Tuesday, November 17, 2009
When the Flyers played the Devils earlier this season, it was Brodeur’s 1000th game, and I mentioned the historical tendency of the Flyers to allow that goaltender and his team significant milestones. They surprised me that night by winning, denying the Doughboy a win on his 1000th game. I did not know if it was a fluke or the start of something more beautiful. Last night, the Flyers were facing a Devils team who 1) were gunning to tie the NHL record for longest road-win streak (to start the season, 10 games) and 2) were on an eight-game winning streak in general AND 3) have a goalie who is just one shutout away from tying the all-time record.
This is a lot of expectation and anticipation to come into a game, and the Flyers, happily, overcame the Devils mojo that used to cause them to fold for special landmark games. The final score was Flyers 3, Devils 2, but it somewhat more appropriate to call it Flyers 3, Devils/Referees 2, and the Flyers really won that far more soundly than the final score might imply.
Flyers goals were scored by Darroll Powe (his sixth), Scott Hartnell (also sixth, and all PP goals), and James van Riemsdyk. Powe’s goal was scored on a nice pass from Giroux; Hartnell’s was scored when he tried to pass across to Giroux, but the Devils’ Mottau happened to be in the way and turned the puck into the goal on his own stick (K.’s text during the game: “Mottau sux”); and JvR’s was a special gift to the Flyers by Brodeur himself. The goalie tried to clear the puck by poking at it in front of the crease, but rather than his own teammate collecting it and clearing it, JvR pounced and shot it into the net. Brodeur lifted both his arms in a gesture of sheer self-disgust that I rather enjoyed.
The Devils goals came in controversial fashion. The Flyers were down a man on a penalty on Carter, and Richards was whistled for tripping when he and one of the Devils were by the wall and the Devil fell down. Some sticks were tangled up but I think the Devil went down on his own, so the ensuing 2-man advantage the Devils had was pretty much unwarranted. Of course, they scored. Maybe give the ref an assist? It was 2-1 at that point and it remained that through a third period in which the Flyers completely dominated the play, all the way until the very last half second. There was major chaos in front of the net, frantic scrambling and poking and shoving as the clock ticked down; Langenbrunner was in the crease, right in front of Emery, doing more than screening if you ask me. Parise was able to slide the puck underneath with 0.6 seconds left on the clock. Langenbrunner collapsed onto Emery at approximately the same moment and then there was melee as the referee signaled a goal. Anyone other goalie in the universe (well, one not wearing a Flyers jersey) would have had interference called, but noooooo. Well, it didn’t matter as far as points were concerned; JvR’s goal was insurance enough and the Devils’ streaks were snapped and the Flyers took the 2 points while NJ would leave with 0.
Notes: Blair Betts is a serious asset to this team. Emery looked great. Parent too. And my-defenseman-has-a-first-name-it’s-O-S-K-A-RS Bartulis has not looked like anything at all, which is great too – quietly playing well. 100x better game last night than Saturday. Hope they can carry this over to the west coast tomorrow night.
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I tried to order Center Ice last week, then again this weekend, and, one comedy of errors after another, it still is not coming in properly. So a technician is coming out on Wednesday morning. I almost asked myself if all this trouble is really worth it, but then I realized I miss watching random hockey games in the evening. Anyone else have trouble getting Center Ice on Comcast this season? It worked fine last year, and my new TV shouldn’t be the reason for the trouble this year (given that every other channel works fine), so who knows. I just know that I’ve missed turning to some other game during Flyers intermissions.
This is a lot of expectation and anticipation to come into a game, and the Flyers, happily, overcame the Devils mojo that used to cause them to fold for special landmark games. The final score was Flyers 3, Devils 2, but it somewhat more appropriate to call it Flyers 3, Devils/Referees 2, and the Flyers really won that far more soundly than the final score might imply.
Flyers goals were scored by Darroll Powe (his sixth), Scott Hartnell (also sixth, and all PP goals), and James van Riemsdyk. Powe’s goal was scored on a nice pass from Giroux; Hartnell’s was scored when he tried to pass across to Giroux, but the Devils’ Mottau happened to be in the way and turned the puck into the goal on his own stick (K.’s text during the game: “Mottau sux”); and JvR’s was a special gift to the Flyers by Brodeur himself. The goalie tried to clear the puck by poking at it in front of the crease, but rather than his own teammate collecting it and clearing it, JvR pounced and shot it into the net. Brodeur lifted both his arms in a gesture of sheer self-disgust that I rather enjoyed.
The Devils goals came in controversial fashion. The Flyers were down a man on a penalty on Carter, and Richards was whistled for tripping when he and one of the Devils were by the wall and the Devil fell down. Some sticks were tangled up but I think the Devil went down on his own, so the ensuing 2-man advantage the Devils had was pretty much unwarranted. Of course, they scored. Maybe give the ref an assist? It was 2-1 at that point and it remained that through a third period in which the Flyers completely dominated the play, all the way until the very last half second. There was major chaos in front of the net, frantic scrambling and poking and shoving as the clock ticked down; Langenbrunner was in the crease, right in front of Emery, doing more than screening if you ask me. Parise was able to slide the puck underneath with 0.6 seconds left on the clock. Langenbrunner collapsed onto Emery at approximately the same moment and then there was melee as the referee signaled a goal. Anyone other goalie in the universe (well, one not wearing a Flyers jersey) would have had interference called, but noooooo. Well, it didn’t matter as far as points were concerned; JvR’s goal was insurance enough and the Devils’ streaks were snapped and the Flyers took the 2 points while NJ would leave with 0.
Notes: Blair Betts is a serious asset to this team. Emery looked great. Parent too. And my-defenseman-has-a-first-name-it’s-O-S-K-A-RS Bartulis has not looked like anything at all, which is great too – quietly playing well. 100x better game last night than Saturday. Hope they can carry this over to the west coast tomorrow night.
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I tried to order Center Ice last week, then again this weekend, and, one comedy of errors after another, it still is not coming in properly. So a technician is coming out on Wednesday morning. I almost asked myself if all this trouble is really worth it, but then I realized I miss watching random hockey games in the evening. Anyone else have trouble getting Center Ice on Comcast this season? It worked fine last year, and my new TV shouldn’t be the reason for the trouble this year (given that every other channel works fine), so who knows. I just know that I’ve missed turning to some other game during Flyers intermissions.
Monday, November 16, 2009
The relative paucity of ticky-tack calling in recent games did not prepare me for the "slash"-fest on Saturday evening; any time a Flyer got anywhere near a Sabre (e.g., Derek Roy) and said Sabre dropped his stick, it was called a slash. Later, when Pronger tried the same thing, turning to the ref with his hands up, he got the call, too, so at least when the Flyers made a point of behaving the same ridiculous way, the referees made the same ridiculous call. The Flyers got down 2 goals because of such lame power plays given to the Sabres. They never caught up and lost 3-2. It was not much in the way of entertainment, either, though the third period was a little better to watch than the rest. The Sabres, having played Friday night, should have been the more tired team on the ice, but it looked more like the Flyers had been the ones beat up and worn out the night before.
Here's hoping that they come out stronger tonight against the Devils and don't play a lackluster game, regardless of what calls may come.
P.S. Why is it that Patrick Kaleta is still fully functioning? How is it that this cheap, dirty, etc. "player" has not yet suffered the hit that will end his career to pay him back for the cheap, dirty, how-can-they-be-anything-but-intent-to-injure type hits he makes six, seven times a game? I see this guy doing nothing but running opposing players the entire game. I loved Richards pretending not to see him coming on Saturday and then turned the train wreck that Kaleta intended into Kaleta ending up on his ass on the ice instead. Too bad more of that doesn't happen to that scuzzbucket.
Here's hoping that they come out stronger tonight against the Devils and don't play a lackluster game, regardless of what calls may come.
P.S. Why is it that Patrick Kaleta is still fully functioning? How is it that this cheap, dirty, etc. "player" has not yet suffered the hit that will end his career to pay him back for the cheap, dirty, how-can-they-be-anything-but-intent-to-injure type hits he makes six, seven times a game? I see this guy doing nothing but running opposing players the entire game. I loved Richards pretending not to see him coming on Saturday and then turned the train wreck that Kaleta intended into Kaleta ending up on his ass on the ice instead. Too bad more of that doesn't happen to that scuzzbucket.
Friday, November 13, 2009
In the first period of last night’s game, I thought Ottawa’s Pascal Leclaire looked good. Then he left that game behind and became very easy to beat to one side after he had committed to a player on the other. Several – if not all? – of the Flyers’s five goals came that way, with Leclaire down on the ice at one side of the net, having either made a save or prepared to make a save, only to have the puck quickly end up at the other side and going in. One example is the goal scored by JvR. Jeff Carter was challenged by Leclaire on one side of the net as he approached, and his pass back to James van Riemsdyk trailing the play on the other side happened to be just on, and JvR had the whole net at his disposal and took advantage – a pretty set up and goal.
While Leclaire was screwing up on his end of the ice, Ray Emery was looking good. He was not often tested but the only goal he allowed was a bad angle shot and I don’t really fault him for it. It was on one of Ottawa’s few PPs and announcer Jim Jackson had just delivered a jinx by saying that Ottawa had struggled lately on the PP. Apparently he admitted ahead of the game that it was a bigger deal than he had originally let on, and he pretty much stifled any chances that got through the defense, which, by the way, was also excellent – I recall the announcers saying at approximately 8 minutes left in the third that Ottawa had had no scoring chances that period. (They promptly got one; nice jinx again, JJ, but at least this was just a scoring chance, not a score.)
This team has really come together on just about every front. They score prodigiously, scoring at least five goals in all but one of their last five games (the exception being the game against the Blues, where they officially only got one goal). In their 11 wins this season, in only three games did they not score at least 5 goals [exceptions being the season opener, 2-0 vs. Carolina; a 4-3 shootout win over Boston (meaning only 3 goals scored in the actual game); the 2-1 shootout win over St. Louis.] So they can definitely put the puck in the net. Their defense generally holds up and the goaltending, which was a question, of course, has been excellent: together they have kept opponents’ scoring low. In fifteen games, in approximately half the opponents have not been able to score more than two goals. The ridiculous penalty march we have seen for too long seems to have dried up as well, which no doubt has helped on the defense/goals against front, though the penalty kill has been on the good side of decent. The power play rules. Holding onto a lead seems like something they actually believe they can do. Fifth in the conference at present is not a bad place to be, considering that only Buffalo ahead of them has played as few games. And they play Buffalo again tomorrow night, giving them a chance to go two points up on them. Again at home, where they have been strong of late (it’s almost the only place they have played, of late – gone just three times in the last month).
And all this with guys in and out of the roster. Good stuff, Flyers. Thanks.
While Leclaire was screwing up on his end of the ice, Ray Emery was looking good. He was not often tested but the only goal he allowed was a bad angle shot and I don’t really fault him for it. It was on one of Ottawa’s few PPs and announcer Jim Jackson had just delivered a jinx by saying that Ottawa had struggled lately on the PP. Apparently he admitted ahead of the game that it was a bigger deal than he had originally let on, and he pretty much stifled any chances that got through the defense, which, by the way, was also excellent – I recall the announcers saying at approximately 8 minutes left in the third that Ottawa had had no scoring chances that period. (They promptly got one; nice jinx again, JJ, but at least this was just a scoring chance, not a score.)
This team has really come together on just about every front. They score prodigiously, scoring at least five goals in all but one of their last five games (the exception being the game against the Blues, where they officially only got one goal). In their 11 wins this season, in only three games did they not score at least 5 goals [exceptions being the season opener, 2-0 vs. Carolina; a 4-3 shootout win over Boston (meaning only 3 goals scored in the actual game); the 2-1 shootout win over St. Louis.] So they can definitely put the puck in the net. Their defense generally holds up and the goaltending, which was a question, of course, has been excellent: together they have kept opponents’ scoring low. In fifteen games, in approximately half the opponents have not been able to score more than two goals. The ridiculous penalty march we have seen for too long seems to have dried up as well, which no doubt has helped on the defense/goals against front, though the penalty kill has been on the good side of decent. The power play rules. Holding onto a lead seems like something they actually believe they can do. Fifth in the conference at present is not a bad place to be, considering that only Buffalo ahead of them has played as few games. And they play Buffalo again tomorrow night, giving them a chance to go two points up on them. Again at home, where they have been strong of late (it’s almost the only place they have played, of late – gone just three times in the last month).
And all this with guys in and out of the roster. Good stuff, Flyers. Thanks.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
The last few games have made being a Flyers fan peachy. There was the decisive 6-1 drub over the Hurricanes, surely making Michael Leighton cry over his peanut butter toast the next morning; there was the equally as decisive win over the Lightning, chasing former Iowa Star Mike Smith from the net after he allowed 5 goals and giving Antero Niittymaki his first session against his former team (he got cheered as he skated to the net and he allowed only one goal in the remainder of the game; he looked good). These two lopsided wins were followed by a strong win over Buffalo (5-2) that made “Miller Time” look average. After all this, I was sure the Flyers were ready for a loss, just in time for my birthday (typical!). On Saturday, November 7 (the day before my birthday), the Flyers played the Blues at home.
Two years ago, I went to Newark on my birthday with K. to see my favorite team take the ice against the Devils. They showed up, that’s true. But they played atrociously and lost. Happy Birthday! Last year, they played at home on my birthday, against Tampa Bay. They had only just traded for Matt Carle and so things were a little jumbled up. No excuse for the terrible play, though, and the Flyers lost. Happy Birthday again! Let’s not even get started on the way the Flyers have played when J. and I attended games in honor of her birthday (coughJimVandermeercough); we have had a poor record when we attend games for birthday reasons. You know, you start to develop a negative attitude when something keeps happening over and over, even when you know that there really is just as good a chance of it not happening. And given that the Flyers hadn’t put together such a nice win streak in a long time, I just figured the odds were coming together so as to point toward another loss.
They came close, but at last, the birthday curse was broken.
The high-scoring Flyers managed only one allowed goal in the game, though a second should have been awarded. The puck crossed the line while on goalie Mason’s pad, but it was not reviewed, the referee didn’t even hesitate, he simply re-started play in spite of the bellowing of everyone else in the arena. It was not the first thing that the stripes had done to deserve the a-hole chant, which naturally rang out from all corners. It was a frequent chant, the chicken-dance song was played, and there was a great deal of “Ref you suck!” All warranted, I assure you. Ole-Kristian Tollefsen hit the boards with his head mixed up with T. J. Oshie, and while he was dying on the ice, the referee deemed it not worth blowing the whistle (because St. Louis had the puck?) and Oshie then scored with the Flyers’ defense probably distracted by their huddled teammate in obvious need of a stoppage in play. A garbage goal of a different kind, in my opinion. Even Oshie recognized it for what it was, calling it a “cheap goal”. Because the Flyers’ second goal was not reviewed and called such, the game was tied at the end of regulation at 1 apiece.
So, my second game of the season also went into extra minutes, but this one did not end favorably in the OT session. It had to go to the shootout, which, as you know, I despise. However, my hatred for it this season is not necessarily ramped because the Flyers are so bad at it; they won the last one, right? And Gagne was not in the lineup to be stuck worthlessly into the shootout schedule to do his predictable, patented backhand-forehand-go wide of the net shot. There was also no Briere, but who needs him when there is Claude Giroux. His last entry in the shootout was a thing of sheer gorgeousness. Remember that commercial from the 80s for the game Simon? How the master could flash hands super-fast and beat the primitive computer? Giroux handled the puck in similar flash-fast backhand-forehand-backhand-forehand etc., and the goalie ended up looking like my cats do when I finally move the laser pointer too fast for them to follow with their heads; perplexed and lost, and Giroux scored. He did similarly awesomely on Saturday, scoring the first mark after Richards biffed. Emery promptly let St. Louis’s second shooter score, knotting it up with Pyorala lining up as the Flyers’ third shooter.
Pyorala has yet to score a goal in the regular season, but he didn’t let that weigh him down as he skated in on Mason and put the Flyers up one more tally. Now all Emery would have to do is keep the puck out of the net on the Blues’ next attempt, and all would be cheerful in the Wachovia Center. This goalie not being Marty Biron (sorry, Marty), I did not automatically assume the game to be lost, and I was rewarded for my smidgen of faith in my Flyers goaltender, for Emery made the save and YAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY CRUSHER!!!!
I bought a new hat while at the game – one of those soft helmet caps with the Flyers logo on it. My folks intended to get me one for Christmas a couple years ago (an item on my list for them to choose from), but when they called to order it, it was sold out. (The salesperson then tried to tell my mom what other teams’ hats were available and she said something to the effect of “Uh, whatever, she’d never wear those”). So I was pretty happy to see it in the fan shop and snagged one without even bothering to wonder how much it cost. And even then, $30 seemed not too high a price to pay for something I’ve wanted for a couple years. Besides! I could just call it a present to myself.
I also had water ice at the game, which made me pretty happy. For some reason I don’t ever think to eat it anywhere but at a hockey game, but I really, really like it. It’s probably the only thing people have out here (besides the Flyers) that we don’t have back in Iowa that I would miss if I had to move back. Cheesesteaks? Eh. Tastykakes? I could be just as happy with a Hostess. But the water ice, well, there really is no substitute.
On a four-game winning streak now, in another one of those interminable pauses in the schedule ahead of tomorrow’s home game against the Senators. The media want to make a big deal of Ray Emery’s meeting his former team, the one that got rid of him not through a trade or free agency, but basically kicked to the curb and out of the NHL. But he is playing it down, and either he really isn’t thinking of it as much more than another game on the schedule or he doesn’t want to give anyone the satisfaction of knowing that he’s dying to shred that former team. Either way, I have confidence in his play.
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The Adirondack Phantoms are going to play a game in Philadelphia, in the Wachovia Center (not Spectrum – booo, though I guess I can understand why they wouldn’t make the ice for just one game) on December 4th. They will be facing the Norfolk Admirals. I am glad for the chance to see the team play again, but I fear it just won’t quite be the same. I got tickets and K. and I are going to go and cheer for them like they are still the Philadelphia Phantoms, because they’re mostly the same guys, but having not seen them at all this season, it’s just not going to be the same. I miss the Phantoms. I miss going to games just about every weekend. This is a theme I will probably return to several more times this season. Two hockey games so far this season is all that I’ve seen in person? Bah!!
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One almost last note: I wonder how the NHL likes seeing that their poster child is now without even a secondary assist in 5 straight games, and realizing that the player they have, for years, forcefed everyone as “the best player in the league” isn’t even the best player on his team.
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One last note: this chart detailing the process of determining who gets a suspension and for what is hilarious. I particularly like the “Dammit, Pronger!” part, because, well, it’s true.
Two years ago, I went to Newark on my birthday with K. to see my favorite team take the ice against the Devils. They showed up, that’s true. But they played atrociously and lost. Happy Birthday! Last year, they played at home on my birthday, against Tampa Bay. They had only just traded for Matt Carle and so things were a little jumbled up. No excuse for the terrible play, though, and the Flyers lost. Happy Birthday again! Let’s not even get started on the way the Flyers have played when J. and I attended games in honor of her birthday (coughJimVandermeercough); we have had a poor record when we attend games for birthday reasons. You know, you start to develop a negative attitude when something keeps happening over and over, even when you know that there really is just as good a chance of it not happening. And given that the Flyers hadn’t put together such a nice win streak in a long time, I just figured the odds were coming together so as to point toward another loss.
They came close, but at last, the birthday curse was broken.
The high-scoring Flyers managed only one allowed goal in the game, though a second should have been awarded. The puck crossed the line while on goalie Mason’s pad, but it was not reviewed, the referee didn’t even hesitate, he simply re-started play in spite of the bellowing of everyone else in the arena. It was not the first thing that the stripes had done to deserve the a-hole chant, which naturally rang out from all corners. It was a frequent chant, the chicken-dance song was played, and there was a great deal of “Ref you suck!” All warranted, I assure you. Ole-Kristian Tollefsen hit the boards with his head mixed up with T. J. Oshie, and while he was dying on the ice, the referee deemed it not worth blowing the whistle (because St. Louis had the puck?) and Oshie then scored with the Flyers’ defense probably distracted by their huddled teammate in obvious need of a stoppage in play. A garbage goal of a different kind, in my opinion. Even Oshie recognized it for what it was, calling it a “cheap goal”. Because the Flyers’ second goal was not reviewed and called such, the game was tied at the end of regulation at 1 apiece.
So, my second game of the season also went into extra minutes, but this one did not end favorably in the OT session. It had to go to the shootout, which, as you know, I despise. However, my hatred for it this season is not necessarily ramped because the Flyers are so bad at it; they won the last one, right? And Gagne was not in the lineup to be stuck worthlessly into the shootout schedule to do his predictable, patented backhand-forehand-go wide of the net shot. There was also no Briere, but who needs him when there is Claude Giroux. His last entry in the shootout was a thing of sheer gorgeousness. Remember that commercial from the 80s for the game Simon? How the master could flash hands super-fast and beat the primitive computer? Giroux handled the puck in similar flash-fast backhand-forehand-backhand-forehand etc., and the goalie ended up looking like my cats do when I finally move the laser pointer too fast for them to follow with their heads; perplexed and lost, and Giroux scored. He did similarly awesomely on Saturday, scoring the first mark after Richards biffed. Emery promptly let St. Louis’s second shooter score, knotting it up with Pyorala lining up as the Flyers’ third shooter.
Pyorala has yet to score a goal in the regular season, but he didn’t let that weigh him down as he skated in on Mason and put the Flyers up one more tally. Now all Emery would have to do is keep the puck out of the net on the Blues’ next attempt, and all would be cheerful in the Wachovia Center. This goalie not being Marty Biron (sorry, Marty), I did not automatically assume the game to be lost, and I was rewarded for my smidgen of faith in my Flyers goaltender, for Emery made the save and YAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY CRUSHER!!!!
I bought a new hat while at the game – one of those soft helmet caps with the Flyers logo on it. My folks intended to get me one for Christmas a couple years ago (an item on my list for them to choose from), but when they called to order it, it was sold out. (The salesperson then tried to tell my mom what other teams’ hats were available and she said something to the effect of “Uh, whatever, she’d never wear those”). So I was pretty happy to see it in the fan shop and snagged one without even bothering to wonder how much it cost. And even then, $30 seemed not too high a price to pay for something I’ve wanted for a couple years. Besides! I could just call it a present to myself.
I also had water ice at the game, which made me pretty happy. For some reason I don’t ever think to eat it anywhere but at a hockey game, but I really, really like it. It’s probably the only thing people have out here (besides the Flyers) that we don’t have back in Iowa that I would miss if I had to move back. Cheesesteaks? Eh. Tastykakes? I could be just as happy with a Hostess. But the water ice, well, there really is no substitute.
On a four-game winning streak now, in another one of those interminable pauses in the schedule ahead of tomorrow’s home game against the Senators. The media want to make a big deal of Ray Emery’s meeting his former team, the one that got rid of him not through a trade or free agency, but basically kicked to the curb and out of the NHL. But he is playing it down, and either he really isn’t thinking of it as much more than another game on the schedule or he doesn’t want to give anyone the satisfaction of knowing that he’s dying to shred that former team. Either way, I have confidence in his play.
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The Adirondack Phantoms are going to play a game in Philadelphia, in the Wachovia Center (not Spectrum – booo, though I guess I can understand why they wouldn’t make the ice for just one game) on December 4th. They will be facing the Norfolk Admirals. I am glad for the chance to see the team play again, but I fear it just won’t quite be the same. I got tickets and K. and I are going to go and cheer for them like they are still the Philadelphia Phantoms, because they’re mostly the same guys, but having not seen them at all this season, it’s just not going to be the same. I miss the Phantoms. I miss going to games just about every weekend. This is a theme I will probably return to several more times this season. Two hockey games so far this season is all that I’ve seen in person? Bah!!
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One almost last note: I wonder how the NHL likes seeing that their poster child is now without even a secondary assist in 5 straight games, and realizing that the player they have, for years, forcefed everyone as “the best player in the league” isn’t even the best player on his team.
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One last note: this chart detailing the process of determining who gets a suspension and for what is hilarious. I particularly like the “Dammit, Pronger!” part, because, well, it’s true.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
They’ve blocked me from Blogger at work again, so my posting has become sporadic again. (I can't look at sites with “blogspot” in the URL because, the filter claims, of “streaming media” so I can’t even look at my own site, let alone post to it.) You’d think that it would be the opposite – since technically I should be more likely to be blogging at home rather than at work – but I find I’m too busy in the evenings doing other stuff like watching games or working on rehabilitating my stupid knee or hanging out with people. There wasn’t much to blog about for a while, and now that there have been games! games! games! I have been out of town! out of town! out of town! and unable to watch them, so my comments are brief and after the fact.
A few questions:
1) Related to the weekend games: why did Emery play against the presumably weaker team (Panthers) and Boucher get the nod for the Sharks? If the answer is “Because Booooosh played for the Sharks” then maybe someone needs to look Stevens in the eye and say, “Think of the greater good of the team rather than of the dubious novelty / curiosity that is a goalie facing his former team” and make him see that putting the backup against the presumably weaker team in a back-to-back situation is probably going to be the better choice.
2) Why is everyone so up in arms about Richards’s hit on Booth when a) as far as I understand it, head shots are still legal (when delivered with a shoulder, as in this case) and b) he did not leave his feet and charge at Booth? Please ignore any emotional response to seeing someone get hit and go down hurt and be rational about the facts. It may be detestable, but some head shots are not illegal. Richards’s feet did come up, but only after hitting Booth and the force of the impact brought them up. He was targeting Booth only in that he was attempting to separate the puck from its carrier. He is not [insert name of one of a number of actual dirty players]. I don’t want to blame Booth for getting hurt, so I’m not going to go all “Dude should have his head up!” Richie’s hit was legal, it was not done with malicious intent, end of story, no suspension. That said, I’m a little shocked he wasn’t given a few games off. I did say to J. that he is a Canadian national team candidate All-Star type, which might outweigh the crest on his jersey.
3) Why are the Flyers so good at building leads and then drizzling them away? Had I not been traveling back from Iowa yesterday, I probably would have been at the game in DC, and I’m glad I didn’t have to get mad at my team while surrounded by the gleeful enemy. Instead I had to get mad at them reading text message reports from two sources as I sat on the plane at PHL, waiting to get to the gate. That’s only marginally better.
And, finally:
4) I watched the Wild / Blackhawks game on Monday night. The Wild = zzzzzzzzz. But at least I got to watch some hockey game with J. More exciting was the Iowa Hawkeyes’ last-second (literally) win over Michigan State at Michigan State on Saturday to remain unbeaten at 8-0. It’s great to be a Hawkeye! Sad, is it? that I might find a college football game more exciting to watch than a hockey match?
A few questions:
1) Related to the weekend games: why did Emery play against the presumably weaker team (Panthers) and Boucher get the nod for the Sharks? If the answer is “Because Booooosh played for the Sharks” then maybe someone needs to look Stevens in the eye and say, “Think of the greater good of the team rather than of the dubious novelty / curiosity that is a goalie facing his former team” and make him see that putting the backup against the presumably weaker team in a back-to-back situation is probably going to be the better choice.
2) Why is everyone so up in arms about Richards’s hit on Booth when a) as far as I understand it, head shots are still legal (when delivered with a shoulder, as in this case) and b) he did not leave his feet and charge at Booth? Please ignore any emotional response to seeing someone get hit and go down hurt and be rational about the facts. It may be detestable, but some head shots are not illegal. Richards’s feet did come up, but only after hitting Booth and the force of the impact brought them up. He was targeting Booth only in that he was attempting to separate the puck from its carrier. He is not [insert name of one of a number of actual dirty players]. I don’t want to blame Booth for getting hurt, so I’m not going to go all “Dude should have his head up!” Richie’s hit was legal, it was not done with malicious intent, end of story, no suspension. That said, I’m a little shocked he wasn’t given a few games off. I did say to J. that he is a Canadian national team candidate All-Star type, which might outweigh the crest on his jersey.
3) Why are the Flyers so good at building leads and then drizzling them away? Had I not been traveling back from Iowa yesterday, I probably would have been at the game in DC, and I’m glad I didn’t have to get mad at my team while surrounded by the gleeful enemy. Instead I had to get mad at them reading text message reports from two sources as I sat on the plane at PHL, waiting to get to the gate. That’s only marginally better.
And, finally:
4) I watched the Wild / Blackhawks game on Monday night. The Wild = zzzzzzzzz. But at least I got to watch some hockey game with J. More exciting was the Iowa Hawkeyes’ last-second (literally) win over Michigan State at Michigan State on Saturday to remain unbeaten at 8-0. It’s great to be a Hawkeye! Sad, is it? that I might find a college football game more exciting to watch than a hockey match?
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
There were a lot of games on last night, and Center Ice is still free. The Blackhawks game on Vs. wasn’t scheduled to start in East Coast time until 8 p.m. so that left me with a lot of time to kill. There were a few other things I could have done, but all I wanted to do was sit on the couch and watch sports. So I did that; I used the opportunity to ice my knee and I watched the Phillies/Rockies game for a while, and left it at 7 p.m.when the Phils were still up 1-0.
I scanned the Center Ice listings and considered my 7 p.m. options: Capitals/Devils or Maple Leafs/Rangers. Starting at 7:30 p.m. were Lightning/Panthers and Penguins/Senators. I settled in for the Capitals/Devils game and was rewarded by seeing two Mikes score goals – Mike Green the “defenseman” and Mike Knuble, the former Flyer. I hate to see him playing in red, but it’s like old times seeing him camped out in his office, ready to shovel a goal in from right in front of the goalie. His goal was not of that nature, however. He took a pass from Ovechkin cross-ice and fired it in from some distance out, very nice. Brodeur nearly had it but it bobbled back and in. I always like to see Brodeur mess up.
After 7:30 I turned to watch most of the first period of the Lightning/Panthers game, only because Antero Niittymaki was in goal for Tampa Bay. He looked pretty good but let’s face it, the Panthers are what they are and Niittymaki, as they showed in a table onscreen, really has the Southeast division’s number. But the Panthers scored first, a shorthanded goal, one that made me shake my head and think, Niitty, Niitty, that’s exactly why the Flyers let you walk. He was out a little too far to slide over fast enough to take away the shot after a pass. I struggle to reconcile the Niittymaki of the last couple years with the Niittymaki that was the MVP of the Calder Cup series in 2005, the MVP of the Olympics in 2006 when Finland took the silver behind Sweden. I just can’t fathom what has happened; it can’t all be the hip issues. Maybe playing for a different team will bring back confidence and new coaches will let the ability to be that goalie spring out again. I disliked seeing Knuble wearing red, but it was somehow even weirder to see Niittymaki in a jersey that did not have the winged P on it. When the Blackhawks game started, I turned the channel. The Lightning ended up winning 3-2 on a goal by Ryan Malone (assisted in part by Niittymaki).
The Blackhawks game. Let’s see. I’m sure you all know by now what an amazing comeback they staged, but I didn’t see any of that. I watched the first period disaster, where Huet let in goals that were the worst of the worst to allow; Niemi came in and didn’t do much better. Down 5-0 well before the end of the period, Eddie Olczyk was begging viewers not to go anywhere, describing circumstances in which the Blackhawks could get back into the game. I turned the channel briefly to check on the Phillies/Rockies (2-1 Phils) and when I went back to the hockey game, it was in time to see that the Blackhawks had scored.
Huh. I turn the game on; things go badly for them. I turn away from the game, they score.
I went back to the Phillies game, and immediately the Rockies scored three runs.
I saw how it was. I turned the TV off altogether, and woke this morning to find:
1) The Blackhawks had it tied up by 5 minutes into the third period, allowing Calgary no more goals, and took only half a minute of OT to win. Sheesh. Nice going, Calgary. And I thought it sucked that the Flyers blew a 2-0 to lose in a shootout last weekend.
2) The Phillies scored in the top of the 9th to go ahead of the Rockies by one run and Brad Lidge managed not to blow it a second game in a row and the Phillies won the game and the series, knocking the Rockies out of the playoffs. (Apparently, because B. is from Colorado, I am supposed to root for them. Um?)
I have wished in the past, if only I could channel this apparent jinxing power for my own purposes…….
I scanned the Center Ice listings and considered my 7 p.m. options: Capitals/Devils or Maple Leafs/Rangers. Starting at 7:30 p.m. were Lightning/Panthers and Penguins/Senators. I settled in for the Capitals/Devils game and was rewarded by seeing two Mikes score goals – Mike Green the “defenseman” and Mike Knuble, the former Flyer. I hate to see him playing in red, but it’s like old times seeing him camped out in his office, ready to shovel a goal in from right in front of the goalie. His goal was not of that nature, however. He took a pass from Ovechkin cross-ice and fired it in from some distance out, very nice. Brodeur nearly had it but it bobbled back and in. I always like to see Brodeur mess up.
After 7:30 I turned to watch most of the first period of the Lightning/Panthers game, only because Antero Niittymaki was in goal for Tampa Bay. He looked pretty good but let’s face it, the Panthers are what they are and Niittymaki, as they showed in a table onscreen, really has the Southeast division’s number. But the Panthers scored first, a shorthanded goal, one that made me shake my head and think, Niitty, Niitty, that’s exactly why the Flyers let you walk. He was out a little too far to slide over fast enough to take away the shot after a pass. I struggle to reconcile the Niittymaki of the last couple years with the Niittymaki that was the MVP of the Calder Cup series in 2005, the MVP of the Olympics in 2006 when Finland took the silver behind Sweden. I just can’t fathom what has happened; it can’t all be the hip issues. Maybe playing for a different team will bring back confidence and new coaches will let the ability to be that goalie spring out again. I disliked seeing Knuble wearing red, but it was somehow even weirder to see Niittymaki in a jersey that did not have the winged P on it. When the Blackhawks game started, I turned the channel. The Lightning ended up winning 3-2 on a goal by Ryan Malone (assisted in part by Niittymaki).
The Blackhawks game. Let’s see. I’m sure you all know by now what an amazing comeback they staged, but I didn’t see any of that. I watched the first period disaster, where Huet let in goals that were the worst of the worst to allow; Niemi came in and didn’t do much better. Down 5-0 well before the end of the period, Eddie Olczyk was begging viewers not to go anywhere, describing circumstances in which the Blackhawks could get back into the game. I turned the channel briefly to check on the Phillies/Rockies (2-1 Phils) and when I went back to the hockey game, it was in time to see that the Blackhawks had scored.
Huh. I turn the game on; things go badly for them. I turn away from the game, they score.
I went back to the Phillies game, and immediately the Rockies scored three runs.
I saw how it was. I turned the TV off altogether, and woke this morning to find:
1) The Blackhawks had it tied up by 5 minutes into the third period, allowing Calgary no more goals, and took only half a minute of OT to win. Sheesh. Nice going, Calgary. And I thought it sucked that the Flyers blew a 2-0 to lose in a shootout last weekend.
2) The Phillies scored in the top of the 9th to go ahead of the Rockies by one run and Brad Lidge managed not to blow it a second game in a row and the Phillies won the game and the series, knocking the Rockies out of the playoffs. (Apparently, because B. is from Colorado, I am supposed to root for them. Um?)
I have wished in the past, if only I could channel this apparent jinxing power for my own purposes…….
Monday, October 12, 2009
I haven't watched Saturday's game against the Ducks, and I will probably do so tonight, skipping through commercials and intermissions, simply because J. said that the Flyers looked 3000% better than they have in the last couple games. That is, until Teemu Selanne decided that going down 2-0 wasn't going to happen, and single-handledly won the game for Anaheim by scoring two in the third and the winning goal in the shootout.
Nice to see that the new Flyers won't keep us wondering for weeks when the old Flyers were going to show up -- you know, the ones that can't hold onto a lead to save their lives.
Oh well.
3-1-1 to start. No game until next Friday, in Florida. Emery hasn't been very good at home, but on the road before the homestand, he was excellent. Maybe that Emery went to Florida.
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I miss the Phantoms. So far this season: three games, one win. Loss to the Sharks, 3-2 (Nodl, Maroon); win over Springfield, 4-3 (Nodl; Bartulis; Kalinski; Beaulieu); brutal loss to the Crunch, 6-1 (Kaspar). It's going to be hard to follow this team this year, not really seeing any games (and being a little unwilling to pay to watch them on my computer screen after having been spoiled for two years with season tickets), with new guys I won't know anything about but through stat sheets. I dislike this.
Nice to see that the new Flyers won't keep us wondering for weeks when the old Flyers were going to show up -- you know, the ones that can't hold onto a lead to save their lives.
Oh well.
3-1-1 to start. No game until next Friday, in Florida. Emery hasn't been very good at home, but on the road before the homestand, he was excellent. Maybe that Emery went to Florida.
--------------
I miss the Phantoms. So far this season: three games, one win. Loss to the Sharks, 3-2 (Nodl, Maroon); win over Springfield, 4-3 (Nodl; Bartulis; Kalinski; Beaulieu); brutal loss to the Crunch, 6-1 (Kaspar). It's going to be hard to follow this team this year, not really seeing any games (and being a little unwilling to pay to watch them on my computer screen after having been spoiled for two years with season tickets), with new guys I won't know anything about but through stat sheets. I dislike this.
