Normal Niemi Netminding Nullification

Vol. I, No. 79

Philadelphia put one more shot on goal into tonight's game.  Two days ago, the Flyers had 32 shots on goal.  Tonight's game had 33 Philly shots on the Chicago goal. 

It was not enough. Chicago netminder Anton Niemi had a "normal" stand-on-his-head game, and allowed only one goal. His record, for the past two games, is now 3 GAA.  Leighton's record, in comparison, is 3.5 GAA.  The series is not exactly a goaltender's dream.

Besides Niemi, Chicago has to thank Marian Hossa, who came through in the second period to break open a scoreless game. Hossa, who has missed two Stanley Cup rings in the last two years with Detroit (2009) and Pittsburgh (2008), may finally be getting close to the Lord Stanley jewelry store.

Chicago now leads the series 2-0. Teams which have won the first two home games have gone on to win this series 31 out of 33 times. The most recent exception was Pittsburgh, which lost the first two home games in last year's final.

If Philly looks forward to home ice advantage, they have to respect the Hawk's road game performance during these playoffs. Chicago was 7-3 on the road against their first opponents.  If they keep up that performance, the Hawks will take one or two games on the road. All they need is two, to dance with Lord Stanley.

Hockey Rules.

Weird, Wild, Wooly Running and Gunning

Vol. I, No. 78

A team which allows five goals in one game will generally lose.  Only, not tonight. Chicago took a scalp, despite letting the enemy into the teepee way too many times. It was a weird, wild, wooly game filled with run and gun fire-wagon hockey.

The most common scores in close hockey games are 3-2, 4-2 and 4-3. That reflects the average number of goals per game, which has been about six in recent years. A late third period score of 3-2 is not uncommon. From there, three outcomes are possible. The score can stay the same.  The losing side pulls its goalie and has an empty net goal scored against it (4-2). Or the losing side scores, evens the game and then the contest goes to OT, ending 4-3.

Go over four goals allowed, and in most games, your offense cannot put enough pucks in the net to balance your leaky defense. But today, statistics were turned on their heads.  In tonight's first 2010 Stanley Cup game, the number of goals was almost DOUBLE the league average over about 1300 games, for the past couple of years.

John Madden, Chicago's veteran (and a Stanley Cup winner with the New Jersey Devils) called it a "weird game". High scoring game are more typical of amateurs who don't know how to play defense, and goalies in pickup games who get into the net because they can't skate.

The NHL is calling it a "wild game". The score was tied five times. That's never happened before. This game is also tied for the highest scoring Game One in Stanley Cup history. Chicago should not have won this game, except for the fact that Philadelphia allowed six goals.

Actually, Michael Leighton allowed five goals on 20 shots (.750 save%). Brian Boucher came in and settled things down, allowing one goal on 12 shots.  But that was the straw that broke the camel's sagging back, and Boucher earned the loss. Chicago's Tomas Kopecky got the game winner with the sixth goal, at 8:25 of the third period. 

Some predictions:
The score in Game Two will not exceed the total number of goals scored in the first period of this game (five). Philadelphia's spotty goaltending will even out with Boucher between the pipes. Unless Chicago's Anton Niemi can improve his own performance (he allowed five goals on 32 shots tonight), the Flyers will take the second game and eliminate home ice advantage, before the series moves back to Philadelphia.

The Hawks should not be satisfied or happy tonight. They earned a sloppy, ugly victory because Michael Leighton and the Flyers' defense allowed six pucks to cross the goal line. It won't happen again.

Hockey Rules, but sometimes the games truly are weird.

AHL Finals - Who's Who?

Vol. I, No. 77

vs 

The Dallas Stars' affiliate from the Western Conference of the AHL advanced to the Calder Cup finals on Wednesday night. They finished in third place in the Western standings.  The Stars are, would you believe, one year old?  The franchise moved to Texas in May 2010, with the purchase of the Iowa Chops club (suspended for the 2009-10 season in the AHL) by new owners in Texas.

The Stars will face the Eastern Conference regular season leader from Hershey PA.  The Bears have a long tradition, dating from 1931. Somehow, chocolate and hockey have mixed for a long time. It is hard to imagine a winter skate without hot chocolate.  Milton Hershey named the club the Hershey B'ars at first, but in 1938 the name was changed to eliminate the apostrophe.

The Bears have appeared in the Calder Cup finals four times out of the last five years.  They are favored.  But the Stars overcame the Hamilton Bulldogs to get this far.  It could be this is the year of the West.

Stars and Blackhawks.  Bears and Flyers.  Could Pennsylvania wind up with two Cups?  Will a new club only one year old rise to the top of the AHL? The hockey world will know by June 11.

Hockey Rules.

Hockey's Alphabet Soup

Vol. I, No. 76

It occurred to me today that the NHL playoffs are going beyond the IIHF and CHL championships, but that the AHL finals are even going longer.  The AHL?

It is the American Hockey League, which should be distinguished from the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) which of course includes American teams!  CHL teams are "major juniors". The AHL is "semi-pro", populated by young prospects and journeymen players in their 20s, 30s and even 40s.  

In the AHL Western Conference finals, the Texas Stars defeated the Hamilton Bulldogs tonight. They advance to the Calder Cup finals which start on June 3rd.  PK Subban of the Montreal Canadiens was re-assigned to their Hamilton development team, in time for the game.

Texas came from behind, to win the game 4-2. Subban has now appeared in two losing final games in one year. The young man is getting an education.

The Stars will face the Hershey Bears, who are returning to the Calder Cup finals for the fourth time in five years.  Hershey is without any doubt, the powerhouse of the AHL Eastern Conference.

AHL, CHL, NHL, IIHF, KHL, there sure are a lot of initials and hockey leagues.  For the moment, understand that the European KHL (Kontinental Hockey League) is taking a run at the NHL for international supremacy. KHL is by no means a minor league.

If the likes of Ilya Kovalchuk "defect" to the KHL, an era will end, the period started by the defection of the Stastny brothers to the NY Islanders from behind the Iron Curtain.  That curtain has not only turned to rust, but it can be argued that the quality of hockey is again equivalent in Europe, now that they have integrated the North American style of play.

The IIHF World Championships, held each year, reflect the equity of hockey talent.  Canada, Russia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden and the US are all competitive. IIHF stands for the International Ice Hockey Federation. Until the advent of the KHL, the only two "power players" on the world stage were the NHL and IIHF. Now there are three. The 2014 Winter Olympics will be affected; NHL interests will be outweighed by IIHF, KHL and the host country Russia.

All of the others - AHL, IHL, ECHL, CHL, WHL, OHL, QMJHL - are feeders into the NHL.  Throw in the NCAA, NESCAC and other collegiate associations and the picture is complete.  A real alphabet soup. If you want the initials decoded - post a reply or comment and the Tattler will answer.

Hockey Rules.

Local Big Apple Area News

Vol. I, No. 75

February is the time for hockey, right?  Well, hold on to your hats, because on February 2, 9 or 16 in the year 2014, the Super Bowl will come to East Rutherford NJ.  NFL football will be played in the midst of a typical New Jersey winter.  Expect a snow bowl, a mud bowl or a thaw bowl, depending on what mother nature has in store (and considering global warming).

The venue will be the DOME-LESS new Meadowlands Stadium. Now don't get me started on the wisdom of replacing Giants stadium with another open-air bowl.  Perhaps Chris Christie would like to tell all Garden Staters how much of this is costing NJ taxpayers.  But the deal was done, even though Xanadu is now a thing of the past (or is it).  The Super Bowl might change everything.

Now, as for some personnel developments in the true winter sport...

Devils forward Zach Parise was doing community service today. He visited the New Jersey State Library in Trenton and read a book to students from the Katzenbach School for the Deaf.  Zach is apparently an avid reader.

His appearance was part of the New Jersey Library Champion program, which promotes the importance of reading to students. For details, go to the Devils website.  Hats off to Zach for doing something really useful with his time off from the game. Go Zach!

The New York Rangers did an unusual deal with their rivals from Long Island. The Blueshirts acquired WHL defenseman Jyri Niemi from the NY Islanders, in exchange for a 6th round pick in the 2010 entry draft.

Niemi plays for the Saskatoon Blades. He is a 19 year old with interesting potential.  Is Jyri related to Antti?  They were born about 200 miles apart (Jyri in a suburb of Nokia, Finland...Antti in a part of Helsinki).  Young Jyri can fire a slap shot at 97 mph and had WHL leading stats.  Keep an eye on him. 

This is the first of the off-season moves for NY/NJ area teams, as free agents start to consider their options.  The contracts and agents will really get busy, once the Stanley Cup finals are done.

Hockey Rules.

Junior Champs Repeat!

Vol. I, No. 74

The Ontario Hockey League can now lay claim to possessing Canada's most successful junior franchise, the Windsor Spitfires.

On Sunday evening, Windsor repeated its performance from last year, and defended its Memorial Cup championship. The Cup stays in Ontario one more year.

The Spitfires were convincing in the final game, defeating the Brandon Wheat Kings 9-1. Taylor Hall was named MVP.  Look for Hall to go #1 or #2 in the NHL entry draft on June 25.

Congratulations to the young men from Windsor. Now there is only one more contest left in the hockey world. The IIHF is finished. Only the Stanley Cup playoffs remain.

Hockey Rules (for about another week and a half)!

Seven More Games

Vol. I, No. 73

Anyone who reads this blog knows by now what has happened in the NHL Eastern Conference. But I will repeat it anyway, for posterity, or in case any reader is living under a rock in Antarctica.

The Philadelphia Flyers, an improbable 7th seed, got into the 2010 playoffs with a last game of the season shootout win over the NY Rangers.  The Flyers are now advancing to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in 13 years.  The Prince of Wales Cup stays in the state of Pennsylvania, only on the eastern side of the Appalachian mountains.

To get to this pinnacle, the Flyers went through the New Jersey Devils 4-1, the Boston Bruins 4-3 (in the most dramatic comeback in NHL history) and now, the Montreal Canadiens 4-1.  Philadelphia's record is 12-5 over the past 17 games.  

They will face the Chicago Blackhawks, who have not played for Lord Stanley since 1992 (18 years ago). The Hawks last Stanley Cup win was in 1961; that is 59 years ago.  The Hawks have long been denied.  Their record over the past 16 games is 12-4 (overcoming Nashville 4-2, Vancouver 4-2 and San Jose 4-0).

Conventional wisdom is that Chicago ought to have the upper hand. But Philadelphia's goaltending in the Montreal series was astounding, with a 0.959 save%.  Michael Leighton is white hot.  On the other hand, Chicago is arguably better than Montreal, Boston and the Devils.

The finals start on Saturday May 29th at 8pm.  Chicago is the home team.  If seven games are needed to resolve this contest, the last game will be in Chicago on June 11th.

Hockey Rules.  Summer is around the corner.

IIHF Upset Finish! Chicago and Czechs Rule!

Vol. I, No. 72

Czech MATE!

New hockey world champions have just been crowned in Cologne Germany.

After plowing through favored Team Canada 3-2 before the quarterfinals, the Czech Republic made it to the IIHF World Champioship finals for the 7th time since 1992.  They faced the other world heavy, Team Russia, stocked with many NHL superstars.

The men from Prague came out on top, 2-1. Russia, seeking to win a third straight world championship, came up short and goes home with 2nd place silver medals.

The young Czech team, backstopped by Thomas Vokun in goal, shut down the Russian powerhouse. Facing 36 shots on goal, Vokun stopped every one until a 6 on 3 power play late in the third period.

The only Russian score of the game occurred when captain Ilya Kovalchuk threaded a pass to Pavel Datsyuk.  Detroit's star one-timed a shot past Vokun. It was the only Russian score.  It was not enough.

The Czech victory ended a 27-game string of Russian wins. Following their disappointing performance in Vancouver, the Russian players resolved to get to Germany for the world championships and re-assert their dominance on the world stage. The only allowable excuse was the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs.  Only a few Russians are left playing with the 4 remaining teams.

For Jaromir Jagr, it was a fitting end to the year.  The Czechs bowed out in the quarterfinals, shutout by Finland 2-0.  The Finns went on to claim bronze against Slovakia (the smaller half of former Czechoslovakia).

For Kovalchuk, Ovechkin, Datsyuk, Varlamov, Gonchar, Malkin, Semin, Fedorov, Koslov, Afinogenov and many others, it is a signal that Russian hockey is no longer at the top of the world.  The Canadians (Olympic gold) and Czechs (IIHF gold) now hold those honors.  Team USA shares 2nd place Olympic silver with the Russians' IIHF silver. But as everyone knows, second place is a pittance, compared to being king of the hill.

This is all very confusing. Why two world championships in one year? Should there be IIHF championships in the same year as an Olympic Games event? It is an imposition on players, pro teams on both sides of the Atlantic (NHL, KHL).  The extra long season (regular pro games, Olympic games, pro playoffs, IIHF playoffs) take a toll on physical conditioning and with injuries.

The next winter Olympic games will be held in Russia.  My bet is that Russia and the KHL will convince the IIHF to suspend the 2014 World Championships.  The NHL won't oppose that decision.

Meanwhile, another Russian player was still playing after his country's team left the ice in Cologne. Across the Atlantic, in a game in Chicago. Evegeny Nabokov faced 26 shots on goal.  Three went in.  The Hawks allowed 17 shots on goal, and scored an empty net goal in the final period to win 4-2, and sweep their series.

The Hawks are going to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1992. Stan Mikita, their legendary team leader in the 1950s and 60s, was born in Sokolce, Slovakia.  It appears that the area of the world formerly known as Czech-O-Slovakia has surely given the world some very fine hockey players! It is the Czech's 12th World Championship.

Hats off to the Czechs and to Chicago.  The Hawks need four more victories to dance with Lord Stanley.  The only question now is if the Montreal Canadiens can pull off a miracle against Philadelphia. Many love the Habs, but the Flyers seem to have a convincing upper hand. Tomorrow's game at the Wachovia Center could decide who the Blackhawks face in the SC finals.

Hockey Rules.

P.S. Game three of the day starts at 8pm EDT.  The CHL championship will be decided in Brandon, Manitoba. Either the Windsor Spitfires or Brandon Wheat Kings will earn the Memorial Cup trophy. With two final championship games in one day, summer must be getting close!

Saturday Hockey in May

Vol. I, No. 71

The Habs are finished. Almost. With today's third shutout in four games, Montreal's prospects are flickering.  The law of averages has caught up with the #8 seed in the Eastern Conference.  Philly only needs one more win to advance to the final round and a chance to dance with Lord Stanley's Cup.

The 3-0 Flyers win today had one big difference from the past three games. It's all in the numbers.  Montreal wins when it gets a lot of shots on net. In game three, the Canadiens threw 38 pucks at the Flyer net.  Five went in. Today, Philly only allowed 17 shots on goal. Goaltending stats tell the story.

In this series, Flyer netminders have faced 143 shots and made 138 saves. That's a save% of 0.965. At that stonewall level, if a defense can shut down the number of shots on goal, the number of goals allowed will be meager. The magic SOG number, to allow only one goal, is 18 shots. Games can be won, if you hold your opponent to one goal.

Today, Philly's defense did the job. The offense only needed two goals, and with the additional empty-netter at the end of the game, the Flyers emerged with the 3-0 score, and a commanding 3-0 series lead.

Can the Canadiens come up with a miracle and win three straight with two road games in Philly?  Anything is possible in hockey. The Flyers got into this series by winning four straight against Boston.  It looks like Philly has the magic now and is headed for a final series berth against Chicago. Unless the Sharks pull off another miracle on ice.

Two miracles in one year?  Doubtful. The Hawks and Flyers are getting close to a final series matchup.

Meanwhile, in Europe, Russia beat Germany 2-1 in the semi-final today, with a end of game goal by Pavel Datsyuk (he isn't needed by the Detroit Red Wings who are now on summer break).  The Czech Republic bested Sweden 3-2 in a shootout.  Russia and Sweden face each other on Sunday at 2:30pm for the World Championship (or maybe the 2nd one, after the 2010 Olympics).  It's complicated.

Tomorrow, the Canadian Junior Hockey championship will be decided later in the day. The Brandon Wheat Kings face the Windsor Spitfires at 7pm EDT. The winner earns the Memorial Cup.  It is a forerunner to the Stanley Cup in the bigger league.  The Memorial Cup has been awarded for 92 years. Tradition lives on in Canada.

Sunday will be a good day for hockey. Hockey Rules.

Down to the Wire in the West

Vol. I, No. 70

Two game mirrored each other tonight.  Both went to OT.  The boys from Manitoba and the men from Illinois emerged triumphant.

In Manitoba, the Brandon Wheat Kings took on the Calgary Hitmen in the Memorial Cup semi-final.  At the end of three periods, the score was tied 4-4. The favored WHL champion Hitmen were supposed to come out on top. They had beaten Brandon every time they met during the regular season. Not tonight.

In front of the home crowd, the black and gold Wheat Kings scored in OT. They move on to face the Windsor Spitfires on Sunday, to compete for junior hockey's biggest prize - the Memorial Cup. This is the path to the NHL for many players.  Win a Memorial Cup, and draft prospects can change.

Further to the east and south, at the United Center in Chicago Illinois, the San Jose Sharks kept their Western Conference game close through three periods.  They scored a tying goal against the Black Hawks in the third period.  The game ended regular time, tied 2-2.

In OT, the Big Buff scored on Evgeny Nabokov.  Chicago's netminder Antti Niemi made 44 saves against the Sharks  The Hawks now have a commanding 3-0 series lead.  Don't expect another 4-game comeback (like Philadelphia's dismantling of the Boston Bruins). Chicago is playing to eliminate a 59 year drought with the Stanley Cup.

The measure of Chicago's success is that Jonathan Toews earned a point in his 12th straight playoff game. This string broke the Blackhawks team record set by hockey legend Stan Mikita, the leading NHL center of the 1960s, teammate of Bobby Hull and a member of the 1961 cup-winning Hawks.  Toews' performance puts him in the lead for the Con Smythe trophy, if the Hawks continue their winning ways.

At the time of his retirement in 1980, Mikita was the NHL's second leading scorer; only Gordie Howe had more points.  Mikita was in the crowd tonight, elated at the new Blackhawk success.  Toews is destined to become the Hawks leading scorer.  It has been an amazing year for him, including his strong performance for Team Canada in the 2010 Winter Olympics. He has been with the Hawks for only three years and is already the team captain. This is a super star in the making.

The Hawks are one win away from their first Stanley Cup appearance since 1992.  The Wheat Kings are two days away from playing for junior hockey's biggest prize.

Hockey Rules.

Scores From Near and Far, From Here and There

Vol. I, No. 69

The Habs are back from the dead.  They outplayed the Flyers on home ice and turned the tables.  Leighton 5, Halak 1.  Could this be the time that Michael Leighton unravels?  Will "Stonewall Halak" play again on Saturday, or will "Jaro the Holy" show up instead?

Philly proved one thing tonight. They know how to fight at the end of a losing game.  Will it make a difference in Game Four? Doubtful.

Out west, in the CHL Memorial Cup tournament, there was no game today since the final pairings had already been decided.  The QMJHL champion Moncton Wildcats have been eliminated.

Tomorrow, the Brandon Wheat Kings face the Calgary Hitmen in the semi-final game. Game time is 8pm EDT. The winner of that game will face the Windsor Spitfires on Sunday May 23rd. Game time is 7pm EDT.

Much further to the east, the IIHF World Championships in Germany had two games.  Canada was whipped by the Russian team.  The boys from east of the Urals beat the CanadiAns 5-2.

Meanwhile, the Germans eked out a victory over Switzerland with a 1-0 shutout. That means Germany is headed to the semi-finals for the first time since 1992.

Hockey Rules, Globally!

Ou Sont Les Habs? Where Have the Habs Gone?

Vol. I, No. 68

The hockey world is either in shock, or yawning. 

The yawning comes from the Eastern Conference final. Only one team has showed up to play.  The Philadelphia Flyers look like they are on auto-pilot, cruising to an easy series sweep and an appearance in the Stanley Cup final for the first time in 13 years.  Their last chance was against the Detroit Red Wings in 1997.

The shock exists on both coasts.  The San Jose Sharks have been de-finned in their own tank by the tribe from Chicago.  The Hawks won two at the HP Pavilion on the road, but at least the games were close (2-1, 4-2).  Fans of the #1 Western conference team left the arena, stunned.

On the other side of the continent, the Montreal Canadiens have more or less disappeared.  The hockey team that is playing in their place must be replacements from the junior leagues.  Not a goal has been scored in two games by the Habs, against the #7 Eastern Conference Philadelphia Flyers.

The same team that vanquished the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins just did not travel to Philadelphia. Maybe the bus got lost. Or maybe the Philly accent have befuddled the French-Canadiens. On the defensive side, the Canadiens have allowed nine goals in two games.  4.5 GAA.  In the previous series, the Habs GAA was 2.57. This cannot be the same team out there.

The result is two series with teams up 2-0.  Chicago is returning home with a lead.  It is hard to imagine the San Jose Sharks winning the series. They need to win 4 out of the next 5 games, and three of the contests will be on the road in Chicago. The Hawks and Chicago fans are hungry. It has been a 59 year wait. The Stanley Cup is getting nearer. You can feel the loop shaking with anticipation.

Montreal plays the Flyers tomorrow night at the Bell Centre.  Unless the REAL Habs show up, unless the Canadiens win a game and get back into the series, you can expect Montreal fans to show some displeasure. There were only 32 arrests in Montreal when the Habs BEAT the Penguins.  If they lose to the Flyers, the Montreal police and RCMP may have an interesting evening.

Meanwhile, the CHL Memorial Cup is drawing to a close.  It looks like the WHL Calgary Hitmen will face the OHL Windsor Spitfires in the final game on Sunday May 23rd. Game time is 7pm, following the 3pm NHL Western Conference final in Chicago.

Hockey Rules.

Suspense, Quebec Style (et plus)

Vol. I, No. 67

Moncton is trying for a comeback tonight.  The QMJHL champion Wildcats are tied, 3-3, in the first OT period, against the OHL champion Windsor Spitfires. Moncton scored two goals in the third period to tie the game.

What is happening in Brandon MB tonight is a traditional Ontario-Quebec battle for hockey bragging rights.  Moncton has lost twice in this tournament, and has something to prove.

Taylor Hall, the probable #1 NHL draft pick, is playing for the Spitfires. He has been held to one assist tonight. The Windsor team has already qualified for a berth in the CHL Memorial Cup final.  The only question is who their opponents will be.  

Hmmm, seems like there is another team from Quebec which has lost two in a row (both shutouts) against a team from another province (or state).  The next game in the NHL Eastern Conference finals happens on Thursday May 20.  The Centre Bell will be rocking, and I don't think a third shutout is in the cards.  On verra.  We shall see.

The last game of the evening started at 10pm, and the Chicago Blackhawks lead the San Jose Sharks 3-1 with one period of play left. On the east coast, if you can stay awake until 12:30am, the outcome will be known.

If the Hawks can go two up on the road, it sure looks like the Sharks will be washed up soon.  But a one goal lead at the HP Pavilion in San Jose does not mean much, unless Antti Niemi is standing on his head. Maybe he can "finnish" the Sharks off. Stranger things have happened.

Hockey Rules.

P.S. Ontario won tonight. The Spitfires scored in overtime to win 4-3. Looks like Windsor is cruising to another championship. With three straight wins, they still have to get through the final game on Sunday May 23rd. It will be broadcast on the NHL Network, game time 6pm. Watch tomorrow's stars, before the NHL entry draft happens on June 25-26 in Los Angeles.

Memorial Cup, History and Hockey Geography

Vol. I, No. 66

The Windsor Spitfires are current OHL champions, defending Memorial Cup champions, and have beaten the WHL Calgary Hitmen by another lopsided score, 6-2.  This follows their 9-3 win over Brandon's Wheat Kings.  Could be the Spitfires are on their way to a repeat Memorial Cup.

That name, Spitfires, made me wonder.  What is a Spitfire?

The main reference is to Britain's most advanced fighter airplane of World War II.  The "Submarine Spitfire" in its various incarnations, was reputed to have reached a top speed of 690 mph (Mach 0.96) and was the last piston engine fighter made in Britain.  RCAF pilots were part of the aerial resistance to Germany's air attacks in 1940, which initiated the Battle of Britain.

A Spitfire was the toughest, fastest thing in the sky over Britain, and was responsible in large part for preventing a German invasion in the early years of the war. The resistance mounted by the RAF was the first defeat suffered by the Luftwaffe, until America entered the war in 1941. The pride associated with the word Spitfire, in the British Commonwealth, is considerable.

Windsor is the only Canadian city located south of its across-the-border American counterpart.  It lies on a peninsula bounded by Lake Erie to the south, Lake St. Clair to the north, and the Detroit River to the west. Across the river is Hockeytown, also known as Motor City. So there is considerable hockey pride in these Michigan/Ontario border towns.

The Memorial Cup had its origins in 1919, donated to the Ontario Hockey Association in honor of the valiant efforts of Canadian soldiers who gave up their lives in World War I, on the side of the Allied Powers. This is the 92nd annual tournament, since the Cup was created.

Detroit may be out of the NHL championships, but Hockeytown can still enjoy the Spitfires south of the border.

Hockey Rules.

Sunday Hockey Games in the West

Vol. I, No. 65

The Wheat Kings of Brandon notched a victory in front of the home crowd on the Manitoba prairie.  In the Memorial Cup tournament, the Wheaties beat the Moncton Wildcats, with a convincing 4-0 shutout. So much for the QMJHL champs from New Brunswick, who have now lost two straight games.

Further to the west, in the San Francisco bay area, the San Jose Sharks disappointed their home crowd.  They dropped their NHL Western Conference home opener 1-2, against the Chicago Blackhawks.  The Sharks had five power play opportunities, but ran into Chicago's Antti Niemi in goal.

Niemi, only in his second NHL season, saved 44 of 45 shots on goal, a Save% of 0.978. Over the entire playoff run, his Sv% is now .918, compared to San Jose's Nabokov at .913.  On paper, Chicago now has the edge in net minding. Cups are by goaltenders who stand on their heads. Niemi did that in Game One.

Chalk up two wins for teams from the midwest and Great Plains, and two losses for teams from the coasts (Pacific and Atlantic).

The Eastern Conference series starts with a 7pm game, in the city of brotherly love.  Do not expect much brotherly affection on the ice, or in the streets.  Only 32 Montreal fans were arrested on Wednesday night, after their VICTORY over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  If the Habs lose, those numbers would likely increase.

Quebecers have been waiting for 17 years for a run at the Cup.  Philly fans were last disappointed in 1997, when the Flyers reached the final and were swept in four straight games by the Detroit Red Wings.  Seems the Flyers have a tough time playing teams wearing red.  

Hockey Rules.

The Wild West Rules - Junior Size

Vol. I, No. 64

Calgary is the site of the Pengrowth (fka Olympic) Saddledome and the Stampede. The wild west is part of the city's fabric.  So is hockey.

Two teams play at the Saddledome.  One you know. The other is the Hitmen. Today, they hit on a team from Moncton, New Brunswick. There were parallels with the NHL Boston-Philly game.  But first, let's go back to Calgary.

It is Canada's fourth largest city, the only place with more than a 1,000,000 people between Toronto and Vancouver. In the hockey world, the Calgary Flames play in the NHL Western Conference. The Hitmen play in the Western Hockey League (WHL). They share the arena built for the Flames in 1983 and the Olympics in 1988.  The Saddledome is located on the Stampede Grounds.

The arena roof looks like a saddle; the Stampede is an annual summer rodeo, billed at the "Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth". It is certainly the largest rodeo in the world, attracting 1.2 million visitors over a 10 day period in early July.

When hockey season is over, the city moves into rodeo mode. Hockey gets going again in the fall, with a brief respite for CFL games and the Calgary Stampeders. And the city has multiple hockey attractions.

The Flames entered the NHL in 1972, playing in Atlanta. But the southeast was not yet ready for ice sports, and so in 1980, the Flames moved 1900 miles northwest to Alberta's southern metropolis, Calgary. Ice is somewhat easier to find in Calgary, which lies 1000 miles due north of Las Vegas.

Calgary had two professional franchises before the NHL Flames arrived. The Calgary Tigers played from 1921-27, but were done in by the Great Depression. Fifty years  later, the Calgary Cowboys played in the WHL for two years. But they only had the Stampede Corral as a venue, and with its 6500 seat capacity, the Cowboys could not collect enough gate revenue to stay in business.  They folded up their tent in 1977, six years before the Saddledome was built to accommodate a professional franchise (and the 1988 Olympics).

The Flames were Calgary's first NHL franchise. The team encountered initial success, reaching the Stanley Cup finals in 1986 and then winning Lord Stanley in 1989. Alberta owned the Cup in those years, with Edmonton winning four times, bracketing the year that Calgary took the grand prize.  Battles of Alberta, between the two teams, remain a provincial favorite. But since the 80s, NHL hockey success has drifted away from Alberta and the Canadian teams. The Montreal Canadiens are now bucking this trend - to the amazement of many.

The Flames have a major junior team affiliate in the same city, the Calgary Hitmen.  The junior team has been quite successful in the Western Hockey League. They play in the Saddledome just like their big brothers.  They are the first major junior team to attract over 10,000 people to a game. Since 1994, they have had the best regular season WHL record four times.

This year, the Calgary Hitmen won the WHL championship and were invited to the annual Memorial Cup tournament. Today, the Hitmen put away the QMJHL champion Moncton Wildcats with a come-from-behind finish.  The Wildcats led 3-1 after two periods, but the Hitmen scored four goals in the third period to come out ahead 5-4. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? But this story gets even a little stranger. 

The scapegoat for Friday's implosion by the Boston Bruins was allegedly Marc Savard, who signaled that he was coming off the ice and then stayed on, leading to the extra man penalty. Today, Moncton's defensmen David Savard tried a clear around the boards, but a bad bounce off the Zamboni door put the puck on the stick of Hitman Tyler Shattock who scored the winning goal. Two Savards, a mistake and a bad bounce. That's the way hockey games are decided. For the curious, these  Savards are not related.

On Sunday, the Brandon Wheat Kings take on Moncton at 3pm EST. They'll be playing at the same time some team from Chicago starts its series in San Jose, trying to get to a Stanley Cup final.  The Blackhawks have been Stanley Cup-less for 59 years. 

Go Hawks.  Go Wheat Kings.  Western Hockey Rules.

Hockey Out on the Prairie

Vol. I, No. 63

The Memorial Cup

The boys, and I do mean boys, are holed up in Brandon, Manitoba. They are competing for a trophy which culminates the competition of three Canadian junior leagues from Quebec to the Western provinces. It is a confederation known as the Canadian Hockey League, but the teams play for three regional leagues, known as the  OHL, QMJHL (LHJMQ si on parle Francais), and WHL.

The alphabet soup means Ontario, Quebec Major Junior and Western Hockey Leagues.  21 teams operate out West, 20 teams play in Ontario and 18 teams are in the QMJHL, including the Lewiston Maineiacs. Yup, a team from the State of Maine, here in the US. And one of their alums is none other than Jaroslav Halak. Americans playing in the Canadian Hockey league, eh?  It is not really a mystery.

If you know anything about Maine geography, you understand that the twin cities of Auburn-Lewiston are renowned for three things.  One is Bates College, the alma mater of Bryant Gumbel.  The second is its number of churches, supposedly the highest per capita in the nation, including Maine's only basilica. The third is its Franglais influence, dating from the time of the American civil war, when Quebecers moved south to work in the textile mills on the Androscoggin River.  Part of downtown Lewiston became known as "Little Canada".

Out west, the WHL includes the Everett Silvertips, the Portland Winterhawks, the Seattle Thunderbirds, the Spokane Chiefs and the Tri-City Americans (Kennewick, WA on the Columbia River).  Even the Ontario league has been tainted with Americans, from Erie PA and Saginaw MI.  So much for the "Canadian" Hockey League.  

Now, going west about 2000 miles, the end of the junior hockey is happening in Brandon.  It is 100 miles west of Winnipeg and 120 miles NNE of Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota (or you could head 200 miles northwest from Grand Forks and get to the place).  Brandon is the heart of Canadian wheat country.  It is Manitoba's second largest city, with a surrounding population of 150,000.  Average summer weather is 65F, though temps have reached 110F under the prairie sun. In January, the average temperature is 0F (with the record low of -52F).  

Four teams have reached the finals.  They are the Calgary Hitmen, the Windsor Spitfires (OHL champs and defending Memorial Cup champs), the Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL champs) and the Brandon Wheat Kings (host city). From now until next Sunday, the four will duke it out for Canadian junior bragging rights.  Upcoming stars put on their best show, as the NHL draft looms on June 25 at the Staples Center in LA.  A strong Memorial Cup showing can make the difference in starting a pro career.  The scouts are all in Brandon right now.

Hockey Rules.

Agony and Ecstasy - A New Boston Massacre

Vol. I, No. 62

They'll be talking about this one for years to come. It was a hockey game for the ages, exceeding the storylines of classic comebacks in 1942 (the Toronto Maple Leafs) and 1975 (the New York Islanders).

Boston choked not once, but twice.  After starting the series with three straight wins, the Bruins dropped three straight games - only the sixth time this has happened in NHL playoff history. Then came tonight's decisive game seven, on Beantown home ice at TD Gardens.

Watching the game at 7:15pm and then again at 9:15pm, you could swear it was two different nights.  Boston assumed overwhelming control with a 3-0 lead.  It is a truism that hockey teams don't come back from three goal deficits.  Don't tell that to Philadelphia tonight. The #7 seed in the East came out on top, after being down three games to none, after being down three goals to none. 

In the middle of the first period, down 0-3 goals, Flyers coach Peter Laviolette took an unusual time out.  No coach wastes that opportunity so early in the game, but Laviolette knew better.  After getting back on the ice, his team rallied and scored late in the first period. They started to smell the possibility. Victory can be snatched from the jaws of defeat.

The Flyers continued to battle in the second and Boston had no answer. Just like the comeback after losing three games to Boston, the Flyers refused to surrender. After 40 minutes of play, the score was tied 3-3 and it was anybody's game.

And then came the second, killer, choke. Boston took a penalty for too many men on the ice, and at 12:52 of the third period, Philly capitalized. Simon Gagne scored the game winner.  Boston fans and the rest of the hockey world will long remember the fateful penalty. The Bruins came so close, came back in the first period after losing three straight, only to lose their season in the next 40 minutes. And for what - one of the most elemental aspects of the game, changing lines without leaving an extra player on the ice.

Last year, the Devils blew a lead in the last two minutes of the third period of a game seven. At the time, I thought that was devastating. But that game was a marsh mellow, piker, powderpuff, compared to the 2010 Boston Massacre by the Philadelphia Flyers.

Without the final Boston mistake, who knows, the game might have gone to overtime with a different result. This game and the penalty will no doubt be used by coaches at every level, to demonstrate the importance of good line changes. These memories will not fade. 1942. 1975. And now, 2010.

So where does the NHL 2010 season stand?  In the west, the top teams have reached their final.  San Jose (#1) faces Chicago (#2). In contrast, the Eastern Conference final will have #7 and #8 seeds competing for the Prince of Wales Trophy. That's another first in hockey. It reflects this new era of free agency, and the equality of many teams. There is no one in hockey who predicted this outcome. 

Is it fathomable that a #7 or #8 seed can take on a top regular season team and win the Stanley Cup?  Ask the Washington Capitals, New Jersey Devils or Pittsburgh Penguins - all of whom have been beaten by Montreal and Philadelphia.

The Conference finals start on Sunday.  Can the Flyers compete against Montreal after the roller coaster they have just been on?  Will Chicago be able to erase its 59 year drought?  Is this the year that San Jose finally fulfills its destiny and wins the cup? The Habs have not won since 1993. It is a great day for hockey.  

Hockey Rules.

P.S. NHL top prospect Taylor Hall, playing for the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League, demolished the Brandon Wheat Kings (Western Hockey League) tonight in the opening game of the MasterCard Memorial Cup tournament. The Spitfires, defending OHL and Memorial Cup champions, beat Brandon 9-3. It's not the same as the big leagues, but this is where tomorrow's NHL stars come from. The games are streamed live and shown on the NHL Network.

Boston On Edge - A Tale of Two Teams

Vol. I, No. 61

On a hockey-less night, in the absence of NHL playoff games, there is time to relax.  The suspense is on hold, unless you were a Celtics fan praying for a Cavalier exit in game six of the NBA playoffs.

After all, how much cliff-hanging anxiety can Boston fans possibly endure? Before this evening, both winter teams had not yet sealed the deal. The Bruins in particular, seemed to be on the brink of implosion.

Playing in Boston tonight, the Celtics were in a game six situation and did not want to travel back to Cleveland for a final game against the league-leading Cavaliers.  But the Celts pulled it out, 94-85. So at least one Boston winter team plays on, with the Celts reaching their Eastern Conference finals against the Orlando Magic.

What are the odds that two winter teams from the same town both go to their Conference finals?  It is a scheduling nightmare for the NBA and NHL, but the teams will take it (and the extra gate revenue from more playoff games).  TD Gardens and the hospitality business in Boston also get to rake in more money, the longer these teams endure.

Tomorrow night, Boston's hockey team has no second chances.  Unless the Bruins can win their game seven, it is the end of the line.  They've lost three straight games to the Philadelphia Flyers - only the sixth time in NHL history that a team up by 3 games has blown it's lead. If Philly wins four straight, it will only be the third time in league history.  The betting money is on Philly to come out on top.

Boston hockey fans are on edge.  The big Mo is on Philly's side. The Flyers have gotten unbelievable goaltending from TWO netminders. Tomorrow night, the Bruins will face Michael Leighton in goal. He has stopped 44 of the past 45 shots.  He is fresh (replaced Brian Boucher in the last game). Boston's offense has disappeared in the past two games, with only one goal scored in six periods of play.

Whoever wins tomorrow faces the Montreal Canadiens at 7pm on Sunday, in the Eastern Conference finals.  The Western Conference finals kick off at 3pm that day (a noontime start at the HP Pavilion in San Jose).

Hockey resumes on Friday with the NHL last semi-final game, and the start of the Canada junior Memorial Cup tournament.  It will be a chance to see top draft prospects in action on the ice.  The Memorial Cup concludes on Sunday, May 23. So do the IIHF World Championships.  Then comes the Stanley Cup finals.  There's plenty of hockey left in the tank.

Hockey Rules.

Destiny, Les Habs - C'est Incroyable!

Vol. I, No. 60

Montreal magic was preserved in Pittsburgh tonight, as the Habs defeated the defending Stanley Cup champions 5 - 2.  It was not an even game.  The Canadiens were on top from the get go.

There is a rich history with the Penguins and Canada. From a hockey standpoint, the first game ever played by the 1967 expansion Penguins was against the Montreal Canadiens.  On October 11, 1967 league President Clarence Campbell dropped the opening puck in the first home opener at the Igloo. To build the franchise, Pittsburgh drafted French Canadian players from the minor leagues.  From Michel Briere, through Jean Pronovost, to Mario Lemieux, the Penguins have always had a strong French connection. That may not be a coincidence.

The Pittsburgh Penguins play at the forks of the Ohio. Two rivers come together, the Allegheny and Monongahela, from the north and southeast. They form the first gateway to the west, after crossing the Appalachian Mountains (also known locally as the Alleghenies). From Pittsburgh, a raft can take you to New Orleans, and a canoe can reach Minneapolis (with some hard paddling upstream).

French explorers preceded the English colonists by about 70 years - Mont Real (Royal Mountain) was named in 1535 by Samuel de Champlain on the land of the local Huron Indians. French fur traders, known as Voyageurs, penetrated the hinterlands and claimed much of North America west of the English coastal settlements. From Montreal and the St. Lawrence on down, the French extended their influence all the way to Louisiana.

Of course, English settlers claimed all lands to the west, and both powers started to build forts in the outback, eventually leading to the Seven Years' War (as it was known in Europe) from 1756 to 1763.  Here, it was known as the French and Indian War. One of the most strategic points was Fort Du Quense, located at the headwaters of the Ohio.  It was established in 1754, and contested by English settlers moving west from the state of Pennsylvania.  

About that time, a young Virginian lieutenant, working with English General Edward Braddock, was able to convince the British to change tactics in the woods, to defeat the French and their Indian allies.  His name was George Washington. By 1758, the British controlled the area and built a new bigger fort, naming it Fort Pitt in honor of William Pitt the Elder, Great Britain's leader during the Seven Years War. 

So why the history lesson? Because the French have again invaded Fort Pitt, known these days as Pittsburgh. The Montreal Canadiens faced the defending Stanley Cup champions in a decisive game seven, at the Mellon Arena just uphill from the old fort.  It's really only short walk to the point of the triangle where the rivers all meet. It's the same triangle that appears as part of the Penguins' logo.  This time, the French won.

With the Penguins' elimination, tonight's game was the last sporting event ever to be held at Mellon Arena, which started out in life as Pittsburgh's Civic Arena. Its renaming was appropriate, as one of the original franchise investors was Richard Mellon Scaife. Tonight's game was the 166th straight sellout. The place has also been known as the Igloo, or the house that Mario built. Suffice to say that it has a long and proud history, as a symbol of Pittsburgh's Golden Gateway revival of the 1960s. A chapter of Pittsburgh history is now done.  It is curtains on the old Civic Arena.  

Next year, the Pens take the ice at the new Consol Energy Center, named for the coal company of the same name. Con Coal would not exist if it were not for the mountains that have the coal, and the rivers on which it was barged, along with iron ore from ranges to the north and west. Thank Andrew Carnegie, Edgar Thompson and other industrial robber barons for building the infrastructure that enabled development of the coal and steel industries. But I digress.

In May 2010, an odd constellation of events has happened in the hockey world.  The best in the west have made it to their conference finals. In the east, it is exactly the opposite. The French invaders from Montreal entered the Stanley Cup playoffs as the bottom seed. They took down the #1 seed, and tonight defeated the #4 seed, defending SC champs. They have emerged from the Pittsburgh series on top. 

Tonight's game opened with ex-NJ Devil Brian Gionta on the scoreboard with a PP goal at 0:32 of the first period (with Sid Crosby sitting in the penalty box). Then, Marc-Andre Fleury allowed three more goals, finally being pulled in the second. Pittsburgh battled back, but could not overcome a two goal deficit. Gionta scored another power play goal, his second of the game, to put the icing on the cake.

The real Canadien hero has got to be Jaroslav Halak. Montreal's netminder was dominant, stopping 37 of 39 shots. Facing the most effective power play in the league, he stonewalled Pittsburgh three times in the third period. The Habs, meanwhile, scored a PP goal on Pittsburgh replacement goaltender Brent Johnson.

Montreal was loose, and had nothing to lose. Pittsburgh looked stiff throughout the series. In short, there was no doubt at the end. The better team won.

Montreal's win makes the Eastern Conference "topless". The #1, #2 and #3 seeds are already gone. With Pittsburgh out, the #4 seed is also done. That leaves the Eastern Conference final to the #6, #7 and #8 seeds. The Flyers forced a game seven tonight, defeating Boston 2-0. In fact, the Flyers are only the sixth team in history to come back from a 0-3 series deficit.

Where did the Bruins go?  Where did these Canadiens come from? The Penguins now join Detroit, Washington, Buffalo and New Jersey, 21 other NHL teams and the rest of the college hockey world.  Hockey is over except for five remaining NHL teams and the IIHF World Championships in Germany (which end on May 23rd). The last weeks of ice hockey are drawing to a close.

Meanwhile, out in the NHL west, the #1 team (San Jose) and #2 seed (Chicago) are waiting for the Conference finals to begin. The only semi-final left is Boston-Philly.  Game seven of that series happens on Friday night (for the first time in months, there will be no NHL game on Thursday). For hockey fans, it is a harbinger of the end of the season, although we can all pay attention to the IIHF games which run for the next 11 days.

A Stanley Cup final is shaping up, with the best of the west facing the least of the east. Don't pay attention to the seedings. A Cup outcome is anybody's guess.  Could it be destiny for the Habs to again rise to the top?  Nous verrons (we shall see).

Hockey Rules. 

Expectations and the Western Road

Vol. I, No. 59

The Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks face off tonight for game six of their Western Conference semi-final series.  Chicago can close out the series with a win on the road. Expectations are insanely high for both teams.

Chicago has been shut out from possessing the Stanley Cup for 59 years. They are alone in despair among the Original Six NHL teams.  Their misery had been shared by the New York Rangers, but in 1994, the Blue Shirts were able to end their own 54 year drought.  For Chicago fans, the Hawks echo an even longer drought suffered by the baseball Cubs, who have not won a championship in 102 years.  The Hawks have gotten to the Stanley Cup finals three times since 1965, losing to the Montreal Canadiens twice, and most recently losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992.

Vancouver, an expansion club which joined the NHL in 1970, has never won Lord Stanley's chalice.  They have been to the dance twice, losing to the New York Islanders in 1982 and the New York Rangers in 1994.  It seems that teams in the Big Apple have the Canucks' number. But the team from the Second City on the shores of Lake Michigan, does it have Vancouver's number this year?  Not yet.

In the regular season, these teams played four times and split the series 2-2. Chicago finished second in the Western Conference with 112 points, followed by Vancouver in third place with 103 points.  Then came the 2009-10 playoffs.

In the quarterfinals, both teams continued their comparable play. The Canucks defeated Los Angeles in a 4-2 series.  Chicago handled the Nashville Predators, also winning in six games.  They entered the Western Conference finals with no clear favorite.

Before this year, Hawks netminder Antti Niemi had never appeared in an NHL playoff game. He entered the league one year ago, playing three games before being sent down to the Rockford IceHogs minor league affiliate. In 2009-10, he played 39 games, with a respectable 2.25 GAA and 0.910 Sv%.

Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo has had more experience, but played 68 games this year before the playoffs (not counting his games in the Olympics).  Some goalies can take the extra long seasons, others can't. Luongo's playoff performance in front of the home crowd has been leaky. He has been better on the road.

Home ice is supposed to confer an advantage on teams, playing in familiar venues without travel, and with the support of raucous home crowds.  In three of the semi-final series, the home team has won 11 games, and the road team has won 5 times.  The home ice edge has held up in both eastern series.  The San Jose-Detroit contest had only one road win, when the Sharks took game three at the Joe (Louis Arena).

In this series, Chicago entered with home ice advantage. But, somehow, the Chicago/Canucks experience has been different. Vancouver has won two road games in Chicago.  The Hawks returned the favor in Vancouver.  The only home ice win was in game two, when Chicago managed to grab a 4-2 victory in front of the home crowd. Tonight's game is in Vancouver.  Can the Canucks finally win one game in front of their own fans?

Expectations on the Canucks are complicated by the fact that Vancouver is located in British Columbia, a province of Canada.  Hockey franchises north of the border have an insecurity complex against the American (US) teams, mainly due to economics. The Canadian dollar has had a disadvantage against the greenback for years. 

One year ago, one Canadian buck was worth about $0.85 US.  That meant that the Canadian teams had less to spend on their salaries, and that all other things being equal, better players would prefer to make bigger bucks south of the border.  This, and the fact that Canada looks at hockey as its national sport, creates an expectation or desire for all Canadian teams to beat their US counterparts.

In net tonight, Chicago's Niemi has been strong in these playoffs, after prior game losses. His record over the past two weeks is 3-0 in that situation.  On the opposite side of the rink, team captain Bobby Loo is undoubtedly desperate to perform well in front of the Canuck faithful.  If Vancouver loses tonight, it will be eliminated.  The team, the city and the country will remember.

Vancouver's backs are against the wall.  Can Luongo find the magic to prolong the series? It will be an intense game.  

On the other hand, Chicago has 59 years of disappointment to deal with.  If the Hawks are forced back to the Windy City for a game seven, one more Vancouver road victory will just prolong the six decade drought and years of disappointment.

The Hawks are one game away from a Conference final.  Only Vancouver, Bobby Loo and Canadian pride stand in the way (not to mention the Sedin twins).  Meanwhile, the Sharks are circling in the pool, awaiting their next victim.

Hockey Rules.

P.S. Five Chicago players come from BC, including Troy Brouwer, one of tonight's scorers. Kris Versteeg, another Chicago goal scorer comes from neighboring Alberta, as does Brent Sopel, a veteran who played for the Canucks for seven seasons.  It is a small hockey world.

P.P.S. Injuries are taking their toll on the Canucks. Alexander Edler is out, crunched by the Big Buff. Sammy Salo is back, but may be playing hurt. In the middle of the second period, Bobby Loo had his bell rung by the goalpost.  Pipes 1, Loo's noggin 0.

P.P.S. Chicago has a three goal lead with one period of play left. The third goal was a shorthanded breakaway on a Vancouver PP.  That kind of thing can seal the deal.  Niemmi has a shutout going, on top of two other shutouts in this year's playoffs.  Unless the Canucks can strike fast, Niemmi breaks a franchise record for most playoff shutouts, Chicago wins another road game and the Black Hawks are one step closer to a Stanley Cup.

Habs Magic Continues

Vol. I, No. 58

The Habs have it. Tonight, they evened their series with the Pittsburgh Penguins at 3-3.  One more game decides the semi-finals and which team reaches the Eastern Conference final. And from that point, it is only four victories away from playing for Le Coupe Stanley.

Where do these Canadiens get off?  The eighth seed in the east has come out of nowhere, to win four games against the league leading Washington Capitals, and then three games against the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Part of the explanation is Jaroslav Halak, who is perfect in games facing elimination.  Another part is the Montreal crowd. Their noise factor is almost a seventh man on the ice. But maybe the real explanation is the magic of their tradition.  Every CanadiAn hockey player knows, down deep, that the CanadiEns are the best and will always remain so.

These Habs are one game away from entering the Eastern Conference final. Meanwhile, Alex Ovechkin is out of NHL play, off in Germany playing for home country Russia in the IIHF World Championships. Sid the Kid has one goal in the Montreal series (scored tonight). Tonight's 4-2 victory in Montreal was achieved without the services of Habs defenseman Hal Gill, who was injured in Game 5.  

The semi-final series is mirroring the quarterfinals against Washington. Can the Habs repeat their seventh game performance, and beat the Penguins on the road in Pittsburgh?  Wednesday night, the hockey world will know if this Cinderella story is real.

Meanwhile, in Boston, the Philadelphia Flyers staved off elimination with an impressive 4-0 victory.  Their series returns to Philly on Wednesday too. That means that two games will be played in Pennsylvania on the same day.  One contestant in the Eastern finals will emerge from the Pittsburgh-Montreal series. If Boston can win at the Wachovia Center, they can also move on.

Philly may be without the services of goalie Brian Boucher, who was injured in the Boston game tonight. As of tonight, the extent of his injury is unknown. The Flyers have been snake-bitten this year, with a string of goalie injuries and rotating goaltenders. Boucher's replacement was Michael Leighton, who started off the season with the Carolina Hurricanes before being put on waivers, and getting picked up by the Bruins.

The Eastern Conference remains in suspense, while in the West, the San Jose Sharks are relaxing and waiting for the outcome of the Vancouver - Chicago series.  It is still possible that an all Canada Stanley Cup final might happen, if Montreal wins on Wednesday and Vancouver can win two straight.  

Hockey Rules.

Hard, Hurtin', Western Hockey

Vol. I, No. 57

The western prairies of Canada breed a toughness which leaks into hockey. The sons of miners and farmers live in a physical world, and take their lives onto the ice.

At the other end of the continent, free flowing hockey exists in the Quebec leagues.  The Europeans play an even more refined game, often referred to as Eurotrash by the hardcore NHL types who prefer grind it out games with hitting and obstruction.

Well, that's the way hockey used to be. But styles have merged as international players have come into the NHL (and returned to their native countries).  The old Canadian minor league system of Junior hockey, which used to be highly regional, now mixes players from all over North America and beyond.  Colleges also intermingle with Junior hockey, taking 19 and 20 year olds out of the Junior system, if the young men aren't sure about their NHL draft prospects.

Even at the highest levels of the sport - in the NHL - the Western Conference has a reputation for being rougher than teams in the East. The travel schedule is surely more demanding, and in places like Edmonton and Calgary, the frontier spirit breeds a respect for tough, hard-hitting, play.  

Tonight, Vancouver and Chicago met in their semi-final series. Canucks veteran defenseman Sami Salo was hit with a shot and taken to the hospital. Another Canucks defenseman, Shane O'Brien, caught a stick around his forehead. There was blood all over the place. After stitching up, O'Brien returned to the ice in the third period.

Despite the loss of two blueliners, Vancouver controlled the game for two periods, going up on the Blackhawks by a score of 3-0.  In the third period, the Hawks scored a goal.  Vancouver needed the game to stay alive. They won 4-1, and return to home ice in British Columbia on Tuesday night.

Three teams are left in the Western Conference, trying to advance.  San Jose is assured of a Conference final berth.  Chicago or Vancouver will be their opponent.  These teams were the top three during the regular season. Unlike the Eastern Conference, there have been no surprises, no Cinderella stories.

Hockey Rules.

PS Two eastern games will be held, more or less simultaneously, on Monday night.  The Montreal-Pittsburgh series is on the line, with Penguins ahead 3-2.  Philly and Boston go at it back in Boston, with the Bruins ahead 3-1.  The Flyers and Canadiens have their backs to the wall.  Expect intense games.

Trophy Tidbits and Upside Down Eastern Hockey

Vol. I, No. 56

Boston, Montreal, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are "duking" it out for the Eastern Conference title. The winner gets a trophy.  Can you guess its name? (Hint: the Eastern Conference used to be the Wales Conference, from 1974 to 1981). Princes, Dukes and Lords notwithstanding, this story also includes a King.

The trophy originally cost $2500, dates from December 1925 and was the idea of  England's future King Edward VIII (aka Duke of Windsor, Uncle Edward to Queen Elizabeth II and great Uncle Edward to Prince Charles, all House of Windsor, mind you).

This was the same Edward who abdicated the English throne, preferring to marry an American commoner and divorcee, Wallis Simpson.  He also was the last King of Ireland. His younger brother George (Elizabeth's late husband) never inherited that crown. In Ulster, perhaps some old timers wish things had turned out differently.

Edward, the highest English lord of all (way up the ladder above that Stanley fellow who was only a Viceroy) sponsored the trophy for award to the then mostly Canadian National Hockey League. Its first recipient was the Montreal Canadiens, who beat the New York Americans in the final that year.

The following year, Madison Square Garden sponsored a competing team, named the Rangers after owner Tex Richards' home state cavalry. The Amerks franchise failed in 1942, which is considered to be the start of the NHL "Original Six" era.

In 1925, the Stanley Cup went to the Montreal Maroons.  In those days, Montreal had TWO teams in the "National" Hockey League, and the Coupe Stanley was awarded to the winner of inter-league play against the Western Hockey League.  The Maroons were coached by Lester Patrick (grandfather of Craig Patrick, who was the longtime GM of the Pittsburgh Penguins). They beat the Victoria Cougars.  

The current trophy possessor comes from Pittsburgh. The Penguins have won the trophy two years in succession, repeating as Eastern Conference champions in back to back years. The first time (2008), they did not earn the Stanley Cup. Last year, the Penguins collected the big enchilada, overcoming the defending champion Red Wings in a full seven game series.

Which brings us right back to 2010.  The Canadiens and Penguins are locked in a 2-2 series tie, trying to gain entrance to the Eastern Conference final. Of all four teams mentioned at the beginning of this piece, Montreal is the greatest surprise. The #8 regular season Habs are playing in May, when the top three seeds (Washington, New Jersey and Buffalo) have all washed out in the first round.  #4 (Pittsburgh) is contending with #8 (Montreal) along with #7 and #6 fighting for the other Conference final spot. Something about this picture is upside down.  Does the regular season really make a difference?

Pittsburgh and Philadelphia were expected to be strong contenders at the start of the season (although Philly played a lackluster regular season). Boston has become more competitive over the past three years, and their elimination of Ottawa in the first round was no surprise. But Montreal, with its plowing through the Washington Capitals and playing even with Pittsburgh, is the Cinderella story of these playoffs.

Montreal is in the party because of one player. Jaroslav Halak is turning in a career-high goaltending performance for Montreal.  His save percentage, before tonight's contest, was 0.934 and in his "hot" games, he has been allowing 1 goal per game.  He and Boston's Tuukka Rask are the top two netminders in the playoffs.  Halak is on the eve of unrestricted free agency, and that means there will be a bidding war for his services once the playoffs are concluded.

Halak has been inconsistent.  In three games against the Washington Capitals, he allowed 5 or 6 goals against.  On April 30, the Penguins scored 6 goals.  But in the other games, Halak has been a stone wall, allowing 1 or two goals. So far, Halak has not pitched a shutout.

In the Saturday contest, the Penguins established a lead with a power play goal in the first period at 18:18, scored by Quebecer Kris Letang. The Pens' power play has been dominant, with a 30% success rate.  In the second period, Sergei Gonchar launched a missile from the right point.  It beat Halak cleanly over his right shoulder, aimed perfectly at the top corner of the net. 

Tonight, the Penguins played a physical game. Hits were frequent and hard. A few Montreal players had their bells rung. Ex-Penguin Hal Gill, a key defenseman for the Habs, went to the locker room. The Pens were able to get players in front the Montreal net. Even so, Montreal  outshot the Penguins.  The game boiled down to the goaltenders.

At the end of the game, the Pens drew a penalty, allowing a Montreal PP goal at 19:30.  Fleury stopped 32 of 33 shots. Pittsburgh emerged with a 2-1 victory and a 3-2 series lead.

Going back to Montreal on Monday night, the Pens have the upper hand.  If the regular season stats mean anything, if being a defending champion has an influence, then the Canadiens may be getting to the end of their party, when their coach turning back into a pumpkin. Will a glass slipper be found at the Bell Center on Monday?  Only Jaroslav Halak has the key to that question.

Hockey Rules.

P.S. No surprises in the West.  The Red Wings have been dislodged from their perch by #1 seed San Jose.  The only other teams in contention are #2 Chicago and #3 Vancouver.  The two play tonight, with the Hawks up 3-1. Vancouver will pull out all the stops, if Bobby Loo has a good game.  If not, the Western Conference finals might be decided tonight.  Sharks vs. ???  For the purposes of east coast viewing, let's hope that Chicago can win one more game.  Otherwise, there will be some late night TV for all of the Western finals.

Hockey Across the Pond

Vol. I, No. 55

While the games rage in North America, with minor league cups, Olympic contests just past and the "Inter"National Hockey League Stanley Cup playoffs going on right now, there is a hockey world beyond the Western hemisphere.

Ice hockey is played in Europe, Asia and just about on every continent on earth.  Along with soccer, it is truly an international sport.  Since the soccer pro leagues in North America are still a weak shadow of all other sports played here, it can be argued that hockey is the most popular game on earth.  

Rumor has it that a game broke out in Antarctica not too long ago, where the mean temperatures in summertime (when there is light present to work or play outside) vary from -15 to -35C.  Being outside at -31F, with a wind, is not conducive to hockey or any other form of human activity. In the land of real Penguins, hockey is an oddity practiced by scientists who have too much time on their hands.

There is an international hockey consortium which links all individual country leagues. The  International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) is hosting the 74th annual 2010 World Championships right now, with 16 teams from Europe, North America and Asia (yes, Kazakhstan).  The games are taking place right now in Germany.

Today, the home nation won its first game against the US squad, in front of a crowd of 77,803 (take that, Fenway).  Germany beat the USA. with an overtime goal 2-1. Germany's coach is Uwe Krupp. 

The tournament attracts players from US colleges, NHL, and leagues in each country. A host of Russians who play in the NHL (but are no longer in the Stanley Cup running) have travelled to the Worlds, with the intention of avenging their poor showing in the Olympics. Ovechkin, Semin, Kovalchuk and Varlamov all made plans right after the Olympics - if they were not in the hunt for Lord Stanley, their next games would be at the Worlds.

You have to wonder about the distraction.  Would keeping revenge in the back of your mind, for your mother country, might that affect play during the "paying" league?  With free agency and trades occurring every 3 - 5 years, how deep do loyalties run towards Atlanta, New Jersey or Washington?  But when it comes to your mother country, who would refuse a chance to shine again?

Canada is again aiming for gold, and has a power ranking of #2 in the tournament.  On top is Russia.  The expectations for Team Germany, ranked #11, are enormous.  The Germans have not fared well in IIHF competitions and for Coach Krupp, it could be a swan song.  He has been at the helm as national coach for five years.

For results, the IIHF website is updated regularly.  iihf.com

Hockey Rules, globally!

P. S. Philadelphia escaped extinction tonight. Down 0-3 in the series, the Flyers jumped out to an early lead in tonight's semi-final game at the Wachovia Center.  Boston tied the game late in the third period.  The game went to overtime. The Flyers took a penalty in the OT for an illegal boarding hit. At 10:05pm, the Boston power play went to work with the game tied, 4-4.

No luck for the Bruins this time around. The boys in orange killed the power play to keep their season going. Not many teams have come back from 0-3.  I think the stats are 5 out of 160 times, or something like that. At 14:40 of the OT, Simon Gagne, back from an injurty for his first game, scored the tam winner to prolong Philly's season.

Game 5 returns to TD Gardens on Monday night.  The Flyers only have to win three straight to advance. Anything is possible on the ice.  But the odds are still heavily in favor of Boston.

Three series now stand at 3-1.  San Jose, Chicago and Boston all have good chances of advancing to their Conference finals. The Penguins-Canadiens series is tied up 2-2, behind incredible goaltending on both sides of the ice. Tomorrow night, one team will emerge with an edge. 7pm at the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh. Will Sid the Kid break out? San Jose will also have a chance to put away the Detroit Red Wings at 10pm. It will be a good night for hockey (thanks, Badger Bob).