Is it weird that when I was typing in "Devils" I ended up typing "Brodeur"?

If you guys didn't watch this game, you missed a doozy. This was certainly some really intense hockey and easily some of the best I've seen all year. There were moments where the game was just completely wide open, with both sides absolutely pushing it to the wall. I don't think I was breathing through most of the second period silly hockey teams wouldn't let me have a chance.

It certainly wasn't a game without some controversy. The hilarious thing is that Antoine Vermette scored a goal when the buzzer went to end the first period except this time they decided not to count it. Oh so NOW you'll start the clock on time. See? The people at Scotiabank Place don't sleep on the job!

The game-winning goal was off the stick of Tom Preissing and that too wasn't without controversy as some believed that Martin Brodeur was being interfered with by Mike Fisher. Upon looking at it myself, it looks like Fisher did clip Brodeur as he was skating across the crease, but it was maybe 1 or 2 seconds before Preissing took the shot. Possibly interference, but it was a judgment call made by the refs.

Despite the score, Brodeur did have a monster of a game, and the score would have been much different were it not for him. So Brodeur did get his groove back but was there any doubt? Apparently Greg Millen and Bob Cole thought there was because every five minutes they were saying something along the lines of how Brodeur is the Lord of Goalies. When they started talking about how Brodeur kisses his mask before games I was ready to throw something at the television. But it's a really nice television so I opted not to. I mean it's a nice touch. If you don't know already, he has his kids initials at the back of his helmet and he kisses them before the game. It's a nice moment but it was the fact that before then I was pretty convinced Millen and Cole were both ready to run down to the ice and propose to him. Also, Millen called Patrick Eaves "Mike Eaves" twice. Mike Eaves is Patrick's dad, Millen. He didn't even correct himself, he just went on talking about "Mike" for about 3 minutes.

Commentating aside, this game was amazing. Ray Emery didn't have to match Brodeur save-for-save but he still had a stellar game and deserved the shutout. The Senators also definitely deserved the win as they played a very tight and mature hockey game. The game was scoreless for two periods, which might have been a good thing for the boys as they never took their foot off the gas until the dying moments.

Also, this edition of Hockey Night in Canada was very metro. Ron Mclean said that Fisher had the "best eyes in hockey" and that he was a "pretty guy", while it is apparently a tradition to see what kind of suit Emery is wearing. Okay, then.


^{Charles Dickens says: Fisher's not bad, I guess}

Bryan Murray said that the second, third and fourth lines needed to step up and they had a considerably better game. Fisher registered an assist and Mike Comrie had a great game. He's such a spark plug out there and played with a lot of energy. That being said, Christoph Schubert and Oleg Saprykin have not been having a good series with Saprykin taking a really unnecessary elbowing penalty in the third. Saprykin has great speed and offensive upside but it just seems like he's always a step-behind or giving up on plays way too easily. Sadly, the players didn't take Murray's advice to stay out of the box. There were some pretty stupid penalties taken tonight.

This really is a different Senators team. They play with so much energy, so much passion and such mature hockey sense it's scary sometimes. I rarely say that certain teams deserves to win, but after witnessing how hard the boys played tonight it would have been a crime if they didn't. You probably wouldn't have heard from me for a few days as I sneakily snuck down to Ottawa to replace the Devils' Gatorade with...something else. Well, maybe just Brodeur's.

Another great moment? The puck almost beat Brodeur twice off of a Senators dump in after the puck took a funny bounce off of the boards behind the net. The puck bounced back and landed in the blue-paint and Brodeur managed to get back in time to stop two flukey goals.

Oh and Emery admitted that he grew up a Leafs fan. You're not actually supposed to say that, Emery. It's nice to know he's learned the error of his ways. Oh and his suit tonight was just a sedated black number. Looked good though, but I think Don Cherry was disappointed about that.

Labels: bob cole, don cherry, greg millen, hockey night in canada, martin brodeur, mike fisher, ron mclean, round 2: new jersey devils, scary good

This post is late because I watched the game from Maison d'HG in all of its double overtime glory and didn't have time to post until now due to church in the morning.

That being said, despite the loss I still feel it was a great effort from the boys. You know, asides from the first period where the Senators absolutely let the Devils take it to them. Of course you can always count on good old Bryan Murray to tear a strip off of them during intermission and they came back with a much solid effort to force the game into overtime.

Of course nobody was expecting to sink another 5 past Martin Brodeur. We were reminded just about every 5 minutes that he was using completely NEW equipment that WASN'T BROKEN IN AT ALL, and we also got glamour shots of his new glove every 10 minutes as well. We get it. He's amazing and using new UNBROKEN IN EQUIPMENT. It really isn't a cause and effect though. Brodeur was going to come back and be stellar even if his equipment was the ratty old stuff he was using before. He was absolutely solid, stymieing the Senators on just about every good chance they had. His counterpart, Ray Emery wasn't bad either, but just came up short to get the win.

Bryan Murray also went Lindy Ruff on the referees on the Devils' second goal. The Devils scored with about 0.001 seconds left in the period and it was definitely a goal because it went in before the buzzer ended for the period, but Murray contended that the clock was not started soon enough after the impending face-off. After slowing down the play, it looks like Murray might have a legitimate complaint, but it wouldn't have made a difference either way.

So this double overtime means the Senators are now 0-9 when it comes to Game 2s when leading after the first game. It hasn't gotten them down before and you're probably not ever going to sweep a series with good ol' Puffy Brodeur in net. What this game did show was that the boys are able to play catch-up hockey when it mattered. They didn't just give up and take themselves out of the game when they were down, which has to be a good sign. I don't blame Joe Corvo for the game winning goal from Jamie Langenbrunner as much as I blame Tom Preissing for not coming up and joining the rush, although knowing Corvo, he might be taking it harder than most.

Daniel Alfredsson, had another monster night with the rest of the top line being absolutely phenomenal as well. He is a man possessed and really sets the tone for the rest of the team.

It was also refreshing to see the arena fuller than it usually is. Apparently, the Continental Airlines Arena had their first sellout of the year but I get the feeling most of them were Ottawa fans making the trip there. There was also a big fuss made about the ice conditions as there was a basketball game the night before and then an ice show the afternoon of. The ice looked all right for the most part, there weren't any weird bounces like there was in game 1. The most hilarious part was watching Dan Craig the league's facilities manager argue with one of arena staff about the ice during the 4th intermission.



As for my evening with HG, it was delicious fun, getting full on sushi and Japanese food. We were also able to cheer in style from the presents that HG got for me from Ottawa which included a sparkly red pom-pom, a "Be Red" t-shirt and an awesome crazy Senators cup. I also got to meet her eccentric yet extremely adorable pets. The cat kept on trying to eat the pom-pom.

News from Away...
- Shea Weber suspended for elbow on Yannic Seidenberg.

- Speaking of the World Championships, Canada wins game 1 against German 3-2, with Jamal Mayers netting a pair.

- Lindy Ruff suspended for Outburst. This was regarding the invisible off-side outburst after game 2 against the Rangers. He did pretty much go ballistic, throwing a water bottle on the bench and a towel into the stands.

- Hamilton eliminates Rochester to advance to round 2 of the Calder Cup playoffs! The Bulldogs scored 4 in the third period and won the series 4-2.

Labels: hamilton bulldogs, lindy ruff, martin brodeur, new jersey devils, round 2: new jersey devils, world championships

And by "loves", I mean "will pretend to like because she was 10 points off the lead in the stupid blogger pool and Matthew is evil".

I mean...they're cool. The truth is, I could never hate the Habs because first of all they're not the Stars...or the Leafs. I'm actually going to attempt to make this sound convincing because apparently CapsChick can make us redo them.

Dear Habs,
So...how's it going on the other side of the border, eh? I guess you're pretty cool. I mean "Habbies" even sounds pretty cute. Like a cat. Speaking of cats, when I get a cat, I'm going to name him Saku Koivu. Why? Well, my friend told me the story of how her Aunt's cat was very fidgety and liked to kick things and she was nicknamed "Kung-fu Kitty" and the first connection I made in my head was "Saku Koivu sounds like a Kung-Fu move", ergo....I am going to name my cat Saku Koivu.

So off the top of my head, here's the top 10 reasons why you guys aren't all that bad:

1. For some reason, I really like that you guys use the colour red. Can't put my finger on why though.
   
2. You're not the Leafs.
   
3. Your personnel issues are kind of hilarious.
4. Your AHL team happens to be my Hamilton Bulldogs. The thing is, I really don't even like living in Hamilton but I'm full of pride for the Bulldogs. Hey, got to find some redeeming feature of the city.
5. Carey Price
6. You're not the Stars.
7. Chris Higgins went to Yale!
8. Sheldon Souray's tendency to break his stick was the inspiration for my first ever HNIC drinking game.
9. Komisarek. He makes Jordi act in an extremely hilarious fashion. I could be entertained to no end with her talking abou Komisarek.
   
10. The atmosphere in your arena. As much as I like to bag on you, the truth is everytime I watch games at the Bell Centre I wonder how the players don't just cower in the corner and rock back and forth in a little ball because the fans take 'intense' to a whole other level. It's like entering another dimension. You're also one of the few teams that still have to pay a land tax for your arena. Sorry about that.

I hope this letter will clear the air, Habbies. You know I'm always here if you need a shoulder to lean on or if you ever want to vent about why the Russian players on your team are always spreading mean rumours about you. I, too, know what it's like to be saddled with an unproductive Russian diva. If you ever need any advice on how to unload them, give me a call.

Love always,

Sherry

Labels: blogger pool, montreal canadiens, sherry needs a life

With the talk of how this year's Senators' squad is a new and different team, it's a good thing that this game had absolutely ZERO resemblance to game 1 of round 2 against the Sabres last year, right? Right?

Don't get me wrong, I am in no way complaining about the outcome of the game. But seriously? This game was hilarious. Perhaps it's the pessimist in me, but seeing the boys get out to a 4-0 lead, most of me was saying "there is NO way this is going to last". And of course I was right.

To be honest, it's not that the Senators had rust on them and it just got to them, it's just that Jersey for the first period, didn't show up. Much like their fans. [ZING!]. Despite the fact that the boys got a 4-1 lead in the first, they still gave up 15 shots. They have Ray Emery to thank that the score wasn't tipped on its head. Also, is Martin Brodeur feeling okay? How often does MARTIN BRODEUR give up 5 goals in ANY game?

So in general the game was sloppy for both sides but Emery made more saves than his future Hall-of-Famer counterpart down the ice. The good news is that every part seemed to have moments of greatness for the team. The top line was stellar in both creating chances and sinking the puck and the other lines provided offensive and defensive support. Also? I love Dean McAmmond. Seriously, can we keep him?

I think given how many times I've seen Wade Redden and Andrej Meszaros make a bad play or get knocked off the puck way too easily, the only thing left I can do is to just roll my eyes. I ought to be careful that they don't get stuck that way. However, I have to say that when I saw Redden actually hit somebody today, my eyes near popped out of my head. Actually, to be honest, Redden didn't have that bad of a game. He scored the game winner on a Powerplay 43 seconds into the third period and made a couple of smart plays to create a shooting lane for himself. Also, for all of the talk of Jersey's defense, their offense doesn't get enough credit. Jamie Langenbrunner, Travis Zajac and Zach Parise are all guys I would like on any normal basis but given that they are the ones standing in the way of a championship, I'll have to learn how to get my hate-on real good.

All in all, this could make for an interesting series. If you want to look at historical trend and if you think that the Senators have switched places with last season's Sabres...then things should look good for Ottawa. But neither team can play like they did tonight, it was just sloppy.

Labels: dean mcammond, martin brodeur, new jersey devils, playoffs, ray emery, round 2: new jersey devils, travis zajac, wade redden, zach parise

I didn't plan on a Liveblog tonight but I had the computer downstairs and thought why not. Also because I just had to share my joy....

7:01 p.m. - OH EM GEE CBC IS USING "HERE IT GOES AGAIN" by OK GO AS PART OF THEIR OPENING MONTAGE! Well played CBC...well-played. It's better than all of the Nickelback they like to overdose on.

7:02 p.m. - Seeing these images is making me giddy.

7:03 p.m. - You know what else is hilarious? Ron McLean saying "OK GO"

7:07 p.m. - These empty seats are really making me sad. I could have been there! Wait...how far is it from here to Jersey anyways? Let's consult with Google....Wait national anthem, never mind.

Oh man, lookit all that scruff. WAKE UP VERMY.

7:08 pm - Who is that on the bench? Oh yeah... SAPRYKIN. Mike Fisher looks like an apostle.

Is there a smudge on the camera or are they using the "Saint" filter on Martin Brodeur on purpose?

Oh great, Bob Cole and Greg Millen. Redden and Meszaros starting for Ottawa with the Alfie-Spezza-Heatley line. Pandolfo-Madden-Brylin line for Jersey as expected. GAME ON!

7:11 p.m. - First shot from Heatley. Was lose by Brodeur for awhile but cleared in time. Nice stretch pass by Alfie to Spezza. Good chance! Let's do more of that! Fisher taken out by White in the corner. Spezza line out again. Back-hand shot from Heatley! Softie but good chance. Man Heatley just got pasted. Alfie just erased Matvichuk.

7:14 pm - PREISSING SCORES! DEFLECTED IN FRONT AT 1:30

7:15 PM - Two-on one for Saprykin and McAmmond! Big rebound from Brodeur, Andy Greene knocks it out of the way.

Good on Meszaros for breaking up a two-on rush. 16:30 in, shots on goal are 4-0.

7:18 pm - Oh man a close odd-man rush, Gomez's shot went wide. Good backchecking by Neil! ANOTHER RUSH, EMERY STEERS IT AWAY.

I'm sorry I'm not writing down all the Devils' players names...I'm just as bad as Bob Cole it seems.

7:20 PM - First penalty call. Shots-on-goal 4-1 so far. Mike Rupp off for interference.

CORVO GOES IN DEEP, WRIST SHOT AND SCORES! 6:49, Absolutely beautiful job by Corvo.

7:24 PM - Shot by Parise, Emery makes the save but it bounced off his pads and looked DANGEROUSLY close to bouncing in.

Vermette with a lot of room in deep. JUST went wide. Gomez's shot blocked. Kelly with a shot at the other end, deflected with Brodeur's stick.

7:26 PM - CBC WOULD YOU LIKE TO TELL ME WHY YOUR FEED JUST CUT OUT?!! BECAUSE THIS IS SO--okay it's back. Alfie with a shot--and it's called on the off-side. It was so close too! It bounced off of Brodeur's glove and landed right by the goalpost.

First Ottawa goal given to Spezza, assists to Heatley and Preissing.

Okay boys, how about we don't give Parise THAT much room. Nice stickhandling by Heatley but lost it. Shot by Brylin went way wide. WHOA NICE TRY BY MADDEN STOPPED BY EMERY!

7:30 PM - WHAT A CHANCE FOR GIONTA! EMERY WITH A GLORIOUS SAVE. Devils laying on the pressure! MAD SCRAMBLE IN FRONT, PUCK STILL LOSE. WHISTLE FINALLY GOES.

You know that Ford Fusion commercial where the guy steps on the break when the girl is trying to drink her bottle of water so that she gets splashed? Yeah, what a jerk. If my boyfriend did that the rest of my water would be on HIM.

7:33 PM - Hey boys? You know what they say about 2 goal leads right? Yeah, they're the hardest to keep so how about we not pull back on the pressure all right?

Penalty to Comrie for hooking at 13:40. Short-handed chance for Vermette stopped.

GREAT SAVES BY EMERY! First is cross-crease, the second is---NEVER MIND MCAMMOND SCORES A SHORTIE! 3-0! Rafalski gives the puck away to McAmmond in the Devils zone. 14:33 time of goal.

They're showing McAmmond on the bench and he conveniently had to bend down to do...something. Tie his skate?

7:38 PM - Heatley and Spezza with a 2-on-1, shot by Heatley...SCORES! Oh man it's hilarious that Heatley bumped into Spezza after the goal and totally knocked him down. 4-0!

The CBC are totally taking initiative to suggest a goalie change. They just showed Clemmensen sitting on the bench.

Bob Cole just demonstrated to us that he can count to 4. Well done Coley, well done.

7:42 pm - Dang it, Langenbrunner on the rush, stopped by Emery! Zajac with a high shot SCORES. Outmuscles Volchenkov and goes high, top corner, just under the crossbar.

Okay boys, let's KEEP IT UP!

7:44 pm - Please do not tell me Redden just gave the puck away AGAIN.
HEY BOYS, here's an idea, how about we...uh...get it out of the zone

Thank you Fisher!

WOULD SOMEBODY LIKE TO STOP GIONTA, PLEASE? Okay, thanks.

Fisher with a shot! Went high over the net.

End of the first! Jersey outshot Senators 15-9 in the first, the Devils will start the second with a powerplay. We'll have to wait and see what the call is.

All right that's me for the liveblog for now. I think I'm going to sit back for the second so I can actually enjoy the game and not risk carpal tunnel. Actually you never know what I feel like.

Also, that "Waaaambulance" Steelback Commercial? There are no words.

If you guys want to make a drinking game for this, as some of you are inclined...here are some rules to start off with:

- Everytime you see an empty seat [actually, this is more like an excuse to keep on drinking during the game]
- Everytime you SWEAR it went in but Emery made the save.

I'll have more later.

Just checked out the San Jose vs. Detroit tilt. 2-0 there from Griere and Carle. Man, getting early leads must be a trend tonight.

CBC is broadcasting Toronto FC games. Do Canadians really care about soccer? I'm pretty sure they lost their first three games too although apparently they managed to sell 14,000 season tickets in their inaugural year.

Period 2...
8:02 p.m. - Elliotte Friedman, you know I love you right? Okay good, RAY Emery...not ROY. Maybe this will help you remember:



Powerplay for the Devils, Comrie off for hooking.

8:06 PM - DANG GOOD SHOT by Gionta. Just beats Emery. 4-2. I'm turning the computer off now. This could get interesting.

Labels: liveblog, round 2: new jersey devils, spontaneity

Note to self, do not trying to make a huge-arse post when you're only half awake and after you've just watched Napoleon Dynamite. It doesn't exactly make for competent thinking. Also, I'm well aware Zdeno Chara isn't on our team anymore but come on...look at that picture, it's hilarious!

This is not to avenge 2003. If you want to start a new and say that you've learned from history, there's no sense in drudging it up all over again. They're both different teams, with new attitudes and hopefully with 4 years of growth and hopefully, maturity. And also, to be honest, I have enough trouble remembering what happened last week, forget about 4 years ago.

However, as promised here is the playoff primer, hopefully free of errors.


Up Front...

Ottawa Senators…	New Jersey Devils…
Heatley - Spezza - Alfredsson	Elias – Gomez – Gionta
Schaefer - Fisher - Comrie	Parise – Zajac – Langenbrunner
Vermette - Kelly - Neil	Pandolfo – Madden – Brylin
Saprykin - McAmmond – Schubert	Rasmussen – Dowd – Rupp
Extras – McGrattan	Extras - Janssen

Advantage...Senators
Is it weird that the first thing I thought of when reading the depth charts was "Hourray, McGrattan has somebody to fight in the press box again!" Not that I know if Janssen will be in the line-up or anything. The second thing I realized that asides from John Madden, I really had no idea who the other forwards for the Devils were. This is beyond not knowing because I don't pay attention to the Devils as much, but then I remembered Sergei Brylin was the guy who didn't score in the last game against the Islanders and therefore prevented the Leafs from getting into the playoffs. So he's cool, but I digress...

Given that the Devils forwards are used in a more defensive role, the scoring edge has to go to the Senators. They benefit from the fact that even if their top line gets shut down, they have secondary scoring to compensate. If every player down is willing to chip in when it counts, then they shouldn't have any problems creating great scoring chances, even if they're all ugly. Hey, when it comes to Martin Brodeur being between you and the net, you have to take all that you can get.

Zach Parise had an outstanding series against the Lightning but that was up against a considerably weaker defense corps. The top two lines can expect a lot of company from the Phillips-Volchenkov pairing.


On the Blue Line...

Ottawa Senators…	New Jersey Devils…
Redden - Meszaros	Rafalski – Greene
Phillips - Volchenkov	Oduya – Lukowich
Corvo - Preissing	Martin – Matvichuk
Extra - Nycholat	Extra - White

Advantage...Draw
If you want to look at head-to-head defensive ability, you would have to give the edge to the Senators based on the fact that asides from Redden and Meszaros, the defense corps plays a very tight defensive game while being able to generate offense. However, looking at the overall team defense, obviously the clogged plumbing system that the Devils play is what made them famous and what puts the rest of us to sleep.

In all seriousness, a lot of the defensemen on the Devils' team have yet to establish themselves and Colin White's health is still in question. If Redden and Meszaros can step up their game [why do I feel like I've said this before? Oh wait...because I've been saying it for the past 3 months?] then they can easily outplay the Devils. Joe Corvo has been great at getting back on a rush and at the same time gaining the zone while Preissing has been consistent but isn't a particularly physical player.

Starting in Net...

Ottawa Senators…	New Jersey Devils…
Emery	Brodeur
Gerber	Some other guy Clemmensen

Advantage...Brodeur
It's not entirely appropriate for me to bow down at the Altar of Brodeur but it's true, I do love Marty Brodeur. And as much as I love the lovable ball of freakshow that is Ray Emery, the advantage probably has to go to the future hall-of-famer and multiple Stanley Cup winner. Brodeur can steal you games you have no business winning and he's obviously got experience having done it a trillion and one times before.

However, there is a "Ray" of hope [see what I did there? I'm brilliant] in that in the series against Tampa, Brodeur did let in three or more goals in at least three of the games, which to me was completely unheard of before. It's an indication however that he is beatable and that with a potent offensive creating chances, it's possible to get a few past him. You have to score goals to win after all.

If the boys did any tips on how to score on Brodeur, maybe they can ask Luc Robitaille:



In terms of the fight of the back-ups, I'd give it to Gerber. He's had more chances to play, he's been there before and he's probably got more skill and experience. Not to mention he's also apparently good luck to have on the bench.

The "X" Factors...

• Experience...Advantage: Devils. The Devils have been there before and simply put, that's invaluable but then again, the Senators have learned from adversity throughout the season. The series against the Penguins was a bigger challenge than their playoff series against Tampa last year.
• Grit...Advantage: That depends, is Janssen going to be in the line-up?
• Leadership...Alfie has absolutely developed into a valuable leader and proven he can lead by example. The Devils' captain, Patrik Elias will be expected to miss game 1 but it's obvious that the everything begins and ends with Brodeur.
  
• Who Wants it More?...Of course everybody wants the Cup but the Senators smell blood and they're not going to stop until the bitter end. Also, come on Devils, you've got a bunch already. Learn to share!
• That Being Said...I don't think anybody would be surprised if either of these teams won. The Senators just have to believe and take it one game, one shift at a time. They're capable of winning, they just have to remember that its in their hands and not try to jinx themselves by trying to do too much all the time.
• Just because I said so... I AM FILLED WITH OTTAWA PRIDE AND LOVE!

Series Schedule:

Thu Apr 26, 2007	7:00 PM ET 7:00 PM										RDS,CBC (HD)
Sat Apr 28, 2007	8:00 PM ET 8:00 PM										RDS,VERSUS (HD),CBC (HD)
Mon Apr 30, 2007	7:00 PM ET 7:00 PM										RDS,VERSUS (HD),CBC (HD)
Wed May 2, 2007	7:00 PM ET 7:00 PM										RDS,VERSUS (HD),CBC (HD)
Sat May 5, 2007	8:00 PM ET 8:00 PM										RDS,VERSUS (HD),CBC (HD)
Mon May 7, 2007	7:00 PM ET 7:00 PM										RDS,VERSUS (HD),CBC (HD)
Wed May 9, 2007	7:00 PM ET 7:00 PM										RDS,CBC (HD)

From the evil, other, evil...FINE OTHER side of the fence:

• Interchangeable Parts
• 2 Man Advantage
• Drop the Puck
• Battle of New York - who always has wonderful complete playoff coverage
• In Lou We Trust
• NJ Devils Hockey
• Frozen Fiend

On another note, if you're a Senators' fan in Jersey and is interested to check out these games, there are apparently a bunch of tickets still available. Anywhere.

In Exciting news...
Starting in September, I will be the sports director at 93.3 CFMU! Most of the sports broadcasts on the station have been live broadcasting varsity games, but maybe I can sweet-talk our program director into starting up a hockey show. It'll be like "Hockeycentral" except without the Millard and the Kypreos.

I suppose the only thing left to say is...

Labels: 2007 draft, megapost, new jersey devils, playoffs, round 2: new jersey devils

I promised a playoff primer for Round 2 and I didn't get around to starting it until 11:30 p.m. and then I realized after I published it that it was full of errors and typos and it would have taken me just as long to fix all of it than to just start anew.

So I deleted it, we'll try again tomorrow. In the meantime, here's an oldie but a goodie, Jason Spezza attempting to do the wave to get you in the Round 2 mood:

Labels: sherry can't type, silly admin business

So by now everybody's heard that Sidney Crosby played with a broken foot near the end of the season. Perhaps it's just an indication of my severe dislike for him that the first thing I thought was: "That's stupid!" Because seriously, you know...if you play injured you could make it worse. But then of course the logical side of me told me to respect him for the fact that he was still able to make an impact for his team despite being injured. So for that he gets a quiet golf clap for me. Still, somehow I feel like I should have known his foot was broken:



Well, I guess we all know what he'll be doing for the summer instead then:



I'll have a Round 2 primer up later on tonight. The good news is I am officially done exams and can finally throw my focus behind my boys. And finding something to do over the summer. Anybody like to give me a job?

Here's Sports Correspondent legend Raj Binder with his playoff predictions

Labels: general, off-topic, pittsburgh penguins, raj binder, sidney crosby, silliness

In Scarlett Ice's fine tradition of upstanding and eloquent Penguins posts, here is some exclusive footage of what the Penguins did last night.


Uh...I'm pretty sure half of you aren't even legal yet


I think Crosby had too much gin


Fleury is making sure he's okay


There, there boys...nighty night

I'll have new meaningful material by next week hopefully. Exams are still keeping me busy. How is one expected to concentrate when it's so gorgeous outside?! In any case, there are some conversation points to keep you busy:

- World Hockey Championships News.

- Sean Hill suspended 20 games for alleged steroid use.

- I demand all of you vote in the Second Round of Rawk the Puck '07!

Labels: general, miscellaneous, off-topic, pittsburgh penguins, random, silliness

It's true.



They did it! They did it with poise, grit, heart and of course skill. And it was easily the best series the Ottawa Senators ever played. I am so proud of them and I am so absolutely joyous not only because they won, but because of the character they showed in this series.

Also of truth is the fact that I have three finals in two days starting early tomorrow so I won't have time to comment until later on. I was a bag of nerves for the whole evening and was tempted to just run down and watch but kept in my mind my deal with the boys. I managed to stay strong until the last 8 minutes. I didn't want to miss it.

Now we play the waiting game until we see whether or not our next opponent will be Jersey, Tampa, the Rangers or the Isles. I just hope the boys will keep up with the hard work in the next week or so and come back out on fire.

Definitely a new definition to "be red"!

In the meantime,

Labels: absolute elation, joy, playoffs, round 1: pittsburgh penguins

Do you remember the last time Anton Volchenkov scored a goal in the playoffs? About 4 years and a day ago. He's also only ever had 9 goals in 229 career games but nobody has ever faulted him for that. He's a "defenceman defenceman" who's black and blue with his league leading blocked shots in the regular season but tonight he notched the game-winning-goal tonight as the Senators managed to squeak out with a win against the Penguins.

The boys dominated the first period with a very aggressive forecheck and generating some amazing chances but pretty much sat back in the second period, allowing the Penguins to tie it up 1-1. The first goal by the Senators was in the first on a powerplay which was an absolute "Follow the Bouncing Puck" play where the puck actually hopped up and over the shoulder of Marc-Andre Fleury into the net.

All in all, this game could have gone either way but it was Ray Emery absolutely running away with this one, especially with the on-slaught of Penguins pressure in the second period where the Senators were out-shot 13-4. However, the Senators managed to continued to out-shoot the Pens in the third with the Penguins only managing 5 shots on goal.

One of the things that's helped the Senators have success is doing the little things right. They're playing smart with the puck, are willing to take the body and are also dominating in the Faceoff dot. Spezza went 10-6 in faceoffs. In the dying seconds of the game, there were about 3 face-offs every 10 seconds because the Penguins had the extra attacker on trying to tie the game. The Senators just ended up lobbing the puck down the ice and taking face-offs in their zone and managing to avoid any offensive pressure because Sidney Crosby ended up losing all three draws.

For all of the heck I give the kid, I haven't ever denied his skill and passion as a hockey player. His speed is amazing and can be attributed to his great lower-body strength as he managed to out-skate a lot of the Senators defencemen tonight. Chris Phillips had to take a penalty just to take away a scoring opportunity but in that case it was probably the best thing he could do. Unfortunately for Volchenkov and Phillips, being on the ice with the best in the league might cause their +/- to sink but given the fact that they both had amazing numbers at the end of the regular season just shows what an effective job they have been doing.

Not to mention that, Volchenkov scored a goal! I'll let him have the last word:

"I don't score much but I scored a very big goal,'' said Volchenkov, who said his only bigger goal was in the world juniors for Russia against Canada. "It was a great, great play, a pass for me . . . and not too much traffic."

"I might be a little bit lucky."

You've got to be good to be lucky and lucky to be good!

Other News...
- I've elected not to talk about the Colby Armstrong hit on Patrick Eaves as I feel that it's been debated enough and I've already talked about it previously. Most of the problem that Senators' fans have with Armstrong isn't the hit on Eaves; again I think that it was perfectly clean [at least in the way the league defines clean hits], but the fact is Armstrong has not been shy about running people before in the past and has often taken liberties with Emery and blatantly trying to injure him. This is what doesn't sit well with me and many other fans. Eaves at least didn't suffer concussion but is still out with a "head injury" and Oleg Saprykin finally got to see some action. Can't say he was much of a factor one way or the other but they got the job done regardless.

- You know what I could watch over and over again? Captain Alfie rubbing out Gary Roberts in game 3 when Roberts tried to lay a hit on him but ended up getting the worse of it. Roberts was trying to make up for that by hitting everything that moved today.

- The Senators are now up 3-1 in the series and they can wrap it up at home on Thursday. I feel like I've seen this before but I'm going to take the lead of Captain Daniel Alfredsson: It's a whole new playoffs and a whole new slate.

- Mike Comrie has completely come into his own on this team and in these playoffs and Joe Corvo has been having an amazing series as well. Chris Kelly has also been contributing a lot and it's comforting to see that guys down the list can also pitch in and do a lot for your team.

- By the way? Marty Biron on the NHL on TSN panel is absolutely brilliant. He's actually got very insightful things to say and is definitely very informed about the goings-ons about the game. And does an okay Dominik Hasek impression, although Emery's is much better.

- Today my friends and I had a road hockey tournament for the coveted House Championship Trophy [actually called the ______ Cup, named after the street we live on]. Because we ended up switching teams halfway through we just decided we were all winners. I ended up blocking a really hard shot that hit me square on the knee so now I have a nice bruise to show for my efforts. A-Train would be proud.

Around the League...
Rangers beat Thrashers 7-0
Rangers leads series 3-0

Vancouver beat Dallas 2-1
Thanks to the brilliant goaltending of Roberto Luongo and Willie Mitchell
Vancouver leads series 3-1

Calgary beat Detroit 3-2!!!!
There's hope left! There's always hope! YAY OPTIMISM!
Detroit leads series 2-1

Labels: anton volchenkov, chris kelly, jason spezza, joe corvo, mike comrie, playoffs, round 1: pittsburgh penguins, sidney crosby

That's pretty much the state of my mood during the course of the game. The Pittsburgh Penguins came out of the gate and really took it the Senators and managed to score less than a minute in. However, the boys, perhaps charged by hearing the Canadian anthem being booed, eventually got back into it and off of an absolutely flukey goal from the stick of Dean McAmmond managed to come back with a strong effort and take game of the series.

To be fair, the Pittsburgh crowd might have been booing the Senators images that were showing on the ice while the anthem was going on.

This was really a hilarious game. Everything that could happen probably did but the Senators got the most important thing and that's a series lead against the Penguins. This was all inspired by the absolutely brilliant play of Daniel Alfredsson who was doing everything you expect from a leader. He was creating plays, scoring goals and even taking the body to Colby Armstrong after his hit put out Patrick Eaves [more on that later].

The chippy play was back and forth as expected as both teams were not shy about introducing themselves to one another. Christoph Schubert was back in the line-up despite being face-planted by Maxime Talbot in yesterday's game and he was certainly not endearing himself to the Pittsburgh crowd after a hard and somewhat questionable hit on Rob Scuderi. The Senators answered back though with Jason Spezza standing up for himself and responding to a shove by Gary Roberts. Interesting to note that these guys are supposed to be buddies. While the tussle was going on, Sidney Crosby was by the net and decided to score on Ray Emery even though the play was already whistled dead because of the fight. Of course Crosby decided to do the second thing he does best and argue with the ref about it. I know that the camera crew tends to show Crosby a lot but the amount of yapping he does is completely ridiculous and is just plain annoying. You're a sensational hockey player so why don't you just let that speak for itself? Yeesh.

As mentioned, Armstrong laid out a really hard shoulder check on Eaves when he was at the side of the net with the puck. I'll say for the record that I think the hit was completely legal. Armstrong didn't leave his feet and it wasn't from behind but it was very hard and brutal. Eaves was probably not wearing his helmet properly but he isn't usually one to do that given that he has had concussion issues when he was at Boston College. Poor Eaves had to be taken off on a stretcher but was conscious and didn't have to be taken to the hospital. It wasn't just the hit though, it was because Armstrong had been taking liberties with running Emery all season that he was skating around with a target on his back. McAmmond didn't like the hit and decided to stand up for his teammate, a protective papa that he is and got into a fight with Talbot. He didn't look too into it at first but did eventually win it. The fight, the goal and an assist later in the game earned him a Gordie Howe hat trick.

After Eaves was out, the Senators didn't let up at all. Captain Alfredsson laid out Armstrong with a nice physical play and Evgeni Malkin attempted to get into it with Chris Phillips after he laid out Crosby, but it looked like he was just giving him a big hug for finally getting rid of him so he wouldn't have to play in his shadow anymore. There's nothing like watching Alfie lead the way. He absolutely deserves it.

I also have to give some props to Joe Corvo for having an absolutely stellar series so far. He makes great plays and isn't afraid to gain the zone yet he always gets back in time to stop a rush. It's a welcome sight given that Wade Redden is deciding not to take our suggestion of "Stop Sucking".

So all-in-all a very eventful game and I highly encourage you to check out the highlights if you get a chance. Everybody knew this series would be electric, but most probably didn't think it'd be for its grittiness and physicality.

Senators Lead Series 2-1

This and That...
- As per my deal* with the boys, I only watched the first period and studied during the rest. I was informed of game action with texts from the lovely HG and cheers from my housemate G from downstairs. Everytime the Senators scored she likes to sing "I'm So Excited" so I was up-to-date with the action.

* = my deal was that if they played hard, I'd study hard for my exams.

- The callers in Ottawa are hilarious. One of them asked if there was a penalty for just being plain annoying given the amount of times Crosby was throwing a tantrum about something or doing something equally bothersome.

- I find more often than not that I tend to agree with Don Cherry although I'm not a fan of how he actually says it. I have to say I agreed completely with he said that Roberts shouldn't be chirping as much at the referees given that he doesn't have a letter on his sweater.


Man I LOVE my team

Around the League...
Detroit 4, Calgary 1
Detroit leads series 2-0

Anaheim 2, Minnesota 1
Anaheim leads series 3-0

Vancouver 2, Dallas 1 (OT)
Vancouver leads series 2-1

Labels: colby armstrong, daniel alfredsson, dean mcammond, patrick eaves, playoffs, round 1: pittsburgh penguins, sidney crosby

There are several ways we can look at this game. Alternative 1: "OH NOES WE LOST WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!!!oneoneeleven"

Or, Alternative 2:

Okay, so we lost game 2. We've never been great at games 2. In fact I believe our record is now 0-7 for games 2. But that's no reason to panic. Everybody thought that this game was going to be an interesting series and for the Senators to single-handedly walk all over the Penguins wasn't likely to happen. Nor would it have been very interesting.

The truth is, the boys did play a good game and the Penguins picked up their game just as we suspected they would. I hate to say it, but Ray Emery did not have as good as a game as he should have, especially letting in a softie like the Jordan Staal goal that ended up tying the game. The Penguins in truth didn't play a better game than Ottawa but Marc-Andre Fleury was absolutely stellar letting in only 3 on 37, including a mad scramble at the end by the Senators in an effort to force OT. The one thing I am disappointed about is the fact that they couldn't win it for HG, who happened to be in attendance. She sent me some very calming texts after the game to make sure I wasn't freaking out too much. The prospect of many presents coming my way was enough to appease me.

The chippy play continued and unfortunately Christoph Schubert got knocked out of the game after colliding awkwardly with Maxime Talbot at centre ice and ended up landing on his face. He managed to get to the dressing room on his own and word is it's only a "muscular" injury. No idea what that means but I hope Schubie will be back soon. Mike Comrie of all people decided to square off against Colby Armstrong. I can't say I blame the little guy though, the Penguins had been giving him a rough time all game including Jarkko Ruutu actually sitting on the poor guy at one point. Dude, if you have a crush on him, ask for his number AFTER the game.

The Senators won't have time to wallow though, as the next game will be tomorrow night in Pittsburgh at the Mellon. Hopefully the boys will be strong enough to regroup and come out with an inspired performance on the road.

Series Tied 1-1

Bits and Pieces...
- Maybe I need to make a Panic Metre for the playoffs. Judging by the texts HG gave me after the game, it sounded like people in Ottawa were ready to jump off the ledge.

- You know I don't like to complain about the officiating because I know given how fast the game is, the refs have a tough job. But given that it was Mick McGeough reffing, it didn't surprise me that the officiating was terrible this afternoon for both teams. I'm not convinced that "slashing" call against Mike Fisher actually existed.

- Dear Bryan Murray, this whole Andrej Meszaros + Wade Redden combination? NOT WORKING FOR CRISSAKES SO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, PLEASE. [breathe] Okay. And Joe Corvo has been playing a lot better lately but I'm not convinced by the Corvo - Preissing pairing. They play fine together but they don't add anything to the game so maybe try, I don't know helping out the struggling defense pairings out a little more by separating them? Obviously Phillips and Volchenkov has to stay together but you have to separate Meszaros and Redden and put them with one of Corvo and Preissing or heck, throw Lawrence Nycholat in there. Or, if Schubie is back in time, put him back on the blue-line.

- My housemate, who doesn't really follow hockey except for Vancouver was yelling "SOMEBODY PUNCH CROSBY" all through the game.

- You know what else cheered me up after the game? Seeing Martin Biron on the NHL on TSN panel. He wore a very nice suit with an orange tie and was his usual cheerful and charming self.

- Pictures from the Hamilton Bulldogs vs. Grand Rapids Griffins game are up!

- The Ottawa Senators Playoff Promo Video. You know what? I love it. They sure are running with this whole 300 cross-promotion thing though. Although to be fair, it's a little more applicable to the Senators than other teams I suppose.

Around the League...
East
Islanders win tonight against Buffalo 3-2
Series tied 1-1

Rangers beat Atlanta 2-1
Did anyone else catch that absolutely flukey goal by Sean Avery? If it wasn't Avery, I might have thought that it was awesome.
New York Rangers lead series 2-0

Tampa Bay beat Nersey 3-2
Series tied 1-1

West
Nashville beat San Jose 5-2
Series tied 1-1

Dallas beat Vancouver 2-0
Series tied 1-1

Anaheim beat Minnesota 3-2
Anaheim leads series 2-0

Labels: christoph schubert, mike comrie, photography, playoffs, round 1: pittsburgh penguins

^{Alternate Title: I swear, Sherry is NOT infatuated with Carey Price}

Tonight I acted as somewhat of a scout as I went to take in the future of Habs goaltending as Carey Price made his Hamilton Bulldogs debut and came away with a very convincing win over the Grand Rapids Griffins. But given that it was the golden boy from the World Junior Championships, was there any doubt?

Price made 27 saves against the Griffins, the AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings. The pace started off slow but definitely with no shortage of chippy play...most of it after the whistle. This was the second last game for the Bulldogs this season, their last at home before heading into the playoffs. So really, the Bulldogs didn't have much reason to play with much intensity. The game picked up after the first and the Bulldogs came out with a convincing win despite only getting 22 shots on goal. The crowd all seemed very appreciative of Price as after the announcer called his name in the starting line-up a lot of people cheered quite loudly with one person adding "YEAH, PRICE!". The Bulldogs also set a new season attendance record at Copps Coliseum with a crowd of 10,510 people.

We didn't know much about the Grand Rapids team and while we were cheering for Hamilton, we decided to amuse ourselves by jeering the Griffins goaltender Howard. Whenever he was anywhere near the puck he was met by our chorus of "Ho-waaaaaarrddd....Hooo-wwawaaaaarrrrddd". An elderly gentleman in front of us turned around and said, rather amusedly "You guys need to be cut off!". Funny, we weren't even drinking.

As for Price's debut, I was really surprised at how he didn't seem to have any nerves. He came out and seemed very set and calm in all of the saves he made. There were signs of jitters in the early goings but they were certainly soon forgotten as he made a number of sensational saves, especially when the Griffins were pressing in the second and third. He was positionally sound and seemed very comfortable handling the puck. Although most of the Griffins' chances weren't all that difficult, he made just about everything look easy.



All in all, it was a very fun way to spend an evening. The tickets were only $20, anywhere in the rink. The great thing about Copps Coliseum is there tendency not to check your tickets once you're through the door and the fact that the games are nowhere near sold out. After the first period we moved down to the lower bowl and managed to get really good seats about 5 rows back from the ice.

I'll have all of my pictures uploaded by tomorrow so all of you guys can see. Let's just say I tend to go a little bit photo happy. And for some reason there are a ton of pictures of Price. I don't know how that happened. At all.



Thanks to Eric from NHL Fanhouse for the link. All of the pictures from the game can be found here.

Labels: carey price, grand rapids griffins, hamilton bulldogs

I have to confess, I was a nervous wreck this morning. I woke up late and still had two cups of coffee. I was feeling a bit dizzy all day and come dinner time I had made myself a pretty nice meal; baked chicken thighs with a side of broccoli and fried rice. But once I sat down I had lost my appetite, I was in knots. I didn't think I would react so much to it but I did.

Then when the boys came flying out I instantly felt better. It was wild how...well they were playing. I had never seen them play this amazing before and I knew that if they were able to keep up this momentum, than at least for this game, it would be all right. The boys played great playoff hockey and it was almost scary seeing how good these boys could be. Whether or not they keep it up for the long haul remains to be seen but this at least shows us that they're capable.

The Senators had goals from Andrej Meszaros and Chris Kelly early in the first about five minutes apart. The other Senators goals came from Dany Heatley, Mike Comrie, Chris Neil and Tom Preissing. Captain Daniel Alfredsson had an absolutely phenomenal game and even though he had only one assist, he created a ton of plays and was also very responsible defensively. It was good enough for him to be first star of the night.

As for the Penguins, it was obvious that a lot of them were feeling first game jitters, especially Marc-Andre Fleury who was giving up a lot of rebounds and secondary chances in addition to at times not being as sound positionally. He did manage to settle down after the Penguins managed to kill off a couple of penalties and 5-on-3s but still ended up getting the yank in favour of Jocelyn Thibault who only faced one shot.

I'm not sure what to expect for the rest of the series. I don't think the Penguins team we saw tonight is the full extent of what they're capable of. Perhaps it was the inexperience showing and maybe they'll be more dangerous once they settle down. The important thing for the Senators to remember is to play disciplined hockey as the last two goals by the Penguins all came on the Powerplay. With the offensive weapons they have, the Senators have got to remember to be careful. Of course, that's not to say that they concentrate too much on that. What's important is that they focus on their own game. While it's nice to be up in the series, they can't let it get to their head and lose focus. It's only going to get harder from here on in and if they continue to play good defensively, then they ought to be okay.

To fully communicate my absolute elation, here is the contents of my conversation with HG when I came online:

HG: DUDE!
Sherry: I KNOW
HG: DUDE!
HG: RIGHT?
Sherry: I KNOW!

The Last Word...

So one-sided was the opening period that Ottawa's fourth line, for example, of Dean McAmmond between Schubert and Parick Eaves overpowered Pittsburgh's second unit of Evgeni Malkin with Ryan Malone and Mark Recchi, keeping the puck the Penguins zone with a sharp cycle and then drawing two Pittsburgh penalties, handing the Sens a 5-on-3 power play at 11:09. The Pens did manage to kill it.--CP via TSN.ca

Notes For Next Game...
- Stay out of the box!
- Defensive hockey = VERY GOOD, keep doing more of that
- Ray Emery didn't face a lot of shots today but he looked good nonetheless. The Penguins will have settled down at least a little bit by next game so DEFENSE = GOOD
- Play well because HG will be there
- STAY OUT OF THE BOX!

Senators Lead Series 1-0... Next game Sat., April 14 3:00 p.m. at Ottawa CBC, RDS, NBC

Around the League...
San Jose 5, Nashville 4 (2OT)
SJS: CARLE, M. (07:18 in 1st), GRIER, M. (05:31 in 2nd), RIVET, C. (PPG, 12:57 in 2nd), MICHALEK, M. (15:52 in 2nd), RISSMILLER, P. (08:14 in 2nd OT)
NSH: RADULOV, A. (02:35 in 2nd), DUMONT, J. (03:56 in 2nd), RADULOV, A. (13:05 in 3rd), DUMONT, J. (19:09 in 3rd)
Next Game: Friday, April 13, 2007 in Nashville
San Jose leads series 1-0

Dallas 4, Vancouver 5 (4OT!!!!)
DAL: MORROW, B. (PPG, 05:28 in 1st), DALEY, T. (10:00 in 2nd), MIETTINEN, A. (08:31 in 3rd), NAGY, L. (13:46 in 3rd)
VAN: SEDIN, D. (04:20 in 1st), OHLUND, M. (PPG, 06:26 in 2nd), NASLUND, M. (13:47 in 2nd), SMOLINSKI, B. (07:36 in 3rd), SEDIN, H. (18:06 in 4th OT)
Next Game: Friday, April 13th, 2007 in Vancouver
Vancouver leads series 1-0

Minnesota 1, Anaheim 2
MIN: DEMITRA, P. (06:01 in 2nd)
ANA: SELANNE, T. (09:52 in 2nd), PENNER, D. (14:40 in 3rd)
Next Game: Friday, April 13th, 2007 in Anaheim
Anaheim leads series 1-0

Rawk the Puck! '07
Mike Chen has taken the initiative to head up Rawk the Puck '07 this year and yours truly is one of the panelists among some rather esteemed company. The first round Western Conference match-ups are up now and voting is underway so head on over and let good music prevail!

Labels: absolute elation, playoffs, round 1: pittsburgh penguins, win

vs.
Sens vs. Pens
For those who can't tell, that's a Samsung SENS Q40 laptop

All right, so I have to admit, last playoffs I wasn't really nervous. Maybe because the Senators were the number 1 seed and they were facing Tampa, who was number 8. But their early playoff exit has made me a bit of a nervous wreck the eve before their series kicks off against Pittsburgh.

And I will admit it, I'm scared. I'm a little frightened. I don't know if I'll make it through tomorrow because I'm a nervous wreck. I didn't think a team where half the roster would be asking me to buy beer for them would make me feel so jittery. But you know what? I'm just being realistic here. If the Penguins do go deep in the playoffs, I doubt anybody would be surprised. Everything seemed to be in place for them given how the drama unfolded that was their season. However, I'm going to keep the hope alive. I'm going to keep faith because the Senators are my team and they're a different team than before. And they have to start somewhere and they at least have the experience to get them through it.

So, as any good blogger does, here is your series preview.

Up-Front...

Ottawa Senators…	Pittsburgh Penguins…
Heatley - Spezza - Alfredsson	Christensen - Crosby - Armstrong
Schaefer - Fisher - Comrie	Ouelette - Malkin - Recchi
Vermette - Kelly - Neil	Malone - Staal - Laraque
Schubert - McAmmond - Eaves	Ruutu - Talbot - Ekman
Extras - McGrattan - Saprykin	Roberts - Thorburn - Petrovicky

Advantage....Penguins
The lines for the Penguins aren't accurate but I couldn't [read: didn't look that hard because I was lazy] find an accurate line-up chart for the Pens. Up front, you have to give the advantage to anybody with Crosby on their roster. I know, I know, as much as I hate to admit it, it's true though. I'm pretty sure Crosby is the equivalent of our whole entire top line or the whole of our second to fourth lines COMBINED. Am I giving him too much credit? Maybe I am. He does only have 4 points against the Senators and all of them on the Powerplay. So it's important for the boys to play disciplined.

As far as depth goes, they could probably go head to head in terms of lines except Malkin and Staal will without a doubt provide more fire power than Fisher and Vermette/Kelly/Eaves. Staal and Kelly could probably go head to head scoring short-handed goals though.

McGrattan and Sapyrkin will most likely be healthy scratches, Murray has said. It's also expected that Laraque will be a scratch, and as Murray joked, maybe they'll get into it at the press box.

On the Blue-line...

Ottawa Senators…	Pittsburgh Penguins…
Redden - Meszaros	Gonchar – Melichar
Phillips - Volchenkov	Whitney – Orpik
Corvo - Schubert	Eaton – Scuderi
Extra - Nycholat, Preissing	Nasreddine – Cairns
	Kwiatowski

Advantage...Senators
Again, I apologize if the Pens' defense pairings aren't correct. I'm giving the advantage to the Senators based on the strength of the Phillips-Volchenkov pairing. With the help of a good checking line, they should be able to shut down Crosby or Malkin or at least effectively contain them. Redden and Meszaros are slumping but if they were perhaps paired with somebody else, they might be able to get out of their slump. Redden, I suspect is still battling an injury so hopefully these couple of days of will be enough for him to feel better. Not included in the chart is Preissing, who is also nursing an injury and no word yet if he'll be back in time. If he is back, he will most likely be paired up again with Corvo and Schubert moving back up front. However, I would like to see Schubert stay on the blue-line and perhaps be paired with one of Meszaros or Redden to add a more physical presence to that pairing.

The Pens' defense isn't horrible, but it doesn't have the big presence that the Senators' do. I would be careful of Gonchar, Malone and Eaton though as they've proven to be able to be dangerous offensively and defensively.

Starting in Net...

Ottawa Senators…	Pittsburgh Penguins…
Emery	Fleury
Gerber	Thibault

Advantage...Senators
I'm not usually a numbers kind of person because I think for the most part they don't tell you the whole story but I'm going to give it to Emery based on his numbers and also playoff experience. Emery is currently 13th in the league in terms of GAA with 2.47 and 7th in SV% with .918. Fun fact: he's faced 1,691 shots in total.

Marc-Andre Fleury is 27th in GAA with 2.83 and 24th in SV% with 0.906. Fun fact: he's right above Martin Gerber who is 25th in SV%. He has, however played 67 games in the regular season while Emery has played a little less with 58. Fleury has faced 1,954 shots in total.

Emery not only has playoff experience and the battle scars to prove it, but he's fiercely competitive and has proven to be more stable on a consistent basis. Fleury does have the ability to steal games for the Pens, but has not been steadily consistent and the lack of experience might play a factor.

In terms of back-ups Gerber is 24th and 25th respectively in GAA and SV%. Thibault isn't in the top 30 in either categories. That being said however, he is a perfectly reliable back-up but might not be enough to steal a series should something happen to Fleury. Gerber, does at least have playoff experience, even if it was from the bench most of the time. He did steal a couple of games for Carolina last year in the playoffs when Cam Ward was having an off-day but didn't play for more than three games in a row. His health and his confidence will be the biggest factors that determine his playoff success. However, hopefully it won't come to that for either team.

The "X"-Factors...

• Experience - Advantage: Senators. The obvious choice would be the Senators, who have made the playoffs 10 seasons straight and the Pens haven't made it since the year 2000. However, the Penguins do have Recchi, Roberts and Laraque, two of which have won the cup and Laraque, who has made it to the finals. At least in passing.
  
• Grit - Advantage: Hard to say but probably a slight edge to the Penguins. The Senators do have good grinders in Neil, Schubert, Phillips and Volchenkov though and if they can provide a good physical presence, then they'll be able to contain the Penguins. They also have a good tough guy in McGrattan, but it's doubtful he'll see any action.
• Leadership - Advantage: It's easy to give this one to the Penguins based on the sole presence of Gary Roberts. HOWEVER, I have no doubt in the leadership qualities of Daniel Alfredsson if he's able to block out all the pressure from the media and just play like he's capable of. The Penguins have a lot of youth and perhaps only one or two veterans that can be the leader but the Senators have a room full of experienced players who will be able to step up and carry this team in Heatley, Phillips, Fisher and ohmygoodnessifhecanstopsucking Redden.
  
• Who Wants it More? - I have no doubt in my mind that the Penguins want it just as bad as anybody, but for some reason I can't bring myself to think that they need it. Come on boys, you'll have other chances. There are jobs on the line in the Nation's capital!
• That being said...with Ottawa being a Canadian team and perennial contender, there is undoubtedly pressure on them but I think if they put in a solid effort and is simply beat by a better team, a label of "underachieving" isn't warranted. Losing to Buffalo wasn't underachieving - they were simply beat by a better team and that's what happens. They have the chance to make something happen by being in the playoffs in the first place and have done a tremendous job in the regular season, something many of us like to discount but it still does matter.
  
• And Just Because I said so... Ottawa. Please?

Senators vs. Penguins Series Playoff Schedule:
Series D - #4 Ottawa vs. #5 Pittsburgh
Date Time (ET) Location Network
Wed., April 11 7:00 p.m. at Ottawa CBC, RDS, VERSUS
Sat., April 14 3:00 p.m. at Ottawa CBC, RDS, NBC
Sun., April 15 6:00 p.m. at Pittsburgh VERSUS, CBC, RDS
Tue., April 17 7:00 p.m. at Pittsburgh VERSUS, CBC, RDS
*Thu., April 19 7:00 p.m. at Ottawa CBC, RDS, VERSUS
*Sun., April 22 1:00 p.m. at Pittsburgh NBC, CBC, RDS
*Tue., April 24 7:00 p.m. at Ottawa VERSUS, CBC, RDS

* = If Necessary
Rest of schedule found here.

From the Other Side of the Fence...
In the interest of keeping things fair and balanced, here's some perspective from the evil other side of the fence: No Pun Intended, Confessions of a Hockey Fanatic, and Igloo Dreams

In Some News That Might Make Habs Fans Happy...
The Montreal Canadiens have locked up the hero of the World Junior Championships, Carey Price to a 3-year deal. Price has been assigned to the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs, who have 4 games left in the regular season.

Wait, he's in Hamilton? Does this mean I have to search him out for people [and by people I mean Jordi]?

Posting Notice...
All right, so hopefully this primer is sufficient enough for the next couple of days. I'm in the middle of the fray that is my horrible, awful, life-threatening exams so posting may be sparse. Depending on the state of my consciousness, I'll make post-game posts if I can. My exams end on the 24th and once that's done with you can expect a couple of liveblogs from me and a liveblog of the Stanley Cup Finals. Which is what inspired this blog's creation, so hourray! In the meantime, here's Spezza attempting to do the wave to get you pumped for the playoffs:

Labels: megapost, pittsburgh penguins, playoffs, preview, silly admin business

So as requested ordered by Lydia, I'm here to inform you that Anton Volchenkov is off the market as the Senators signed him to a new 3-year deal that was announced today.

Volchenkov, 25, recorded career highs in assists (18), points (19) and penalty minutes (67) this season. The Moscow native also led the league in blocked shots (273), was fifth in plus-minus (plus-37) and was 12th in hits (205).

--Via TSN.

The deal will take up two years of his restricted free agency and his first year as a free agent. No financial details have been disclosed yet but I hear rumblings/unsubstantiated rumours of somewhere in the neighbourhood of $2.5 million a year.

Volchenkov has had an absolutely phenomenal year. With Wade Redden and Andrej Meszaros struggling like fish without water and the departure of Zdeno Chara, him and Chis Phillips have completely taken over as the number one shut-down defense pairing on this team. He struggled early on in this season, as with the rest of the team and was probably seen as the goat in game 1 of the series against Buffalo last year. He's not going to be the guy who lights up the scoreboard every night but what he adds to the team cannot be disputed. He's absolutely blossomed as a defensive defenseman and finished the season leading the league in blocked shots.

I mean, look at what he does for you!


^{Yes...that is his knee. Photo courtesy to Lydia who has more Anton than you can handle}

In Playoff News...

To the delight, or perhaps bitterness of Leafs Nation, Kerry Fraser was not selected as one of the playoff officials. People might say, well obviously because he's made more than his share of questionable calls but that doesn't really explain Mick McGeough's presence on the list now does it? Fraser was out earlier this season with a foot injury and did not work the first couple of games of the season.

Labels: absolute elation, anton volchenkov, kerry fraser, playoffs, roster

My dear friend HG and I had a very intellectual and well-versed conversation about the New Jersey versus New York Islanders game this afternoon. I've saved the conversation so my readers can use it as intellectual recreational reading:

HG: i hope so
HG: 3:16 left
HG: 1
HG: 1
HG: grrr
HG: 1:17 left
Sherry: Lou wouldn't do this to us...right?
Sherry: Right?
HG: right?
HG: 36
HG: sec
Sherry: [holding my breath here]
Sherry: okay i'm going to watch on the t.v. in the next room
Sherry: brb
HG: omg
HG: NJ
HG: scores
HG: OMG
Sherry: OH MAN
Sherry: this is too much
HG: 0.5 seconds
Sherry: I saw.
Sherry: HOLY CRAP
HG: holllllly
Sherry: too much. This is too much
HG: oh
HG: i know
Sherry: JOHN MADDEN I WANT YOUR HEAD ON A STICK
HG: IRHGT?
HG: RIGHT?
HG: holy bananas batman!
Sherry: YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO DO THAT, DAMMIT
HG: I DON'T UNDERSTAND
Sherry: Lou wouldn't do this to us...right?
Sherry: RIGHT?
HG: dude
HG: i don't know
Sherry: Come on Lou, what have you got to lose if you let them win!
HG: this is crazy
HG: i can't believe they tied it up
Sherry: I know.
Sherry: Oh...my...goodness.
HG: GO ISLANDERS
HG: GOOOOOOOOOOO
Sherry: GO ISLANDERS!
Sherry: GO ISLANDERS GOOO!!!!!
HG: i can't believe the Isles had the lead for the whole game
Sherry: I know...this is just too much
HG: i bet margee is DYING
HG: DYYYYYING
Sherry: I KNOW
Sherry: POOR GIRL
HG: i'm freaking out
HG: and it doesn't mean anything to me
HG: really
Sherry: Haha it doesn't mean much to me either
Sherry: well except being able to watch the games
Sherry: BUT STILL
HG: i just don't the Leafs in
Sherry: neither do I...neither do I
Sherry: I doubt the Devils hate the Isles as much as they hate the Leafs
HG: if the isles win in a SO it will be CHAOS here
Sherry: OH YEAH
Sherry: There will be heck to pay
HG: hee hee you're so cute
HG: *smushes*
HG: COME ON ISLES
Sherry: GO ISLES GO!
HG: COME ON MAB!
HG: DO IT FOR JORDI!
HG: ahahahaha
Sherry: COME ON SMYTTY! DO IT FOR JORDI!
Sherry: THINK OF JORDI! AND MARGEE!
HG: AND ALL THE STILL MAD OILER FANS!
HG: OMG
HG: PENALTY!
Sherry: ?!! TO WHO?
HG: YEAH MAB! WAY TO DRAW!
HG: TO NJ!
HG: AAAAAHHHHHHH
Sherry: !!!!!!
COME ON ISLES
Sherry: COME ON BABY MAKE IT HAPPEN
HG: MADDEN FOR HOOKING
HG: ISLES TIME OUT
Sherry: THERE YOU GO MADDEN
HG: ARE YOU WATCHING?
Sherry: NO BUT I HAVE IT ON IN THE BACKGROUND
HG: AND I'M GIVING YOU PLAY BY PLAY
Sherry: I CAN'T IT"S TOO MUCH
HG: AHAHAHA
Sherry: WE ARE SUCH DORKS
HG: WE ARE
HG: WHY ARE WE YELLING?
Sherry: I DON'T KNOW
Sherry: IT SEEMS APPROPRIATE
HG: IT DOES
HG: OH MY
Sherry: ?!!!
Sherry: DID SOMETHING HAPPEN?
HG: NO
HG: DUDE
HG: IT'S GOING TO A SHOOT OUT
Sherry: ?!!!!!
Sherry: NO WAY
Sherry: NO FREAKING WAY
HG: YES
HG: YES
HG: I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS
Sherry: NOR CAN I
Sherry: THE NON HOCKEY FANS HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY'RE MISSING
HG: I KNOW
HG: THIS IS FREAKING INSANE
Sherry: I'M TRYING TO KEEP MY COOL HERE
Sherry: I KNOW. I KNOW!!!
HG: I CAN'T BELIEVE THESE POOR NO-NAME GOALIES HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS
Sherry: OH YEAH I KNOW
Sherry: BUT BY THE END OF IT EVERYBODY WILL KNOW THEIR NAME
HG: YEP
HG: NO PRESSURE DUBIE!
HG: YOU CAN DO IT!
Sherry: COME ON DUBIE YOU CAN DO IT!
Sherry: WE LOVE YOU DUBIE!
HG: WE DOOOOO!
HG: HE HAS YODA ON HIS MASK
HG: THE POWER OF THE FORCE
Sherry: EXACTLY
Sherry: HE'S GOT THE FORCE ON HIS SIDE
Sherry: THE GOOD SIDE
HG: OH MAN
HG: GET THIS
HG: SCENARIO
HG: 1 SHOOTER SCORES AND IT'S SMYTH
HG: LIKE THAT WOULDN'T BE A DAGGER TO THE OIL
Sherry: AHAHHAA
HG: MWWWAAAA HAAAA HAAAA
Sherry: COME ON SMYTTY YOU CAN DO IT!
Sherry: WE KNOW YOU CAN DO IT!
HG: COME ON SMYTTY
HG: OKAY HERE WE GO
HG: SATAN
HG: SCORES
HG: !!!!!
Sherry: !!!!!!!!!!!!
HG: PARISE
HG: SCORES
HG: !!!!!
HG: 1-1
Sherry: !!!!!!!!!!!
HG: KOZLOV
HG: SCORES
HG: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sherry: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HG: GIONTA
Sherry: MISS MISS MISS
HG: STOPPED
HG: DUBIE
Sherry: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HG: MAKES THE SAVE
HG: OMG
Sherry: DUBIE IS AWESOME!!!
HG: SMYTTY
HG: SMYTTY
Sherry: SMYTTY! COME ON SMYTTY!
HG: HOLY
HG: O
HG: M
Sherry: WE LOVE YOU SMYTTY YOU KNOW WE DO
HG: GOODNESS
Sherry: [i am totally saving this convo for my blog]
HG: OOOOO
HG: NO
HG: STOPPED
Sherry: DANG!
Sherry: COME ON DUBIE YOU CAN DO IT DUBIKE
Sherry: ^DUBIE
HG: BRYLIN
HG: SADFJNASLMDFKAOIERWF
HG: ISLES
HG: WIN
Sherry: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HG: DUBIE MAKES THE STOP
Sherry: ARE YOU SERIOUS?!!!
Sherry: AH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HG: I KNOW
Sherry: OKAY I GOTTA GO SEE
HG: I KNOW
HG: wow
HG: WOW
Sherry: HAHAHA I LOVE THE COMMENTATORS
Sherry: "DUBIE WITH THE LIGHTSABRE"
HG: I know!
HG: wow
HG: i can breathe again
Sherry: Phew...wow...WOW
HG: RIGHT?
HG: hhahahahaha Leafs....
HG: mwaa haaa
Sherry: Oh man
Sherry: OH MAN
HG: wow
HG: I can't believe that crazy race for 8th was decided by a SO
Sherry: Did you see Ted Nolan on the bench? THAT WAS ABSOLUTE JUBILATION RIGHT THERE
HG: I KNOW!
HG: Playfair needs to take "How to show emotion" classes from him
Sherry: HAHA

Say what you want about the last playoff spot being decided by a "skills competition", as a hockey fan, you wouldn't have wanted it any other way. The excitement, the tension, the FREAKING ENERGY. The script couldn't have been more perfectly written, the Islanders coming out strong and looking like they were going to run away with it, but then the Devils coming back. Maybe giving up a lead sucks, but it's all the much sweeter when you win, especially when there's so much on the line.

The only thing I feel is a bit of a shame is that the non-hockey fans had no idea what they're missing. This was on the edge of your seat action right here and now THE DUBESTER will now be known as Yoda and has now become a local hero.

I suppose my elation is only because I have a great dislike for the Leafs. But I truly am sorry Leafs fans. If it helps, you guys sure made a helluva run.

GO SENS GO!

Labels: absolute elation, general, new jersey devils, New York Islanders, NO FREAKING WAY, random, what the heck?

As of a few minutes ago, Mr. Dany Heatley and Margee's beloved officially made it a consecutive 50 goal season. Heatley also had 50 goals last season and has become the first player to have back-to-back 50 goal seasons since Pavel Bure did it in 1999 - 2000 and 2000 - 2001.

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!


The game itself was a strong effort from the boys who have now successfully secured themselves home ice advantage for the playoffs. The boys had goals from Mike Comrie which came off of an absolutely weird and flukey misplay from goaltender Tim Thomas, and the others from Daniel Alfredsson, two from Jason Spezza and an absolutely highlight reel worthy goal from Patrick Eaves. He had a Bruins defenseman on him and took the shot with his backhand and totally roof daddied it while falling down from being cross-checked from behind. Suck on that, Crosby!

Boston had nothing to lose, having been already eliminated from the playoffs but they still came back with a solid effort and almost tied it in the third. The Senators ended their season series with Boston with an even 4-4 record. Ray Emery, who was stellar in net again, is 4-2 against the Bruins.

The win was important for the boys because they had dropped their last two contests. You want to be playing good hockey going into the post season and the boys have shown they can win when they need to. They'll be in tough with a dynamic opponent such as Pittsburgh, but ending on a high note will give them the confidence they need to make it a very interesting series.

By the Numbers...:

The Bruins finished under .500 at home (18-19-4) for the third time in nine seasons. Before that stretch, they had gone 30 seasons without a losing record at home

Ouch. Sorry, I guess stealing Zdeno Chara didn't help as much as you would have liked.

Making the Cut...
- I was watching last week's episode of Making the Cut. I haven't watched it regularly because it is a rather low budget [Read: Canadian] reality show knock-off, but I actually did quite enjoy it. There was this absolutely hilarious segment about David Tremblay, a goalie prospect. He's one of the quieter guys on the show but the last goalie left in the competition. They asked the players who he was and nobody had any clue and in between they showed clips of him doing ridiculous everyday things decked out in full goalie gear including shaving, going into the hot-tub and playing the piano. Well played, Canadian television. Well-played.

- I forget what I was watching, but I think it was some trashy Entertainment show, they were talking about Britney Spears attending a lot of Lakers games lately and speculating that she had a crush on one of the players. I'm the last one to try and defend her, but heaven forbid she might actually just be a basketball fan. That being said, any bets on who it might be? Maybe it's not one of the players, but it's Jack Nicholson. Oh gosh, forget I said that.

Go Raptors!

- I got a little bit thrown off when watching SportsCentre tonight when an unfamiliar voice was narrating the highlights tonight. But it looks like Leah Hextall, a relative of former goaltender Ron Hextall has joined the merry cast of characters at TSN.

Something Important You Should Know...



I posted yesterday about Elgin-Alexander Fraser and if you haven't gotten a chance to read it, please take the time to click on the link and read the article. A couple of members of the Ottawa Senators Community on Livejournal have taken the initiative to put together a donation in Elgin's name and could use all the support people are willing to give. If you would like to help out in anyway, there is a group on Facebook to help get the word out.

I've been talking to the young lady who organized this over the last couple of days and she is thrilled by all the support that it's been getting. This isn't about just one specific case or person, but about what CHEO has done for the community and the important work that they are doing. Despite everybody thinking ahead to playoffs and championships, hearing stories like this really puts things into perspective.

Sorry to get all serious on you guys...Anyways, here's a picture of a bunny with a pancake on his head:



Uh...go Islanders.

Labels: boston bruins, dany heatley, squee

The Good News: Today was my last day of school. Think of it as the last day of regular season in hockey terms.
The Bad News: [*bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep*]

I'll edit this post tomorrow with actual, hopefully useful commentary.

Edit, April 06, 2007

I know I'm supposed to add something of value but I really don't have much to add. It wasn't a great effort from all of the boys, with a lot of them letting tempers boiling over and flaring up. The officiating wasn't stellar, but I don't want to say that was the reason for the loss. I'm proud to see Jason Spezza standing up for himself after Jarkko Ruutu roughed him up a little, but the boys have got to be careful with the Penguins considering the offensive guns they've got going.

This is most likely going to be the first round match-up and hopefully the boys can learn from these losses against the Pens. Gary Roberts does add something to the team, that can't be denied but the boys shouldn't let that scare them. They knew how to handle him in Florida, they should be able to handle him on the Pens. True, Florida doesn't have the supporting cast that the Penguins do, but they aren't invincible and it's important for the boys to pounce on any mistakes they do make. Like a polar bear, attacking a stray innocent penguin. Yes, I'm well aware that they are from two different poles. I'm tired, okay!

On paper, the Penguins' defense isn't the strongest and with enough pressure to the net on Marc-Andre Fleury or Jocelyn Thibault, they'll be able to sink some goals. Bryan Murray thought it would be good to match up his first line against the Sidney Crosby line, but when you have a player like that who is hard to contain, they will inevitably set the tone and if your line can't keep up, you're going to get burned. And getting burned by somebody with better lips than I do is absolutely infuriating. The point is, the Sens have a great shut down pair that can go against the best in the league. Throw in a few checking forwards to take away his space and to try to distract Roberts should help them dictate the play. They just need to pull their heads out of their butts.

Sure, being the hottest team in the second half of the season is great, but it's not over yet and it's only going to get harder from here on in. They don't have the grizzled veteran that they need to teach them how to get there, but they have a team with a bevy of playoff experience and they've got to have more faith in themselves that they can do it. But it's going to be hard work and hopefully the struggles they've had in the first half of the season is enough to whip their work ethic in the shape it needs to be to make it in the long run.

I don't know what to expect with the post-season. I'm not going to stop having faith that they'll make it and even if they make an exit, as long as they tried and put in the effort they're capable of I'll be placated. The first round coincides with my exams, which couldn't be more appropriate considering the parallels. Last day of classes is like the last day of the season and the post-season is the finals, where the real test begins.

I'll make a deal with you boys. We'll both work hard and put in a solid effort. We can do it together.

Sorry, this was a little ranty-er than I expected.

Celebrity Spotting...
A Leafs goalie made an appearance at my school the other day:



I always knew Andrew Raycroft was an airhead. He's also a-okay with Ice Girls, unlike Henrik Lundqvist.

Aren't those ladies cold?

Something Important You Should Read:
Elgin-Alexander Fraser is a 3-year-old Senators fan with neuroblastoma, a rare childhood cancer. In the midst of all of the playoff buzz, the Senators took some time to skate with him. The Ottawa Senators Group on Livejournal has put together a donation to Roger's House in his name and if you would like to be involved somehow, you can contact them and let them know.

Labels: dang it, home loss, loss, pittsburgh penguins

So coinciding with the creation of my new music blog, and Mike Chen's Rawk the Puck campaign [which I am thinking of throwing my hat into the ring for, if I can find the time and my snark], by way of NHL Fanhouse, theStar.com has hijacked some Toronto athlete's iPods and uncovered what some of the boys are listening to.

Now finding out celebrity playlists can be somewhat disheartening, after all, one's MP3 collection can indeed say a lot about a person. What do we make of Alexander Ovechkin's affinity for weird European techno music? What about the fact that it seems most hockey players have a weird affinity for Nickelback, as witnessed by the featured celebrity playlists of the 'Canes and Oilers that were on the iTunes store? HG has also posted about some iTunes gems she found over at HLOG.

Maple Leafs’ Boyd Devereaux Playlist

Song	Artist
I Will Sing You Songs	My Morning Jacket
Akuma No Uta	Boris
Don’t Run Our Hearts Around	Black Mountain
Because Tonight	The Besnard Lakes
Until You Came Along	Joel Plaskett Emergency
East Hastings	Godspeed! You Black Emperor
Northstar Blues	Magnolia Electric Co.
Young Lions	Constantines
King of the Road	Fu Manchu
The Story’s Often Told	The Sadies
Belgium Or Peru	Cuff The Duke
Keep the Car Running	Arcade Fire
Winter’s Wolves	The Sword
Babbling Flower	Dead Meadow
The Only Moment We Were Alone	Explosions In the Sky

Anyhoos, I got a little curious and managed to get some screen caps of some featured NHL players' playlists from the iTunes store.

Andrew Ference:


Ryan Miller:


Dustin Penner:


Sadly, as witnessed by my Last.fm page, I think my own tastes are more on par with Leafer Boyd Devereux, as is with every other college kid. Why can't the ACC take more cues from him? All I hear there is a lot of Linkin Park and Avril Lavigne. I'm surprised Miller's tastes aren't more in the indie set as well. He's got the hipster shaggy hair cut, the affinity for the artsy-fartsy with his photographic antics and even has his own band.

By the Way...
- To the surprise of absolutely nobody, most NHL fans LIKE fighting!

- Hockey coaches are also just like you and me as Claude Julien was just as surprised as the rest of us when he was canned. American Hockey Fan offers more insight into Mad Lou's mindset on the decision.

Labels: andrew ference, dustin penner, music, ryan miller, silliness

I had the day from heck, so I suppose it's only appropriate that the boys are visiting the devils tonight. No real game recap for tonight because I was too busy stuffing my face with pizza trying to forget the awful day I had.

I will however, say congrats to Martin Brodeur for tying Bernie Parent's record for most wins in a season with 47. It would be so much easier to hate you if I didn't love you so much.

Speaking of Brodeur, I read a part of his book today in the book store. The funny thing is, I can actually hear his voice saying a lot of what he has written. I'll have to plop down some cash for it once I, you know...get some cash.

That being said, once a game goes into the shootouts for my boys I can pretty much stop watching/listening/caring because I inevitably will know what the outcome will be. I'm not too concerned at this point in the season with a nice cushy playoff spot secured and the fact that shootouts aren't in the playoffs. Still, it is something that wouldn't hurt to work on. Mike Comrie and Antoine Vermette both scored for the Sens and John Madden of the Devils scored the winner for them.

I spent a part of the evening cheering for Martin Biron and the Flyers partly because I didn't want the Leafs to win and actually give them any hope. Although I'm a Senators fan and perhaps predisposed to hate the Leafs, the main reason I don't want them to make the post-season is because I know my chances of seeing my boys on TV will greatly diminish. If this season's Senators are going to be mirroring the script set out by the Indy Colts this season, then I suppose they'll have to make it and my boys will have to play them.

Random Thought...
The game was scoreless for about 50 minutes on both ends. So if it's between the Devils and the Pens in the first round, take your pick.

Labels: martin brodeur, mike comrie, new jersey devils, shoot-out loss

I saw this on the ticker while watching The Score and had to check the date to make sure it wasn't still the first. It seems like the 2nd place, 102 points New Jersey Devils have fired head coach Claude Julien.

More details will follow I'm sure. Maybe Ol' Lou just really wanted to coach again? That's the only thing I can think of that makes any sense.

Labels: silliness, what the heck? new jersey devils

That seems to be the story for one Dany Heatley as he slowly inches towards a consecutive 50-goal season. It seems like our dear sniper, and Margee's beloved has had some trouble sinking them lately as his last two tallies were empty-netters. Like the subject line said, it might be cheap, but heck it still counts.

The Isles' playoff hopes seems to be slowly but surely fading as Wade Dubielewicz got his first start last night in hopes that he could have better luck than Mike Dunham has had. However, Mike Comrie is on a somewhat wave of hotness as he scored two goals last night to follow up his three-point night the night before against Montreal. His linemate Peter Schaefer had two assists and Christoph Schubert had a goal and an assist.

All in all it was a very strong effort by the Senators. Martin Gerber managed to stop 21 shots for his 15th win of the season. The Isles defense must have had a bit of a relapse as the Senators managed to get 46 shots on goal on The Dubester. Are you sure that's what you want to be doing when you're fighting for your playoff lives and your number one tender is out with a concussion?

We had a ladies night last night so we didn't watch the game. My housemate G and I did have a celebratory drink when the bar we were at showed the final for the game:



The thumb of disapproval is resident Leafs fan, Jax who was a little upset about the fact her team couldn't keep a lead with 3.9 seconds left. There were a couple of Leafs fans at the bar who didn't take too kindly about the fact that G and I were Sens fans. One of them called me 'evil' when they showed JFJ after Pittsburgh scored the tying goal and I remarked "Oh! He is SO upset". G however, may have drank a little bit too much:



Game Tidbits...
- Oleg Saprykin and Brian McGrattan were in the lineup for this game with Patrick Eaves still out with a...middle of the equator injury.

- Guess who was on the ice for the two Islanders goals? Yeah, I'm just not going to say it.

- Todd Simpson, who was signed by the Islanders on Thursday from the German league did not play as the NHL decided to uphold his indefinite suspension from Germany for abuse of an official.

- The Pens lost to the Leafs last night in OT but still managed to pick up a point, vaulting them to second in the conference overall while the Devils were idle.


^{Celebratory drink number two}


News From Away...

Senators owner Eugene Melnyk stopped by to visit troops in Afghanistan this weekend and gave them $50,000 worth of hockey gear to show his support:

Playing and watching ball hockey is an important ritual for some of the 2,500 men and women who make up Canada's Task Force Afghanistan.

Every week, three nights per week, 300 players in 15 teams take turns facing off on a makeshift open air concrete rink built on a patch of sand.

[snip]

"We have a rule in our constitution that in case of a rocket attack we call the game, go to the shelters, and reschedule."

The players and teams play for the Kandahar Cup, a pint-sized version of Lord Stanley's coveted trophy. -- Via tsn.ca

Labels: christoph schubert, dany heatley, eugene melnyk, martin gerber, mike comrie, New York Islanders, road win, win