don't think he could possibly fare any worse.
If Montréal continues to play with the kind of focus they had on Saturday, and if Carolina continues to play with the lack of same, this series will be swept by Montréal.
That would be completely unacceptable.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
CBC hockey bloggers roundtable
For some unknown reason, somebody somewhere decided that I have something worthwhile to say. I have been asked to be part of a four-member roundtable blogger "discussion" taking place over at CBC Sports Online. The same folks who bring you "Hockey Night in Canada".
The first segment of the roundtable is up and ready for viewing. Skate on over there for a visit.
The bloggers participating are:
So far we've been posed three questions, which we've answered via e-mail. I expect things to get busy at the roundtable as the playoffs progress.
Please keep checking back to the roundtable. I've added a handy, easy to use button over there at the top of the sidebar. Give it a click. It takes you right to the roundtable.
The first segment of the roundtable is up and ready for viewing. Skate on over there for a visit.
The bloggers participating are:
- Tyler Dellow, of mc79hockey.com, who covers the Oilers
- Chris McMurtry, of Hockey Dirt, who covers the Sens
- Yours truly, and
- Pat Angelo, of Colorado Avalanche Blog (who, incidentally also occasionally blogs four other teams, including the Canes).
So far we've been posed three questions, which we've answered via e-mail. I expect things to get busy at the roundtable as the playoffs progress.
Please keep checking back to the roundtable. I've added a handy, easy to use button over there at the top of the sidebar. Give it a click. It takes you right to the roundtable.
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