Playoff fever = car flag

Prelude - So your wife goes to Montreal for a trip. Next thing you know, she is wearing a Carey Price t-shirt, and has joined his Facebook Fanclub. Playoff fever is going to the next level! There are only two series left to decide before round 1 of the hockey playoffs is over. But the top teams are through. So let's start to get ready for the next round of playoffs. Pick up the latest on the playoffs run to join the conversation this week.

Sport - Hockey

Event - Montreal wins over Boston 5-0 to win their series.

Point to say - "Do you think Montreal can make it past the next round?"

Follow up point - "Can Carey Price withstand the pressure of the next round?"

Get out of the conversation - "Have you gone biking yet?"

Backgrounder
Carey Price is the rookie goalie for the Montreal Canadiens. Earlier this year, Montreal traded their starting goalie and Price their number one guy. A very tall order for a rookie goalie, who plays in Montreal. So far, he's made some mistakes, but all in all, looked amazing in the playoffs.

Reviewing the list of playoff winners will show that, so far in the playoffs, there have not been any major upsets.

Pittsburgh looks like the team to beat in the Eastern Conference, but Montreal is playing very well. Sure, they let Boston back in the series but everything is working for them and they have the goalie to go far with.

In the Western Conference, Detroit is poised to make it through the next round. Who would they meet? It should be San Jose, but tonight's game against Calgary will answer that.

Standings
EASTERN CONFERENCE
(1) Montreal vs (8) Boston - Canadiens win series 4-3
(2) Pittsburgh vs (7) Ottawa - Penguins win series 4-0
(3) Washington vs (6) Philadelphia - Series tied 3-3
(4) New Jersey vs (5) NY Rangers - Rangers win series 4-1

WESTERN CONFERENCE
(1) Detroit vs (8) Nashville - Red Wings win series 4-2
(2) San Jose vs (7) Calgary - Series tied 3-3
(3) Minnesota vs (6) Colorado - Avalanche win series 4-2
(4) Anaheim vs (5) Dallas - Stars win series 4-2

Links
Off note, get ready for your sports fan to ask you about putting a car flag on.

Talk Turn To Trades

Prelude - If you plan on talking to a Senators fan, don't go looking for answers about this season and why it happened. It will take a while to unravel this mystery. Instead, focus on the fun stuff. There are two choices today: If it's broke, does it need fixing? and whose sexier, someone who plays team sports or individual sports? Let's see what to say in each case.

Sport - Hockey

Event - Post playoff analysis of Senators begins. Patios open in Ottawa.

Point to say - "Do you think Ottawa will trade Emery?"

Follow up point - "Did you hear about the rumour that Vancouver would trade Luongo for Spezza?. "

Get out of the conversation - "Can't wait for the patios to open. How about you?"

Backgrounder
Talking about trades is just perfect for a summer day on a patio with your sports fan. The whole point is, no one can be wrong because the whole thing is speculative. The essence of the discussion centres on the point of "if you don't win then something, then there is a problem." Note to Leaf Fans, this excludes you are really, the owners don't care to fix that team because, heh, why bother, money still pours into that franchise.

What about Ottawa? From going from the Stanley Cup finals, and their subsequent hot start, to being swept, it would appear pieces are missing, or something is broken. The conversation in the media right now is about Spezza having a no trade clause. That is a contract that does not allow a player to be traded without his consent. It has been written that Spezza has such a stipulation and that it starts this summer. If so, any trade would have be done immediately after the Stanley Cup final.


FUN STUFF
A paper published in the January edition of Evolutionary Psychology found that heterosexual women prefer sexual partners who play team sports to those who participate in solitary activities or refrain from athletic endeavours altogether.

The study found that women were more likely to want to get involved with men who play a team sport than with individual team players or non-athletes. Men who were described as being highly skilled at their team sport were deemed the most attractive.

Point to say - (definately if you with your friends on a patio) "Whom do you think is sexier, hockey players or golfers?"

Links
Read the Full article on this topic here.

There is no joy in Bytown, mighty Alfie has struck out

Prelude -
The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Senators yesterday:
The series stood 2 games to zero, with but one meaningful game to play,
And then when Crosby scored his first, and Staal did the same,
A pall-like silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
They thought, "If only Alfie could but get a whack at that--
We'd put up even money now, with him in the game."

Heatley was there, at times, .. well in spirit at least,
Spezza skated hard, but you'd be hard pressed to see,
So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little chance of the Sens coming back.

But wait... there.. the thunderous rumble of a puck
As mighty Alfie returned for one last shot.
And fans cheered lustily, as they looked for rabbit in the hat,
but alas, fans, hope now sits firmly with the Habs.

Sport - Hockey

Event - Sens lose to Pittsburgh 4-1.

Point to say - "What happened to the Senators this year?"

Follow up point - "Do you think Ottawa should make any roster changes over the summer? "

Get out of the conversation - "Did you see Trevor on TV yesterday? What's with the hair?"

Backgrounder
15-2. That is how the Senators started the year. Ottawa Citizen columnist Wayne Scanlan compared them to the great Montreal Canadiens of the 70's that only lost 10 games one year. Boy did this shoe drop. Goaltending will be sighted as the biggest fault. But look for something bigger to come out during the summer. Something happened that made either stop believing in the little things that win games, or they just failed to use the system the coach wanted. The pieces were there for a repeat visit to the final.

This lost season pretty much cinches how this franchise will wear the choke collar for a while to come. They should have had an arsenal of Stanley Cups over the past six years. Alas, one visit to the final is all they have to show for it. So, the analogy to the mighty Casey At the Bat poem is apt. Poor Sens fans. There is no joy in Bytown this day.

Links
Alfie attempts a spirited comeback.
Full games details can be found here.

The Bruins come back. Can Ottawa?

Prelude - Last night saw both the Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils win their games. This puts them back into their playoffs series. Now the minds of hockey fans in the Capital ask, can the Senators come back as well?

Sport - Hockey

Event - Last night, New Jersey won their game against the Rangers 4 to 3, and Boston won over Montreal 2 -1.

Point to say - "Do you think Ottawa can come back in their series?"

Follow up point - "Ottawa played well in their last game. So, maybe on home ice they can do it. "

Get out of the conversation - "Did you do any spring cleaning so far?"

Backgrounder
The importance of game 3, after losing the first two, can not be overstated. Lose game 3 and, well, pray for a miracle. In a best of seven series (first team to win four games advances) it is very very rare that teams come back after losing the first three.

Currently in the Ottawa-Pittsburgh series, Pittsburgh is up 2 games to zero. Pittsburgh has been by far the stronger team. Ottawa's goaltending was thought to be the weak point for the team, however, their goalie, Martin Gerber, has been their best player. The big news for Ottawa fans, is the news on the weekend that their best forward, Jason Spezza, did not practice Saturday. Is he injured?

Teams never release injury information about their players during the playoffs. It is too much of an advantage to the other team. So, if you want to know who is injured, well, you'll have to wait until the team is out. Last year, Sidney Crosby played the first round of the playoff series on a broken foot. This information wasn't released until after Ottawa put them out.

Links
The crowd will be important to Ottawa.

The New Hockey Sweater

Preface - Fun time! Take a break from talking so much sports. We'll pick up the discussion tomorrow. Sit back and enjoy a spin on the Canadian Hockey classic tale. I recently had some fun submitting a short story for a newsletter published where I work.

Based on Roch Carrier’s classic Canadian children’s story, I have adapted the story to show what would be the experience of young child now.

Story
by Trevor Banks
The winters of my childhood were long, long seasons. We lived in about 14 places with access to after-school programs, ski hills, shopping malls, camps, church and multiple skating rinks. But we had no real life of our own. So to show our individual pride, we looked to our hockey sweaters.

I remember very well the winter of 2006. We all wore the same uniforms as our heroes in the NHL, the best hockey league in the world. We laced our skates like Mats Sundin; we taped our sticks like Jason Spezza; we bookmarked the latest blogs about our heroes. Truly we knew everything there was to know about everybody in our hockey pool.

On the ice, when the referee blew his whistle, we were five Dany Heatleys against five Alex Ovechkins. We were 10 players all wearing the latest uniforms, all with the same burning enthusiasm every junior player shows when he is one step away from a multi-million-dollar deal.
How could we forget that!

One day, the NHL signed a deal with Reebok. No longer was my San Jose Sharks jersey the latest one; it was last year’s model. My mother said, “Won’t you please wear this sweater? We are poor.” I refused.

Then my mother did what she always did whenever we needed new clothes. She started to look through the web pages of eBay. My mother was proud. She never wanted to buy our clothes at Wal-Mart.

My mother did not understand the workings of eBay. To order my hockey sweater, she opened her email and carefully typed, “Dear Monsieur eBay, would you be so kind as to send me a San Jose Kings hockey sweater for my son, Roch. He is 10 years old and a little bit chubby because of the Xbox games he constantly plays. I hope your shipping will be faster than it was last time.”
Monsieur eBay answered my mother’s email promptly. Four weeks later we received the sweater.

That day I had one of the greatest disappointments of my life! Instead of the new home jersey of the San Jose Sharks, Monsieur eBay had sent the gold, blue, white and silver sweater of the Nashville Predators─their third jersey. It could not be! The sweater was from two seasons ago! The numbers were ironed on, not sewn, and the name bar was of a player no longer on the team! All my friends had the new RBK jerseys. Mine was from CCM!

With tears in my eyes I found the strength to say, “I’ll never wear that uniform.”

“My boy,” said my mother, “first you are going to try it on. If you make your mind up about something before you try it, you won’t go very far in this life.”

I was crying, “I can’t wear that.”

“Why not? The sweater is a perfect fit.”

“Paul Kariya doesn’t play for the Predators anymore.”

“You’re not Paul and you’re not from Korea. Besides, it’s not what you put on your back that matters; it’s what you put inside your head.”

“You’ll never make me put in my head to wear a third jersey from Nashville.”

My mother sighed. “I can’t remove the comment I posted about how good the service was from Monsieur eBay. Further, I don’t know how to sell things on eBay, and I’m not having a garage sale in the middle of winter!”

When I arrived at the rink in my sweater, all the boys told me that Kariya was no longer a Predator, that my numbers would come off in the wash and that I taped my stick like Yashin. This third jersey weighed heavily on my shoulders.

I was told I had to wait until a spot opened up before I could take a turn on the ice. By the time it was almost dinner, I still had not played. Then the only boy who had a wooden stick broke it after skating in the corner. Finally, my chance had come!

I skated onto the ice like Owen Nolan during the All-Star game. The referee blew his whistle and gave me a penalty. He said there were already five players on the ice. That was too much! “This is persecution!” I shouted. “It’s just because my sweater is too old- fashioned!”
I crashed my stick against the ice so hard that it chipped.

“My child,” said the referee in his teenaged voice, “a good ref never calls a penalty with only minutes left in the game but in this case I’m making an exception. Now go home. Ask the Hockey Commissioner for forgiveness when your appeal is heard, sometime next month.”

Wearing my Nashville jersey, I went home and sent the Hockey Commissioner my email. I asked him to cancel this new deal with Reebok right away and to make sure eBay sells a Sidney Crosby jersey real cheap.

Links
See an animated version of Roch Carrier’s classic children’s story, The Hockey Sweater at the National Film Board website:
http://www.nfb.ca/animation/objanim/en/films/film.php?sort=director&director=Cohen%2C+Sheldon&id=13316

ABSTRACT: The Hockey SweaterBy Roch Carrier
In the days of Roch Carrier’s childhood, winters in the village of Ste. Justine were long. Life centred around school, church and the hockey rink, and every boy’s hero was Montreal Canadiens hockey legend Maurice Richard. Everyone wore Richard’s number 9. They laced their skates like Richard. They learned everything there was to know about him. When Roch outgrows his beloved Canadiens sweater, his mother writes to “M. Eaton” for a new one. Much to Roch’s dismay, he is sent the blue and white sweater of the rival Toronto Maple Leafs. When Roch turns up at the rink in his sweater, the captain tells him he must wait for a turn to play. Finally another player must stop playing because of a bleeding nose. Roch sees his chance and skates onto the ice, only to be given a penalty. He breaks his stick in frustration, protesting he is being persecuted for wearing the sweater of the Canadiens’ rival. A young curate scolds Roch and tells him to ask for God’s forgiveness. Roch goes to church and asks God to send a hundred million moths to eat his Maple Leafs sweater.

This blog let's you comment if you wish. Please feel free to let me know what you think!

Spring is here! It must be time for hockey playoffs

Prelude - For most us, the melting snow outside means time get outside and do some gardening work, go for a walk, or head to the store to purchase some lawn furniture. For hockey fans, it means grab a spot on the couch and get ready for the most exciting time of the year: the NHL playoffs. But, heads up! Expect a far moodier fan sitting in your living room. Where as a loss a week ago had your fan cursing under his breath, then changing channels, a loss now has him crying in his beer. If you can handle your fan wearing his emotions on his sleeves, there isn't an easier or better time to talk hockey. Get the conversation started!

Sport - Hockey

Event - The NHL playoffs start this week.

Point to say - "Who do you think will make it out of the Eastern Conference?"

Follow up point - "Do you think Washington will win their series?"

Get out of the conversation - "Planning any trips this summer?"

Backgrounder
When talking about which team is the safest bet to move to the next round of playoffs, look at the teams ranked, or seeded, in the top four positions. However this year, the Eastern Conference does not have a clear cut favourite. So, is there a "Cinderella team?" A team that no one thinks stands a chance but could, in fact, move very far in the playoffs?

If you are wish to make a bold prediction, imply that Washington stands a very good chance at moving on past the first two rounds of the playoffs. Why? Washington is heading into the playoffs playing the best hockey out of any team in the Eastern Conference.

What about Pittsburgh's chances? Or Montreal's? We'll look at those teams later this week.

Playoff Match Ups
Here are the first round match ups.

EASTERN CONFERENCE
(1) Montreal vs (8) Boston
(2) Pittsburgh vs (7) Ottawa
(3) Washington vs (6) Philadelphia
(4) New Jersey vs (5) NY Rangers
WESTERN CONFERENCE
(1) Detroit vs (8) Nashville
(2) San Jose vs (7) Calgary
(3) Minnesota vs (6) Colorado
(4) Anaheim vs (5) Dallas

Links
TSN starts to review the matches. If you have time, this will give you added details on who in each series will be the guy everyone talks about.