If you haven't liked the first two nights of the Stanley Cup playoffs, you simply aren't a hockey fan. All of the games have had great pace to them and four of the seven have gone to overtime to decide things. While the hockey has been great, the refereeing hasn't been. In the first two nights, we have seen one goal that was scored on a blatant offside, another goal that was scored on an icing that was waved off way too late, and one that was scored when there were too many men on the ice. That can't make the league happy. I'm guessing memos will be sent.
Just some observations on the first two nights....
--Does anyone remember how well Mike Richards played when the Flyers lost to the Hawks a couple of years ago. If you forgot, watch him against Vancouver. He might be the reason this team pulls off an upset. Richards was the best player on the ice for Los Angeles in Game 1 and he put an exclamation point on his opening night performance by laying out Alex Burrows at the end.
--Ryan Kesler simply embarassed himself with his diving antics in Game 1. Watch this beauty....
The guy is a good hockey player so I don't know why he has to resort to things like this. No one is buying it and he's hurting his team.
--The playoffs don't truly start until you hear Chris Cuthbert calling games as he did in Phoenix. There simply is no better than Cuthbert in my mind. He is the best!
--I guarantee you that if Henrik Zetterberg had laid on the ice for a few minutes and had the training staff attend to him or if he had been bloodied by the assault laid on him by Shea Weber at the end of Game 1 of the Detroit-Nashville series that Weber would have been suspended. Grabbing someone by the back of the head and slamming him face-first into the glass is certainly a suspendable act, but when the guy gets back up as if nothing happened, its tough to do. The 25-hundred dollar fine was a joke though. It should have been much, much more and the team should be forced to put up a bond--a bond that can be erased if activity like that happens. In fact, all teams should have a great deal of money tied up into a bond program that will be refunded if the team can get away in the post-season without doing anything dumb like Weber did.
--I can't believe how many people were upset over the fact they couldn't get the Washington-Boston game on TV. Do you really think CBC is going to yank a series with a Canadian team involved to show Boston-Washington. The game was online which is something you never had a chance to do years ago thanks to the CBC so why bitch. Perhaps ask why TSN didn't take this series and put it on TSN2. What did they have on opposite the Senators-Rangers and Bruins-Capitals. A repeat of the Skins game curling final. OH BOY!!!!
--Will the CBC cuts mean an end to Mark Lee and Glenn Healy? I don't know what the future of Hockey Night in Canada on CBC are, but the network needs to get a talent infusion. While the two are good friends of mine, its a shame that people like Rod Pedersen and Peter Loubardias aren't calling games at the national level. I would add the Jets combo of Dennis Beyak and Brian Munz to that list as well as many others. Unlike a lot of you, I don't mind Ron and Don and Elliotte Friedman may be the best sports reporter this country has. I'm OK with Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson, but after that there isn't a lot to crow about. For those who are Bob Cole fans, watch the tape of the Ottawa-Rangers game and tell me if Bob knows yet who got the 2nd Ottawa goal. I love the excitement and passion Bob brings, but his best years are over.
--If I thought the Flyers were going to beat the Penguins, I would have taken Brayden Schenn as a sleeper pick. I think he could rack up some points in the playoffs and he had three in the opener.
--How many free tickets did the Coyotes give away? Was it that or the offer of a free t-shirt? Where were those crowds all season long?
--The Sharks have some bite to them. I picked St. Louis to win that series, but it seems San Jose plays a lot better when they are not favoured to win.
Other thoughts....
--Who reading this thought the Moose Jaw Warriors would beat the Medicine Hat Tigers in four straight and who thought the Edmonton Oil Kings would go into the East Conference final having won 19 in a row? If you are saying yes, you're a liar and you know it. It just sets the table for what should be an unbelievable East final. Moose Jaw is going to get a little stronger with the return of Morgan Reilly meaning you will see two of the top ten prospects in the NHL draft going mano-a-mano as Reilly will go up against Griffin Reinhart. There is no way SHAW can't bring us this series--especially if the West final is between two American teams.
--It would appear as if Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau has recovered from his concussion problem. I would love to see him playing first either at Wrigley or at Rogers Centre. Because of his nationality, I would rather see him in Toronto. Remember that come trade deadline time if Morneau is still playing well.
--Miami Heat superstar Dwayne Wade had the gall to say that he should be compensated for being an Olympian. ??????? If you don't want to be an Olympian because you want to get a paycheque, you and others who feel that way should simply just leave. I have yet to see one hockey player make this complaint, but then again hockey players are a little more classy than pro basketball players in my mind.
--I guess I would have to live in Miami to understand it, but the whole Ozzie Guillen story baffles me. People leave Cuba to get freedoms like freedom of speech. Guillen spoke his mind when he made his Fidel Castro comments. Yes, you have to represent your employer well and not say anything to embarass himself or the organization which is what the Marlins believe he did, but I don't think it was that bad. However, I am not in Miami where a heavy Cuban presence lies ---a Cuban presence that could turn its back on the franchise.
--Speaking of baffling, all three Vancouver news outlets (CBC, Global and CTV) led their supper hour newscasts on Wednesday with the story of the LA Kings tweeting that all of Canada except for BC can thank them for beating the Canucks. Is that really the big story in a city the size of Vancouver? That is downright sad!
--I love the Hockey Hall of Fame ads that are running during the SC playoffs on CBC. I can only hope that Tim Hortons contacts whatever ad agency did these ads and gets them to do theirs instead of whoever is doing them now. The same can be said for whoever does the A&W ads and the Dairy Queen ads.
--Atlanta Falcons fans have to be loving what is happening to Bobby Petrino at Arkansas. For those that don't know, Petrino skipped out on his rookie season as Falcons coach to take the job at Arkansas and didn't even have the balls to let his team know face-to-face leaving them notes in their stalls instead. Petrino has been fired at Arkansas prompting two people I know to ask if Kent Austin might be considered a candidate because of his SEC ties. I don't think Kent is leaving Cornell anytime soon.
--Its great to see Jordan Eberle give back to Regina by getting involved in a charity golf tournament for the Hospitals of Regina Foundation. That event will quickly become one of Regina's biggest. I wonder who he will be bringing. You know it will be a star-studded affair.
--Some career company listed the top 10 worst jobs to have and coming in at #10 was a broadcaster. HA HA HA HA!!! No word on where janitor at an adult theatre came in. EWWWWWWWWW!!!!
--Another friend of mine tweeted this week what dog has been the best dog on network TV listing "Eddie" from Frasier, the pooch from "Mad about You" and I forget what the other dog was. I immediately told him that being Canadian, he had forgotten about one dog in particular.
Any arguments?? I didn't think so! Buck Bundy would come in a close 2nd.
That's all I got. Have a great Friday and enjoy what should be another great night of hockey.
