By Wild Road Tripper
Well, folks. Even I finally have to admit it.
It's Over.
The Minnesota Wild season is over. Shoulda been a Game 7 last night, at the United Center in Chicago. But, alas, such was not to be. The fact of the matter turned out to be, though, that good teams generate their own puck luck. And, the talented, uber-successful Chicago Blackhawks are that good. They generated the luck to get that OT goal in Game 6, to end the Wild's season after two rounds.
But what about the season that just ended? What about the 2013-14 campaign, one that came to the precipice of utter disaster, following a Dec. 29 Sunday night disaster at home against the lowly New York Islanders, where the Wild came out, and utterly stunk out the Xcel Energy Center?
But that's for another time, another column. (Don't worry, I'll still provide the 'Six-Pack of Suck' in a few weeks. Need to get over our playoff run first.)
But think back and remember fondly what the Wild did accomplish this seaosn:
1. Going thru goaltenders faster than commercial jets go thru tires. Seven different goaltenders started at least one game for the Wild this past season. Seven. Had you told me that was going to happen last October, I'd have said you need your head examined. But, alas, that's exactly what happened. Thru Niklas Backstrom's 'core muscle' injury, Josh Harding's battle with Multiple Sclerosis, Darcy Kuemper's 'Bells of St. Mary's' routine, both in the regular season and in Game 5 in Denver; the emergence (and demi-lucidity) of Ilya Bryzgalov; John Curry's twirling to a win in the stretch drive, just to name a few.
2. They won and thrived, despite Dany Heatley's lack of contribution as he muddled his way thru the last season of his $7.5M contract; Kyle Brodziak reverting to form after his 'contract drive' of late last season; and so much lack of contrbution from virtually every other player on the roster at one time or another. The fact is that the Wild won at times in spite of themselves, as much as their efforts had any effect on the outcomes.
3. The emergence of so many of the young guns that GM Chuck Fletcher has assembled over the past 4 years. Mikael Granlund, Jared Spurgeon, Charlie Coyle, Eric Haula, Justin Fontaine, just to name a few. And you have Matt Dumba and Christian Folin waiting in the wings, as well as Raphael Bussieres, the injured Jason Zucker, and so many other talent 'in the larder', as it were, that the Wild are now in a position of strength, where they can afford to trade for top talent, and actually have players that other teams want, for one of the few times in franchise history.
4. I tweeted just before the first Wild home playoff game (Game 3, vs. Colorado) that the Wild need to give the fans something to cheer for, and they will cheer. Loudly. And, they did. I was among them, for all six home playoff games. Yes, the Wild wish you could get this kind of response on a mid-January night vs. Edmonton, Calgary, or Carolina, but with 41 home games in the regular season (and 2 or 3 pre-season games), you're just not going to get that response every night. Meanwhile, the fact that the Wild can fill the building as they have, despite stretches like the holiday period of 2013, is a continuing testament to the faithfulness of the fanbase.
5. The national media finally admitted that the Wild are not the only NHL team playing 'the trap' anymore. Begrudgingly, the Wild have earned the respect of the national hockey media (E. J. Hradek, and Sirius XM NHL Radio notwithstanding) thru their two-round playoff run. The fact of the matter is that the Wild franchise is finally coming of age...again. The only other team from the '99-00 class of teams that has gone beyond the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, more than once, is still only one: the Minnesota Wild.
So, with all that behind us, Wild fans turn to the future. And it's a very bright future, indeed. With all the talent assembled, and the position of where the Wild is as an organization, the future is where the Wild are at. You still have a little dead weight on the team (Brodziak, Stoner) to get rid of; some of the rest of it (Heatley, Matt Moulson, Prosser) will become UFA's by themselves. Other than at the goaltender position, you got to like where the Wild are at, talent-wise.
Mike Yeo's future as the head coach of this franchise was assured by their playoff run; I would, however, do some kind of an audit on your training and medical staffs, as there were too many injuries, at too many of the wrong times, by too many of the wrong players. Some of it was, yes, game-related; but a lot of it were developing injuries, over time, while the medical staff waited for the inevitable to occur. A little more proactive effort is what's needed, IMO, to stem the tide of injuries.
Next up: NHL Draft, June 27-28, at 'The Rock' in Newark. Go for it, Chuck Fletcher.
Showing posts with label NHL Playoffs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NHL Playoffs. Show all posts
Friday, May 16, 2014
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Wow. Just Wow.
Minnesota Wild defeat Colorado, go on to face Blackhawks in playoff round two
Well, that was a fun ride, wasn't it?
The Minnesota Wild, after their Game 7, 5-4 OT win last night over the Colorado Avalanche at Denver's Pepsi Center, now face even a more formidable task in the Second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs: the defending Cup champions, the Chicago Blackhawks. Fact of the matter is, the only time the Wild were ahead all night, was the one time when it counted: at the end.
Despite the Avalanche racing off to an amazing start in their first 20 games, despite the divisional championship the Avs won this season, none of that carried over into the 'second season'. The Avs, and the Wild, won all their home games. Until last night, that is.
So, with that as a background, how do the Wild take on Chicago, who's basically been on cruise control for the last 2-3 weeks? Does the Wild take on the Hawks, head-on? Or do they go after the Hawks, the same way they dispatched Colorado in the just-completed last round?
And what am I saying, anyhow?
I really kind of wonder at times. Now, after this point, there is no local TV of Wild playof games; all games will be on the networks of NBCUniversal (NBCSN for Game 1 on Friday night; the mothership, NBC, on Sunday afternoon; then sent off to CNBC, for Tuesday's Game 3, an 8 PM CDT start).
Beyond that? Even the networks don't know for sure.
So a little friendly advice from your Road Tripper; sit back, relax for a day, and enjoy the ride. The heavy traffic will begin again, soon enough. Enjoy what already has happened. Minnesota hockey fans have earned this.
Well, that was a fun ride, wasn't it?
The Minnesota Wild, after their Game 7, 5-4 OT win last night over the Colorado Avalanche at Denver's Pepsi Center, now face even a more formidable task in the Second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs: the defending Cup champions, the Chicago Blackhawks. Fact of the matter is, the only time the Wild were ahead all night, was the one time when it counted: at the end.
Despite the Avalanche racing off to an amazing start in their first 20 games, despite the divisional championship the Avs won this season, none of that carried over into the 'second season'. The Avs, and the Wild, won all their home games. Until last night, that is.
So, with that as a background, how do the Wild take on Chicago, who's basically been on cruise control for the last 2-3 weeks? Does the Wild take on the Hawks, head-on? Or do they go after the Hawks, the same way they dispatched Colorado in the just-completed last round?
And what am I saying, anyhow?
I really kind of wonder at times. Now, after this point, there is no local TV of Wild playof games; all games will be on the networks of NBCUniversal (NBCSN for Game 1 on Friday night; the mothership, NBC, on Sunday afternoon; then sent off to CNBC, for Tuesday's Game 3, an 8 PM CDT start).
Beyond that? Even the networks don't know for sure.
So a little friendly advice from your Road Tripper; sit back, relax for a day, and enjoy the ride. The heavy traffic will begin again, soon enough. Enjoy what already has happened. Minnesota hockey fans have earned this.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Too close for comfort...and a prediction
With regular season behind them, Wild, Blackhawks get set to face each other in Round One of 2013 NHL Playoffs
By Wild Road Tripper
That was close. Too close.
The Minnesota Wild, who almost backed all the way out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, did manage to right the ship of state in time to save their season Saturday night at Pepsi Center, defeating the Colorado Avalanche 3-1 to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. As thousands of fans watched in angst at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, where the Blue Jackets thought that their 3-1 win, over the Nashville Predators, would just be enough to qualify for their second playoff run in the franchise's history, the Wild managed to just squeak in as the No. 8 seed in the NHL's Western Conference.
The Wild will begin their best-of-7 series with the Chicago Blackhawks on either Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on the whims of the NBC Sports Network, who controls what games are placed in what order by the League contractually. NBCSN -- which used to be known as Versus -- would like to keep the League's stars (Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, the Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings) on their network as much as possible.
And, there is the question in the Eastern Conference of who will play whom, as there is one game to be played today -- the postponed Ottawa at Boston game, which was originally scheduled for April 15th, the date of the Boston Marathon bomb attacks. This game needs to be played, in order to determine playoff positioning for 3 of the 4 Eastern Conference series.
Until that game is played, none of the dates/times for any of the series will probably be announced, so it will be anywhere up to mid-late evening before the times might be known.
As the two teams prepare to enter the playoffs -- the pressure-filled, hyper-intense world of hockey beyond the end of the regular season -- the fact of the matter is clear: The Wild are the second-biggest underdog in the NHL playoffs. Only the New York Islanders -- who will end up facing the Pittsburgh Penguins, should Ottawa lose in OT or the shootout tonight in Boston -- would probably be a larger underdog.
Regardless of when the Wild-Blackhawks series starts, the best thing for the Wild to do is simplify your game. No more Clayton Stoner cross-ice passes to be intercepted by Marian Hossa. No Justin Falk missed checks leading to Patrick Kane odd-man rushes on goal. No more Tom Gilbert passes to the empty quarter of the offensive zone, only to be intercepted and shot down the ice, killing yet another chance. Don't expect Pierre-Marc Bouchard to Spin-o-Rama his way to a Stanley Cup. Or much from Zenon Konopka, Mike Rupp, or Torrey Mitchell, but for Mitchell, for the fact he has to play on the same line (Wild's 4th) with the other two.
Chicago's strength is that their four lines are better than yours, matched up line-for-line (1st vs. 1st, 2nd vs. 2nd, 3rd vs. 3rd, and 4th vs. 4th). Their defense is better than yours (especially the bottom three), and their goaltending has improved dramatically, as opposed to Wild workhorse Niklas Backstrom, who has played in 82% of the Wild's season.
The Wild will make this an interesting series, and may just sneak a win out of the United Center. Maybe. But then, under the pressure of the home crowd, with 20,000 people at Xcel Energy Center (they will try for this number of tickets sold, for each game in this series) screaming 'SHOOT' every time the power play stalls and become a pass-fest, the Wild will eventually wilt under the relentless attack of the Blackhawks. What the Hawks are, is what the Wild wants to achieve. They just aren't there...yet. But, they're getting there. At least the Wild are, finally, on their way.
PREDICTION: Hawks in 6.
By Wild Road Tripper
That was close. Too close.
The Minnesota Wild, who almost backed all the way out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, did manage to right the ship of state in time to save their season Saturday night at Pepsi Center, defeating the Colorado Avalanche 3-1 to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. As thousands of fans watched in angst at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, where the Blue Jackets thought that their 3-1 win, over the Nashville Predators, would just be enough to qualify for their second playoff run in the franchise's history, the Wild managed to just squeak in as the No. 8 seed in the NHL's Western Conference.
The Wild will begin their best-of-7 series with the Chicago Blackhawks on either Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on the whims of the NBC Sports Network, who controls what games are placed in what order by the League contractually. NBCSN -- which used to be known as Versus -- would like to keep the League's stars (Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, the Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings) on their network as much as possible.
And, there is the question in the Eastern Conference of who will play whom, as there is one game to be played today -- the postponed Ottawa at Boston game, which was originally scheduled for April 15th, the date of the Boston Marathon bomb attacks. This game needs to be played, in order to determine playoff positioning for 3 of the 4 Eastern Conference series.
Until that game is played, none of the dates/times for any of the series will probably be announced, so it will be anywhere up to mid-late evening before the times might be known.
As the two teams prepare to enter the playoffs -- the pressure-filled, hyper-intense world of hockey beyond the end of the regular season -- the fact of the matter is clear: The Wild are the second-biggest underdog in the NHL playoffs. Only the New York Islanders -- who will end up facing the Pittsburgh Penguins, should Ottawa lose in OT or the shootout tonight in Boston -- would probably be a larger underdog.
Regardless of when the Wild-Blackhawks series starts, the best thing for the Wild to do is simplify your game. No more Clayton Stoner cross-ice passes to be intercepted by Marian Hossa. No Justin Falk missed checks leading to Patrick Kane odd-man rushes on goal. No more Tom Gilbert passes to the empty quarter of the offensive zone, only to be intercepted and shot down the ice, killing yet another chance. Don't expect Pierre-Marc Bouchard to Spin-o-Rama his way to a Stanley Cup. Or much from Zenon Konopka, Mike Rupp, or Torrey Mitchell, but for Mitchell, for the fact he has to play on the same line (Wild's 4th) with the other two.
Chicago's strength is that their four lines are better than yours, matched up line-for-line (1st vs. 1st, 2nd vs. 2nd, 3rd vs. 3rd, and 4th vs. 4th). Their defense is better than yours (especially the bottom three), and their goaltending has improved dramatically, as opposed to Wild workhorse Niklas Backstrom, who has played in 82% of the Wild's season.
The Wild will make this an interesting series, and may just sneak a win out of the United Center. Maybe. But then, under the pressure of the home crowd, with 20,000 people at Xcel Energy Center (they will try for this number of tickets sold, for each game in this series) screaming 'SHOOT' every time the power play stalls and become a pass-fest, the Wild will eventually wilt under the relentless attack of the Blackhawks. What the Hawks are, is what the Wild wants to achieve. They just aren't there...yet. But, they're getting there. At least the Wild are, finally, on their way.
PREDICTION: Hawks in 6.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
How 'bout a little help for the Wild?
If the Minnesota Wild could scream something at the rest of the NHL this Sunday morning, it very well could be saying:
'Thanks for nothing, guys!'
The fact of the matter, however, is that whatever team needed to lose in various games last week in the NHL, didn't. In fact, of the 12 non-Wild games I mentioned last week on this blog, only 4 of the 12 turned out the way that the Wild could eventually take advantage of, and 3 of those 4 were that the game didn't go to overtime or shootout. The only game that didn't go OT/Shootout that turned out the way the Wild would like was Calgary's 3-2 win at home Wednesday against faltering Detroit.
So, having said all that, we turn to the final seven days of the Western Conference race, where the race will finally and mercifully (for some teams, at least) end. The last four games of the season will feature three teams who are out of the race (Calgary, Edmonton, and Colorado) and one team -- Tuesday's home game vs. the LA Kings -- who has already clinched a playoff spot.
Update: 11:30 AM Sunday: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, of the Edmonton Oilers, is reportedly having shoulder surgery in Cleveland this coming week, ending RNH's season.
Do you think the Wild have a better chance this week? Let's find out...
Sunday, April 21: Wild at home, must beat Calgary
Colorado must beat St. Louis
Dallas at LA Kings cannot go OT/SO
Columbus at San Jose cannot go OT/SO
Monday, April 22: Chicago must win at Vancouver
Phoenix at Detroit cannot go OT/SO
Tuesday, April 23: Wild at home, must beat LA Kings
Phoenix must win at St. Louis
Dallas at San Jose cannot go OT/SO
Wednesday, Apr. 24: Detroit must beat LA Kings
San Jose at Phoenix cannot go OT/SO
Thursday, Apr. 25: Nashville must win at Detroit
Calgary must win at St. Louis
Columbus at Dallas cannot go OT/SO
Anaheim must beat Vancouver
Friday, April 26: Wild at home, must beat Edmonton
Saturday, April 27: Wild must win at Colorado
Chicago must win at St. Louis
Edmonton must beat Vancouver
All other Western Conference games must not go OT/SO
'Thanks for nothing, guys!'
The fact of the matter, however, is that whatever team needed to lose in various games last week in the NHL, didn't. In fact, of the 12 non-Wild games I mentioned last week on this blog, only 4 of the 12 turned out the way that the Wild could eventually take advantage of, and 3 of those 4 were that the game didn't go to overtime or shootout. The only game that didn't go OT/Shootout that turned out the way the Wild would like was Calgary's 3-2 win at home Wednesday against faltering Detroit.
So, having said all that, we turn to the final seven days of the Western Conference race, where the race will finally and mercifully (for some teams, at least) end. The last four games of the season will feature three teams who are out of the race (Calgary, Edmonton, and Colorado) and one team -- Tuesday's home game vs. the LA Kings -- who has already clinched a playoff spot.
Update: 11:30 AM Sunday: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, of the Edmonton Oilers, is reportedly having shoulder surgery in Cleveland this coming week, ending RNH's season.
Do you think the Wild have a better chance this week? Let's find out...
Sunday, April 21: Wild at home, must beat Calgary
Colorado must beat St. Louis
Dallas at LA Kings cannot go OT/SO
Columbus at San Jose cannot go OT/SO
Monday, April 22: Chicago must win at Vancouver
Phoenix at Detroit cannot go OT/SO
Tuesday, April 23: Wild at home, must beat LA Kings
Phoenix must win at St. Louis
Dallas at San Jose cannot go OT/SO
Wednesday, Apr. 24: Detroit must beat LA Kings
San Jose at Phoenix cannot go OT/SO
Thursday, Apr. 25: Nashville must win at Detroit
Calgary must win at St. Louis
Columbus at Dallas cannot go OT/SO
Anaheim must beat Vancouver
Friday, April 26: Wild at home, must beat Edmonton
Saturday, April 27: Wild must win at Colorado
Chicago must win at St. Louis
Edmonton must beat Vancouver
All other Western Conference games must not go OT/SO
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Wild playoff qualification plan: Win..and get help
Reeling Minnesota Wild need to turn it around, help from others to make playoffs
Good Morning, Wild Nation.
Your team sucks as bad as the weather outside (at least in the Twin Cities, anyways.) A three-game homestand, which should have yielded at least four points (read the last post, folks), came within 3:15 of not producing any points at all. Without Jason Pominville's late third-period, power play rebound goal, the Wild would currently be 0-fer April at home.
As it is, with two weeks, and seven games left in their season, the Wild need help -- big-time, somebody-else-has-to-beat-your-rival, high-school-grade help --in order to even make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Not only do the Wild have to sweep the last seven games, but they need the following to happen, just this coming week:
Today: Chicago needs to win at St. Louis (on NBC)
Nashville needs to beat Detroit
Monday: Wild needs to win at Calgary
Chicago needs to beat Dallas
San Jose needs to win at Phoenix
Tuesday: Wild needs to win at Edmonton
Vancouver at St. Louis cannot go to Overtime/Shootout
Wednesday: Calgary needs to beat Detroit
Anaheim needs to beat Columbus
Thursday: Wild needs to win at San Jose
Phoenix needs to win at St. Louis
Vancouver at Dallas cannot go to OT/SO
Columbus at LA Kings cannot go to OT/SO
Friday: Dallas at St. Louis cannot go to OT/SO
Saturday: Chicago needs to beat Phoenix
Detroit at Vancouver cannot go to OT/SO
Sunday April 21: Wild, at home, needs to beat Calgary (again)
Dallas at LA Kings cannot go to OT/SO
Columbus at San Jose cannot go to OT/SO
Colorado needs to beat St. Louis
So, dear reader, you can see the kind of crater that the Wild have dug for themselves. The biggest thing, however, is that the Wild must sweep the week. It's that simple. Keep your eyes on the prize, and the rest should take care of itself.
Hopefully.
Good Morning, Wild Nation.
Your team sucks as bad as the weather outside (at least in the Twin Cities, anyways.) A three-game homestand, which should have yielded at least four points (read the last post, folks), came within 3:15 of not producing any points at all. Without Jason Pominville's late third-period, power play rebound goal, the Wild would currently be 0-fer April at home.
As it is, with two weeks, and seven games left in their season, the Wild need help -- big-time, somebody-else-has-to-beat-your-rival, high-school-grade help --in order to even make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Not only do the Wild have to sweep the last seven games, but they need the following to happen, just this coming week:
Today: Chicago needs to win at St. Louis (on NBC)
Nashville needs to beat Detroit
Monday: Wild needs to win at Calgary
Chicago needs to beat Dallas
San Jose needs to win at Phoenix
Tuesday: Wild needs to win at Edmonton
Vancouver at St. Louis cannot go to Overtime/Shootout
Wednesday: Calgary needs to beat Detroit
Anaheim needs to beat Columbus
Thursday: Wild needs to win at San Jose
Phoenix needs to win at St. Louis
Vancouver at Dallas cannot go to OT/SO
Columbus at LA Kings cannot go to OT/SO
Friday: Dallas at St. Louis cannot go to OT/SO
Saturday: Chicago needs to beat Phoenix
Detroit at Vancouver cannot go to OT/SO
Sunday April 21: Wild, at home, needs to beat Calgary (again)
Dallas at LA Kings cannot go to OT/SO
Columbus at San Jose cannot go to OT/SO
Colorado needs to beat St. Louis
So, dear reader, you can see the kind of crater that the Wild have dug for themselves. The biggest thing, however, is that the Wild must sweep the week. It's that simple. Keep your eyes on the prize, and the rest should take care of itself.
Hopefully.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
The long and the short of it
NHL's second playoff round may not have long to go
The second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is almost over, except in Nashville, where they may end as soon as Monday.
Seems as though the contenders -- especially in the Eastern Conference -- have turned out to be pretenders, as both the regular-season leaders in the East were summarily dispatched in four straight games by Tampa Bay and Boston, respectively. The Eastern Conference Finals will be between the No. 3 seed Bruins (who will have home ice advantage) and the No. 5 seed Lightning, who bounced the Pittsburgh Penguins and then the Washington Capitals in successive series.
The Washington Capitals management even sent an e-mail to their fans apologizing for their lack of success right after the four-game sweep.
The Bruins, after a grinding, seven-game series against Montreal in the first round, then went into uber-hostile Philadelphia and took two from the Flyers, then went back to TD Garden and finished off what some have dubbed, 'the new America's Team', in four straight.
In the West, the San Jose Sharks, following their six-game series win over the Anze Kopitar-less LA Kings, are one win away from throttling the Detroit Red Wings, who closed out the Phoenix Coyotes faster than the Goldwater Institute. Red Wings vs. Sharks will play tonight (Sunday) in Silicon Valley.
The other Western series, Nashville vs. Vancouver, is very surprising, considering the Predators did not know they were even IN the playoffs, until the last week of the regular season. That the Preds are playing even to the much more talented Canucks, is a testament to the system used to perfection by head coach Barry 'Uncle Fester' Trotz and his staff. Game Six in Music City will be Monday night, as the Canucks will have to travel the 2030 miles (3,270 Km for you Canadians) yet again as I write this. How many times will the Canucks be able to face comeback after comeback before they are eliminated, once and for all?
Should the Canucks survive somehow (again) whoever plays them will be facing a team which will be bloodied, beaten up, but as yet not unbowed. That will be for some other team to do. I really wonder how much Vancouver fans know their team is hated across North America. Sure, some who take a less opinionated view say that they are a great team, and that they are -- they have the talent, and the skill -- but do they have the will to win?
I haven't seen it from the men in those hideous blue uniforms yet. Nor in the end do I think we will.
The second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is almost over, except in Nashville, where they may end as soon as Monday.
Seems as though the contenders -- especially in the Eastern Conference -- have turned out to be pretenders, as both the regular-season leaders in the East were summarily dispatched in four straight games by Tampa Bay and Boston, respectively. The Eastern Conference Finals will be between the No. 3 seed Bruins (who will have home ice advantage) and the No. 5 seed Lightning, who bounced the Pittsburgh Penguins and then the Washington Capitals in successive series.
The Washington Capitals management even sent an e-mail to their fans apologizing for their lack of success right after the four-game sweep.
The Bruins, after a grinding, seven-game series against Montreal in the first round, then went into uber-hostile Philadelphia and took two from the Flyers, then went back to TD Garden and finished off what some have dubbed, 'the new America's Team', in four straight.
In the West, the San Jose Sharks, following their six-game series win over the Anze Kopitar-less LA Kings, are one win away from throttling the Detroit Red Wings, who closed out the Phoenix Coyotes faster than the Goldwater Institute. Red Wings vs. Sharks will play tonight (Sunday) in Silicon Valley.
The other Western series, Nashville vs. Vancouver, is very surprising, considering the Predators did not know they were even IN the playoffs, until the last week of the regular season. That the Preds are playing even to the much more talented Canucks, is a testament to the system used to perfection by head coach Barry 'Uncle Fester' Trotz and his staff. Game Six in Music City will be Monday night, as the Canucks will have to travel the 2030 miles (3,270 Km for you Canadians) yet again as I write this. How many times will the Canucks be able to face comeback after comeback before they are eliminated, once and for all?
Should the Canucks survive somehow (again) whoever plays them will be facing a team which will be bloodied, beaten up, but as yet not unbowed. That will be for some other team to do. I really wonder how much Vancouver fans know their team is hated across North America. Sure, some who take a less opinionated view say that they are a great team, and that they are -- they have the talent, and the skill -- but do they have the will to win?
I haven't seen it from the men in those hideous blue uniforms yet. Nor in the end do I think we will.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Enjoying the Playoffs, Wild fans?
If you are a real hockey fan, there should be very little to get in your way of some serious couch time these April nights. Because, there's some really good hockey being played right now.
To wit: we've already seen...
One of the most determined comebacks in NHL history, by the Chicago Blackhawks, as the Vancouver Canucks victory parade planning has been brought to a dead halt;
possibly the last NHL game to ever be played in Glendale, Arizona, as the Detroit Red Wings showed why they are still the REAL force to be reckoned with in the Western Conference, dismantling the Phoenix Coyotes in four straight games;
that hot goaltending still can rule a playoff series, as Jonathan Quick's stand-on-your-head efforts still have the Los Angeles Kings in the series against the San Jose Sharks;
that the Washington Capitals have indeed improved their defense, as they dispatched the New York Rangers in five games, the last two losses of which can directly be attributed to Marian Gaborik, who really has to ask himself what has happened since his move to Gotham;
that the best offense really is a GREAT defense. Just ask the Buffalo Sabres, who have the new 'America's Team', the Philadelphia Flyers, on the ropes going into today's nationally-televised game at Buffalo;
that the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens haven't beaten each other into a pulp yet, with all the hard hits, high-intensity up-and-down skating, and leftover hatred that you USUALLY have in a playoff series;
that the Pittsburgh Penguins have survived the series with the Tampa Bay Lightning, despite no Sid the Kid, no 'Geno' Malkin, and very little help (at least in Game 5) for their beleagured goaltending corps. Anytime you place a 'snowman' on the other team's scoreboard, you wonder what you did right, and want to just keep on doing it;
and, finally, one of the 'snooz-iest' series ever, that series between the Nashville Predators and the Anaheim Ducks, a series which although going into Game 6 today (late afternoon) at Nashville, has drawn very little attention, and next-to-no national TV/Cable coverage. Not that there hasn't been some good hockey played (Bobby Ryan's goal and Jordin Tootoo's sweet game 4 rebound of his own shot are two of this playoff season's best goals) and some vicious hitting (the Game 4 take-out of Nashville's Martin Erat shows that, indeed, the Ducks haven't changed their ways) but this series hasn't captured the imagination of the hockey world.
So, if you are a fan of any of the teams who didn't make the playoffs, you wonder to yourself: 'Would my team have played at this level during these last 10-12 days?', and in most cases you say 'No' and hope that the teams who didn't make the playoffs want to get better. Teams that don't make the playoffs sell hope, because that's all they have TO sell. The fact of the matter is that teams who don't make the post-season don't make money. Three of the five most financially-distressed teams in the NHL (Florida, Atlanta, Dallas) did not make the playoffs this past season. The most financially-distressed team (Phoenix) went out in four straight games in the first round. And how many other teams, teams we haven't heard about in this context, are in the hole as much as these teams are?
Does the NHL have two schedules ready? One with the Phoenix Coyotes in it, and one with that team in Winnipeg? And, when will they release that schedule? Where will the Coyotes franchise be when the puck drops in October?
A lot more questions right now in the NHL than there are answers. So for now, shove all that aside. Forget the financial battles, legal entanglements and who's ox is getting gored. Sit down on the couch, and enjoy some of the best hockey of the season. After all, that's why they play the games. To see who wins, and who loses. Who gets to raise Lord Stanley's hardware in six weeks' time. And who's hopes get dashed on the rocks of the playoffs.
That's why they play the games.
Happy Easter, everyone.
To wit: we've already seen...
One of the most determined comebacks in NHL history, by the Chicago Blackhawks, as the Vancouver Canucks victory parade planning has been brought to a dead halt;
possibly the last NHL game to ever be played in Glendale, Arizona, as the Detroit Red Wings showed why they are still the REAL force to be reckoned with in the Western Conference, dismantling the Phoenix Coyotes in four straight games;
that hot goaltending still can rule a playoff series, as Jonathan Quick's stand-on-your-head efforts still have the Los Angeles Kings in the series against the San Jose Sharks;
that the Washington Capitals have indeed improved their defense, as they dispatched the New York Rangers in five games, the last two losses of which can directly be attributed to Marian Gaborik, who really has to ask himself what has happened since his move to Gotham;
that the best offense really is a GREAT defense. Just ask the Buffalo Sabres, who have the new 'America's Team', the Philadelphia Flyers, on the ropes going into today's nationally-televised game at Buffalo;
that the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens haven't beaten each other into a pulp yet, with all the hard hits, high-intensity up-and-down skating, and leftover hatred that you USUALLY have in a playoff series;
that the Pittsburgh Penguins have survived the series with the Tampa Bay Lightning, despite no Sid the Kid, no 'Geno' Malkin, and very little help (at least in Game 5) for their beleagured goaltending corps. Anytime you place a 'snowman' on the other team's scoreboard, you wonder what you did right, and want to just keep on doing it;
and, finally, one of the 'snooz-iest' series ever, that series between the Nashville Predators and the Anaheim Ducks, a series which although going into Game 6 today (late afternoon) at Nashville, has drawn very little attention, and next-to-no national TV/Cable coverage. Not that there hasn't been some good hockey played (Bobby Ryan's goal and Jordin Tootoo's sweet game 4 rebound of his own shot are two of this playoff season's best goals) and some vicious hitting (the Game 4 take-out of Nashville's Martin Erat shows that, indeed, the Ducks haven't changed their ways) but this series hasn't captured the imagination of the hockey world.
So, if you are a fan of any of the teams who didn't make the playoffs, you wonder to yourself: 'Would my team have played at this level during these last 10-12 days?', and in most cases you say 'No' and hope that the teams who didn't make the playoffs want to get better. Teams that don't make the playoffs sell hope, because that's all they have TO sell. The fact of the matter is that teams who don't make the post-season don't make money. Three of the five most financially-distressed teams in the NHL (Florida, Atlanta, Dallas) did not make the playoffs this past season. The most financially-distressed team (Phoenix) went out in four straight games in the first round. And how many other teams, teams we haven't heard about in this context, are in the hole as much as these teams are?
Does the NHL have two schedules ready? One with the Phoenix Coyotes in it, and one with that team in Winnipeg? And, when will they release that schedule? Where will the Coyotes franchise be when the puck drops in October?
A lot more questions right now in the NHL than there are answers. So for now, shove all that aside. Forget the financial battles, legal entanglements and who's ox is getting gored. Sit down on the couch, and enjoy some of the best hockey of the season. After all, that's why they play the games. To see who wins, and who loses. Who gets to raise Lord Stanley's hardware in six weeks' time. And who's hopes get dashed on the rocks of the playoffs.
That's why they play the games.
Happy Easter, everyone.
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