Something To "Mitch" About

Back to work! After a nice extended Easter long weekend its time to get back at it. Did the Easter Bunny bring you goodies?

It was great being able to sit down and watch playoff hockey and there have been some great games. How many people looked at the struggles of the St, Louis Blues when it came down to the end of the regular season and said they will have no shot against Chicago because of injuries and the fact the Hawks were getting Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews back. Oops!  Yes, St. Louis could easily be down 2-zip in the series having won both games in overtime, but they are in firm control going back to Chicago and look nothing like the team that limped to the finish line. I had the Blues winning the West before they started to slide---I should have stuck with that.

I'm starting to think the Colorado Avalanche could be the next great thing in the NHL with the team they have got. The play of their forwards has been magical in the first two rounds against Minnesota and this team is only going to get better as the years go by. I don't think they have what it takes to win it all this year, but they are going to make some noise for a long, long time. They have that Forsberg, Sakic, Roy look to them. Funny how this team has managed to rebuild in seemingly one season while another team in Northern Alberta that I root for has taken how long? Then again, the Avalanche have guys like Patrick Roy and Joe Sakic in the front office. Speaking of which, if he wanted a job in the NHL (and I wonder if he does anymore), would it not be right for the Oilers to hire Wayne Gretzky in some capacity?. He has to be better than Kevin Lowe doesn't he.

The NHL disciplinary committee is once again out of whack in these playoffs. Joel Quenneville grabs his crotch to protest a call and gets dinged 25-thousand dollars for it. Milan Lucic tries to castrate Danny DeKeyser with a gutless move from behind and gets 5-thousand. ??????  Shouldn't that maybe be the other way around?  By the way, I didn't see the Corey Perry spear so I can't comment on that.

How many different goalies have the Philadelphia Flyers used over the years when it comes to the playoffs? Here's what I can remember from the 2000's and I'm sure I'm forgetting someone.  Steve Mason, Ray Emery, Sergei Bobrovsky, Ilya Bryzgalov, Brian Boucher, Roman Cechmanek, Michael Leighton. I know I'm missing a few.  Then you look at teams like the Rangers and its been Lundqvist or the Habs and its been Price. I often wonder how good Philly would be if they ever ever find an established goaltender.

The Lightning got jobbed in Game 2. There's no other way you can put it. Montreal may have come back and won the hockey game, but Tampa should have been credit for the goal that would have made it 1-1. The story is the right call was made, but really was it?  As CBC's Elliotte Friedman said on HNIC, some kind of mechanism must be established for that play to be reviewed. If it was, that game is 1-1.  Credit to Lightning coach John Cooper for not going completely bats##t after the game. He kept it quite composed while others wouldn't.

You can't say the Habs go half hearted when it comes to pre-game ceremonies. That one on Sunday was off the charts. It bordered on going over the top, but it was outstanding.

WTF has happened to the defensive-minded LA Kings? What blogger said they would beat Boston to win the Cup? YIKES!! They look horrible!!

Two thumbs up to Toronto Sun sportswriter Steve Simmons, He absolutely obliterated Jays pitcher RA Dickey on the Reporters Sunday morning. Simmons said and I quote....

My thumb is down to RA Dickey, the erstwhile Blue Jays ace, the former Cy Young award winner who seems to lead the Major Leagues in just one category - excuses. With RA, there's always something. Something wrong. It's either too cold or it's too hot. The roof at Rogers Centre is either open or closed. The wind is blowing in or it's blowing out. It's day or it's night. Everything, it seems, affects the knuckleball. He would be one of the three bears of pitching but with him, it's not often just right. Dickey has made four starts for the Jays in this young season, and he already owns a 6.26 earned run average. I'm sure he has a plausible explanation for that: I just don't want to hear one.

Bravo! I couldn't agree more. Quit with the excuses and throw the damn ball the way you're supposed to.

Congrats to Medicine Hat Tigers play-by-play man Bob Ridley. He called game number 3542 in his storied career Sunday night in Edmonton. That is how many games Rod Phillips--the long time voice of the Oilers called. Ridley is a true icon. I had a chance to work with him during a playoff game in Moose Jaw many, many, many years ago. A member of the Tigers had a penalty shot and that player scored, I started to write it down when I looked up and saw that I was leaving him hanging as he was looking for a high five.  He's one of the greats without a doubt.

I saw the movie "Draft Day" on Friday night. Lets just say its not the best football related movie out there, but its not the worst either. What I will say though is the NFL (who helped out immensely on this movie) and the director might have wanted to look at the current NFL landscape before deciding what teams to use in the storyline. I won't ruin it for those who haven't seen it, but as you're watching it, you will see what I mean. Jennifer Garner plays Kevin Costner's love interest in the movie. At one point in the movie, Garner utters out some lines that would make any football fan fall in love with her instantaneously. Mrs. Scruffy looked over at me just as I was about to say something and said "You love her don't you?" All I could do was nod my head in agreement. You will too when you see it.

I actually was anticipating sitting down and watching the Raptors playoff opener. I don't watch a lot of  NBA basketball, but I was excited to see the Raptors play their first post-season game in ages. They looked like a young inexperienced team against a Brooklyn team that has been through this before. I can't see it being like that the whole series. Paul Pierce was just lethal in Game 1 down the stretch. He's been down this road a few times before.

I love what Raptors GM Masal Ujiri said before Game 1. The correctness of today has taken so much away from people saying what they truly feel. There needs to be more of that. I and the rest of the Regina media would have loved it or would love it if someone from the Riders said F### Calgary! Vice-versa too. Its called a part of the game.

Gregg Popovich's interview with Craig Sager Junior Sunday was pure class. If you didn't see it.....



Popovich then goes back to the huddle as you see and gets a handwritten note from the entire Spurs organization that he gives to Sager. If you don't know, the legendary broadcaster has started treatments after being diagnosed with leukemia. Once again, pure class from Popovich! There aren't a lot of coaches out there who would do that,

Dave Taylor and the University of Regina should be very proud of its womens basketball team both present and past for coming through this weekend. It was great seeing so many alumni come forth in a game to help raise money for Crystal McGregor (Heisler) as she continues her battle with cancer. Many of the past players took part in the game while others watched while some of the present team helped out with other duties. Christine Stapleton, Jeff Speedy and Dave deserve so much credit for leading what is a first class group of ladies. It sounds as if Crystal is struggling right now and it would have been great to have seen her Saturday, but that wasn't the case. I just pray she can be at a game next year and the year after that and so on and so on. Many people are praying for you every day Crystal and I am one of them, Beat this thing!

The Telus Cup starts today in Moose Jaw as the Canadian midget hockey champion will be decided. I may have to take a couple of trips to the Friendly City this week to check the action out. It will be great and I know the city and Mosaic Place will put on a first notch show.

Somebody told me a while back I should limit these to between 1000-1500 words. I am way over that total so its time to go. Have a great week!!