Some thoughts on the current state of the NHL playoffs…
BLACKHAWKS VS. CANUCKS
In a year of great playoff series, this one ranked near the top. Full of scoring, grit, and outright hatred, these two teams battled it out to the final whistle. Sorry to all those Canuck fans, but I was pleased to see Chicago win. Their youth movement has reignited the franchise, instantly turning Chicago back into one of the premier hockey cities. The arena has been packed almost all season, ratings are up, and who could forget the Winter Classic at Wrigley? It has truly been a great year for the Blackhawks, and it’s exciting to be a part of their success. As I mentioned in my last column, the Blackhawks WILL win a Stanley Cup… and sooner rather than later. Khabibulin has been stellar (although he’ll probably be gone after this season). The defense, led by Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, has been solid. And the offense… WOW. Kane, Toews, Sharp, Versteeg, Brouwer, Byfuglien. Hell, even Ben Eager (yes, THAT Ben Eager!) is scoring. I’ve mentioned this before, but Jonathan Toews will be one of the premier players in this league. We’re talking Joe Sakic, Jr. He’s everything you look for in a captain: Talented, humble, mature beyond his years. I’ve even seen him get involved in some scrums. Gotta love a kid like that. How would it be to see a Blackhawks/Bruins Stanley Cup Final? Something to think about…
RED WINGS VS. DUCKS
Having always been an Av fan, I’ve grown up with a healthy dose of hatred for the Wings. However, my dad and I were talking about the team the other day and realized that if it weren’t for ONE player, we could probably stomach the Wings. That player, of course, is none other than Chris Chelios. What a whiner… the biggest black eye on the league next to Sean Avery. Nothing made me happier than seeing him get burned the other night by Corey Perry and hearing the announcer say, “You can’t blame that on your linemate, Chris.” HA! Anyways, the Ducks are looking DANGEROUS. You know that feeling Gandalf was getting as he realized Sauron was coming back in to power and could pounce at any moment? That’s how any remaining team in the West should be feeling about the Ducks. They are playing INCREDIBLE hockey right now, having just forced a Game 7 against the Wings. It would be awesome to see them go all the way, and as long as Jonas Hiller is alert and Ryan Getzlaf is healthy, they can win easily.
CAPITALS VS. PENGUINS
Wow. EVERYTHING WE COULD HAVE HOPED FOR AND MORE!!!! Sidney Crosby is proving why he’s the NHL’s finest, and is – at least for now – laying to rest the debate over whether or not he’s better than Alexander Ovechkin. Currently, he’s better. Much better. The thing I like about Sid is how he has learned (in a relatively short amount of time) to EMBRACE pressure and feed off it. In these playoffs he has been all over, hitting, scoring, battling in the corners. Basically doing everything and anything to win. He’s been phenomenal. Evgeni Malkin may be the scoring leader, but I think there’s no question in anyone’s mind that Crosby is the heart and soul of the team. Ovie, on the other hand, has struggled at times in these playoffs under the pressure. He’s tried to do too much himself, almost seeming as if he’s wound himself up so tight he can’t shoot, play, or see straight. Luckily, it seems he’s starting to settle in to his game, which has made this one of the most exciting playoff series in ALL HISTORY. Still, if you’ve got a kid learning to play hockey and you want to show him a player that embodies the heart, soul, and attitude of a hockey player, you show him tapes of Sidney Crosby. He would be my absolute first pick of who to build a team around. He’s a magical player who will win Stanley Cups galore and go down in history next to names like Howe and Gretzky.
PS- Kudos to Bruce Boudreau for having the gonads to go with Simeon Varlamov throughout the playoffs after Jose Theodore struggled. Not too many coaches would do that after taking a peek at Theodore’s salary. If Washington goes to the Cup Finals, I think that decision will be forever known as the difference maker.
BRUINS VS HURRICANES
My brother is a huge Boston fan, so I’m inclined to go for them this post season. Plus, they’ve got everything you could want in a team: Youth, Ring-wearing vets, balanced scoring, gritty third- and fourth-liners, a stingy defense who can contribute offensively, and the best goaltending tandem in the playoffs. Of course, one cannot count out the Hurricanes, who have ridden the
likes of Cam Ward, Eric Staal, and (gasp) Jussi Jokinen to a surprising playoff run. The games have been heated so far, and I cannot go further without mentioning the Scott Walker/Aaron Ward incident. For those of you who have lived in a foreign country over the last week: In Game 6 of this series, Boston defenseman Aaron Ward was involved with Carolina’s Matt Cullen in front of the net. The two were exchanging friendly face washes after the whistle when Scott Walker of the Hurricanes intervened, standing in front of Ward and engaging him in what appeared to be a simple staring contest. Ward did not say anything, had his hands down and gloves on, when out of nowhere one of Walker’s gloves came off and he threw a haymaker at Ward’s face. Ward went down instantly and may have broken his orbital bone. Surprisingly, Walker was not suspended (the incident called for an automatic one-game suspension which was waived) and he was fined a meager $2,500 (pocket change for him). Walker should have been suspended, and for multiple games. His actions are precisely what the league is trying to do away with, and it blows my mind that they would hand down that type of slap-on-the-wrist discipline. Heck, they suspended Sean Avery and sent him to anger counseling for running his mouth, yet they don’t do anything for Walker’s sucker punch after the whistle after he was technically the third man in? What a joke. They said it wasn’t exactly a sucker punch, and Walker claims Ward was calling him on…. Bull. Total bull. Way to drop the ball on this one, NHL.
In other news, Mike Modano will be back for a 20th season. Very cool, and I’m happy to let my childhood memories live on for at least one more season.
BLACKHAWKS VS. CANUCKS
In a year of great playoff series, this one ranked near the top. Full of scoring, grit, and outright hatred, these two teams battled it out to the final whistle. Sorry to all those Canuck fans, but I was pleased to see Chicago win. Their youth movement has reignited the franchise, instantly turning Chicago back into one of the premier hockey cities. The arena has been packed almost all season, ratings are up, and who could forget the Winter Classic at Wrigley? It has truly been a great year for the Blackhawks, and it’s exciting to be a part of their success. As I mentioned in my last column, the Blackhawks WILL win a Stanley Cup… and sooner rather than later. Khabibulin has been stellar (although he’ll probably be gone after this season). The defense, led by Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, has been solid. And the offense… WOW. Kane, Toews, Sharp, Versteeg, Brouwer, Byfuglien. Hell, even Ben Eager (yes, THAT Ben Eager!) is scoring. I’ve mentioned this before, but Jonathan Toews will be one of the premier players in this league. We’re talking Joe Sakic, Jr. He’s everything you look for in a captain: Talented, humble, mature beyond his years. I’ve even seen him get involved in some scrums. Gotta love a kid like that. How would it be to see a Blackhawks/Bruins Stanley Cup Final? Something to think about…
RED WINGS VS. DUCKS
Having always been an Av fan, I’ve grown up with a healthy dose of hatred for the Wings. However, my dad and I were talking about the team the other day and realized that if it weren’t for ONE player, we could probably stomach the Wings. That player, of course, is none other than Chris Chelios. What a whiner… the biggest black eye on the league next to Sean Avery. Nothing made me happier than seeing him get burned the other night by Corey Perry and hearing the announcer say, “You can’t blame that on your linemate, Chris.” HA! Anyways, the Ducks are looking DANGEROUS. You know that feeling Gandalf was getting as he realized Sauron was coming back in to power and could pounce at any moment? That’s how any remaining team in the West should be feeling about the Ducks. They are playing INCREDIBLE hockey right now, having just forced a Game 7 against the Wings. It would be awesome to see them go all the way, and as long as Jonas Hiller is alert and Ryan Getzlaf is healthy, they can win easily.
CAPITALS VS. PENGUINS
Wow. EVERYTHING WE COULD HAVE HOPED FOR AND MORE!!!! Sidney Crosby is proving why he’s the NHL’s finest, and is – at least for now – laying to rest the debate over whether or not he’s better than Alexander Ovechkin. Currently, he’s better. Much better. The thing I like about Sid is how he has learned (in a relatively short amount of time) to EMBRACE pressure and feed off it. In these playoffs he has been all over, hitting, scoring, battling in the corners. Basically doing everything and anything to win. He’s been phenomenal. Evgeni Malkin may be the scoring leader, but I think there’s no question in anyone’s mind that Crosby is the heart and soul of the team. Ovie, on the other hand, has struggled at times in these playoffs under the pressure. He’s tried to do too much himself, almost seeming as if he’s wound himself up so tight he can’t shoot, play, or see straight. Luckily, it seems he’s starting to settle in to his game, which has made this one of the most exciting playoff series in ALL HISTORY. Still, if you’ve got a kid learning to play hockey and you want to show him a player that embodies the heart, soul, and attitude of a hockey player, you show him tapes of Sidney Crosby. He would be my absolute first pick of who to build a team around. He’s a magical player who will win Stanley Cups galore and go down in history next to names like Howe and Gretzky.
PS- Kudos to Bruce Boudreau for having the gonads to go with Simeon Varlamov throughout the playoffs after Jose Theodore struggled. Not too many coaches would do that after taking a peek at Theodore’s salary. If Washington goes to the Cup Finals, I think that decision will be forever known as the difference maker.
BRUINS VS HURRICANES
My brother is a huge Boston fan, so I’m inclined to go for them this post season. Plus, they’ve got everything you could want in a team: Youth, Ring-wearing vets, balanced scoring, gritty third- and fourth-liners, a stingy defense who can contribute offensively, and the best goaltending tandem in the playoffs. Of course, one cannot count out the Hurricanes, who have ridden the
likes of Cam Ward, Eric Staal, and (gasp) Jussi Jokinen to a surprising playoff run. The games have been heated so far, and I cannot go further without mentioning the Scott Walker/Aaron Ward incident. For those of you who have lived in a foreign country over the last week: In Game 6 of this series, Boston defenseman Aaron Ward was involved with Carolina’s Matt Cullen in front of the net. The two were exchanging friendly face washes after the whistle when Scott Walker of the Hurricanes intervened, standing in front of Ward and engaging him in what appeared to be a simple staring contest. Ward did not say anything, had his hands down and gloves on, when out of nowhere one of Walker’s gloves came off and he threw a haymaker at Ward’s face. Ward went down instantly and may have broken his orbital bone. Surprisingly, Walker was not suspended (the incident called for an automatic one-game suspension which was waived) and he was fined a meager $2,500 (pocket change for him). Walker should have been suspended, and for multiple games. His actions are precisely what the league is trying to do away with, and it blows my mind that they would hand down that type of slap-on-the-wrist discipline. Heck, they suspended Sean Avery and sent him to anger counseling for running his mouth, yet they don’t do anything for Walker’s sucker punch after the whistle after he was technically the third man in? What a joke. They said it wasn’t exactly a sucker punch, and Walker claims Ward was calling him on…. Bull. Total bull. Way to drop the ball on this one, NHL.In other news, Mike Modano will be back for a 20th season. Very cool, and I’m happy to let my childhood memories live on for at least one more season.
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