Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Quiet Yourself Fat Woman
If you didn't watch Game 5 between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings last night you missed amazing hockey. Since Game 2's completion this series has been brilliant. Three one-goal games with dazzling play from both teams and net-minders. Playing nearly two full games last night Marc-Andre Fleury was possessed while the Red Wings inundated him with a barrage of shots. Beyond that, no details, just emotions. Wow! What a game! At this point the Red Wings are still up 3-2 and may in fact win Game 6 in Pittsburgh and take the Stanley Cup but there was a fight put up and it was fun to watch!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Why game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals was beautiful
1) It was finally an interesting game. This goes to show the lesson that when ordinary things are desired in an extraordinary manner their delivery is appreciated that much more. Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals were something of a snoozer, but not for lack of talent, rather an excess on one end. The Detroit defense looked like men among boys and the Pittsburgh offense looked like boys among men. Malkin and Crosby got pushed around and any time the Pens even got close to getting a scoring chance Osgood was there to extinguish the attack. Subsequently, when we were treated to Game 3 it was like fresh water from a beautiful oasis.
2) The Pens were reminded and encouraged by just how much the city of Pittsburgh wants them to win. Crosby and Malkin have played in Detroit exactly once in their careers. That was two years ago. I think there is something to be said for a combination of the Penguins being young and inexperienced and having to begin their Stanley Cup series on the road, in Detroit, where the Penguins haven't played in two years. Detroit is called Hockeytown for a reason. It can be intimidating, especially when it's a new experience for a young team. The return to Pittsburgh was big for the Baby Pens to get out of their deer in the headlights look. The atmosphere in Pittsburgh on game night throughout the playoffs and especially in Game 3 was beautiful.
3) The 3rd period of Game 3 was like an hour long blow job. I watched the game with a couple casual fans and each of them were on the edge of their seats throughout the 3rd period. There was a 4-5 minute stretch from 11mins to about 6mins to play where there were no whistles. Essentially, everyone for each team got on the ice without a stoppage of play. The grace and fluidity of hockey was revealed through an inspiring stretch that opened up it's beauty to those watching. After a whistle finally blew you got this sense that you just experienced something pure. Of course, being the inexperienced Penguins within 90 seconds of that experience they allowed the goal to make it 3-2. Life is beautiful, and so is hockey.
2) The Pens were reminded and encouraged by just how much the city of Pittsburgh wants them to win. Crosby and Malkin have played in Detroit exactly once in their careers. That was two years ago. I think there is something to be said for a combination of the Penguins being young and inexperienced and having to begin their Stanley Cup series on the road, in Detroit, where the Penguins haven't played in two years. Detroit is called Hockeytown for a reason. It can be intimidating, especially when it's a new experience for a young team. The return to Pittsburgh was big for the Baby Pens to get out of their deer in the headlights look. The atmosphere in Pittsburgh on game night throughout the playoffs and especially in Game 3 was beautiful.
3) The 3rd period of Game 3 was like an hour long blow job. I watched the game with a couple casual fans and each of them were on the edge of their seats throughout the 3rd period. There was a 4-5 minute stretch from 11mins to about 6mins to play where there were no whistles. Essentially, everyone for each team got on the ice without a stoppage of play. The grace and fluidity of hockey was revealed through an inspiring stretch that opened up it's beauty to those watching. After a whistle finally blew you got this sense that you just experienced something pure. Of course, being the inexperienced Penguins within 90 seconds of that experience they allowed the goal to make it 3-2. Life is beautiful, and so is hockey.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Why The NBA's Eastern Conference Annoys Me
The Boston Celtics won 66 games this year. They were lead by a remarkable complimentary trio of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. They were as endearing to the casual fan as their Sportscenter commericals made them seem. If anyone from the mediocre Eastern Conference was going to challenge the mighty, mighty cauldron of the Western Conference it was going to be Boston who more than held their own against the West throughout the season going 25-5.
But something went wrong.
First, they gave up one game against the 37-45 Atlanta Hawks. No matter, it was in Atlanta and if anything, home court advantage is no understatement in the NBA (home teams are a combined 51-16 so far). By now they have held serve throughout the playoffs at home, going 8-0. But, a perfect winning percentage made less impressive when you consider throughout the entire second round home teams went 22-2 (not including Spurs vs. Hornets, Game 7, tonight). Heck, even the 37-45 Hawks were undefeated at home (3-0).
The Celtics are a woeful 0-6 on the road. They staved off elimination in a nail-biting Game 7 against the Cavaliers (aka LeBron et al.). In my humble opinion the Cavaliers are terrible. LeBron James is great, but the Cavaliers without him are like the Miami Heat without (or with) Dwyane Wade. They had no business getting that far against Boston. It's becoming annoying to watch the Celtics like it became annoying to watch the Pistons. You never knew if they were going to actually play and subsequently win by 15 or if they were not going to show up and get routed by 25.
It's hard to think the Celtics are going to be able to win. The Celtics have almost blown it twice: against a team 8 games under .500 and a team devoid of talent outside of one man. Detroit is finally trying again and rightfully winning. Ray Allen is riding a career streak of suck. Paul Pierce is playing fabulously, but seriously dude, you have got to stop gluing pubes to your chin and calling it a beard. I don't think the Celtics can continue to get away with the way they have played against the Pistons which is why I am taking the Pistons in 5 or 6 games. This is all a moot point, however, because I don't think Celtics, as they are playing now, or the Pistons, regardless, will be able to match up against any of the three Western Conference teams remaining.
But something went wrong.
First, they gave up one game against the 37-45 Atlanta Hawks. No matter, it was in Atlanta and if anything, home court advantage is no understatement in the NBA (home teams are a combined 51-16 so far). By now they have held serve throughout the playoffs at home, going 8-0. But, a perfect winning percentage made less impressive when you consider throughout the entire second round home teams went 22-2 (not including Spurs vs. Hornets, Game 7, tonight). Heck, even the 37-45 Hawks were undefeated at home (3-0).
The Celtics are a woeful 0-6 on the road. They staved off elimination in a nail-biting Game 7 against the Cavaliers (aka LeBron et al.). In my humble opinion the Cavaliers are terrible. LeBron James is great, but the Cavaliers without him are like the Miami Heat without (or with) Dwyane Wade. They had no business getting that far against Boston. It's becoming annoying to watch the Celtics like it became annoying to watch the Pistons. You never knew if they were going to actually play and subsequently win by 15 or if they were not going to show up and get routed by 25.
It's hard to think the Celtics are going to be able to win. The Celtics have almost blown it twice: against a team 8 games under .500 and a team devoid of talent outside of one man. Detroit is finally trying again and rightfully winning. Ray Allen is riding a career streak of suck. Paul Pierce is playing fabulously, but seriously dude, you have got to stop gluing pubes to your chin and calling it a beard. I don't think the Celtics can continue to get away with the way they have played against the Pistons which is why I am taking the Pistons in 5 or 6 games. This is all a moot point, however, because I don't think Celtics, as they are playing now, or the Pistons, regardless, will be able to match up against any of the three Western Conference teams remaining.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Penguins
Being my first post with this blog this will serve as something of an introduction that may (or may not) expand with time. I am from the Wasington, D.C. area but have since relocated to Pittsburgh for better part of the last 8 years thanks primarily to my educational selections. This has proven beneficial in the last two years in part because this means I can swap between cheering for the Penguins and Capitals.
This year has been great since the Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin has been a gem for the league and the Penguins have turned into a group of youngsters tearing the league apart. 10-1 through last night's playoff win against the Philadelphia Flyers. Unlike what was anticipated, Crobsy hasn't been the sole spotlight for the Penguins this postseason. In fact, they have had great play from Malkin and very good play from Crosby, but a great all around team effort. Petr Sykora, Maxine Talbot, Ryan Whitney, Jordan Staal--is he even old enough to drink in Canada?, and others have made this an impressively balanced attack. Hell, Georges Laraque got an assist last night!!
The Penguins fly. When their offense gets going they can put pucks in quickly. Beyond that, though, and equally impressive is how well they have sustained and returned the physical nature of play put on by the Flyers. Malkin has been in on some great hits. Even Tyler Kennedy (a modest 5'11" 190 lbs) was out there throwing punches. Certainly a team known for their scoring prowess and offensive skill has shown they can play physical with a team that makes no bones about being a physical club.
Up 2-0 heading to Philly I get the notion it would surprising for the Pens to sweep this series. The Flyers have been competitive and you have to think they will win at least one at home. Unfortunately, they are down a couple defensemen. Kimmo Timonen is blood-clotty and Braydon Coburn tried to swallow a puck with his eye early in Game 2. Hopefully they both fully recover from their injuries some time mid to late next week--just in time for their offseason. At this point I am predicting the series will go five games. Each and every night the Penguins have come out you just get the feeling they are going to find a way to score more than the other guys.
Side notes: The Gonchar shot that Crosby reacted to like it went in, was a goal. Conclusive evidence is not restricted to actually seeing the puck cross the line. If you consider the last moment you can see the puck relative to the goal line and how much it continues to move before it is concealed by Biron's glove it seems like it would have crossed the goal line entirely.
Marc-Andre Fleury is crazy. I have not seen a goalie jump to try and catch a puck as many times as I have seen Fleury do it. It leaves him out of position when he doesn't get the puck and it bounces off the back wall. One day he'll get burned by that, hopefully not until next season.
This year has been great since the Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin has been a gem for the league and the Penguins have turned into a group of youngsters tearing the league apart. 10-1 through last night's playoff win against the Philadelphia Flyers. Unlike what was anticipated, Crobsy hasn't been the sole spotlight for the Penguins this postseason. In fact, they have had great play from Malkin and very good play from Crosby, but a great all around team effort. Petr Sykora, Maxine Talbot, Ryan Whitney, Jordan Staal--is he even old enough to drink in Canada?, and others have made this an impressively balanced attack. Hell, Georges Laraque got an assist last night!!
The Penguins fly. When their offense gets going they can put pucks in quickly. Beyond that, though, and equally impressive is how well they have sustained and returned the physical nature of play put on by the Flyers. Malkin has been in on some great hits. Even Tyler Kennedy (a modest 5'11" 190 lbs) was out there throwing punches. Certainly a team known for their scoring prowess and offensive skill has shown they can play physical with a team that makes no bones about being a physical club.
Up 2-0 heading to Philly I get the notion it would surprising for the Pens to sweep this series. The Flyers have been competitive and you have to think they will win at least one at home. Unfortunately, they are down a couple defensemen. Kimmo Timonen is blood-clotty and Braydon Coburn tried to swallow a puck with his eye early in Game 2. Hopefully they both fully recover from their injuries some time mid to late next week--just in time for their offseason. At this point I am predicting the series will go five games. Each and every night the Penguins have come out you just get the feeling they are going to find a way to score more than the other guys.
Side notes: The Gonchar shot that Crosby reacted to like it went in, was a goal. Conclusive evidence is not restricted to actually seeing the puck cross the line. If you consider the last moment you can see the puck relative to the goal line and how much it continues to move before it is concealed by Biron's glove it seems like it would have crossed the goal line entirely.
Marc-Andre Fleury is crazy. I have not seen a goalie jump to try and catch a puck as many times as I have seen Fleury do it. It leaves him out of position when he doesn't get the puck and it bounces off the back wall. One day he'll get burned by that, hopefully not until next season.
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