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.
No comments:
Post a Comment