Gauthier's gaffe.

Once again, we find ourselves in the midst of a language debate. And once again the two solitudes are deeply divided along their traditional lines. On the one hand, anglophones seem to be saying, «here we go again, Quebec is never happy», on the other hand, francophones seem to be saying «here we go again, our language is not respected». We all know the tune. It hasn't really changed over the last few centuries. 

Except that this newest episode of our continuing language soap opera could have been avoided altogether, if only Pierre Gauthier, Montreal Canadiens general manager (for now) had shown a little cultural awareness and a little plain common sense.

A quick recap of events...

Last Saturday morning Gauthier fired Jacques Martin as head coach and replaced him with Randy Cunneyworth. At the best of times, any firing/hiring of Habs bench boss sets off a firestorm of controversy. 

But this time things are different. Almost no discussion about whether or not placing Cunneyworth behind the bench improves the Habs' chances of winning. What has all the analysts talking is the fact that the new bench boss doesn't speak French. And the fact that Gauthier was not able to see this coming, or foresaw it and chose to ignore it, shows that he may not be the man to manage the Montreal Canadiens.

Very few, if any, institutions enjoy the universal appeal and approval that the Montreal Canadiens do in Quebec. From Rouyn to Rimouski, from Gatineau to Gaspé, the Habs rule. They are at the center of most of our discussions, and the public mood can be measured in their winning and losing. As a brand, it is among the most valuable commodities in this province.This is what makes the appoinment of a unilingual anglophone figurehead all the more perplexing.

For an organization such as the Montreal Canadiens, and by extension Molson's, to be so out of tune with their market is quite simply baffling. It seems a question of simple logic that in a region where the vast majority of fans speak French, you'd want the person whom you choose to lead your team to be able to communicate with the people who ultimately pay the bills. One does not need to be a marketing genius to know that you must cater to your clientele. If they want a French speaking coach, give them a French speaking coach.

To make matters worse, Gauthier hasn't exactly helped ingratiate himself with the Habs faithful on a couple of fronts since deciding to go ahead with the Cunneyworth nomination. When pressed on his coach's lack of ability to speak French, Gauthier blurted; «A language can be learned». Ah yes, nothing like a smart-ass answer to make friends with the media mob. 

Even if Cunneyworth did find the time to take language courses amidst his hours spent trying to make a winner out of this hockey club, we all know that he is years away from being able to field questions from the likes of Réjean Tremblay and Bertrand Raymond in French. Plus it's not as if the English speaking Habs have a long history of learning French...

That it appears as though Gauthier didn't contact Patrick Roy about the position also irks many. Strictly from a coaching point of view, Cunneyworth's resume, is at least as impressive as Roy's. He has a winning record as a head coach in the American Hockey League, where he worked for 8 seasons, and was an assistant coach in the NHL with both Atlanta and Montreal.

But Patrick Roy is Patrick Roy, and love him or hate him, he holds a special place in the hearts of Habs fans. None of the last two Montreal Stanley Cups would have been possible without him, and as part-owner and coach of the QMJHL's Quebec Remparts, he is omnipresent in the media. 

The fact that it appears as though fences between the Hall-of-Famer and the Habs have been mended since it was decided to retire Roy's number 33 to its rightful place high up in the Bell Center's rafters, has also given cause for his admirers to hope that he will one day return as the team's coach.

But be it Patrick Roy, or whomever else, you can bet your bottom dollar that the next Montreal Canadiens coach will be able to communicate in French. What isn't so sure is whether Pierre Gauthier will still be around to hire him.

On Pat Hickey and Theo Fleury.

- It's something that I really don't like talking about, and it's something that most people don't like hearing about, so I'll make it quick.

I was abused as a kid. And like most everybody to which this has happened, it fucked me up. I went through the gamut of emotions, both at the time and over the years since. Fear, shame, anger, confusion... It robbed me of my spirit and left me struggling with mental health issues to this day.

And like Theo Fleury, Sheldon Kennedy, and the thousands of other victims out there, I didn't go to the authorities immediately. In fact, I didn't tell anybody for about 25 years. Maybe I should have. I don't know. But I didn't.

I was about 11 or 12 when it happened, hardly an age at which I was equipped with the tools necessary to deal with this, so I simply withdrew. Like the vast majority of people who go through these kinds of things do.

I got a chance to deal with it somewhat over the years. It has obviously come up as a topic in therapy, and that has at least got me to the point where the fear, shame, and confusion have for the most part been put to rest. As for the anger, well, I guess it'll always be there.

Bumping into my abuser some 25 years after the fact, while in my hometown on holidays, proved weirdly therapeutic in my case. Because I wasn't a little kid anymore. I was a man. An angry man.

Getting to poke my finger in his chest and look him in the eye, and see the fear as I told him, just loud enough for those nearby to hear, «I could kick the living shit out of you right here, right now, and get away with it», gave me some measure of relief.

I sometimes wish I had at least taken one good swing. Knock him on his ass. But in the end I just tell myself that I'm the better man and there's no sense even getting into it.

- So it is from this perspective that I look at the kerfuffle that Pat Hickey has created surrounding a column he recently wrote in regards to Theo Fleury, Sheldon Kennedy, and Graham James.

In his column Mr. Hickey accuses Mr. Fleury of enabling Graham James in his pedophile activities by owning a junior hockey team with James as its coach.

This does raise an interesting question from a legal standpoint.

Let's say, for argument's sake, that I was a player on the Calgary Hitmen, and I was the victim of sexual abuse by Graham James. Would I have a case against Mr. Fleury? (I don't know if there were, or weren't any victims that fit this definition. I haven't followed the story that closely.) After all, he knew what James was like with young boys.

So in this sense, I guess I do understand what Mr. Hickey is saying about enabling. But that's not for he or I to deal with. I'm sure that if Theo Fleury got wind of any Hitmen players being victimized he would stand up and do what is right. That is the expectation.

The part of the column that bothers me the most is the way in which Mr. Hickey puts Mr. Fleury up against Sheldon Kennedy, another victim of Graham James during their years in junior hockey.

Mr. Hickey comes to the conclusion that, for reasons he expounded upon, somehow Mr. Kennedy is a better victim that Mr. Fleury. That's the part that offends me. A victim is a victim is a victim.

That Mr. Fleury blasted the legal system in a press conference following the release on bail of Graham James until his next appearance also seems to rub Mr. Hickey the wrong way. Well, Theo Fleury has an absolute right to speak his mind. It's his right both as a victim and as a citizen. Free speech. Just as it is Mr. Hickey's right to express his opinions, no matter if we think it's in bad taste.

Now, I don't know if Mr. Hickey should be fired or reprimanded by his employers, and quite frankly I don't really care either way. I can't say that I've been a great fan of his writing over the years, so he's leaving or staying is of little or no consequence to me as a sports media consumer.

I do however feel, that Mr. Hickey at the very least owes Mr. Fleury an apology. The column was very insensitive towards Mr. Fleury, a man who clearly has suffered deeply from the abuse suffered when just a boy. It was also disturbing to readers who have themselves been abused. At least it was to me.

Just apologize Mr. Hickey. It's what a man would do.

On Day Lunter, Bam Bam, and Ovie.

- My first reaction when hearing of the dismissal of Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau and the subsequent hiring of Dale Hunter as his successor was a heart felt "Yeah, attaboy Dale!" You see, I've been a fan of Dale Hunter's for a long time. Since he arrived in the NHL back in 1980, actually.

- Hunter's first season marked the beginning of the halcyon days of the Quebec Nordiques. Heady days. 1980-1981 marked the NHL debut of not only of the Sudbury Wolves grad, but of Peter and Anton Stastny, they of the John Grisham novel-like escape from the communist regime of what was then known as Czechoslovakia.

- It was also the debut of coach Michel "Le petit tigre" Bergeron in the NHL, after building a reputation as a fierce competitor, and winner, in the QMJHL.

- It became quickly obvious that in Hunter, the Nordiques not only had a player with excellent hockey skills, they also had the type of player that home fans love and road fans loathe. A competitor through and through. At home. On the road. In practice. Whistle to whistle, and quite often beyond, Dale Hunter showed up every night and competed. Hard.


- Some older fans compared him to guys like Bobby Clarke, Ted Lindsay, and Teeder Kennedy. While he may not have had the talent or accomplished what the latter players did in their careers, you get the idea. Grit and skill. Over 1000 points and 3563 PIM in 20 NHL seasons. One does not put up those types of numbers by being a passenger.


- His transition into his role of junior coach was even more spectacular. Some wondered if Hunter, known as a man of few words during his playing days, a quiet man off the ice, would be able to not only lead the way as an example of hard work and perseverance, but teach, and develop as a tactician and bench boss. Well, he answered those questions in spades. Fastest OHL coach to 300 wins. Fastest OHL coach to 400 wins. And until his graduating to the Caps bench, well on his way to the fastest 500 wins, his current edition of the London Knights sitting atop CHL standings.


- Along the way there have been players such as Rick Nash, Corey Perry, Dave Bolland, and Nazem Kadri, as well as a Memorial Cup in 2005. It's clear that Day Lunter, as it's pronounced here in Quebec, can also coach.


- Add to these credentials the fact that Hunter was the captain of the Washington Capitals from 1994 to 1999 and his number 32 hangs from the rafters of the Verizon Center and you've got yourself someone with loads and loads of credibility.

- And so it is with the mandate to lead this club deep into the playoffs - anything less than the semi-finals will probably be seen as a disappointment -, that the Dale Hunter and Alexander Ovechkin partnership begins.

- Ovechkin is of course, one of the most discussed players in the game. Some love him, some dislike him. But no matter what side of that question you find yourself. One thing is certain. Ovie is one of the game's most talented stars. A quick look back at some of his accomplishments.

- In 2005-2006, Ovechkin, the son of a soccer playing father, and of a two-time Olympic gold medal winning basketball player mother, became just the fourth player in NHL history to score 50 goals in a rookie season. He won the Calder Trophy, beating out Sidney Crosby in first place voting 125 to 4. 2007-2008 was also a big year for Alex. He has since added an Art Ross, two Harts, two Maurice Richard, and three Lester Pearson/Ted Lindsay awards to his trophy case. Add to that two nominations as the World Championship MVP and five consecutive NHL First-All star team nods. He has also led NHL in shots on goal in each of his NHL seasons.

- Yet with all of the numbers that Ovechkin put up, while playing a full out physical game, he was asked to do more. Last season, former Caps coach Boudreau asked Ovechkin to change his game. Stop trying to do it all himself. Dedicate himself to the defensive side of the game. The logic being that given that the Caps hadn't been able to achieve playoff success with their offence first mentality, surely a switch of philosophy to the "take care of our own end first" credo would give them a better chance of raising the Stanley Cup.

- And Ovechkin bought in. Last season saw him post the lowest numbers of his career. Saving himself for the playoffs and dedicating himself to defence were given as quite logical explanations to this loss of production. He may not be scoring as much, but he's a more complete player. A team player.

- It is a strategy that it turns out, is fundamentally flawed. Trying to change a player of the ability of Alexander Ovechkin is always a risky proposition. Rarely has asking a player of the caliber of the Russian star to radically adjust his game ever worked. The ability to score at that pace is something that comes along very rarely. If someone can score, go ahead and let him score. Figure out a way to support him with players and tactics that compensate, but don't try and stifle that kind of ability.

- Because no matter how much fans and observers like to wade in on the topic of Ovechkin's play, the reality is, he's never been the main problem in Washington. It's his supporting cast. Compare who fills out roster spots in Pittsburgh with who fills the equivalent roles in Washington. You can go through it position by position. If for arguments sake, we take both Ovechkin and Crosby out of the equation, then it's not even close. It's Pittsburgh taking it every day of the week, and twice on Sunday, to borrow an expression from baseball. Malkin, Staal, Letang, and Fleury. No contest from any Capitals player on any of those fronts. So to lay it all on Ovechkin's lap, it somewhat unfair.

- Look no further back that last spring's playoffs. Ovechkin went hard every game. He picked up 10 points in 9 games. If anything, he was accused of trying to do too much. Well, I don't know about you, but in the long haul, I'd rather be associated with someone who's trying too hard, at the risk of making mistakes, than someone like Semin, and some others that I won't bother naming here. All this to say that with the way some of the players on his squad were playing, it can certainly be understood that he would try to do it all himself. He can be accused of many things, but not trying hard enough was certainly not one of them, at least as it applies to the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. Or in the playoffs in general. Pro-rated over the course of 82 games, Ovechkin's has scored at a 116 point per season pace in the playoffs. Hardly signs of a slacker.

- Which bring us to Bruce Boudreau. Bam Bam as he was known for a time way back when he was a player in the Toronto Maple Leafs system.

- He has coached and played at pretty much every level of the professional game. The NHL, the WHA, the ECHL, the AHL, the CHL, the NAHL (he was with the Jamestown Jets, the inspiration for the Charleston Chiefs of Paul Newman, Hanson Brothers, and the cult classic Slapshot movie fame), the IHL, and a stint in Germany. A life in hockey.

- And as a coach, he built a reputation as what is referred to as a player's coach. A coach that builds an "us versus the world" environment. It is a philosophy that has lead to success in the past. Perhaps the most notorious player's coach in the last few decades was none other than Hockey Night in Canada's very own Don Cherry.

- Last season's HBO series, 24/7, gave fans a rare glimpse into the inner workings of NHL teams. Or at least, the inner workings of the Washington Capitals. While it was certainly entertaining to watch the high energy Boudreau, whose constant use of the f-bomb caused even the most seasoned of hockey people to reel back on occasion, it did raise some questions. The main one being, "how long before all of this starts wearing a little thin with the players"? It's one thing to be a high energy coach, but at some point the risk is that the drama, the cursing, the swearing, the yelling, starts to irritate more than it motivates. As anyone who's been in the Army will tell you, the ranting and the raving sometimes have their place, but if done constantly, it starts to lose it's effect.

- When Ovechkin dropped a bomb of his own directly at Boudreau, live and on TV, in the form of a "fat fuck" response to being benched for a power play with 1:27 left in the 3rd period of a 4-3 game that they were losing to the Anaheim Ducks, it was clear that it was over for Bam Bam. Irreconcilable differences they call them in  divorce case.

See it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbmRKVJWEB8

- And so it is that Dale Hunter finds himself as the newest Capitals coach. History has taught us to believe that their will be a rise in the Capitals play. Coach firings have a way of shaking every one up. They are unpleasant situations, and one of the ways that most involved deal with them is to re-focus on individual responsibilities, and try just that little bit harder which so often makes the difference in both life and in hockey.

- I suspect that Ovechkin and Hunter will co-exist quite nicely. They are both highly competitive individuals and they need each other to succeed. Hunter will be able to get Ovechkin to focus on playing, free of the distractions that seem to have been part and parcel of the Capitals over the last few seasons.


- If Hunter can get some of the other Capital players to perform up to their potential, notably the chronically underachieving but supremely talented Alexander Semin, then watch out for Washington from here on in, they will be a handful. Just like Hunter was when he wore number 32 on the ice.

 


-

Back in black.

I was away for a little while. But just because I haven't been writing it doesn't mean I haven't been paying attention. I'm going to start off with Crosby and see where it leads. He's been back less than a week and he's already got everybody in circles buzzing. The haters are hating and the lovers are loving. Love him or hate him, he certainly hasn't left many indifferent. The great ones rarely do. A quick recap is in order. After being out of the game since last January, Sidney Crosby played his first game since coming back from a concussion against the lowly New York Islanders on Monday November 21st. He scored two goals, both coming from backhand shots, and added two assists. It was a night when all the hockey world was watching. CBC sent the HNIC crew down to Pittsburgh, a rare event on a Monday night. He was of course, named the game's first star. His second game didn't go quite so well. A gritty and physical St-Louis Blues team came to town, and although no one can accuse them of abusing Sidney Crosby, they did check him very closely and showed that they were not just going to late him skate around and put on a show. And this frustrate Sid, and he took some penalties. Result? The Blues win in OT, and Sidney is left off the score sheet, save his 6 PIM. The third game, a Friday night affair, the Ottawa Senators arrived at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Sens try hard, but they just don't have the talent that the Pens have and go down to the score of 6-3. Other than the fact that Crosby picked up three more points, all in the form of assists, what has people talking is a goalmouth shoving match he got into with the Sens' Nick Foligno. After Foligno got all tangled up with Pens goalie M-A Fleury for what seemed like the umpteenth time, Crosby and the tenacious Sens forward got their sticks up and Sid threw what some think is an elbow, others think was a butt end, to Foligno's head. No damage was done. But given that anything involving the head gets everybody's attention, this one made some hockey observers jump up and start pointing around like the little kid in 3 grade we all used to hate, saying "Did you see that? Did you see that? Crosby swung at him and almost hit him!" Sure he swung at him. If somebody starts getting comfortable rolling around on the ice with your goalie, you do something about it. I think we can excuse Crosby for not having the pugulistic skills of a Milan Lucic or Zenon Konopka. He's not a fighter, never was. So he dealt with it the way he could, "no harm, no foul, nothing to see here" as far as I'm concerned. As for Don Cherry saying that Crosby should be more "like Lafleur", I stopped listening to what Cherry had to say on the subject of Sidney Crosby many years ago. I'm not saying that Cherry doesn't know what he's talking about, I just disagree. And so it was that Sid and the Pens showed up in Montreal with a Saturday night date with Hockey Night in Canada, wrapping up the first week nicely. Crowds met the Pens everywhere they went. At the hotel, security was needed to help navigate Crosby through the crowds, and he couldn't take the bus with his teammates as the throngs at the player's entrance at the Bell Centre were too large. He was taxied directly into the building. Reminds me of the Beatles or something. Anyway, the Pens took it 4-3 in OT. The real story tonight was Kris Letang who took a Max Pacioretty shoulder to the face, breaking his nose, late into the game. In OT, the script dictated that Letang would score the winner, broken sniffer and all, reminding us all that those hockey players are a bunch of tough SOBs. Sid picked up another assists, and was of course a factor the whole way through. His line for the week looks like this. 4 games, in 5 nights. 2 goals, 6 assists, 8 points, and a plus minus of +7. Not a bad first week.

The playoffs keep rolling along...

A quick look at the NHL Stanley Cup results clearly shows that I'm not fairing very well in terms of my predictions, or as I prefer to call them, my picks.

So my picks, well... They've been more than just a little off. Why?

Well, let's have a look-see.


Washington - Tampa

The call: Washington in 6

The result: Tampa Bay in 4

Now you see what I mean by a little off with some picks.

I fell into the "It took Tampa 7 games to knock off the Crosby and Malkin-less Pittsburgh Penguins, and Washington pretty much just ran over the Rangers" trap.

The Caps just simply had too many passengers and if I were Alexander Ovechkin, I'd be one ticked off hockey player. Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom just didn't seem to be into playing hockey this spring.

And given that Ovechkin was performing night after night at his world class level best, he's got to be deeply disappointed by the effort provided by some of his teammates.

You have to really want to win a Stanley Cup.

It's not the kind of thing that you can attain on skill alone. Especially against a team like the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Martin St-Louis and Vincent Lecavalier have been outstanding. How would you like to have to skate up and down the ice all night against either one of those guys? That's what's called veteran leadership. Stanley Cups and gold medals, they know how to win. Sure they have unbelievable talent, but they are also working their tails off.

And until the Washington Capitals learn those lessons, the only Stanley Cup banners they'll ever see are when they are on the road, because it's not with efforts like the stinker of a series that they threw up in terms of will and dedication to winning against the Lightning, well, "it's just not gonna happen boys"...

Coach Bruce Boudreau will probably be relieved of his duties, but you could certainly understand him for saying "I'm outta here. It's been a slice and now I'll take a year off, get a part time gig as a panelist on one of the hundreds of T.V and radio shows out there."

He deserved a better effort from his players. You shouldn't have to worry about getting players to compete at this stage of the hockey season.

So to Guy Boucher, Dwayne Roloson, and the rest of the cast and crew of the Tampa Bay Lightning we must say "Well done, boys, well done". Enjoy the days off and see you in the Stanley Cup semi-finals.

I promise to give you more respect in the third round picks.



Photo: Vincent Lecavalier, with the only trophy that really matters.




Philadelphia - Boston

The call: Philadelphia in 6

The result (so far): Boston is up 3-Zip.

Continuing on with the under-performing picks trend, as you can tell.

Remember how players such as Milan Lucic and David Krejci seemed to be struggling to find their respective games against the Montreal Canadiens in the opening round?

Well, they're not struggling now. It was as if the Bruins were finally able to show us what kind of team they really are. Clearly this is a better club than they showed us against Montreal.

I also remember thinking before the series began that the Flyers may even actually sweep the Bruins. Yes, the Bruins were that ugly coming into this round. But they've clearly turned it around.

Sure there are some key injuries on the Flyers roster, but their goaltending, Flyers' goaltending again, has really collapsed.

Why Keith Allen and Bobby Clarke are not on everybody's behind in that organization to straighten out the goaltending is incomprehensible to me.

Shouldn't that question have been near or at the top of all hockey considerations over the past few years?

"Find a goalie." Stamp that all over the office. "Find a goalie."

Scout, draft, trade for, develop, sign as a free agent, whatever, but for the love of Bernie Parent, boys, get some goaltending.

So anyway, the Bruins are up 3-nothing and are just raring to sweep those hated Flyers. Remember that last year the Bruins were up 3-0 and lost in 7 to the Flyers.



Photo: Hall of Fame goaltender Bernie Parent poses with the Conn Smythe and Vezina trophies.

San Jose - Detroit

The call: Detroit in 6

The result (so far): San Jose 3-0

It doesn't get better with the picks, does it?

In the words of TSN's Chris Cuthbert "The Sharks have a 3-nothing strangehold on this series."

The thinking when I went with the Wings was that their top forwards matched up well with San Jose's and that Dan Boyle and Marc-Edouard Vlasic performed well below the level that we have come to expect from them in the first round.

But the first round was the first round.

Sure the Sharks are Joe Thorton, Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau up front. But they are also Logan Couture, Devin Setoguchi, Ryan Clowe and Joe Pavelski.

Depth is also a key ingredient in order to win championships. The San Jose Sharks have depth.

It might be time for GM Ken Holland, considered by most in the know to be one of hockey's ablest executives, to seriously begin retooling the Winged Wheel.



Photo: San Jose's Joe Pavelski celebrates a goal.


Vancouver - Nashville

The call: Vancouver in 6

The result (so far): 2-1 Vancouver

Finally... A pick that might actually still work out.


As expected the goaltending in this one has been stellar. Consider the save percentages. Luongo for Vancouver, .958. Nashville's Pekka Rinne .955.

Rinne has been quite a revelation for those of us who haven't really watched him play much in the past, the Nashville Predators being one of those teams that falls well below the television watching radar. At least they are in these parts...

To call him spectacular seems a true understatement. Part contortionist,part acrobat, Rinne has certainly shown us all why he's considered one of the game's best netminders.

Another Nashville Predator whom we've gotten to know a little better is North York native, Joel Ward.

After a four year career with the Owen Sound Platers, Ward played four more with the UPEI Panthers. He played another 3 full seasons in the American Hockey League before finally cracking the Nashville lineup in 2008. He's got a goal and an assist and is +2 so far in the series. A good old Canadian professional hockey player.

Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo, on the other hand, has got to be wondering if the Canucks will ever find their scoring touch. The Sedins have a grand total of 1 assist between them in this series and have not looked anything like the 2009-10 and 2010-11 NHL scoring champs.

But the call for Vancouver in six still looks good.

Thank goodness...



Photo: Nashville's Pekka Rinne stops a Henrik Sedin shot.

So there you have it.

Not exactly picks to write home about, but then again, and I know I'm repeating myself, Toe Blake said that predictions were for gypsies.

You might add that a big part of the attraction of the Stanley Cup playoffs is the inherent unpredictability of the game.

That's one of the reasons we watch.

Somewhere Pat Burns is smiling.

Game 7 of the QMJHL semi-final series which featured the Quebec Remparts and the Gatineau Olympiques was held last night in front of over 11,000 frenzied Quebec Colisée fans.

It was only a few short days ago that the Remparts appeared to have Gatineau on the ropes, Patrick Roy's boys having a 3-1 series lead.

But a 5-3 win in Game 5 on Colisée ice served as notice to all that the 'Piques were not going to go gentle into that good night, but rather were intent on winning this series. A 4-0 domination by the Olympiques on their home ice, The Robert Guertin arena, - The Bob, as it's referred to by some fans - set the stage for tonight's winner-take-all tilt.

For the first period and a half, Gatineau kept the Remparts at bay with their stifling defence and spirited play. Taking advantage of their chances, they were up 2-0, when they started to show the first signs of developing chinks in their defensive armour.

Around the midway point of the second period the rink seemed to get bigger, and the Remparts started to find skating lanes into, ans space within, the Gatineau end and buzzed the Olympiques net, sending the teams to the dressing rooms tied 2-2 after two.

The Remparts seemed poised to continue their assault on the Gatineau net, while the Olympiques appeared at a loss to find the defensive formula which had served them so well over the course of the past two and a half games.

Whatever adjustments were made, whatever tactics were reviewed in the room, coach Benoit Groulx and his staff seemed to get things back on track because the Olympiques controlled the puck for much of the final period and clogged up the ice the few times the Remparts created some rushes.

Particularly impressive was the play of Nicolas Deslauriers, a third round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in the 2009 NHL draft, who set the pace of the game from his position on the Gatineau blueline. He lead the way with timely bodychecks, steady stickhandling and sharp, accurate, outlet passes.

Jimmy Appleby, called in relief of Louis Domingue in the Remparts net in the first period after the second Gatineau goal, surrendered two goals in the final frame.

Philip-Michael Devos capped off the win with the empty net with three seconds left on the clock. 5-2 final score...

On to the final

And with this, Gatineau moves onto the President's Cup Final series where they will meet the regular season champs the St-John Sea Dogs.

The end of series handshake was particularly emotional as the Nicolas Deslauriers and Mikael Tam, the Remparts captain, led their teams through one of sports' few remaining displays of true sportsmanship.

After the Gatineau Olympiques headed off to the dressing room, the Remparts took one last skate around the Colisée ice to salute the fans.

Pat Burns.

As the fans streamed out of the building, into the rainy, cold Quebec City night, I couldn't help but think about Pat Burns, the former NHL coach with the Habs, Leafs, Bruins and Stanley Cup winner with the Devils.

It all started in Gatineau for Pat. He had impressed as a Midget coach while earning a living as a cop. After being offered the head coaching position with the then Hull Olympiques in 1984, Burns took a leave of absence from his job and took up coaching full time.

He would never look back.

In his three seasons with the Olympiques where he coached players such as Hall of Famer Luc Robitaille, high-scoring Guy Rouleau, longtime NHLer Stéphane Matteau, and Pat Brisson, Burns enjoyed his fair share of success.

In his second season at the helm, Burns led the 'Piques to their first QMJHL President's Cup and came within one win of the Memorial Cup, falling in the final to the OHL champion Guelph Platers, coached by present-day Hab bench boss Jacques Martin, by the score of 6-2.

Montreal calling.

In the summer of 1987, Serge Savard, General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens came calling and offered Burns the head coaching job with the Sherbrooke Canadiens, the Habs American Hockey League farm club, and the rest can be found in the pages of hockey history books.

In all the Hull/Gatineau Olympiques have played in 10 President's Cup Finals and have won a record seven trophies. They head into the 2011 Finals as definite underdogs. But as many teams over the years have learned, the St-John Sea Dogs had better not take the Olympiques too lightly.

Because this is a team that never quits. Pat Burns wouldn't have it.


Photo: Pat Burns waves to fans as they prepare to raise a banner in his honour at the Robert Guertin Arena in Gatineau (Hull).
In 2007, he was elected to the QMJHL Hall of Fame.

Flyers' goaltending, Olympiques, The Babe, GSP, McDowell

- This past Friday I had the opportunity to make an appearance on CBC Radio's Breakaway and talk hockey with the show's producer, Peter Black. It marked the first time I'd been on the air since 2002 when I hosted Rock On Ice in Iqaluit on CFRT-FM. We talked about the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs and I made some predictions in advance of the second round.

During the course of our conversation I made the point that much has been said about the Philadelphia Flyers goaltending situation, and that given the fact that they made it all the way to the Finals last season and were able to beat the Sabres in the first round this year, their goalie situation may not be as bad as most believe it to be.

So how do the Flyers answer my confidence in their goaltending? They go out and get blasted 7-3 in their series opener against the Boston Bruins.

So much for predictions...

- Tonight at the Robert Guertin Arena in Gatineau, the Olympiques will host the Quebec Remparts in game 6 of the QMJHL semi-final series. The Olympiques have built an enviable reputation as one of the league's most consistently competitive franchises. The Benoit Groulx coached 'Piques can force a game 7 back in Quebec City with a win tonight.

- Today marks the 81st anniversary of the first homerun hit by Babe Ruth as a member of the New York Yankees. He would go on to hit 658 more as a member of the Bronx Bombers.

- Yet another sign that people in MLB are out of touch with reality. Atlanta Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell, he of strained relations with fans and press, has just been suspended for two weeks for a confrontation with San Francisco fans at AT&T Park.

McDowell responded to fans who were asking the Braves bullpen to throw balls up in the stands by going on a homophobic rant, making masturbation gestures with a bat, threatening to hit a fan with a bat, and when told to tone down his act and his language because there were kids in the stands, he responded that kids don't belong at a baseball game.

Classy...

- I just finished reading "Best of the Best: Ranking the Greatest Players of All Time" by Scott Morrison. It's a truly great read and a good discussion starter for those interested in hockey history.

- I'm not a fan of mixed martial arts, but you have to be impressed by Georges St-Pierre win last night at UFC 129 at Toronto's Rogers Centre. It is St-Pierre sixth consecutive welterweight crown defence.

Second Round Stanley Cup Playoff Preview.

It will be very, very, difficult for the second round of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs to match the opening round's drama and excitement.

When someone who has witnessed as many Stanley Cup battles as legendary CBC broadcaster Bob Cole declares "I don't recall any playoff year which had as exciting a first round as this one has" you know it's something special.

Consider that 4 out of the 8 series went the full 7 games. Consider that 2 of those game 7's went into overtime, with Vancouver advancing to fight another day, and Montreal falling to their longtime rivals from Boston.

The point being, that the table is set for the fun to continue into the next round.


So here we go with the matchups.

Western Conference Semi-Finals

Vancouver vs. Nashville

This is the story of two teams at opposite ends of the fan awareness spectrum. At least as far as Canadian fans are concerned.

Most of us know all about the Canucks. We know about their history with the Chicago Black Hawks. We know about the questions that have always existed about Roberto Luongo's ability to lead a team deep and his perceived (fairly or otherwise) shakiness in big games. We know Henrik and Daniel Sedin. We know Burrows, Kesler and Bieksa.

We don't know a lot about the Predators. Quick! Name five Predators. No peeking at the roster...

Well for one, the Nashville Predators have amongst their ranks quite possibly the best defenceman in the NHL right now. Shea Weber. Listed at 6'4" 235 lbs and fresh off last year's Olympic Gold Medal win, the 25 year-old is just now reaching his prime.

Blessed with size and skating ability, and the owner of one of the best slapshots in the game, look to him to lead the way for a Nashville team that is participating in the second round of the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

You can also look for Jordin Tootoo to continue his remarkable return to the game after spending some time away dealing with alcohol abuse issues.

Tootoo was dynamite in the series against the Anaheim Ducks, displaying the combination of grit, determination and skill that the Nashville brass has always known he possessed.

But at the end of the day, talent usually wins it, and the Canucks have loads of that. First in the NHL in goals scored. First in the NHL in goals against. Vancouver just has too much firepower for the Predators.

And now that the Canucks have slayed the Chicago dragon, the self-doubts that seem to have inhabited their club for the past few years, may be replaced by growing confidence. Maybe.

It will be tough, but:

Call: Vancouver in 6

San Jose vs. Detroit


It's spring so it must mean another Sharks-Wings playoff meeting.

In fact this is a rematch of last year's second round. The Sharks jumped out to a 3-0 lead before finishing the job in 5 games.

The Detroit Red Wings seem to match up very well to San Jose's talent laden forward lines, so on that front it seems to be pretty much a wash.

Where the balance seems to tilt in the Red Wings favour is on the blueline and between the pipes. Dan Boyle and Marc-Edouard Vlasic, considered the top two defencemen for the Sharks had below average opening round performances and Antti Niemi hasn't seemed to able to find consistency, which heading into a series against the Detroit Red Wings, is not a good omen.

Call: Detroit in 6

Eastern Conference Semi-Finals

Washington vs. Tampa Bay

You can't have a series that involves players like Alexander Ovechkin, Martin St-Louis, Alexander Semin, Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos and not expect some fireworks. It's a fair bet that there will be more than a few highlight reel goals coming from this series.

On the Tampa Bay side of things, we have a team which hasn't been this deep in the playoffs since they won the Stanley Cup back in 2004. The arrival of General Manager Steve Yzerman and coach Guy Boucher has revitalized a team which has had to deal with sub-par play on the ice and front office uncertainty over the course of the last few years.

But perhaps the most important addition has been that of veteran goaltender Dwayne Roloson. The 41 year old was nothing short of brilliant against the Penguins in the first round and there is no reason to believe he won't keep it going in round 2.

He will have to. Because the Capitals are hungry, confident, and their top player, possibly the best player still involved in the playoffs, Alexander Ovechkin is healthy and focused, and seemingly determined to do whatever it takes to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals.

So, while the Lightning were impressive against Pittsburgh, it's important not to forget that the Penguins were without Crosby and Malkin. And as impressive as the Pens were without their two superstars, the reality is that you couldn't really expect them to go deep into the playoffs without Gino and Sid.

So even though my heart is with the Lightning due to the obvious Quebec ties...

Call: Washington in 6


Philadelphia vs. Boston.

Both the Flyers and the Bruins saw their opening rounds go the full seven games. The Bruins eked out an overtime win, while the Flyers ran Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller out of the game on their way to an impressive 5-2 win.

The Bruins were involved in a classic confrontation versus their perennial rivals from Montreal. Their big man on defence Zdeno Chara had to deal with dehydration issues at the beginning of the series and although he played well enough as the series wore on, you couldn't help but get the feeling that he's not 100 percent healthy.

The play of Michael Ryder, Chris Kelly and Nathan Horton was impressive, but David Krejci, who managed only one goal against Montreal, and Milan Lucic, who never quite seemed to get comfortable in the series, has to be worrisome to B's coach Claude Julien.

The Flyers on the other hand stumbled down the last stretch of the regular season and faced the hottest team heading into the playoffs. And while the Sabres put up a valiant effort, in the end the experience, depth and goaltending, (yes goaltending), of the Flyers stole the day.

The Bruins just don't seem to have the horses to compete with a Flyers roster that includes players such as Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Daniel Brière, Claude Giroux and Chris Pronger.

And don't give me this stuff about the Flyers not having goaltending. They made it to the Stanley Cup Finals last season with essentially the same personnel and it worked for them in the first round this year.

Call: Flyers in 5

So there you have it. Agree? Disagree?

Stanley Cup Playoffs first round prediction recap.

Even if Toe Blake said that predictions were for "gypsies" and hockey uber-analyst Bob McKenzie refuses to make them, I figured that I'd give it a shot in a post that was published before play began in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Here's a quick recap of how I made out with my picks.

Western Conference

Vancouver vs. Chicago.

My call: Vancouver in 5

Outcome: Vancouver in 7


After jumping out to a commanding 3-0 series lead, it looked as though the Canucks were poised to exorcise the demons of previous playoff losses against the Blackhawks in fairly short order.

That is until Chicago mounted a heroic comeback. In fact, the Hawks stretched the series all the way to overtime in a seventh game. The pressure on the Canucks to win this series as the final game began was tremendous as it seemed that all of British Columbia came close to crumbling amidst a collective panic attack.

Enter Alex Burrows. Not only did the combative forward score the winning overtime goal, he also scored the only regulation time Vancouver goal. He also missed a penalty shot and was involved in the turnover that caused Chicago to tie things up late in the 3rd period. Talk about being involved in a game.

And now everyone in B.C. can breathe again.

San Jose vs. Los Angeles

Call: San Jose in 6

Outcome: San Jose in 6

As predicted, the Sharks were ultimately too big, too fast, and too talented for the Anze Kopitar-less Kings to handle.

It was nice to see Joe Thornton get the series ending overtime winning goal. Maybe this will help silence some of his critics.

Or not...

Detroit vs. Phoenix

Call: Detroit in 6

Outcome: Detroit in 5


I mentioned that for the Coyotes to have any hope of winning against a deep, veteran, Stanley Cup playoff experienced team such as Detroit, they would need their goalie Ilya Bryzgalov to be outstanding.

He wasn't and the Coyotes lost.

Anaheim vs. Nashville

Call: Anaheim in 7

Outcome: Nashville in 6

Clearly this series didn't quite work out the way that I thought it would. But in my defence I did call Nashville "the team that no one wants to meet in the playoffs", so I can take some solace in that.

Nashville's Shea Weber showed us all why he's consider by most observers to be one of hockey's best defencemen. But the player of the series turned out to be Jordin Tootoo.

As a former resident of Nunavut and a fan of redemption, Tootoo's performance in the first round (he was named the NHL's player of the week) was particularly sweet.

Anaheim's ouster, however, is rather painful because it brings the loss of Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Lubomir Visnovsky to my Stanley Cup playoff pool.


Eastern Conference


Washington vs. New York Rangers.

Call: Washington in 5

Outcome: Washington in 5

You have to love it when things work out. The Rangers faltered down the stretch and it continued through to the playoffs. Alexander Ovechkin looks like a player on a mission.

Philadelphia vs. Buffalo

Call: Buffalo in 7

Outcome: Philadelphia in 7

This one boiled down to the main factors.

1- The Flyers had too much big game experience for the Sabres in Game 7.

2- Chris Pronger returned to play.

3- The Philadelphia goaltending platoon system may be better than most seem to think.


Boston vs. Montreal

Call: Boston in 6

Outcome: Boston in 7

Another great series in a long line of great series between these two Original Six teams. The goaltending was, as was expected, superb. In the end, the difference was that Boston was able to convert in overtime.

I had mentioned to look for Chara and Lucic to have a big series. Neither really did.

Tampa Bay vs. Pittsburgh

Call: Tampa Bay in 7

Outcome: Tampa Bay in 7

Another one which worked played out pretty much expected. In the end, the absence of Crosby and Malkin proved too much for the Pens to overcome.


General Recap:

Series winners predicted: 6 out of 8

Series outcome predicted exactly right: 3 out of 8 (Wash, SJ, TB)

Not bad, but as they say "don't give up your day job".

Wait, I don't have a day job...

- With about three minutes left in the second period of a game that Tampa Bay was leading over Pittsburgh, the referee called a two minute penalty against the Lightning's Ryan Malone for elbowing Max Talbot who was skating with the puck along the Tampa Bay blueline.

Problem is that Greg Malone didn't elbow Talbot. His shoulder clearly hit Talbot's shoulder which separated the latter from the puck. It was a bodycheck.

A perfectly legal bodycheck. A perfectly well executed bodycheck.

It's bad enough that they are missing calls left and right, but do they have to start inventing penalties too?

Because it's one thing to miss a call, it's quite another when you start calling penalties for things that didn't happen.

Also, I liked it better when refs and linesmen had their names on the back of their sweaters.



Photo: Bruce Hood and Bryan Lewis NHL referee sweaters.

- Talk about pressure. How would you like to be Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo today?

After jumping out to a 3-0 series lead against Chicago, the Canucks looked poised to finally win a playoff series against the Hawks. Fast forward a week later and we are headed to a game 7 in Vancouver.

A big game from Henrik and Daniel Sedin would also go a long way to help relieve some of the pressure on the Vancouver goalie.

The Gordie Howe Hat Trick, Michael Ryder, and the Jets.

- Michael Ryder was, for two seasons, the best player on the Hull Olympiques of the QMJHL, a team that I followed very closely for the 12 years.

Ryder was the type of player who would go unnoticed for most of the game, but he had a knack for making the best of his scoring opportunities. He had a playoff run where he scored 20 goals in 23 games and brought the Bob Guertin Arena crowd to its feet on a regular basis.

Tonight, as a member of the Boston Bruins, he scored a goal in overtime against the Montreal Canadiens, in Montreal, to bring the opening series to 2 games apiece. It brought me to my feet.

A side note. Ryder's coach in Hull, Claude Julien. The same Claude Julien who is Boston's current head coach.


Photo: Robert Guertin Arena (The Bob), Hull, QC

- I read an what I thought was an interesting historical fact today. It's about the Gordie Howe Hat Trick.

The Gordie Howe Hat Trick is a take on the conventional hat trick, which is the nickname given to the accomplishment of scoring three goals in one game. In collecting a Gordie Howe Hat Trick one must score a goal, record an assist, and be involved in a fight.

It is a feat that happens only on very, very, rare occasions. Gordie Howe himself only did it three times over the course of his 26 legendary NHL seasons.

Which brings me to the interesting fact. On the night that Gordie Howe performed his first Gordie Howe Hat Trick, his linemate and fellow Hockey Hall of Fame legend, Ted Lindsay recorded a Double Gordie Howe Hat Trick.

Yes, a double. Terrible Ted scored 2 goals, was awarded two assists, and was in two fights. I don't know if it's the only time that it has ever been done in NHL play.

I do know that it would have been a game that I would have loved to watch.


Photo: Ted Lindsay had received death threats previously to the playing of this game. After scoring the game winning goal, in overtime, Lindsay skated to centre ice of Toronto Maple Leaf Gardens and mimicked a machine gun with his stick.



- You can count me among the hockey fans that would like to see Winnipeg get a National Hockey League team again. Winnipeg is a hockey town. Like most Canadian cities, it has a long and impressive list of homegrown hockey heroes. Terry Sawchuk was from Winnipeg. So was Andy Bathgate.

Bobby Hull played there in the defunct World Hockey Association. Dale Hawerchuk, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, and Teemu Selanne, who will join him in the Hall of Fame, thrilled Canada's Windy City fans during their NHL years.

And for many years now they've supported the Manitoba Moose, farm team of the Vancouver Canucks. Supported them all while following the boardroom melodrama that is playing out in Phoenix.

I hope they get their team back.



Photo: Bobby Hull, of the Winnipeg Jets

Jacques Plante, Raffi Torres and Patrick Roy.

- I had an interesting opportunity yesterday at Quebec City's Morrin Centre.

They were hosting a writer's festival called Imagination and one of the feature authors was Todd Denault.

I had the pleasure of being asked by organizers to interview Todd for an event that they titled "Hockey Night in Canada Replays".

It was a lot of fun to get to spend some time with a writer whose work I truly enjoyed. His books, Jacques Plante, The Man Who Changed The Face of Hockey, and the Greatest Game (about the December 31st 1975 Montreal Canadiens-Soviet Red Army clash), are remarkably well researched and superbly written.

After the interview we headed to the St-Alex pub to have a couple of pops and watch the Habs vs. the Bruins.

I hate to say it, but it looks as though the old Montreal curse still has a grip on the Boston club. Two words: Carey Price.

- One player who seems to have seen some of the luster wear off his star is Chicago's Jonathan Toews.

It was not that long ago that he was a media darling, but now that his club is down 3-0 to Vancouver, he is getting ripped for being too vocal and lacking respect towards both his opponents and refs.

- It'll also be interesting to see which, if any, Chicago players will be joining team Canada at the World Hockey Championships in Bratislava once the Canucks finish them off.

- Still with the Vancouver-Chicago series, you have to believe that Raffi Torres is going to get suspended for his shoulder hit to Chicago defenceman Brent Seabrook's head as the latter was coming out from behind his net with his head down.

Not that long ago, that hit would have been considered fair and square, but with the renewed concerns about brain injuries in hockey, it becomes a play that will likely cost Torres, who was in his first game back after serving four games for a hit to the head, quite a few more games away from the ice.

- A series I can't get excited about: Detroit-Phoenix.

- This coming Wednesday will mark the beginning of the Fred Page Cup tournament in Terrebonne, Quebec.

What's the Fred Page Cup you ask? Well it's a Junior A tournament that features the winners of the Central Junior Hockey League (Ottawa Valley and 1000 Islands area), the QJAAAHL champs, the title holders from the Maritime Hockey League, as well as the host team.

The winner of this tournament will head to Camrose, Alberta, to compete for the Royal Bank Cup, symbol of Canadian Junior A hockey supremacy.

- The CJHL representatives in this tourney are the Pembroke Lumber Kings. A veritable powerhouse in their league, the Kings just wrapped up their 5th consecutive league title, defeating the Cornwall Colts in 6 games.

The general manager/coach of the Lumber Kings is Sheldon Keefe.

Those who follow hockey may well remember him as being one of the so-called "Brampton Boys", a group of players who were once coached by David Frost.

You can google it if you want to know more, but suffice it to say that a few years back the CBC investigative news program The Fifth Estate did a story on them.

- In addition to host Terrebonne, the Quebec League is represented by the Collège Français from Longueil, who defeated Valleyfield in 5 games.

- The Maritimes are represented by the Summerside Western Capitals.

The Caps really turned it on in the second half of the regular season, finishing second overall behind the Woodstock Slammers.

After making short work of their first round opponent, Miramichi, in four games, the Caps defeated Woodstock in a highly dramatic 7 games series.

As in a movie script, the Caps scored twice within the last 1:10 of the seventh game to send it into overtime, when they completed the upset.

Riding high on the excitement of their hard-earned win over the regular season champs, Summerside swept the Weeks Crushers, from Pictou County, Nova Scotia, in four games.

The Caps are coached by Gordie Dwyer, a Quebec Major Hockey League grad, and former member of the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, playing with them at the same time was the Pembroke coach, the aforementioned Sheldon Keefe.

Some good hockey to look forward to in Terrebonne.

- Another series that merits attention in these parts is the Quebec-Shawinigan QMJHL tilt. It looked as the though Patrick Roy-coached Remparts would just roll right through this series, but the Cataractes are showing signs that they are willing and able to put up a fight. Game 7 of that series goes Tuesday in what should be a packed Colisée in Quebec City.

The winner of this series will face off against Gatineau, while St-John will take on Lewiston in the other semi-final.

2011 Stanley Cup Western Conference playoff preview.

Vancouver vs. Chicago:

There is a lot of history between these two teams in the playoffs, and you've got to think that there are many players on the Canucks who are happy to get another shot at Chicago.

Vancouver has fired on all cylinders pretty much all season. They are the NHL leaders in goals for as well as goals against, a feat that hasn't been accomplished since the 1970's Montreal powerhouse. Henrik and Daniel Sedin are at the top of their games, Ryan Kesler is coming off a 40 goal regular season, and Roberto Luongo appears poised to finally get the playoff monkey off his back.

Chicago on the other hand has had a difficult season with injuries and the loss of key players in the off-season, notably Dustin Byfuglien, who was key to the Hawks' success against the Canucks in the past. The Hawks goaltending situation is also questionable, with Corey Crawford taking the yeoman's share of starts down the stretch to mixed results. The health status of Patrick Sharpe and Dave Bolland is also cause for concern.

Call: Vancouver in 5


San Jose vs. Los Angeles:

Will this be the year that the San Jose Sharks finally take a serious run at the Stanley Cup? The jury is still out on that one, but they should be able to make it past the first round by taking this California match-up.

By losing Anze Kopitar to injury late in the season, the Kings just can't match the firepower that San Jose can ice with players such as Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley and one of this year's impressive rookies, Logan Couture.

Call: San Jose in 6

Detroit vs. Phoenix:

Experience, experience, experience. The Coyotes' only hope, Bryzgalov, the Phoenix goalie, plays lights out hockey à la 2010 Jaroslav Halak for the Red Wings to lose this one.

The Wings will at least take the opening series as a "Win one for Lidstrom" gesture. Beyond that, all bets are off.

Call: Detroit in 6


Anaheim vs. Nashville:

Many observers have tagged the Nashville Predators as this year's "team that no one wants to have to meet in the first round of the playoffs.", and while that may be true, the prospect of having to face Corey Perry and not only Ryan Getzlaf but also a rejuvenated Teemu Selanne should give some teams cause for concern. And don't forget Bobby Ryan.

The Nashville Predators have a well deserved reputation as one of the league's tightest checking teams. They are definitely not a high profile club, as most fans would be hard pressed to name 5 Nashville Predators. One player that will get your attention is defenceman Shea Webber, one of the game's best.

But as tough an opponent Nashville is, ultimately Anaheim's scoring may prove to be too much to handle in a series that promises to be a hard fought one.


Call: Anaheim in 7

2011 Stanley Cup Playoff Eastern Conference Preview

Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers

It has been an interesting season in Washington. They stumbled out of the gate and played a fairly lengthy stretched of truly uninspired hockey. It looked as though coach Bruce Boudreau's days behind the bench were numbered.

But once the midway point of the season arrived, the Caps went on a tear that saw them climb all the way to the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

Alexander Ovechkin is rested, healthy and focused. This is bad news for the New York Rangers.

Also bad news for the Rangers is the fact that Ryan Callahan is out for the playoffs and that they have seemed like a team in turmoil, unable to come forward with solid performances down the stretch when it really mattered.

Call: Washington in 5.

Philadelphia Flyers vs. Buffalo Sabres

If I were a Flyers fan, I'd be very nervous about this match-up.

The Buffalo Sabres have been playing playoff hockey for the last couple of months, as the cliche goes, going 8-1-1 in their last 10 games, whereas the Flyers went 3-4-3 over the same span.

With the health of Chris Pronger a big question mark and a sputtering power play, the Flyers seem to be in a heap of trouble.

An edge in momentum and in goaltending puts the Sabres in a good position for a first round upset.

Call: Buffalo in 7.

Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens

Emotions are still running high in both cities on the heels of the controversy that followed the hit that Bruins defenceman Zdeno Chara laid on Hab forward Max Pacioretty which resulted in the latter suffering from a concussion and a fractured vertabra.

Regardless of where one stands on the legality of the hit, this is clear. The Montreal Canadiens have not been the same team since and were it not for Carey Price standing on his head down the stretch, there is a good chance that the Habs would be on the outside looking in in terms of this year's playoffs.

Boston has the edge in scoring, size, and with his record setting .938 save percentage, Tim Thomas gives the Bruins goaltending to rival Montreal's.

Look for Zdeno Chara and Milan Lucic to have a big series for the Bruins.


Call: Boston in 6.


Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

It was looking as though this was going to be the best season of Sidney Crosby's short but remarkable career. That is until he was sidelined by a concussion in early January.

Most observers figured that with the loss of Sid the Kid and that of Evgeny Malkin, the Penguins were, as Tiger Williams would say, done like dinner. Yet without two of the game's top players, the Pens did not implode as was widely expected In fact it was quite the opposite, they were in the thick of the run for first overall in the East right until the end.

The Tampa Bay Lightning has one of the most potent attacks in the NHL. However, one big cloud looms on the horizon, the recent Steven Stamkos scoring drought.

After appearing as though he would run away with the NHL's goal scoring title, Stamkos has scored just 5 goals in the last 28 games. The good news for Tampa Bay is that there are plenty of players on the club to help take up the scoring slack in guys like Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St-Louis and Simon Gagné.

This will also mark Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher's first appearance in the NHL playoffs, a series that should interest Quebec hockey fans as both teams count many key players from La Belle Province.

The outcome of this series is very difficult to predict given the uncertainty surrounding the return of Sidney Crosby, but based on the assumption that number 87 will not be back...


Call: Tampa Bay in 7

Nordiques, Manny and Tiger.

- As bus loads of members of the Nordiques Nation head to New York City for the weekend, ostensibly to attend a New Jersey Devils game as well as throw a little party/advertising campaign in Times Square, defenceman Adam Foote will announce his retirement from the NHL tomorrow.

As one of my friends here in Quebec City said earlier today about Foote, "Lui, c'est un vrai." Loosely translates to "He's the real deal".

I'd be curious to see a listing of all the injuries that he's had to deal with during the course of his playing career.

- Another big retirement announcement comes to us from the world of Major League baseball. Manny Ramirez called it quits.

Ramirez was one of my favourite players over the course of the past few decades. A true hitting machine, Ramirez was also one of the game's most entertaining players.

A career .312 hitter, with 1831 RBI and 555 homers, Hall of Fame numbers were it not for the fact that he tested positive for performance enhancing drugs and subsequently served a 50 games suspension.

For those keeping track; Mark Maguire, Jose Canseco and Alex Rodriguez have admitted to using steroids, Barry Bonds is accused of having lied to a court about using them, and Roger Clemens is accused of lying to the United States Congress about using them.

They don't call it the steroid era for nothing.


- Speaking of athlete's who've had to deal with what might be called ethics issues, Tiger Woods, yes, Tiger Woods, is in the thick of things down in Georgia. He's tied for third after two rounds of the Master's tournament, a tournament he's won 4 times in the past, and a tournament that many observers seem to believe will be the stage of Tiger's golf rebirth. It may not be a popular view, but I'm cheering for him. I'm a big fan of redemption.

-

Plante and the New Year's Eve game.

A few weeks back I received an e-mail from one of the folks at Quebec City's Morrin Centre asking if I would consider acting as a sort of host/interviewer for a talk that they wanted to host featuring a hockey writer.

My initial reaction was one of curiousity. What hockey writer? What book, or books? The answer to the first question was Todd Denault. I didn't know who Todd Denault was. "No matter", I thought. Turns out he wrote about Jacques Plante. The second part of the title is "The Man Who Changed the Face of Hockey." True enough, Plante did change the face of hockey, as it were, but I know that he brought much more than that to the history of the game.

In the words of Ken Dryden, whom Todd quotes in his book, "There are a lot of very good goalies; there are even a fair number of great goalies. But there aren't many important goalies. And Jacques Plante was an important goalie."

Ol' Ken sure has a way with words, Plante certainly was an important goalie.

In addition to the whole mask innovation business, Plante was also innovative in the way he approached the position from an athletic, technical and mental point of view.
Not to mention, that he was a businessman, head coach, general manager and one of the first NHL goalie coaches.

I won't go into the whole retelling of the Jacques Plante story, but I will say that of all of the hockey books I've read, and I've got boxes full of them, this one is right there on the shelf next to The Game, Hockey is a Battle, and Lions in Winter.

Superbly written and researched, this is one book that must be read by hockey history fans. A look into one of hockey's most fascinating players, in one of hockey's most fascinating times.

So now I look forward to meeting with Todd this coming Saturday, April 16th as part of Quebec City's ImagiNation writer's festival. In addition to discussing Jacques Plante, we'll get to chat about the 1975 New Year's Eve Montreal Canadiens vs. Soviet Union Red Army matchup, the subject of Todd Denault's latest, "The Greatest Game."

The title of this blog.

I know that there are probably a few other blogs out there with the same title, or if not the same title, the same general idea. I'll get around to finding a new name eventually...