It's always good to take a little time away to keep the family business from going into the red while the boss goes away on vacation.
Thanks to everyone for being so patient with me while I spent the last two weeks in charge of the office, hence there were no new blogs for "Behind Blue Lines". Just a coincidence my parents' vacation started and ended during the NHL Conference Semifinals. With the Stanley Cup playoffs now into the Final Four, I can talk hockey again ^_^
San Jose got a scare from the Detroit Red Wings after losing their 3-0 lead in games in their Western Conference semifinal series. Although they won the seventh and final game of the series, I doubt this snakebitten bunch from San Jose, who are known for choking in big games, will put up much of a fight against the Vancouver Canucks. If you are Canucks fan, you must feel pretty good: There are no New York-based teams in the playoffs, so there is a good chance of them winning Lord Stanley's Cup.
I remember the 2004 Flames, and how the whole country minus Edmonton got behind captain Jarome Iginla, gabby Craig Conroy, Martin Gelinas, Coach Sutter, and the other Hardhat Heroes in their surprise quest for the Cup. While Vancouver is the best team in the league, I don't sense the same level of national excitement over the 2011 Canucks. They are not underdogs, they don't fight against the NHL establishment led by Gary Bettman, there is no controversy surrounding the referees (unless Kerry Fraser comes back), and they never had to rally from behind during their playoff campaign. So why aren't we all followers of the Vancouver Canucks, but we stand behind the 2004 Canada Flames?
I remember when Peter Mansbridge interviewed Jarome Iginla for The National during the Cup run of 2004, and the Canada vs USA overtones before and after games during the Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Calgary, at that time, embodied the heart of the Canadian spirit, and since there were Canadians from different backgrounds from different parts of the country one could identify with one or two of their players. I don't sense that with Vancouver: The Sedins are from Sweden, Ryan Kesler is from the States, and Roberto Luongo is from Montreal. The Canucks are an international team of superstars, so while it is easy to get behind Vancouver I have difficulty backing the Canucks.
While the Tampa Bay Lightning are fresh in my mind, I am encouraged by the Lightning model: They are a model for present and future NHL teams in the Southern United States to follow. Committed ownership backs hockey guys who know how to pick good players, and think goalie-out instead of scoring-back. Plus, none of the gimmicks which saw the Hurricanes' Stanley Cup Party of 2006 stop at the end of the parking lot of the arena. The Lightning and Bruins are two good teams with hockey guys in charge like Steve Yzerman and Cam Neely/Peter Chiarelli, respectively. The Eastern Conference Final between both teams should be a good series.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
The Dream is Dead: Canucks vs Canadiens
NOOO! My dream for an all-Canadian Stanley Cup Final went the way of the dinosaurs! How could this happen?!
I'll get you for this, Nathan Horton! Your clutch goal scoring ability and boyish good looks are no match for my superior intellect! The Florida Panthers drafted Horton 3rd overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, but traded him to Boston in last year's trade deadline day for another first-round pick (Doug MacLean, Sportsnet broadcast, April 27th, 2011). Horton's two overtime goals ensured a second-round berth in the 2011 NHL playoffs for the Big Bad Bruins, and dispatched the Montreal Canadiens to the golf course.
Because of Boston's newest overtime hero, this leaves the Vancouver Canucks as the lone Canadian representative in this year's Stanley Cup race. I don't know what this will do for my viewership of the contest, as I lost much needed sleep watching the Canucks and Blackhawks battle it out in a tough seven game series. It looked like a sweep for the Vancouver Canucks over the defending champion Blackhawks, a five game series at most. However, give credit to captain Jonathan Toews, coach Joel Quenneville, and the Chicago Blackhawks for showing grit and resolve to comeback, and push the series to seven games.
The Quarter-Finals look like this:
Vancouver vs Nashville
San Jose vs Detroit
Washington vs Tampa Bay
Philadelphia vs Boston (!)
Yikes, more games on the West Coast, and possibly more overtime games to boot. I need my sleep -_- Zzz...
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
How to Send Your Blog Post to the Wrong Account, and then The Right One
Leading by three games to none in the Western Conference Quarterfinal against the eighth seeded Chicago Blackhawks, who are the defending Stanley Cup Champion from a year ago, the 2011 President's Trophy winning Vancouver Canucks laid a golden egg for the Hawks losing 7-2 in the pivotal fourth game in Chicago.
Not to be an old goof with a history degree, but three teams in the history of the National Hockey League rallied from three-nil deficit to win the playoff series in seven games. For more on this series, check out NHL.com.
I have a humourous story about the last one: Since I was working at Sherwin-Williams at the time, I knew my boss was a huge Boston Bruins fan. I heard every kind of Maple Leafs joke from him for five years, and after the debacle of the Kessel trade I finally had something to come back at him with. Instead, from the moment I set foot inside the store until closing, I worked REALLY hard. That was my last spring at Sherwin-Williams.
Morale of the story: Vancouver, stop clowning around, otherwise you will get covered in paint!
Montreal also lost the third game of their playoff series at home against the Boston Bruins on Monday. I'm not alarmed so much as I expect this to be a long series. As I said before my former boss loves the Bruins, but his distaste for everything French-Canadian is well-documented and legendary! I will not regale you with his stories, off-colour jokes, or reasons why he will never watch the Montreal Canadiens on television for as long as he lives...It has all to do with Ken Dryden and 1971.
Go Habs?
Keep the dream alive:
Canucks 3/12
Canadiens 2/12
I know you need to win 16 games before you can claim the Stanley Cup, but like most people in this country, minus the former Leaf fans in Ottawa, I want an all-Canadian match-up! Both teams must win twelve games for that to happen, hence the counter.
Not to be an old goof with a history degree, but three teams in the history of the National Hockey League rallied from three-nil deficit to win the playoff series in seven games. For more on this series, check out NHL.com.
- 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs: Stanley Cup Final vs Detroit
- 1975 New York Islanders: Stanley Cup Quarterfinal vs Pittsburgh (I apologize; I had to look up that one o_O)
- 2010 Philadelphia Flyers: Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Semi-Final vs Boston
I have a humourous story about the last one: Since I was working at Sherwin-Williams at the time, I knew my boss was a huge Boston Bruins fan. I heard every kind of Maple Leafs joke from him for five years, and after the debacle of the Kessel trade I finally had something to come back at him with. Instead, from the moment I set foot inside the store until closing, I worked REALLY hard. That was my last spring at Sherwin-Williams.
Morale of the story: Vancouver, stop clowning around, otherwise you will get covered in paint!
Montreal also lost the third game of their playoff series at home against the Boston Bruins on Monday. I'm not alarmed so much as I expect this to be a long series. As I said before my former boss loves the Bruins, but his distaste for everything French-Canadian is well-documented and legendary! I will not regale you with his stories, off-colour jokes, or reasons why he will never watch the Montreal Canadiens on television for as long as he lives...It has all to do with Ken Dryden and 1971.
Go Habs?
Keep the dream alive:
Canucks 3/12
Canadiens 2/12
I know you need to win 16 games before you can claim the Stanley Cup, but like most people in this country, minus the former Leaf fans in Ottawa, I want an all-Canadian match-up! Both teams must win twelve games for that to happen, hence the counter.
The Dream in Danger: Canucks vs Canadiens
Leading by three games to none in the Western Conference Quarterfinal against the eighth seeded Chicago Blackhawks, who are the defending Stanley Cup Champion from a year ago, the 2011 President's Trophy winning Vancouver Canucks laid a golden egg for the Hawks losing 7-2 in the pivotal fourth game in Chicago.
Not to be an old goof with a history degree, but three teams in the history of the National Hockey League rallied from three-nil deficit to win the playoff series in seven games. For more on this series, check out NHL.com.
I have a humourous story about the last one: Since I was working at Sherwin-Williams at the time, I knew my boss was a huge Boston Bruins fan. I heard every kind of Maple Leafs joke from him for five years, and after the debacle of the Kessel trade I finally had something to come back at him with. Instead, from the moment I set foot inside the store until closing, I worked REALLY hard. That was my last spring at Sherwin-Williams.
Morale of the story: Vancouver, stop clowning around, otherwise you will get covered in paint!
Montreal also lost the third game of their playoff series at home against the Boston Bruins on Monday. I'm not alarmed so much as I expect this to be a long series. As I said before my former boss loves the Bruins, but his distaste for everything French-Canadian is well-documented and legendary! I will not regale you with his stories, off-colour jokes, or reasons why he will never watch the Montreal Canadiens on television for as long as he lives...It has all to do with Ken Dryden and 1971.
Go Habs?
Keep the dream alive:
Canucks 3/12
Canadiens 2/12
I know you need to win 16 game before you can claim the Stanley Cup, but like most people in this country, minus the former Leaf fans in Ottawa, I want an all-Canadian match-up! Both teams must win twelve games for that to happen, hence the counter.
Not to be an old goof with a history degree, but three teams in the history of the National Hockey League rallied from three-nil deficit to win the playoff series in seven games. For more on this series, check out NHL.com.
- 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs: Stanley Cup Final vs Detroit
- 1975 New York Islanders: Stanley Cup Quarterfinal vs Pittsburgh (I apologize; I had to look up that one o_O)
- 2010 Philadelphia Flyers: Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Semi-Final vs Boston
I have a humourous story about the last one: Since I was working at Sherwin-Williams at the time, I knew my boss was a huge Boston Bruins fan. I heard every kind of Maple Leafs joke from him for five years, and after the debacle of the Kessel trade I finally had something to come back at him with. Instead, from the moment I set foot inside the store until closing, I worked REALLY hard. That was my last spring at Sherwin-Williams.
Morale of the story: Vancouver, stop clowning around, otherwise you will get covered in paint!
Montreal also lost the third game of their playoff series at home against the Boston Bruins on Monday. I'm not alarmed so much as I expect this to be a long series. As I said before my former boss loves the Bruins, but his distaste for everything French-Canadian is well-documented and legendary! I will not regale you with his stories, off-colour jokes, or reasons why he will never watch the Montreal Canadiens on television for as long as he lives...It has all to do with Ken Dryden and 1971.
Go Habs?
Keep the dream alive:
Canucks 3/12
Canadiens 2/12
I know you need to win 16 game before you can claim the Stanley Cup, but like most people in this country, minus the former Leaf fans in Ottawa, I want an all-Canadian match-up! Both teams must win twelve games for that to happen, hence the counter.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
What is the "Knuckle Sandwich"?
Being from the Eastern time zone, I don't have the luxury of watching the Vancouver Canucks play hockey and leaving enough time to write, brush my teeth, shower, say my prayers, and go to bed. I watch enough of their games in order to fit in everything I need to do before going to sleep. Otherwise, I wake up all grumpy and disorganized spouting all kinds of Canucks conspiracy theories about match fixing games for ratings and shootouts.
The Vancouver Canucks started their 2011 Stanley Cup playoff campaign with a bang defeating the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks 2-0 in the first game of their best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal series. The Canucks' Higgins and Hansen scored both goals in the first period, and then relied on their steady backline the rest of the way. When Hawks stars like Toews and Kane put the Vancouver defense under pressure, however, Roberto Luongo stood tall making key saves that kept the Canucks in the saddle for much of the contest. So, the Vancouver Canucks should be on their way with this winning formula, yes? Not so fast, my friends. The Canucks are a great team, but I am little concerned for their championship aspirations.
As good as the Canucks played, from the end of the first period onward, the Blackhawks didn't look like a team sitting eighth in the Western Conference. The Blackhawks looked like a defending Cup champion missing the key pieces that make up the "Knuckle Sandwich": The goal scoring touch, the presence down low in front of the net (Byfuglien), and the awareness not to be caught in odd man rushes, which happened ALL NIGHT LONG. Luongo stood tall like he always does, however coach Joel Quenneville will pick up on any weaknesses he can find, and dissect them with key matchups. Higgins deflected a shot from the point to score the Canucks' first goal, and Hansen's marker came against the run of play minutes later; give credit to them, they scored some sweet goals, but stars such as the Sedins and Kesler must step up their game for the Canucks to prevent another playoff disappointment.
A victory is never a bad start for any team, and I like the Canucks' chances. However, what will they do when they are really tested? The microscope is always on the President's Trophy winning team to do well in the playoffs, and by 'well' I mean 'WIN'. What happens to that team when the breaks are not going their way? If the Blackhawks or any team the Canucks will face in the playoffs make a big push, how will Vancouver respond? That is what separates President's Trophy winning teams from Stanley Cup winning teams: The ability to respond under pressure with character and teamwork. Of course, the Vancouver Canucks have both, but how much remains to be seen. For more on this game, check out ESPN highlights with the colourful Matthew Barnaby ^_^
Keep the dream alive: Canucks versus Canadiens for the Cup
The Vancouver Canucks started their 2011 Stanley Cup playoff campaign with a bang defeating the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks 2-0 in the first game of their best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal series. The Canucks' Higgins and Hansen scored both goals in the first period, and then relied on their steady backline the rest of the way. When Hawks stars like Toews and Kane put the Vancouver defense under pressure, however, Roberto Luongo stood tall making key saves that kept the Canucks in the saddle for much of the contest. So, the Vancouver Canucks should be on their way with this winning formula, yes? Not so fast, my friends. The Canucks are a great team, but I am little concerned for their championship aspirations.
As good as the Canucks played, from the end of the first period onward, the Blackhawks didn't look like a team sitting eighth in the Western Conference. The Blackhawks looked like a defending Cup champion missing the key pieces that make up the "Knuckle Sandwich": The goal scoring touch, the presence down low in front of the net (Byfuglien), and the awareness not to be caught in odd man rushes, which happened ALL NIGHT LONG. Luongo stood tall like he always does, however coach Joel Quenneville will pick up on any weaknesses he can find, and dissect them with key matchups. Higgins deflected a shot from the point to score the Canucks' first goal, and Hansen's marker came against the run of play minutes later; give credit to them, they scored some sweet goals, but stars such as the Sedins and Kesler must step up their game for the Canucks to prevent another playoff disappointment.
A victory is never a bad start for any team, and I like the Canucks' chances. However, what will they do when they are really tested? The microscope is always on the President's Trophy winning team to do well in the playoffs, and by 'well' I mean 'WIN'. What happens to that team when the breaks are not going their way? If the Blackhawks or any team the Canucks will face in the playoffs make a big push, how will Vancouver respond? That is what separates President's Trophy winning teams from Stanley Cup winning teams: The ability to respond under pressure with character and teamwork. Of course, the Vancouver Canucks have both, but how much remains to be seen. For more on this game, check out ESPN highlights with the colourful Matthew Barnaby ^_^
Keep the dream alive: Canucks versus Canadiens for the Cup
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
"We're LIVE Blogging now?": Playoff Edition
2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, First Round:
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Tampa Bay Lightning, Game 1:
2-0 in third period, two minutes remaining.
Tampa pulled Roloson
One minute remaining
Penguins about a pull a Houdini
Kunitz (PIT) dumps the puck into a yawning net from center ice
3-0 Penguins
Mario Lemieux is pleased ^_^
Steve Yzerman...not so much -_-
SIREN o_O
Game Over
Something I don't understand, as CBC switches to the Detroit vs Phoenix game also starting tonight: If Detroit is closer to where I live than Pittsburgh, and the Detroit-Phoenix series is more compelling (Phoenix ownership squabble heats up), why am I watching the Penguins whip the Lightning?
I'm more interested in Canucks-Blackhawks III. The Vancouver Canucks are a great team, and only great teams win the President's Trophy (Phil remembers the 2000 St. Louis Blues). Well, most great teams win the regular season championship, and while the knuckle sandwich will not come in the form of the 2000 San Jose Sharks, I still believe it is on the way because the Canucks are yet to be tested this season.
Chicago is the city hosting the defending Cup champions of a year ago. Free agency and salary cap restrictions forced the team to sell off some of the playoff performers such Dustin Byfuglien and Brent Sopel. Captain Jonathan Toews, sniper Patrick Kane, coach Joel Quenneville and the rest of the Blackhawks will have their work cut out for them after just sneaking into the playoffs as the 8th seed in the Western Conference. Will Canucks-Blackhawks III end in tears for Roberto Luongo, or will we have a new Stanley Cup Champion?
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Tampa Bay Lightning, Game 1:
2-0 in third period, two minutes remaining.
Tampa pulled Roloson
One minute remaining
Penguins about a pull a Houdini
Kunitz (PIT) dumps the puck into a yawning net from center ice
3-0 Penguins
Mario Lemieux is pleased ^_^
Steve Yzerman...not so much -_-
SIREN o_O
Game Over
Something I don't understand, as CBC switches to the Detroit vs Phoenix game also starting tonight: If Detroit is closer to where I live than Pittsburgh, and the Detroit-Phoenix series is more compelling (Phoenix ownership squabble heats up), why am I watching the Penguins whip the Lightning?
I'm more interested in Canucks-Blackhawks III. The Vancouver Canucks are a great team, and only great teams win the President's Trophy (Phil remembers the 2000 St. Louis Blues). Well, most great teams win the regular season championship, and while the knuckle sandwich will not come in the form of the 2000 San Jose Sharks, I still believe it is on the way because the Canucks are yet to be tested this season.
Chicago is the city hosting the defending Cup champions of a year ago. Free agency and salary cap restrictions forced the team to sell off some of the playoff performers such Dustin Byfuglien and Brent Sopel. Captain Jonathan Toews, sniper Patrick Kane, coach Joel Quenneville and the rest of the Blackhawks will have their work cut out for them after just sneaking into the playoffs as the 8th seed in the Western Conference. Will Canucks-Blackhawks III end in tears for Roberto Luongo, or will we have a new Stanley Cup Champion?
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
NHL Playoffs Top 10
TOP TEN REASONS WHY NOT TO MISS THE NHL PLAYOFFS!
10. None of the teams have cheerleading squads to distract the players.
9. It's funny whenever Stuart Scott of ESPN says the word "hockey".
8. If Canadians were in charge of the NHL playoff format, every team except for the last place team would be in the playoffs.
7. (Someone reading this in Toronto) Playoffs; what's that?
6. Epic Meal Time is going to eat a hockey stick made out of bacon strips, and ground pork.
5. During the CBC Satellite Hotstove, Ron Maclean and his fellow on-air guests to stand up and do the Macarana.
4. Don Cherry is running for Prime Minister!
3. A conservative, liberal, new democrat, and a hockey player enter a bar, and...oh, you heard that one...
2. Bacon strips and Bacon strips and Bacon strips and Bacon strips and Bacon strips...
1. No Maple Leafs in the playoffs to ruin it all!
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