So now that we're down to the Conference Finals in the NHL, it's interesting to note that the four teams remaining are the last four Stanley Cup Champs -- the Penguins in '09, Blackhawks in '10, Bruins in '11 and the Kings last year. So you have your defending champion taking on the President's Trophy winner (most regular season wins) in the Western Conference Final, and you have the Penguins (the team Jerome Iginla spurned the Bruins to play for) matching up against those Bruins in the Eastern Final. And there's always the fact that Matt Cooke ruined the career of former Bruin Captain Marc Savard to add some drama and motivation and edge.
I found it surprising that this is the first time the last four Cup champs were the last four standing since sometime in the '50s. The NHL being a six-team league up until the late '60s, you'd think this would've have happened more often. But I digress.
I believe we have the four best teams in the league remaining and I felt they were the four best when the playoffs started but usually major upsets take out a few of the "best" teams. You have outstanding matchups here in the Conference Finals and you're guaranteed a doozy in the Finals, no matter who matches up -- LA against Boston? Talk about deep and physical teams going at it. LA versus the Penguins? Another deep team in Pittsburgh but one that seems to have unlimited offensive firepower going against the defending champs, plus star power any time the Penguins are involved. How about an Original Six matchup between Chicago and Boston, two of the best sports towns in the country. Or even the Blackhawks against the Penguins? While I feel this is the least interesting matchup from a hockey standpoint (no real good reason for feeling that way, just that one matchup has to be least) but what a great matchup it would be anyway and it would be the matchup with the most marquee star power -- Malkin, Crosby, et al, vs Toews and Kane and company.
So who will match up in the Cup Finals? I hate to say this and never bet against my Bruins but the Bruins are the fourth best team here. I think we'll learn a lot about this series from game one because if the Bruins team that played the Rangers shows up, it'll be a long series. And if the Bruins can exploit Pittsburgh only real weakness, goaltending, then they could pull the upset.
Same proviso regarding the western series -- which Blackhawk team shows up will make a big difference. But even then, they're gonna have to solve Jonathan Quick. Edge to LA.
What do you all think? Hey Brent, how'd you end up with your picks?
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
CABLE PROBLEMS NASCAR STYLE.
Hello all, it's been a while, giving this another try, just a short one because I'm tired of writing stuff and it kept getting lost.
Anyway, Cole's notes version is this, the internet and yours truly were not getting along the last few months, but hopefully that's over.
Anyway quick little thought on the above, I think NASCAR made one of the best decisions I have ever seen since I started watching the sport. Maybe a little more control was needed on what was done by whom to what, but, and that to me that is the catchword, this is something that was under nobodies control and no one deserved to have damage that may have altered the outcome for them, my two guys in the race 18 and the 88 both had damage and both got back to square one and both blew engines later in the race. I know the bosses players are doing pretty good, so good luck to them.
Well we are off to the Monster this weekend and if this goes well I shall see ya'll on Monday, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Anyway, Cole's notes version is this, the internet and yours truly were not getting along the last few months, but hopefully that's over.
Anyway quick little thought on the above, I think NASCAR made one of the best decisions I have ever seen since I started watching the sport. Maybe a little more control was needed on what was done by whom to what, but, and that to me that is the catchword, this is something that was under nobodies control and no one deserved to have damage that may have altered the outcome for them, my two guys in the race 18 and the 88 both had damage and both got back to square one and both blew engines later in the race. I know the bosses players are doing pretty good, so good luck to them.
Well we are off to the Monster this weekend and if this goes well I shall see ya'll on Monday, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Friday, May 24, 2013
A few hockey thoughts
To the Boston Bruins, you can't afford to give games away, even when you're up three games to none. I give the Rangers credit, they came out and played hard in game 4 but that game was essentially over when the Bruins had a 2-0 lead. Then comes a "fluke" goal and a brain freeze, and voila, it's tied. And even though the Bs got the lead back again, the Rangers were fully engaged at that point and proceeded to score two more goals to win in OT, both of the latter goals were hard-working, smart goals.
Back to the two goals the Bruins gave the Rangers: I can only guess that Tuukka was coming out of his net to coral a wayward shot to give it to his defense but at the precise moment he starts to do that, the puck is deflected and Tuukka all but ties himself in knots trying to get back to the net. Yes, you're a better puck handler than Tim Thomas was but that's no great accomplishment. Play it when it comes to you and that's it. On the second one Chara has a brain cramp and doesn't realize there's a Ranger on his tail behind the net, his D partner didn't warn him or he couldn't hear it; and the puck is stolen from him and just as quickly put in the net. Some blame goes to Rask here too as he also was not aware. You don't need to be aware, just have the goal covered when the puck is near it. Then if it's stolen, you're not surprised.
All in all the Bruins are the better team and should win one of the next three games but why tempt fate? You've already seen first hand that a team can come back on you down three games to none (witness the playoff series against Philly three years ago); the Leafs came back on you after being done three games to one and should've beat you; and your AHL team just got beat after being ahead three games to none.
The best team doesn't always win. Witness the roll the Bruins got on two years ago (de facto becoming the best team at that moment) but they weren't the best time as we commonly think of that term. Just last season an 8th seed beats a 7 seed in the Cup Final to win it all. Some experts poo poo momentum but I won't. Momentum is a factor but also getting your team and its game together (peaking) at the right time is everything. So while in my humble opinion the four best teams in the league are still alive (Pittsburgh, Chicago, Boston, LA), one of them, Chicago, is on it's last leg because (part B of this paragraph) you can't undervalue experiencing playoff success at the highest levels. Exhibit A? The Detroit Red Wings, left for dead three weeks ago and now on the verge of eliminating the best team from the regular season. Exhibit B to a lesser extent are the Boston Bruins, who in the first three games of this series with the Rangers looked like the team that won the Cup two years ago.
John Tortorella is a bore and the NY Rangers are not the NY Yankees. You can insert your own examples as to why Torts is a bore...I just wanted to say it publicly. The Rangers have tried mightily before their one recent Cup and since to buy a championship with horrible results. Mark Messiers don't grow on trees for one thing and even as the Yankees have learned more often than not the hard way, bringing in an all star team does not a great team make. You're free to offer your own examples of the wasteland that is the high-priced failures of Rangers past and present, Brad Richards being just the very latest. Even Rick Nash qualifies here because great players don't always success under the bright lights of NY, they're sometimes already over the hill or in the case of people like Nash, they're the wrong player for the style your coach wants to play.
Trivia question: Without cheating, which means looking it up in any way, name as many NHL goalies as you can who played at the University of Maine. Hint: There's two currently in the league, one very much alive in these playoffs. Another is the current GM of a team that made this year's playoffs.
PS My new favorite player is Torey Krug, who's being compared here in New England to my all-time favorite player, Don Sweeney. Too bad he doesn't wear number 43, my favorite number, which is being worn by another of the three young Bruin defensemen that have risen to the occasion in these playoffs, young Mr. Bartkowski.
Back to the two goals the Bruins gave the Rangers: I can only guess that Tuukka was coming out of his net to coral a wayward shot to give it to his defense but at the precise moment he starts to do that, the puck is deflected and Tuukka all but ties himself in knots trying to get back to the net. Yes, you're a better puck handler than Tim Thomas was but that's no great accomplishment. Play it when it comes to you and that's it. On the second one Chara has a brain cramp and doesn't realize there's a Ranger on his tail behind the net, his D partner didn't warn him or he couldn't hear it; and the puck is stolen from him and just as quickly put in the net. Some blame goes to Rask here too as he also was not aware. You don't need to be aware, just have the goal covered when the puck is near it. Then if it's stolen, you're not surprised.
All in all the Bruins are the better team and should win one of the next three games but why tempt fate? You've already seen first hand that a team can come back on you down three games to none (witness the playoff series against Philly three years ago); the Leafs came back on you after being done three games to one and should've beat you; and your AHL team just got beat after being ahead three games to none.
The best team doesn't always win. Witness the roll the Bruins got on two years ago (de facto becoming the best team at that moment) but they weren't the best time as we commonly think of that term. Just last season an 8th seed beats a 7 seed in the Cup Final to win it all. Some experts poo poo momentum but I won't. Momentum is a factor but also getting your team and its game together (peaking) at the right time is everything. So while in my humble opinion the four best teams in the league are still alive (Pittsburgh, Chicago, Boston, LA), one of them, Chicago, is on it's last leg because (part B of this paragraph) you can't undervalue experiencing playoff success at the highest levels. Exhibit A? The Detroit Red Wings, left for dead three weeks ago and now on the verge of eliminating the best team from the regular season. Exhibit B to a lesser extent are the Boston Bruins, who in the first three games of this series with the Rangers looked like the team that won the Cup two years ago.
John Tortorella is a bore and the NY Rangers are not the NY Yankees. You can insert your own examples as to why Torts is a bore...I just wanted to say it publicly. The Rangers have tried mightily before their one recent Cup and since to buy a championship with horrible results. Mark Messiers don't grow on trees for one thing and even as the Yankees have learned more often than not the hard way, bringing in an all star team does not a great team make. You're free to offer your own examples of the wasteland that is the high-priced failures of Rangers past and present, Brad Richards being just the very latest. Even Rick Nash qualifies here because great players don't always success under the bright lights of NY, they're sometimes already over the hill or in the case of people like Nash, they're the wrong player for the style your coach wants to play.
Trivia question: Without cheating, which means looking it up in any way, name as many NHL goalies as you can who played at the University of Maine. Hint: There's two currently in the league, one very much alive in these playoffs. Another is the current GM of a team that made this year's playoffs.
PS My new favorite player is Torey Krug, who's being compared here in New England to my all-time favorite player, Don Sweeney. Too bad he doesn't wear number 43, my favorite number, which is being worn by another of the three young Bruin defensemen that have risen to the occasion in these playoffs, young Mr. Bartkowski.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
The Long Story Of The North Star Athletic Association
In April, the press reported about the formation of the North Star Athletic Association in the NAIA. It will be comprised of 6 schools: Jamestown College, Valley City State University, Dickinson State University, Dakota State University, Presentation College, and Mayville State University. Only Presentation College was not a part of the DAC-10 that dissolved in 2011.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Changing The NASCAR All-Star Race
After trying to fall asleep during the NASCAR multiple times this past weekend, I believe that there needs to be changes made to the race. I am not talking tweaks to the race, I am talking major race changing rules. I am talking things that many "racing purists" would consider blasphemous. But something needs to be done. The All-Star race is becoming the Pro Bowl like. And that is a bad thing.
Found On The Internet: Old Spurs
No discussion of the San Antonio Spurs can begin or end without talking about the advanced ages of Tim Duncan (37), Manu Ginobili (35) or Tony Parker (a spry 31), but one thing I’ll never accuse them of is being too old. Especially since they took down the physical Memphis Grizzlies easily in Game 1 yesterday.
The Grizzlies had no answer for Parker, and Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green and Matt Bonner (he’s 33 BTW) made sure it rained threes all day long.
If this is how it’s going to be, go ahead and make plans for a Spurs – Heat final. And maybe this time our bench will beat them.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Washington Capitals: We Mourn For Thee
A few weeks ago I was riding high. Not so much on the fact that the Capitals were on the way to sealing the deal (the "deal" being the Southeast Division) against the Jets, but that we had defeated the dreaded Bears from Boston. You might think I was taking pleasure in giving the business to our favorite "Maine-iac," or perhaps my good friend Matt from "Bah-sten." No, I was especially thrilled to be able to harass the crap out of my neighbor, Christian--a 10-year old kid. Christian is a conflicted little child--he constantly wears a Detroit Red Wings tee shirt while rooting loudly for the Bruins. Every time he sees me, it's all about the Washington "Crapitals!" So, for the 27 April game, I bet Master Christian $1 and when we beat Boston 3-2 in OT, like I child, I ran outside and made Christian cough up my buck!! But I gave him a chance to win it back by betting him $2 that the Bruins would lose in the playoffs, and that the Caps would win.
I haven't seen Christian in a week, I have his $2, but I think he's waiting to ambush me (...I gotta watch my back!)
However, it was during that April 27th game that Zeb and I traded texts and twits and emails over how horribly Zeb felt the zebras called the game. From my perspective, I thought they were all good calls--Zeb felt they were inconsistent and untimely. I didn't (couldn't, wouldn't) see his point then, but I think I do now.
In his summary blog of the first round of the playoffs, Brent wrote: "The Capitals were robbed by the officials with the Rangers having a two-to-one ratio of Power Plays. Even though the Rangers PP looked horrible, having to kill off a penalty can cause problems with your own team. Caps fans have every reason to be upset at the NHL and it's officials."
I couldn't agree more. I'm not going to grouse, bitch, moan, groan, or complain--I want to believe the refs are human and make mistakes. But I readily admit that there is something to be said for consistency in officiating. In the picture to the left, you clearly see nine (9) Rangers on the ice, and on this very play, the refs did call a penalty for too many men on the ice---ON WASHINGTON!!!! No, I'm not kidding and this is not hyperbole. They gave the Rangers the PP and the Caps went on to lose Game 3 and the rest is, well, history.
As for the Caps' season, I'm not bitter, just bitterly disappointed that the Caps do, in fact, seem to have "choke-itis." But I am nonetheless proud of my team and I remain a loyal homer. The Washington Capitals are a 39-year old NHL expansion team; they've made the playoffs 24 of those 39 seasons (61%). Eight times they won the division. Ten times they advanced past the first round; only twice did they make it into the semi's, and just once to the Stanley Cup where they were trounced by the high flying Red Wings.
Oh well...I guess it's time, once again, to sing the Washington, DC, Unified Sports Team Fight Song:
(...ahem...)
"I know all there is to know about the crying game; I've had my share of the crying game..."
I haven't seen Christian in a week, I have his $2, but I think he's waiting to ambush me (...I gotta watch my back!)
However, it was during that April 27th game that Zeb and I traded texts and twits and emails over how horribly Zeb felt the zebras called the game. From my perspective, I thought they were all good calls--Zeb felt they were inconsistent and untimely. I didn't (couldn't, wouldn't) see his point then, but I think I do now.
In his summary blog of the first round of the playoffs, Brent wrote: "The Capitals were robbed by the officials with the Rangers having a two-to-one ratio of Power Plays. Even though the Rangers PP looked horrible, having to kill off a penalty can cause problems with your own team. Caps fans have every reason to be upset at the NHL and it's officials."
I couldn't agree more. I'm not going to grouse, bitch, moan, groan, or complain--I want to believe the refs are human and make mistakes. But I readily admit that there is something to be said for consistency in officiating. In the picture to the left, you clearly see nine (9) Rangers on the ice, and on this very play, the refs did call a penalty for too many men on the ice---ON WASHINGTON!!!! No, I'm not kidding and this is not hyperbole. They gave the Rangers the PP and the Caps went on to lose Game 3 and the rest is, well, history.As for the Caps' season, I'm not bitter, just bitterly disappointed that the Caps do, in fact, seem to have "choke-itis." But I am nonetheless proud of my team and I remain a loyal homer. The Washington Capitals are a 39-year old NHL expansion team; they've made the playoffs 24 of those 39 seasons (61%). Eight times they won the division. Ten times they advanced past the first round; only twice did they make it into the semi's, and just once to the Stanley Cup where they were trounced by the high flying Red Wings.
Oh well...I guess it's time, once again, to sing the Washington, DC, Unified Sports Team Fight Song:
(...ahem...)
"I know all there is to know about the crying game; I've had my share of the crying game..."
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Anyone Have a Samsung Big Screen?
Gently used for Leafs games. Suffered an accident around 7:20pm PST or thereabouts. Parts only. Click here for more details.
No, it’s not mine!
Couldn't Resist
Check out Brick in the background. Yeah, he's a homer and not the best but you can't argue with his passion.
Go ahead and hate.
Go ahead and hate.
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