Semis, Sid, Staal and Stitches

Vol. I, No. 49

The Semifinals have started.  In the west, San Jose edged Detroit last night by one goal.  Detroit, despite coming off a tough seven game series, made the game close.  In the last two frames, the Red Wings outscored the Sharks 2-1, but in the end, they were unable to overcome a first period 3-1 deficit.

Tonight, the Pittsburgh Penguins emerged on top of the surprising Capital-beating #8 seed Canadiens, by a score of 6-3. It was not exactly a defensive struggle, but one fact emerged. Jaroslav Halak can be solved. The Pens scored four power play goals against Montreal, out of five PP opportunities.

Halak was finally pulled from goal at five minutes into the third period. It could be repeat of the quarterfinals, because in the first two games against Washington, his stats were nondescript.  Which is the real Halak - a stone wall, or a sieve?

The Pens-Canadiens game was marked by injuries.  Matt Cooke leveled Andrei Markov, Montreal's best defenseman, with a legitimate check late in the first period. Pittsburgh's Jordan Staal left the ice in the second period, after locking skates with Canadien rookie defenseman PK Subban.  Both are indefinite for Game 2.  There was a third injury. Sid the Kid got hurt.

At 12:14 of the second period, he skated off the ice, after being cut on the chin with a high stick.  The video replay shows a player in pain.  Chin stitched up, Crosby returned to play in the third period.  That's what hockey players do.

Tomorrow, the NHL competes with the Kentucky Derby.  Game times are 12:30pm (Flyers at Bruins) and 8pm (Canucks at Blackhawks).  The Derby fits right in between, with a post time of 6:24pm (for race eleven at Churchill Downs). Coverage starts on NBC at 5pm. NBC is also broadcasting the Flyers/Bruins game earlier in the day.

NBC Sports must figure that a 12:30pm hockey game won't go beyond 5 1/2 hours.  But on May 4, 2000, Pittsburgh and Philly played through FIVE overtime periods until the game was settled.  The NBC broadcast schedule is probably safe, but in hockey, anything can happen.

The Run for the Roses vs. Eastern hockey.  On most days, playoff games trump, but on May Day, the horses will have the inside edge. Philly in Boston, fillies in Louisville.  Horses and hockey on the same day. Anyone for polo?

Hockey Rules.

Originals vs Upstarts

Vol. I, No. 48

San Jose started the first period of the semi-finals, taking the wheels off the Red Wings wagon with three goals in 10 minutes. Could it be tired Wings' legs, coming off a Game 7 win against Phoenix?  After two periods, the Wings pulled within one goal. After another game or two, we will know if last year's Stanley Cup finalist can compete with the second best team in the league, or the first, now that Washington has dropped out of the hunt.

There are now eight teams left in the semi-final round.  This year, every series pits an Original Six team against an expansion club.  I don't know when this happened last.  Consider the odds. There are 24 expansion teams in the NHL.  Out of those 24, four are left in the playoffs.  From the Original Six, four are still competing for the 2010 Stanley Cup.  So, it is 50/50 right now that the 2010 Cup will go to an "Original" Team.

Here are the match ups (and the dates that the expansion club joined):

East:

Montreal vs Pittsburgh (1967)

Boston vs Philadelphia (1967)

West:

Chicago vs Vancouver (1970)

Detroit vs San Jose (1991)

The Original Six have a long history of winning Cups. Chicago deserves special mention. The Black Hawks have not been competitive in the modern era. Chicago won its last Cup 59 years ago, in 1961, against the Wings.  In the post-expansion era, the Hawks have been in the finals three times with two losses against Montreal in 1971 and 1973, and a defeat by the Penguins in 1992.

Most Chicago fans and hockey enthusiasts blame poor management/ownership.  Thankfully for the Windy City, things are finally going in the right direction. Its ownership has changed in the last couple of years, and the franchise seems now to be serious about being competitive again. This season, the Hawks finished second in the west, with the third best record in the entire league.  Many experts are picking them to go all the way.

Two of the expansion clubs have already won Stanley Cups. Pittsburgh's success spans two decades.  The current reigning Champion has won three cups (1991, 1992, 2009) in addition to being the Stanley Cup finalist in 2008. The Pens face Montreal, the surprise of the playoffs.  If Jaroslav Halak stays hot, the Pens may be in trouble.

Philadelphia has won two Stanley Cups.  The Flyers were the first expansion team to do so, in 1974 and 1975.  It was the age of the Broad Street Bullies, and NHL hockey was changed forever with the adoption of the successful Philadelphia model. Facing the Boston Bruins in the semi-finals this year, Philly will have a tough time.  Brian Boucher has to stay hot in goal, for the Flyers to have a chance.

San Jose has never won the grand prize.  The Sharks made it to the Western finals in 2004, losing to the Calgary Flames.  They now face hockey's strongest dynasty of the last two decades, the Detroit Red Wings (four Cups since 1997).  Detroit has elevated its game at the right time of the season, and is 12-4-1 over its last 17 games.  Rookie netminder Jimmy Howard has emerged as a surprise, posting stats among the top six goalies.

Vancouver has gotten to the Stanley Cup final two times, in 1982 (losing to the NY Islanders in four games) and again in 1994 (downed by the NY Rangers in a seven game classic series). They are riding on the shoulders of Bobby Loo. Can the man pull off an improbable combination of Olympic Gold and a Stanley Cup in the same year?  His stats in the first round, against Los Angeles, were not impressive.

Two Canadian teams are left.  Vancouver and Montreal.  Nobody thought Montreal would make it into the semi-final round.  Vancouver? Could go all the way.

Hockey Rules.

Halak DeCapitates Washington

Vol. I, No. 47

The Eastern Conference is upside down. Boston and Philadelphia were the #6 and #7 seeds, and yet have survived the quarterfinals, beating the #2 and #3 seeds. The last game of the quarterfinals happened tonight. The upset is now complete and in a sense, historic.

In Washington, the #8 seed came back from a 3-1 series deficit and earned a game seven final showdown.  In the last game of the quarterfinals, in our nation's capital, the Canadiens took the President's Trophy winning Washington Capitals deep into the third period, with a 2-0 lead. 

The Caps bounced back with a goal late in the third period, getting the puck past Jaroslav Halak, the biggest stone wall of the playoffs. The Caps had a power play, with 90 seconds left, to even the score. Montreal had three empty net attempts which didn't go. But Washington could not do the trick and finished with a third game in a row, scoring only 1 goal against Montreal.

The Canadiens achieved a stunning, historic upset.  No other #8 seed in history has ever come back from a 3-1 series deficit.  Since April 23, there were three straight victories against the best regular season team in the NHL. The Habs shut down the most successful power play in the league.  Washington scored once in 33 chances.

Halak, in goal for Montreal, was astounding. He was the story of this series.  In the first three games, with a 1-2 win/loss record, Halak allowed 3.67 GAA with a save percentage of 0.887. These are not stats that win playoffs, let alone regular season games. But after being benched for Game#4, something changed with Jarolav.

The goaltender who returned to the ice on April 23 recorded a sensational 1.00 GAA and save percentage of 0.978 over the next three games. Halak didn't do it alone, as the team blocked 41 shots in front of him. This mentality comes from desire. But without his stone wall against 134 shots, Montreal would not be advancing to the semi-finals.

In the East, the bottom three seeds have now made it into the Conference semi-finals. The other team hails from Pittsburgh; its players wear 2009 Stanley Cup rings and are lead by Sid the Kid. The eastern regular season top three seeds, Washington, New Jersey and Buffalo, are all out for summer vacation.

Meanwhile, in the West, the tables are turned right side up. The top three seeds (San Jose, Chicago and Vancouver) are in the semis. The fourth team is Detroit, seeded #5 and last year's Stanley Cup finalist. Nobody in hockey should be surprised by this result. So what are the odds that Montreal winds up facing San Jose in a Cup Final?  Stranger things have happened, but don't ask me to name them.

And the latest news of the evening.  Philadelphia's mighty warrior, the toughest guy in the NHL, Ian Laperriere, is out for the rest of the season with a brain contusion and mild concussion.  If he returns to hockey, he will play with a visor. Meanwhile, #7 seed Philadelphia is well rested for its next match against #6 seed Boston.  Rest or rust?  Will a long layover affect the Flyers' play? Philly plays again on May 1st, in Boston, after eight days of R&R.

The semifinals start tomorrow, on Thursday April 29 at 9pm, with the Red Wings playing in San Jose.

Hockey Rules.

The End of an Era

Vol. I, No. 46

Lost in the shadow of the ongoing Stanley Cup playoffs is the news emanating today from Newark.  The Wizard has retired. And in his absence, a new era must dawn in New Jersey.

Jacques Lemaire, the winningest coach in Devils history, the man who brought the Minnesota Wild from nothing to something, a member of eight Montreal Stanley Cup winning teams, one of only six NHL players in history to score TWO Stanley Cup winning goals, has hung up his skates and his playbook.

He has coached for 16 years, and before that played for twelve seasons with Montreal.  Lemaire has been in the hockey world since starting with the Montreal Junior Canadiens in 1963.  His record has been a lifetime of achievement.

Approaching his 65th birthday, Jacques had a tough time making the announcement.  Reports indicate that he spoke with his coaches, with team management, but not (yet) with the players.  The team has reacted with shock, but it might not be such a surprise if anyone remembers his experience with Minnesota. Lemaire admitted that he was losing energy towards the end of the season there and had been considering retirement. Returning to the bench in New Jersey was probably an unexpected decision, based on all of his close personal attachments with the New Jersey organization.

This decision mirrors another situation last year, when Devils coach Brent Sutter announced his retirement - only to decide to become head coach of the Calgary Flames a month later.  But Sutter is different, younger, and has deep attachments to the Calgary organization, and to the province in which he was born (and the Sutter family still resides).  

The Devils have had five coaches in five years.  Lou Lamoriello seems attracted to former players who have long experience behind NHL benches. But there is a trend emerging in the NHL, and possibly all of sports. Skippers tend to be younger these days.  The epitome may be Dan Bylsma, who came to the Pittsburgh Penguins from the AHL in mid-season and led them to a Stanley Cup victory.

That's where Lamoriello should be looking now.  Somebody younger.   The young age of the players may make it easier for them to relate.  The age of Scotty Bowmans and Mike Keenans may be drawing to a close. Mike Babcock, the successful coach of the Detroit Red Wings and Team Canada, was BORN the year that Jacques Lemaire started playing junior hockey.

Compare Babcock with Lemaire. The Red Wings coach has been behind Detroit's bench for five years.   Before that it was with the Mighty Ducks (four years, two in the AHL and two in the NHL). Before that , with the WHL Spokane Chiefs (six seasons) and before that, the Moose Jaw Warriors (2 years). Before he became a coach, Babcock played hockey for McGill University, two minor league teams and one English league team.  His playing career probably spanned 6 or 7 years total. Along the way, he earned degrees in physical education and sports psychology. The short story is that Babcock and Bylsma are cut from a different mold than Lemaire, Keenan, Bowman and others.  

Jacques deserves the thanks of every fan in New Jersey, Minnesota and Montreal for his amazing contributions to this sport.  And he is entitled to a well-deserved life after hockey.  No doubt he will remain involved in some way.  But the daily grind of 82 games, road travel, and unending work (in the extended playoff season) came to an end in Newark on April 26, 2010

To Jacques, the Hockey Tattler says, "Merci beaucoup, bonne chance et a bientot".  That translates as "Thanks, good luck, see you around and don't be a stranger".

Hockey Rules!

P.S. Canadien magic was out tonight. With 53 saves in one night, Jaroslav Halak backstopped Montreal to a 4-1 victory tonight over the Presidents Trophy winner, the Washington Capitals.  The #8 seed, down 3 games to 1, has forced a game seven.  Wednesday night in Washington, the Canadiens will invade. Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez, ex-Devils, will have their chance.  Will Ovi and Backstrom answer?  It is the only contest left in the East, now that Boston had advanced over Buffalo.  The outcome of the 1 vs 8 quarterfinal will determine who plays who in the Eastern semis. 

Pens, Sens and Canada

Vol. I, No. 45

Those "upstart" Pittsburgh Penguins, an expansion NHL team from the late 60s, have done it again.  They defeated the Ottawa Senators tonight in overtime, and move on to the next round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

It was the third overtime game in six games with the Senators.  Game 5 went to triple OT, with the Senators managing to extend the series for one more chance.  Both teams won their last games on the road.  It showed true grit.

The Penguins who whupped the Senators are headed by the most famous active Canadian hockey player, Sidney "The Kid" Crosby.  The damage done tonight was performed by Canadian-Penguins Matt Cooke (two goals) and Pascal Dupuis (game winner in OT).  Think of what it means for these Canadian kids to win in their nation's capital.

Ottawa is the capital of Canada.  Located on the south bank of the Ottawa River, the city looks across at Gatineau, Quebec.  The site was picked for Canada's capital by Queen Victoria herself, in 1857.  It is far from the major metropolitan areas of Toronto and Montreal.  I remember driving from Ottawa to Montreal years ago, through the hinterlands of PQ, Province du Quebec.  My "European" French did not do much good in gas stations out in the pays (country).

The Ottawa Senators are a storied hockey franchise.  Founded in 1883, the Old Tyme Senators won 11 Stanley Cups, before leaving the NHL in 1934.  In 1990, an expansion NHL team was planted in Ottawa, and the modern Senators were born again.  Over the next decade, the team modeled itself after the successful New Jersey Devils, and gradually rose to prominence. 

The team won the NHL Presidents' Trophy in 2003, have been in the playoffs 11 out of the past 12 years and appeared in the 2007 Stanley Cup finals, losing to the Anaheim Ducks. Devils fans may remember that 2007 was the last time that New Jersey went beyond the first playoff round.  They lost to the Senators in five games.  Since then, the Devils have made the playoffs but not been competitive.

This year, the Sens fought valiantly.  Down 3 games to 1 against the defending Stanley Cup champions, Ottawa managed to pull out a victory in Pittsburgh on Thursday night.  It took three OT periods for the Senators to solve Pens goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (another Canadian-Penguin) after 107 minutes of play. OT lasted 47 minutes, almost a complete extra game. 

That may seem long, but it does not even get into the top ten in playoff game history. The longest ever was 116:30 of OT, Detroit against the Montreal Maroons in 1936. Two of the top ten games involved the modern era Penguins, in 1996 (winning after 79:15 of OT, against the Capitals) and again in 2000 (losing to the Flyers after 92:01 of OT).

Three overtime games in one series.  Five overtime periods.  Canadians playing for Pittsburgh, winning in the shadow of their country's parliament. Marathon hockey. Rubber legs.  Somehow, the Pens found the energy to come back this evening and dig deep. They'll wait for the outcome of the Washington-Montreal and Boston-Buffalo series to figure out who they face in the next series.

Hockey Rules.

Visors, Warriors and Idiocy

Vol. I,  No. 44

Ian Laperriere has seen the light.  Or, he can see the light. A half inch lower, and Ian might not be seeing the light.

Last night, the veteran Flyers forward took another puck in the face.  It was the second time in six months.

On November 27, 2009 he was hit in the mouth in a game against the Buffalo Sabres.  After 50 - 100 stitches, missing seven teeth, he sat out the second period and then returned to play in the third. Even so, Ian chose to continue to play without face protection - a plexiglas visor.

In Newark, Laperriere took another risk, dropping to block a shot by Devils defenseman Paul Martin. The puck hit him just above his right eye.  This time, it was 60-70 stitches above the eye. As he was helped off the ice, Laperriere asked his trainer if his eye was still in its socket.  

Hockey has a reputation for tough guys, and Laperriere sets the bar for his team and others. He is among the league's leading shot blockers. In the New Jersey playoff series, Laperriere blocked 6 shots in 5 games. He thinks in terms of sacrifice more than wins.

Contrast this with other Flyers who wear face protection, including Captain Mike Richards. Had Laperriere been wearing a visor, the shot would have rattled his noggin but not much more.

After the game, in an interview, he admitted that he will skate with a shield from now on. The 36-year old, eldest player on the team, wants to be able to see his kids grow up.

Why does it take two severe injuries to convince a player to get wise with a visor?  Some players do it without an injury (especially those coming from US colleges where facegear is mandated).

Colin White of the Devils wears a visor after taking a puck in the right eye on September 19, 2007. Take a look at White and Laperriere on the ice together.  Which one is the smart guy?  What's the moral here?  If you only lose a couple of teeth (OK, seven, but who's counting), then maybe you figure the chances of another puck in the face are nil, even if you drop to block shots. Real smart.

The truth is that there is a mystique to the warrior image of NHL toughness. A player who freely opts for a visor is admitting weakness. After all, they are already wearing helmets and lots of padding. In old tyme hockey, there were no helmets. And even the goalies played without masks.  Terry Sawchuck had 600 stitches in his face, over his career.  But that was in the age of pre-slap shot hockey, before pucks travelled at 100mph, and before seasons lasted 82 games, with playoff runs of another 20 - 30 games (for teams which reach the SC finals).

There is one answer for this.  The league needs to protect Ian Laperriere and others from the idiocy of peer pressure, pretending to be knights in shining armor (but without the full helmets).  If the NHL mandates visors, Ian Laperriere will be among the last to almost lose an eye.  

Helmets are required.  Visors should be part of the standard gear. Players earning millions per year will not lose as many days to facial injuries.  It makes economic sense.  Will the League see the light, or is it blinded by the tradition of real men playing through the pain?

Tell that to 1997's Rookie of the Year Bryan Berard, who didn't lose an eye, but after seven operations wound up with 20/600 vision in his right eye.  He continued to play for 11 years, and fitted with a special contact lens, he can see.

The NHL needs to look forward, to protect its players, to remove the stigma of asking for a visor. It needs to create a new rule.

Hockey Rules (but sometimes not enough).

P.S. Five quarterfinal series have gone past 5 games.  Four teams are up 3 - 2, after being ahead 3 -1.   Last night, Ottawa extended their series in a second OT against Pittsburgh. Tonight, Montreal bested Washington in a 2 - 1 thriller. And Buffalo managed to extend their series against Boston. Only one team has won their series 4 - 1. The Flyers rule the Devils.  For New Jersey fans, there is a summer to wait and ponder what 2010-11 holds.

Devils Playoff Upset or NOT?

Vol. I, No. 43

The Devils are bedeviled.  They have made the playoffs three years in a row, only to be eliminated in the first round each time. 

In 2008, the Rangers won in 5 games (and then lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the semifinals, also in 5 games).  In 2009, it was a heartbreaking loss against the Carolina Hurricanes in the last two minutes of a Game 7. 

This year, the Flyers dominated the Devils and won with an assertive 5th game shutout pitched by Philly's 3rd goalie, Brian Boucher. The Devils were really never competitive during the series.  As Coach Jacques Lemaire said, the team was playing two out of three periods.

Going into the playoffs as the #2 seed in the East, the Devs faced the #7 seed, a perennial rival in the Atlantic Division.  The Devils have an intense competition with the team across the Hudson River that DID NOT make the playoffs. But the team across the Delaware River DID make the playoffs and Philadelphia had the Devils' number this year.

In regular season play, the Flyers took 5 out of 6 games, outscoring NJ by 20 to 13 goals.  In the playoffs, Philly took the series 4 games to 1, outscoring the Devs 15 to 8.  That's a total of 9 out of 11 games won by the Broad Street gang, 35 to 21 goals.  This was no upset.

And tonight came the fifth playoff game. Philly capped the series, controlled from the start and defeated the Devs 3 - 0, even without the contributions of two key players out with injuries.  Simon Gagner and the team's leading scorer, Jeff Carter, both took injuries in Game 4. Gagne is out for three weeks, and Carter's season has come to an end.

What's the difference between these teams? Stan "The Hockey Maven" Fischler said that the Flyer's defense was better, their penalty kill was better, their power play was better and their offense was better. Did he leave anything out?  I think the answer boils down to maintaining desire and intensity over a very long season.  This year consisted of a regular season, the Olympics and now, the playoffs.

Some teams play well for season records.  The Devils seem to be in that category.  Over the first part of the season, they were the dominant team in the entire NHL. But in the last half, their record was not the same. To wind up in second place in the east, New Jersey won enough games to ride that first half performance.  After the Olympics, the Devils went 11 and 10.  That kind of performance does not win playoff games. Why the fall-off?  There are, IMHO, three reasons.

(1) Four key Devils offensive players spent their energies in Vancouver. Langenbrunner, Parise, Elias and Kovalchuk all played hard, extra games. There is evidence over the past several Olympics that teams which send a lot of players to the international games wind up suffering in the NHL postseason.  Those two weeks, and dozens of playoff intensity games, take their toll.

(2) The addition of Ilya Kovalchuk just before the Olympics did not gel. The Devils kept juggling lines.  The chemistry did not have time to set up.  One player cannot make a team succeed.  Ilya is a class act, with talent that is astounding. But he needs linemates that can work with him and vice versa. Successful Cup contenders have always had pairs - Gretzky and Messier - Lemieux and Jagr - and in New Jersey, Richer and Lemieux (Claude, not Mario). Who was Ilya's natural partner in New Jersey? Your guess is as good as mine.

(3) The netminder, Marty Brodeur, just has not been sharp over the entire season.  He plays more games, and wins more of them, than any other goaltender.  But does that allow him to maintain intensity into the playoffs? The plain truth is that MB was pulled by Team Canada during the Olympics. Bobby Loo from Vancouver took over, and the world knows the result.

So one issue the Devils organization must confront is their franchise player. Marty needs to be platooned and supported by a serious backup goaltender. Scott Clemmenson filled that role last season with spectacular results, during Brodeur's injury break. This year, Yann Danis played in 12 games, with a 3 - 2 won/lost record.  He is ranked 66 out of 83 NHL goalies in the regular season. Is Danis the replacement to be groomed for the time when Marty retires? This is the area where the Devils need to re-tool.  Will they?  Can Brodeur accept a shared position? The post season will be the time for tough decisions.

The Devils - Flyers series boiled down to outstanding goaltending by Brian Boucher, a veteran without consistent NHL experience.  But Boucher has history. In 1999-2000, he was the league's leading goalie with a 1.91 GAA average. He matched the Devils that year, going down to a Game 7 defeat against the  ultimate 2000 Stanley Cup champions. Boucher had the goods, and he came up big in this series.

The Flyers went into the playoffs having owned the Devils during the regular season.  New Jersey's performance was affected by the Olympics. Brian Boucher had something to prove. This was no upset.

New Jersey's management now will do some deep thinking about the structure of next year's roster.  A bunch of free agents will probably not be back. Ilya Kovalchuk will probably move on. The Russian Continental League wants him desperately. So do a host of other NHL franchises. Atlanta offered him over $100M to stay. The only question is whether he wants to stay in North America for another run at a Stanley Cup - and if so, with which team?

As for the Flyers, they will probably face the Washington Capitals in the next series, unless Montreal pulls a rabbit out of the hat.  Look for a repeat of the Rangers' performance in 2008. You heard it here.

Hockey Rules.

Olde Tyme Ice Skating

Vol. I, No. 42

Posts over the recent week have focussed on NHL Stanley Cup playoffs, but I wanted to give it a day of rest and think about another more general subject.  Ice skating. 

Here in the US, there are about 1700 indoor rinks where people skate. In the north, uncounted lakes, ponds, rivers and backyard rinks allow skating on natural ice. But skating was not born in North America.  The Aleuts may have mastered snow shoes, but skates came from Europe.

Ice skating originated thousands of years ago. Archaeological evidence suggests that humans living 5000 years ago in present day Finland put together bones and leather straps to create footwear for use on ice. Large expanses of flat lakes made it desirable to cross frozen lakes, rather than walk around them. And in winter, conserving calories is imperative, when game is scarce and food stocks may dwindle.

Artifacts from 9th century London show that horse bones were being used for the same purpose.  When winters in northern England were cold enough, skates made chasing food more efficient (you go faster and spend less energy on skates).  In Scandinavia and the Netherlands, ice skating has been around for 1000 years. In the 13th century, metal-working technology advanced so that metal runners could be formed. The Dutch were using steel edges in the 13th or 14th century.

By the way, the evidence that England was involved in ice skating lends credibility to the idea of global warming.  500 to 1000 years ago, the earth was a cooler place. Between 1300 and 1860, earth scientists recognize the effects of "The Little Ice Age".  Global average temperatures were about 0.5C lower than the earth in 1900.  That may not seem like much, but its consequences included the Irish potato famine, and the demise of Viking colonies in Greenland.

Skating began as a necessity, to travel more efficiently from place to place in the winter.  By the 1600s, skating had become a social activity for the Dutch (what else can be done with frozen canals?).   Competitive racing followed soon after, and the sport of recreational skating was born.  Other games related to ice emerged elsewhere

In Ireland and Scotland, ice and idle time created the conditions for games. In Ireland it was hurling (no skates).  In Scotland it was shinty, a version of field hockey (but no ice involved).  So when Scottish immigrants to Canada arrived, they brought shinty and found a cold, ice-covered land. The sport of shinny, or informal ice hockey, emerged. They may have borrowed ice-playing traditions from the Mi'kmaq, a First Nation aboriginal people in Canada and the northern US.

Modern ice skating was marked by the formation of clubs, starting in Edinburgh in 1742. Later in the 18th century, instruction books were printed illustrating skating techniques with circles and eights. The sport then split into speed skating and figure skating.

Modern figure skating was pioneered in New York by Jackson Haines. The first figure skating championship was held in Troy New York, in 1864. Competing formal British styles dominated, but Haines' more artistic style emerged as the sport we know and love today.

And what about hockey?  Between 1825 and 1875, the modern form of ice hockey emerged in Canada, replete with rules and pucks (replacing balls used before).  By 1925, the NHL was in full swing. 

Recently, the sports of hockey and figure skating have crossed paths in Canada.  Ex-NHL stars Stephane Richer, Tie Domi, Ken Daneyko and Claude Lemieux have appeared in the CBC "Battle of the Blades".  The NHLers paired with ice dancing champions Christine Hough-Sweeney, Shae-Lynn Bourne, Jamie Sale and Marie-France Dubreuil.  The show has been one of the most popular in Canada, drawing weekly audiences of 1.5 to 2.0 million viewers.  That's akin to 18 million Americans watching the same show!  In comparison, American Idol only draws 16 million of us.

So put together ice dancing and NHL stars, and you get one result.

Ice Skating Rules!

P.S. Day of rest over. Three NHL playoff games were scheduled tonight. Washington defeated the Canadiens in Montreal and lead their series 3-1. The Bruins fell behind, but then evened the score against Buffalo, playing in front of the home crowd at TD Garden in Boston.  The game is going to OT.  Buffalo is struggling to avoid a loss, which would put them in the same hole that the Devils and Montreal are in, down 3-1 in the series. Game fours are intense. Nobody wants to have their back against the wall. Vancouver plays in LA later on.  The Kings have a 2-1 series lead.

Playoff Hockey - The Cream Rises to the Top

Vol. I, No. 41

Another five game playoff night.

The first two games featured last year's Stanley Cup finalists.  Both won their games tonight.

In the east, the defending Stanley Cup champions turned up the heat. Five goals scored in the second period got the Penguins up on the Senators 6-3. The Pens won the game 7-4 and lead their series 3-1. Sid the Kid had two goals and two assists.  Pittsburgh appears to be dominant in every way. The only question is how many goals they give up.  If they run into a hot goaltender, the Pens might get burned.

In front of a home crowd, Detroit polished off Phoenix, 3-0. The former Stanley Cup finalists (and 2008 champions) outplayed and shut down the 4th place Coyotes. The series is tied 2-2, and the games return to Phoenix.  It is now a best of three series.  Two months ago, nobody would have picked Detroit to be playing this well.

Local News for NJ Devils Fans

In Philly, the Flyers played hard in front of a home crowd.  They defeated the Devils by a score of 4 - 1. Flyers outshot the Devils 12 - 8 and scored two unanswered goals in the second frame. The Devs were 1 for 8 on the power play. Philly was 2 for 8.  Playing 5 on 5, the Flyers had the upper hand (two even strength goals scored in the game).  The last even strength goal scored by the Devils was on Friday in Newark.  

Is there a surprise brewing here?  The Flyers finished in seventh place in the East, and yet were able to easily handle the Devils during the regular season.  Fact is, the Flyers were picked by many at the beginning of the season to go all the way to the Cup finals.  With the addition of veterans Ian Laperriere and Chris Pronger during the off-season, Philadelphia positioned itself for a serious run.

The only question for Philadelphia was goaltending.  So far, Brian Boucher has risen to the occasion in these playoffs, with a 2.31 GAA and .907 save percentage. He is outperforming Marty Brodeur, who has a GAA of 2.64 and save percentage of .896.  In the regular season, Brodeur was tops in the league with a GAA of 2.24 and save percentage of .916 - Boucher was 47th in the league, with a GAA of 2.76 and a .899 save percentage.

So, the tables appear to be turned.  Philly's defense and goaltending are stifling the Devils.  Philly's aggressive play is drawing the Devils into penalties. New Jersey will return to the Prudential Center on Thursday night with a deficit of 1 - 3 in the series. Looks like a steep hill to climb. It's been done before - by the Devils.

Hockey Rules. 

Evening the Scores

Vol. I, No. 40

Five playoff games are being played on an April Sunday.  Five, count 'em, five networks are sharing the broadcasting rights. OK, one of them, the Canadian Broadcasting Network, can't be seen down here in the US, but aside from that, there is a fair amount of channel hopping to be done for fans who want to follow all the playoff series.

NBC's Game of the Week started things off at 3 pm with Phoenix taking on last year's Stanley Cup finalists from Motor City.  The Coyotes, in Joe Louis Arena, outplayed the Red Wings and emerged with a 4-2 victory and a series lead, 2-1.  On paper, the Coyotes had a better regular season. But on the ice, how can you hold down Detroit?  The Wings went 8-1-1 in their last regular season games.

MSG (in the NJ area) had the Devils-Flyers game, starting at 6 pm. The Flyers pressed hard, outshooting the Devils and controlling large amounts of ice time.   The Devils were limited to one shot in the last half of the third period. Only Marty Brodeur kept the Devils in the game. The score was tied 2-2 after the third period, with the game going into OT.   Flyers finally won in OT (at the end of a power play).  They deserved it.  

Versus, which is carrying the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs, broadcast the Pittsburgh Penguins - Ottawa Senators game three.  CBC is carrying the game too (after all, Ottawa is the nation's capital). The Pens seem took control, with a 4-1 lead in the third period.  Sid the Kid scored the third goal at 19:15 of the 2nd frame.  It was a bad way for Ottawa to leave the ice for the third intermission.  Ottawa fought back, with a score at 13 minutes in the third period.  But it wasn't enough to erase the deficit, and the Pens emerged with a 4-2 victory and a 2-1 series lead.

At 8:30pm, the Blackhawks took to the ice in Nashville, trying to even the series against the Western Conference #7th place team.  If the Predators can win on home ice, Chicago will be in a deep hole, facing another Nashville road game on Tuesday. Chicago has been predicted to go all the way to the final.  First, they have to get past lowly Nashville. The game is on Versus and TSN.

The last game of the evening comes from Denver, where the San Jose Sharks want to establish momentum after a last minute (actually only 31 seconds left to play) victory on Friday night.  The Avalanche, #8 in the West, have played the top seed tough.  The game will be on Versus and CBC.

So, Phoenix, Philly and Pittsburgh have 2-1 series leads.  Is there something about being in a city which starts with P?

Hockey Rules.

Underdogs, Contracts and Destiny

Vol. I, No.39

Jose Theodore is unhappy. Tonight's contest between #8 Montreal and #1 Washington did not start out well for the Capitals' netminder.  After allowing two goals on two shots, Theodore was benched. He has a history of running hot and cold.  See Tattler No. 37 for more on that.

Washington's backup goalie is 2009 rookie phenom Semyon Varlamov. Early in the first period, he took the ice and played between the pipes for Washington. After two rocky periods, Washington started to outplay the Habs in the 3rd frame, but the Canadiens also hung tough. At the end of regular time, the game was tied 5-5.

The Habs (Montreal) are underdogs, having finished in 8th place, playing against a top-seeded Washington juggernaut with a league-leading 121 points during the regular season.  Montreal won the first game in OT, and took the second game through three periods with a tie score. What separates a #8 team from a top seed is thin ice.  Regular season stats often don't mean much in the playoffs.

The Canadiens offense has been sparked by Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta, veterans of the 2003 New Jersey Stanley Cup champions "EGG" line (E for Elias).  Gionta is the Habs' alternate captain, acquired from New Jersey in July 2009.  Gomez was acquired from the NY Rangers this year as well. Somebody in Montreal was able to put 2 and 2 together and come up with 5. Gio and Gomez have been responsible for two goals and two assists during the first two games.

The two G-men are American hockey players.  Gio comes from Rochester New York, and captained the Boston College Eagles to a national championship in 2000-2001. Just two years later, he was skating with Lord Stanley after a game 7 victory over the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.  Here's a picture of Gio in the sin bin (as a Devil).

Scott Gomez, NHL rookie of the year in 1999-2000, found his way from Jersey to Montreal after a two-year stint with the Rangers.  His contract with the Rangers was worth $51M over seven years, but after his last season with 58 points, the Blue Shirts decided to deal him. The league scuttlebutt is that the Rangers got the best of the deal, and the Habs got fleeced, still obligated to pay $37M over the next five years.

Gomez regular season stats with the Habs have been a mirror image of his New York performance.  59 points, +1 rating is not at the same level as teammate Tomas Plekanec.  Former Habs' captain Saku Koivu (who was an institution in Montreal, until leaving as a free agent last year) has the same scoring stats, but cost about half of what Gomez collects. "Gomer" has been called a 2nd or 3rd line center, playing for marquee rates. But take a look at his playoff performance. Like former Canadien Claude Lemieux, Gomez elevates his game in clutch situations. Is he worth it? These playoffs may provide the answer.

The Habs remain underdogs, and until the third period, had a 3-goal lead over the Eastern Conference Presidents Trophy winners. Montreal always has the aura of destiny. Its dominance in hockey, up to the onset of the "modern era" with free agency, is legend. Even today, look over the list of goaltenders and players - the French Canadian influence in hockey is enormous.

The Caps know what's on the line. Yesterday, Sid the Kid stepped up for the Penguins. Will Ovi and his linemates be able to recover from Jose Theodore's poor start? Go to  NHL.com GameCenter to learn the outcome.  It was a tie game going into OT. Just like the first game. Montreal's Plekanec won that one at 13:19 two nights ago.

OK, no need for any more suspense. Washington struck like lightning. At 0:31, Nicklas Backstrom ended the agony. Backstrom is the guy who lead Team Sweden in scoring during the 2010 Olympics.  On Thursday night, he scored a playoff hat trick in Washington's loss to the Habs.

Tonight was Washington's first OT win in eight of the last nine contests. Their last OT win was in 1998. The series is tied 1-1.  Now we all know to be on the lookout for the B&O boys - Backstrom and Ovechkin. Next stop is the Bell Center, north of the border.

Hockey Rules.

S*U*S*P*E*N*S*E

Vol. I, No. 38

Two Eastern Conference games tonight went down the wire in regular time. Two cliffhangers in Newark and Pittsburgh ended just about the same way, with sellout home crowds on the edge of their seats after 55 minutes of play, games deadlocked and results in doubt.  Both home teams had lost their first games and faced the prospect of a deep playoff hole if the visitors scored the winning goal.

The Penguins and Senators danced with a 1-1 tie well into the third period. In the third, Sidney (the Kid) Crosby saved Pittsburgh's derriere with a last minute diving save behind a sprawling Theo Fleury.  If the Kid isn't there, the puck crosses the line and Ottawa leads. Then, at 15:48 of the third, Kris Letang scored on Brian Elliott (with a mind-boggling assist from Sid the Kid).  Elliott had allowed only one goal until that point in the game.

Letang's goal gave the Penguins a win, tieing their series with Ottawa at 1-1. Crosby again showed how he can dominate a game at both ends of the rink. It is now a best of five series.  The next game on Sunday is north of the border.  Crosby will be playing for the enemy, deep in the heart of Canada.  Fans from Toronto and the Maritimes (where Sid comes from) may be rooting for the Pens.

In Newark, the Devils took nine penalties and gave the Flyers seven power play opportunities.  Philly scored two PPGs. The Devils fought back in the 2nd period, and the game was tied 3-3 after 40 minutes of play. The Flyers seemed to own the 3rd period, outplaying the Devils for the first 15 minutes, with 10 shots on goal. Marty Brodeur managed to fight off all the scoring chances and keep the Devils in the game.

At 15:56 of the third period, Dainus Zubrus found a way through a goal front scrum, fed the puck to Zach Parise and the puck got past Brian Boucher. The Devils went ahead 4-3, with 4 minutes left in the game. Unbelievably, Zube managed to extend his stick, get the blade on the puck that he passed over to Zach and shoot for the net. If it was possible to split goals, both players would get 1/2 point.

The game ended with Ilya Kovalchuk getting an empty net goal. It was fitting, since #17 had played a high energy game with two assists and physical play. Kovy wound up with a three-point game, along with Patrik Elias who also had three assists.

The Devils threw 32 shots at Boucher.  Up to this evening, Boucher had allowed only 2 goals over the past two games, facing 49 shots. That's a save percentage of 0.959 and a GAA of 1.0 - stats that are in goalie nirvana. The Flyer stone wall crumbled a little bit tonight, enough to allow the Devils to tie the series.  The next game happens on the west bank of the Delaware River, across another border.  

Two Brians in goal, two cliffhangers resolved just 8 seconds apart, deep into the third period. Both series are now tied 1-1.  And one footnote from the Western Conference.  #7 Nashville knocked off #2 Chicago tonight with four unanswered goals in the third period.  The Hawks were eaten alive by the Predators.  This is playoff hockey.

Hockey Rules.

Playoff Parity and Upsets

Vol. I, No. 37

Ottawa over Pittsburgh.  Philadelphia over New Jersey. #8 Colorado whips #1 San Jose.  Three upsets on Wednesday night. Only one expected result - Phoenix beat Detroit.  Scroll forward one day.   What's happening tonight?

#8 Montreal and #1 Washington went into overtime tonight (on the strength of a Brian Gionta - Scott Gomez offensive rush score). The story of the Montreal-Washington series may be the goalies. Jaroslav Halak, backstopping Montreal, kept Slovakia in the Olympic games, beat the Russians and finished fourth behind Finland.  

Jose Theodore, ex-Canadien, has something to prove for the Capitals. Theodore has played hot and cold during his career - dealt by the Habs in 2006 to the Avalanche and then to Washington this year.  He suffered the loss of an infant son over the summer.

Bruce Boudreau (Washington's coach, born in Toronto) says Theodore is his #1 goalie. But the questions remain. Which Theodore will show up?  Washington has Semyon Varlamov, star of the Caps' 2009 playoff run (until the SC final game 7), waiting on the bench. 

10:10pm. At 13:19 of overtime, Montreal scores on Theodore.  Another #8 team upset.  The Habs' magic, the ghosts of the past, are floating around the Verizon Center.  The Theodore dealt by the Habs in 2006 has just helped his former team to a road win.  Home ice advantage erased.  Will the Caps be able to win in Montreal?  They'll have to, if they want to make the next round of the playoffs.

This is playoff hockey.  Teams are more equal than the regular season standings indicate.

Hockey Rules.

Game On!

Vol. I, No. 36

9pm EDT

The 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs have begun.

The NHL has been boiled down. The regular season has 10 - 15 games each night. The first round of the playoffs will have four games each night.  That's about the same as the Olympics.

Playoff intensity makes each game a cliff-hanger. Tonight's four match-ups are Pittsburgh vs. Ottawa, New Jersey vs. Philadelphia, Detroit vs. Phoenix and Colorado vs. San Jose.  Two contests in each Conference.

Western games start after 10pm Eastern time.  San Jose has home ice, and game start is 7:30pm PDT.  So fans in the east can have 6 hours of uninterrupted fun (or longer, if the games go into overtime).

Playoff games do not have shootouts.  Teams play until overtime ends with sudden death finishes. In the modern era, games have gone to 5 overtime periods (Philly vs Pittsburgh on May 4, 2000).  Farther back in history, the Montreal Maroons lost to the Detroit Red Wings in 6 overtime periods, after 116:30 of overtime play.  That happened on March 24, 1936. The Maroons played in the NHL from 1924 to 1938.

Anything can happen on a sheet of ice.  Each team has a story.  Will heavy favorites like Pittsburgh, San Jose make it out of the first round? Did the Devils draw a tougher opponent by finishing in 2nd place and drawing the Flyers as an opponent?  The Flyers certainly had the Devils number during the regular season.

Last year at this time  (or maybe two weeks later), the Devils had low or no expectations. Their coach, Brent Sutter, left under a cloud. A demoralizing loss to Carolina left bitter feelings.The hot backup goaltender, Scott Clemensen, departed for greener pastures. A search for a new coach, and summer free agency negotiations loomed as huge uncertainties.

Then, somehow, Lou Lamoriello managed to pull a rabbit out of his hat again. A new coach and coaching staff with four (count 'em) Stanley Cup champions among them came onboard.  A strengthened defensive corps allowed the fewest goals in the entire NHL.  And a mid-season trade for Ilya Kovalchuk added an element to the offense, creating two dangerous lines.

Right now, #5 Ottawa is leading #4 defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh.  Canada vs. USA all over again (OK, Sid the Kid comes from CA but plays for PA). In the 2nd period, the Flyers are leading 2 - 0. Upsets happen, and results will be known in about an hour.

Hockey Rules!

Post Script.  10pm.
Pittsburgh beaten by Ottawa 4 - 5.  Devils defeated by Philadelphia 1 - 2. Both of my favorite teams come up short.  The underdogs are on top. The story of the Devils' game was Brian Boucher, the Flyer's hot goaltender. The same guy who stonewalled the NY Rangers in the last regular season game. Including the regular season, the Flyers have now beaten New Jersey six out of the last seven games. Will their streak continue?  Look for a red hot game in Newark on Friday night.

This is The End (But Not Really)

Vol. I, No. 35

The final day of a drawn out, Olympics-prolonged regular season.  Here are some snapshots.

INDIVIDUAL RECORDS:

Sid the Kid scores two goals in one evening, to tie Steven Stamkos for the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy, at 51 regular season goals.  Keep this in perspective against Wayne Gretzky (92 goals in 81-82), Teemu Selanne (still active, 76 goals in 92-93) and Alex Ovechkin (still active, 65 goals in 07-08).   Even so, Crosby's achievement should not be under-estimated after last year's Stanley Cup victory, and his Canadian gold-medal performance just 43 days ago.  His second goal tonight sealed a 6-5 victory over the NY Islanders.  The man just has that knack of scoring at the right time.

Henrik Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks captures the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer (points from goals and assists).  112 points in 82 games.  Impressive.

Martin Brodeur gets his FIFTH William Jennings Trophy, as the goaltender for the club finishing the season having surrendered the fewest goals. 191 to be exact. Every other team, all 29 of them, gave up more than 200 goals against.

At the other end of the spectrum, Toronto gave up 267 and the Edmonton Oilers surrendered 277.

TEAM RESULTS AND STANDINGS:

The Philadelphia Flyers solve the NY Rangers in a down-to-the-wire shootout scenario.  Flyers 2, Blueshirts 1. Henrik Lundqvist just was out-dueled by Brian Boucher in the shootout.  New York was on top well into the third period.  The loss was called "devastating". Truth is that the Rangers dug themselves into a hole too deep at the start of the season. Flyers hold on to 7th place in the east.  Rangers get to hold their nine irons on the golf course starting tomorrow. 

Boston dumps the league-leading Washington Capitals, also in a shootout. The game did not affect the standings.  But it proves something about how competitive the 6th place, 91 point Bruins were against the Washington juggernaut.  Will the Capitals go all the way, as some have predicted? First, they have to get past the Montreal Canadiens. Season results - Caps won 2 games, Habs won 1.

NJ Devils clinched 2nd place in the east, beating the Buffalo Sabres at 19:57 of the third period (that's right, 3 seconds left on the clock).  #15, Jamie Langenbrunner scored an empty net goal, after Buffalo's coach pulled goaltender Patrick Lalime.  It was the only thing Lindsey Ruff could do, since a tie was not enough for Buffalo to catch the Devils in the conference standings.

And last but not least, in the west, the Detroit Red Wings downed Chicago 3 - 2 in overtime to deny the Blackhawk's bid to be the top seed in the Western Conference.  Chicago needed two points to move past the San Jose Sharks but could not get the job done. The Hawks looked strong most of the season, and the Wings fought their way back to 5th place in the West.  They are an age-old nemesis of Chicago. Detroit has appeared in the last two Stanley Cup finals. The men from Hockeytown remain tough competitors. Chicago will face #7 Nashville Predators.

The stage is set for the second season (or third, if you count the Olympics as a separate season).  The games begin on Wednesday.  The schedule has already been released by the NHL.  Go to:

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=524984

Hockey Rules.

Blowout Saturday

Vol I, No. 34

The Eagles have landed. Last night, at Ford Field in Detroit, Boston College blanked the Wisconson Badgers 5 - 0, shutting down Hobey Baker award winner Blake Geoffrion and the rest of the Wisconsin squad.  It was come-uppance for BC's 2006 loss to the Badgers.  The rivalry will persist, as it has for many decades.  You can't keep the Wisconsin men down for long.

A bit further east and south, there was an NHL game in Newark NJ. The Devils, needing two points to clinch the Atlantic Division top spot, came up with 7 goals in one game against the NY Islanders. They allowed only 1 goal against, on a Buffalo power play in the third period. 

A week or so ago, there were doubts about the Devs' offensive goal-scoring capability.  A drought had come upon the NJ team.  But over the last 4 games, the Devils have scored 16 goals.  Perhaps they have emerged from the wilderness, just in time for the playoffs.

Today is the last day of the NHL regular season. The Devils play the Buffalo Sabres. One point separates these teams in the Eastern Conference. The winner of today's game gets second seed (and plays against the 7th seed in the Conference).  The loser will be seeded third, facing the #6 seed (Boston Bruins). 

Seventh seed is up for grabs today between Philadelphia and Montreal. The Canadiens' regular season is finished, and they occupy 7th place in the east. If Philly beats the Rangers today, the Flyers will move into 7th and the Rangers will be able to enjoy the golf links starting tomorrow. If the Rangers win, Philly is out and the Blue Shirts will face Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

One other contest is happening today (no, I don't mean the US Masters Tournament).  Three NHLers are vying for the Rocket Richard Trophy, given to the player who scores the most goals in one regular season. Ovechkin has 50.  Crosby has 49.  Stamkos has 50.  Who?  Steven Stamkos, #1 pick in the 2008 entry draft, a 20-year old in his second season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, that's who.  He just happens to be the third-youngest player ever to reach the 50 goal mark. The other two were Jimmy Carson and Wayne Gretsky.  Carson flamed out after his initial success.  Gretsky made history. It will take a few more seasons to see where Stamkos is headed.  

The Stanley Cup playoffs start on Wednesday April 14.  It was just 42 days ago that the Olympic playoffs ended.  This constellation of playoffs happens only once every four years.  Olympics are done.  College has wrapped up. With the cherry blossoms flowering on the banks of the Potomac, the NHL second season is about to begin.  Eight matchups will be known by the end of this day.

Hockey rules.

American Hockey, More of the Same?

Vol. I, No. 33

While the hockey world (at least here in North America) is glued to watching the final regular season games and how the playoff match-ups will settle out, there is another contest which is at its final point. And it reflects a very old rivalry.

College hockey is drawing to a close, with the NCAA final championship game scheduled for tomorrow night. It is the 2010 Men's Frozen Four, held at Ford Field in Detroit, home of the NFL Lions football team.  Playing in the tourney are RIT, Miami of Ohio, Boston College and the Badgers (more formally known as the University of Wisconsin).  Thats the place where Badger Bob Johnson and Mark Johnson came from.  Google them, if you don't know what the Johnsons mean to American hockey.

The amazing thing is how popular college hockey is, just under the radar of the NHL big show.  Ford Field drew a crowd of 34,954 for the Thursday night semi-final games.  Wisconsin bested RIT 8-1, and the BC Eagles overcame Miami (Ohio) 7-1.  That's a new world record for indoor attendance (not to be confused with the NHL Winter Classic which is played outdoors in larger venues).

The semi-final results pit Boston against Wisconsin in a rematch of the 2006 championship game, won by the Badgers in a squeaker, 2 - 1.  The regional rivalry goes back a lot longer than that.  Both areas have been hotbeds of hockey for generations.

Boston intercollegiate ice hockey dates as far back as January 19, 1898 with a game between Harvard and Brown on a frozen pond. In the northern midwest, the sport goes back to shinny hockey played on innumerable frozen surfaces.  The rivalry percolates into the pro minor hockey leagues.

The American Hockey League and East Coast Hockey League both have western conferences, but in the past, the IHL and CHL predominated in the center of the continent.  With modern economics (meaning higher revenues) and air travel, the regional distinctions are blurry. But at the collegiate level, with most travel by bus, regions remain intact.

The two cultures always been at odds, the eastern egghead elite (and Irish) contrasted against middle American down to earth farmers and laborers. Of course, that's an oversimplification.   But tell that to the boys from Boston University and U. Minnesota ("Gophers"), who in 1997 staged a bloodbath in an NCAA semi-final game.  The puck dropped, followed by one hour of fighting, before a hockey game resumed. 

On Saturday night, carried on ESPN at 7pm EDT, the rivalry carries on. Badgers versus Eagles.  The Wisconsin squad is lead by Blake Geoffrion, winner of the 2010 Hobey Baker award.  If you recognize the name, it isn't a coincidence.  Grandad "Boom Boom" Geoffrion played with the Montreal Canadiens and was the originator of the slap shot.

Hockey Rules.  

Clemency

Vol. I, No. 31

The Florida Panthers showed no clemency in a 3 - 2 win over New Jersey, in the Devils' final road trip game of the season.  Or rather, Scott Clemmensen showed no mercy.

The ex-Devil netminder stopped 42 shots, as the Panthers took the lead in the third period.  After last season's stunning performance with New Jersey, Scott was traded away by the Devils organization. It figures that he had something to prove against his former team.

New Jersey is now tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins in points (99 total) after the Penguins gained two points tonight, at their final regular season game in the Mellon Arena.  Their home has been one of the oddest in the league, originally built 48 years ago as Pittsburgh's Civic Arena, with a retractable aluminum dome roof.

The Civic Arena in later years came to be known as "the house that Lemieux built", and more familiarly as "The Igloo". But its beginnings are tied to Pittsburgh and the metal industry. The massive aluminum  roof came to be - it did not hurt that the corporate headquarters of Alcoa were located just a few blocks away.

Next year, the Pens move into the brand spankin' new Consol Energy Center. That's Consol as in Consolidated Energy, er, COAL. The same company that started in 1860 and still mines black carbon from the Appalachians.   You did know, didn't you, that the black and gold colors stand for the coal and molten steel made in coal-fired furnaces.  But enough rambling about the Pens and where they play.

Despite the points tie, the Devils are ahead in league standings due to the season sweep of the Penguins. Both teams have two more games to play. The Devils play at home, facing the Islanders (#12 in Eastern Conference) and Buffalo (#3 in Eastern Conference) on Saturday and Sunday.  The Penguins are on the road, against Atlanta (#10) and the Isles (#12). 

One more weekend to go, and the playoff races are settled.  And for other hockey fans in the NY area, the Blue Shirts remain two points behind Philadelphia (and 3 points behind Montreal) for the 8th playoff spot. Keep your seatbelts fastened.

Hockey Rules.

The Numbers Game

Vol. I, No. 31

The Devils have to be satisfied tonight, after their second consecutive road win.  It was career #600 for Marty Brodeur, and another shutout against the Atlanta Thrashers.  He is now in undisputed top position in 2009-10 regular season shutouts. 

The Devils scored 3 goals - and seven in their past two games.  Is the scoring drought over?  Maybe, or maybe not.  They've just beaten two teams that aren't playoff contenders in the East.

Speaking of contenders, the Capitals gave New Jersey a helping hand tonight, by defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 6 - 3.  Jersey moves into the top spot in the Atlantic Division, and second place in the Eastern Conference, behind Washington.  If the standings don't change at the bottom of the Conference, looks like Philly could be the Devils' first playoff matchup.

Meanwhile, the New York Rangers were cooled off by Buffalo tonight. The Blue Shirts are now 3 points out of eighth place, with three more games to play. Toronto comes up tomorrow night, followed by back-to-back games against the Flyers.

Philly does not want to lose those games, and wind up in eighth place (or out of the running).  The eighth place team will face Washington in the first round.  We can expect the last two Rangers-Flyers games to be playoff intensity, one team struggling to get in, and the other fighting to avoid a showdown with Washington when the playoffs start.

The Devils continue their road trip on Thursday, against the Florida Panthers.  On Saturday and Sunday, they return to Newark for back-to-back games against the Islanders and Buffalo.  Sunday's game against the Sabres could decide 2nd and 3rd place in the Eastern Conference.

Ryan Miller, Buffalo's netminder, may have an axe to grind after the US Olympics final game loss to Canada.  That other team from New York (which has three NHL franchises) could be a sleeper in this year's playoffs. Of course, there's another NHL goalie with an Olympic axe to grind. You know, the guy who was pulled from Canada's goal and sat on the bench as backup to Roberto Luongo, the same guy who just notched #600 on his belt.  Hint.  His initials are MB and he wears #30.

It's the final week of the regular season.  Desperation is setting in. Next week this time, half of the NHL will be out playing golf and the other half will be puttin' on the foil.

Hockey Rules.

Easter Beginnings

Vol. I, No. 30

PLAYOFF RACE HEATS UP

A ghost may have been exorcised in Raleigh North Carolina last night. On the eve of Easter, the Devils got 4 goals, from 4 different scorers.  They blanked the Carolina Hurricanes on the road.

It was Martin Brodeur's eighth shutout of the season, moving him into a tie with the Phoenix Coyotes' Ilya Bryzgalov.  It was also his 42nd victory of the season, atop all other NHL netminders.  And it was his 599th career win, in a class by his own.  In this, he can only compete against himself as he approaches #600.

The victory came against same Canes that dispatched the Devs in game 7 of last year's first round playoffs. The same Canes that, as a reborn Hartford Whalers squad, won the Stanley Cup in 2006. 

This year, Carolina's team is out of the hunt, 8 points behind the 8th place team in the east, the Boston Bruins.  With only three games left in their schedule, it would take a small miracle for the Canes to find a way into the playoffs.

As for the home town boys, next stop is Atlanta on Tuesday.  Ilya Kovalchuk gets to play against his old teammates, and the Devils will face Johnny Oduya and Niclas Bergfors who left New Jersey in the February 5th trade. We tune into WFAN, or MSG+ to catch the game at 7:30pm. Washington plays Pittsburgh at the same time. Stay tuned for the Atlantic Division race for the top.

THOUGHTS ON THE TIME OF YEAR AND TECHNOLOGY

There is one more week to go in the regular ice hockey season, as Easter heralds the true onset of spring.  Major league baseball is open for business, and the boys of summer will now share the airwaves with basketball and hockey postseason playoffs.  Searching the radio dial for hockey games now becomes a hit or miss proposition.  

For Devs fans, that means flipping between WFAN (660AM) and Bloomberg (1130AM).  It's an easier choice than in years past, when games appeared all over the dial, on three or four different stations. Only in the New York metro market, with seven professional teams playing at the same time, can this confusion exist.  Of all those teams, only two (the Devils and the Yankees) have shown any kind of championship consistency in recent years.

Media access has changed in the past 10 years, with the widespread penetration of broadband into mobile 3G phones and devices. This weekend, another revolution may have occurred. Found on the NHL.com website today was the following news.  "NHL announces NHL.com optimized for iPad".  

Let's see if we find fans tuning into games on their iPad.  Just find a Wi-Fi spot and take in your favorite game on your battery-powered viewer.  OK, so it's bigger than a cell phone.  But with those ubiquitous backpacks, iPads ought to be popping up all over the place.

Hockey Rules (and maybe in even more places now)!

Intensity

Vol. I, No. 29

Friday night in Newark, the Devils found a way to give up a standings point in the last minute of play. After 59 minutes of nearly flawless hockey, leading by 1 - 0, the Devs gave up the equalizer to an attacking Blackhawk squad with an empty net and an extra skater. 

It was the only "power play" opportunity of a penalty-less game. No infractions were called. No special team had any chance.   The Devils had never before played in a game without penalties. In the entire NHL, the last game without infractions happened on March 28, 2001.  

The Hawks capitalized on their only advantage of the game, at 19:34 in the third period.  Overtime continued with even play, and the shootout concluded with the Hawks scoring one, and the Devs being blanked by netminder Antti Niemi. 

For the Devils, it had the ring of recent memory.   This is the third shootout loss since March 18.  In fact, over the past two weeks, New Jersey's team has been in a slide. Two shutouts. Three shootout losses. Six losses out of past eight games.  A precious few SIX goals scored since March 18.  Only two goals scored in the last three games. Here's the record of the six games on the losing end.

Toronto 2, Devs 1 (SO loss)

Toronto is in the cellar of the Eastern Conference

St. Louis 1, Devs 0

The Blues are 12th in the West, 6 points out of 8th place

Rangers 4, Devs 3 (SO loss)

The Blue Shirts are turning up the heat, 2 points behind 8th place

Flyers 5, Devs 1

Philly is 8th place in the East, struggling to stave off NYR and Atlanta

Boston 1, Devs 0

The Bruins are virtually tied with Philly, trying to hang on

Chicago 2, Devs 1 (SO loss)
The "Original 6" Hawks are 2nd in the West, 3 pts behind San Jose

Out of all these teams, the skinny in the league has the Hawks as one of four favorites to win the Stanley Cup this year (Washington, Pittsburgh, San Jose and Chicago).  So, last night's game was a true test of the competitive position of the Devils.  New Jersey (95 points, 7th place in the League) ran into a strong Hawks team (103 points, 3rd place in the League).  The best team won.

What remains to be seen is how the chemistry of the Devils will change in the post season.  Can the defense tighten up to prevent the 4 and 5 goal onslaughts that have been allowed recently?  Can the offense find its mid-season production level?  Will the addition of Ilya Kovalchuk allow other lines to contribute?  The ZZ Pop line has been too quiet.

One thing is sure.  There are no shootouts in playoff hockey.  Teams cannot relax in regular time, playing for a point from the tie.  The Devils have their playoff spot.  Every other team mentioned above (except for Chicago) has been playing out of desperation to make sure their season continues.  As for Chicago, there is a sense of "desperation" from years of failed playoff expectations.

The Hawks were named as the worst franchise in sports history in 2004. They have won the Stanley Cup twice in the "modern" NHL era, in 1938 and in 1961.  Only in late 2007, with an ownership transition, did the team's fortunes seem to change. The Hawks have something to prove. And last night, in Newark, they demonstrated intensity.

The Devils need to dig deep and find the same intensity. Tonight, playing against Carolina (11th place in the East, out of the running, but last year's first round playoff spoiler against the Devs) will be a good test.  There are five regular season games left to find the intensity hidden beneath the surface.  

Hockey Rules.