Posts Tagged ‘Stanley Cup Playoffs’

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

Add SC.net on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

No comments »

Posted in Stanley Cup Playoffs

Tags:

Random and useless Stanley Cup facts compiled for your amusement

June 8th, 2009

 

With two days off until Game 6 on Tuesday, a lot of the storylines from the Stanley Cup Finals are being rehashed elsewhere. So, to pass the time, and to add to water cooler talk, I’ve compiled a list of totally unremarkable, random factoids to talk about. I’d love to hear more, so toss some in the comments if I’ve missed anything good.
 
 
The Igloo (their original arena) is the reason for the Penguins’ name, and not the other way around.
 
Marian Hossa has never won a Stanley Cup at Mellon Arena. True story.
 
Marian Hossa and Ty Conklin are the first duo in history to play in two consecutive Stanley Cup Finals against their old team.
 
Hockeytown, USA was a marketing campaign. Nothing more. Detroit does not hold any rights to hockey.
 
In the movie, Sudden Death, the Pittsburgh Penguin wearing number 68 was on the ice for all three goals against. He was a minus-3. Jagr was not happy about this.
 
The largest octopus ever thrown on the ice in Detroit weighed 50 lbs.
 
The Penguin became their logo after their live mascot, Pete, died of pneumonia.
 
The Red Wings were originally known as the Detroit Cougars, then the Falcons, then the Red Wings.
 
Niklas Lidstrom was only the second European Captain to make it to the Stanley Cup Final. The first: Daniel Alfredsson. 

With two days off until Game 6 on Tuesday, a lot of the storylines from the Stanley Cup Finals are being rehashed elsewhere.  So, to pass the time, and to add to water cooler talk, I’ve compiled a list of totally unremarkable, random factoids to talk about.  I’d love to hear more, so toss some in the comments if I’ve missed anything good.

  • The Igloo (their original arena) is the reason for the Penguins’ name, and not the other way around.
  • Marian Hossa has never won a Stanley Cup at Mellon Arena.  True story.
  • Marian Hossa and Ty Conklin are the first duo in history to play in two consecutive Stanley Cup Finals against their old team.
  • Hockeytown, USA was a marketing campaign.  Nothing more.  Detroit does not hold any rights to hockey.
  • In the Jean-Claude Van Damme movie, Sudden Death, the Pittsburgh Penguin wearing number 68 was on the ice for all three goals against.  He was a minus-3.  Jaromir Jagr was not happy about this.
  • The largest octopus ever thrown on the ice in Detroit weighed 50 lbs.
  • The Penguin became their logo after their live mascot, Pete, died of pneumonia.
  • The Red Wings were originally known as the Detroit Cougars, then the Falcons, then the Red Wings.
  • Nicklas Lidstrom was only the second European Captain to make it to the Stanley Cup Final.  The first: Daniel Alfredsson. 
     

 

Add SC.net on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

No comments »

Posted in NHL Humour, Stanley Cup Playoffs

Tags:

2009 Stanley Cup Predictions: Game 7 Conference Semi Finals

May 13th, 2009

Well, well, well.

Another round of the playoffs, and I was wrong for every prediction….so far.

But that’s the beautiful thing about this blog. I get to go back, look at what I said, and chalk up my inaccuracy to some unexplained events, like solar storms or something. I have to say though, this has been quite a second round of the playoffs. Who would have thought that two teams would come back after being down 3-1 to force a Game 7. I know the hockey world, and the NHL is loving the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals matchup, but the Boston Bruins vs. Carolina Hurricanes series has been no slouch either.

So let’s recap my original thoughts: Pittsburgh in 6 (wrong), Bruins in 6 (wrong), Anaheim in 6 (wrong). Notice a trend. The plus side is that each one of these series could still end in my favour, but it’s time to look at the series knowing everything that we know now.

So here we go. Time for Game 7 predictions.

Boston Bruins vs. Carolina Hurricanes

I had a funny feeling that Boston was going to win this one last night. They weren’t going to let Carolina “bruin” their season just like that. After watching their complete performance in Game 5, I think we’re seeing the Boston Bruins of the first round. But that knee on knee on Savard last night could be costly for that team. Even if he does play, he will be playing hurt, and that guy plays such an important role dishing the pucks to their scorers (although Lucic set him up for a beauty last night). Even so, they’re going back to the Garden, and if they’re losing at all going into the third, I predict that Cam Neely puts on skates himself and finishes this for them. I’m saying Boston is taking it, 5-2.

Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

This is the one the hockey world has been waiting for since the end of the lockout, and it promises not to disappoint. Word is that Sergei Gonchar may be able to return to the lineup. That is huge, not only for the Penguins powerplay, but for the psyche of that locker room. But the game is back in Washington, and they are going to be loud tonight. If Washington scores first, that crowd and that team are going to be so excited. So expect Pittsburgh to storm back and win the game. If the Penguins score first, I think Washington will get their act together and take this one. It all depends on that first goal though. But if I had to call the series not knowing who is going to score first, I’d say Washington now. They’re undefeated when facing elimination.

Detroit Red Wings vs. Anaheim Ducks

I knew this series was going to go long, and I’m incredibly pleased that it’s going back to Joe Louis Arena for Game 7. I think Anaheim will take this game though. They’re physicality really showed last night, and they demonstrated that they won’t take it lying down. Here’s how it will play out though: a bad penalty will be taken when an overzealous fan hurls and octupus on the ice at Hiller. Getzlaf sets up Corey Perry for the game winner, and Anaheim faces Chicago next round. I’m calling Anaheim 3-2.

Follow us on Twitter or be a Facebook fan with exclusive content.

1 comment »

Posted in Stanley Cup Playoffs

Tags:

What would you do?

April 29th, 2009

 There’s a very famous game called Who Would You Do?  The premise is pretty simple.  Given a choice, decide who you would do.

Your choices: Jason Spezza or Joe Thornton.

Now before you break into song about who you would pick, let’s have a look at a few figures.  Let’s called it the STD discussion before you jump into bed.  Sometimes the grass isn’t actually that green on the other side.

Jason Spezza: 25 years old
Joe Thornton: 29 years old 
Let’s give this one to Spezza, given that those four years will mean a big difference in only a few more seasons.

 
Jason Spezza: Drafted 2nd overall
Joe Thornton: Drafted 1st overall
Let’s call this a wash.  The difference in draft selection is miniscule. 


Thornton’s first full season in the NHL: 16 goals, 25 assists, 41 points.
Spezza’s first full season in the NHL: 22 goals, 33 assists, 55 points.
Considering Spezza’s first season was played under a stifling defensive system of Jacques Martin, I have to give Spezza a bit more credit here. 

Spezza’s current contract: 7 year, $49 million (averages $7 million a season, going into the second year of the deal)
Thornton’s current contract: 3 year, $21.6 million (averages $7.2 million a season, going into the second year of the deal)
Money-wise, it’s a wash.  This one probably goes to Thornton given that it is a shorter contract. But put it this way.  Thornton will be 33 years old when he finishes his contract.  Spezza will be 32 years old when he finishes his.
Look at it another way.  Thornton’s career totals increased each year  when he was 25, 26, and 27 years old.  His totals are now declining.  Spezza hasn’t even played at that age category yet. Look for better numbers over the next 3 seasons.

 
Thornton’s career playoff totals: 70 GP, 11 G, 37 A, 48 Pts- Average points per game: 0.6 
Spezza’s career playoff totals: 40 GP, 13 G, 26 A, 39 Pts- Average points per game: 0.9 
Have to give this to Spezza again.  Numbers are too good.  That’s so close to a point a game, it’s not even funny.


Number of Stanley Cup Finals GP
Spezza- 5
Thornton- 0
‘Nough said.

 

Follow us on Twitter or be a Facebook fan with exclusive content.

6 comments »

Posted in What Would You Do

Tags:

Bizarro world

March 31st, 2009

I had a thought last night watching Sportscentre and Sportsnet Connected: I think Daniel Alfredsson and Tiger Woods are the same person.  Okay, maybe not the same person, but definitely drinking the same Gatorade.

Here’s why:

Remember when Tiger Woods burst onto the scene? 1996.
Remember when Daniel Alfredsson won the Calder Trophy? 1996.
Maybe a coincidence.

Are Tiger Woods and Daniel Alfredsson drinking the same Gatorade?

Are Tiger Woods and Daniel Alfredsson drinking the same Gatorade?

Remember that time that Alfie was the first European-born captain to reach the Stanley Cup Final? 
Remember that time that Tiger was the first golfer of African-American descent to win the Masters?
Both paving the way.

Remember that time Tiger went down after that knee surgery (not the big surgery after the US Open, but the arthroscopic one)?  It was his left knee.  Remember that date: April 15, 2008.
Remember that time Alfie’s Sens were eliminated from the playoffs in 2008, and Alfie played despite being horribly injured with a knee injury and needed arthroscopic surgery?  It was his right knee.  Remember that date: April 16, 2008.

You’re right.  These are two separate knee injuries.  Clearly Tiger and Alfie talked about this beforehand.  I think they both needed some well-deserved time off.

Remember that time Tiger won the US Open on a bum knee?
Remember that time Alfie only missed one game after a knee surgery?
Both clearly have super-human powers of being able to play while hurt.

Remember when Tiger’s resurgence started and he again topped the money list on the PGA Tour? 2005.
Remember when Alfie’s resurgence started and he scored his biggest point total of his career? 2005.

Remember when Alfie scored seven points in Tampa Bay?  Remember that?  January 24, 2008.
Remember when Tiger kicked off the 2008 season with a 67 at the Buick Invitational? Remember that?  January 24, 2008.

Remember that time Alfie had a training regimen sponsored by Nike?
Remember that time Tiger had a golf line sponsored by Nike?
Yep. Just saying.

Remember that clutch goal when Alfie sent the Sens to the Stanley Cup Finals: May 19, 2007.

Just guess what Tiger was doing that day…Go ahead. Guess.

Watching the hockey game. But Tiger won the WGC CA Championship the next weekend.

Anyways, I think it’s important to note the comparables.

Connect with SC.net on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

2 comments »

Posted in NHL Humour

Tags:

Likely NHL suitors for Ray Emery

March 29th, 2009

You know we’re in Ottawa when the local sports media churns out yet another story about former Ottawa Senators goaltender Ray Emery and his ongoing driving problems.  It’s like a never ending surplus of terrible reporting.  And of all the stories to write about – the NHL two weeks away from the Stanley Cup playoffs, or the Ottawa Senators remarkable turnaround (to name a few), Ray’s H2 Hummer apparently trumps all.  

 

Ray Emery stays classy with those pads

Ray Emery stays classy with these pads!

One year after his exile from Ottawa and after a full season in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League (KHL),  Emery finished with a 22-8-0 record, 2.12 goals against average, and a .920 save percentage.  You can probably add a KO to his stats following that bench scuffle with the Russian trainer who tried to make Ray wear a hat in January.  

Ray Emery’s dominance in the KHL will likely garner him considerable attention this summer from NHL teams with goaltending needs and little cap room.  But despite Ray’s strong performance in the KHL, he’ll be viewed as a risk and any deals offered to him will reflect that.  

Stayclassy.net believes the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and Atlanta Thrashers and would all be good fits for the young goaltender.

Simply put, Toronto, Detroit and Atlanta have some cap room, no number one goalie and inconsistent play from their current starters.  That said, the Colorado Avalanche would be, by far, the best fit for Ray Emery.

In the 2008-2009 NHL season, Colorado spent $1.5 Million on goaltending.  It shows, as they are among the NHL’s worst in average goals against per game, using Andrew Raycroft and Peter Budaj.  Both are yet to be resigned, with Raycroft to be an UFA and Budaj to be a RFA come July 1st.  Most of Colorado’s skaters are signed for next season, with the exception of star center Joe Sakic, so a reasonable contract for Emery would fit Colorado’s 2009-2010 salary cap.  

Emery would mark the Av’s first goalie with Stanley Cup Final experience since Patrick Roy.  Not surprisingly, he’d also be the best goalie Colorado’s seen since Roy’s retirement.  Emery would fit well in Denver because of low hockey profiles and local speed laws, as Ray’s well documented speeding issues are the cause of various accidents and reasons for frequent pull-overs throughout the years.  

Colorado is regarded as having more than reasonable driving regulations – ideal for Emery.  In November 2008, the I-25, a major highway running through Colorado, increased speed limits to 65 MPH.  A number of other highways and freeways are experimenting with heightened speed limits to help traffic conjestion.  Most Colorado speed limits have slack of 5-10 MPH – a good thing for Ray considering how little (if any) he gets in Ottawa now.  Police in Colorado wouldn’t have 24/7 tracking on Emery’s white Hummer, as Ottawa police do and finally, Ray is well versed in any seasonal driving challenges Colorado would offer, having lived in Ottawa for a few years.

So I ask the question, would signing Ray Emery as a goaltender for the Colorado Avalanche be any more of a risk than resigning Peter Budaj and Andrew Raycroft?

Stay classy, Ray Emery.

Be our friend on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

7 comments »

Posted in NHL Commentary

Tags:

Are the Vancouver Canucks that good?

March 24th, 2009

Did you know the Vancouver Canucks were 16-4-1 from February 3rd to March 21st?

Pretty damn good.  And that’s coming from an Ottawa Senators fan.  I can say that again, with the resurgent Sens winning 9 of their last 10 games.  A little shameless, I’ll admit, but we haven’t had anything to cheer about in some time.

So get this, the Vancouver are arguably the hottest team in the NHL and strangely enough, are the one of the only teams who didn’t have to fire their coaching staff to get going.  Certainly the rumors were there for coach Alain Vigneault and his crew earlier in January.  So what happened?  Is this the Sundin effect? Nahhh.  Is Alex Burrows carrying the load?  Maaaaybe.  Is Roberto Luongo finally healthy for the first time this season?   Quite possibly.

Or maybe the Vancouver Canucks aren’t playing as well as Canuck-nation think.  Yes Canucks fans, you should be offended.  Burgundy’s assessment:  The Canucks were beneficiaries of a light schedule.

Harsh, but sometimes the truth hurts.

I’ll explain.  Of the 16 wins during the 21 game span, 14 games featured teams that aren’t in the playoffs: the Blues (2), Senators, Maple Leafs, Lightning, Wild, Kings (2), Avalanche, Stars (2), Coyotes (2) and Ducks.  That doesn’t include the spiraling Montreal Canadiens (2 games) either.

Yes, a few of the wins were against tough opponents including the Carolina Hurricanes (big props to Paul Maurice and the job he’s done there), Chicago Blackhawks, Calgary Flames, Columbus Blue Jackets and San Jose Sharks.

I have no problem saying the ‘Nucks are playing well and looking good as we gear up for the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs.   However, I am not willing to call them a serious Cup contender or Canada’s best shot at a Stanley Cup this year – a title that belongs to the Calgary Flames at the moment.  And as far as top contender, I still think the San Jose Sharks are the real deal.

Sorry, Canucks fans.  It’s the truth.  And I still don’t like Sundin either.  But maybe I should – the Montreal Canadiens playoff chances are receding faster than Bob Gainey’s hair, the Leaf’s still suck and the Senators post-season chances aren’t a lock… yet.  Maybe I shouldn’t have all my eggs in the Flames basket.

Stay classy, ‘Nucks fans.

Follow us on Twitter or be our friend on Facebook.

2 comments »

Posted in NHL Commentary

Tags:

The Montreal Canadiens are screwed… really screwed

March 18th, 2009

This may piss off some Montreal Canadiens fans. Consider this your warning.

I’m not a Canadiens fan by any stretch of the imagination, nor do I buy into the “Centennial season” crap that’s been going around all year. However, I have no qualms supporting any team from Canada and as such, it pains me to see what’s going on in Montreal. If my Ottawa Senators aren’t making the Stanley Cup playoffs, it only makes sense to cheer for the next closest Canadian team.

As of writing this, the Habs have only 5 forwards (yes, including the outspoken pine rider, George Laraque) and 4 defensemen signed for next season. Now, both Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak are under contract next season, but on the whole, GM Bob Gainey is definitely guilty of taking the year off.

Other than the odd ‘Kovalev grounding‘, the only real adjustment Gainey has made this season was trading for powerplay specialist Mathieu Schneider, giving up 2nd and 3rd round picks in the process. Not bad considering what Schneider has already done for the Canadiens struggling powerplay… except he’s an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the season’s end. And to make matter’s worse, he’s not the only UFA the Canadiens need to worry about. Not by a long shot.

And this is where my true concern lies.

Of the 9 forwards/defense Montreal has signed for next season, the following players aren’t:
Alex Kovalev, Robert Lang, Alex Tanguay, Chris Higgins, Tomas Plekanec, Mike Komisarek, Patrice Brisebois, Mathieu Dandenault, Francis Bouillon and long time captain Saku Koivu.

They absolutely must resign Mike Komisarek. But he will easily command $5 Million or more per season and the Habs have already committed more than $10 Million per season to defensemen Roman Hamrlik and Andrei Markov. Keeping Komisarek means the Habs will have to spend atleast $15 Million per season on their defense and none of those players can help their ailing powerplay.

Montreal is screwed…

Take roughly $15 Million on the big three defensemen and approximately $3 Million in goaltending. That’s $18 Million next season, plus $9 Million in existing contracts for secondary players like Ryan O’Bryne, Josh Gorges, Glen Metropolit, Maxim Lapierre, brothers Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn, and of course, George Laraque.

That’s $27 Million committed to no scoring. The Canadiens need 7-8 more Top 9 forwards and atleast one powerplay specialist. If Montreal hopes to resign some of their UFA’s and Restricted Free Agents (RFA’s include Higgins, Plekanec, Guillame Latendresse, Tom Koustopolous and more), it won’t come cheap – Most of these players are due for raises.

While some may suggest there’s a blank canvas for Gainey to work with, he’ll only have around $20-25 Million to work with under the NHL Salary Cap. Acquiring a top flight NHL forward (Marian Hossa, Daniel Briere, etc…) will take nearly half of Gainey’s cap space right away.

Trouble may be around the corner for Montreal, but they do have a few young kids that could really bail them out. For the Habs sake, I hope the kids are ready. What would you do?

Stay Classy, Montreal Canadiens fans.

Follow us on Twitter or be our friend on Facebook.

3 comments »

Posted in NHL Commentary

Tags: