Now that the first round has finally concluded let's take a look at how I faired at my predictions.
Out West, I went 1 for 4, which was abysmal yet again.
Prediction: San Jose over Anaheim - 5
Reality: Anaheim over San Jose - 6
I never credit Anaheim, because, selfishly, I do not like them because their Cup win was the most boring Final I may have ever sat through and a lot of their players, Pronger for one, drives me crazy, in a bad way. I like Jiggy, even if he isn't playing and I think Jonas Hiller deserves major credit. But I never credit them on a whole and it came back to bite me. Then again, I, along with almost everyone, put way too much stock into San Jose, a perennial playoff team with no punch. I just really - for once - thought they'd gotten past their demons. Apparently a new coach, lots of regular season success, same old crunch time problems. I feel bad for them but I know they are embarrassed enough. The question was always, who would go, Marleau or Wilson? Wilson left, Marleau stayed, but he did not have a great year. Neither did Cheechoo or Thornton, really. The guys that most impressed me on this years team were guys like Ryan Clowe, Joe Pavelski, and Devon Settogucci. There has to be something else going wrong with this team. Do they gut it and get new guys in there, in hopes that will shake it up? Honestly, what else can you do at this point? You can't keep throwing the same group of players out there every year and hoping they'll finally "get it" - can you? This was "their year" and they failed in every concievable way to make it memorable.
Prediction: Columbus over Detroit - 6
Reality: Detroit over Columbus - 4
Ouch. I already said all I need to say on this series, except one thing. I knew that Detroit had been knocked out first round post-Cup before and I still hold true, that the opening round is their most vulnerable point in the entire playoffs while they are still trying to settle in. But I since read the stat that Detroit became the first Cup defender to advance past the first round since 2002. That's a pretty stunning stat, no? I mean, so really, it was, (despite all we know and the fact that I was ready to award the Cup to Detroit last July), against their odds that Detroit advance. Now, mind you, none of this justifies my picking Columbus with such robust intensity. That pick, as admittedly are some of mine, was with my heart, not my head.
Prediction: Calgary over Chicago - 7
Reality: Chicago over Calgary - 6
Look, I called this a "coin flip" series and, really, I am not disappointed at all. The Hawks are a great story and I love that they won, and would love it if they continue to do so. I think perhaps it came down to two things. One, the utter desire of the youth of Chicago to get it done when the pressure was on. To be honest, they played with youthful exuberance and I bet they felt much less pressure than the Flames did. Two, the Flames were obviously injury riddled going in; that's a fact and that hurt them.
The bigger questions certainly fall with Calgary. A team I watch a lot of - because their games start after the Rangers games are over, I see a lot of those West Coast games and Calgary ususally has the late game on HNIC - and I, again, thought that they'd finally battle through some of their own demons. XM204 Hockey (I do forget which show) pointed out the dreadful fact that in the last four years, Calgary has never made it out of the first round!? I mean I guess I should have known that, but I ask myself, why do we, as fans, and me, personally, get so excited for teams like Calgary and San Jose when they really, have proven nothing yet. That's what the guys on XM204 asked and I, as I continue to be shocked by the reality of it all, completely agree. Jarome Iginla is my pick for best captain in the NHL, currently, but is that enough if his team keeps falling to the same fate year after year?
Prediction: Vancouver over St. Louis - 5
Reality: Vancouver over St. Louis - 4
Really nothing to comment on here. If Luongo can play hot and stay hot, I would not want to play him at any point in the playoffs.
In the East, I went 3 for 4, much better. (Not that silly predictions prove anything, but I guess I do know the East better).
Prediction: Carolina over New Jersey - 6
Reality: Carolina over New Jersey - 7
So I got this one right, although with less than 2 minutes to go, my pick didn't look safe. This was literally the most back and forth series and probably the closest series of them all. And I bet the one the fewest people watched. It seems magic doesn't seem to happen in NJ anymore; rather it's the other teams continuing on. Maybe it is just time, after years of success with what I know was effort, but always seemed so effortless, that finally it gets to be someone else's turn. Good for Carolina for never counting themselves out of the series or out of a game. You want an example of a "never say die" attitude - look no further than this game 7. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why you play the games and play to the final buzzer every time.
Prediction: Boston over Montreal - 5
Reality: Boston over Montreal - 4
I never like to predict sweeps, but obviously if I was going to pick one series to end in one, this was it. No surprises whatsoever. Boston is dominant and still my pick for the Eastern Crown and Montreal was a decimated, sorry group, facing many off-season questions, as I've detailed and will continue to examine in the weeks to come.
Prediction: Philadelphia over Pittsburgh - 7
Reality: Pittsburgh over Philadelphia - 6
I still like this prediction, despite it's failure to stand up. If Philly had split the games in Pittsburgh to start, and they were really close to doing so, I think it's a new series. The Flyers crushed me with that loss in game 2 on stupid penalties. That was their backbreaker. They came back for a great game three, but were always a game behind thanks to that 2nd game. I feel Philadelphia was legit because they were able to win on Mellon Arena ice. And that's something some teams cannot seem to do. (Rangers, *ahem*, Rangers). I credit them for scoring a bunch of goals. I guess, if anything, it came down to collapses at wrong moments. And credit Pittsburgh to that point. They never let up even when they were down in a given game. That wins you series and is another example of not counting yourself out.
Prediction: Washington over Rangers - 6
Reality: Washington over Rangers - 7
All I will say right here is that the better team, overall, won. And I expected them to. It was a longer series than I expected and that credits the Rangers for pushing the Capitals to the ultimate brink. They sure made game 7 exciting - that I will not argue with. But it didn't have to come to that, and what we'll remember, besides some bad decisions and some shenanigans, is that the Rangers had three chances to close this team out and they simply couldn't get it done.
Playoff thoughts:
Let's take a look at the NHL playoff world pre-lockout. Colorado, Detroit, New Jersey, and Dallas were usually top teams and Cup contenders.
Post-lockout, Dallas had a good run last year. Colorado has been human and finally fell out of playoff contention twice. New Jersey hasn't made it through a second round. And Detroit, well, they've been very good, again, especially the last two years.
But the times have changed. And you know what - I'm glad. Not because I dislike those teams; I just disliked them winning all the time. Remember, between 1995 and 2003 only four teams won the Stanley Cup - Detroit 3 times, NJ 3 times, Colorado 2 times and Dallas 1 time. And that got very, very boring.
I like that, this year, with the exception of Detroit, Anaheim, and Carolina, the other five teams in contention haven't won a Cup since 1992 at the earliest (Pittsburgh) and that there are two others that have never won it (Washington, Vancouver). I know the NHL is all about their big market teams and big name superstars, but I will forever have some great memories of watching the 2004 and 2006 Final, between little market teams in the South East and big Western Canadian teams.
I love that there is a fair chance that a team that hasn't won before or hasn't won in a long time will get to do that this year. And, with all due respect to Detroit, I genuinely hope that's the case.
And now, in spite of how bad I literally am at this - no really, guys, I'm pretty bad, I'll do my picks for Round 2, without any fuss whatsoever. I really have no idea and feel only half-way confident about knowing where one of these matchups will go.
2009 Playoffs/Round 2 Predicts:
Western Conference:
Detroit over Anaheim in 7
Vancouver over Chicago in 6
Eastern Conference:
Washington over Pittsburgh in 7
Boston over Carolina in 6
One Final Note:
While I am not a fan of Detroit, I think Pavel "Hello Again" Datsyuk seems a fascinating player and obviously one of the most underrated in the entire league. And since he has been nominated for not only the Lady Byng and the Selke as we'd expect, he is the surprise nominee for the Hart Memorial. For this reason, I will try my best to devote some time to watching him in this series to see what all the non-fuss is about. When, apparently, there should be a big fuss over this guy and all he does year in and year out.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
It's A Shame. . .
It's a shame that one of the most entertaining and complete games the Rangers played all season ended up being the final one they'd play this year.
A shame.
When I was younger, and the Rangers seasons came to an end (usually, mind you, before any playoff games were played), I'd go through this huge roll call of thank yous to the team and the players for all the joy they brought me during the season.
Well, I don't think I have to tell you that is not going to happen.
What I will do is thank the Rangers, at the very least, and I mean very least, for showing up tonight and putting out a full effort. Too little too late, but it was enjoyable to watch tonight, regardless the result.
As sad as I am that the season is over - (because let's be honest, as fans, we are always sad to see it end, no?) -, I am somewhat relieved too. It was a roller coaster ride, where there were way too many lows and not enough highs.
Right now, honestly, in the coming down from all of this, I am just excited to get to see some of the other matchups that I've been missing in all my time watching and following this team. Boston/Carolina, Washington/Pittsburgh, Chicago/Vancouver. I will be trying to catch as many of those games as possible and posting on them from time to time, I am sure.
It might take a few days - no, it'll definitely take a few days - but I've been planning the 2008-2009 Rangers "Season in Review" even before they made the playoffs. I figure it'll come in a few enstallments, something to keep us all busy in the week ahead. So stay tuned for that.
In the meantime, if there is at all a bright side to this - the Rangers almost eliminated a team that everyone, myself included, had them highly undermatched against.
The dark side, of course, is that they almost eliminated a team that everyone, myself included, had them highly undermatched against - and came one goal short in the end.
A shame.
When I was younger, and the Rangers seasons came to an end (usually, mind you, before any playoff games were played), I'd go through this huge roll call of thank yous to the team and the players for all the joy they brought me during the season.
Well, I don't think I have to tell you that is not going to happen.
What I will do is thank the Rangers, at the very least, and I mean very least, for showing up tonight and putting out a full effort. Too little too late, but it was enjoyable to watch tonight, regardless the result.
As sad as I am that the season is over - (because let's be honest, as fans, we are always sad to see it end, no?) -, I am somewhat relieved too. It was a roller coaster ride, where there were way too many lows and not enough highs.
Right now, honestly, in the coming down from all of this, I am just excited to get to see some of the other matchups that I've been missing in all my time watching and following this team. Boston/Carolina, Washington/Pittsburgh, Chicago/Vancouver. I will be trying to catch as many of those games as possible and posting on them from time to time, I am sure.
It might take a few days - no, it'll definitely take a few days - but I've been planning the 2008-2009 Rangers "Season in Review" even before they made the playoffs. I figure it'll come in a few enstallments, something to keep us all busy in the week ahead. So stay tuned for that.
In the meantime, if there is at all a bright side to this - the Rangers almost eliminated a team that everyone, myself included, had them highly undermatched against.
The dark side, of course, is that they almost eliminated a team that everyone, myself included, had them highly undermatched against - and came one goal short in the end.
All There Is To Say. . .
This is, quite simply, the Rangers game to steal.
And it is, just as simply, the Capitals game to lose.
I'd love to be able to think otherwise, but the plethora of talent on the Capitals team coupled with the Rangers lack of determination in crunch time over the last few games, leads me to no other conclusion but this.
That being said, however, it is a game 7. In game sevens, anything can happen. There are reasons you play the game, and tonight, that is all it comes down to: one game won to move on, one game lost to go home.
Maybe the Rangers have one more magical moment left from their glorious start to the season. Perhaps that team of speed, determination, and discipline that took the ice six months ago can take the ice in Washington again tonight.
I'll be honest: I sure hope so.
That's all there is to say. Well except for:
Let's Go Rangers!
And it is, just as simply, the Capitals game to lose.
I'd love to be able to think otherwise, but the plethora of talent on the Capitals team coupled with the Rangers lack of determination in crunch time over the last few games, leads me to no other conclusion but this.
That being said, however, it is a game 7. In game sevens, anything can happen. There are reasons you play the game, and tonight, that is all it comes down to: one game won to move on, one game lost to go home.
Maybe the Rangers have one more magical moment left from their glorious start to the season. Perhaps that team of speed, determination, and discipline that took the ice six months ago can take the ice in Washington again tonight.
I'll be honest: I sure hope so.
That's all there is to say. Well except for:
Let's Go Rangers!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Where To Go From Here. . .?
I apologize for the lack of posting this weekend. (You can see the comment thread in the last post; I think that sums it up pretty nicely). With that said, here we go...
I picked the Capitals to win the series in six because I did not think the Rangers, minus Hank and a few exceptions, had the determination, skill, where-with-all, or any combination of those three, to get it done when it counted. I said they were a team that spent almost all season struggling to score and struggling on the powerplay and that I didn't believe that would change in the playoffs. I thought Washington was vulnerable, really, on goaltending only, and that they were loaded with too much fire power for the Rangers to contend with.
Fast forward two games into the series. The Rangers have not played spectacular by any means, but they have won - on the road - the first two games and hold a 2-0 lead coming back to New York. Ovechin and the big guns have not scored a ton of goals, in fact, they've scored none. The series had already taken a baffling turn.
I predicted/alluded/pondered how a Game 3 goalie decision from Washington would make or break their playoff season. Not because Theodore could not have come back in and rebounded, not because the Capitals could not have woken up and therefore made their own goalie a non-factor in the series, but because I believe in momentum. Boudreau made the right call, for his team, in my mind, and stuck with Varlamov. The young 20-year old shutout a non-existent Ranger offense.
Game 4 provided the long awaited and anticipated collapse of Sean Avery. And let me get this straight right off the bat. I've defended and stood by Sean Avery, believed he is a legitimate hockey player and can be an effective contibutor to this league. I've said it over, and over, and over again and I still believe it. Game 4 provided a collapse. I have not seen him, until this year, collapse into undiscplined and unacceptable play. (Remember, I was not a fan or an observer of him in LA or Detroit). This was my first foray into the potentially desctructive Sean Avery. And yet - AND YET - Sean Avery, still, to me, is anything but - destructive. Others have alluded to it, so I am saying nothing new, but I feel that Avery was put in a corner here. He came back to the league and immediately - game one - was called for a marginal penalty. It continued. It was allowed to continue. Avery was attacked without punishment, without any thought or consideration for the desire and want for a fair and even playing field. And he finally snapped. I can't agree with what he did. While I feel two of his four penalties in game 3 were of the this-is-crap variety, I know that the two he took in game four were undisciplined and unacceptable. And you cannot have that happen, no matter how many liberties have been taken on you. The fact that those liberties were allowed to be taken, over and over and over - that is a bigger disgrace than anything Sean Avery has ever done. And that disgusts me. And that is one of the growing numbers of reasons why this league, at present, cannot be taken seriously.
In game 5, John Tortorella was faced with a decision - bench Avery or trust that he will stand back and behave? He benched Avery. A decision I do not agree with and I do not think anyone did agree with - well, out of the fans of New York or the Avery supporters that is. I'm sure many were calling for his head and I know many would like nothing better than to see him out of the league forever. I cannot, cannot for the life of me, think of a way to express just how hypocritical and horrible that attitude is, so I will leave it at the fact that I do not agree with them and I do not agree with Tortorella's decision. He left an important game - but not a decisive game - in the hands of a lifeless and withdrawn group of half-players, the same group I've tried hard to wrap my head, let alone my heart, around all season. I saw enough to know I had seen too much. There was no way, no way!, they were winning that game. Think what you want. The message had been sent, and it was the wrong message. Avery's mistakes, his penalties, his errors in judgement were just that, but they did not and have not cost the Rangers a game. The Rangers won on Wednesday by playing together in spite of the rest of it. That was their "big picture." On Friday, without their spirits, spark, enthusiasm, and the guy who you can't argue wants to Be a Ranger!, the team fell, lifeless and undisciplined to the embarrassing end. The decison wasn't really to play him or not to play him. It was whether or not to trust that a team with Avery stood a better chance than a team without Avery.
And Tortorella made the wrong decision.
At that moment, or in the moments following, the series became a circus, if it was not already one. Given a suspension for an altercation with a fan, Tortorella was benched for game 6. I, being at the viewing party, did not hear commentary on this instance, and did not see it for what it was. I found everything out on Saturday. At which point, I shook my head, watched the Flyers/Penguins game, and tried to forget about everything Rangers. Not to be dramatic, but it seemed like just a bad dream I wanted to wake up from, and just one more bad moment in a season of bad moments.
Avery came back for Game 6, and Jim Schoenfeld took the bench. I questioned before the game, during the game, and am still questioning now, hours after the game, whether or not it was too little, too late.
Will Tortorella benching Avery cost the Rangers the series?
Or will the same problems that haunted the Rangers all season cost the Rangers the series?
I don't know. We won't ever know. Heck, the series isn't even over yet, so none of us, any of us, will know anything until Tuesday night.
But did it have to come to this? A game seven? I think of how shocked and in awe I was with the Rangers coming back to the Garden up 2-0. And I watched how the field evened a little, but how the Rangers til held a big enough lead to have not just one, but two, and consequently, three, chances to close out the series. And I said, I'd take it, sure. Who coming into this series would have thought the Rangers would have been up, and would even have a chance. I didn't. Again, I didn't for the reasons I mentioned in the start of this, what I am sure at this moment is a very long, blog entry. But...I started somewhere to believe they could do it. I really did. And that feeling I had was crushed on Friday night.
And those questions I have about what has caused this potential demise - well, they'll never be answered. How can you know what caused the game 5 defeat? How can you know whether or not they would have won had they had Avery in the lineup?
I hate that I'll never know the answer. But I hate even more that it is a question at all.
**Side notes: I am reading the blog entries - Ranger Rants, Blue Notes, Rangers Report and hearing all this stuff. My thoughts are as follows:
If Shaone Morrisonn did in fact bite Brandon Dubinsky, I find that loathsome. I cannot believe that this series, this series I thought the Capitals would dominate on talent and skill alone, has come to this. I can't even believe what I am hearing and reading.
Donald Brashear's non-called penalty on Blair Betts was equally loathsome. He got hit by Callahan and turned and attacked the first guy he saw. My mind screamed Simon/Hollweg. I watched Betts crumple to the ice, and I realized, again , what a big joke this league appears to be at times. At moments like this where guys that run their mouths are punished and guys that legitimately do things so potentially hurtful get nothing but a slap on the wrist and free reign to go do it again and again. I don't like that part of the game that I love.
I hate that this and Tortorella's incident with the fans in game five - that thos are the things I will think of when the series is over - no matter who does indeed win. Not Ovechkin's game one effort sans goal. Not Simeon Varlamov's rookie initiation. Not Hank's dominance to keep this team in the series. Unfortunately it wil be about bottle throwing, name calling, head shots and biting. Seriously, read that last sentence and tell me it doesn't remind you of wrestling for tv entertainment.
Lastly, Jim Schoenfeld, a guy I really do like for his spunk and his honesty, said something I think deserves repeating, whether looking at this series or at this season and a quote I will undoubtably use when the season has come to its final end for New York - either Tuesday night or, hopefully, weeks down the line. He said:
“Big offensive guys have not gotten it going,” said Schoenfeld, without naming names, but the list could include Nik Zherdev, Nik Antropov and Markus Nalsund, with three shots between them. “What happens is part of their job falls on someone else, kid s like Callahan, Dubinsky, Staal and Girardi. There’s so much we have to do defensively because the other guys aren’t doing their job offensively.”
This, from day one, has been the story of this team. It is just interesting, baffling, and amusing, that it took the guy doing the press conference only because he was replacing the head coach (the 2nd head coach) of the season to finally say what we all have been feeling all along. We will never know what this team was capable of, because we have rarely if ever seen the full sum of the parts. We have guys like Hank, Callahan and Staal, to name my favorite three, that have - from the beginning of the season - been tasked with doing more than their fair share, trying to do everything, because not everyone on this team has showed up together on any given night. And that doesn't work. It may work for a while, but it ultimately doesn't ever work.
(courtesy Blue Notes)
I picked the Capitals to win the series in six because I did not think the Rangers, minus Hank and a few exceptions, had the determination, skill, where-with-all, or any combination of those three, to get it done when it counted. I said they were a team that spent almost all season struggling to score and struggling on the powerplay and that I didn't believe that would change in the playoffs. I thought Washington was vulnerable, really, on goaltending only, and that they were loaded with too much fire power for the Rangers to contend with.
Fast forward two games into the series. The Rangers have not played spectacular by any means, but they have won - on the road - the first two games and hold a 2-0 lead coming back to New York. Ovechin and the big guns have not scored a ton of goals, in fact, they've scored none. The series had already taken a baffling turn.
I predicted/alluded/pondered how a Game 3 goalie decision from Washington would make or break their playoff season. Not because Theodore could not have come back in and rebounded, not because the Capitals could not have woken up and therefore made their own goalie a non-factor in the series, but because I believe in momentum. Boudreau made the right call, for his team, in my mind, and stuck with Varlamov. The young 20-year old shutout a non-existent Ranger offense.
Game 4 provided the long awaited and anticipated collapse of Sean Avery. And let me get this straight right off the bat. I've defended and stood by Sean Avery, believed he is a legitimate hockey player and can be an effective contibutor to this league. I've said it over, and over, and over again and I still believe it. Game 4 provided a collapse. I have not seen him, until this year, collapse into undiscplined and unacceptable play. (Remember, I was not a fan or an observer of him in LA or Detroit). This was my first foray into the potentially desctructive Sean Avery. And yet - AND YET - Sean Avery, still, to me, is anything but - destructive. Others have alluded to it, so I am saying nothing new, but I feel that Avery was put in a corner here. He came back to the league and immediately - game one - was called for a marginal penalty. It continued. It was allowed to continue. Avery was attacked without punishment, without any thought or consideration for the desire and want for a fair and even playing field. And he finally snapped. I can't agree with what he did. While I feel two of his four penalties in game 3 were of the this-is-crap variety, I know that the two he took in game four were undisciplined and unacceptable. And you cannot have that happen, no matter how many liberties have been taken on you. The fact that those liberties were allowed to be taken, over and over and over - that is a bigger disgrace than anything Sean Avery has ever done. And that disgusts me. And that is one of the growing numbers of reasons why this league, at present, cannot be taken seriously.
In game 5, John Tortorella was faced with a decision - bench Avery or trust that he will stand back and behave? He benched Avery. A decision I do not agree with and I do not think anyone did agree with - well, out of the fans of New York or the Avery supporters that is. I'm sure many were calling for his head and I know many would like nothing better than to see him out of the league forever. I cannot, cannot for the life of me, think of a way to express just how hypocritical and horrible that attitude is, so I will leave it at the fact that I do not agree with them and I do not agree with Tortorella's decision. He left an important game - but not a decisive game - in the hands of a lifeless and withdrawn group of half-players, the same group I've tried hard to wrap my head, let alone my heart, around all season. I saw enough to know I had seen too much. There was no way, no way!, they were winning that game. Think what you want. The message had been sent, and it was the wrong message. Avery's mistakes, his penalties, his errors in judgement were just that, but they did not and have not cost the Rangers a game. The Rangers won on Wednesday by playing together in spite of the rest of it. That was their "big picture." On Friday, without their spirits, spark, enthusiasm, and the guy who you can't argue wants to Be a Ranger!, the team fell, lifeless and undisciplined to the embarrassing end. The decison wasn't really to play him or not to play him. It was whether or not to trust that a team with Avery stood a better chance than a team without Avery.
And Tortorella made the wrong decision.
At that moment, or in the moments following, the series became a circus, if it was not already one. Given a suspension for an altercation with a fan, Tortorella was benched for game 6. I, being at the viewing party, did not hear commentary on this instance, and did not see it for what it was. I found everything out on Saturday. At which point, I shook my head, watched the Flyers/Penguins game, and tried to forget about everything Rangers. Not to be dramatic, but it seemed like just a bad dream I wanted to wake up from, and just one more bad moment in a season of bad moments.
Avery came back for Game 6, and Jim Schoenfeld took the bench. I questioned before the game, during the game, and am still questioning now, hours after the game, whether or not it was too little, too late.
Will Tortorella benching Avery cost the Rangers the series?
Or will the same problems that haunted the Rangers all season cost the Rangers the series?
I don't know. We won't ever know. Heck, the series isn't even over yet, so none of us, any of us, will know anything until Tuesday night.
But did it have to come to this? A game seven? I think of how shocked and in awe I was with the Rangers coming back to the Garden up 2-0. And I watched how the field evened a little, but how the Rangers til held a big enough lead to have not just one, but two, and consequently, three, chances to close out the series. And I said, I'd take it, sure. Who coming into this series would have thought the Rangers would have been up, and would even have a chance. I didn't. Again, I didn't for the reasons I mentioned in the start of this, what I am sure at this moment is a very long, blog entry. But...I started somewhere to believe they could do it. I really did. And that feeling I had was crushed on Friday night.
And those questions I have about what has caused this potential demise - well, they'll never be answered. How can you know what caused the game 5 defeat? How can you know whether or not they would have won had they had Avery in the lineup?
I hate that I'll never know the answer. But I hate even more that it is a question at all.
**Side notes: I am reading the blog entries - Ranger Rants, Blue Notes, Rangers Report and hearing all this stuff. My thoughts are as follows:
If Shaone Morrisonn did in fact bite Brandon Dubinsky, I find that loathsome. I cannot believe that this series, this series I thought the Capitals would dominate on talent and skill alone, has come to this. I can't even believe what I am hearing and reading.
Donald Brashear's non-called penalty on Blair Betts was equally loathsome. He got hit by Callahan and turned and attacked the first guy he saw. My mind screamed Simon/Hollweg. I watched Betts crumple to the ice, and I realized, again , what a big joke this league appears to be at times. At moments like this where guys that run their mouths are punished and guys that legitimately do things so potentially hurtful get nothing but a slap on the wrist and free reign to go do it again and again. I don't like that part of the game that I love.
I hate that this and Tortorella's incident with the fans in game five - that thos are the things I will think of when the series is over - no matter who does indeed win. Not Ovechkin's game one effort sans goal. Not Simeon Varlamov's rookie initiation. Not Hank's dominance to keep this team in the series. Unfortunately it wil be about bottle throwing, name calling, head shots and biting. Seriously, read that last sentence and tell me it doesn't remind you of wrestling for tv entertainment.
Lastly, Jim Schoenfeld, a guy I really do like for his spunk and his honesty, said something I think deserves repeating, whether looking at this series or at this season and a quote I will undoubtably use when the season has come to its final end for New York - either Tuesday night or, hopefully, weeks down the line. He said:
“Big offensive guys have not gotten it going,” said Schoenfeld, without naming names, but the list could include Nik Zherdev, Nik Antropov and Markus Nalsund, with three shots between them. “What happens is part of their job falls on someone else, kid s like Callahan, Dubinsky, Staal and Girardi. There’s so much we have to do defensively because the other guys aren’t doing their job offensively.”
This, from day one, has been the story of this team. It is just interesting, baffling, and amusing, that it took the guy doing the press conference only because he was replacing the head coach (the 2nd head coach) of the season to finally say what we all have been feeling all along. We will never know what this team was capable of, because we have rarely if ever seen the full sum of the parts. We have guys like Hank, Callahan and Staal, to name my favorite three, that have - from the beginning of the season - been tasked with doing more than their fair share, trying to do everything, because not everyone on this team has showed up together on any given night. And that doesn't work. It may work for a while, but it ultimately doesn't ever work.
(courtesy Blue Notes)
Friday, April 24, 2009
Random Hockey Ramblings On This Beautiful Friday Afternoon. . .
Beautiful day. Friday afternoon. Rangers playoff game in a few hours. . .
I just can't sit still!!
Greatly looking forward to the game tonight. I only hope - hope! - it's a really good one!
Not much to say right now, it's in the Rangers hands what they do tonight. But wouldn't we all like them to just Close. It. Out!
Around the League:
Sorry I've been a little lax with playoff updates. Again, I've mentioned before, it's kind of hard when there are like three games overlapping, like last night, and then a late, late one. It's hard to say I've watched and gotten a feel for many series. The two series, besides NY/Caps, I've seen the most of are Philly/Pittsburgh and Chicago/Calgary.
The Flyers had a big win in Pittsburgh last night staving off elimination. Besides the obvious the win helped cement two things: the Penguins can be beaten and the Flyers can win in Mellon arena. I am not sure if the Flyers will prove my prediction - win in 7 - but if they win tomorrow and the deciding game goes to Mellon arena, at least they know they can and have won there. That means a lot mentally.
I saw hardly anything of the Detroit/Columbus series, which disappoints me. Not as much as if Columbus was able to skate with them, but it still does. I had picked Columbus in 6, which sounds both bold and a little moronic at present, even I admit. But I think I can break it down in the simplest way.
- I thought Chris Osgood had a sub-par season. I was not alone in this line of thinking. He stepped up big time in the playoffs. Credit to him. I always liked him and he has been there before for Detroit. They apparently never doubted him. I guess some of us should have thought the same.
- I thought Columbus, despite the late season struggles, had a chance to pick off Detroit mostly because of Steve Mason and his hot hand. Now, that didn't pan out and Mason looked human. I still think he'll - deservingly - win the Calder. And I feel confident he'll pick up in a good place next year and be important for Columbus.
- I thought Columbus was mature and ready enough to knock out the defending Stanley Cup Champions. This was my biggest flaw. Columbus was young, raw, and thankful just to have been there. They were down before they could get into the series mentally. No matter my, or their, intentions, it is hard to draw from experience when your goalie, your captain, and much of your team, has never played a playoff game. Shortsided thought on my part. Or I was thinking with my heart, not my head, which I've been known to do.
Regardless how sad it was that they were knocked out in four - and how much I wanted them to win the game last night! - it's important they took that first important step. I hope they are back there next year and make strides towards improving what they could not this year. When all is said and done though, it probably came down to experience. A David versus Golliath scenario, and unfortunately Columbus never was able to strike first, or at all. That might have made a difference. As we got a taste of in game four, Columbus could score against Detroit. It'll be interesting to see how it goes next season.
Sentimental moment watching the players salute their fans and the fans cheer for their team. It took nine years for playoff hockey in Columbus. What's one more - hopefully only one more - year for their first win?
NHL.com Celeb Blogs...
I usually check these out during playoff time, but I didn't this time around until today and I found this on Eddie Cahill's Rangers blog:
"Also, saying goodbye to Peter Prucha was tough for me. Again, I get why he had to go, and I think it was a smart move, but it was a move that a little bit hurt the feelings. Mr. Prucha, I'm guessing you won't read this either, but thank you and good luck. It was a pleasure rooting for you."
As if I didn't already love Eddie Cahill enough, I now find I love him MORE! :)
I just can't sit still!!
Greatly looking forward to the game tonight. I only hope - hope! - it's a really good one!
Not much to say right now, it's in the Rangers hands what they do tonight. But wouldn't we all like them to just Close. It. Out!
Around the League:
Sorry I've been a little lax with playoff updates. Again, I've mentioned before, it's kind of hard when there are like three games overlapping, like last night, and then a late, late one. It's hard to say I've watched and gotten a feel for many series. The two series, besides NY/Caps, I've seen the most of are Philly/Pittsburgh and Chicago/Calgary.
The Flyers had a big win in Pittsburgh last night staving off elimination. Besides the obvious the win helped cement two things: the Penguins can be beaten and the Flyers can win in Mellon arena. I am not sure if the Flyers will prove my prediction - win in 7 - but if they win tomorrow and the deciding game goes to Mellon arena, at least they know they can and have won there. That means a lot mentally.
I saw hardly anything of the Detroit/Columbus series, which disappoints me. Not as much as if Columbus was able to skate with them, but it still does. I had picked Columbus in 6, which sounds both bold and a little moronic at present, even I admit. But I think I can break it down in the simplest way.
- I thought Chris Osgood had a sub-par season. I was not alone in this line of thinking. He stepped up big time in the playoffs. Credit to him. I always liked him and he has been there before for Detroit. They apparently never doubted him. I guess some of us should have thought the same.
- I thought Columbus, despite the late season struggles, had a chance to pick off Detroit mostly because of Steve Mason and his hot hand. Now, that didn't pan out and Mason looked human. I still think he'll - deservingly - win the Calder. And I feel confident he'll pick up in a good place next year and be important for Columbus.
- I thought Columbus was mature and ready enough to knock out the defending Stanley Cup Champions. This was my biggest flaw. Columbus was young, raw, and thankful just to have been there. They were down before they could get into the series mentally. No matter my, or their, intentions, it is hard to draw from experience when your goalie, your captain, and much of your team, has never played a playoff game. Shortsided thought on my part. Or I was thinking with my heart, not my head, which I've been known to do.
Regardless how sad it was that they were knocked out in four - and how much I wanted them to win the game last night! - it's important they took that first important step. I hope they are back there next year and make strides towards improving what they could not this year. When all is said and done though, it probably came down to experience. A David versus Golliath scenario, and unfortunately Columbus never was able to strike first, or at all. That might have made a difference. As we got a taste of in game four, Columbus could score against Detroit. It'll be interesting to see how it goes next season.
Sentimental moment watching the players salute their fans and the fans cheer for their team. It took nine years for playoff hockey in Columbus. What's one more - hopefully only one more - year for their first win?
NHL.com Celeb Blogs...
I usually check these out during playoff time, but I didn't this time around until today and I found this on Eddie Cahill's Rangers blog:
"Also, saying goodbye to Peter Prucha was tough for me. Again, I get why he had to go, and I think it was a smart move, but it was a move that a little bit hurt the feelings. Mr. Prucha, I'm guessing you won't read this either, but thank you and good luck. It was a pleasure rooting for you."
As if I didn't already love Eddie Cahill enough, I now find I love him MORE! :)
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Where Are They Now: Ex-Rangers At Worlds. . .
For a week or so, I kept tabs on the World Championship rosters, looking for familiar faces, and perhaps hoping one Petr Prucha would be tabbed to go. It seems the Czech team is not going with him, or his two new teammates Zbynek Michalek or Martin Hanzal, both of whom were on last year's roster.
But there are still some very, very familiar faces, and one in particular for team Czech.
Last year around this time he was helping the Rangers to beat New Jersey. He spent this season in the KHL. He holds the Rangers record for single season goals and points.
#68 Jaromir Jagr.
Joining Jagr on Team Czech are two former Ranger properties - Marek Zidlicky and Jan Marek and former Ranger Karel Rachunek. Including Zidlicky there are only five current NHL players invited.
For other countries, former Ranger draft pick Al Montoya of the Coyotes will join the US team. He will play against three Coyotes teammates in Shane Doan, Scottie Upshall, and Matthew Lombardi who will suit up for Canada.
More former Rangers:
Slovakia - Marcel Hossa, Peter Smrek, Ivan Baranka
Russia - Dmitri Kalinin
Sweden - Johan Holmqvist
Finland - Jarkko Immonen
Of note:
Jarkko Ruutu will play for Finland, so keep an eye if they battle Team Czech given his history with Jagr in International play.
Young Dane, Mikael Boedker, of the Coyotes will play for Denmark.
Hank's brother Joel will play for Team Sweden.
Young studs Luke Schenn, Drew Doughty, and Steven Stamkos also got the nod for Canada.
If anyone gets to watching, the tournament starts tomorrow and runs through May 10th in Switzerland.
**If I missed anyone, apologies. There are a lot of former Rangers floating around, not that anyone needs reminding of that fact.**
But there are still some very, very familiar faces, and one in particular for team Czech.
Last year around this time he was helping the Rangers to beat New Jersey. He spent this season in the KHL. He holds the Rangers record for single season goals and points.
#68 Jaromir Jagr.
Joining Jagr on Team Czech are two former Ranger properties - Marek Zidlicky and Jan Marek and former Ranger Karel Rachunek. Including Zidlicky there are only five current NHL players invited.
For other countries, former Ranger draft pick Al Montoya of the Coyotes will join the US team. He will play against three Coyotes teammates in Shane Doan, Scottie Upshall, and Matthew Lombardi who will suit up for Canada.
More former Rangers:
Slovakia - Marcel Hossa, Peter Smrek, Ivan Baranka
Russia - Dmitri Kalinin
Sweden - Johan Holmqvist
Finland - Jarkko Immonen
Of note:
Jarkko Ruutu will play for Finland, so keep an eye if they battle Team Czech given his history with Jagr in International play.
Young Dane, Mikael Boedker, of the Coyotes will play for Denmark.
Hank's brother Joel will play for Team Sweden.
Young studs Luke Schenn, Drew Doughty, and Steven Stamkos also got the nod for Canada.
If anyone gets to watching, the tournament starts tomorrow and runs through May 10th in Switzerland.
**If I missed anyone, apologies. There are a lot of former Rangers floating around, not that anyone needs reminding of that fact.**
Intense and Vital Win in Game Four for the Rangers and The Final End to a Tumultuous Season in Montreal. . .
Rangers:
Well, that was a rather convincing win. Coming in against a desperate opponent and holding off a steady rush in the game's second game - very impressive showing by the New York Rangers. Vital win in that it puts Washington at the ultimate brink; lose one more and go home.
I don't have to tell you how much I really didn't see this happening, this team coming together, but I must readily admit, they are surprising me and I am enjoying watching it.
Tonight was one of the most intense games I've seen in a long while. Like the heart pumping games I used to watch when I was younger and the Rangers were in the playoffs steadily from 95 through 97. Games that meant something. The Devils series last year was fun, but it didn't have the same threat value that this one has. And last year's Penguins series, unfortunately, never really got to that point. Game four in that series, last year gave chills for a different reason. So, no, I really must say that this series versus Washington feels more like the series against Buffalo from two years ago, where the pressure is on, but people and the team are starting to believe.
And Chris Drury is scoring clutch goals. This time for the good guys.
I'm sure they hesitated whether or not to play him, and I shared such hesitation. He seemed unable to get off a clean shot. However, it didn't seem to matter when he scored the game winner. They all count guys, and that was as beautiful as he could have scored in my opinion.
As for Avery, he was called for less penalties than last game, which was a plus, but he was giving me heart palpitations in the 3rd. I mean I said it last night, a high stick is a high stick, there is not much to debate. And I'm not debating the rough behind the net that drew blood on the Caps player. I'm only saying that if Sean did that on purpose, swung his hand around - what was he trying to accomplish? He knows all eyes are on him. He knows even if, hypothetically speaking, he didn't mean to do that, that no one will believe him anyway. So, why? I'm admittedly a little baffled. He must know that he can't do anything even remotely suspicious at all right now, no?
That aside, credit all around to the Rangers. When the Caps poured it on, they stayed steady. A total team effort and a vital, vital win.
Can't wait for Friday...
Around the League:
Out West:
I left an intense 4-4 tie game in Chicago/Calgary when I turned off the car radio to come inside. I'll look in when I get upstairs. So much for Calgary's 4-1 lead. Damn. Playoff hockey is the greatest, no?
Les Habitants:
I will probably not get a chance to write more on Montreal til the weekend and by then there will be hundreds of thousands of accounts of what went wrong in the 100th season of the most fabled franchise in the "cradle of organized sports" to borrow Ron McLean's words. I listen to enough Montreal radio to know it will be talked about tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, probably for every day until the next season starts, and even then, it will continue.
So just a few of my immediate reactions.
I wished better for Montreal. I did. As a fan of hockey and a fan of tradition, I did. But I wished for them to be better in general, not for them to win the series with Boston, mind you. The best team won in Boston and they are no doubt a team that can beat you with any combination of threats, offensive and defensive, and they are still, to me, the ultimate powerhouse to be challenged in the East. Credit all around to Boston. They are a great story.
While I wished better for Montreal, I knew it wasn't going to happen. That became clear pretty early. Much of the season north of the border found similarities to the season in New York with our own Rangers. True, there was no off ice concerns, at least none that I knew of, but the on ice turmoils were very parallel. Fast start bread big expectations. A falloff in production. Questioning team character. Missing leadership. General lack of team cohesiveness. One or two brilliant games followed by a run of non-efforts. Superstars drifting in and out of relevancy. A crop of very young kids who came and tried hard, but didn't have anyone to really show them the way. The ultimate firing of a coach when the team stopped listening.
Now New York turned a corner and looked better post-Renney and especially leading into the playoffs. Montreal had a short resurgence and then limped into the second season. They also had a serious goaltending controversy, one that I think was ultimately their demise. I feel for Jaroslav Halak. I don't know why but I always seem to think he's older than he is, perhaps because of his quiet nature and his poise. Young though he is, at this moment, he is a better goaltender and would have been a better option to Montreal than Carey Price. Hard to hear, but true.
Unfortunately, many fans in Montreal and many in management saw Price as their entire future, and held him up with such reverence it was at times scary to listen to. I sincerely hope wherever Halak goes he finds success. And I hope, for the sake of Montreal, that the kid they kept throwing out there, who looked like a deer caught in headlights for too many games, can be salvaged and live up to all they think he can be. I am not the coach in Montreal, but I would not have hung this series on Carey Price. I would have gone with Halak. It might not have made any real difference in the end, but by doing this, it appears the Canadiens may have confused and mistreated both of their goalies at the same time.
Heart is questioned daily in Montreal. I alluded to it before and I'm sure I will again. There are a lot of questions in Montreal, about how things are done and how they need to be done going forward, who wears the jersey and what it means to them. Tomorrow begins the long period of finding those anwers. I don't know where they start, but they have to start somewhere. Their entire team may possibly be dismantled come July 1st, and perhaps that is a good thing. Things will not come easy in Montreal, but they simply have to get the right guys with the right mindset, attitude, and commitment to play there. The only thing is, that's never quite so simple a thing to do.
Well, that was a rather convincing win. Coming in against a desperate opponent and holding off a steady rush in the game's second game - very impressive showing by the New York Rangers. Vital win in that it puts Washington at the ultimate brink; lose one more and go home.
I don't have to tell you how much I really didn't see this happening, this team coming together, but I must readily admit, they are surprising me and I am enjoying watching it.
Tonight was one of the most intense games I've seen in a long while. Like the heart pumping games I used to watch when I was younger and the Rangers were in the playoffs steadily from 95 through 97. Games that meant something. The Devils series last year was fun, but it didn't have the same threat value that this one has. And last year's Penguins series, unfortunately, never really got to that point. Game four in that series, last year gave chills for a different reason. So, no, I really must say that this series versus Washington feels more like the series against Buffalo from two years ago, where the pressure is on, but people and the team are starting to believe.
And Chris Drury is scoring clutch goals. This time for the good guys.
I'm sure they hesitated whether or not to play him, and I shared such hesitation. He seemed unable to get off a clean shot. However, it didn't seem to matter when he scored the game winner. They all count guys, and that was as beautiful as he could have scored in my opinion.
As for Avery, he was called for less penalties than last game, which was a plus, but he was giving me heart palpitations in the 3rd. I mean I said it last night, a high stick is a high stick, there is not much to debate. And I'm not debating the rough behind the net that drew blood on the Caps player. I'm only saying that if Sean did that on purpose, swung his hand around - what was he trying to accomplish? He knows all eyes are on him. He knows even if, hypothetically speaking, he didn't mean to do that, that no one will believe him anyway. So, why? I'm admittedly a little baffled. He must know that he can't do anything even remotely suspicious at all right now, no?
That aside, credit all around to the Rangers. When the Caps poured it on, they stayed steady. A total team effort and a vital, vital win.
Can't wait for Friday...
Around the League:
Out West:
I left an intense 4-4 tie game in Chicago/Calgary when I turned off the car radio to come inside. I'll look in when I get upstairs. So much for Calgary's 4-1 lead. Damn. Playoff hockey is the greatest, no?
Les Habitants:
I will probably not get a chance to write more on Montreal til the weekend and by then there will be hundreds of thousands of accounts of what went wrong in the 100th season of the most fabled franchise in the "cradle of organized sports" to borrow Ron McLean's words. I listen to enough Montreal radio to know it will be talked about tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, probably for every day until the next season starts, and even then, it will continue.
So just a few of my immediate reactions.
I wished better for Montreal. I did. As a fan of hockey and a fan of tradition, I did. But I wished for them to be better in general, not for them to win the series with Boston, mind you. The best team won in Boston and they are no doubt a team that can beat you with any combination of threats, offensive and defensive, and they are still, to me, the ultimate powerhouse to be challenged in the East. Credit all around to Boston. They are a great story.
While I wished better for Montreal, I knew it wasn't going to happen. That became clear pretty early. Much of the season north of the border found similarities to the season in New York with our own Rangers. True, there was no off ice concerns, at least none that I knew of, but the on ice turmoils were very parallel. Fast start bread big expectations. A falloff in production. Questioning team character. Missing leadership. General lack of team cohesiveness. One or two brilliant games followed by a run of non-efforts. Superstars drifting in and out of relevancy. A crop of very young kids who came and tried hard, but didn't have anyone to really show them the way. The ultimate firing of a coach when the team stopped listening.
Now New York turned a corner and looked better post-Renney and especially leading into the playoffs. Montreal had a short resurgence and then limped into the second season. They also had a serious goaltending controversy, one that I think was ultimately their demise. I feel for Jaroslav Halak. I don't know why but I always seem to think he's older than he is, perhaps because of his quiet nature and his poise. Young though he is, at this moment, he is a better goaltender and would have been a better option to Montreal than Carey Price. Hard to hear, but true.
Unfortunately, many fans in Montreal and many in management saw Price as their entire future, and held him up with such reverence it was at times scary to listen to. I sincerely hope wherever Halak goes he finds success. And I hope, for the sake of Montreal, that the kid they kept throwing out there, who looked like a deer caught in headlights for too many games, can be salvaged and live up to all they think he can be. I am not the coach in Montreal, but I would not have hung this series on Carey Price. I would have gone with Halak. It might not have made any real difference in the end, but by doing this, it appears the Canadiens may have confused and mistreated both of their goalies at the same time.
Heart is questioned daily in Montreal. I alluded to it before and I'm sure I will again. There are a lot of questions in Montreal, about how things are done and how they need to be done going forward, who wears the jersey and what it means to them. Tomorrow begins the long period of finding those anwers. I don't know where they start, but they have to start somewhere. Their entire team may possibly be dismantled come July 1st, and perhaps that is a good thing. Things will not come easy in Montreal, but they simply have to get the right guys with the right mindset, attitude, and commitment to play there. The only thing is, that's never quite so simple a thing to do.
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