Canucks lack consistent effort as losing skid hits 4 straight

Sure, you could say it was a close game as the Canucks battled hard in the second half of the 3rd to almost tie it. But it was a complete brain cramp by the team between the 3:23 and 6:08 mark of the 3rd period that really did them in. The Wings scored 3 goals in that span, cushioning their lead to 6-3. Too much of lead for the Canucks to come back from.
It was a whacky 3rd to say the least, as 5 goals were scored.
I don't think I can count how many things went wrong for Vancouver tonight.
-coughing the puck up
-taking too many penalties (7 minors to the Wings' 4)
-taking penalties at the wrong time (Ohlund's hooking call because he couldn't match the opposing player's speed at the 18:42 mark of the 3rd, spoiling any chance of a miracle comeback)
-where Curtis Sanford started strong, he couldn't stone the Wings when it counted. He completely gaffed on Derek Meech's wrap around goal.
-the Nucks were outshot 17-8 in the 2nd period and 38-25 overall. I'm surprised this game was even close.
-Steve Bernier has only 1 goal in his last 13 games. Yeah. Didn't see that coming.

The good?

-Sanford played very well up until the 3rd.
-The Wings only scored 1 PP goal
-Datsyuk: 5 shots and no points
-Zetterberg: 3 shots and no points
-Hossa: 7 shots and 1 assist
The Canucks kept the big guns off the board, but in the end Detroit had too many weapons on this night.
-Kyle Wellwood only received 10:37 of ice time. In that span, he coughed the puck up for the Wings' 2nd goal, then scored a power play goal, and also almost scored a highlight reel goal in the 3rd. He was good.
-Love seeing Mason Raymond score. Same with Burrows.
-Taylor Pyatt has gone from a pylon to a demonic force over the past couple of weeks. I liked his play at both ends of the ice.
-Why is everybody bagging on Shane O'Brien for taking minor penalties? Let's pick on the team as a whole. O'Brien isn't the only guilty party.
-AV put Demitra back with the Sedins. I like that combo. Phd, baby.
-We don't play Detroit again until the 2nd or 3rd round of the playoffs! (Ooo...jinx)

The Canucks have lost their division lead to the Wild. A scary scenario: They are 4 points ahead of the Coyotes who are in 9th place. Thank Luongod they won all those games in November, because December is turning into a month not to remember.



BOX SCORE

HIGHLIGHTS


POST GAME BYTE

"That was exciting, post-lockout hockey, wasn't it?" Detroit coach Mike Babcock asked. "Last shot wins."

T Tags: Canucks Red+Wings game+review December+4+2008 Sanford Wellwood losing+streak Pyatt+riot

Sanford to play against the Wings tonight / Linden banner sneak peak

Beyond all of that great political news today that Canada's Governor General has agreed with Stephen Harper's did to suspend parliament (which I am 100% in favor of-damn the coalition) lies more important news: Curtis Sanford will play against the Wings tonight!

“It feels good, there’s just a little fatigue in the muscle because it has been stressed so much,” Sanford said. “It’s just one of those things you deal with throughout the season and I’m ready to go.

“There’s still some tightness, but the good thing is the warmer it gets the better it has felt on the ice.”

No offence to Cory Schneider, but I believe this does give us a better shot at winning. Sanford looked solid in the Columbus game before leaving due to back pain. Schneider had moments of brilliance but also showed signs of being a rookie NHL netminder.

Are the Wings going to gain some form of revenge from our OT victory over them last Monday? Detroit has been anything but stellar since that beautiful night. They lost the next game 3-1 to Montreal, then beat the Blue Jackets 5-3, lost 4-1 to the mighty Bruins, and then beat Anaheim 2-1 on December 1.

The Canucks need no explanation except to say they have lost 3 in a row since that victory over the Wings. (Do I pick good games to see live or what?) They need to score more goals to support their goaltenders, and they really need to play disciplined against Detroit. Sound like a broken record?

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Canucks.com's Fan Zone will have a live blog of tonight's game and tomorrow's game against the Wild. Follow the link and hang out there. Should be a great time.

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Darcy Hordichuk (cracked bone in foot) is questionable for tonight.
Tomas Holmstrom has missed 7 games with back spasms and may not play tonight (thank god). Must be from all those whacks goalies give him for standing in their crease. Can't say I blame them. I wouldn't want to stare at Holmstrom's ass all night either.

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If I was a betting man, I would put money on Detroit winning tonight mostly because Luongo isn't playing and the revenge factor. But don't count out the Nucks in this one. They play Detroit hard most of the time.
We need Demitra back with the Twins though. That experiment was shot down much too quickly by Vigneault in my opinion. It's what I'd call a "knee-jerk" reaction. Put him back on the top line, AV!

GAME TIME: 4:30 PM
TV: CANUCKS PPV

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I believe Alanah at Kukla's has found a sneak peak picture of Trevor Linden's banner, as seen below. Cool stuff.















T Tags: Canucks Red+Wings Game+Preview December+4+2008 Sanford+to+return Trevor+Linden+banner+picture

Wings' power play proves too much for Canucks

The Canucks could have won the game....had they not taken any penalties at all. Detroit scored a power play goal in each of the first 3 man advantages. And that was the big difference. Penalties happen. The Canucks weren't penalized all that often. It's just that they couldn't kill the Wings' man advantages.
And oh, did Vancouver ever come close to tying it, out shooting the Wings 13-3 in the 3rd and being fueled by King Kyle Wellwood's goal to make it 3-2. So close.
Speaking of Wellwood, I find it very strange how he is always left by himself by the net when the Canucks are on the PP. Why is that? It's almost like the other teams don't give him any respect either. No love for the Wood. But that's ok, because he'll just keep scoring those kinds of goals, and I'll keep laughing. Maybe, just maybe, Wellwood should play on the first line.
His ice time continually increases. Over 17:00 minutes tonight. Good stuff.
There really isn't much else to say except:
- the refereeing sure can be ass sometimes. There were bogus calls on both teams tonight. Lame.
- I thought the Canucks played alright despite the loss. At lot more of a controlled game. 5-on-5 we can tango with Detroit.
- were we 0-for-7 on the PP tonight? Brutal. That should drop them down towards the league basement now. Something's got to give.
- 2 shots and 0 points for Hossa. Impressive coverage.
- I really miss calling Luongo "LUONGOD". He has not really stole a game yet. I wouldn't say he had much chance on the Wings goals tonight however.

BOX SCORE & HIGHLIGHTS NHL.com is so cool now.

T Tags: Canucks, Red Wings, game+review November+2008 Wellwood+is+a+god

Canucks Wings duke it out at GM Place tonight

The Canucks return home for 6 games, but tonight they will be without the services of Jannik Hansen, who suffered a groin injury against the Ducks. That's quite unfortunate, as he was clicking well with Kesler and Burrows, scoring 3 goals and 7 points in 7 games. Jason Krog will take Hansen's spot on the 3rd line. Maybe there will be some chemistry there. We'll need it.
While the Canucks are now 4th in the NHL in goals for, Detroit is second. Are we going to see a goalfest again? Probably not. You would have to think that they will tighten up and play Detroit very hard as they always do. Why, on October 16th of this season, the Wings outshot us 35-29 but Alex Burrows scored the winner in overtime. I can remember being pretty happy about that. Burrows, Kesler and Hansen combined for 4 points. The Sedins had a combined 3 shots and no points.
Vancouver will have to take less penalties than they did against the Ducks, or Detroit will bury us. Their firepower is sick.
So what have the Wings been up to besides eating Octopus dung?
Their last game was on Thursday against the Sharks, and that was a 4-2 loss. On Wednesday they lost in OT to the Ducks. So they have lost 2 in a row. Love it. Ironically, they had won their previous 5 straight after losing to guess who...yeah the Vancouver Canucks. So you know the Wings want to get back in the win column and are plotting revenge against us, which makes it that much more crucial that Luongo plays like he's going to steal a game (for once), the team doesn't take too many penalties and they play a little more sound defensively. This is a broken fucking record isn't it? Oh, and somebody shadow Marian Hossa. He's on a roll with 3 goals and 6 points in his last 4 games. He leads the team in scoring with 15 points in 11 games, and remember, he started slowly out of the gate. Now he's looking to put up 100 points.
Regardless of how great the Wings are, how about the Canucks beat the hell out of them tonight?
Die Wings Die!


GAME TIME: 7:00 PST
TV: SPORTSNET PACIFIC

T Tags: Canucks, Red Wings, Game+Preview+November+2+2008, Marian+Hossa, Hansen+groin+injury

Canucks 4 Wings 3

Not surprised here. The Canucks came out with a vengeance against the Wings as we always do. I know it was the Alex Burrows show, but I continually was watching Line 2 tonight and they somewhat came through.
- Demtra: 1 assist, 3 shots on goal and over 19:00 played
- Raymond: 1 goal, 2 shots, 20:00 played
- Pyatt- 0 points and 14:08 played.

Better play by Demitra, but it's no surprise that he plays better against non-aggressive teams. Same with Raymond. Pyatt however, is a bum. Face it.

Great game by Line 3 tonight. Terrific. Check out their stats here. God, I love Line 3. They should be promoted, but they are such a great checking line as well.
Notice how shitty Line 2 was in their own end? Terrible. That is becoming increasingly evident.
I think Steve Bernier has not found his niche with the Twins yet either. Maybe that will come.
Maybe we should drag Anson Carter out of the Swiss League. Oops, did I say that out loud?

Game highlights

Red Wings-Canucks game thread

Feel free to pop by during the game if you'd like. I'll cover this game period by period again.

-No Zetterberg tonight as he has a groin strain. Darren Helm will replace him. No Chelios or McCarty either.
-Says Hank Sedin:

"We had basically been on a high since the first preseason game. We started getting loose. We were too loose [Monday]. After that loss, everyone seems hungrier, refocused, re-energized. We aren’t as loose any more."

Definitely expect a better effort from the Nucks tonight. But the Wings will be tough, as they are trying to win their first game at the Joe this season.

Game Time: 4:30 PM PST
TV: Coast to coast on TSN.

PREDICTION: 5-3 Canucks

T Tags: Canucks+Red Wings Game+thread analysis review October+16+2008

NHL bits: Sakic to speak Thurday, Filatov, Celine Dion a Canuck, No-repeat Wings

Slow news day, but here are a few more links and laughs to check out.

Terry Frei is reporting at the Denver Post that Joe Sakic will address the media this coming Thursday and will take on any questions. But don't get your hopes up. He will probably be talking more about his charity golf tournament than whether or not he has decided to play this coming season.

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Blue Jackets' GM Howson to Nikita Filatov: "Stop playing exhibition games in Russia."He doesn't want his rookie star to get hurt.

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Oh sweet lord in heck...check out this photo.....



Ahem...**choke** Check out Sex, Sports and Rock n'Roll for some form of explanation of this, en francais.

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I am not glorifying the Red Wings as potential repeat Cup champs again this year. The Ottawa Citizen's James Gordon provides one example of why this is, and I agree. Something to do with a hangover.

T Tags: Sakic+press+conference+Thursday Filatov+stop+playing+in+Russia Celine+Dion+Canucks Red Wings+repeat+Champs

Chelios brings Stanley Cup to Wrigley Field and makes a controversial statements

This past Friday, Chelios reportedly sounded "pretty darned good" singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" at the Cubs game, but when given the honor of throwing the first pitch, he threw it high over guest catcher Eddie Vedder. He was given a second chance and threw that pitch a little high as well. However, Vedder reached high and least caught that one. The crowd gave Chelios a "rousing" ovation when he was introduced. He even had the Cup beside him on the pitcher's mound.
But that isn't the really big news of the day of Chelios in Chicago. What Chelios said after the ball game (a lopsided loss by the Cubs by the way) is what is somewhat controversial.

"I know I bring it (Stanley) with the wrong team, but at least I brought it home."

"You don't want to hurt anybody's feelings. I've found a new home with Detroit, but Chicago is always going to be home and my parents are here," he said. "I intend on coming back here someday and living the rest of my days whether it's as a player or just somehow maybe involved with the Blackhawks."

Well, Chelios is 46 now, the oldest person to win the Stanley Cup, and reportedly already has a verbal deal in place with the Red Wings that just has not been announced by Wings' GM Ken Holland yet. His agent has confirmed that. The former Hawk had great things to say about the current Blackhawks team.

"They've made all the right moves," said Chelios. "They've got a great young nucleus with this team and the management, with what they've done is just tremendous for the fans.
It's been a long time coming since you felt that buzz. I can't say I wish I was a part of it right now because I'm a Red Wing, but it's great to see the fans excited about Blackhawks hockey."

So, as careful as Chelios may have sounded, he just couldn't avoid some Blackhawks and even Sox/Cubs fans' backlash by bringing Lord Stanley to a city that is the enemy of his current team Detroit. Examples:

- This writer from the Chicago Sun Times suggested that Chelios may have brought bad karma with him, as both the Sox and Cubs lost their games. Funny, but I don't believe in Karma.

-Fan Backlash #1: ...just remember the nasty,deliberate, try and knock him out hit he made last season against the Hawks' Kane.
He lost me there, he should have been booed Friday by any hawks fans attending fridays game at wrigley.

-Backlash #2: Class is Hull, Makita and Esposito not a cheap shot artist like Chelios, i remember his first game back after the trade when he was booed off the ice, the same thing should have happened at Wrigley. Hopefully he will never be associated with the Hawks again in any capacity.

-Backlash #3: He could take it to schools to friends, but to use it as a Chelios congratulatory party at Wrigley showed chelios doesn't care about us..he cares that chelios is still in the limelight. He didn't cause the Cup drought but he doesn't feel our pain either.
I tried to hear Detroit sucks in the background, but didn't. You don't know how much I wished that I could have be at Wrigley because HE WOULD HAVE HEARD ME yelling DETROIT SUCKS!

-Backlash #4: CC can stick the Cup where the sun don't shine. He wants to come back to Chicago? Yeah when he's in his 60's...The Hawks can use him like they're using Hull,Makita and Espo...I don't care what he's done he's a fricken Red Wing...

The above comments are from the Daily Herald.

I can understand the bitterness of the fans. They have endured so much shit over the past decade or so. When Wirtz Sr. traded Chicago-born Chelios to the Wings in 1999 in exchange for Anders fricking Eriksson and 2 first round picks (one turned out to be Sandy McCarthy), it was just another added blow. Two years earlier he had traded Ed Belfour to the Sharks for Chris Terreri, Ulf Dahlen and Michal suck Sykora.
The previous year, he traded the man Jeremy Roenick to Phoenix for Alexei Zhamnov, Craig Mills and a 1st round pick: Ty "who?" Jones.
Years of mediocrity ensued. But to trade the great Chelios to the enemy was a serious blow.
And that creates hate. Long-lasting hate. Especially when he has success with the enemy.
As an outsider, I would think that Chelios' presence on the Hawks' young team would be welcomed. He can still play. But this scenario is becoming more and more unlikely. Chelios looks to finish his playing years with the rival Wings and it will take years for some fans to get over the 'hate' part. That's what's beautiful about hockey and sport. Rivalries are awesome! You can be a star and saviour for your team for years, but damn you if you ever choose or are successful with an enemy team!
Personally, I know Chelios is easily hated on the ice. But I was a major fan of his especially when he played for Chicago. But I didn't like him going to the Wings either. I hate Detroit!
Regardless, here are some great Chelios memories from his days in Chicago (plus a few others):

CheliTube

-Ooo. Caught on tape, Chelios says to a host of a show that he would NEVER play for Detroit.

-Chelios fights Recchi in 1996.

- Chelios fights Glen Anderson (?). Never seen Anderson fight before. Looked like a boxer here. Landed nothing though.

- Chelios, with the Red Wings, had 4 assists against Vancouver this night. Watch him gloat to the fans in GM Place when he was given #1 star of the game. Sorry Nucks fans, but that was pretty funny.

-Chelios as a Hab destroys Brian Propp with a viscious elbow. Dirty, Cheli.

-Ron Hextall can't contain his anger anymore and attacks Chelios in an act of revenge for the Propp hit.

Images from the Chicago Tribune.

T Tags: Chris+Chelios+Wrigley+Field Stanley+Cup Chicago 2008 first+pitch

Wings re-sign Filppula for 5 years

The model NHL franchise has locked up another key ingredient to their team, signing the Fin to a 5-year $15 million deal. Filppula saw an increase of about 5 minutes per game last season on average and scored 19 goals and 36 points in 78 games. How about 5 goals and 11 points in 22 playoff games as well in the Wings Cup run?
Filppula is another one of those guys that the Wings managed to find later in the draft (95th overall in 2002). Is God their European scout? Jeez.

Fil-Tube

-Remember this goal in the Finals? I think Crosby started crying again at this point.

-A nice Filppula compilation here. This guy is going to score more than 19 next season.

TTags: Red Wings+sign+Valteri+Filppula

JP Barry's comments on Team 1040

As expected, Barry didn't let many cats out of the bag during his interview with Pratt and Taylor this afternoon. But he did kind of narrow it down as to who Sundin may choose.
I don't have the interview word-for-word, but I took notes. The following is as accurate as I could make it.

-Barry mentioned that it was unfortunate that the Sundin story wouldn't stop. Sundin had been spending time with his family. When he got home, the story from DN was out that he had already signed with the Canucks. So he went on record to the other Swedish paper to set it straight.
-The fact that Sundin needs more time to think remains.
-Barry said that Sundin wants to be an impact player on a team and be at a top level on the team chooses and as well in the NHL.
-Barry stated that there were other teams besides Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal that were telling the agent that they would drop players and make cap space in order to attain Sundin's services. He didn't mention any names.
-Barry mentioned that Sundin is focussing on the offers from Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto. He likes Canada, eh?
-Joe Nieuwendyk is trying to coax Sundin into playing with Toronto again. Joe and Mats are still great friends. Only problem there, is that the Leafs are rebuilding. Sundin would return to the Leafs out of loyalty.
-Playing with the Sedins and the possibilty of representing Sweden in 2010 in Vancouver intrigues Sundin.
-Sundin wants to be on a team that he himself can help win. Detroit it seemed was ruled out by the Sundin camp because they already had what it takes to win. That seems to be what Barry implied.
-Sundin is going to decide whether to side with loyalty and play with the Leafs, or winning and pick another team.
-Barry said that a reasonable timeline for Mats' decision will be at around August 1st.
-Of course, Barry did say that money matters, but it matters to any athlete. Duh.

Pratt and Taylor then interviwed Tony Gallagher, whom I tuned out immediately because the first thing he said is that the Leafs are going to make the playoffs next season because of Ron Wilson's run and gun coaching style. Piss off! What a tool.

So there you have it. It looks like it's mostly down to Montreal and Vancouver. It seemed that Barry ruled out the Rangers.

Vancouver seems the best fit now because

1. We don't currently have a captain and Mats could fill that role. We know from what Barry said that he likes to be the "difference-maker".

2. The Canucks are good enough to get into the playoffs already, and screw all of you who think otherwise. We barely missed last season because of injuries that took a toll.

3. Montreal already has a captain in Saku Koivu. You wanna talk about a Messier situation. How about Sundin strolls into Montreal and takes the "c" away from Saku? Don't think so. Like I've said over and over, I can't see Mats going to a rival team of the Leafs either. That would be crazy.

4. Show me the fucking money. Gillis has done that.

Mike Milbury blasted the Canucks' offer sheet just before Barry went on the air, but who cares what Mad Mike thinks? He's fucking MAD!

If I could put time in a bottle....
I'd fast forward to August 1st.
T Tags: JP+Barry+interview+with+Team+1040 Mats+Sundin Canucks Leafs Canadiens no+Rangers no+Red+Wings

Free agency season Day 2: Detroit signs Hossa, Sundin statement

-the Blue Jackets have signed Kristian Huselius to a 4-year deal at $4.75 million per season.

-the Islanders sign Doug Weight to a 1-year $1.5 million deal.

-the Atlanta Thrashers signed Ron Hainsey to a 5-year $22.5 million deal

- the Rangers traded Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman to the Blue Jackets in exchange for Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche.

-the Canucks have signed Nolan Baumgartner to a contract. Baumgartner will replace Aaron Miller I suppose. Would have rather kept Miller....
The Canucks also re-signed RFA Alexandre Bolduc.

-the Senators have signed Jarkko Ruutu to a three-year, $3.9 million contract.

-The Senators have signed Shean Donovan to a two-year contract.

-The Calgary Flames have signed 2 UFA's: Jim Vandermeer and Curtis Glencross. Glencross could break out with the Flames. We saw streaks of that with him in Edmonton.

-The Canucks have signed Curtis Sanford. He's capable and cheap.

-Canucks fans will be watching Mike Gilis with even more intent now that Sundin said this in a statement today:

"I would like to thank all the teams who have expressed such sincere interest in my services.

"The numerous options provided to me were impressive and I have no doubt that each one presented a unique opportunity for me to finish my career in a terrific hockey environment.

"I spent a great deal of time yesterday reflecting upon the teams who stepped forward and the opportunities that each provided.

"Unfortunately, I am simply not close to being ready to make a decision about resuming my career at this time.

"I wish all the teams the very best and thank them for their interest."

Source: TSN
Great. Now what? The just-married Sundin may not make a decision for months. Gillis will have to move on.

-the Stars have signed Sean Avery to a 4-year $15.5 million contract. Imagine...even more peskiness in Dallas. Imagine having both Steve Ott AND Sean Avery yapping at you? The contract includes a no-trade clause.

-The Red Wings have won the Hossa sweepstakes, signing him to a reported 1-year $7.4 million deal. That squashes the ideas that Hossa was seeking over $8 million.
One thing about this that I hate is that the Wings didn't need to get any better!
The good thing is that if Detroit was interested in Sundin, which they reportedly were, that's one more team out of the Mats sweepstakes.

T Tags: NHL Free+agency+coverage Red+Wings+sign+Marian+Hossa

No way. A Texan is suing Wings for octopus -throwing

From Greg Wyshynski at Yahoo Sports:

Patrick Greene, 60, an Air Force veteran, says he's not a member of any animal-protection groups. His brief says he has a right to file the suit because "every human being has the universal responsibility of protecting all domestic and wild animals of the world. The octopus ... deserves to be allowed to live its life in peace." Greene cited no violations of federal law in his filing; but said the practice violates the Michigan Bodies of Dead Animals Act, a law passed in 1982.

Sure, you can get technical about it. You don't see Canucks fans throwing beavers on the ice, or Thrashers fans throwing dead birds, so what's the difference? I'll tell you what it is: Octopi are ugly, that's what. Slimy, stinky sea animals. The jackass Texan may just have a point in his little schematics.
Where do you draw the line? An animal is an animal. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not an activist of any sort (neither is Greene apparently). But you know how the world works nowadays. The activists may just have hey-day over this one. This agenda may not go away any time soon, and Detroit fans may be forced to throw fake octopi on the ice.
Horseshit? Yeah, I guess. I don't care about the carcass of an octopus. It's just that I don't think that "tradition" can stop this one.

Greene mentioned:

I read all the comments about me, and I am greatly surprised at the large amount of idiots out there.
The lawsuit was filed on Friday June 13th, and it asks the judge to issue an order to Christopher Ilitch of Ilitch Holdings, to announce to the public that no real octopus bodies will be allowed in the Arena in the future.
There is no money involved.
This is a sick, ugly, tradition that I am going to get stopped, if I have to take it to the legislature in Lansing.

Oh, you green little do-gooder. Way to be a fucking hero. Probably just pissed that the Wings kicked Dallas' ass in the semi-finals.

Check out Greg's column. It's pretty classic.

More from Greene at the World of Issac.

The guy does seem a tad fubar.
What's your thoughts? Should a fan be able to do whatever he wants with purchased food? Is this tradition cruel? Is there a line to be drawn?

T Tags: Patrick+Greene suing+Red+Wings Octopus+throwing

Dominik Hasek officially retires

The 43-year-old has hung his goalie gear up for good this time. Hasek's last moments on the NHL ice surface were fitting: parading around with the Stanley Cup. Sure, it was Chris Osgood that overtook Hasek's role in the Detroit net in this year's playoff run, but Hasek's overall, career-long success is staggering to behold.
The tall, skinny, charismatic crease-flopper was drafted late by the Hawks in 1983 in the 10th round and 199th overall. Apparently, he didn't even know he was drafted until several months later. He wouldn't play for the Hawks until the 1990-91 season. Why so late? Because he didn't want to leave his home country of Czechoslovakia. He was Czechoslovakia's goalie of the year throughout the 80's.

When Hasek met with Chicago general manager Bob Pulford in 1987, he turned down the Blackhawks' offer to make him the third highest paid player on the team if he left his native country. The 22-year-old was happy in university and was enjoying the perks that came with being the top goalie in a hockey-mad country. Finally, nearly seven years after he was drafted, Hasek decided to join the Hawks. (source: Legends of Hockey)

But in Chicago, Hasek was playing behind a young dude named Ed Belfour. Now, I don't really remember Hasek playing in Chicago all that much. But I can remember when Hasek really put a stamp on the fact that he could be a starting goaltender. It was in Game 4 of the 1992 Stanley Cup Finals. The loaded Penguins were too much for the Hawks. Belfour let in a really soft goal in the first period and Captain Hook Mike Keenan pulled him immediately and stuck Hasek in net. While Hasek and his mates couldn't stop the Pens in that game, what Hasek did up to the final buzzer was nothing short of stellar. To the roar of the Black-Hawk faithful in the booming-loud Chicago Stadium, Hasek showed the world what he was made of, stopping Mario Lemieux 3 times on clean breakaways, and several other Mario chances. He also slid out to center ice to stop a Kevin Stevens breakaway attempt. "What a play by Hasek! What a play by Hasek!" a jubilant Bob Cole kept repeating. The wizard was flopping around like no one had seen before. Hasek stole the show.
That was the best game I ever saw still to this day. A 6-5 final score. Hawks captain Dirk Graham had a hat trick in that game, but Hasek's heroics were front stage.
Hasek's value wasn't totally recognized by Chicago. He was traded to Buffalo in 1992 for Stephane Beauregard and a 4th round pick in 1993 that turned out to be Eric Daze.
And so he became one of my favorite players of all time. A love/hate relationship. Loved him in Chicago and Buffalo. Hated him in 1999 when he broke our hearts in Nagano. Hated him when he decided to play for Detroit and Ottawa. But through it all, I have to respect the man.
I think it was in October 1999 when I flew to Montreal on my own to hang out in Canada's most beautiful city. I had acquired free center ice tickets from CN through work, which were sent to a friend's house in Montreal. We took in a Sabres-Canadiens game. I was thrilled to be watching the Habs play and be a part of the atmosphere at the Molson Center. But I was more excited to see not only Doug Gilmour playing for Buffalo, but also Dominik Hasek. Two of my faves in one game. Ironically, Trevor Linden was playing for Montreal at that time, and Linden stole the show. (I wasn't even a big fan of his back then.) the Habs won 5-4 I believe, winning it in the last minute. Didn't matter. I got what I came for.
Hasek's career stats tell a major part of the story here. 735 games played in the NHL, 389 wins, 223 losses, 82 ties, a 2.20 GAA, a .922 save percentage, and 81 freakin' shutous! A comparison? Patrick Roy played 1029 games and had 66 shutouts, a 2.54 GAA and a .910 save percentage.
Hasek, like Roy, could steal games by himself over and over again. He won the Vezina Trophy 6 times between 1993 and 2001. He won the Hart Trophy back-to-back in 1997 and 1998, the only goalie to ever do that. He was an NHL First Team All Star 6 times.
Let's be honest, Hasek was a diver. A master at it. A dent in his armour in my opinion. It made him much-maligned. But his greatness overshadowed the bad, in my opinion.
I'll miss his crazy, fish-flopping style.

THE COOLEST HASEK CLIPS

- Hasek fights Patrick Roy???? Not.

- Hasek tribute. Some great saves here.

- Hasek makes Gaborik go ass-over-tea kettle.

- Hasek loves choppers.

- Hasek and the Czechs win hockey gold at Nagano for the first time ever.

- Czech Republic defeats Canada at Nagano 1998.

T Tags: Dominik+Hasek+retires history Penguins+BlackHawks+1992 Red+Wings

Red Wings Stanley Cup Parade

There is not a lot of images or videos of the Wings' Cup parade out there yet. But there are a few images at Yahoo.
Oh, I see TSN has a story up on their site, with great video footage. Check it out.













As you can see, Zetterberg is almost glued to his Conne Smyth trophy. He should be. These playoffs were a defining moment for him. He deserves it.

T Tags: Red+Wings Stanley+Cup+Parade video pictures Detroit

Cup Finals somewhat marred by officiating and CBC

I hate to be a party pooper after a Stanley Cup win by Detroit, but I want to get a couple of monkeys off my back.
1. Are these refs paid to call penalties to sway game results? What the hell was up with the hooking obstruction call on Jiri Hudler with less than 2:00 left in the game? That was weak! The refs were letting a lot go up to that point and then pull that call from out of their asses. Sure enough, Pittsburgh scores on the power play to make it 3-2. You could see the Wings reeling after that. Before that call Detroit was in full control. The shots could have been around 12-1 at that point. It wasn't even close. The Pens and their fans were dead. But a chincey call made at a lousy time in Game 6 just baffles me. What if the Pens actually tied it up? They almost did! I don't know how many obscenities I hurled at the TV there but I lost count. Fucking bullshit is what that was.
Thankfully the right team finally won in the end, and not even the referees could stop it. It didn't have to go this long. Detroit is so good that this could/should have been a sweep. But how lousy were the Penguins 5-on-5 in this series? They were dominated.
Hey I'm not saying Hudler's obstruction wouldn't be a penalty in general. But I saw plenty of obstruction from both teams leading up to that point. So why wait until there is less than 2:00 left in a pivotal game to call it? Ass. This was the worst Finals I have ever seen on refereeing alone. It ruined it for me. Garbage.
The positive? Everything else was just fine. The action was intense. Plenty of huge hits. Great puck movement. Stellar goaltending. I could just do without the diving and lousy inopportune calls.

2. CBC's love affair with Sydney Crosby has gone overboard. Bob Cole loves the kid like he's a love child and Greg Millen's love affair with Sid is almost like something out of a porn flick, but let's settle the fuck down a little bit guys. (Go ahead and flag me)
While Crosby made a few good plays here and there, he was covered masterfully by Lidstrom and Zetterberg. But to praise the guy's holy name every time he touches the puck or makes a pass and treat it like it god-damned genius is absurd. Crosby's pass to Malkin for Pittsburgh's first goal in Game 6 was not legendary, Bob and Greg. It was a cross-ice pass with no Wing in the lane. Any schmuck with a stick could have done that. No, it was a great goal by Malkin and a routine pass by Crosby, end of story.
And this was CBC's slant throughout the series. Crosby jerk-off session. Yeah I just said that. Admit it, that's what it was. I'll tell you what a Western Canadian guy in myself thought of this series:
-pure Detroit domination for the majority of it
-great passing and playmaking by Detroit throughout.
-super defensive work by the Wings, give or take a few mistakes and stressful moments here and there.
-Malkin who?
-Crosby who? Can you imagine how Ovechkin would have played in Crosby's stead?
-the series loss couldn't happen to a better team!
-I give huge props to Marc-Andre Fleury though. Sure, he faltered in Game 6, but his save percentage was sickeningly good in a series-losing effort.
-Zetterberg's Conn Smythe win was absolutely deserving.
-I almost entirely agree with Don Cherry's love of Gary Roberts. For a player who spilled his guts on the ice, his 7-8 minutes of icetime per game was an atrocity. He should have taken more of Sykora's icetime. A great ferocious leader he is. So was Ryan Malone.
Oh, and who addressed the CBC media after the loss? Gary Roberts. I guess Crosby and Malkin were too busy crying together in the showers.

---

As a Canucks fan, and a general Wings hater, I find myself confused right now. Normally I'd post a mockery Datsyuk-Zetterberg Photoshop pic. But I've really grown to like these guys. They are so good! I'm not jumping onto the Red wagon, but I have a lot of respect for how those 2 played. Zetterberg never tired and was a 2-way genius, and I think Datsyuk just may have the best hands and stick work in the NHL. Lidstrom really is worthy of all the awards he wins. I never really appreciated his skills until now. He doesn't have to lay a guy out in the corner. He wisely plays body without killing the guy and keeps taking the puck away. He has that super ability to get his stick in passing lanes too.
Oh well, give me a few months. I'm sure the hate will come back.

LINKS FOR THE CUP WIN

GAME 6 HIGHLIGHTS

TO CROSBY'S CREDIT, THIS POST GAME INTERVIEW (AFTER THE CRYING STOPPED) WAS DECENT.

LAST 30 SECONDS OF THE GAME ALL THE WAY UP TO ZETTERBERG ACCEPTING THE CONN SMYTHE TROPHY

LIDSTROM HOISTS THE CUP AND THE WINGS CUP PARADE AROUND THE ICE BEGINS

YAHOO IMAGE GALLERY OF GAME 6 AND THE CUP CELEBRATION

GAME 6 BOX SCORE

Last Monday, Tiger Woods was asked which team he was cheering for in the Finals. His response?

"I don't really care. Let's talk about the Dodgers," the California native said. "I don't think anybody really watches hockey anymore."

Oooo. Hey jackass, it's more fun watching a Jessica Simpson reality TV show than the sport YOU play.
Actually, this year's final 4 games in the Finals had the highest NBC viewer ratings since 2002. That's a positive.

T Tags:Red+Wings+win+Stanley+Cup highlights videos links pictures Referees Crosby CBC+joke

Wings-Penguins Game 6 Preview / Prediction

I should give up predicting in this series because I've been wrong too often. But how can you not bet on Detroit winning tonight, given the way they have dominated the Penguins in the shots and goals category? Answer: Marc-Andre Fleury.
Given that Detroit is far more composed and experienced and it has shown all series long, you'd have to think that the goals and shots trend will continue. Is Fleury up for some more magic? Possibly. But I've said it over and over again, the Wings have to shoot high on him. He is weak up top. The best Fleury saves in Game 5 were along the ice. Same old same old. He's been stopping a vast amount of those shots all series long. Shoot some pucks at his head and see what happens!
How much momentum will Pittsburgh have after that robbery of a win in Game 5? Add home ice advantage to that and they should put up a good fight.
Detroit just has to keep playing the way they were playing. One mistake and one unlucky bounce cost them to lose their lead with only seconds left last game. Zetterberg should have shot the puck in deep when he had it at center ice, but he turned it over. Once the Pens charged into the Wings' zone, Franzen got control of the puck and tried to clear it high off the glass. Unfortunately, a Penguin player tapped his stick and the Mule didn't get enough on it. Turnover, and badda bibg badda boom Talbot bags the tying goal with the Cup probably on it's way to ice level. A real stunner of a game.
Several Wings tired after the long Game 5. Is there a factor there? The best thing they can do tonight is score first and not give up the first 2 goals. They gotta shut those loud Pens fans up early and zap the energy out of the arena and the home team. I think they will do that. They have to be pissed after Game 5. They should have won that game. They know they are better than Pittsburgh.
Chris Osgood has to be better as well. I think he will rebound.
So what is my prediction? 3-1 Wings. Let's get this over with. The closer Crosby and Lemieux get to a Cup the angrier I get.

- It appears TSN's Bob McKenzie shares my sentiments, somewhat about Detroit's psyche.

- Ryan Malone and Sergei Gonchar will play tonight.

-Said Mike Babcock today:

“I think being on the road is a great thing,” Babcock said. “We've closed out every series on the road. As far as carry over from (almost winning Game 5) that, it's a lesson learned. They're good players. It won't happen again. Sometimes you need to be reminded.”

T Tags: Red Wings Penguins Game+6 Preview Prediction Stanley+Cup

Nooooooooo! Pens 4 Wings 3

I can't believe the Penguins just won. Outshot 58-32 and looking completely outclassed all night, and Marc-Andre Fleury pulls out a Patrick Roy-like performance from out of his butt. What a game. But especially, what a spectacle by Fleury.
Pittsburgh finally got their bounces tonight, the most crucial one being Hudler's accidental high-sticking penalty in the 3rd overtime to set up the winning goal by Petr Sykora. You just knew that the Wings would burn out on that penalty kill. After all the chances they had in this game to end it, that penalty was a killer, especially after already killing 2 other penalties in the overtimes, both being goalie interference calls.
Speaking of goaltender interference, did these refs all of a sudden get a great delusion of grandeur in regards to that? Why the hell were they calling those types of penalties in an overtime game in the fucking FINALS when they let that go all year? Baffling. Sure, the contact was there, but if you are going to start calling that, institute it at a better time.
It seemed that the Red Wings were tiring more as the OT's went along. Datsyuk looked completely slowed-down. He played 34:20. Osgood looked shakier and shakier as the game trudged on. The Penguins, even though being outplayed completely, still seemed poised and patient, waiting for an opportunity. Well, it came.
A classic game though. It reminded me of the Avalanche-Panthers Game 4 of the 1996 Finals. Mostly one-sided throughout. In that game though, I thought Panthers goalie John Vanbiesbrouck put out a better performance than what we saw from Fleury tonight. That was one for the ages, even though Uwe Krupp ended it in the 3rd OT and the dominating team deservingly won.
Not tonight though. Grand theft larceny.

Side notes

- Hal Gill played 40:02 and was a -1 on the night. But he looked steady, even in Gonchar's absence. What a long way Hal has come. From the crappy Leafs all the way to the 3rd OT in Game 5 of the Finals this year.

- Anyone else notice how Jarko Ruutu was almost the best Penguin in the overtimes? I can see why. He probably only played 7:00 after 3 periods. He looked to almost click on a line with Malkin and Sykora.

-Malkin=disaster. Turnover after turnover. Gad damn, the guy's a choker! He'll turn it around. The Pens just gave him another chance to do so.

-Sure, some people heap praises on Brad Stuart. Well I don't. He is a schitzoid out there: brilliance followed by utter mindlessness. I think he takes McCabe pills.
I would sit him and play Chelios next game. Just my opinion.

BOX SCORE

T Tags: Penguins Red+Wings Game+5 Overtime Fleury

Wings-Penguins Game 5 Preview

I am going to keep this quick and easy. I think Detroit will come storming out of the gates tonight seeing that they are playing in front of their home crowd at the Joe. The Pens will not be able to contain them and take early penalties. The Wings will capitalize on the powerplay(s) and bury the kid team by a score of about 4-1, solidifying the fact that experience does count and that the Wings were not too old. No, the Penguins were too young.
Anything else that happens tonight would be uncivilized.
I want to see Sid the Kid cry in defeat. I want to see Mario Lemieux weeping in his cushy little booth. I want the Penguins' heads on platters. And yes, I actually do want to see a European captain hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time in history, so we can all shutup about it!
No need to drag this series out. Get it over with tonight Detroit....please!

UPDATES

From TSN:
Jordan Staal has a bruised foot from blocking a shot in Game 4. He was seen limping on Sunday.
Tomas Holmstrom says he will play tonight.
Chris Chelios will not play tonight, as coach Babcock refuses to change a winning mix.

T Tags: Red+Wings Penguins Game+5 Preview Prediction Stanley+Cup+Finals

Wings vs Pens: A dive-to-dive basis

You won't get a Zandberg silence on diving in the NHL. Especially not in the Cup finals. Tonight's game could have been decided that way. The only thing that was lacking in Crosby's dive with 10:00 left in the 3rd period was the splashing of water in the pool. Luckily the Wings masterfully killed off the 2-man disadvantage. These teams take turns diving night-to-night. Pathetic.
Aside from that, it was a decent game. The right team won. The aging Wings continue to show composure in all areas, but especially in their own zone. It almost seems effort-less sometimes.
They also continue to outshoot the Pens. Tonight it was 30-23, including 9-6 in the 3rd period.
Peeves?
-Gary Roberts only played 10:47? He needs more time than that. Roberts the warrior deserves more.
-I know trainers teach players to beat 4 guys in Russia, but that doesn't work on this continent. Malkin needs to learn that. His play is like a broken record. He rips up the ice and tries to beat a line of Wings and is not being a team player that way. He's just causing a turnover. There's no use being selfish when in a slump. Malkin is going to learn that the hard way.

It looks like the Wings are going to take it at home, barring some stupid calls by the refs to sway the game. Should be a beauty game. No, really.

PS: I never knew that Zetterberg was that good of a 2-way player. He saved the Wings' butts more than once tonight with his defensive play. Unreal.

A nice touch by Don Cherry on Coach's Corner tonight. His comments and tribute to Luc Bourdon were heartfelt and appreciated.

A show of class by the NHL and Pittsburgh to give Luc a moment of silence tonight as well. That can be seen below.



BOX SCORE

HIGHLIGHTS

Red+Wings Penguins Game+4 Stanley+Cup+Final Diving Luc+Bourdon+moment+of+silence+video

Red Wings-Penguins Game 4 Preview

Most of the stories surrounding Game 4 revolve around Tomas Holmstrom. Firstly, Is he going to play tonight? If not, Dan Cleary will take his spot on the top line and Darren McCarty will dress. Holmstrom is a game-time decision.
The other issue is Holmstrom's diving, which is big headlines in the Pittsburgh Tribune. Hal Gill received 2 cross checking minors in Game 3 because he was trying to remove Holmstrom from his spot in front of the net. Holmstrom easily fell to the ice on both calls.

"We were laughing about it," Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik said. "It's embarrassing."

Oh yeah? I thought the Penguins were going to be the bigger divers in this series, as they are famous for it. But it's true, the Wings are diving more than the Penguins, who are choosing a hard-nosed approach.
Gill mentioned:

"The hard part is when he dives. ... It's tough to play him too hard if the refs aren't going to call the dives."

Oh boo fucking hoo. Karma's a bitch, he Hal? Just think, it wasn't that long ago when your kid captain was pulling the same crap. How about Malkin's slew-footing? The Penguins are just looking for a mental advantage.
Holmstrom denied these accusations of course in humorous fashion.

"If you get cross-checked from behind, how can you see if the cross-check is coming?" he said. "For sure, stuff happens around the net. You get banged up not just by one guy, (but) two guys, three guys coming in. It's a freak show around the net. Guys are flying left and right. I don't know. I don't even know who was out there. It's a big blur."

The big blur part doesn't suprise me. Maybe the Pens should start diving more as well. Don't tell me that they are above that. Then we'd have a dive-a-thon out there completely shaming the sport.
We'll see if the refs bite on the Pens' whining.
This series could have been 3-0. Game 3 and the series was in Detroit's hands until Brad Stuart (hero to goat) coughed the puck up in his own zone and Crosby scored. That finally put some life back in the Pens. Now Pittsburgh has life and these games should be closer. It's amazing how Pittsburgh's game changed after the scored their first goal after the series: faster pace, tight passing, better forecheck, more goals followed. Yeesh.
Detroit just has to stay poised and score the first goal. That trend still remains.
I wish they would put more shots high on Marc-Andre Fleury. Pretty tough to beat him along the ice. Yeah, I said "I wish". I'm not pulling for the Penguins. I've always hated them and still do.
The Red Wings took the Game 3 loss in stride and went to a relaxing resort. Expect a poised Wings team again tonight.
To throw a prediction out there: 3-2 Red Wings. Might even be some overtime there. Just a guess.
A question: Why the hell didn't Pittsburgh play Darryl Sydor throughout the playoffs? 2 Cup rings and he sits on the sidelines? Well his experience comes in handy now, doesn't it? And Gary fricking Roberts..... a machine.

T Tags: Penguins Red+Wings Stanley+Cup+Final Game+4 Preview Holmstrom Diving