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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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Posted in NHL Commentary, Ottawa Senators, Stanley Cup Playoffs

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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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Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals – The final game this season

June 12th, 2009

Tonight the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings square off for the Stanley Cup.  The regular season is irrelevant and the future doesn’t matter.  It’s about making less mistakes than the opponent for the last 60 minutes of the 2008-2009 season.  That actually sounds pretty easy.  Pretty sure every professional hockey player would shake their heads if they thought I was serious.  Well, I am, sorta, but you know how these things are…

Who has the advantage going into game 7 tonight?  It depends who you ask, but I’d like to objectively point out two area’s I think Pittsburgh benefits from.  

Game 7 Experience
So much has been said about the Detroit Red Wings and their Stanley Cup experience from their recent Cup victories, however, most players on the Wings have never done so in a game 7.  So how is that an advantage for Pittsburgh?  Simple – the Penguins just don’t know any better.  This game is exactly like game 6: lose the game and you lose the Cup.  The simple fact the Wings haven’t been in game 7 territory might be enough to get them overthinking the situation.  Yes – these are pro’s of the highest level, but they are still human beings.  Every situation Detroit has faced in recent years, they’ve faced before.  Nothing is new for them… until now.  Pittsburgh’s youth could certainly provide an odd advantage here.

Improvements & Answers
Despite losing Ryan Malone in the off-season (note: next time you want to sign Malone; sign his dad first), Marian Hossa to some other team (can’t remember who…) and trading Ryan Whitney (maybe the Pens just don’t like Ryans, hence why they drafted Sidney Crosby over Anaheim Duck pick Bobby Ryan… alright.  Bad joke…), the Penguins are a deeper team than last year.  Every game they play (with exceptions to game 5…), shows they’ve learned from previous experiences.  They didn’t get shutout in games 1 or 2 at the Joe Louis Arena, like last year and they won game 6 in Pittsburgh, unlike last year.  They didn’t panick against Washington and completely dominated game 7 of that series.  The remarkable thing about the Penguins playoff run this year is that they seem to have an answer for everything.  When they look down and out, they play better.  They turn up the heat.  When Evgeni Malkin’s play is questioned, he gets better.  Marc-Andre Fleury was pulled in game 5, yet rebounds in game 6 for a huge performance.  You get my drift.  The Penguins Cup run hasn’t been a fairy tale, but when the clutch performances are needed most, the Penguins have come through every time.

 

I’m still thinking Crosby’s raising Lord Stanley tonight.  For the sake of this blog (We did say we might turn Stayclassy.net into a fishing blog if we’re not right on the Penguins winning…), I hope I’m right.  

*Gulp*
 

Stay classy, young Penguins

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Stanley Cup Final- Game 7- Keeping my Fingers Crossed

June 12th, 2009

I have to admit, it’s hard not to get caught up in the hype for this one. Stanley Cup Final rematch, Game 7, back at the Joe, a chance to build on a dynasty for one team, a chance for redemption for another team. The storylines are endless and the excitement has built to an all-time high. This is what the NHL wanted. Let’s hope they get it.

Why the cynicism?

I have no doubt that this game has the potential to be great; a game we will talk about for years to come. But, like Marc-Andre Fleury in Game 1 last year, it also has the potential to fall flat on its face.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQQaQGOSquo&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b]

This morning, the TSN Top Ten was the Top Ten Stanley Cup Final Game 7 moments. Not to give too much away, but there were only ten moments they listed. Yesterday, Ian Mendes at Rogers Sportsnet posted some of the best Game 7s in sports. Again, it was a short list. I’m sure in both cases there were many more. But there have also been plenty of duds. So here’s hoping tonight’s game doesn’t turn out like these travesties:

2009 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals- Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals
In what had been arguably the best series of the playoffs, there was no other option than a Game 7. Two of the best young teams in the East were going the distance, and we were promised fireworks. Well, except for a breakaway save by Fleury against Alexander Ovechkin, this game had about the same enthusiasm as Joaquin Phoenix’s recent appearance on Letterman. Pittsburgh skated away with this one, and I felt like I was watching pre-season in Switzerland. Not the Conference Semi-Finals.

2004 Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals- Ottawa Senators vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Maybe this one stings a bit more because of my allegiance to the Ottawa Senators, but talk about another Game 7 letdown. In what was supposed to be Ottawa’s chance at finally beating the Leafs in the playoffs, a struggling offense, and stellar, if not incredibly lucky goaltending from Ed Belfour (remember when that Hossa shot hit the butt-end of his stick? Really Eddie? You meant to do that?), pushed this series to a Game 7. Well, we all remember how this one went. Current Stars GM Joe Niewendyk put two softies past Patrick Lalime and the game was out of hand and out of reach. The Sens bench, which used to turn defense into offense, was absolutely startled. They had no game plan after those goals, and we had to watch in utter dismay as Alfredsson led the charge to shake hands with the dreaded Leafs. In a series that had so much potential for Sens fans and the Battle of Ontario, this Game 7 was a dud.

2003 Stanley Cup Finals- New Jersey Devils vs. Anaheim Mighty Ducks
This one is being talked about as Dan Bylsma’s missed opportunity, but Game 7 was a complete bore. After coming back from a 3-1 deficit, most of the hockey world was cheering on Giguere and the Ducks as the cinderella story of 2003. But a shutout performance from Martin Brodeur and two goals from Mike Rupp made this less exciting than a John and Kate Plus 8 marathon on TLC.

1999 Western Conference Finals- Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche
Colorado took an impressive 3-2 lead over the future Stanley Cup Champions with a 7-5 victory in Game 5. After Dallas tied the series in Game 6, we all figured for some fireworks in Game 7. Well, 6 minutes into the third period and Dallas was already up 4-0. Only 7 minutes later did Colorado score its first goal, but Dallas had already wrapped this one up. They were on their way to the Finals. With a Colorado team that featured the likes of Sakic, Forsberg, Drury, and Fleury, we all figured we’d get a bit more out of this Game 7.

1996 Conference Semi-Finals- Detroit Red Wings vs. St. Louis Blues
I don’t know if you can call this a bad game, so much as a brutal way to end a series. We all know the goal. It’s replayed over and over and over. But Steve Yzerman grabs a loose puck that was coughed up by Wayne Gretzky, skates into the St. Louis zone, and fires a shot from the blueline that somehow handcuffs Jon Casey. It cements Yzerman as a great leader, player and playoff performer, sends Casey to who-knows-where, and ends the series. Good series, good hockey. Awful goal.

My age is beginning to show here, cause I’m sure I’m missing some other brutal Game 7s. Here’s hoping that tonight’s billing lives up to the hype, and doesn’t make my list next year.

Stay classy, Stanley Cup Finals Game 7. The NHL needs you.

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The what-ifs of the Stanley Cup Finals – Game 7 especially…

June 11th, 2009

 

This has been an incredible series to watch. Great hockey from both the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ups, downs, and lots of what-ifs. Really, this series has boiled down to the intangibles. Leading into Game 7, a lot of these questions are going to be talked about. And this series will undoubtedly come down to a few more. But I present to you, the best what-if moments of the Stanley Cup Finals.
 
What if:
 
- Malkin had scored on that breakway in Game 1, when the score was still notched at 2-1?
- Abdelkader wasn’t slotted into the lineup, and scored two clutch goals to put it out of reach?
- Abdelkader hadn’t been scratched for Games 3, 4, 5 and 6?
- Hossa hadn’t been silent for most of the series?
- Fleury hadn’t stopped Cleary on that breakaway?
- The Wings hadn’t embarassed the Penguins in Game 5?
- Scuderi hadn’t made 3 impressive saves at the end of Game 6?
- Staal and Kennedy hadn’t stepped up and provided that secondary scoring?
 
So, leading into Game 7 on Friday night, here’s a few more, which could essentially win the Stanley Cup.
 
What if:
 
- Crosby steps up and breaks the jinx at the Joe?
- Malkin provides another dominating performance to finish these playoffs?
- Zetterberg and Datsyuk put on a ‘defense turning into offense’ clinic?
- Hossa breaks out of his funk?
- Fleury makes another game-changing save early in Game 7 (see game-changing save in Game 7 against the Capitals)?
 
All of these factors, and many more, are huge for tomorrow’s game. I refuse to make a call or prediction in this forum. I’ve done it in the past, but it never works out. Just know that we are lucky enough to have a Game 7, and to keep an eye out for these intangibles. Man I love sports.

This has been an incredible series to watch. Great hockey from both the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ups, downs, and lots of what-ifs. Really, this series has boiled down to the intangibles. Leading into Game 7, a lot of these questions are going to be talked about. And this series will undoubtedly come down to a few more. But I present to you, the best what-if moments of the Stanley Cup Finals.

 What if:

- Malkin had scored on that breakway in Game 1, when the score was still notched at 2-1?

- Abdelkader wasn’t slotted into the lineup, and scored two clutch goals to put it out of reach?

- Abdelkader hadn’t been scratched for Games 3, 4, 5 and 6?

- Hossa hadn’t been silent for most of the series?

- Fleury hadn’t stopped Cleary on that breakaway?

- The Wings hadn’t embarassed the Penguins in Game 5?

- Scuderi hadn’t made 3 impressive saves at the end of Game 6?

- Staal and Kennedy hadn’t stepped up and provided that secondary scoring?

 

So, leading into Game 7 on Friday night, here’s a few more, which could essentially win the Stanley Cup.

What if:

- Crosby steps up and breaks the jinx at the Joe?

- Malkin provides another dominating performance to finish these playoffs?

- Zetterberg and Datsyuk put on a ‘defense turning into offense’ clinic?

- Hossa breaks out of his funk?

- Fleury makes another game-changing save early in Game 7 (see game-changing save in Game 7 against the Capitals)?

 

All of these factors, and many more, are huge for tomorrow’s game. I refuse to make a call or prediction in this forum. I’ve done it in the past, but it never works out. Just know that we are lucky enough to have a Game 7, and to keep an eye out for these intangibles. Man I love sports.

 

Stay classy, NHL fans

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Can Bylsma Learn Anything from Babcock?

June 11th, 2009

 

If there is one thing about the Stanley Cup and the NHL, you can find connections in the weirdest of places. Take for instance, Dan Blysma and Mike Babcock. Blysma, as many people know, was playing for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks (back when they were still mighty) when Babcock was coaching. They both went to Game 7 together, and they both lost to the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Final.
 
Both coaches probably learned a lot in that situation, but that doesn’t mean Blysma isn’t trying to get a little more information from Babcock. The following is a completely untrue recorded telephone conversation from last night.
 
Mike Babcock: Hello?
 
Dan Blysma: Um, hey Mike. It’s Yzerman.
 
M.B: Yzerman? Which one?
 
D.B: Um, the good one. 
 
M.B: Is that you Dan, you sorry S.O.B?
 
D.B: Yeah. Sorry coach.
 
M.B: What did I tell you Dan. You can’t keep calling me coach. You’re part of this club now. Just call me Mike. So what can I do for you?
 
D.B: I’m pretty nervous coa…er….Mike. I mean, it’s game 7. The only other Stanley Cup Final Game 7 I’ve been in didn’t work out so well. 
 
M.B: Yeah, we really screwed the pooch on that one. But there was a lot more clutching and grabbing back then.
 
D.B: Seriously eh. Remember that time Adam Oates was holding onto my sweater for protection after Paul Kariya got drilled by Scott Stevens?
 
M.B: Not that kind of clutching and grabbing Dan. But anyways. There’s nothing to be nervous about. You got a heck of a team over there.
 
D.B: You think so? I’ve always thought they were pretty cool dudes. Did you know that Jordan Staal can’t even drink yet? 
 
M.B: Yeah, I heard that. Some of my guys can’t drink either….but it’s for their blood pressure. Doctor’s orders. Anyways Dan, just go out there and give them the same speech I gave you guys in 2003.
 
D.B: Which one.
 
M.B: Oh come on. You remember. I said: “Don’t screw this up, or you might end up coaching against me some day in the Stanley Cup Finals and I swear to you I will punish your entire team for not letting me win the Stanley Cup this year!”
 
D.B: Oh….right. Do you think that’ll work?
 
M.B: Well, it didn’t back then, and now look at where we are.
 
D.B: Ohhhhh. Well on the plus side, maybe Sid the Kid will end up coaching against me.
 
M.B: Sure Dan. Anyways, good luck tomorrow. And stop calling.
 
D.B: Okay coach.

If there is one thing about the Stanley Cup and the NHL, you can find connections in the weirdest of places. Take for instance, Dan Bylsma and Mike Babcock. Bylsma, as many people know, was playing for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks (back when they were still mighty) when Babcock was coaching. They both went to Game 7 together, and they both lost to the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Final.

Both coaches probably learned a lot in that situation, but that doesn’t mean Bylsma isn’t trying to get a little more information from Babcock. The following is a completely untrue recorded telephone conversation from last night.
Mike Babcock: Hello?

Dan Bylsma: Um, hey Mike. It’s Yzerman.

M.B: Yzerman? Which one?

D.B: Um, the good one. 

M.B: Is that you Dan, you sorry S.O.B?

D.B: Yeah. Sorry coach.

M.B: What did I tell you Dan. You can’t keep calling me coach. You’re part of this club now. Just call me Mike. So what can I do for you?

D.B: I’m pretty nervous coa…er….Mike. I mean, it’s game 7. The only other Stanley Cup Final Game 7 I’ve been in didn’t work out so well. 

M.B: Yeah, we really screwed the pooch on that one. But there was a lot more clutching and grabbing back then.

D.B: Seriously eh. Remember that time Adam Oates was holding onto my sweater for protection after Paul Kariya got drilled by Scott Stevens?

M.B: Not that kind of clutching and grabbing Dan. But anyways. There’s nothing to be nervous about. You got a heck of a team over there.

D.B: You think so? I’ve always thought they were pretty cool dudes. Did you know that Jordan Staal can’t even drink yet? 

M.B: Yeah, I heard that. Some of my guys can’t drink either….but it’s for their blood pressure. Doctor’s orders. Anyways Dan, just go out there and give them the same speech I gave you guys in 2003.

D.B: Which one.

M.B: Oh come on. You remember. I said: “Don’t screw this up, or you might end up coaching against me some day in the Stanley Cup Finals and I swear to you I will punish your entire team for not letting me win the Stanley Cup this year!”

D.B: Oh….right. Do you think that’ll work?

M.B: Well, it didn’t back then, and now look at where we are.

D.B: Ohhhhh. Well on the plus side, maybe Sid the Kid will end up coaching against me.

M.B: Sure Dan. Anyways, good luck tomorrow. And stop calling.

D.B: Okay coach.

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Where in the world is Marian Hossa?

June 10th, 2009

Finding Marian Hossa in the 2009 Stanley Cup finals is almost as hard as those Where’s Waldo books from grade school – especially the one where Waldo’s at the zoo. Or the one just below where it seem’s he’s at a KFC football game.

Can you find Waldo? More importantly, can you find Marian Hossa?

Can you find Waldo? More importantly, can you find Marian Hossa?

Hossa’s playoff performance in 2008 with the Pittsburgh Penguins did wonders to shed the reputation of being a non-playoff performer. Hossa scored 26 points in 20 games in the Penguins 2008 run. So that was last year and everyone knows what happened next…

… One year later: Marian Hossa finds himself back in the Stanley Cup finals, against the very team he left. You couldn’t write a better story than this if you tried. Hossa turned down long term offers from the Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks and Montreal Canadiens (among others) for the chance to win a Stanley Cup in Detroit. Doing that probably means you really want to win a Stanley Cup, right?

Maybe not, if you are Marian Hossa. Hossa has had a fairly “meh” playoffs so far, registering only 15 points in 22 games. That’d be pretty good, if you weren’t playing with the likes of Johan Franzen, Henrik Zetterberg, Jiri Hudler, Nick Lidstrom and others. In the Finals, against his old team, Hossa has 3 assists in 6 games. Hmmm… two of those games were played with Pavel Datsyuk, too.

Marian Hossa - 2009 version

Marian Hossa - 2009 Stanley Cup finals version

It’s not just the numbers – it’s his play too. Hossa is a dominant player in the NHL because of his size, strength and hockey smarts. I haven’t really seen much of that. Sure, he’s been dominant along the boards with the puck, but the longer he holds the puck, the less likely he is to do anything with it. So while it’s impressive, where are the results to say “wow, you made something happen” ?

TSN’s Ray Ferraro made some great points following Pittsburgh’s clutch game 6 victory saying Hossa looks like he’s scared to touch the puck or do anything with it.

I agree with that.

Hossa’s not throwing the body much either; not making impact hits, not forechecking or owning the neutral zone as well as he can or as well as coach Mike Babcock probably wants. If anything, it should of be him stepping up to shadow Evgeni Malkin during Datsyuk’s absence. Had he done so, would we still be talking about who will win this series?

I just don’t get it – this is Hossa’s chance to win the big one and he’s not showing up. Not even close. If you can’t show up on the score board, you can sure as hell contribute with strong, aggressive play. And I still don’t get why Waldo is at a KFC football game, either.

Stay classy, Marian Hossa

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Posted in NHL Commentary, Stanley Cup Playoffs

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