2 Winter Classics Next Year

TSN.ca is reporting that there will be 2 Winter Classics next year: Calgary vs. the Habs in Calgary (McMahon Field), and Pens vs. Caps in Pittsburgh (Heinz Field).

Quick, non-expert analysis: Okay, WTF. Sure, it's cool that Western Canada gets a classic, but why have the Habs play the Flames? Shouldn't it be one of those "Battle of Alberta" deals where the Flames play the Oilers? I'd certainly rather see that game and then the ensuing fighting in the streets. Then only reason to watch the Habs is if they're in front of a firing squad or something. Also, why not a game in Eastern Canada, Toronto vs. Ottawa or something? We know Montreal isn't capable of handling the crowd (see: riots), rather, their fans aren't capable of handling anything...so dump the game in/near Toronto where people bleed for the game, etc. Give them what they want, Bettman, and stop shitting on your core market. Pens vs. Caps, well that's a no-brainer. Bettman's continued tongue-bathing of Cindy Crosby continues in plain view, without shame. Cut the crap with the Confederate Flag hockey, put teams in Winnipeg and Quebec City again.

Oz has spoken.

Miscellany

• Hey Celtics - don't mail in Game 4, alright?
• If I understand things correctly, if Phoenix does not find a buyer for the Coyotes by Dec 31 of this year, they will be relocated...and the new city will likely be Winnipeg.
• The Windsor Spitfires won the Memorial Cup. Taylor Hall got the MVP. I watched the first period, it was still close between the Spitfires and the Wheat Kings. Then I turned to Mythbusters during the first intermission (they were making earwax candles. c'mon!), and lost interest, mainly because the Spitfires put things out of reach, eventually winning 9-1. Hall with a goal and 2 assists, +3 for the game. Kinda sad when they'd talk about a player who just made a good play (say, Adam Henrique - Devils), and then to find out he has already been drafted and is property of some Eastern Conference team. There was some chatter in Sunday's Globe that had the B's packaging Wheeler and the 2nd overall pick to get the first overall pick (I think that's how it went). I wouldn't mind that.
  
• Blackhawks wiped out San Jose, 4 games to zero. San Jose got a little farther than usual, but still came up choking in the end. Kris Versteeg sealed the deal with an empty-net goal, which leads me to...
• Brandon Bochenski update: He finished with 4-9-13 totals in 28 games this season with the 'Ning. Branbo is a UFA this summer, we'll see which team he'll suck for next.
  
• I actually emailed Fluto about Blake Wheeler being allowed to walk. He thinks the Bruins will make an offer anyway. But his stock has dropped with his underperforming ways of this season, so he'll sign for cheap money OR he'll get taken by some desperate team and we'll get some lame draft picks.
• Shane Hnidy's a UFA this summer - he'd come in at under $1M/year...would be nice to have the Sheriff back in town, he woulda slapped Matt Cooke around pretty good if he was here...
• Trade Hunwick.
  

Miscellany

• Tonight in Memorial Cup action, the Calgary Hitmen play the Brandon Wheat Kings, 8pm EDT, probably on NHL Network. The Wheat Kings' coaching staff features one of the better names of recent hockey lore, Dwayne Gylywoychuk. Haven't seen that many y's since Nancy Kerrigan got her knee clubbed.
  
• Leighton returned to suckass form last night as the Habs pasted the Flyers, 5-1. No riots. Yet.
  
• My fantasy hockey woes are somewhat documented on this blog - I actually have Simon Gagne on my team and have kept him the past few years despite his injuries. Of course, he's barely produced yet capable of easily scoring 40 goals/year, so I was going to leave him off the keeper roster, but guess what - he's been flat-out retarded during these playoffs, tempting me to keep him for another year. The last player I had who ended the previous season on a great note, but I didn't keep for 2009-2010? Steven Stamkos. My lack of hockey knowledge is further exposed...
  
• If you wish to read about/bask in the single-digit IQs of Philly fans, check out the ongoing saga of Pat Hickey's (Montreal Gazette) vandalized car/license plate theft.
• Russia eliminated Canada in the 2010 IIHF World Hockey Championship last night, winning 5-2. You know, the tournament that Cindy Crosby wussed out of? Apparently, the IIHF bitched out Crosby, Canada filed complaint, IIHF apologized. Like sands through the hourglass...
• No doubt Boston sportswriters and Bruins fans are a little put off by the sort-of nonchalant comments and manner shown by Chiarelli/Julien during the post-season wrap up. I dunno, maybe they just wanted to downplay the fact that they're major parts in one of sports history's MASSIVE, EPIC CHOKES...maybe help the players not think about it during the off-season, you know, that they participated in one of the MASSIVE, EPIC CHOKES IN SPORTS HISTORY. Then again, I'm willing to bet that Savard's been golfing out at Granite Links every day since Sunday without one thought of his line change gaffe.
• Too bad no one has capitalized on the "Chia Pet" of Peter Chiarelli. The dude's follicle-ly challenged, so it wouldn't be much of a plant - just a van dyke beard and growth at the temples. But you'd be able to swap out the spectacles worn by your Chia Pet every 2 months, just like Chiarelli.
  
• Contributor Minnesota is slowly coming out of his bear cave, he's still in solitary confinement. He's apparently eating solid foods again, so hopefully we'll have a post from him in the next few days.
  
• The Mayor is back in town, message this morning, "Went to Dunks, got a Herald. Life is good."
  

Random

• Minnesota, he's still alive, folks. I called the cops in his town and asked for a proof of life. They knocked on his door and he responded. He's apparently watching Dancing with the Stars in infinite loop, having given up on all sports (Vikings choke, Bruins choke)

• Turkish futbol fans set fire to their seats. We shoulda done this. The seats are even yellow.
• Allegedly, Paul Pierce tweeted some bologna about getting a broom after beating the Magic last night. He denies this, says he was hacked, etc. I think all Celtics fans can just look at their Garden roommates when it comes to 2-0 series leads.
• Taylor Hall watch: Last night the Spitfires beat, ah, Moncton 4-3 in OT last night. Hall leads playoff scoring with 17-18-35 totals in 19 games. He did not register a point in last night's game.
  
• Bruins UFAs: Recchi, Thornton, Begin, Satan, Seidenberg, Wozniewski, Lefebvre
• Bruins RFAs: Wheels, Sobotka, Paella, Stuart, Boychuk, Lehtonen, Bodnarchuk, Lovecchio, McQuaid, Regan, Larman
• GONE: Muzz' annual $1.3M cap hit for his buyout. Patrick Eaves' $258K buyout.
  
• STILL LINGERING: Peter Schaefer's buyout: $566K
• DRAFT DAY: June 25 in Los Angeles. Bruins have 2nd & 15th picks in the 1st round.
• Gotta sign Recchi (if he wants to stay) and Stuart. I'd consider anyone else sticking around to be gravy, particularly Seidenberg.
  
• I'd let Wheeler walk.
  

Boston Ruins lose, 4-3

"How do you get called for a too many men penalty in the playoffs???" txt'd a friend to me...I replied, "ask Don Cherry and the '79 Bruins".
Bruins lost tonight, 4-3, much how they lost the series. They went up by 3 real quick, then let the Flyers climb back into it.
That's all there is to say.

Nervous?

Sitting here at work and not getting very much done in nervous anticipation of tonight's Game 7. Amazingly, Felger has it exactly right. We, diehard Bruins fans, are now the 'legion of the miserable' just like the Red Sox diehards prior to 2004. We live and die with every bounce of the puck. We expect the worst. We give up on them one day and are hopelessly emotionally attached to them the next.

An email from the mayor this morning: "I have zero confidence the B's win tonight.  Zero."  Yup, miserable.

I have no idea what to expect tonight. This season has taught us that we never know which team is going to show up. Let's hope they can find a way. I'm not ready to start blogging about Steve Tambellini and his campaign of media subterfuge to attempt to pry something out of Chia to move up for Hall (when he's just going to draft Seguin anyways).

B's lose, 2-1

Steaming Pile of Crap, or the Bruins' Game 6 Performance? You decide...

2-0 Flyers after 2nd

Horseshit. This is complete horseshit.

Michael Ryder, that dumbass newfie bastid.

1-0 Flyers after 1st.

PURE BS.

Blake Wheeler suckage threat level is now "orange".

Leighton is a sucky goalie and we can't do anything.

Trent Whitfield, career AHL'er, shooting center-mass on the goalie, no fakes or anything. I haven't seen a move that lame since Elaine's dancing on Seinfeld.

Like we all said to each other Monday night, "see you Friday night".

Dude, Where's My Team?

Okay, a little late, but anyway. Our hockey team has decided to take a little sabbatical from playing the brand of hockey that got them there. Being in the stands and watching that 4-0 shutout was like watching the dumb team from January that didn't skate, just hung out and maybe played some hockey for about 20 minutes.
For sure, it was thrilling to see how, in game 5, they rallied back from being down 2 goals, and even with Recchi roofing that close-in shot with 30 seconds left and the goalie pulled - I thought, wow, this is almost destiny...like when Mark Bellhorn tucked the ball back in, just in time, before he "fumbled" in the Snow Bowl. Or when Larry Bird struck out 20 Seattle Mariners on that cold April night in 1986.
But no. The B's go back to Philly tonight and try their best to not lose.
random crap

• Surely, you've heard about the family in Quebec, dying in a landslide while watching Habs/Pens by now
• The officiating was pretty bad the other night. Philly I guess has turned a new leaf and only was shorthanded 2 times. Because, ya see, Philly plays a really clean game, always has. Boston was shorthanded 9 times, some of the calls were pretty weak. No doubt Bettman has received some advice from David Stern about how to extend series so the revenues go up.
  
• Where's Peter Douris when you need him?
• Derek Sanderson used to say during the games, "the puck bounces for those who hustle". So when the puck sits near the crease like in game 5 (twice), or a bounce or two doesn't go their way...
• NESN's Jade McCarthy hails from Newton, MA but spent lots of time in Philly as some sort of sports anchor. Perhaps a Boston sports purity test is in order??? One has to question her loyalty...
• Ya know, it blows my mind. The last time Jesus Orr was in town, it was for the 40th anniversary of the '70 Cup team...the infamous Matt Cooke game. Then he comes in town for the dedication of his statue, and the B's drop another turd. There's something wrong with the fact that the guy who pretty much invented the sport comes to town and you can't even get pumped for that. HORRIBLE.
  
• Lou Lamoriello looks like Wee-Man from Jackass.

Bobby Orr Statue Unveiled

Above is the photo from boston.com, and here's the link to Fluto's blog post. 

Can't wait to walk past this tonight and check it out.  This will be something we will see on every broadcast from the Garden for many years to come and really helps identify the Garden as the home of the Bruins.  Great move by the organization.

Habs Hate Kostitsyn, too

Bob Mackenzie of TSN reports that the Habs don't know what to do with the recalcitrant Sergei Kostitsyn. I dunno, something about a vicious slap-fight that erupted at Habs practice between Carey Price and Kostitsyn, with Price's finely manicured nails scratching up Kostitsyn's face pretty good.

This Blows

The loss of David Krejci is very discouraging.  This is the first huge negative in a playoff run that has been full of positives.  Arguably, the only components more valuable than Krejci to this team would be Rask, Chara, and Bergeron.  Vladdy played brilliantly in Round 1 in an increased role with Savard still out and he will have to be brilliant again.  But, even if he is, Vladdy is just not going to fill Krejci's skates offensively.  The Bruins best offensive line (Krejci/Lootch/Satan) has lost its catalyst.  Also, McQuaid is "very doubtful" for Game 4 as well.  This is obviously not a huge loss, but the injury bug needs to go away.  The Ference/McQuaid D pair was of course on the ice for Philly's only goal last night.  Conversely, the Bruins have been feasting on Philly's third pair of Parent/Krajicek.  This has been the primary difference in the series aside from goaltending - the Bruins offensive depth has been able to take advantage of the third pair while the Flyers have not been able to do the same.  Unfortunately, losing Sturm and now Krejci does significant harm to that depth on offense.

Let's hope they can step it up and continue this though.  They still have a guy by the name of Rask that basically won that game for them last night.  Listening to the radio this morning, there are apparently people out there who think Tim Thomas should see some action in this series.  These people should be deported from New England - please stop calling the radio and go see a NASCAR race or something.

If the B's can finish this off by Game 5 at the latest, they will have some time to rest and hopefully get Mark Stuart back on the blueline which will be a nice boost for the top four D who have been logging a lot of minutes.  It will also give Tuukka a rest and keep him fresh which is what these Thomas idiots think he needs anyways.

Go Habs Go - Make it a long series and go right ahead and win it if you'd like.

Hide All Sharp Objects

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Joe Haggerty reports, via his fellow Comcast Sportsnet buddy/Flyer beat reporter John Boruk, that Krejci has a broken wrist.

Satan de Mayo

B's slap the Flyers away tonight, 4-1. It wasn't that much of a blowout, though. 3 goals were scored right away, as Asham got the game started for the Flyers. But the B's responded quickly with 2 goals from Wheels (tip-in) & Satan (breakaway after Krejci got smoked at the blue line by Richards). And then the B's just clung for dear life for most of the 2nd period. Recchin Ball put in a rebound (off Pronger's glove) on the power play to make it 3-1 with about 17 minutes left in the game, and the B's just held on until Bergeron iced it with an empty-netter.
random crap

• Unruly savages, those Flyers fans - they bolted for the exits with about 4 minutes left. Orange Crush, my ass.
  
• Still not much jam from Carcillo and company. No fights, no line brawls, not much nastiness tonight. KPD figured that tonight would be the nastiest of games. It's weird - by not playing Philly's game and instead just sticking to playing defense and such, sticking with the game plan and not letting the antics of Philly get too far under their skin, they're able to stay focused and just win the games. I dunno. Asham is still a complete dirtbag and I'd like for someone to douse him with gas and light him on fire.
  
• That's, what, 4 game-winning goals for Satan now?
• B's owned the Flyers on the faceoffs again (31 vs. 22), with Bergeron leading the way (12 for 18)
• A pretty much clean hit on Krejci by Mike Richards - Krejci probably has a separated shoulder or something. McQuaid is also hurt, though we seemed to play better rolling 5 defensemen instead of 6. It's rumored that Stuart might be available for Game 4.
  
• Flyers defensman Lukas Krajicek, every time they said his name ("KRY-check"), I was reminded of X-Files.
• The Bruins' PK continues to be pretty good tonight - I think they're 13 for 15 on the kill for the series?
• Seriously, 10 years ago, didja ever think you'd be rooting for Mark Recchi?
• Let's close it out, boys. Don't let these guys think they have a chance - just put them down and move onto the next round.
  

Jesus Saves, Satan Scores

Just can't get enough of the Satan puns, huh? Last night, the B's kept moving forward and beat the Flyers, 3-2. First goal was scored by Boychuk (slowly turning into Manchuk) immediately after a faceoff win by Bergeron (who owned Mike Richards at the faceoff dot, going 16 for 22 (72.7% - gaudy)). It wasn't his trademark slapshot BOMB, but rather a quick wrist shot with about 100 people in front of the net. Boucher saw it late, if he saw it at all, and 1-0 B's. Then Sobotka messed up big time on a crummy back-pass to Wideman, and the Flyers stayed in the zone, Briere throws a pick on Hunwick, and Mike Richards scores to tie it at 1. 2nd period, Satan scored (again) to put the B's up, 2-1. To finish the period, Briere raced down the wing with Satan providing minimal resistance and he picked a corner to tie the game at 2. 3rd period Lootch scored on a turnaround slapper to put the B's ahead with just a little over 2 minutes left.
random crap

• Darren Dreger reports the NHL is cracking down on diving during the playoffs. Maxim Lapierre of Montreal has already been caught twice.
• Since these games were on Vs., I can't watch the replays in the morning like they are on NESN, so I tend to forget things.
  
• Aaron Ward talked to Toucher & Rich this morning. The self-admitted media whore is doing work for Vs. and will be on during Friday/Saturday games.
• Oh man, doesn't Carcillo make you want to kick the TV? After Savvy took a swipe at Boucher's glove, Carcillo went bonkers and went after Savvy. Later reports indicated that Savvy bit Carcillo, etc. Also, allegedly Mike Richards promised to Savvy that they'd take him out for another 6 months. Yet still, we have no line brawl.
  
• Crowd was back to normal volume last night after Saturday's less-crazy game.
• I figure that Philly will feel emboldened by being in their own house with their own batshit fans, and they will take more shots at the B's in Games 3 & 4.
• Mike Richards vs. Patrice Bergeron, who do you put on your team?
• Sections 313-314 keeps doing, ah, "Here we go Bruins, here we go [clap clap]". Lame. Too many syllables in your chant is anti-climactic. Stick to "Let's go Broo-inz [clap clap clapclapclap]".
• You could totally suck at your sport in this town, but if you have a long vowel in your name, you're golden. Yoook. Looootch. Toook.

B's Win in OT, 5-4

Okay, so the Flyers showed up today with quite a bit of rust caked onto them. The first period was all Boston. Goals by Begin and Bergeron. I asked Minnesota, "Hey, are we doing that good, or are they doing that bad?". We both agreed that Laviolette would have them coming out like crazy in the 2nd period, which is pretty much what happened. Philly goals by Bernie, er, Ryan Parent and Chris Pronger. Boston kept pace somewhat with a Satan goal. This Satan pickup is looking more genius with each passing playoff game. Anyhow, onto the 3rd period and Krejci scores one of his bullet-time goals, reminding us that the Matrix is alive and well. He slowed time down for himself while faking Boucher out about 9 times before shooting into an empty net. 4-2, Bruins and we all thought it was a wrap. Nope, Philly came back like a case of herpes with 2 goals from Mike Richards and Daniel Briere. Onto OT. Philly really had the momentum going into OT. BUT, the OT session started with the B's in pure assault mode, but Boucher held strong...until a loose, bouncing puck came onto Savvy's stick after Wideman pinched in, and he wound up (backscratcha!) and unloaded a BOMB over Boucher's shoulder. We saw the net move, the puck bounce out, and Savvy skate towards the glass. In one of the more amusing goal celebrations, he tossed his stick into the stands, jumped up on the glass, Ovie-style, and was mobbed by his teammates. Pretty freakin' sweet.
random crap

• Seriously, the dirtbaggage on the Flyers is plentiful. Asham, Betts, Hartnell, Pronger, Richards, Carcillo - they are all hated by their own mothers, even.
• Daniel Briere. I gotta say, he displayed a stick-to-it-iveness with his goal, splitting Wides & Hunwick. "Not Hunwick's best moment", noted Minnesota. Briere's what you get if you chop Bergeron's nuts off.
• Recchi vs. Pronger. Here's a great sub-plot to the whole series that I can't wait to develop. About 300 playoff games combined between the two veterans. The wee Recchi tried to cross-check the towering Pronger. Pronger was all, "what was that?" and Recchi got the extra 2. RECCHIN BALL. They are going to battling in front of the Flyer crease this whole series, this is going to be fun to watch.
• Crowd taunted Boucher with chants of "BOOO-SHAAAAY". I'd rather we chant "PROOONG-ERRRR", but I'll take it.
• Lots of whining by the callers on the post-game show about the fandom in the Loge texting during the game. Seriously, don't worry about the Loge/Club Seats and what they're doing/not doing. Just watch the game.
• Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting.
• Gotta find one of them "Hail Satan" t-shirts worn by a guy in the Loge, featured a yellow pentagram instead of a spoked-B.
• Wideman had 3 assists.
  

Savvy!!!!!!