Three game 7's in one night. Hasn't happened in over 10 years. Why not take this special occasion to make some picks.
Coming into the first round I took New York, Colorado and San Jose to move on. Now they all face potential elimination but all on home ice.
As an overall team the Rangers are better. They use the shot blocking effectiveness of a strong defense combined with a stellar goalie to shut teams down. On the power play they have the personnel to move the puck quickly. The series has lacked the intensity some expected as well as the dramatics with no overtime games. The Flyers wanted it more last night. New York has never lost a game 7 at Madison Square Garden. Flyers win 3-2 in overtime. Game winning goal for Mark Streit.
Clearly my Colorado sweep didn't come to fruition. Let's give credit to Minnesota for playing a strong brand of hockey. The move to Kuemper has helped tremendously. We can't but do tend to forget about Parise and Suter since they both went to Minnesota. Plus they show a lot of promise with up and coming players. Hard to pick against Colorado with the next rookie of the year leading in scoring and a Vezina finalist between the pipes. This is a team that finished ahead of a division with Chicago and St. Louis in it. Give me Minnesota. Coyle with the game winner. Parise scores two.
San Jose has long been the pick of many over the last few seasons to win the Stanley Cup. These thoughts continued especially when they took a 3-0 lead in their series against Los Angeles. Now they are on the verge of being knocked out. A mid series goaltending switch seemed odd but a lot of the change in momentum can be attributed to Jonathan Quick. Not since the Flyers of 2010 has a team came back to win a series after losing the first three. I'll take LA in the reverse sweep 2-1. Why not let a King for the Kings score the winning goal.
If any of these things actually come true I might move to Vegas as none of what I said would be a standard answer. I have a good track record though.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Misconduct Season
Going to keep this one short. Thanks to the Flyers and Rangers playing the only game tonight I actually get a bit of a rest from all the action. I watched the full San Jose - Los Angeles game last night which ended sometime around or after one. Now there are three game 7's tomorrow to look forward to as well as the five or so hours of sleep.
One thing always ramps up in the playoffs. The misconduct. There is no easier way to get players off the ice when things begin to get testy then handing out misconducts. It happens every season. This one has been no different and we aren't even into the second round. Including the Flyers game tonight which had one fight and one misconduct here are the playoff numbers so far.
16 Fighting Majors (8 Fights)
35 Misconducts
Regular Season Numbers:
1866 Fighting Majors or 933 Fights
230 Misconducts
Anaheim, Los Angeles, Minnesota and San Jose all have as many or more misconducts in the playoffs then they did in the entire regular season. Anaheim is either going to be playing San Jose or Los Angeles. Can't imagine that is going to be a friendly series.
It's not the five minute overtime rule, but it's always a given. In my mind before the playoffs started amongst the group of professionals whether it is the NHL, AHL or ECHL, I figured the leader in points would be around 30 and penalty minutes around 60. The 60 might be a little low now.
One thing always ramps up in the playoffs. The misconduct. There is no easier way to get players off the ice when things begin to get testy then handing out misconducts. It happens every season. This one has been no different and we aren't even into the second round. Including the Flyers game tonight which had one fight and one misconduct here are the playoff numbers so far.
16 Fighting Majors (8 Fights)
35 Misconducts
Regular Season Numbers:
1866 Fighting Majors or 933 Fights
230 Misconducts
Anaheim, Los Angeles, Minnesota and San Jose all have as many or more misconducts in the playoffs then they did in the entire regular season. Anaheim is either going to be playing San Jose or Los Angeles. Can't imagine that is going to be a friendly series.
It's not the five minute overtime rule, but it's always a given. In my mind before the playoffs started amongst the group of professionals whether it is the NHL, AHL or ECHL, I figured the leader in points would be around 30 and penalty minutes around 60. The 60 might be a little low now.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Norris, Seabrook and other things
I'm allowed to have the weekend off. Especially after doing three different activities on Saturday that totaled over 21 miles. Off we go.
The Norris finalists were announced today for best NHL defenseman. The finalists are Chicago's Duncan Keith, Boston's Zdeno Chara and Nashville's Shea Weber. Each player excels on the defensive and offensive sides of the game. Keith finished 6th in the NHL in assists with 55. He also finished in the top 10 in plus minus for defensemen. One player who was ahead of him was Zdeno Chara, the massive now 37 year old Boston Bruin. He also ended the season with 17 goals which ties his second highest season total for his career. If you want to see a guy who can really fire go check out Shea Weber. He led all d-men with 23 goals. It's the second time he has hit the 23 mark. Plus at 28 he is the youngest of the group with many good years in front of him.
All of this is nice. You would expect the finalists to have great numbers. That's not why I included this in the post. None of these guys were drafted in the first round. All of these guys played in the AHL. Go watch your local AHL team. It's a smaller and more intimate setting. It's affordable. And you will be seeing future hall of fame players who will board a bus in the parking lot after the game who will be more than willing to talk to you and sign autographs. By the way, all three Vezina finalists also played in the AHL.
JUNIOR WATCH
I wanted to make note of this before, but I have the weekends off. The OHL finals are set. Both teams rolled through the conference finals. North Bay swept Oshawa. Guelph needed five games to beat a very good Erie team. Guelph ended the season with the 108 points, the most in the league. North Bay had 82. One player on North Bay has been drafted in the second round and another in the fourth by the NHL. Those are the highest draft picks the team has playing. Guelph has two former first round picks, three second round picks, one third round and two fourth round players. That's playoff hockey for you. It's easy to say Guelph should take this but when a team is rolling you never know.
UNDER 18 WC
As predicted by me in my last post Canada and Sweden did indeed meet in the World U18 Championships. It just so happened that it was in the bronze medal game. It was the U.S. who once again dominated the tournaments with a fairly easy win over Sweden and another easy win over the Czech Republic. Couple of names for the U.S. to watch for sure in the next few years. American born players tend to go the route of the university so it could be upwards of four years before they play professionally. That's why the Eichel story could be interesting if he is a top 3 pick. He probably still goes to college. Erik Johnson was the number one pick of the draft in 2006 and he still went to Minnesota even if it was only one season.
Quick note on Brent Seabrook. He and Chicago are moving on in the playoffs. He ended up playing just 3 games due to his suspension. He is in the top ten in scoring and second among defense. A tip of the hat to you and a shoulder to the face.
The Norris finalists were announced today for best NHL defenseman. The finalists are Chicago's Duncan Keith, Boston's Zdeno Chara and Nashville's Shea Weber. Each player excels on the defensive and offensive sides of the game. Keith finished 6th in the NHL in assists with 55. He also finished in the top 10 in plus minus for defensemen. One player who was ahead of him was Zdeno Chara, the massive now 37 year old Boston Bruin. He also ended the season with 17 goals which ties his second highest season total for his career. If you want to see a guy who can really fire go check out Shea Weber. He led all d-men with 23 goals. It's the second time he has hit the 23 mark. Plus at 28 he is the youngest of the group with many good years in front of him.
All of this is nice. You would expect the finalists to have great numbers. That's not why I included this in the post. None of these guys were drafted in the first round. All of these guys played in the AHL. Go watch your local AHL team. It's a smaller and more intimate setting. It's affordable. And you will be seeing future hall of fame players who will board a bus in the parking lot after the game who will be more than willing to talk to you and sign autographs. By the way, all three Vezina finalists also played in the AHL.
JUNIOR WATCH
I wanted to make note of this before, but I have the weekends off. The OHL finals are set. Both teams rolled through the conference finals. North Bay swept Oshawa. Guelph needed five games to beat a very good Erie team. Guelph ended the season with the 108 points, the most in the league. North Bay had 82. One player on North Bay has been drafted in the second round and another in the fourth by the NHL. Those are the highest draft picks the team has playing. Guelph has two former first round picks, three second round picks, one third round and two fourth round players. That's playoff hockey for you. It's easy to say Guelph should take this but when a team is rolling you never know.
UNDER 18 WC
As predicted by me in my last post Canada and Sweden did indeed meet in the World U18 Championships. It just so happened that it was in the bronze medal game. It was the U.S. who once again dominated the tournaments with a fairly easy win over Sweden and another easy win over the Czech Republic. Couple of names for the U.S. to watch for sure in the next few years. American born players tend to go the route of the university so it could be upwards of four years before they play professionally. That's why the Eichel story could be interesting if he is a top 3 pick. He probably still goes to college. Erik Johnson was the number one pick of the draft in 2006 and he still went to Minnesota even if it was only one season.
Quick note on Brent Seabrook. He and Chicago are moving on in the playoffs. He ended up playing just 3 games due to his suspension. He is in the top ten in scoring and second among defense. A tip of the hat to you and a shoulder to the face.
Friday, April 25, 2014
The Young Guns
Maybe the NHL playoff aren't doing it for you. Don't live in an area that has minor professional hockey? Your favorite junior team is out of the playoffs? I invite you to take in some under 18 action tomorrow. Perhaps I should rephrase or qualify that statement. It's the U18 World Hockey Championships in Finland. Remember with hockey there is no off-season.
One of the exciting things for fans to witness when watching this tournament is that these players were not old enough to be in the last NHL draft. Many will be this time around. The draft is only two months away and we are only in the first round of the NHL playoffs. It will be here before the parade route is cleaned up in the winning city. A good amount of future first round picks have been playing in this tournament. The ones who aren't are probably still playing in their various playoff leagues.
Four countries are left to battle to play to go to the gold medal game. Sweden will take on the United States in the first game tomorrow. Canada follows against the Czech Republic. Both Canada and the U.S. finished at the top of their divisions. No real surprise there. It doesn't mean much of anything.
Sweden led the tournament in goal scoring. That doesn't even include their quarterfinal game against Finland which they won 10-0. If that Swedish teams shows up the U.S. team will be in trouble. Sweden is led by William Nylander who will surely be one of the top picks of the draft. You might know his father Michael who had a fairly successful NHL career and is still playing in Europe. The U.S. relies on forward Jack Eichel to lead the offense. He too will certainly be a very high pick in the draft. The difference with Eichel is he will still be too young this season to get drafted.
If you had to pick a team with a slightly easier road I guess it would be Canada. The Czech Republic isn't exactly stacked but doesn't mean they aren't going to be tough. They knocked out Russia on the way to this match-up with Canada with a few top prospects of their own. One thing that hurts Canada is that most of their better players either were or still are playing in the playoffs for their junior teams. Somehow it never seems to bother them.
If I'm making picks look for Canada and Sweden to meet in the finals. The USA can't always dominate. They have won 4 of the last 5 tournaments. Watch this Nylander kid. Or go outside or watch the NHL or whatever else you do on weekends. There will be another tournament in a few more weeks. No, seriously. There will be.
One of the exciting things for fans to witness when watching this tournament is that these players were not old enough to be in the last NHL draft. Many will be this time around. The draft is only two months away and we are only in the first round of the NHL playoffs. It will be here before the parade route is cleaned up in the winning city. A good amount of future first round picks have been playing in this tournament. The ones who aren't are probably still playing in their various playoff leagues.
Four countries are left to battle to play to go to the gold medal game. Sweden will take on the United States in the first game tomorrow. Canada follows against the Czech Republic. Both Canada and the U.S. finished at the top of their divisions. No real surprise there. It doesn't mean much of anything.
Sweden led the tournament in goal scoring. That doesn't even include their quarterfinal game against Finland which they won 10-0. If that Swedish teams shows up the U.S. team will be in trouble. Sweden is led by William Nylander who will surely be one of the top picks of the draft. You might know his father Michael who had a fairly successful NHL career and is still playing in Europe. The U.S. relies on forward Jack Eichel to lead the offense. He too will certainly be a very high pick in the draft. The difference with Eichel is he will still be too young this season to get drafted.
If you had to pick a team with a slightly easier road I guess it would be Canada. The Czech Republic isn't exactly stacked but doesn't mean they aren't going to be tough. They knocked out Russia on the way to this match-up with Canada with a few top prospects of their own. One thing that hurts Canada is that most of their better players either were or still are playing in the playoffs for their junior teams. Somehow it never seems to bother them.
If I'm making picks look for Canada and Sweden to meet in the finals. The USA can't always dominate. They have won 4 of the last 5 tournaments. Watch this Nylander kid. Or go outside or watch the NHL or whatever else you do on weekends. There will be another tournament in a few more weeks. No, seriously. There will be.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
5 Minute Rule
I could write the same article at the same time every year. I had planned on opening this with a recap of the opening night playoffs in the AHL when I saw both games ended 3-2 in overtime I steered this into a different direction.
I have a rule. The majority of hockey playoff games that head to overtime will end in the first five minutes of a period. I have been saying this for years. Now here is where I hopefully insert some figures to back my assessment since I have not researched it this season aside from the two AHL games last night.
We can start with those since I already know what happened. Springfield defeated Providence just over two minutes into overtime. One for one. Texas defeated Oklahoma City at the 5:35 mark of overtime. 35 seconds after is still after so can't count it. AHL is one for two which I believe is 50%.
Onto the NHL. The numbers unfortunately are not supporting my theory. Yet. 3 of the 9 games that have gone to overtime this playoff season have ended in the first five minutes of the period. Two other ended before the six minute mark was hit. Again, we can't count those though I feel comfortable moving forward that the numbers will move in my favor.
The ECHL hasn't had nearly as many this season. Up until today 1 of the 3 games ended under the five minute mark. Maybe the numbers are trying to tell me something. Like maybe the actual number is closer to 33%. Or maybe it ends up closer to the 25% mark which would apparently make a lot of sense.
In any event I am sticking with this idea. A running tracker will now be up on the right side of the screen to follow the professional leagues for the rest of the playoffs. It will prove me right or wrong.
And now for your barbaric pleasure. Darnell Nurse finished out his OHL season and quickly reported to the Edmonton Oiler affiliate in Oklahoma City. Last night he played in his very first professional playoff game, earning an assist and his very first fight. Nurse was picked with the 7th overall pick by Edmonton in 2013 in hopes of shoring up the defense.
I have a rule. The majority of hockey playoff games that head to overtime will end in the first five minutes of a period. I have been saying this for years. Now here is where I hopefully insert some figures to back my assessment since I have not researched it this season aside from the two AHL games last night.
We can start with those since I already know what happened. Springfield defeated Providence just over two minutes into overtime. One for one. Texas defeated Oklahoma City at the 5:35 mark of overtime. 35 seconds after is still after so can't count it. AHL is one for two which I believe is 50%.
Onto the NHL. The numbers unfortunately are not supporting my theory. Yet. 3 of the 9 games that have gone to overtime this playoff season have ended in the first five minutes of the period. Two other ended before the six minute mark was hit. Again, we can't count those though I feel comfortable moving forward that the numbers will move in my favor.
The ECHL hasn't had nearly as many this season. Up until today 1 of the 3 games ended under the five minute mark. Maybe the numbers are trying to tell me something. Like maybe the actual number is closer to 33%. Or maybe it ends up closer to the 25% mark which would apparently make a lot of sense.
In any event I am sticking with this idea. A running tracker will now be up on the right side of the screen to follow the professional leagues for the rest of the playoffs. It will prove me right or wrong.
And now for your barbaric pleasure. Darnell Nurse finished out his OHL season and quickly reported to the Edmonton Oiler affiliate in Oklahoma City. Last night he played in his very first professional playoff game, earning an assist and his very first fight. Nurse was picked with the 7th overall pick by Edmonton in 2013 in hopes of shoring up the defense.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
First to Go
The Tampa Bay Lightning were eliminated in the quickest way possible last night in Montreal. Was Montreal that good or Tampa that bad?
In the beginning of the season I didn't think Tampa would make the playoffs. My concern was their goaltending. It turned out to be their strength. Ben Bishop came into the season having never been a number one NHL goalie. Ottawa traded him to Tampa at the end of last season for Cory Conacher. Bishop became the go to guy this season winning 37 games and posting a 2.23 goals against average. Conacher was waived by Ottawa.
Outside of the large shoulders of Bishop Tampa saw the rise of rookie Andrej Palat who led the team in points and finished second in rookie scoring. Not bad for the guy picked 208th. Victor Hedman showed why he was the second overall pick in 2009. Coming into the season he had scored 16 goals in over 250 NHL games. He had 13 this season ending up 5th in defensive scoring. Let's not forget Tyler Johnson. He played in all 82 games scoring 24 goals as a rookie. He was never drafted at all. Both Palat and Johnson were named two of the three finalists for the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year.
They managed a successful season without the best pure goal scorer in hockey in Steven Stamkos who missed half the season with a broken leg. They also lost long time Tampa star Martin St. Louis when he asked for a trade. And biggest of all, lost their starting goalie for the playoffs with an injury.
Backup Anders Lindback did not have a very good series. I hope his family in Sweden gets a Swedish feed of the game instead of the CBC broadcast. The crew was not particularly fond of his play. I doubt Lindback was very pleased either. Couple that with an early Palat injury and a Stamkos at less than 100% and things quickly turned. The good news for Tampa is the team is still young. Not only that but they have more young players on the way like Jonathan Drouin who could have his name in the mix for the Calder next season.
The Answer: Tampa played that bad. No disrespect to Tampa or Detroit but the thought of a potential second round series of Boston against Montreal gives me great pleasure as a hockey fan.
In the beginning of the season I didn't think Tampa would make the playoffs. My concern was their goaltending. It turned out to be their strength. Ben Bishop came into the season having never been a number one NHL goalie. Ottawa traded him to Tampa at the end of last season for Cory Conacher. Bishop became the go to guy this season winning 37 games and posting a 2.23 goals against average. Conacher was waived by Ottawa.
Outside of the large shoulders of Bishop Tampa saw the rise of rookie Andrej Palat who led the team in points and finished second in rookie scoring. Not bad for the guy picked 208th. Victor Hedman showed why he was the second overall pick in 2009. Coming into the season he had scored 16 goals in over 250 NHL games. He had 13 this season ending up 5th in defensive scoring. Let's not forget Tyler Johnson. He played in all 82 games scoring 24 goals as a rookie. He was never drafted at all. Both Palat and Johnson were named two of the three finalists for the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year.
They managed a successful season without the best pure goal scorer in hockey in Steven Stamkos who missed half the season with a broken leg. They also lost long time Tampa star Martin St. Louis when he asked for a trade. And biggest of all, lost their starting goalie for the playoffs with an injury.
Backup Anders Lindback did not have a very good series. I hope his family in Sweden gets a Swedish feed of the game instead of the CBC broadcast. The crew was not particularly fond of his play. I doubt Lindback was very pleased either. Couple that with an early Palat injury and a Stamkos at less than 100% and things quickly turned. The good news for Tampa is the team is still young. Not only that but they have more young players on the way like Jonathan Drouin who could have his name in the mix for the Calder next season.
The Answer: Tampa played that bad. No disrespect to Tampa or Detroit but the thought of a potential second round series of Boston against Montreal gives me great pleasure as a hockey fan.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
A Look at Cooke
I'm reminded of an episode of Home Improvement in which main character Tim Taylor, never one to have a full grasp of things, is sitting in his garage. Within a conversation of a situation he does not fully understand with his mother, she make this comment. "There is a sign above your head that says not getting it." Matt Cooke doesn't get it, and there is nothing you can do about it.
NHL playoff hockey will consistently bring out the highest intensity from players. Skilled players are moving targets. Nobody and nothing is off limits. We saw it recently with the illegal hit to the head of St. Louis captain David Backes by Chicago's Brent Seabrook, a guy who has been targeted in the playoffs in the past. We heard it with the subsequent mocking of the clearly concussed Backes by Duncan Keith. All three of those players are Olympians. What also comes to the surface at this time is the dirtiness and cheapness of other less skilled players.
The Matt Cooke rap sheet is long and quite extensive. His name is well known at the league office. He became the face of change when his blindside hit of Boston forward Marc Savard practically ended his career. No suspension was given and the rules on head shots changed. It didn't mean Cooke would change. He was suspended the following season for a hit from behind and shortly thereafter received his longest suspension for a blatant elbow to the head of Ranger Ryan McDonagh. That got him 10 games plus missing the first round of the playoffs. Cooke was determined to change his style. He did. The following season of 2011-12 he played in every regular season game only picking up 22 minor penalties.
It's at this point I believe Cooke realized cheap shots could be delivered by and to the lower half of the body. Last season Cooke managed to cut the achillies tendon of Ottawa's Erik Karlsson when Cooke inexplicably raised his skate to the back of Karlsson's leg as they went into the boards. Cooke was not suspended, but the play was highly questioned.
Fast forward to last night.
Following head shots the knee on knee hit can be one of the most serious and long lasting hockey injuries. Cooke knew what he was doing. Oddly enough Cooke has a tendency with his cheap shots to target skilled or important players. See above with Karlsson, Savard and McDonagh. Barrie was the leading goal scorer and plus/minus getter for defenseman on Colorado in his first full NHL season. Now he is done for at least a month.
My Verdict: Cooke is the epitome of what the NHL wants to eliminate. He is a repeat of a repeat of a repeat offender. He has no business playing. Quite honestly the guy is a moron.
I'm going to do something a little different. Cooke should be suspended for the rest of the playoffs or 10 total games. This way he is guaranteed to miss all of the playoffs even if Minnesota goes past the 10 game mark and if they do not the suspension carries into the following season.
NHL playoff hockey will consistently bring out the highest intensity from players. Skilled players are moving targets. Nobody and nothing is off limits. We saw it recently with the illegal hit to the head of St. Louis captain David Backes by Chicago's Brent Seabrook, a guy who has been targeted in the playoffs in the past. We heard it with the subsequent mocking of the clearly concussed Backes by Duncan Keith. All three of those players are Olympians. What also comes to the surface at this time is the dirtiness and cheapness of other less skilled players.
The Matt Cooke rap sheet is long and quite extensive. His name is well known at the league office. He became the face of change when his blindside hit of Boston forward Marc Savard practically ended his career. No suspension was given and the rules on head shots changed. It didn't mean Cooke would change. He was suspended the following season for a hit from behind and shortly thereafter received his longest suspension for a blatant elbow to the head of Ranger Ryan McDonagh. That got him 10 games plus missing the first round of the playoffs. Cooke was determined to change his style. He did. The following season of 2011-12 he played in every regular season game only picking up 22 minor penalties.
It's at this point I believe Cooke realized cheap shots could be delivered by and to the lower half of the body. Last season Cooke managed to cut the achillies tendon of Ottawa's Erik Karlsson when Cooke inexplicably raised his skate to the back of Karlsson's leg as they went into the boards. Cooke was not suspended, but the play was highly questioned.
Fast forward to last night.
Following head shots the knee on knee hit can be one of the most serious and long lasting hockey injuries. Cooke knew what he was doing. Oddly enough Cooke has a tendency with his cheap shots to target skilled or important players. See above with Karlsson, Savard and McDonagh. Barrie was the leading goal scorer and plus/minus getter for defenseman on Colorado in his first full NHL season. Now he is done for at least a month.
My Verdict: Cooke is the epitome of what the NHL wants to eliminate. He is a repeat of a repeat of a repeat offender. He has no business playing. Quite honestly the guy is a moron.
I'm going to do something a little different. Cooke should be suspended for the rest of the playoffs or 10 total games. This way he is guaranteed to miss all of the playoffs even if Minnesota goes past the 10 game mark and if they do not the suspension carries into the following season.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Goal or No Goal
I was planning on taking this article in a completely different direction. Then I thought about the title of this page. The design is to look at hockey with a neutral and unbiased tone. If something is controversial let's talk about it. So I'll put my original idea on the back burner and look at game 3 of Tampa vs. Montreal.
The score is tied at one with less than five minutes to play in the second period. Tampa is already down 2-0 in the series losing both games at home. Reeling with injuries to key players and questionable goaltending, Tampa now has to win in one of the toughest environments in the game. To make matters worse, Montreal scored 11 seconds into the game, but Tampa has quieted the the offense to this point.
THE DILEMMA
The call on the ice from Francis Charron was no goal (link might still go to a rather amusing Wikipedia article). Or eventually was no goal once he thought about it. Charron had about five seconds to make a decision. We have more.
Let's start from the beginning. Alex Killorn takes a cross ice path on the left wing side driving hard to the net. He looks like he wants to pull it to the backhand but collides with Montreal forward David Desharnais and the left pad/toe of goalie Carey Price. The resulting collision sends Killorn into the Montreal net. Nothing wrong with this so far.
P.K. Subban baseball swings the puck out of mid air above the net and stumbles over Killorn who is still fully inside the Montreal net. The puck goes back to the point before being passed back across ice. At this point Subban, looking to make a defensive play moves out towards the play. Price meanwhile skates back across his crease after the original collision took him away from the net. Now the fun part.
Since Subban moves out, Killorn has an opportunity to get himself out of the net. He does. It also coincides with Price following the play to the left. Price initiates the contact while also falling to his knees taking himself further away from the play when the puck returns back to the middle of the ice. Ryan Callahan spins, shoots and watches the puck deflect into the net. After some hesitation Charron waves off the goal.
It's quite clear the announcers do not agree with the call. On this site we can appreciate that because this is the from the CBC. As the only Canadian team in the playoffs, they have some rooting interest. Lightning coach Jon Cooper also disagreed calling it a "fuckin bullshit call" and followed it with "rookie call."
The question is was it the correct call. I could only naturally wonder if a guy from Quebec, officiating his second playoff game, in front of home town fans might have given Montreal the extra benefit of the doubt. These guys are professionals. I'd surely hope and assume that things like that are not taken into consideration. So let's put aside the connection between a French-Canadian official and a French-Canadian team.
Francis Charron, with interpretation of the rule, felt there was enough contact to wave the goal off. That's his decision. Like many aspects of the game this decision was made solely based on an opinion. It's hard to fault a guy for the way he saw something. When you dissect the play my feel was contact was minimal, initiated and sold by the goalie and did not directly result in or contribute to the goal.
Had the goal counted Tampa would have went up 2-1. There is no telling what would have happened the rest of the way. I also can't tell you if Tampa was deflated after the no goal or more determined to score. In light of all the other events I'd assume it was probably the former. One play doesn't make a series. Montreal is playing far better hockey.
This however should have been a goal.
The score is tied at one with less than five minutes to play in the second period. Tampa is already down 2-0 in the series losing both games at home. Reeling with injuries to key players and questionable goaltending, Tampa now has to win in one of the toughest environments in the game. To make matters worse, Montreal scored 11 seconds into the game, but Tampa has quieted the the offense to this point.
THE DILEMMA
The call on the ice from Francis Charron was no goal (link might still go to a rather amusing Wikipedia article). Or eventually was no goal once he thought about it. Charron had about five seconds to make a decision. We have more.
Let's start from the beginning. Alex Killorn takes a cross ice path on the left wing side driving hard to the net. He looks like he wants to pull it to the backhand but collides with Montreal forward David Desharnais and the left pad/toe of goalie Carey Price. The resulting collision sends Killorn into the Montreal net. Nothing wrong with this so far.
P.K. Subban baseball swings the puck out of mid air above the net and stumbles over Killorn who is still fully inside the Montreal net. The puck goes back to the point before being passed back across ice. At this point Subban, looking to make a defensive play moves out towards the play. Price meanwhile skates back across his crease after the original collision took him away from the net. Now the fun part.
Since Subban moves out, Killorn has an opportunity to get himself out of the net. He does. It also coincides with Price following the play to the left. Price initiates the contact while also falling to his knees taking himself further away from the play when the puck returns back to the middle of the ice. Ryan Callahan spins, shoots and watches the puck deflect into the net. After some hesitation Charron waves off the goal.
It's quite clear the announcers do not agree with the call. On this site we can appreciate that because this is the from the CBC. As the only Canadian team in the playoffs, they have some rooting interest. Lightning coach Jon Cooper also disagreed calling it a "fuckin bullshit call" and followed it with "rookie call."
The question is was it the correct call. I could only naturally wonder if a guy from Quebec, officiating his second playoff game, in front of home town fans might have given Montreal the extra benefit of the doubt. These guys are professionals. I'd surely hope and assume that things like that are not taken into consideration. So let's put aside the connection between a French-Canadian official and a French-Canadian team.
Francis Charron, with interpretation of the rule, felt there was enough contact to wave the goal off. That's his decision. Like many aspects of the game this decision was made solely based on an opinion. It's hard to fault a guy for the way he saw something. When you dissect the play my feel was contact was minimal, initiated and sold by the goalie and did not directly result in or contribute to the goal.
Had the goal counted Tampa would have went up 2-1. There is no telling what would have happened the rest of the way. I also can't tell you if Tampa was deflated after the no goal or more determined to score. In light of all the other events I'd assume it was probably the former. One play doesn't make a series. Montreal is playing far better hockey.
This however should have been a goal.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
End of the Line
The American Hockey League concluded their regular season last night. The AHL was the last remaining professional league in North America and Europe still finishing out. As teams begin to transition towards the playoffs, one team begins a transition of their own.
In keeping with the theme of transitions, this blog has made one as well. A shift to more writing, focusing predominantly on anything hockey related will now be the norm. There might also be some personal stories of events I participate in or activities that I do. Pictures and videos will still be included. The goal is to create at least one story everyday. Since hockey is practically a year round sport, it shouldn't be too hard. What better way to start the new site than an American Hockey League story with a personal touch.
In 2009 the Philadelphia Phantoms were in the midst of their last season playing in Philadelphia. It had been announced earlier that the Spectrum was going to be torn down to make room for a new facility. It also meant the Phantoms were left without a home. Comcast sold the Phantoms to a group with the intention of moving the Phantoms to Allentown. The only problem was Allentown had no arena to house the hockey team. They would have to build one. In the meantime the Phantoms would need to find a new home. In stepped Glens Falls, New York.
Glens Falls were not new to hockey or the AHL. They were once home to the Adirondack Red Wings who left the small town north of Albany in 1999. For the next ten years the town would be without AHL hockey. It all changed when the Phantoms decided to use Glens Falls as their temporary home while construction began on a new arena in Allentown. The guess was the team would play a couple seasons. I think it lasted longer than anticipated. Nonetheless, the team was welcomed into town by fans knowing full well the team would eventually leave. Last night, after five seasons in New York, the Adirondack Phantoms played their final game.
Fittingly for the Phantoms, the last game of the season was played in Hershey, a long time rival of the team and former affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers. The Phantoms didn't win the game. In fact in the five seasons they had in Glens Falls, the team never made the playoffs. As nice as it would have been for the fans, I'm not really sure it mattered. Having a hockey team to call their own even if it was brief was cause for celebration.
The Adirondack Phantoms book has officially ended. The Lehigh Valley Phantoms book is only beginning. A rivalry with nearby Hershey and Wilkes-Barre is sure to begin. The enthusiasm for Lehigh Valley residents to enjoy professional hockey at a brand new arena is high. It's less than six months away. What becomes of Glen Falls remains a question. All NHL teams are currently affiliated with an AHL city. It was announced earlier in the week that the Calgary Flames will be leaving their current location in Abbotsford. It would only seem fitting that Glen Falls becomes the new home. Besides, it's probably easier for New York residents to root for players in the Calgary organization than the Flyers.
Here is a look at the last group of players to ever play for the Adirondack Phantoms.
I'd like to mention one thing about this team and another reason why I love hockey. You can forever look at this date - April 19, 2014 - and know this was the last game played in franchise history. What will not stand out is what happened one week before.
On April 12th in Philadelphia, Union College defeated Minnesota in the NCAA Championship to earn their first ever hockey title. It was an exciting game with scoring and the physicality you expect to see.
Union was led by defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, number 14 above. Tom Serratore, # 21, played for Minnesota. One week later and teammates.
In keeping with the theme of transitions, this blog has made one as well. A shift to more writing, focusing predominantly on anything hockey related will now be the norm. There might also be some personal stories of events I participate in or activities that I do. Pictures and videos will still be included. The goal is to create at least one story everyday. Since hockey is practically a year round sport, it shouldn't be too hard. What better way to start the new site than an American Hockey League story with a personal touch.
In 2009 the Philadelphia Phantoms were in the midst of their last season playing in Philadelphia. It had been announced earlier that the Spectrum was going to be torn down to make room for a new facility. It also meant the Phantoms were left without a home. Comcast sold the Phantoms to a group with the intention of moving the Phantoms to Allentown. The only problem was Allentown had no arena to house the hockey team. They would have to build one. In the meantime the Phantoms would need to find a new home. In stepped Glens Falls, New York.
Glens Falls were not new to hockey or the AHL. They were once home to the Adirondack Red Wings who left the small town north of Albany in 1999. For the next ten years the town would be without AHL hockey. It all changed when the Phantoms decided to use Glens Falls as their temporary home while construction began on a new arena in Allentown. The guess was the team would play a couple seasons. I think it lasted longer than anticipated. Nonetheless, the team was welcomed into town by fans knowing full well the team would eventually leave. Last night, after five seasons in New York, the Adirondack Phantoms played their final game.
Fittingly for the Phantoms, the last game of the season was played in Hershey, a long time rival of the team and former affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers. The Phantoms didn't win the game. In fact in the five seasons they had in Glens Falls, the team never made the playoffs. As nice as it would have been for the fans, I'm not really sure it mattered. Having a hockey team to call their own even if it was brief was cause for celebration.
The Adirondack Phantoms book has officially ended. The Lehigh Valley Phantoms book is only beginning. A rivalry with nearby Hershey and Wilkes-Barre is sure to begin. The enthusiasm for Lehigh Valley residents to enjoy professional hockey at a brand new arena is high. It's less than six months away. What becomes of Glen Falls remains a question. All NHL teams are currently affiliated with an AHL city. It was announced earlier in the week that the Calgary Flames will be leaving their current location in Abbotsford. It would only seem fitting that Glen Falls becomes the new home. Besides, it's probably easier for New York residents to root for players in the Calgary organization than the Flyers.
Here is a look at the last group of players to ever play for the Adirondack Phantoms.
I'd like to mention one thing about this team and another reason why I love hockey. You can forever look at this date - April 19, 2014 - and know this was the last game played in franchise history. What will not stand out is what happened one week before.
On April 12th in Philadelphia, Union College defeated Minnesota in the NCAA Championship to earn their first ever hockey title. It was an exciting game with scoring and the physicality you expect to see.
Union was led by defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, number 14 above. Tom Serratore, # 21, played for Minnesota. One week later and teammates.
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