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A few tips for your Stanley Cup Riot

May 13th, 2010

I suppose I can only get away with a blog like this if I first congratulate the Montreal Canadiens on their series clinching win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. (Congrats, Montreal). How hilarious would it be if the Philadelphia Flyers win tomorrow night, seeing the 7th and 8th seeds playing in the Eastern Conference Finals? Actually, I really want to see that happen now.

Anyways, in celebration of Montreal’s big win and the town riots that ensued after, I figured it would be somewhat appropriate to post a few tips for the next “celebration.” A celebration that will probably happen in less than two weeks when the Canadiens defeat the Flyers (or Bruins, but who knows??) in game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Here are a few tips for your Stanley Cup Riot:

  • Only riot in cities that legitimately care about hockey. So cities like Montreal or Philadelphia… or Tampa Bay.
  • Wearing a Canadiens jersey when rioting is encouraged, however, crowds may turn on you if Bonk, Latendresse or Gainey nameplates are etched on said jersey.
  • Try to assemble the craziest group of people possible for optimum destruction. A few suggestions include John Muckler and Glen Sather (two crazy bastards), Mike Milbury (proficient in obscure violence with non-traditional weapons) and James Duthie (mostly because he was the only person crazy enough to bet on Montreal in the 2nd round of the Playoffs after they were down 3-1 in the series. And partly because he’s been known to talk/hang out with monkeys macaques).
  • If you are going to destroy local business property, make sure it’s a really bad business like that “Fleury’s School of Clutch Goaltending” on Expired Street.
  • If ever you are concerned with the quality of your rioting now or in the last 15 years, just refer to rioting successes from 30+ years ago.
  • You want to have a strong destruction percentage when rioting. Be selective and look for objects that can smash in one attempt or less to increase destruction percentage. By doing this, you’ll be feared for your lethal accuracy, just like Mike Cammalleri.
  • The city of Montreal might try to reduce rioting by inviting fans into the Bell Centre to watch the Canadiens road games. But it’s really an opportunity to strategize and get drunk for 3 hours before the party really starts.
  • If I’ve learned anything from Montreal, 2-1 odds are a good thing, so don’t worry if there are twice as many police as there are rioters. Just wear a Habs jersey and things will work out fine!
  • When picking a team leader for your riot squad, try to pick someone that won’t quit half way through the task. Chances are s/he will wipe their hands clean should failure occur. That or s/he’ll reappear months later to take credit if you succeed.
  • Finally, do your best to avoid damaging the sports stores that sell those Habs jerseys that when turned inside out are actually Leaf jerseys…

Stay classy, Montreal Canadiens.

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Burgundy’s 2nd round NHL playoff predictions

April 29th, 2010

Stayclassy.net's NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs

With no real break between rounds, tonight marks the beginning of the Stanley Cup Conference Semi-Finals! The 1st round was a blast and featured the elimination of the top 3 seeded teams in the Eastern Conference. The way the Washington Capitals were eliminated was surprising to many, while the defeats of the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils was predicted by a number of people. The Western Conference saw some interesting developments – the Phoenix Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings gave the Red Wings and Canucks a few scares but ultimately couldn’t hold on. And oh yeah, the San Jose Sharks are through to the next round, no thanks to Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau.

For those of you wondering, I went 5 for 8 in my 1st round predictions. Here are my 2nd round predictions:

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) vs Montreal Canadiens (8)
The Montreal Canadiens shocked the entire hockey world with their amazing series come-back against the Washington Capitals. I don’t care what the truest of Habs fans say: no one saw them coming back after going down 3-1. Having said that, and as well as Jaroslav Halak has played, there’s no way the Pittsburgh Penguins will fall victim to the Canadiens the way the Capitals did. The Penguins are proven winners and have Russian stars that actually know how to show up in the post-season. Sidney Crosby is on another level in this year’s Playoffs and I don’t think the Hal Gill-Josh Gorges tandem will be able to contain him, despite their tremendous play so far. Pittsburgh will figure out within minutes of the first game how to not shoot directly at the two or three Habs defencemen who are trying to block shots…
Verdict: Pittsburgh in 6 games.

Boston Bruins (6) vs Philadelphia Flyers (7)
I’m not sure how many of us figured we’d see the Boston Bruins playing the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2nd round of the Playoffs, but this should be an interesting series. I really liked how Tuukka Rask played in the 1st round and I felt like the Bruins got stronger as their series with Buffalo went on. Milan Lucic seemed to wake up towards the end of the series and key players like Michael Ryder, Miroslav Satan and Mark Recchi stepped up in the big moments of each game. The highly anticipated return of Marc Savard should provide the Bruins with a nice emotional boost and perhaps a bit of additional scoring. Looking at the Flyers, although they are rested, they will be without the services of three very valuable players: Simon Gagne, Jeff Carter and Ian Laperriere. I’m not convinced Brian Boucher is for real, nor do I believe he can outplay Rask. It’s a shame we can’t see each game of this series played at Fenway Park… or can we? No, nevermind. We can’t.
Verdict: Boston in 6 games.

San Jose Sharks (1) vs Detroit Red Wings (5)
The San Jose Sharks are now at the critical point of their season. Let’s be honest: the 1st round was a formality. While the Colorado Avalanche gave them a quick scare, it was a foregone conclusion the Sharks would/should easily win that round. For the most part, the Avalanche were badly outplayed. Evgeni Nabokov played very well too – something we can’t say has always been the case in the post-season for the Sharks. Devin Setoguchi and Joe Pavelski really elevated their play in the 1st round, and yet again, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau continue to fight the Playoff pressure. Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings enjoyed a scare of their own from the Phoenix Coyotes. Detroit’s leaders got stronger as the series wore on and stepped it up when it mattered most. I really liked Jimmy Howard’s play and attitude (for the most part) against the Coyotes too. My gut feeling lies with the experience of the Wings and I’m still not sold San Jose are the real deal. Still.
Verdict: Detroit in 6 games.

Chicago Blackhawks (2) vs Vancouver Canucks (3)
This is easily the best series of the 2nd round. A rematch from last year’s Conference Semi-Finals, with a slight reversal. Last year, I’d say the Chicago Blackhawks were the stronger team. This year, I’d have to say the Vancouver Canucks are the stronger team. I believe the Canucks may have the most complete forward roster of any team in the Playoffs. All the lines are firing well and appear to be healthy. While the Blackhawks offense is more lethal and battle-tested than the young Los Angeles Kings, I still give the advantage to the Canucks. Both team’s have some injuries on defence, but I think this is a series that will see Roberto Luongo will steal a game or two for Vancouver. And of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how much I’m looking forward to Byfuglien & Luongo’s battle royale rematch. I can’t wait for this series to start!
Verdict: Vancouver in 7 games.

There you have it. These are my 2nd round predictions. What are your predictions?

Stay classy, NHL Conference Semi-Finals.

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Choking on bullshit

April 25th, 2010

Following series clinching losses on Saturday night, the Colorado Avalanche and Ottawa Senators join the New Jersey Devils in 2010 Playoff disappointment. Apparently.

Detractors of the Avalanche and Senators (mostly the Senators… Honestly, who hates the young, up-and-coming Avs?) say the Playoffs were busts for each club. Some have already claimed the Senators choked in this year’s Playoffs.

Let’s pretend for a second that a Playoff series consists of more than a single game (or period). Let’s take a slightly more intelligent perspective on the Avalanche and Senators series. The opponents in each series – the Sharks and Penguins, respectively – are heavy favorites to play for the Stanley Cup in June. They are considered among the elite NHL teams.

In the case of the Avs and Sens, it’s pretty impressive both teams qualified for the Playoffs. Virtually no one thought Colorado had any chance of being in the post-season. And only a few more of the ‘experts’ thought Ottawa would qualify for the Playoffs. That’s the difference between the Avs and Sens and the New Jersey Devils – a team with larger expectations and a team that should have gone farther than the 1st round.

The Devils choked big time. Consider the blockbuster deal they pulled off to acquire star Ilya Kovalchuk in February. Consider the strong regular season they had and their series opponent, the Philadelphia Flyers. Consider the fact that expectations were higher for the Devils than they were for the Avalanche and Senators combined. And don’t forget last year’s 1st round meltdown against the Carolina Hurricanes. Neither Colorado or Ottawa even made the 2009 Playoffs.

Exactly how can a team (or teams) and their Playoff elimination be considered a choke when they weren’t expected to make the post-season and ended up playing superior opponents? To me, it’s about realistic expectations. You can’t “choke” when you live up to expectations. Many didn’t expect the Avalanche or Senators to advance beyond the 1st round of the Playoffs. Most figured the Devils would be a 2nd or 3rd round team, or better.

Excuse me for getting a little bent out of shape on this, but I’m choking on this bullshit.

Stay classy, Avalanche and Senators. Neither team choked.

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1st round Playoff impressions (so far)

April 16th, 2010

Aside from the Chicago-Nashville series (which gets underway tonight), we’re one game into each Conference Quarter-Final series. And so far, I’ve enjoyed every minute of the games I’ve managed to watch. Anyways, I don’t want to waste any more of your time. I’ll get straight to some of my initial thoughts. I’d love to hear some of your Playoff thoughts too.

It Feels Fresh
One thing I’m really happy about this year is some of the refreshing series match-ups. Seeing series like Detroit-Phoenix, Los Angeles-Vancouver and Montreal-Washington is fun. I like the new rivalries that are already starting up (especially in the Kings-Canucks series). The intensity of the Boston-Buffalo series surprised me too. I wasn’t sure to be impressed or concerned with Raffi Torres going after Zdeno Chara last night. Note to the Sabres: it’s probably not wise to start a fight with the Bruins when Chara and Milan Lucic are on the ice.

Not So Fresh
The San Jose Sharks losing the first game of a series in which they have home ice advantage. In the last three seasons, the Sharks have had home ice advantage in the 1st round. They’ve lost all three of those first games. I know it’s early in the series, but that sinking “I thought this was finally the year San Jose would figure it out” feeling came back like a bad STD. Feel free to continue the comparison.

Guaranteed In Life
It seems there are two things as guaranteed as taxes and death in every Playoff year: San Jose struggling and reports of Alex Ovechkin playing hurt. Of course, a speculated Ovechkin injury is often followed up with “he flew his personal trainer from Russia into town… he only does this for injuries…”. Good thing it’s his personal trainer and not that steroid trainer who works in the same building as the Capitals practice rink…

Starting Slow
Speaking of the Capitals, does anyone else think it’s strange that the Capitals Playoffs always start off slow? Last night, most of their forwards (expect Nickolas Backstrom, who was phenomenal) were terrible. Very few of the Caps forwards wanted to get their noses dirty. I’d have played David Steckle and Matt Bradley more than Ovechkin last night, but that’s just me. Although Montreal played very well last night, Washington need to force their speed on the Canadiens defence. Montreal’s big three really came through last night. I expected that from Brian Gionta, but not necessarily from Scott Gomez or Mike Cammalleri. Props to them.

Burrows Is Annoying
Man, was Alex Burrow 50% more annoying last night than most regular season games? It seemed he was trying too hard to start post-season intensity. I liked the dramatic retaliation slash to Drew Doughty at the end of the 2nd period. Other than Burrows, Mikael Samuelsson really stood out to me in last night’s game. Here’s a player who’s learned how to play in the Playoffs and is leading by example in Vancouver. He was terrific in forechecking, hitting and scoring. Considering the contract he signed in July of 2009 and his impact to the Canucks, Samuelsson might be the best UFA signing of last summer. Kudos, Mike Gillis.

Wreckless
Greg “Puck Daddy” Wyshnyski once told me all the headshot/wreckless play nonsense would end come Playoff time. Last night’s Andrew Alberts hit on Brad Richardson might beg to differ. I hope this is an anomaly or I fear I may have to call Greg a liar. You should remind him on Twitter. Just saying. (Note: I have mad respect for Greg. This is a joke. But you should still harass him on Twitter).

What caught your eye? I’m looking forward to a great weekend of hockey! Also, it’s my birthday (and Fantana’s) on Sunday. Email me for instructions and ideas on what kind of gifts I’d like.

Stay classy, NHL Playoffs. I’m hooked so far!

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Burgundy’s 1st round NHL playoff predictions

April 14th, 2010

Stayclassy.net's NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs

Tonight marks the beginning of the NHL’s 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Like everyone else, I’d like to make my predictions for the 1st round. Before breaking down each series, I have two things to say. Firstly, I don’t hate any of the Canadian teams, however, I don’t like Vancouver, Montreal, or Ottawa’s chances. Secondly, I’m far more interested in the Western Conference series than the Eastern Conference series. This means two things. 1- I won’t be getting much sleep for the next few weeks. 2- I’ll be on Twitter a lot and look forward to talking Playoffs with all of you!

Washington Capitals (1) vs Montreal Canadiens (8)
I read about Tomas Plekanec’s quotes from the other day. I don’t understand why he’s playing these silly games, but whatever. He better bury a few goals on Washington or egg will be on his face, goatee and turtleneck. Sure, Montreal probably has the edge in goaltending, but Theordore’s play this year has been pretty good. Honestly, I don’t think Montreal has any chance in this series. Even if Jaroslav Halak plays like he did at the Olympics, Washington will be too much for Montreal’s slow defence. Alex Ovechkin has something to prove and Nickolas Backstrom is fresh off his best season in his young NHL career.
Verdict: Washington in 5 games.

New Jersey Devils (2) vs Philadelphia Flyers (7)
This series could go either way. On one hand, you have a legendary goalie in Marty Brodeur versus 3rd-stringer Brian Boucher (advantage Devils). On the other hand, you have Ilya Kovalchuk/Zach Parise versus Danny Briere/Jeff Carter/Mike Richards/Simon Gagne and more (advantage Flyers). I like Philadelphia’s defence a little more than New Jersey’s, too. And because Chris Pronger has a strong reputation for helping teams over the hump in Playoffs, I have to side with the Flyers as my upset team in the East.
Verdict: Philadelphia in 7 games.

Buffalo Sabres (3) vs Boston Bruins (6)
Boston’s well documented  scoring troubles and Buffalo’s all-star goalie Ryan Miller combine for a tough challenge for the Bruins. In addition, the Bruins announced the possibility of Marc Savard’s return to the team no earlier than in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Given the challenges Boston has faced this year (off years for certain players and injuries), making the Playoffs is a considerable feat. I don’t think they have any chance against the well oiled machine that is the Buffalo Sabres. On a slightly different note, it should be interesting to see which rookie proves most valuable to their respective teams between Tyler Myers and Tuukka Rask.
Verdict: Buffalo in 5 games.

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) vs Ottawa Senators (5)
This is a tough match-up for the Ottawa Senators when you consider a 6th place finish would have put them up against the Sabres, a team they’ve dominated for years. The obvious storyline for this series is goaltending: Brian Elliott versus Marc-Andre Fleury. As a fan of the Senators, I’m under no illusions, Pittsburgh will win this series, the question is how many games will it take. SensChirp (a blog I respect) believes Ottawa stacks up pretty closely with Pittsburgh. Some of the points are valid, but I’m not sure Ottawa’s defence is that much better than Pittsburgh’s, nor do I believe Ottawa can out-coach the defending Stanley Cup Champions.
Verdict: Pittsburgh in 6 games.

San Jose Sharks (1) vs Colorado Avalanche (8)
I really like the Colorado Avalanche and no, I didn’t think they’d come remotely close to making the playoffs prior to the 09-10 season starting. Having said that, I see the Sharks experience and grit over-powering the young Avalanche. The Avalanche strike me as a team very satisfied with their season whereas the Sharks have known all year that their Playoff results is what really matters. I like some of the role players San Jose has acquired between last season and now (guys like Jed Ortmeyer, Scott Nichol, Niclas Wallin, etc…). I believe these guys, along with Patrick Marleau, Dan Boyle and Rob Blake will be difference makers in this series. Also, I’m concerned for Colorado that star goalie Craig Anderson might be a bit burned out from his first regular season as a starting goalie.
Verdict: San Jose in 6 games.

Chicago Blackhawks (2) vs Nashville Predators (7)
Most of us could make a living from underestimating the Nashville Predators. And although the Predators are a team built so well for the Playoffs, I simply cannot bet against the Chicago Blackhawks. People will question the Hawk’s goaltending and while it’s been suspect at times this season, I don’t think it’s as bad as everyone makes it out to be. It’s easily the weakest part of the Hawks roster, but that’s easy to say when you look at their forwards and defence depth. Chicago’s hurting with injuries to their defence, but I believe their talent up front will carry the load in this series. I look for Patrick Kane to lead the way in points and clutch plays.
Verdict: Chicago in 6 games.

Vancouver Canucks (3) vs Los Angeles Kings (6)
Alright Canucks fans, don’t hate me for saying this, but I think the Kings are going to beat the Canucks. Don’t get me wrong, this is the best team (by far) the Canucks have put together in years. But with all the pressure on them, their injuries at defence and Roberto Luongo’s inconsistencies, I don’t have a good feeling for the Canucks. I know the Canucks beat the Kings three times this year, but I think the Kings move pucks better and faster than Vancouver and have a quick transition game that will burn the slower Canucks defence. I know Jonathan Quick’s play recently hasn’t been good, but I don’t see that as a factor in this series. Simply put, the Kings are loose and Vancouver know they need a solid post-season run this year.
Verdict: Los Angeles in 7 games.

Phoenix Coyotes (4) vs Detroit Red Wings (5)
This might be the most intriguing 1st round match-up this year. Like I said with the Avalanche, I believe the Coyotes are satisfied with their season and won’t have the same drive the Red Wings will. Ilya Bryzgalov shed his reputation of burning out down the regular season stretch from previous years, but I can’t help but wonder if he’s at all fatigued from this season. He’s finally gotten used to playing 60-70 regular season games per year, but that’s without playoffs. I think Detroit are too strong and too experienced for the young up-tempo Coyotes. And with Jimmy Howard’s play over the second half of the season, he looks poised to have a great Playoff performance. I don’t like betting against this Phoenix team, but dislike betting against Detroit even more.
Verdict: Detroit in 6 games.

There you have it. These are my 1st round predictions. What are your predictions?

Stay classy, NHL Playoffs.

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Shaking hands is overrated… unless you are going for ratings

June 16th, 2009

Crosby.  Lidstrom.  You know the story… unfortunately.

It’s funny – you and I don’t really care that Sidney Crosby didn’t shake Nick Lidstrom’s hand at the conclusion of the 2009 Stanley Cup finals.  It would of been nice to see, but ultimately, viewers understood Sid the kid was celebrating his first Stanley Cup win as the youngest captain to ever, while the Pittsburgh Penguins finally won at Joe Louis Arena, as the clear underdog.  Yeah, kind of a cool moment.

The result?  In seconds there’s more media on the ice than Hossa-tears.  Or regrets, despite Marian Hossa saying otherwise.  And being the media magnet that he is, Sidney Crosby is mauled with reporters, cameras and microphones.  

Nick Lidstrom grows tired of waiting (a whole 3 minutes, but whatever…), shakes other Penguins wings, errr, hands, and eventually leaves the ice for the night without shaking Crosby’s hand.  Come on, that wing joke was pretty good, wasn’t it?

But seriously, I doubt Crosby would go out of his way to snub Lidstrom.  We all know that.  The media’s presence on the ice was a big time distraction for the young captain.   Even if Crosby could see Lidstrom through the swarm of media, I doubt he could make his way through to the Wing’s captain.  There’s just no way.

So the media gets in the way of handshakes, then make a big fuss about it the following day.  Nice one. 

It’s almost ironic, isn’t it?  Shaking hands is definitely overrated, that is, unless you are going for ratings.  What a crock.  In a year that featured some of the best playoff hockey ever, this is the story the media turns to?

*           *           *

And then I’m watching the NBA finals on Sunday night – same thing.  The media jumped onto the court: lights, camera, interview!  Yes, we get the instant interview, but honestly, the players are out of breathe and are barely comprehendible.

Something about cameras jammed into team celebrations feels insincere.  I’d like to see shots of players celebrating the moment, without having to worry about the interview.  Have cameras from the roof and on the sidelines, but let players enjoy the moment.

I’d like to see media for all major championships restrained, just a little.  It’d make for better TV, a more honest sense of what the big win means to the players and would help avoid any handshake scandals in the future.

 
Stay classy, handshake frenzy media machine.

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You can't dream this stuff up – Marian Hossa, go with your gut

June 16th, 2009

You can’t dream this stuff up.

 

In July 2008, twenty-nine year old Marian Hossa signs a one-year $7.4M contract with the Detroit Red Wings, turning down a seven-year $49M offer from the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Pittsburgh promptly wastes no time to sign Brooks Orpik (six year contract) and Miroslav Satan (one year contract).

This is all about ME.  There is no “I” in TEAM but there is “ME” (if you kinda rearrange the letters).   Desert your team, win the Stanley Cup.

Flash forward to January 2009.  All Star Break.  Lemme see.  Pittsburgh is 10th in the Eastern Conference at 23-21-4 and 50 points.  Detroit is 2nd in the Western Conference at 31-9-6 and 68 points.  Hossa is starting to look like Einstein.

Pittsburgh starts its run.  Chris Kunitz acquired from the Anaheim Ducks.  Michel Therrien is fired.  Dan Bylsma with 0 games of NHL coaching experience takes over.  Bill Guerin acquired from the New York Islanders.  Penguins go 18-3-4 in Bylsma’s first 25 games, the second best record through the first 25 games of any NHL coach.

This is pretty witty, Pittsburgh

This is pretty witty, Pittsburgh

April 2009: Hossa’s agent talks about a 10 year contract.  Hossa is settling in.  Getting comfy.

Stanley Cup Playoffs 2009: Hossa is held to 6 goals in the Western Conference playoffs, none in the finals.

Gotta wonder what’s going through his head.  As he watches the seconds wind down in Game 7.  As he waits for the handshake line at the end of the game. As he sits in his wet equipment in the locker room. As he watches the highlights on TV.  And next month as he enters contract talks with Detroit.

And what do the Detroit fans think?  Well, we know what the Pittsburgh fans think … see the witty Pittsburgh sign above.
  

The bloggers have taken over.  Most, if not all, are merciless.  Fair?  All is fair in the free agent market.  That’s the whole point.  The players make their own decisions.  Go with your gut.  Go with what’s right.  Win the Cup at all costs.

 

At this moment in time, it really sucks to be Marian Hossa.

At this moment in time, it really sucks to be Marian Hossa.

Watch out Heatley… this could be you.

Wait a minute.  Maybe Bryan Murray could do a Heatley-Hossa swap.  Again.  One thing’s for sure: Heatley’s trade, wherever he goes, will have a big impact on where Hossa could sign as a UFA and how much the contract is worth.

 

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A second open letter to Marian Hossa

June 14th, 2009

Dear Mr. Hossa,

I guess I should preface all this by telling you that I am not rubbing it in.  That would not be sportsmanlike.  Instead, I want to help your decision-making process over the summer.

First, you are probably worried about what people are going to think if you sign somewhere in an effort to win the Stanley Cup.  To be honest, whatever you do is not going to look great.  If you change teams again, you’re just doing what you did last season.  But if you stay in Detroit, you’re not doing yourself any favours either.

Dear Marian Hossa: please listen to Stayclassy.net this time

Dear Marian Hossa: please listen to Stayclassy.net this time

The Detroit Red Wings, for all intents and purposes, have missed their chance at another championship in the near future.  I don’t want to suggest it’s your fault, but you can pretty much blame yourself on this one.

Your best option is to sign somewhere, long-term, and at a reduced rate.  It shows loyalty, it is a sacrifice to the hockey gods, and it just might bring you that elusive Stanley Cup.

In fact, the hockey gods have already put things in motion for you.  I am not sure if you know who Dany Heatley is, but he wants out ot Ottawa.  He could probably fetch a pretty good trade partner, but you could really appease the hockey gods if you told Bryan Murray you want to sign in Ottawa.  He could trade for picks and prospects, and you could go to the city that gave you your start.  It is win-win.

I know you have a lot of thinking to do.  I understand.  I just hope you read this before it is to late.  Unlike my last letter.

Stay classy, Marian Hossa.

Sincerley,

Tambland.

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Stanley Cup playoff picks – Fanata's view

June 14th, 2009

 

The Stanley Cup Playoffs came to a thrilling finish on Friday night and everyone not named Kris Draper were happy to see Sidney Crosby (a.k.a Sid the Squid) and the Pittsburgh Penguins lift their 3rd Stanley Cup in franchise history.   
Pittsburgh’s win also means that the Stay Classy team won’t need to start blogging about fishing or water polo.  What a relief! 
Last night’s game also brought Stay Classy’s playoff pool to end.  This blog was initially going to be about how great I am, but then I realized that Burgundy got lucky and tied me.  Damn you, Ron Burgundy!  Baxter and Mantooth gave a solid fight as well, so nice work boys.  Tambland… you lost pretty badly, so don’t flip out and kill anybody or anything like that… Anyway here are the final results:

The Stanley Cup Playoffs came to a thrilling finish on Friday night and everyone not named Kris Draper were happy to see Sidney Crosby (a.k.a Sid the Squid) and the Pittsburgh Penguins lift their 3rd Stanley Cup in franchise history.   

Pittsburgh’s win also means that the Stay Classy team won’t need to start blogging about fishing or water polo.  What a relief! 

 

Fridays’s game also brought Stay Classy’s playoff pool to end.  This blog was initially going to be about how great I am, but then I realized that Burgundy got lucky and tied me.  Damn you, Ron Burgundy!  Baxter and Mantooth gave a solid fight as well, so nice work boys.  Tambland… you lost pretty badly, so don’t flip out and kill anybody or anything like that… Anyway here are the final results:

Reporter Correct Picks Incorrect Picks Worst Prediction
Burgundy 10 5 Columbus over Detroit, round 1
Fantana 10 5 Washington over Pittsburgh, round 2
Mantooth 9 6 Chicago over Detroit, round 3
Tambland 6 9 Columbus over Detroit, round 1
Baxter 9 6 Chicago over Detroit, round 3

 

Stay classy were also completely wrong on a few series.  We all got shocked by the invisible San Jose Sharks in the first round, and nobody saw Carolina’s 2nd round upset over Boston coming. 

 

It’s been a fun season and with all games over and done with until October, we’ll our turn our attention to the NHL Entry Draft, the UFA frenzy in July and more crazy trade rumours like the Pronger for Johnson one that popped up this week. 

On a related note, I’m looking for a new summer hobby… an afternoon delight, if you will.  So far, lawn bowling is in the lead, with T-ball in close pursuit.  Let me know if you have any better ideas. 

 

Your Reporter in the Field, 

Fantana

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The Pittsburgh Penguins win the Stanley Cup & Stayclassy.net called it!

June 13th, 2009

If you’ve been following our Stanley Cup predictions, you may be aware all five of the Stayclassy.net writers picked the Pittsburgh Penguins to win the Stanley Cup. We were so confident with our selection. We even vowed to change the blog’s content from hockey to fishing if the Penguins didn’t win. I was close to purchasing StayBassy.com (I believe it’s still available), but we believed in the Penguins, despite losing the first two games of the Stanley Cup finals. And on a personal note, I called Pittsburgh to win in 7 games. For a second or two, I might actually look like I know what I’m talking about. But in all seriousness, congrats to Sid-the-kid (when will he be too old to be called a kid?) and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

And still on the serious side, none of us know a thing about fishing. This could of been very ugly. Thanks to the Penguins for coming through…

Sidney Crosby holding the Stanley Cup, courtesy of EverythingPittsburgh.net

Sidney Crosby holding the Stanley Cup, courtesy of EverythingPittsburgh.net

With the Stanley Cup playoffs over, here are the final tally of predictions for all four rounds from our crew:

Burgundy:  10/15
Fantana:  10/15
Mantooth:  9/15
Baxter:   9/15
Tambland:  7/15

Ouch Tambland, ouch. Now, a few things to point out, in no specific order.

- Regardless of who won game 7, you have to think Marian Hossa’s UFA value dropped after this year’s finals. When performance and results mattered most, Hossa didn’t deliver. Couple that with the fact the NHL salary cap is set to drop and the economy still broken and you have a recipe for lower UFA offers to Hossa later this summer.

- Just like the Pittsburgh Penguins rose to the occasion numerous times in the 2009 playoffs,  so did the Stayclassy.net writers. When it counted most, SC delivered strong, with all five writers successfully predicting the Penguins upset. Very clutch, guys. Special thanks to Tambland for writing a ton of great content over the last few weeks.

- I wrote a blog last week citing Maxime Talbot as an unsung hero for Pittsburgh, pointing at his timely goal scoring abilities. Talk about perfect timing, Max!  Game of your life: 2009 Stanley Cup finals, game 7.

- Give Marian Hossa credit for speaking with the media after game 7. His thoughts were honest and bang on – I also don’t think the Penguins would of won the Stanley Cup had he resigned last summer. Doing that interview probably wasn’t easy, but this serves as another reason why the NHL is the world’s best sport and why the players are world-class people.

- No truth to the Anaheim Ducks trading defenseman Chris Pronger to the LA Kings for Jack Johnson and the 5th overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft yesterday… but I will say this: where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire.

- For debate: Does Marc-Andre Fleury now get additional consideration as Canada’s third Olympic goalie behind Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo? Also, should Sidney Crosby get consideration as an assistant captain of the Canadian Olympic team? I believe he deserve’s an “A” for what he’s accomplished in his young career.

- Jordan Staal still isn’t old enough to legally drink alcohol in the United States… I guess he’s drinking grape juice out of Lord Stanley. And while talking about the Staals – two of the brothers now own Stanley Cup rings. When’s Mark Staal’s turn?

- Finally, SC.net would like to thank everyone who has helped and supported us since launching in January. The list is long and distinguished (Top Gun reference… Iceman…), so we certainly can’t name everyone. That said, a few stand out…

NHLDigest.com
EverythingPittsburgh.net
OnTheForecheck.com
PredsontheGlass.com
BanginPanger.com
and the NHL community on Twitter – you all know who you are.

Stay classy, Pittsburgh Penguins – 2009 Stanley Cup Champions

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