Game 5 In The Books

I have to admit something here and I know I am not alone. It is very difficult for me to get into watching the playoffs when my team didn't even come close to qualifying. Today is June 7th, the last time the Capitals played was April 7th and for all intents and purposes, the Caps were out of the playoff picture sometime in February. So in short unless there is some sort of suspense involved in the game, it is very difficult for me to watch a hockey game right now between two teams I don't have any real strong feelings towards even though I'm developing a hatred for the Thug Ducks.

Especially a game like last night's where it was glaringly obvious that Ottawa was just not going to win that hockey game no matter what they did. Ottawa was even clearly aware of this fact. Clue #1 was what turned out to be the Cup winning goal credited to Travis Moen. When Chris Phillips and Ray Emery got their wires crossed and the puck ended up in their net without any pressure. You were only kidding yourself if you thought it wasn't over yet and if you needed any other evidence; Wade Redden's stick breaking on the point in the third period as the puck arrived and Antoine Vermette not even getting a shot off on a penalty shot were other glaringly obvious indications that Anaheim was winning the Cup last night.

That game was so in the bag for the Thug Ducks that the Hockey Gods did not feel at all compelled to punish them for having the Stanley Cup Championship banner already in the rafters waiting to be deployed. Is there a Caps fan out there that thinks the Caps could get away with this? I hope not because you're dead wrong to think so.

During Game 4 Doc Emerick mentioned that only four teams in the history of the NHL had ever won the Stanley Cup while leading the league in PIMs during the regular season. Anaheim becomes #5 and now we get to hear about this from the Ultimate Fighting on Ice fans for at least the next ten seasons. Though I do give Anaheim (and Ottawa too) full credit for not gooning things up once the outcome was decided.

So now we head into the offseason. Trade and Free Agent rumors now become stock and trade among puckheads until training camp opens in September. Live hockey won't be seen until then as well and we'll hear in about 3 1/2- 4 weeks who, where, and when we'll be playing in the 2007-2008 regular season.

Of course the draft is coming up in just two weeks; I'm not a draft geek for many different reasons and sorry, I don't care very much for draft day parties. As I've said before, I find them rather boring for the most part.

As for this site, things will keep going. Like I have throughout the playoffs, I'll post on the Caps when conditions warrant but mostly I'll shoot my mouth off on whatever interests me, especially if it involves the local teams. I also plan to do a site redesign in the coming months. I'll provide more links and try to have a decent organization of them. I'll also try some different things to see how they go so please don't go anywhere. Thanks!

Game 4 In The Books

And it's all over now except for the shouting. It has been 65 years since Toronto came back on the Red Wings from 3-1 down to win the Cup and quite frankly, Ottawa just does not have the discipline to get the job done.

I missed the opening period last night for Council business and I understand that the Senators came out with their pants on fire and came away with a 1-0 lead after one. The Thug Ducks had their go in the second period and they ended up tied at two.

However at the end of the second period and in the decisive third period, the Senators reverted to what they had done in Anaheim and tried to beat the Thug Ducks at their own game. On the game winning goal, two Senators went after the Anaheim player deep in his own zone and the once the pass got by them, the Thug Ducks had all sorts of open ice and used it to their advantage. The Senators had to know what a loss would mean and for them to lose their composure like that is inexcusable.

Ottawa might be able to force a Game 6 and maybe a Game 7 but this series is over folks. That could very well end up being good news because Don Cherry's much ballyhooed appearance on NBC last night was a total dud. Cherry flat out called for more fighting in the NHL and perpetrated all of the myths that I've been debunking. NASCAR took off when restrictor plates were added to slow the cars down and the roof flaps installed to keep them from flying through the air resulting in less crashes and less fatal crashes. The NFL has been for years cutting out the gratuitous violence. Yeah, we can kill the QB as long as he still has the ball and don't touch his head under any circumstances. Is Don Cherry even aware of that? Of course he calls for a return of the days of Dave Semeko when the NHL didn't have a U.S. National TV Broadcast contract and ESPN had about as much coverage as Versus does today (and of course, the NHL was kicked off of ESPN at the end of the 1980's). Don didn't do the NHL, CBC, or Canada any favors with his rant.

The only good thing is that it was highly unlikely anybody was watching Don Cherry on NBC last night...

Game 3 In The Books

And now we have a series right?

Well, not so fast there, if the Thug Ducks are able to win tomorrow night, then the series is all over. But on home ice the Senators were able ride the wave of emotion from their fans and pull off a 5-3 win and force a Game 5 in Anaheim. Give Ottawa full credit too for coming back from 3 one goal deficits to win. The Senators did exactly what by sticking with their game plan and not trying to play a style that does not suit them very well. Is Ottawa prime for an emotional letdown in Game 4? I think so, but there's a reason why they play the games.

The Thug Ducks on the other hand got very flustered by the atmosphere as evidenced by the Mike Fisher goal in the second period when Anaheim had only four players on the ice for an even strength draw in their own zone. What was going on the Thug Ducks bench is a mystery. The Thug Ducks also showed why I'm disgusted to see them win the Cup. Was Chris Pronger's forearm to the jaw of Dean McAmmond really necessary? The NHL doesn't think so as Pronger was suspended for Game 4 and my question is, why one game? This is the second time in the playoffs this season (and second series in a row) that Pronger has been suspended for an unnecessary head shot. It is pretty clear that one games aren't changing Pronger and he is even saying himself he won't back down when he returns for Game 5.

But once again "its business as usual in the NHL." And they wonder why the TV ratings are in the toilet? The Ultimate Fighting on Ice fans are just waiting for a Thug Ducks win in the Finals to say "I told you so, I told you so" when it comes to winning hockey. But these guys have never been able to really put 2 and 2 together so what else is new?

Ok, enough of that, my favorite moment last night was in the third period when Pierre McGuire chimed in "Here comes an Anaheim wave. Their bench was just calling for a a tightening up." Almost as if on cue the Thug Ducks get hemmed into their own zone, turn the puck over on a breakout, and Ottawa scores the insurance goal to go up 5-3.

Keep up the good work Pierre...

Game 2 In The Books

Memo to the Ottawa Senators: Nobody serious is accusing you of being soft anymore. We get that you won't be physically intimidated, runover, and run out of buildings in the playoffs. We get that. You don't have to prove it to us anymore.

From watching the game last night it seemed to me that Ottawa had two big problems. First they came out and tried to beat Anaheim at their own game. Ottawa isn't going to do that because Ottawa is not built for the hit-everything-that-moves game. Once again that's not to say that Ottawa is bunch of lightweights, but they have to play their game if they expect to beat Anaheim. Because the Senators tried to play the Thug Ducks game, the Senators were unable to take advantage when the game settled in during the second period. While the pace of the first period that carried over from Game 1 was fun to watch, you knew that the two teams could not keep up that breakneck pace. Ottawa looked gassed because they had been running around trying to hit everything in black. Hopefully with the extra day of rest and home ice advantage, they'll be better able to play their game.

Secondly, despite not playing their game, Ottawa didn't get any bounces or breaks last night. They missed all sorts of wide open nets and at this stage of the season, that will come back to haunt you more often than not. The Senators should have two maybe even three goals despite being brutally outshot by the Thug Ducks.

Now the series shifts to Ottawa and the Senators face two must win games. If Ottawa does not win both Games 3 and 4 on home ice this Stanley Cup Finals is all over except for the shouting. I hope for the sake of sheer entertainment value that the Senators can tie the series up and make it more interesting but I think it should be pretty clear now who is going to win the Cup and it happens to be the Anaheim Thug Ducks.

Game 1 in the Books

I have to limit these comments to the last 15 minutes of last night's Game 1 as that was all I was able to watch because I was out visiting friends who aren't hockey fans.

And it is a good thing that I did watch the last 15 minutes of the game and didn't rely upon the headline writers at the (Com)Post who on Page E1 this morning along the left side rundown say "Game 1 to Senators: Trailing by one entering the finals period, Ottawa wins the Stanley Cup Finals opener on a goal by Travis Moen." They even list the score as Senators 3 Ducks 2.

The guys at On Frozen Blog now have a legitimate gripe with the (Com)Post and can stop bashing the irreverent sports blogger for blogging about irreverent sports for at least one day. At least inside the (Com)Post, they have everything right.

But I digress, what impressed me the most was the way that the Thug Ducks seemed to physically impose their will on the Senators, especially after tying the game up. The Senators were getting dominated for most of the third period and you just had a sense that Anaheim was going to pull the game out which they eventually did.

To their credit, Ottawa did not curl into a little ball and die under the pressure. They tried to fight through the forechecking and did not back down in front of their own net. Ottawa will be fine if they can get away from the Bryan Murray "sit on the lead" brand of hockey.

Two things that stood out to me though was the way Anaheim was unwilling to let Ottawa generate any speed through the neutral zone. The Thug Ducks were hitting everything in white on the forecheck and that made the Senators' lives miserable. You could especially see that some of the Senators' forwards were not used to getting hit in that part of the ice. Finally, when the score was tied at two and goal mouth scrambled developed in front of the Senators' net, there were three to four Thug Ducks digging for the puck and just as many Senators trying to clear out the crease and protect their goaltender. When Ottawa was down a goal with the game winding down, a goal mouth scramble in front of the Anaheim net had only two Senators digging for the puck and four Thug Ducks clearing out the crease. One could interpret that as Anaheim wanting the game more than Ottawa, but I don't think that was entirely case. I haven't seen the Thug Ducks as much as the Senators but it certainly isn't the Senators game to create chaos in the crease.

Overall the last 15 minutes of last night's game was very entertaining. It almost makes me wish that I had seen the entire game (I hadn't seen these friends since their wedding and they have been inviting over to their place since late last year and had already delayed my visit twice). I'll certainly watch Game 2 and it will be interesting to see how the Senators respond not only to the adversity of being down in a series for the first time this spring but how they also respond to the physical beating they took last night as well. Ottawa has shown in recent years that they can't be bullied and pushed around anymore and they'll have to demonstrate that again in Game 2 to get the series tied up.

2007 NHL Playoffs Round IV

Series O; Stanley Cup Finals: Anaheim Thug Ducks (60-38; 110 points; 1st Pacific Division, 2nd Western Conference, 4th Overall) vs. Ottawa Senators (60-37; 105 points; 2nd Northeast Division, 4th Eastern Conference, 9th Overall)


And so once again the NHL playoffs play to an anti-climatic conclusion. Well, not really but sorry folks, as I pointed out last month, no team that has finished lower than 7th overall has ever won the Stanley Cup and only twice has a team that far down in the overall standings taken the top prize. While I admit that it would be a nice and sentimental to see a Canadian team win the Cup for the first time since the Montreal Canadiens did it in 1993, it just isn't going to happen folks. Sorry but slow starts do have a penalty. And as I said before, it has nothing to do with my irrational hatred of Bryan Murray but Murray now has to face an Anaheim team that is bigger, stronger, and more physical than any other team they've faced this playoff season so on that count, Ottawa is going to need their 8 days off in order to be ready for this series. However, the longer layoff means more rust for the Senators. The Senators are also traveling a long distance for the first time in this playoff season while Anaheim is used to long plane rides to playoff games.


Do I think that this will be a quick and easy series win for the Thug Ducks? Hardly. The Senators are playing their best hockey this season but that doesn't mean that Anaheim will be out for the count. The Thug Ducks were all but written off after Game 3 against the Red Wings after going down 2-1 and having Chris Pronger suspended for Game 4. The Thug Ducks responded by winning three games in a row and Detroit still does not know what hit them. Anaheim has faced adversity this playoff year and they have come through in spades. In ringing up a 12-3 playoff record, the Senators have not yet faced any kind of real adversity and have yet to trail in a playoff series this spring. How they handle a real fight on their hands will be interesting to watch.

All of that being said, I think this will be a rather entertaining series once both teams shake off the rink rust. I would be rather surprised to see this being a quick series of either four or five games but Anaheim has just too much for Ottawa to handle and when the chips are down, I have to like Anaheim's lineup compared to Ottawa's when things get tight. The Senators won't go quietly but they aren't getting the Cup. Thug Ducks in seven.

TV Coverage Controversy

Let me start out by making perfectly clear that while I understand the decision of NBC to cut away from the Ottawa-Buffaslugs Game 5 OT in favor of the Preakness. I can't blame their business decision and I will also now at this time disclose that I directly own shares of General Electric stock, NBC's parent company.

Once again the Venerable Off Wing Opinion is doing the heavy lifting of chronicling the outrage of hockey fans and non-outrage of the non-hockey fans but let me interject here with a few things to ponder.

#1. This "horse race" is anything but the common ordinary horse race. It was the Preakness. Everybody knows (or should know) that the Preakness is the middle jewel of the Triple Crown. The Triple Crown are big races that bring in over 100K spectators to the tracks and millions to their TV sets. If the NHL and/or the Stanley Cup Playoffs had the kind of following that the Triple Crown does, we wouldn't have half the conversations about the NHL that we currently do. Two years ago my older sister got married on the day of the Preakness and about half of the wedding reception (including myself) went to the hotel bar to watch the race. I doubt that would have happened for a playoff hockey game unless the Caps were involved because once the race was over, just about everybody went back to the reception (except for our Great Aunt who went to her room to watch race and fell asleep).

#2. NHL Playoff overtime does not have any TV timeouts to run commercials. Under the current contract, NBC and the NHL split the costs of production and commercial ad sells are split between the two to defray the costs and any profits are split the same as well. However, because NBC cannot run commercials during OT, they can't make any extra $$$$$. So it isn't as if NBC cost the NHL ad $$$$$ because there wasn't any ad $$$$$ to make. NBC however could run commercials during their Preakness coverage and make $$$$$. As a business decision, it made perfect sense.

#3. What is forgotten is that NBC gave their affiliates the option of staying with the hockey game or going to the race coverage. From what I understand, the Loserville...er...Buffalo affiliate stayed with the game. Though according to Dump and Chase, the Bhawlmuher (where the Preakness was being run) NBC affiliate didn't even show the regulation periods of the game. Except for the folks in Bhawlmuher (who couldn't hold onto two Minor League hockey franchises) who saw none of the game, you could switch to Versus to watch the conclusion of the game. Now I will admit that NBC was woefully inadequate in making this clear to everybody. The least they could have done was put a crawl across the bottom of their Preakness coverage and I don't think it would have killed them to "send it back to New York" so that Bill Clement could talk through the highlight of the series ending goal. But I don't think NBC left people entirely high and dry because they did make the game available on a league partner network.

#4. I think hockey fans have to shoulder a fair amount of the blame here. We hear and see all the time from fans, bloggers, columnists, and others about how "boring" the game has become. We hear about how the game now lacks "passion," "emotion," and "intensity." There are complaints up and down the street about the constant parade to the penalty box in a vain attempt to end the clutching and grabbing and hooking and holding but there are also complaints up and down the street when the game gets bogged down by the clutching and grabbing and hooking and holding. Hockey fans are dumbfounded by the inability of the self-proclaimed "Hockeytown" to sellout playoff games. And yet at the same time we're screaming bloody murder because we get preempted for one of three high-profile horse races? While I plead guilty to bashing the NHL myself, us hockey fans need realize that it has a detrimental effect. Why should NBC (or any other broadcaster for that matter) think that we really care about watching the game when us diehard fans are constantly complaining about how boring and unwatchable it is and aren't bothering to show up in the arenas?

#5. It doesn't just happen to the NHL, a few weeks ago I complained about what happened to the MLS on ESPN2. For what it is worth, at least an NHL Playoff OT being preempted for a Triple Crown race makes news while an MLS game being held up for a Men's College Volleyball Semifinal didn't even register a ripple.

Finally let me close this out by once again saying that I think NBC could have stayed with the hockey game through at least the first OT before switching over. That period would have moved quicker because of the lack of TV timeouts and it start around 5 pm. The Preakness didn't get off till about 6:10 pm and the hockey game was long over by that point. However, hindsight is 20-20 and I can't blame NBC for the decision that they made. Don't forget Game 3 of the Buffaslugs-Rangers series which went into Double OT on a Sunday afternoon. NBC stayed with that game until its conclusion and scrubbed the Barbaro tribute in the process. That my friends, would have been a true outrage.

Buffasluggish

Flipping between the the Buffslugs-Ottawa game and the Nats almost no-hitting the Braves (and handing John Smoltz his second loss of the season, both losses now are to the Nats) I like many people were flat out stunned by the performance, or complete lack thereof, of the Buffaslugs.

Is this simply another case of another President's Trophy winner not getting the job done in the playoffs? Did the Buffaslugs get too cocky and arrogant before actually winning anything? Did the Buffaslugs peak too soon? Are they simply cursed by playing in Loserville...er...Buffalo? Or is that the Buffaslugs simply weren't as good as people thought?

A case could be made for all of those and I happen to think that it is a combination of all five but I found something rather interesting.

When the Buffaslugs got off to a 10-0 start this season, they did so with the help of three gimmick wins including gimmick wins in their first two games. In the old days, those would have been ties. Six of those ten wins came against teams that wouldn't make the playoffs. After winning ten in a row to start the season, the Buffaslugs took a gimmick loss before winning again in a gimmick. Their first regulation loss came on November 4th vs. Toronto.

When the Buffaslugs slinked into D.C. last December, they were 20-5 and got trapped by the Caps who got the jump on them and held on for a 7-4 victory. In the wins wins leading into that game. Buffaslugs had won another gimmick and three straight games in OT.

But there's something else that's noteworthy. In those first 25 games before D.C., Ryan Miller played in 17, Martin Biron played 8. While that isn't exactly 50-50 split, Ty Conklin (who Mr. Sunshine called an improvement over Biron) had only three starts and 5 appearances overall in 19 regular season and 14 playoff games. Biron started 18 games overall for the Buffaslugs this season. Had Biron stayed in Loserville...er...Buffalo, he would have gotten more starts than Conklin did.

There's no doubt that Ryan Miller is the #1 goaltender in Loserville...er...Buffalo but considering that he's been out dueled (despite playing some great games like last night) you have to wonder if he's wearing down or if he just needs a kick in the pants that a Ty Conklin can't give him. If you're Lindy Ruff right now would you have rather Martin Biron or Ty Conklin to bring in off the bench for Game 4 saying "desperate times call for desperate measures?" Clearly, the Buffaslugs lost a lot when they traded Biron.

Another thing that struck me was the lack of urgency in the play of the Buffaslugs. Down 2-0 and playing Games 3 and 4 on the road, Game 3 is a must win. I saw that scumbag Danielle Briere get a golden opportunity just 20 seconds into the game and that scumbag didn't even get a shot on goal. (This is one of their leaders?) Yet that was about it from the Buffaslugs in the first period. Only four shots on goal in the first period against 13 for Ottawa and only 15 for the entire game. Folks, that won't get it done against anybody lettalone a Bryan Murray coached hockey team in the playoffs.

The Buffaslugs did throw everything they had at the Senators in the final minutes but even then, it simply looked as if the Senators STILL wanted it more than the Buffaslugs did at that point. Folks, the Senators got a 2 on nobody, PENALTY KILLING. Only the goalpost saved the Buffaslugs in that situation.

Now, this series isn't over, not by a longshot. But the Buffaslugs have a huge mountain to climb and have to hope that the Senators come up with one of the biggest chokes in the history of the NHL playoffs to win this series. They won't get a chance to play the Caps, or the Flyers, or the Bruins, or some other lowly team to pad their record and get some confidence. They can force OT but can't count on the gimmick to hand them a victory. They have to find a way to beat a team chock full of confidence right now.

This is why playoff hockey is such a different animal from the regular season. The Buffaslugs caught a break in playing the undermanned Islanders in the first round and the overrated Rangers in the second. Now they're playing a team that can match them and they're clueless as to what to do.

Quite frankly, it couldn't have happened to a better bunch.

2007 NHL Playoffs Round III

Before we get to the picks, have you ever seen a Cup contender self-destruct the way the San Jose Sharks did? Now that I am out of The Venerable Off Wing Opinion's pool, it looks as if I'll need a new pick for the Cup going forward. I can tell you who it won't be because of the four teams now left, only three of them have a real shot at the Cup.

Now despite what you might think, this seriously has nothing to do with my irrational hatred of Bryan Murray but his Ottawa Senators are non-contenders. Why? Well no team that has finished lower than 7th in the overall standings has ever won the Stanley Cup. And only two teams have ever done it from the seventh position with the 1991 Penguin Scum being the first and the 1995 Devils in the lockout shortened season being the other team. Ottawa finished 9th overall, so should the Senators pull off the upset over the Buffaslugs, the Detroit-Anaheim winner has locked up the Cup.

Anyway, after compiling a .500 record for the second round dropping my record in the postseason to 7-5, I enlisted the help of the blind cat that lives behind my building to pick the upcoming Conference Finals. She (at least I think it is a she) can't do any worse than I've done so far...

Series M; Eastern Conference Finals: Buffaslugs (61-32; 113 points; 1st Northeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) vs. Ottawa Senators (56-36; 105 points; 2nd Northeast Division, 4th Eastern Conference, 9th Overall)

After sleepwalking through another round, the Buffaslugs advance once again to the Eastern Conference Finals. This is the fourth time in seven playoff appearances that Lindy Ruff has gotten his team this far. But you can't say that his team is playing their best hockey right now and you have to like the matchup that the Ottawa Senators have against the Buffaslugs. Ottawa has the speed, the scoring depth, and the goaltending to match the Buffaslugs as evidenced by them winning the season series between the two teams 5-3. The Neanderthal set is creaming themselves in breathless anticipation of this series as everybody remembers the brouhaha between the two teams back in February. If this series gets gooned up, it plays into the hands of the Senators who have made it clear that they won't be pushed around. Furthermore, Ryan Miller has been out dueled so far in the playoffs but somehow keeps coming up with the wins and you have to wonder if the Buffaslugs will ever "turn it on" like people keep expecting them to. If they don't do it this series, they won't ever get the chance and thanks to my buddy Sparky, I see that the Buffaslugs are getting cocky before winning anything. Senators in six.

Series N; Western Conference Finals: Detroit Red Wings (58-36; 113 points; 1st Central Division, 1st Western Conference, 2nd Overall) vs. Anaheim Thug Ducks (56-36; 110 points; 1st Pacific Division, 2nd Western Conference, 4th Overall)

Where in the East you have a team that has slept walked (Buffaslugs) against another that has overachieved (Ottawa) in the West you have team that hasn't been challenged (Anaheim) against a team that has had a couple of gift wrapped series handed to them (Detroit). The Thug Ducks have been rather efficient in dispatching their first two opponents while Detroit has benefited from playing an imbalanced team and a self-destructing team. Detroit is missing three regular blueliners and that is certain to increase the load on Hasek's back. The Thug Ducks better not think that they can bully the Red Wings here because Calgary already tried that and failed. Unless Anaheim decides not to show up for this series or Detroit plays way above their heads, it shouldn't be very close. Thug Ducks in five.

It Wouldn't Be The NHL Playoffs,

if there wasn't a video review controversy...

Of course, the Buffaslugs fans will never get over the proper call that was made by the NHL in 1999 (for the umpteenth time, the player with the puck cannot be in an offside position. Check Rule 83.1 if you don't believe me. Besides, Calgary got hosed worse in 2004.) and now they are certain to howl for days about the call last night should they end up losing this series (maybe they should try playing hard before the other team takes a 2-0 lead).

Now this isn't the first time we've had issues with video review getting a case of the inconclusives and not being able to provide a definitive answer to the question that they're being asked.

I remember Game 5 of the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals when the Caps had an apparent game tying third period goal wiped out because Dominek Hasek had strategically placed his water bottle to obscure the view of the goal line. (Ever wonder why there are now sleeves for the goaltender's water bottle on the back of the goal? That's why.)

JP takes a shot at explaining how it was a goal, but he isn't exactly on the money. First of all, there is a considerable distance between the crossbar of the goal and the camera lens. That makes a huge difference because it determines just how far back the angle is of the camera as it looks down on the goal. Of course we wouldn't need to have an offset angle if the goal line and crossbar were the same width (the goal line is 2 inches wide, the cross bar is 2 3/8 O.D. x .125 wall H.S. tube) in the first place. But the NHL doing something logical????? Please...

Furthermore, issues with replay aren't confined to the NHL, the NFL has often tinkered with their system and some would say has never really gotten it perfected. Remember last fall's Maryland-Klempsun football game? The Terps had a safety call overturned and almost lost that game thanks to replay (there was no conclusive video evidence to support the call made by the booth) and then there was the outrageously bad Oregon-Oklahoma call that cost Oklahoma a win.

The problem with replay is that it needs humans in order to function properly and considering that instant replay is designed to be a check on humans in the first place, you still have an imperfect system. Yes, we like to think that technology and enough pairs of eyes can get everything right but that just isn't going to happen because mistakes will still be made. Most people cannot appreciate the speed at which the action happens on the ice/field/court and therefore have no understanding about the split second decisions the officials must make. Therefore, there are going to be mistakes.

So what should we do with instant replay? Well, I don't think it is an entirely bad idea, but we need to drop this illusion that it is perfect and will correct all mistakes. Replay officials who clearly make mistakes should be harshly punished but in those rare instances like last night where conclusive video evidence does not exist in either way, we should do what we did before instant replay existed.

Deal with it.

2007 NHL Playoffs Round II

After picking five of the eight first round winners correctly (though only getting one series exactly right) I'm back to throw darts at the dartboard again and talk about round two...

Series I: Buffaslugs (57-30; 113 points; 1st Northeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) vs. New York Rangers (46-40; 94 points; 3rd Atlantic Division, 6th Eastern Conference, 15th Overall)

Once again the Buffaslugs "luck out" with a fellow New York team that really can't hold a candle to them. The problem for the Buffaslugs this time around is that should they try to sleepwalk against the Rangers, the Rangers are more likely to beat them than the Islanders were. The Rangers have to be full of confidence right now after their sweep of the Thrashers. Of course, the Buffaslugs will be a much harder opponent. The Rangers seem to be clicking at the right time, how long that lasts is anybody's guess but the Buffaslugs are the deepest team in the Eastern Conference and are faster than the Rangers. On paper this series shouldn't be very close and don't be surprised if it isn't but this has a chance of being a very entertaining second round matchup. Buffaslugs in six.

Series J: New Jersey Devils (53-35; 107 points, 1st Atlantic Division, 2nd Eastern Confernce, 7th Overall) vs. Ottawa Senators (52-35; 105 points; 2nd Northeast Division, 4th Eastern Conference, 9th Overall)

Since Martin Brodeur has taken over in net, New Jersey has made 12 playoff appearances including this year and he's only been bounced in the second round twice, one of those being last year when they fell to the eventual Stanley Cup Champions Carolina Hurricanes. While the Devils are once again facing a high-powered offense, they're playing a much better goaltender in Round II than they did in Round I. Now I would still take Martin Brodeur over Ray Emery any day of the week and twice on Sunday and I would also bet against a Bryan Murray coached hockey team in the playoffs in the same fashion. Murray has never gotten a team past the second round in 11 playoff appearances with three teams (he also failed to get out of the second round in his one AHL Playoff appearance with the Hershey Bears). Ottawa had less trouble with the Penguin Scum than I thought they would but I would be shocked to see the Devils collectively fail to show up to play against the Senators the way the Penguin Scum did. Devils in six.

Series K: Detroit Red Wings (54-34; 113 points; 1st Central Division, 1st Western Conference, 2nd Overall) vs. San Jose Sharks (55-32; 107 points; 2nd Pacific Division, 5th Eastern Conference, 5th Overall)

The Red Wings got past a Calgary team that had no idea how to win on the road in the first round. Now they face a San Jose team who had the most road wins of any team in the NHL in the regular season and who won two of three on the road in their first round series against Nashville in the second round. The Wings have not advanced past the second round without Scotty Bowman behind the bench in 19 years. The Sharks are not the Flames, they have a better balance which means a much more potent offense than what the Wings faced in the first round. I don't expect Detroit to go quietly but I can't see them getting past a younger and faster hockey team. Sharks in six.


Series L: Anaheim Thug Ducks (52-35; 110 points; 1st Pacific Division, 2nd Western Conference, 4th Overall) vs. Vancouver Canucks (53-36; 105 points; 1st Northwest Division, 3rd Western Conference, 8th Overall)

After surving a tougher than expected first round matchup, the Canucks have only a day off before playing the Thug Ducks. The Canucks got the job done against the Stars without much help from their star players but the Canucks cannot count on facing a Marty Turco like goaltender in Ilya Bryzgalov or Jean Sebastien Giguere (not that Turco was at all to blame for the Stars' loss). The Thug Ducks dispatched the Wild in surprisingly easy and unnecessary thug-like fashion. This is a matchup that favors the Ducks but the quick turnaround for Vancouver combined with Anaheim having almost a week off could put Anaheim in a quick hole or out to a quick lead. Either way, Vancouver was very inconsistent in the first round and any inconsistency will cost them dearly in this series. Thug Ducks in six.

Gee, What A Surprise

In a nationally televised game, Calgary Flames goaltender Jamie McLennan intentionally slashes Detroit Red Wing Forward Jeff Franzen in the chest in the dying seconds of a game that the Flames were going to lose. McLennan who was credited with :18 seconds of icetime of course incurred 22 minutes worth of penalties.

The supplemental discipline? 5 games, eh, business as usual in the NHL. They did slap a $25,000 fine on Flames head coach Jim Playfair and $100,000 on the Flames organization. But that's it.

Please tell me again why the NHL should be taken seriously as a Professional Sports League? McLennen will turn 36 right before Free Agency starts and as of right now, he does not have a contract for next season. Whoever decides to pick him up (should he be) would have to sit him (a career backup goaltender) for the first four games of next season.

Am I the only one who is miffed by this? 5 games, yeah, that'll teach 'em. Nope, you won't see another goaltender swing his stick like that ever again.

Oh Caps Nut, Franzen wasn't hurt, didn't you see that Franzen eliminated the Flames in Double OT last night? Yeah, I saw that and since everybody likes to play the "what if" game, what if McLennan's stick was a little higher and got Franzen in the throat? Have you ever heard of Miran Schrott? He took a slash to the chest in an Italian B Division game in 1992 and died. That's right, he died from a slash to his chest. Jimmy Boni (the slasher) plead guilty to manslaughter and Boni didn't use a goaltender's stick to deal the fatal blow.

It is easy to be the toughest player on the ice when you have the most equipment and the biggest stick. Quite frankly I don't see any difference between what McLennan did and what Marty McSorley, Todd Bertuzzi, and Chris Simon did. Furthermore why wasn't Vancouver's Alexandre Burrows suspended for his slashing of Dallas' Brendan Morrow? Does somebody want to say that was entirely different than what McLennan did?

Personally, the book should have been thrown at McLennan and because we're dealing with a little used backup goaltender, Flames Head Coach Jim Playfair should have been suspended as well. But I am beginning to think that when players like McSorely and Co. step way over the line, the coaches should also be held accountable in every case. McLennan should have gotten a minimum of 25 games and I would have suspended Playfair for at least half of that amount. Don't give me this "playoff games are more important that regular season games" Barbara Streisand as the reason why this suspension is criminally short. For that reason alone, McLennan should get a LONGER suspension, not a shorter one.

But as noted, this is nothing more than "business as usual" in the NHL. I guess we can try to equivocate this by noting that nobody is watching anyway but that is a big part of the NHL's problem. This type of violence is not doing anything to help grow the game. The next time any Ultimate Fighting on Ice fan tries to tell you that the NHL has gone "soft," point these facts out as proof that they have no idea what they're talking about.

More Playoff Observations

While I haven't faithfully watched every second of every game, that doesn't mean I can't put on my Captain Obvious superhero suit and say a few things:

1. I'm not surprised in the least that Calgary tied up the Red Wings. I pointed out that Calgary had the most home wins in the NHL. All they need to do is to win a game in Detroit and the Wings will be in serious trouble. After all the accolades they got in winning Games 1 & 2 in Detroit, the noose has to be tightening around the Wings neck right now. Can Calgary overcome their road troubles and win a game is the only question.
2. Wow, whodda thunk that the Thrashers would lay such an egg in the playoffs? The Thrashers loaded up at the deadline to make the playoffs and didn't get a single win. To make matters worse, the Thrashers have 12 UFA's now to deal with. Kozlov, Tkachuk, Mellanby, Boulton, Belanger, De Vries, Sutton, just to name a few. I think it is safe to say we're going to be seeing some overhauling going on in Blueland this summer.
3. Early on that pick of Calgary over Detroit didn't look too good, but I showed you why I went in the direction that I did. However, I did flame out on two picks last night as the Penguin Scum and Wild were eliminated. For the Penguin Scum, much is being made of only the Canadian Diving Team Captain, Secondary Assist Cindy Crosby, and Jordan Staal actually coming to play in the series. Tough to argue with that when I didn't watch much of that series but I will take note of the Penguin Scum's 4-28 Power Play performance which includes 0-15 in games 3, 4, and 5. The only game that the Penguin Scum got fewer Power Play opportunities than Ottawa was the only game they won, Game 2. Ottawa was 6 for 24 on the Power Play for the series and scored at least one Power Play goal in every game. The Penguin Scum were given plenty of chances on the Power Play and just simply did not take advantage of them, especially with two 5-on-3's in the first period last night.
4. The Wild however looked rather ordinary and Anaheim looked downright dangerous. Though I can do without the stupid goonery and cheapshotting that series brought towards the end. Luckily for the NHL, these games were buried by more marquee matchups so the nonsense can get buried. But then again, it is just "business as usual" in the NHL.

While now is certainly too late to change any of my picks for the first round, only the Flames pick has me even slightly worried. The Buffaslugs should finish off the Islanders tonight. I don't think Nashville will come all the back on San Jose, Vancouver will also eventually get rid of Dallas, but Tampa Bay-New Jersey is going to go to the wire.

Having Fun Yet?

For various assundry reasons I've only been able to catch bits and pieces of the Game 1's that have taken place over the last two nights. But there are a few of things I want to point out:

1. Remember what I said about breaks? Well my Stanley Cup pick (as chronicled on The Venerable Off Wing Opinion) has already taken one themselves. While he's currently listed day-to-day, if Cheechoo can't get back San Jose is in trouble. However, if San Jose can get past the Predators w/o Cheechoo, the Sharks will be serious trouble for whoever they play next.
2. Note to Ted, I like those scarfs the Thrashers gave to their fans last night. I didn't like the blue painted glass stanchions. That was ugly.
3. If the Penguin Scum continue to get almost twice as many Power Play opportunities as the Senators, Ottawa isn't going to last very long.
4. I woke up about 3 am on Thursday morning and the Dallas-Vancouver game was starting their fourth OT. I forget which channel I was watching the game on (it was 3 am people...) but I do remember the color guy talking about using a gimmick to decide the game. I told you folks this was going to happen.

The important thing to remember after the last two nights is that it is just one game. The first game usually does not decide a series and the only one where that MIGHT be the case is Nashville-San Jose. But the jury is still very much out on all of the series, so if you're inclined to do a touchdown dance because your favorite team won and/or your least favorite team lost, don't. There is plenty of hockey still to be played

2007 NHL Playoffs Round I Western Conference

Moving right along....

Series E: Detroit Red Wings (50-32; 113 points; 1st Central Division, 1st Western Conference, 2nd Overall) vs. Calgary Flames (43-39; 96 points; 3rd Northwest Division, 8th Western Conference, 13th Overall)

Detroit coasts into the playoffs in a familiar position. A division title wrapped up along with the top seed in the Western Conference. Calgary stumbled badly down the stretch but got themselves into the playoffs and a date with the Red Wings. However, the Flames aren't pushovers by any stretch. This is a team that can get physical and the longer this series goes, the more important that will be for them. Calgary has the fewest road wins of any team in the NHL Playoffs but the most wins at home of any team in the league. As the eighth seed, they'll have to figure out a way to win on the road in order to advance through the playoffs. On paper this looks to be a mismatch as the Red Wings still have Chris Chelios, Nicklas Lidstrom, Todd Bertuzzi, and Dominik Hasek. However not a single one of those players is under the age of 32. I believe that Calgary has the favorable matchup here because of their defense, but they will need a few breaks to go their way. Flames in six.

Series F: Anaheim Ducks (48-34; 110 points; 1st Pacific Division, 2nd Western Conference, 4th Overall) vs. Minnesota Wild (48-34; 104 points; 2nd Northwest Divsion, 7th Western Conference, 11th Overall)

Two teams with the same number of wins and losses yet separated by six points. Welcome to the "new NHL." Ok, rant over. Anaheim along with the Buffslugs was the sexy pick to make it to the finals and most people predicted that they would win it all. However, if Minnesota knows anything, it is how to slow down the game. Remember the epic Western Conference Finals these two teams played back in 2003? Anaheim is still figuring things out in net and that isn't a good thing come playoff time no matter what your seeding is. I think this could be the worst possible matchup for both teams. Here's another playoff series that is going to come down as to who gets the bounces and breaks going their way. This playoff series could very well end up being Exhibit A in the quest to have the gimmick applied to the playoffs. Wild in seven.

Series G Vancouver Canucks (49-33; 105 points; 1st Northwest Division, 3rd Western Conference, 8th Overall) vs. Dallas Stars (50-32; 107 points; 3rd Pacific Division, 6th Western Conference, 6th Overall)

Another statistical oddity where the team with more points and the better record, Dallas, ends up without home ice advantage because somebody has to win a Division. Here's another compelling playoff matchup because of the goaltenders involved. Roberto Luongo is in his seventh NHL season but is appearing in the playoffs for the first time. Playoff hockey is very different from the regular season. Ask Jim Carey. (If you can find him) Marty Turco is in the playoffs for the fifth time and is looking for just his second series win. Somebody has to win this series and on paper, Vancouver looks to be the favorite simply because they are and have been healthier this season. The Canucks are also a younger and while Luongo is making his playoff debut, he has done well in international playoff competition. Canucks in six.

Series H: Nashville Predators (51-31; 110 points; 2nd Central Division, 4th Eastern Conference, 3rd Overall) vs. San Jose Sharks (51-31; 107 points; 2nd Pacific Division, 5th Eastern Conference, 5th Overall)

Similar records and yet separated by 3 points. Ok, Nashville has gone "All-In" to win the Cup this year. They lead their division for a good stretch this season but came up short in the end. The Predators have had problems winning the big games and they are hoping against hope that Peter Forsberg can provide them with the push that they need to get over that hump. They of course have to hope he can stay healthy. That little extra something is all Nashville is missing as they have great speed and good defense. However, should San Jose get some breaks, the Sharks can easily dump the Predators. The Sharks have good goaltending as well as a strong offense. The only downside to the Sharks is their platooning goaltender situation. The Sharks Power Play is also something to watch out for but will have to contend with an equally good penalty killing unit. Defense usually wins but my gut tells me something different here. Call it the David "Bud" Poile factor. Sharks in six.

2007 NHL Playoffs Round I Eastern Conference

Ok, before we get this playoff show on the road, let's talk about the playoffs in general before we look at the playoffs series themselves.

The playoffs are really about two things. 1. Matchups. 2. Breaks/bounces. Without the right matchup you don't stand chance. When the Caps went to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1998, they avoided all the teams that they would have not have matched up well against. The second is breaks/bounces. This is now a 16 team-two month war of attrition. You need to get the calls and bounces and breaks to go in your favor in order to succeed. Every series where the teams are evenly matched or an upset is pulled is going to be able to point to one or more instances where the winning team got away with something. That's just the way it is. So let's take a look at the first thing and look at the matchups in the Eastern Conference and figure out who will get or need all the breaks:


Series A: Buffaslugs (53-29; 113 points; 1st Northeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, 1st Overall) vs. New York Islanders (40-42; 92 points; 4th Atlantic Division, 8th Eastern Conference, 17th Overall)

The Buffaslugs caught a break before the playoffs even started by the late run put on by the Islanders. For some reason I think the Buffaslugs would have had a tougher time with the Leafs than they will with the Islanders. The Islanders are without their #1 goaltender but are taking better special teams into the post season. The Buffaslugs are fast, fast, fast and will be a lot for the Islanders to handle even with a maximum rest schedule for the first round. Too much to handle. Buffaslugs in five.

Series B: New Jersey Devils (49-33; 107 points, 1st Atlantic Division, 2nd Eastern Confernce, 7th Overall) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (44-38; 93 points, 2nd Southeast Division, 7th Eastern Conference, 16th Overall)

It is very, very tough to pick the Ning in this series because their goaltending situation remains in such flux. Once again this past weekend Johan Holmqvist got shelled and the Ning do not have any goaltenders with any playoff experience. At the other end of the ice, stands Martin Brodeur so the matchup clearly favors New Jersey. Special teams also favor the Devils. The winner of this series however will come down to who gets the breaks and the bounces because New Jersey's offense shouldn't scare anybody while the Ning have two of the top goal scorers on their side though defense usually wins. Devils in seven.

Series C: Atlanta Thrashers (43-39; 97 points; 1st Southeast Division, 3rd Eastern Conference, 12th Overall) vs. New York Rangers (42-40; 94 points; 3rd Atlantic Division, 6th Eastern Conference, 15th Overall)

In what has to be the most compelling (more like revolting) matchup in the first round for Caps fans, the Thrashers are making their first ever playoff appearance against a Rangers team that snuck back into the post season. Just who is favored in this series is anybody's guess. The Rangers have Brendan Shanahan back and you know he won't go quietly. But can he carry Jagr 's baggage and pull Henrik Lundquivst through as well? And what about the agitators on both sides? Sean Avery is loving life in New York but Bobby Holik is no stranger to dirty pool and would love to stick it to his old team. What about Illya Kovalchuk? How will he respond to the pressure of the playoffs and can Kari Lehtonen get the job done as well? Will Atlanta cure their road troubles? Both Atlanta and New York caught a break with this series by getting each other instead of more polished playoff teams in Tampa and New Jersey. So one of these undeserving teams will see the second round. New York clearly has the bigger soap opera going on plus there are two sets of back-to-back games in the series which also creates two three games in four nights sets. That favors the younger team. Rangers in seven.

Series D: Ottawa Senators (48-34; 105 points; 2nd Northeast Division, 4th Eastern Conference, 9th Overall) vs. Pittsburgh Penguin Scum (47-35; 105 points; 2nd Atlantic Division, 5th Eastern Conference, 10th Overall)

One year after being skewered for having its two brightest young stars nowhere near the playoffs, the NHL has its anointed one in the post season. Think the NHL is going to let him go out in the first round? Don't expect any breaks for Ottawa. Furthermore the Penguin Scum are another fatally flawed hockey team that will get a pass into the second round. Why? Well despite the fact that the Penguin Scum are only dangerous on the Power Play and their top goaltender is a known choker in pressure situations with a backup who has proven he can't handle the load; the Penguin Scum are playing the Ottawa Senators. Furthermore, the Senators head coach is Bryan Murray. Caps fans know exactly what that means no matter who the opponent is. Penguin Scum in six.