Switch Hitting, Visitors Overstaying Their Welcome

Switch Hitting
The Easter Bunny tucked a pair of Twins tickets into my Easter basket right next to the peeps and malted milk balls.  Okay, it wasn't the Easter Bunny, it was Connie and Randy, but they sure made my Easter Day bright!  Bobbi and I took in the game Sunday afternoon and enjoyed the beautiful weather along with a Twins Win.  

Check out the Through The Lens tab at the top of this page for some pictures from the game.   

I spent some quality time with Mr. Thome and his team mates and got to razz Bobbi about her affinity for the dreaded Vancouver Canucks.  Yes, there was hockey talk at a baseball game and just so you all know - there were folks all around, especially the two guys behind us, who were all over the NHL playoffs with me.  This is the State of Hockey.  

For Vicki - Check out the Through The Lens page for a special set of shots just for you   .   

Overstaying Their Welcome

This first round of playoffs has been filled with overtime sessions and it's the visiting teams who are coming up the big winners.    

Tampa Bay vs Pittsburgh: Pens 3-2 series
New York vs Washington: Caps 4-1 series winner
Montreal vs Boston: Bruins 3-2 series 
Buffalo vs Philadelphia: 3-3 series tied

Nashville vs Anaheim: Preds 4-2 series winner
Chicago vs Vancouver: 3-3 series tied
Phoenix vs Detroit: Wings 4-0 series winner
Los Angeles vs San Jose: Sharks 3-2 series

• Rangers/Caps - New York is just about as merciless as Canada is when their teams lose.  Check out the Rangers message boards for some of the best Marian Gaborik bashing you'll ever see.  Porcelain Groin Boy has some serious reckoning to do this summer in order to win back the Ranger fans come this fall.  He simply must learn how to be a two way player or he's doomed to be the whipping boy of New York.  Given the price and length of his contract the Rangers are stuck with him so I'm guessing the GM and coaching staff will be working closely with Gaborik as well.

And now some love for my boyfriend!  It has been great to see Ovechkin work on being a two way player over the course of this season.  His efforts have paid big dividends and the team has shown great strides as well.  Wes said it best during a Chalk Talk last season when he commented how a team that simply strives for offense and speed will find themselves out of steam and out of the playoffs if that's all they have.  The Caps have worked to be better defensively and they've taken down one conference rival for their efforts.  I couldn't help but smile when hearing the VS in game commentators and the analysts refer to the changes.

• Penguins/Lightning - Tampa Bay refuses to go down without a fight.  After losing games 3 and 4 they responded by embarassing the Pens in game 5 by winning 8-2 on the Pens home ice.  The 2 Penguin goals didn't come until the third period in a game that was both tragic and comical to watch.  Game 6 is Monday night.  I expect it to be an epic butt-whoopin' by the Pens who never let a bad game go unpunished. 

    

• Hawks/Canucks - Vance's Hawks had a thing for the number 5 in game 5...they won it 5-0.  Luongo continued his M.O. of melting down in the playoffs and so did his team mates.  I really didn't expect this to happen until the Cup Final but heck, I'll take the Canucks being ousted whenever it can get done.  If this is the round in which the Hockey Gods deem it then who am I to disagree?  Game 6 was a nail biter with the Canucks clearly determined to get back on their game.  Each time Vancouver scored, the Hawks answered back though.  Loungo didn't start this game in net but he had to finish because Schnieder left the game with an injury.  I'm not saying Lou's the reason the Hawks won it in overtime...or am I?  Game 7 is Tuesday and you can bet there isn't anything on the face of this earth that will keep me from watching!  

         

• Preds/Ducks - I've said it before and I'm still saying it - The Most Entertaining Series of round one.  Yes, these games have been ungodly late to start and the overtimes by the teams playing ahead of them haven't helped that.  Let me assure you they've been totally worth staying up to watch.  Anahiem came back in game 4 with a commanding 6-3 win after being totally embarrassed about their play in game 3.  The Preds, who have never made it beyond the first round of playoffs, pulled together and said "Not This Year."  They gritted it out in game 5, sending the game into overtime by scoring with just 36 seconds left in the 3rd period.  It took less than 2 minutes in overtime to get the winning goal and send the series to game 6.  The Ducks scored first in game 6 and the Preds answered back with two goals of their own.  The Ducks tied the score late in the second but the Preds owned the third period getting the winner and an empty netter to boot.   I am NEVER sad to see the Ducks laid to waste and this time is no different.  
  

• Coyotes/Wings - The Red Wings finished sweeping the Coyotes out of the first round pretty easily.  Makes me glad the Wild didn't get into the playoffs - that's what this particular series did for me.  Of course, the real story here is whether or not the Coyotes are moving back to Winnipeg.  Will they or won't they?  If you believe everything you read in the press - who knows?  The media seems to think it's a done deal but Bettman is denying it to the hilt.  I'm not even sure who the lesser of the two evils is in that pairing but I can't help feeling sad for the Yotes fans.  Minnesota's been there, done that - having lost an NHL team.  The difference between us is that you can take it to the bank that Arizona will never get an expansion team ever again.  Just as hockey should have never left Minnesota, the game never should have been transplanted in the middle of the desert. 
  

• Habs/Bruins - The Bruins were down 3-1 halfway through game 4.  They battled back in the second period and then fell behind 4-3 early in the third.  With less than 7 minutes left in regulation the Bruins tied the game to send it into, you guessed it, overtime.  It took 2 minutes into OT for Boston to put the winning goal in the net.  Game 5 was a nail biter with two scoreless periods and the Bruins taking the 1-0 lead early in the third period.  With six minutes left in regulation the Habs finally got one past the Bruins goalie and into overtime we go...familiar territory in round one.  In fact, it took 2 overtimes to get the job done but the Bruins stuck it out to come away with the lead in the series, coming back from a 2-0 series deficit.  Game 6 is Tuesday.   

• Kings/Sharks - Runner Up for Most Entertaining Series of Round One.  Game 3 started out with the Kings trampling all over the Sharks 3-0 in the first period but this game would turn out to be the Battle Royale of the series so far.  the second period was a scoring buffet with a total of 7 goals being scored and the game tied up.  There was a moritorium on scoring in the third period so off to overtime they went.  The Sharks scored early to finish the game off but it was still close to 1:00 a.m. before it was over.  Games 4 and 5 were relative snooze fests in comparison: Sharks 6-3 in game 4, Kings 3-1 in game 5 - a game in which the goals were all scored within the first 9 minutes and their goalie made 51 saves.  Game 6 is Monday night.    
  
• Flyers/Sabres - Game 4 was mild (Sabres 1-0) compared to game 5: Sabres up 3-0 in the first period and then watched as the Flyers scored 2 in the second and 1 in the third to send the game into...shockingly, overtime.  Buffalo found their game in OT but still felt embarrassed when all was said and done.  Game 6 just pissed me off with the Flyers answering back every time the Sabres scored and yes, there was overtime.  The Flyers pulled this one out of their butts and have forced a game 7 on Tuesday night.  The Sabres better get their heads on straight - I'm counting on them. 

Calder Cup & Stanley Cup: Round One Rolls On

NHL and NBC 
Wow - didn't think this would ever happen again but the record setting deal is in place through the 2020-2021 season.  Jesus, can you even wrap your head around the year 2020?  For those of you with the cable/satellite provider who doesn't offer Versus - drop their shit now and get with the program. 

Quest for the Calder Cup
Let's not forget that our Houston Aeros are playing for the Calder Cup.  Our boys swept the Peoria Rivermen right out of the first round.  The future appears to be looking up for the Wild.  For the best coverage of our farm team add T3I to your favorites and check in often.  Some of my favorite writers are found there, including the very charming MsConduct, who also writes for InGoalMagazine.  I've been a huge fan of hers for some time now and once you read her blog I guarantee you'll be hooked as well.  My favorite tweet of hers during game 2: "Have said "F**k me" at least 20 times during this game. New playoff slogan: Aeros Playoff Hockey: Enjoy Your Heart Attack."  My kind of hockey fan!  I'd love to take in a game with her some time.  
     
Tampa Bay vs Pittsburgh: Pens 2-1 series
New York vs Washington: Caps 2-1 series
Montreal vs Boston: Habs 2-1 series
Buffalo vs Philadelphia: Flyers 2-1 series


Nashville vs Anaheim: Preds 2-1 series
Chicago vs Vancouver: Canucks 3-1 series
Phoenix vs Detroit: Wings 3-0 series
Los Angeles vs San Jose: Sharks 1-1 series

• Rangers/Caps - Favorite tweet from Russo: "Gaborik is honestly going to pull his groin if he keeps dodging checks and turning it over like this."  Funniest moment of the series was watching Ovechkin try to put a hit on Brian Boyle...Ovie bounced right off of Boyle like he was a tennis ball.  Second best tweet of the series from Puck Daddy: "Wow, almost had a Marian Gaborik sighting there for a second."   Favorite chant of the series: "Avery Sucks!  Avery Sucks!  Avery Sucks!" 

         

• Penguins/Lightning - The Bolts were determined to do better in their second game and boy, did they.  The final score Friday night was 5-1.  Brett Clark took a puck to the face and after being attended to on the ice by the trainer he managed to get up and make it to the locker room on his own.  It's the playoffs, baby.  Ultimately Tampa Bay doesn't have what it takes to get past the Pens, IMHO, and while they won't go down without a fight, they will go down.  Game 3 is Wednesday night. 

• Hawks/Canucks - The Hawks seem to have forgotten the first rule of hockey - puck possession.  My favorite moment of the series so far is the Canucks sandwich from game 2.  There were 3 Hawks putting a crushing check on a Vancouver player.  Almost as good as a goal, which Chicago desperately needs.  Game three felt like the Little Engine That Could with the Hawks taking a 3-1 lead before the 2nd period was over and never looking back.  They chased Louongo from the net in the early minutes of the third period after scoring their 6th goal of the game.  Lou has a history of ultimately choking in playoff series but I didn't think it would be in game 4 of the first round.  This doesn't mean Vancouver is necessarily down and out but Lou being ousted usually signals the rest of the Canucks starting to unravel as well.  And sure enough, 3 Canucks got 10 minute game misconducts shortly afterwards.  The 7-1 blowout made the Hawks fans feel like there's hope. 

         

• Preds/Ducks - The Most Entertaining Series of round one.  Ducks take a 4-1 lead in the second game and then the Preds came back in the third period to bring the score to 4-3.  Ducks end up winning 5-3 thanks to an empty netter but they were sweating it, big time, during the last 3 minutes of that game.   Game 3 was high-energy, high-impact, high-emotion all the way.  Preds score twice within 38 seconds during the first period.  The Ducks come back with Selanne scoring twice within 30 seconds in the second period to tie the game.  The third period had the Preds scoring, the Ducks answering back within 90 seconds and then the Preds putting the game away with the winning goal.  There were boarding and roughing and fighting penalties in the second period which combined for a total of 22 minutes being served in the box.  This is how Selanne summed up Sunday night's game: "Well, something a little bright thing," he said of the Ducks' brief comeback, "but we have no reason to lose this (expletive) game. No business. They wanted it more, they won the battles. We're lucky even to be in the game. Very disappointed."

• Coyotes/Wings - The Red Wings scuttled the Coyotes in seven games in last year's first-round series.  They've now won four of five playoff games against the Coyotes in Phoenix over the last two years. They can close out the series and sweep the Coyotes in game 4 on Wednesday night.  Boy, can I feel the Coyotes pain - been there, done that in round one a couple of times.  Just to give you a feel for the hockey machine that is Detroit: they scored all four of their goals in the first three minutes of each period – and on their first shot of each period.  In game three Valtteri Filppula made it 3-0 just 2:50 into the second to put the Red Wings in complete control with Johan Franzen adding the breakaway goal in the opening minute of the third.  I won't say toast just yet but I think the Coyotes are up against a brick wall.  It doesn't help that their goaltending has completely cracked at this point.   

• Habs/Bruins - The story in this series has been Zdeno Chara, and it starts by going back six weeks ago when his hit on Max Pacioretty left the Habs player with a broken vertebra in his neck and a concussion.  Pacioretty is still out of the line up.  The crowd at Bell Centre for game 3 was purely hostile but the Bruins quieted the 21,000 booing and jeering fans by taking their first lead of the series just over three minutes into the game.  Boston got their first win in the series at Montreal after Chara returned to the lineup after being being sidelined with dehydration issues after catching a virus before game 2.  Game 4 is Thursday, just enough time to let game 3 sink in and fester in Montreal. 

• Kings/Sharks - The Kings needed some of their 'lesser known' players to step up.  The team was without Jarret Stoll, due to suspension.  Anze Kopitar is out with a season-ending broken ankle.  Goalie Jonathan Quick was a brick wall, getting the shutout.  The blue line rocked for 3 goals, 4 assists and 11 blocked shots, as well as an efficient power play to even up the series.  Again, I'm glad to see the Kings respond so well but ultimately I think the series will go to the Sharks.  We'll see how game three goes - and I won't be staying up for it, so check in here for the final score.  Okay, I watched the first period - aka: Train Wreck. The Kings scored 2 quick goals and had Niemi reeling in the net.   

• Flyers/Sabres - And to think, the Wild coulda/shoulda/woulda had Peter Laviolette behind the bench 2 years ago...sigh.  Making the tough decisions, based on what's best for the team, Laviolette put the backup goalie Brain Boucher in net for game 3.  Boucher made 35 saves and the Flyers squeaked out the win to take the 2-1 lead in the series.  Coach Laviolette also inserted Zherdev in the lineup who scored the winning goal.  The Sabres have their work cut out for them going into game 4 Wednesday night and it will be interesting to see what, if any, changes Lindy Ruff makes. 

Whew!  I'm a little exhausted after putting this together for you all.  I'll do another update closer to Friday in order to get the bulk of games 3 and 4 out of the way.  In the meantime, don't forget to introduce yourselves to MsConduct and The3rdIntermission.  Also - the Twins may not be off to the best start but it is baseball season so get behind our boys of summer.  I'm wearing my Jim Thome jersey with great pleasure these days...thanks to Santa Claus - aka: Connie and Randy.  LOVE ME some Jim Thome!     

Here We Go!!

Tampa Bay vs Pittsburgh: Pens 1-0 series
New York vs Washington: Caps 1-0 series
Montreal vs Boston: Habs 1-0 series 
Buffalo vs Philadelphia: Bruins 1-0 series

Nashville vs Anaheim: Preds 1-0 series
Chicago vs Vancouver: Canucks 1-0 series
Phoenix vs Detroit: Wings 1-0 series
Los Angeles vs San Jose: Sharks 1-0 series  


This is what it's all about and someday...before I die...


Everybody has their first games in hand now and should be getting those butterflies settled down. 

• I'm taking particular interest in the Rangers/Caps series - for a couple of really obvious reasons: 1. I love my boyfriend Ovechkin, and 2. I hate Gaborik.  So, you know it was with much glee and giggling that I watched Ovi tie the game to send it into overtime and then watched with much happiness as Semin potted the winning goal.  Take that, Porcelain Groinboy - mwuhaahaahaaaa!  
• Vance's home team didn't get off to a great start in the Hawks/Canucks series as they pretty much watched Vancouver control the entire game.  This is not last year's Stanley Cup team and the aforementioned butterflies probably had a lot to do with getting beat 3-0.  There were post clangers galore though, and to me - that's a good sign for game 2.  
• Desert hockey meets Hockey Town - BIG TIME.  The Coyotes/Wings series kicked off with a bang in Detroit.  It doesn't matter how empty the Joe is during the regular season, come playoff time those seats are filled with the rockin'est, stompin'est fans around.  The Yotes made the final score of 4-2 look better than they actually played, you have to look no further than their 0 - 5 powerplay results.  I'm hoping the dogs make a series out of this first round cuz I really hate teams that live up to the media-hyped foregone conclusions.  
• Anaheim fans were missing their team when they packed the arena for the first game in the Ducks/Preds series.  That's because of the combined 46 minutes of penalty box time served by the Ducks - mostly in the 3rd period when the game was clearly lost, along with their tempers.  The Preds stuck to playing their game and came out of the slug fest with the 4-1 win.  If only Barry Trotz were available for that vacant coaching job in Minnesota...heavy sigh...  
• Ole, Ole-Ole-Ole is what Montreal was singing in the visiting lockerroom after taking the first game, handily, in the Bruins/Canadiens opener, 2-0.  Boston just never looked like they were in synch with each other.  Despite outshooting the Habs at times it was almost painful to watch this game.  Nice to hear Wild fans aren't the only ones to boo their team off the ice...Bruins need to get their act together for Saturday night.  Maybe put a certain Hobbit in the net to shake things up?  Just sayin'.    
• It helps that Buffalo is coming into the playoffs as a red hot team, raring to go.  It also helps that Chris Pronger is out of the lineup for Philidelphia.  The Sabres/Flyers series is on my radar because I love Ryan Miller and I hate the Flyers - all of them.  I chuckled out loud as Buffalo held the 1-0 lead and shutout the Flyers.  Okay, I laughed out loud - hard -  and peed a little too.  I shouldn't get too cocky though, this series will get ugly.  It's the Flyers, you know.        
• The Late Show - also known as the Sharks/Kings series is worth staying up for.  The Kings are making a name for themselves as of late (ie: last couple of seasons) and it's nice to see a team that's been irrelevant for so long come back to the limelight.  The Sharks have last year's Cup winning goalie in net, Antti Niemi - who they now refer to as "Finding Nemo", get it?  I think if there's ever a jinx on a goalie it would be that nickname.  Besides, Disney ain't in San Jose.  In the most EPIC game 1 of the first round, the Kings make a game of it and tie it up to send the battle into overtime.  Big Joe Pavelski gets the OT winner and the Shark Tank erupts! 
• Pittsburgh was not very hospitable to it's visitors in their first game of the Pens/Lightning series.  Marc-Andre Fleury shut out the Bolts in game 1 and the goals were all scored by...wait for it... NOT Crosby or Malkin.  As much as it pains me, the Pens are the team I'm most interested in through the finals.  There's something to be said about a team that comes together in the face of adversity...see Side Rant below.  

Side Rant - or - Bitter, Table For One Part ll -  
While I hate spotlighting the Pens for anything I have to hold them up for example here.  The Penguins have that certain something which is so elusive for the Wild players ... ACCOUNTABILITY.  The Pens are missing Crosby and Malkin and yet, here they are in the playoffs.  Hmmm, that means their players banded together and collectively said: "We're in this to win it and it's up to those of us still standing to get it done."  I wonder if any of the Wild players are watching or if they're just sulking around the house and getting on their wive's nerves.  There's a lesson to be learned here - even if the Pens are bounced in the first round look at the pride the players can take out of it due to the fact that they gave 100% of themselves, each and every one of them, to make the playoff drive happen. 
Every one of the Pens defer to their goalie, Fleury, for having kept them in the hunt after losing Malkin and Crosby.  Fleury was without a doubt the number one star of their game Wednesday night.  We've got a goalie who's just as good as Fleury - that's Backstrom.  How many games did he carry for the Wild this last season?  More than any goalie should have to - and the same can be said for Jose as well.  Is it any wonder that they both pooped out along the way when it became clear that the team wasn't going to play in front of them, for whatever their selfish reasons were?