Blue Christmas

Bah Humbug
A friend suggested that it was time for me to go alI Evil Dee on the lockout situation.  There was talk of me giving a cross check to the heads of the NHL & NHLPA.  Perhaps follow it up with a pursuing of the altercation and then finishing it up by going all Bertuzzi on them.  Nobody loves to vent and get snarky more than me so you would think I'd be all over this opportunity, right?  Sadly, I am past that point now.  It's sad because apathy has set in for me.  The game I love and cherish has been permanently damaged.  For what purpose?  Basically, for what amounts to the spare change wedged under the seats in the empty arenas.  And for the right to say "we won this time."  This is where the players and owners are so very, very wrong.  There are no sides to the CBA argument now.  There are no good guys or bad guys any more in all of this.  The game has been irreparably damaged, possibly even beaten into its grave.  Seems to me the NHL/NHLPA have gone all Bertuzzi on the game so there's really no need for me to waste my time or energy.   

Apathy is the evil enemy of the game of hockey at the NHL level.  Yet, apathy is exactly what the NHL/NHLPA have actively courted with their posturing and threatening.  And where has it gotten them?  Nowhere.  For the fans and those employees, now out of work thanks to millionaires and billionaires fighting over spare change, it's a Blue Christmas.


         Peace On Earth, FFS!
Just because I'm not hosting this infamous annual holiday bash any more doesn't mean I'm not thinking about all of my MN friends and family through the holidays.  I miss you all and wish only the very best for you and your loved ones as we wrap up another year.  We've been through a lot this year and we've come out of it stronger in our faith and beliefs, with the relationships that matter the most still in tact.  God Bless and Be Well.  Here's a little something to bring back some great memories -   

The Spread

The Year of the Missing Shoes 

For this Christmas I've been busy at work, getting the holiday spirit sucked out of me by the retail experience.  God help humanity as a whole during the holiday shopping season.  I've been trying to retain some of my love for the season by listening to my Tis The Season play list on the iPod.  I'm a sucker for Tchaikovsky this time of year so the Nutcracker Suite is on there, like a bunch of times, by various orchestras.  Rich asked me which rendition is my favorite and I would have to say it's Volker Hartung conducting the Cologne New Philharmonic. 

Nan asked me what my favorite Christmas song of all time is -


Kathy asked me what connects me most to MN at this time of year now that I'm here in Georgia.  That would have to be Lori Line and her Silver cd.  It's not that I don't like what she's done since then, I just absolutely love this cd and it definitely represents Christmas from my MN roots.
This however, says Christmas in MN like nothing else - Ya Sure, You Betcha!

 

To all of my dog loving friends out there - from Dog Shaming:
  

On The Fence: NHL Lockout 2012

I'm alternately pissed off and apathetic about the continuation of the third NHL lockout of my lifetime.  This is still about millionaires and billionaires pissing and moaning over how best to divvy up 3.3 BILLION dollars from the last CBA.  Then they'll tackle how best to divvy up that much (at least) going forward. 

It still all boils down to this: You're ALL friggin' rich beyond my wildest dreams.  Get over yourselves.  Drop the puck.

That said, I'm leaning more towards being apathetic this week.  The Gwinnett Gladiators are in full swing here in Georgia and I've got a couple of games in my sights thanks to some friends who know hockey peeps who got me discount tickets.  In Texas the Houston Wild  Aeros are playing their 2012-2013 season as well.  Be sure you're following Heather Galindo on twitter - she's the new Beat Writer for the Aeros!  As always, follow MsConduct10 for the kind of coverage only a goalie-stick-wielding-hockey-loving-chick can offer up.  For MN Gophers coverage there's our beloved Russo who's keeping his mad skillz honed at Mariuci Arena.  While the hockey players and the hockey owners are busy "doing what's best for the sport's future" we real hockey fans have tons of options. 

I know Coach Dave (make that President-Coach-Ref Dave) will have his hands full again this season, regardless of NHL play or not.  His oldest, Alex, will be playing for the Apple Valley High School Women's team, Varsity if all goes well.  I still have an issue with her sweater number- 17.  I mean seriously, will the foul taste of Filip Kuba never leave my mouth?  Coach (and Mrs. Coach) will be splitting the hockey mom/dad duties as they juggle getting Josh in PWA and Ryan in Bantam A, to their games as well.  If you're interested in how Dave is so knowledgeable in all things hockey related be sure to track his kid's teams through the AVHA website.  Or just ask the proud dad how his kids are doing!  

I have to admit I'm a bit on the very sad side of life over hockey in general since this will be the first season in Wild history that I won't be there on opening night.  It will be the first time in the last eight seasons that I won't be sitting next to my equally giddy hockey partner, Vicki.  It is a physical pain that overcomes me when I think about this.  There's a small but very real, selfish, part of me that says "go ahead you idiots, waste this season.  I can plan better to be sitting with Vicki next year anyway."  But that wouldn't be fair to any of us who simply want the game we love.  That would make me no better than the NHL and the NHLPA.  I don't care to be thought of in the same reference as either of those parties.  So I'll be the bigger person here and hope for a salvageable season this year.    

Whatever side of the fence you find yourselves sitting on - Pissed Off or Apathy - I hope that you're keeping current on the (non)events of the current situation with Russo's Rants, Puck Daddy, Backhand Shelf or your own personal favorite hockey writing sites.  One of my favorite reads during the lockout has been The Vent on the Puck Daddy site.

Some Of My Favorite Hockey Tweeters-
@geffman47

@keeperofthecup

@kassassination

@petbugs13 (for the BEST graphs/charts on the hockey lockout you'll ever see)

  
Defending The Blue Line
I'm calling out all of my fellow Wild fans.  Go support the charity game this Sunday night at Mariuci Arena.  You'll not only be doing a good deed for those who've served and are serving our country but you'll get to see some NHL players on the ice for what could be the only time this season.  This is a great way to honor the memory of Derek Boogaard and continue the work he and Brent Burns started in MN.  
And when you go please make sure you're holding very large signs that read: "Wes, Dee still loves you all the way from Georgia!"  My main man for all these years is strapping on the blades and skating along side: 

Last	First	Current NHL Team	Position	#
Parise	Zach	Minnesota Wild	F	11
Parros	George	Florida Panthers	F	16
Stoner	Clayton	Minnesota Wild	D	4
Ballard	Keith	Vancouver Canucks	D	4
Drewiske	Davis	LA Kings	D	44
Hillen	Jack	Washington Capitals	D	38
Bickel	Stu	New York Rangers	D	41
Powe	Darroll	Minnesota Wild	F	14
Braun	Justin	San Jose Sharks	D	61
Johnson	Erik	Colorado Avalanche	D	6
Wheeler	Blake	Winnipeg Jets	F	26
van Riemsdyk	James	Toronto Maple Leafs	F	21
Veilleux	Stephane	Minnesota Wild	F	19
Lundin	Mike	Ottawa Senators	D	10
Porter	Chris	St. Louis Blues	F	32
Okposo	Kyle	New York Islanders	F	21
Martin	Paul	Pittsburgh Penguins	D	7
Brodziak	Kyle	Minnesota Wild	F	7
O'Brien	Jimmy	Ottawa Senators	F	18
Clutterbuck	Cal	Minnesota Wild	F	22
Carter	Ryan	New Jersey Devils	F	20
Kassian	Matt	Minnesota Wild	F	42
Suter	Ryan	Minnesota Wild	D	20
Hendricks	Matt	Washington Capitals	F	26
Byfuglien	Dustin	Winnipeg Jets	F/D	33
Backstrom	Nicklas	Minnesota Wild	G	32
**Davenport	Troy	Cornell Univ.	G	37
Sexton	Dan	Anaheim Ducks	F	42
Jackman	Tim	Calgary Flames	F	15
Falk	Justin	Minnesota Wild	D	44
Walz	Wes		F	37

 **Note to Troy Davenport - get a different number on your sweater.  Nobody wears 37 but Wes.  I mean it, punk.     

To end on a lighter note - there are any number of videos on YouTube bemoaning the 2012 NHL Lockout.  Just type in hockey lockout song and you'll have a couple dozen of them. Here's my favorite one so far: 

M.I.A.

It's been, like, forever since I've written anything.  Unlike the NHLPA is soon to be, I'm not being locked out.  All is well in the DEEICING camp of blogging, no worries on that front. 

I just have a problem with the NHL and the NHLPA and this whole CBA negotiation nonsense.  Millionaires bashing it out with Billionaires doesn't make any kind of sense in my head when there's so much economical strife in the real world.  I've always said this is a little boys' game being played by grown men getting paid for it.  I've always asked, aloud and to no one in particular, "how many millions of dollars in salary is enough?"  

That's not to say I'm blaming one side of the table over the other.  Owners are greedy bastards who perpetuate the market for overpaid players by getting around the loopholes in the existing CBA in order to get the big name players.  This allows them to charge insane prices for tickets, merchandise and concessions which we fans then willingly pay.  Players, who claim they just wanna play the sport they love, really just wanna buy another mansion on a lake in Canada, or get a bigger SUV, or put more bling on their baby mommas.  They get themselves agents who teach them the finer art of marketing themselves so that even if they are not one of the truly talented players in the league they almost always end up with a ridiculously long and lavish payout.  Hate on Bettman and/or Fehr (and I do, ever so much) all you want but they're doing what their employers are paying them to do.  Okay, Fehr is an idiot for not negotiating a contract for himself that guarantees his pay regardless of lockout/strike, but he's just as shrewd and weaselly as Bettman.  C'mon, they're lawyers, they're icky.  

Here's today's NHLPA Presser:
 

Followed by the NHL's presser:


So who do you hate more, blame more, point the finger at more when CBA time rolls around?  Who will ultimately get to say they 'won' when all is said and done? 

And what will you, the fan, be getting out of this year's 'labor' negotiations?  Will it be cup holders on your seats?  Perhaps hot water in the restrooms in the upper level?  Or how about an HD jumbotron?  Maybe even a real organ to replace the cheesy electric keyboard?

Make no mistake, when all is said and done the only thing that really changes from one contract to the next in the NHL is how much more the fans will be paying for their hockey experience.  Oh, the ticket prices may remain the same or even go down for one season in the smaller markets as a "Welcome Back" gesture but check your jersey prices and the prices of your favorite concession beverages and treats.  Or perhaps the cost will be factored in by a multiple year contract requirement on season ticket packages.  Ultimately it's the fans who pay the price of every contract negotiated in every major league sport.  And yet, we go.  We attend.  We show up as buzzing crowds, anxiously awaiting for the gates to open.  We are idiots.   

Yes, I will be one of them.  Because, as it's been so aptly marketed: This Is My Game.  I love this game.  This is the one sport I give a crap about, am passionate about.  Okay, OBSESSED and STALKERISH about.  **is that a word, stalkerish? 

All I know is that the following tweet made me tear up at the thought: 

From: robert bell‏@come2butt_head: If this place is empty all season I will die
To: @Dsetoguchi10 @Russostrib pic.twitter.com/tG3n0jw1                     

 

9:59 AM - 13 Sep 12        

 

So, millionaires vs billionaires going at it every 3-5 years is something we fans have to endure in order to watch the chosen sport we support.  Leave the battle to the lawyers and the bickering to the players and the owners.  The deal will get done eventually.  In the event of a lockout/strike there's always high school, college, AHL, ECHL...all is not lost.  And don't feel too bad for those players or owners.  They're living off of the money we've handed over for the last 7 years.  If they're too stupid to have invested that for their futures then they deserve to eat Hamburger Helper - right along with the rest of us poor slobs. 

 

What you should be feeling is sympathy for the venue and ancillary workers who are looking at being newly unemployed because millionaires and billionaires can't seem to agree on how many millions of dollars is actually enough.               

      

Is It October Yet?

Defining Moment In Wild History  
I'm still giddy.  I'm still in shock.  I'm still grinning from ear to ear.  I'm still getting teary-eyed just thinking about what signing Zach Parise and Ryan Suter means to our franchise.  I wanted to write a post almost immediately but all it would have read was WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOO!  And isn't that pretty much what everyone else was saying anyway?

I remember how I felt when MN learned it had been awarded a new NHL franchise.  I remember how I felt when I confirmed my season tickets three years before the team ever took to the ice.  I remember how I felt when Jacque Lemaire was announced as the head coach.  I remember how I felt when I stepped through the gates of the Xcel Energy Center for the very first Minnesota Wild game.  I remember how I felt when our new team stood on the blue line for the very first time.  I remember all these and many more defining moments in the WIld's brief history.  What Chuck Fletcher and Craig Leipold did for this team on July 4, 2012 is yet another defining moment.  It may very well go down in history as the second most defining moment for the franchise since being awarded to MN.  It is certainly what this team needed with only one true playoff run to boast about, waaay back in 2003. 

With existing season ticket holders exiting by the hundreds and new ticket sales having dried up two seasons ago, owner Craig Leipold was a desperate man.  Don't let anyone fool you into thinking he wasn't.  Craig knew he'd have to spend big and he knew he couldn't tell the remaining season ticket holders, once again, nobody wanted to come here.  Chuck Fletcher had to know his job was on the line regardless of a contract extension signed earlier this year.  He needed to present the sales pitch of his life to even put MN on the short list.  Mike Yeo had to know he wasn't too much longer in his job regardless of what young talent may be waiting to impress in this year's development camp.  You can't coach a Cup run with a bunch of kids in their late teens and early twenties supplemented by the occasional once-was-a-scoring-threat-not-so-much-any-more veterans.  You can't fire players, you can fire the head coach.       

The Wild were, and still are until the season begins, a sinking ship trying to get to port before it takes on any more water.  After three straight free agency summers of failing to entice any NHL player even remotely considered to be 'elite' or 'top 6' Leipold, Fletcher and Yeo finally caught a break.  Hell, they caught the break of the century, let's be honest.  And to give credit where it's due, you have to thank the current CBA for the cap limit and the player contract language, specifically: front-vs-back loading of money.   

Wild fans, players and management must give the biggest credit to both Ryan Suter and Zach Parise for deciding to make MN their long term home.  They could have gone anywhere, together or singly.  They could have had more money than Leipold offered.  Their decisions to play for the Wild came down to where they wanted to call HOME.  You know, the place you want to be when the ice is out and the season is over.  Home, where you want to raise a family and be a part of the community.  Parise and Suter wanted a chance to play together and to make an impact on the future of a franchise.  BOOM!!  Impact made, just by having put pen to paper and signing those matching contracts. 

I have a ton of thoughts on the Wild now that the Parise/Suter Era has begun.  I'll post them in the days to come.  Right now let's continue to bask in the sunlight and warmth of knowing we're legitimate contenders going forward.  Get ye to the Church of Yeo and pray for one thing...

IS IT OCTOBER YET?   

Free Agency Frenzy and Re-Signings

Crazy Contracts Being Handed Out
Free Agency, July 1, is still two days away but GM's across the NHL are already showing signs of being off their prozac.  Quick gets a 10 year contract?  I'm actually okay with the pricing, $58 million, but 10 years??  Does anyone outside of the Kings' management think this guy is the next Brodeur or Roy?  I think not.  And for the love of frozen vulcanized rubber discs, what are the Penguins thinking giving Sidney "Perennial-Mush-Melon" Crosby a 12 year, $104.4 million dollar deal?  Geez, I thought the Wild paying Bouchard's salary for being perennially disabled is outlandish.  Good luck with your cap space in the coming years Pens, you're gonna need it.  Oh, and just stay the hell away from Zach Parise.  The Wild need him waaaay more than you do.  


Speaking of the Wild...
With much sadness the puckbunny in me says au revoir to Guillaume Latendresse, better known as Let'sundress.  He's decided to enter the free agent market, looking to sign with a team in Canada which is home to his rock star girlfriend and 4 year old daughter.  Let us take a moment to drink him in one more time:

Nick Johnson was not offered a qualifying offer by the Wild so he'll enter the free agent market as well.  I had such high hopes for Nick but he fell short. 

Kris Fredheim was not offered a qualifying offer by the Wild. 

Much to Alex Daggett's dismay the Wild will let Mike Lundin go to free agency.  

Kurtis Foster, Jeff Taffe, Jeff Penner, Jon DiSalvatore (can go to Europe), Warren Peters, Jed Ortmeyer and Erik Christensen (KHL-bound) will all go to free agency on Sunday.   

According to Russo, "the Wild is working on an extension for Justin Falk, but it's not done yet, so he was officially given a qualifying offer to retain his rights. Chad Rau agreed to terms on a two-year deal last week. Others to have qualifying offers tendered are Chay Genoway, David McIntyre, Nick Palmieri, Jarod Palmer and Carson McMillan."  Qualifying offers mean these players are restricted free agents, not unrestricted. 

Cody Almond, who decided to sign a contract in Switzerland without so much as a howdy-doody to the Wild's management, was tendered a qualiftying offer so the Wild hangs on to his rights.  The Wild did the same thing for Dennis Endras who will play in Germany next season.

Stephane Veilleux has been signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Wild along with Chad Rau.

Matt Kassian got himself his first one-way deal.  It's a 2 year deal for $550,00 and $600,00.


Wild In The Market
The Wild's interest in signing Ryan Suter has been for naught since the Flames traded for his rights. 

The quest for Zach Parise is ongoing and as many of you know the Wild aren't the only ones on the bidding sheet.  The Devils may very well work to get him re-signed and then there's the Penguins who have to be absolutely salivating at the thought of Parise permanently attached to Crosby's hip as his number one winger.  Sally will go into overdrive to officially recruit me if that happens. 

One thought that comes to my mind with Latendresse being gone is the Wild possibly going after Dustin Penner.  A girl can dream on behalf of her team. 

My Eastern Conference Crush
Most of you know I'm a Washington Capitals fan and you probably think it's soley based on my adoration for Alexander Ovechkin.  Y'all would be wrong.  Adam Oates is the reason I'm a Caps fan.  Adam was one of my first hockey crushes, my first admission of puckbunny feelings in my tummy.  I've followed Adam's career from his rookie year in Detroit, to the Blues where he played with Brett Hull (Hull and Oates line), to the Bruins where he played with Cam Neeley and Wes Walz...hmmm, how many degrees of separation was that on Wes?  Anyway - I really connected with the Caps during the time Oates played with them and it's stuck ever since.  Back to Adam - the Blues traded him to the Caps in 1997 and he changed his number to 77 in homage to Ray Bourque, further cementing my undying respect from that point on as a true hockey fan in addition to my puckbunny love for him.  Adam went on to play a season each in Anahiem and Edmonton before retiring in 2004. 

Oates has coached with the Lightning and Devils (assistant under Lemaire).  Now he returns to the Caps as the head coach for the 2012-2013 season.  I couldn't be more excited for my Capitals this coming season.  This will be a salve for me being stuck here in the eastern conference.  Oh, and he got some other kind of small recognition this week - induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.  

Note to Vicki: Adam also played lacrosse so there's that connection with Emily ;) 

Here's one of the best NHL commercials ever:


I hear my MN family and friends are having some very Georgia-like heat and humidity in the early stages of this summer.  Can't say as I feel your pain because you know I'm soaking it up for all it's worth down here.  In addition, Georgia yellow peaches are in season and I'm eating my way through half of the state's harvest all by myself.  Very Yummy.          

Kings Win The Cup

8th Seed Team Wins It All

Congratulations to the L.A. Kings.  They and their fans have waited a long time to hoist The Cup. 

The Kings came to play in game six.  They came to get the job done.  The name of the game was to take it to the Devils early and often.  Boy, did they ever.  The Devils were chasing their tails from the first drop of the puck.  Instead of taking a deep breath and regrouping the Devils decided to play cro magnon hockey.  It cost them The Cup.  Bernier boarded Scuderi to give the Kings a 5 minute power play.  The Kings did what they had to do.  I could just picture Bernier sitting in the locker room taking his skates off and hearing the horn blow for one, then two and finally three goals as his team mates were left to defend his stupidity.  And that was just the first period. 

In the second period the Kings added insult to injury and scored their fourth goal of the game at full strength.  The Devils continued to spiral downward, taking 4 more penalties, two of which were additional misconducts.  Blood was spilled by sticks and collisions.  Even one of the linesmen was brutalized when he couldn't get out of the way of incoming player traffic.  Adam Henrique finally got one past a sprawling Quick so any thought of a shutout for The Cup Win was demolished.  

The Devils continued their parade to the penalty box in the third.  Zhidlicky, in his true fashion, tripped and hacked his way to the box.  The Kings took their share of penalties but came away unscathed.  With 3 minutes left the Devils pulled Marty.  It took the Kings 2 seconds to score the empty netter.  Marty came back in.  It took the Kings 4 seconds to score on him.  After that the Kings just skated aound, not wanting to make it any worse for the Devils.  Final score: 6-1 Kings.  

Best moment through the handshake line: Quick and Brodeur hugging it out and congratulating each other.  

Conn Smythe: Jonathan Quick

And there it is - the most coveted trophy in professional sports: The Stanley Cup.  It is a thing of pure beauty.  One day, some day... a Wild fan can dream.     

 And let the battle for Parise begin!!   

Hell Of A Hockey Game!

Dear Devils: the key to winning this game is to keep the puck out of your zone - just sayin'. 

How cool is it hearing Ticking Clocks by Cold Play on a real organ?!!  Dear Wild - take note.

Dear Devils: the other key to winning this game is to put the puck in the opponent's net, especially while on the powerplay.  0 for 15...stinky.

See, that's how ya do it!  Devils up 1-0 in the first. 

The Rock is rockin'!  The crowd is so loud Doc may as well not be talking.  And that's saying something.

By far the best hockey the Devils have played in the series.  Marty's still making me nervous but the guys in front of him seem to be running on all cylinders. 

Second period and Quick is flopping around like Marty.  Frick, spoke too soon.

Dear Marty: Could you not be a sieve?

Dear Marty: That's how you make up for that goal.  Fantastic Save!!

Dear Quick: Suck It!!  Devils up 2-1

Dear NHL: I love the overhead camera replay of saves/goals.  Nothing sexier than seeing a goalie go down from that angle.  Oops, was that out loud?

Dear Zhidlicky: YOU SUCK!  Different team, same chant.  Stop with the friggin' turnovers. 

Dear NHL: Thank you for the high stick no goal ruling. 

How some of these Devil shots aren't going in is pure mystery to me.  Clearly they're driving this game through two periods.   

That was the right call for no penalty on the follow through stick injury to Devils but damn, that looked like it hurt. 

And then the Devils follow it up by showing how to commit a true high sticking penalty.  

Talking smack with a neighbor in the complex who's from California.  She's the only Kings fan in her family.  I'm thinking Sharks for the rest of her clan... DEVILS, BABY!! 

Dear Willie Mitchell: You're not gonna score.  Not when Bryce Salvadore is goaltending. 

Dear Dustin Brown: It's a holding penalty and you just showed how to be the poster boy for it.  Shut up and go to the box.  

Let's see, late in the game and the Devils are in the lead.  Will Zhidlicky pull his usual march to the penalty box?  

Dear Devils: Spend the remaining 4 minutes of the game in THEIR zone, not yours.  

Group hug inside Quick's net resulting in 4 on 4 hockey for the last 2 minutes.  Kings can't buy a break at this point, deflecting the puck out of play on a shot on goal.  Last faceoff of the game comes to the outside circle.  

GAME SIX, BABY!!!  Monday night, 8:00 p.m. NBC.  
   

Pool's Open!
Thanks to everyone back in MN for the great pics of puppies in pools.  Nothing better than a happy, cool dog in the summer.  Here's Buster at play - courtesy of his girlfriend, Mia.  

The Stanley Cup Goes To...

The Sound of Silence
I was MIA for a couple of games due to some technical difficulties.  I was watching, I just didn't have access to one or the other: my phone or the interwebbyz.  And in fairness to all of my hockey texting partners it was probably good that I couldn't text all of the four letter words that were streaming from my mouth.  I was so apoplectic, especially during game 3, that I likely would have been texting gibberish and left you all wondering if I'd actually had some kind of cranial episode.  I mean, C'MON DEVILS, could you have been any more absent?  I had to keep looking at their sweaters to be sure it wasn't the Wild on the ice.   

Speaking of the Wild, Russo Radio from Tuesday this week yielded a great interview with Ken Hitchcock, head coach of the Blues.  Michael asked Ken some great questions regarding how the team was in total disarray when he came in.  You know, like not putting forth consistent effort night in and night out, slackers not giving it their all.  And then poof!  Ken walks in the door and whaddyaknow...the Blues turned their ship around and started playing for each other and the team.  If you missed Russo's second stint on KFAN here are the links to the second and third hours of his show.  Great stuff, I especially loved the Kevin Weekes interview in the third hour.  I wonder when Michael will get the offer to do a weekly 3 hour hockey show on KFAN?  It would be heaven, at least for me.


And The Stanley Cup Goes To...
Back to New Jersey for game five! The Cup was in the building for game four. Nobody can tell me the Kings weren't distracted by It and then a tad bit devastated to not be hoisting It in front of their own fans on home ice. Hey, it could still happen. But for now the Devils live to play another day. I don't care what the tv analysts say, Brodeur looked bad out there for the most part.  He got lucky and finally got some offense from the guys in front of him.  And because of that Tim has to endure a game five.  Because It's The Cup! 

The Kings looked a little off during the game but really felt they held the upper hand for the majority of the game.  I can only refer back to Michael Russo's interview of Kevin Weekes on Tuesday this week.  Kevin basically says: "I dare anyone to come up with what the Kings are doing wrong."  Their defense is spot on, their offense never gives up on banging away at the puck, their goal tending is supernatural.  They don't have Marek Zidlicky.  Lord, I love Ms.Conduct! 


Piecing Things Together
On the one year anniversary of Derek Boogaard's death the New York Times did a follow up article detailing the work Derek's father has done in trying to piece together his son's spiral into drug addiction.  The piece, for me, leaves many more questions than it answers but it does start to paint the picture of just how many people were involved in 'managing' Derek's pain issues.  What's clear to me is that the NHL needs a serious overhaul in their medical care program and that Gary Bettman still has his head up his ass when it comes to concussion/head injury damage.  What's also clear to me is that Derek's family and loved ones, while meaning well, didn't do him any favors along the way.  This is not a new story when dealing with addiction but it is noteworthy.  Enablers are those folks closest to addicts, and they love the addict very much, but can be as deadly as the drug/drink of choice that's slowly killing someone.  If you don't think this is true, watch an episode of Intervention on A&E sometime.  If you missed the original three piece article on Derek click here.  


Greatest Commercial This Week

  
I mean, seriously - how great is it to have Rob Zombie doing your product's commercial and have Clint Howard starring in it?!!  Of course, you kinda have to be into the horror flick genre to appreciate Rob Zombie, but who isn't...right??

Best Mini Series Of The Year So Far
The History Channel has really outdone itself with the Hatfields and McCoys production.  I don't think Kevin Costner should do anything but period work since he's clearly cut out for it.  I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of Bill Paxton, but his acting in this won me over.  For those of you who have DVR'd the series and haven't watched it make plans to devote the entire block of time needed to watch it straight through.  You'll be too hooked to walk away from it.  I'll supply the link for those who want to check it out online. 

Game One

Devils Hosting Kings              Devils 1   Kings 2 in OT

I would boo Bettman if he announced world peace or the cure for cancer.  He's just so smarmy and creepy.  I feel like I need to shower after watching him. 
I am ridiculously addicted to International Delights Iced Coffee mixes. 
  

I am ridiculously over caffeinated.
 

JR: The 90's called.  They want their peroxide blond streaks back.  And their gel styling product. 

Note To Kings: Since 2001, four teams have had 7 days of rest between winning their conference titles and starting the Cup Final.  NONE of them have won.   

Holy Playoff Hockey Beard, Kovalchuk!

C'Mon Marty...Let's win this for us old folks!

Pierre McGuire: Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.  Disses Doc by only responding to Eddie Olczyk.

Pierre McGuire calling Eddie Olcyzk "Edzo"  #shinslist

Note To Marty: Wake the fuck up, dude! 

Friggin' Quick making saves like he's a super goalie or something. 

Lightning Fast first period.   Kings defense is like a brick wall. 

Note To Self: Pay for overnight shipping of voodoo dolls of Kings defensemen.  Especially Willie Mitchell.

Clarkson: Furiously Red Playoff Beard and Mustache!

Note To Marty: Quit playing like an old fart.  Swallow those rebounds, grandpa. 

Hello - my name is Marty "Huge Ass Rebounds" Brodeur. 

Just say no to a shut out for Quick.  Seriously, say it.  Jinx that Effer. 

Rest or Rust?  Clearly the Kings are not rusty. 

Devils finally ruin the shutout.  Thanks to all the peeps out there who chanted SHUTOUT to jinx Quick. 

Deflected puck off of Kings...still counts as a goal for the Devils. 

Spectacular stand up save by Brodeur.  There's the goalie I know and love.

Sobbed so hard watching this.  Could have been the caffeine high wearing off:


Funniest tweet of the night: from Dirty Dangle Hockey: "I wonder how much maple syrup is in Dustin Penner's beard right now."

Five minutes remaining in third period and the Devils are doing everything they can to give the Kings the lead back. 

Arena crew taking a sledge hammer to the boards...WTF?

Brodeur with pad-stack save.  Kicking it old school!!


Second funniest tweet of the night: Bruce Ciskie - "No, Marek Zidlicky is not under the influence. This is normal, as any Wild fan can attest."

Because I Need To Watch Hockey As Long As Possible: OVERTIME!!

Best Goatee: Adam Henrique

Eddie: "Devils with a missed opportunity."  There's the understatement of the night.

Brodeur gets beat far side, under the leg.  Dammit, Stanley. 

Kopitar with the OT winning goal, hair and beard.  

Game 2: Saturday night, NBC, 8:00 p.m. eastern time.  That's 7:00 for you central zoners. 

Is It Wednesday Yet? Remembering Bailey

Where Did The Time Go?
I know I've been antsy waiting for the Cup Final to begin.  It's crazy for me to go these last few days with no hockey to watch after the almost constant bombardment leading up to this point.  And yet, the calendar doesn't lie.  It's the end of May going into June.  It's here, the Cup Final, already.  It's the series we wait for all season long and yet I can't help but feel melancholy.  I mean, it signals the end of hockey until October.  There will be that empty space in my soul for 12 plus weeks.  I will need therapy - the kind that comes in the form of hours spent in the sun and in the pool and in the garden.  Hopefully my southern friends/family will take me in and let me play in their dirt and water.  Otherwise there will be some awkward moments when they find me shoveling dirt in their yards or floating aimlessly in their pools.  But there are a few days of glorious balls-to-the-walls hockey left before the depression sets in.  Let's set the table shall we?

The Rangers are on the outside looking in.  That leaves only their eulogy left to be read.  I'm not sure if I ever posted the Coyotes' eulogy so here's that.     

L.A Kings - Western Conference Champs
Here's NHL.com's take on what they need to do to win the cup. 

New Jersey Devils - Eastern Conference Champs
Here's NHL.com's take on what they need to do to win the cup. 

For some reason I just can't get my head or heart around the Kings.  I know lots of hockey minds out there think the Kings are a lock for the cup.  I'm just not feeling it.  It could be that the Devils still represent all the things Jacque Lemaire brought to the table in terms of defensive play and pressuring the other teams into making huge gaffes on the ice. I love nothing more than a costly turnover which then turns into the kind of play that leaves the other team looking like utter fools.  To top that off there's Ilya Kovalchuk and Adam Henrique.  Google Images.  'Nuff Said.  Of course, I temper this declaration of Devils for the Cup with my disclaimer for being the world's worst gambler.  So there ya go.  

My plan is to blog for each game so keep the texts and tweets coming in.  Here in Georgia there are a couple of new friends who are doing their very best to learn the game and are excited to be watching the finals with me.  Should make for some interesting observations.  

The Diva Next Door
 We live 1200 miles apart now, but Connie and Randy will always be my next door neighbors.  I remember so clearly the day I met Connie.  They were in the process of moving in.  She came knocking on my front door to introduce herself, and to assure me that the nonstop barking I was hearing would stop shortly as she was on her way to the store to pick up a new battery for her dog's electronic collar.  The barking dog turned out to be Bailey, a female yellow lab who had a reputation for being a tad bit on the anti-social side, very alpha position driven and especially not very welcoming to new dogs in her life.  Bailey made an exception for me and my Casey Jones.  There were a few anxious moments in the beginning but in a very short time Bailey was welcoming us into her yard and home with a big smile and a happy bark.  And so the years of going back and forth between our homes began.   
One of my absolute favorite memories of living next door to Connie and Randy involves Bailey.  I always loved turning the corner onto our street and having Bailey greet me from her yard, wagging her tail and barking happily as if to say "Welcome Home, I've been watching for you!"  She would wait for me to park the car in my driveway and make my way way across the yard to see her.  There's nothing like having a dog lean into you upon greeting you and Bailey really threw herself into her hellos.          
That's not to say Bailey didn't challenge Connie and Randy over the years.  There were times when I really thought Connie would have to make a choice between Bailey and her hubby.  She got into everything, even when you were standing right there, FFS!  I nicknamed her my Diva Girl early on because she was clearly getting into trouble just to make sure she was getting attention, good or bad.  You could even tag Bailey as the female version of "Marley & Me."  Some of her escapades are legendary.  The pot roast debacle is my favorite to this day.  All five pounds of it.  Just hours before hosting a large crowd of folks for a party.  Bailey tried our patience for sure, but for those of us who were privileged to be accepted by her, we received all of her love, without question.  She was my Buster's first love, a mother figure.
Through it all, good and bad, Bailey has been Connie's soul dog.  The one dog that gets you, understands you, like no other dog you've had before or will ever have again.  These last couple of years have taken a toll on Bailey and we've known that her time with us was coming to an end.  I was lucky to get to see my Diva Girl just a couple of weeks ago on the trip back to MN.  I could see her pain in her eyes and her weight loss confirmed what Connie and I could only mention in brief passing for fear of a tearful onslaught.  
Sunday night I got the call from Connie.  I knew from her voice what was coming.  She and Randy did what was best for Bailey and she is now resting in peace, without pain.  The pain in Connie's heart will take time to mend.  I want to leave her with some memories of Bailey when she was at her best.  I've posted my favorite pictures of our girl on the Through The Lens tab.   
             
         

Cup Final: Kings vs Devils

So, what's shaking folks?  Oh, right.  There's playoff hockey!  I've been absent due to a trip back to Minnesota for a wedding and some serious hugs and catching up with folks.  I mean, I'm pretty sure Vicki and I stood in her driveway hugging for 10 solid minutes before letting go of each other.  It was a whirlwind 3000 mile round trip drive which included getting to see Vicki's oldest walk down the aisle looking like a fairy tale princess.  Sarah deserved the absolutely beautiful day that transpired and I wish the very best for her and her husband.  The fact that I remember when Sarah still thought boys were icky only points to the fact that I'm aging at a rate I'd rather not acknowledge.  So, on to the hockey cuz that's timeless.  


Seriously, if you bet the farm on my Stanley Cup picks, I live in a studio apartment so there's no room for you to move in with me.  The Kings dispatched the Coyotes without much trouble.  They have been waiting and resting to see who will be their opponent for the Cup.  In the meantime the Rangers dispatched my Capitals, heavy sigh.  Looks like my boyfriend has as much chance at a Cup before he retires as the Wild do before I die.  Perennially Disappointed, table for 18,000.  Meanwhile, the Devils finally ousted the Flyers.  That was a series which was almost the death of me.  So the Rangers were waiting for the Devils and it looked like it was their series to lose.  Who knew that was going to be the way it would go down?  The Rangers came out with the energy of a team that was well rested.  Too bad they got zero performance from the likes of Gaborik and Richards.  In fact, Gaborik got benched during game five.  The Hockey Gods punish, Marian.  Vengeance is mine.  Game six was a nail biter.  The Devils went up 2-0 in the first only to have the Rangers totally own them in the second and tie the game up.  The third period was nerve wracking and entertaining.  Adam Henrique took one for the team.  I mean, like, probably won't be fathering any children. 


Overtime proved to be a short-lived thing.  The Devils attacked Lundqvist and kept banging away until Henrique took a Kovalchuk shot that trickled through Lundqvist's pads and swept it into the net.  Sweet justice for a guy that gave up his manhood to block a shot in the 3rd period.  As Ryan Stanzel, Wild PR Guy, said via twitter: "It's a good thing Henrique went to the locker room to find his man parts after blocking that shot in the 3rd." 
   
      

And Now For The Cup Final
It will be the Kings against the Devils for Lord Stanley's Cup, the Holy Grail of all sports trophies.  Tune in Wednesday, May 30th, NBC.    

Sexism and the NHL
First there was this Newcastle Ale Ad:

This is funny, not sexist.  Get over it people. 

Then came While Men Watch on CBC:
Two women who talk on the phone while their husbands watch hockey and make up their own stories out of the play-by-play and color analysis.  This is Funny or Die kind of shit that you have to experience in order to believe it.  It is not sexist.  It could very well be that these two gals are just that stupid when it comes to sports.  But hey, they found a way to deal with being ignored by their husbands and ultimately are now getting a paycheck for it.  So, who's laughing now?  This is not feminism taking a giant leap backwards.  This is good humor.  If a few of the female persuasion happen to get seriously interested in the game of hockey (or any other sport these two ladies torture in the future) going forward, I say it's all good.  Lighten up, Francis.  It's all for a few chuckles.  And who doesn't need a couple of good laughs in their day?  The only sour grapes I have is that Vicki and I didn't think of this first.  Our own version, intelligent hockey analysis combined with just a hint of puck bunny, would have been an overnight hit.  I'm sure of it.  

Memorial Weekend
While most everyone is looking forward to the three day weekend I'd like to take a moment to thank the folks in my life who are serving or have served our country.  Thanks to you and those who served before you, I get to be deliriously happy at a silly sporting event.
We don't all agree on the wars we have fought or are fighting but we can all support those men and women who choose to put our country first.  

    

Not The Betting Kind

As I've said at the beginning of every post season, "never bet the farm on my Stanley Cup picks."  Once again my picks are now playing golf and contemplating where they'll be playing and/or coaching next season.  I may have lost based on the teams I picked to make it to the final round but I'm a winner thanks to the superb coverage of this post season by NBC network of stations. 
After years of hating on ESPN for not contracting with the NHL after the lockout my soul has been healed.  NBC has aired every game live, in it's entirety.  For some of those epic overtime thrillers it must have caused sheer panic for the folks in charge of programming at CNBC.  I mean, the normal audience for shows like American Greed or Mad Money must have thought aliens had taken over when they tuned in to find hockey?? of all things airing instead.  
In the years since the last lockout everyone has bemoaned the fact that the NHL has needed national television exposure.  We all complained about not getting any props in the pro sports arena and we bashed ESPN for not including enough hockey in their highlight reels. 

Well, now we've got this post season of glorious nationally televised coverage and it had nothing to do with ESPN.  Neener, neener, neener on them, right?  You gotta give the head honchos over at ESPN credit for sticking to their guns on their decision making process...even while having those huge ratings at NBC thrown in their faces.  Ed Sherman, blogger of SHERMANREPORT, wrote a great piece titled "ESPN Doesn't Hate Hockey, or so it claims..."  It's an insightful look at Vince Doria's, ESPN's senior vice president and director of news, defense of the lack of NHL support at his network.  You know, the network that claims to be the "WorldWide Leader in Sports".  Vince's two main arguments are 1. NHL doesn't translate well to tv, and 2. Fans are too locally loyal, meaning that once the Blackhawks are out of the playoffs all of their fans turn off the tv and won't turn it back on until October.  I love the fan comments in response to Doria. 

Awful Announcing, great site I visit often, added their response to Doria's out of touch take on the NHL's viewership needs.  Doesn't transfer to tv well?  The ratings for this year's post season slap Doria across the face and points out just how stubbornly wrong and closed minded the executives at ESPN are regarding hockey coverage.   And now they're having to stew in that for another 10 years.    

Greg Wyshinski, Puck Daddy contributor, included Ed's piece in his blog post response to ESPN titled  "Why ESPN Doesn't Cover Hockey."  Greg adds his own arguments to Doria's responses.  He joins Ed Sherman and Awful Announcing in the belief that NHL fans across the countries do indeed care about what happens to the elite players regardless of what team they play on or where on the map that team happens to hail from.  For taking that bet and signing a 10 year contract with the national hockey league NBC has been rewarded with ratings through the roof and that translates into immeasurable rewards as well for the NHL. 

For me, Greg hits it on head with this: "Why doesn't ESPN cover hockey?  Because we no longer need it to."

ROUND TWO WRAPPING UP

Capitals VS Rangers: (Still the Deluxe Extended Play series)   Series tied 3-3  

This series couldn't get any better than if it was scripted.  In game 5 the Capitals had the Rangers by the proverbial you-know-whats with just 2 minutes left in the third period.  And then it happened: Joel Ward, the OT hero from game 7 against the Bruins, turned into the anti-hero.  With 21 seconds remaining in the 3rd period Joel highsticked Hagelin of the Rangers and drew blood for the double minor.  The Rangers scored on the ensuing power play to tie the game with just 06.6 seconds on the clock.  With Joel still in the box for the beginning of OT, double minor for having drawn blood, along with my latest hottie Patric Lundqvist, the Rangers scored the winning goal on a slap shot that was deflected in past Holtby. 

I give Joel Ward a ton of credit for manning up after the game.  This guy is high on my Class Act list, not just because he's a former Wild and Houston Aeros player.  He really is a decent human being.  He sat in his stall in the locker room and waited for the media to surround him like jackals, knowing this was going to be the hardest interview of his career.  "I definitely let the squad down, and it cost us a game with a terrible play," Ward said. "I was just kind of hoping for another chance to redeem myself."  Joel was trying to get to his position after he blocked a shot.  "I kind of saw that he was running a pick on me, so I just tried to get around the pick," Ward said, speaking of Hagelin. "I got my stick under him and that was it.  It's a little mentally disturbing for sure right now," Ward said. "It's tough to be in that position when you're letting the team down."   

In an equally classy act of support his team and coach responded: "It was an accident," Caps coach Dale Hunter said about the ill-timed double-minor high-sticking penalty. "It was a high stick. That's the breaks of the hockey game. They got a break."  "You can't say it was his fault," Washington captain Alex Ovechkin said in defense of Ward. "We all lost the game. We win as a group and lose as a group." 

The Caps totally owned game 6, making the Rangers look like they weren't even there for most of the game.  That's not say that Holtby wasn't tested.  There were enough OMG, OMG, OMG moments - especially for Holtby's mom.  She is the cutest hockey mom in the NHL.  The Rangers pulled Lundqvist in the last 2 minutes of the game and came within one point of tying it up.  Fine, no shutout for Holtby but the win is ALL that matters.  It's off to game six.  What is this crap, making us wait until Saturday for that?? 

Flyers VS Devils:              Devils Won The Series 4-1

Andy Kimelman of NHL.com writes Five Reasons Flyers' Hopes Came Crashing Down.  I submit to you there is a sixth reason.  I'll add it at the end:

1. Absence of offense

2. Missing Giroux

3. Emotionally empty

4. Lack of mobility on defense

5. Where did the power go?

And now my reason which brings the total to six:

6. Crappy Puck Handling of Bryzgalov. 

Read the Flyers' Eulogy here.  Sally, this one's for you!

Kings VS Blues                  Kings Won The Series 4-0 

This is the only sweep of the playoffs going into the final four.  Again, good thing I never place money on my SC bets.  I had the Blues taking out the Kings.  See, the Kings pretty much had to back their way into the playoffs even though they played so well early in the season.  Sound familiar?  Anyway, who knew the Kings would go back to playing top notch hockey?  Clearly not me.  Read the Blues' Eulogy here.       

Coyotes VS Preds           Yotes Won The Series 4-1

Seriously, never bet with me on my SC picks.  I had the Preds going all the way to the SC final against the Pens.  Vegas is not on my top 5 list of places to visit, ever.  No scoring and totally getting away from their game, which got them into the playoffs in the first place, did the Preds in more than anything else.  It certainly didn't help that the Kostitsyn-Radulov Party Duo caused such an uproar.   Read the Preds' Eulogy here.    

Second Round Coming Along Nicely

First, Some Housekeeping
Somebody's having a birthday!  She's one of three stooges.  She's in love with Cal Clutterbuck.  Ladies and gentlemen please give a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY greeting to the one and only breech-born girlfriend I know...
ROBYN!


We'll celebrate in just few days when I'm back for a visit.  Champps fries and chocolate cake, baby!  I know it's not Cal Clutterbuck with a strategically placed bow, but it's the best I can do.  Love You :)

AND NOW FOR SOME HOCKEY

Capitals VS Rangers: (Deluxe Extended Play series)  Rangers 2-1 series lead
 
The Rangers are leading the series 2-1 but certainly not for a lack of trying on the Capitals part.  In the triple overtime marathon that was game 3, the two teams battled - leaving everything on the ice.  Pucks rang off of posts, both goalies make insanely magical saves, players laid down in front of howitzer shots and got back up to skate the puck out of the zone.  There were HUGE hits and inadvertant flying sticks which left blood on jersies and sutures on faces.  The crowd cheered, booed, oohed and ahhhed, screamed and stood - but never left the building.  The Rangers finally got one past Holtby and you would think the one player who would be the most ecstatic would be the Rangers goalie Lundqvist.  Instead of jumping for joy he could barely drag himself across the ice and into the locker room.  From his postgame  presser:  "It's a feeling where usually I scream because I'm so excited," Lundqvist said. "I was just too tired. I kept saying, 'Oh my God, it's over.' I mean, oh my God. It felt like it was never going to end."
This video of Holtby's parents reactions to their son's saves and eventual goal against during the game is the purest expression of a mom and dad supporting their child throughout the good and the bad. 
HOCKEY PARENTS RULE!


Flyers VS Devils:                            Devils 2-1 series lead

The Devils got Ilya Kovalchuk back for game three.  Either the doctors and trainers on staff are miracle workers or Kovalchuk got a message from a divine entity.  No matter what conspiracy theory you subscribe to Ilya's back issue was nowhere in sight for game three.  He played 22:09 minutes, 31 shifts and had a plus-2 rating.  He was a game changer all night but his set-up of Alexei Ponikarovsky (say that 3 times fast, dare ya) during a Flyers line change in OVERTIME was a thing of hockey beauty.  The Devils are now back on top of the series and hopefully with Parise, Zajac and Kovalchuk clicking the Flyers will soon be playing golf.   



Kings VS Blues                         Kings 3-0 series lead
This is the only series of the second round to have one team looking for the potential sweep.  There, I said it.  Out Loud.  SWEEP.  JINX!  I can't afford to have the Kings messing up my Preds For The Cup quest.  The Kings are back to looking like a legit cup contender these days after I had written them off as first round fodder.  And what the hell, Blues??  Could you be any more off your game?  Hitch didn't come in and unite you guys during the regular season to get to this point and then just roll over.  Not that this series has been dull, far from it.  Game three alone is chock full of highlight reel memorabilia: The Kings got a Gordie Howe hat trick from Mike Richards, first playoff goal by Dwight King and a goal by roolkie Drew Doughty.    
*For those of you rookie fans a Gordie Howe hat trick is defined as one player getting in a fight, scoring a goal and getting an assist on a goal.    


Coyotes VS Preds                    Yotes 2-1 series lead

Pekka Rinne, who's name reminds me of a fancy brick of cheese, was a brick wall through the regular season and for the first round of the playoffs.  He's the main reason I picked the Preds to be the Cup Final.  Unfortunately Rinne melted like cheeze whiz in the microwave for games 1 and 2.  The team playing in front of him didn't do much better, leaving him dangling more often than not.  Plenty of blame to go around with those nine goals given up in the first 2 games.  Game 3 was on their home ice and they seemed to have found their mojo.  It must have been hard to do with all of the hoopla surrounding the suspension of  Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn for game 3.  These two morons partied like there was no game 2.  They didn't get back to the hotel until after 4:00 a.m.  Well, now we know why Keith Jones ripped on Radulov's total lack of play during an intermission.  Upon returning to Nashville the media folks who happened to have witnessed the party boys in action advised the Pred's head coach Trotz of the apparent cause of Radulov's and Kostitsyn's poor play.  Hence the suspension for game 3. 
All's well that ends well, since the Preds won game 3, right?  Not so much.  The coach is riding the same players from game 3 into game 4 since you don't mess with what's broken.  I love Trotz and the Nashville management.  Go Preds!! 


Over Exposure
I loved the new commercials from our good friends at who are sponsoring the beloved sport of hockey this year.  I grew tired of them towards the end of the first round because they played the same ones over and over and over and... you get the point.  It didn't help that there were 16 overtimes in round one.  Just when I thought I was going to have to have reach for jagged piece of glass to end all I caught sight of this sexy little number.  Oh, I don't drink whiskey - foul liquid if you ask me.  I just love this commercial.