Amateur Megalomania

There is plenty of Playoff Hockey left.

We have a game 7 tonight. Anaheim and Calgary. Of course, everyone is anticipating a renewed Battle of Alberta, but don’t count out the Ducks just yet. Selanne has had a fun resurgence this season, and is playing well against a rough Calgary team.

In the East, the top 4 seeds have advanced. Carolina had an impressive comeback and move on with a certain force of will. Unfortunately, they face the newly re-christened New Jersey Momentum who, I fear, will continue to barrel through the East and then grind the West into submission in early June.

Ottawa and Buffalo looks to be a great series. Both have unproven rubber-eaters, so that factor is a wash. Both teams have prolific offenses (at least against Philly!), so I think this will be a high scoring affair. It should be entertaining, to say the least.

In the West, it’s anyone’s title to win. The parity decreases the predictability, which adds a level of excitement. If the Ducks pull out game 7, it will be the BOTTOM 4 seeds to advance.

What can be said about the Red Wings that hasn’t already been said – every spring for the last 3 years! Changes are forthcoming and I think the first should be dumping Datsyuk for a proven goaltender. I feel for Legace – he’s a great guy – but he didn’t get it done. On the other hand, Osgood didn’t get it done in 1995 against the Sharks! It was a blast to hear them talk about Osgood as the savvy experienced veteran, considering THAT memory! Osgood was hurt, by the way –tweaked a groin in warm-ups – or I think he would have been in net for game 5. It is a poignant reminder of all that must go RIGHT for a Stanley Cup run to reach its fruition. It makes their 3 recent Cups that much sweeter.

The saddest thing about this disastrous effort is the imminent departure of Steve Yzerman. It may seem supercilious to go on about his career, considering the readership here, but as hockey fans we must recognize this figure of respect in a world of selfish capriciousness. His biggest accomplishment was leading the team’s change – by example – into a defensive powerhouse in the late 90s, bridging the gap between regular season dominance and playoff futility that seems so wide right now. 3 Cups, 1 Selke, 1 Masterton, 1 Conn Smythe, 1 Pearson award, 1 radical knee osteotomy, 1 nearly-lost eye, Olympic Gold, 1 World Cup title, longest serving team captain, a bushel of points, and the respect of every single person associated with the NHL. In the long list of poignant retirements this season, this is arguably the most significant, as no single player has meant so much to his one and only team. I dare say, no other player in the history of the NHL has been so synonymous with his team.

One last thing: The referees in this series were awful.

Filed under: Hockey