Stanley Is Getting a Tan

Well that didn't work out the way I thought it would. I had counted on a game 6...mostly because I had free tickets but I really thought Ottawa would be able to adapt and turn the series around. In the end, the better team won and the Sens were without a counter-attack. Anaheim seemed able to turn the game to their favour any time they felt like it.

Many reasons have been brought up as to why the Ducks were so dominant...here are some of the popular ones:

• The reffing was atrocious and allowed the clutch and grab style of hockey back in the game. This type of hockey is clearly an advantage for a bigger, stronger team. I think that Ottawa should've found a way to battle through this...they didn't!!!
• 9 days off was too long and the Sens were never able to shake off the rust. I agree that 9 days off is too long but the Ducks were off for 7 and they seemed to be good to go when the puck dropped. If the Sens had any rust that needed to be shaken off, I believe the Ducks shook them up pretty good in that first game! They needed the split out of Anaheim...they didn't get it...again, they couldn't adapt to the Ducks' style of play.

The bottom line is this. Ottawa was out-played, out-muscled, and out-coached. I'm pretty sure they learned a valuable lesson from this...every round gets tougher and the final is 90% desire, 10% skill. You have to want it more than the other team. There were a few members of the Sens that turned it up...Fisher, Alfie, Neil, Emery (most times), Vermette...then there were others who disappeared and looked afraid to even get close to the puck. These players should be ashamed of themselves for letting down their team when they were needed most...Redden, Heatley, Spezza, Comrie, Volchenkov. These guys played great in the opening 3 rounds but when they first got hit in the finals they started to cower like beaten dogs.

I don't want to take anything away from the season they had, specifically the turn around that started in early December. To tell you the truth I sincerely doubted that Ottawa was going to make the playoffs due to the horrible start they had. But they turned it around and I, for one, am glad they did. They showed character that they never had to before...they excelled when their top players were sidelined with injuries. When they made the playoffs I was astounded with their style of play...it was something I've never seen them do before. I don't fault them for not winning the Cup...I have a feeling this experience won't sit well with them and they'll be back hungrier than ever to get that Holy Grail. Of course, before that happens some housework needs to be done. By that I mean trades have to happen and contracts need to be signed.

1. Redden must be traded!!! He has clearly become tired of being a Senator and a change of scenery would work well for both the team and him.
2. Gerber must be unloaded as well. Muckler would look like a true genius if he could find a team willing to take him and his 3.5 Million dollar contract of which he still has 2 years remaining.
3. With respect to the top 2 bullets, there are rumours of interest in Edmonton for Redden which would be a good fit for him...maybe Muckler can package both Redden and Gerber for a straight up trade in return for Jussi Markkanen ($850,000) and Steve Staios ($1.6 Million)? Just a thought...a man can dream right???
4. It probably wouldn't hurt shopping Spezza around. Just to see what Ottawa can get for him. He still has issues with playing the rough game that is expected during the playoffs. Heatley actually seemed to play better when Spezza was injured early in the season.
5. Bryan Murray needs to be re-signed. He has proven to be the right coach for this team. He now has a taste of the Stanley Cup Final and I believe he can bring Ottawa a cup.
6. Ray Emery has proven to be a starter in this league. He deserves a raise and at least a 3 year deal.
7. Tom Preissing is a solid defenceman. He also needs a raise with a one or two year deal.
8. Dean McAmmond should be re-signed. He has proven to be valuable on the 4th line and on the power play.
9. If Mike Comrie wants to take a pay-cut then he may be worth keeping but I wouldn't miss him if he left!!!

That's just my views on a successful season that ended about 2 games too short...it would've been nice to see the final go 7 games.

Hockey is now done...but there's still hockey news coming up. NHL entry draft, unrestricted and restricted free agent signings, the Stanley Cup travels will be closely monitored, and so on.

I will also start writing blogs about other sports namely NFL Football, Golf, Women's Beach Volleyball, Cricket, etc...

Also, if there's anything that you feel a second opinion is required please drop me a line and I'll put something together for you.

Till next time...give me some feedback as I always like to hear other people's opinion.

CHEERS!!!

The Rokpig

Tainted Numbers...

Hey everybody!!! Just wanted to thank you for the comments that some of you have left me. Some have been humurous and others have been creative. There is one person who keeps asking for a some insight on some beach volleyball...I will email you that one separately. May not go over too well in this space. I would also like to encourage everyone to forward this blog-site to anyone else that may be of interest in something like this. The more the merrier and it would encourage even more feedback and comments...which is what this blogging stuff is all about!!!

Now...onto what bugs me!!!!

The records of goalies and coaches are being tainted by the shoot-out!!! To put it simply, any winning record that gets set by either a goalie or a coach should have an asterisk next to it. When a team wins in the shoot-out, both the coach and the goalie get credited for the win. The player that scores a goal in the shoot-out doesn't accumulate a point toward the scoring race. That means that all other coaches and goalies who have set records for wins could have had better numbers. Back when games could end in a tie, neither the coach nor the goalie would get the win (obviously). For example, if you look at the 1,244 wins that Scotty Bowman achieved, he amassed 314 ties over his illustrious career? It would be safe to say that if he had the shoot-out he may have gotten another 150 wins. How about Patrick Roy's numbers? He holds the record for most wins by a goalie at 551. He had 131 ties. It would also be safe to say that he could've gained another 65 wins out of those ties had it been for the shoot-out. Now Ottawa Senators coach, Bryan Murray has just been credited with his 600th career win. However, it was done in a shoot-out! These numbers are fudging the accomplishments of past record-setters who didn't have the luxury of shoot-outs. In order for the records to be broken and set by the present-day hockey personnel then the NHL has to rule out any accomplishments achieved from the results of a shoot-out. In other words, give the team the points in the standings for the win but the goalie and the coach should not get the credit for the win. If they are still tied at the end of overtime then their stats should show a tie. The NHL has to address this situation as soon as possible and correct the numbers before it gets out of hand. If they don't then the record books will be filled with a whole lot of asterisks...which will only cloud the achievements of the past!!

That's my beef for the week!!!!

I appreciate your time...comments are appreciated!!!

Go BRUINS Go...
The Rokpig...

True Post-Game For The True Fans!!!!

Are you sick of hearing the same old post-game questions with the same old post-game answers? Reporters asking the safe questions and the athletes supplying the politically correct responses!!! It's getting boring and predictable!!! Fans want to know how the athletes feel after a win or a loss!!! I think people want to know what's going on in their heads!!! People I've spoken to have expressed the same feeling and are frustrated with the way reporters and athletes converse. There have been a few gems that are highlights in the mundane world of post-game conferences...I think Bobby Knight owns most of the spectacular post-game footage...most of the time the questions and answers are typical politically correct nonsense.

I've decided to put together my own version of a post-game news conference. Any similarities to real people or real situations are purely coincidental...and purely for entertainment purposes!!!

Enjoy!!!

Good evening everybody this is Lance P. Mannion with the post-game scoop. I normally cover figure-skating but we were short-staffed so I will attempt to get to the heart of this game. Now, The Philadelphia Flyers just upset one of the big teams in the NHL and I have the coach here to answer a few questions.

REPORTER: How did you feel about getting the win?
COACH: To be honest, I am kind a pissed off. I was hoping to get back home so I could watch "American Idol." Now I have to use my excellent coaching skills to build from this game.

REPORTER: Your team was very animated after the win. Can you talk about that?
COACH: They were just happy as hell that they didn't have to watch "American Idol" with me.

REPORTER: What was the key to the win?
COACH: We scored more points.

REPORTER: Did you do anything different to them for the win?
COACH: Well, I opted for the buffet rather than the continental breakfast.

REPORTER: Your next opponent will present a lot of problems for you. Do you think you have a chance?
COACH: Hell, you're right we've got no shot so we'll probably just skip the game and plan a night out at the local strip joint.

REPORTER: How big is this win for your team?
COACH: Well, it was nice, but not as big as the anticipation of Peter’s Swedish Bean Dip for the next team showing of “American Idol.”

REPORTER: Is this the biggest win of your career?
COACH: Well, in the fourth grade the kids on my street beat the guys from the next block over.

REPORTER: Talk about the shot that went in off the skate of their defenceman.
COACH: That's part of our special teams training. Our guy was open in front of the net, but we wanted a high-percentage shot.

REPORTER: You keep referring to your 'four out - one in' special team. Can you elaborate? COACH: Yeah, we take four guys out of the game and just put one in. It's a good ploy.

REPORTER: You and Coach Doe are great friends. Do you feel bad for him?
COACH: Yeah, I do. As a matter of fact I feel so bad that I am going to tell him that he can play the next game instead of us.

REPORTER: What are you going to do to get ready for the next game?
COACH: We're going to hang out, have a few drinks, maybe get a few movies from Blockbuster or just order pay per view porn. Stuff like that.

REPORTER: What are the negatives about the win?
COACH: Well, my assistant coach is pissed because some woman winked at him during the game, but blew him off afterwards.

REPORTER: Your next opponent is an overwhelming favorite. How can you beat them? COACH: Well, we are going to breakdown film later so why don't you come on over and give us some of your tremendous insight.


Now, the Red Wings have just taken the worst loss of the season and the coach has taken a seat in the press room to answer questions from the media.

REPORTER: How do you feel about the loss?
COACH: I feel just freaking great about it. Now I can get back in time to see the finale of "American Idol."

REPORTER: With about three-minutes remaining you called the refs over. Was there a problem with the clock or were you confused about something else?
COACH: Actually my staff and I had no idea what to do with our final few minutes so I asked the ref if he could get a few members of the distinguished media to coach our team. You people seem to be just overflowing with hockey knowledge.

REPORTER: Their defense seemed to bother you. You couldn’t get any shots from in-close. Can you explain that?
COACH: Great observation, but we weren’t actually trying to hit the net. I told the lads to pick a spot somewhere on the glass and aim for it.

REPORTER: Are you disappointed in your team's effort?
COACH: They are a great group of guys and they worked so hard for me so I am glad that they got their asses kicked today.

REPORTER: What was the key to the loss?
COACH: The other team scored more points.

REPORTER: Your team didn't seem to be as focused tonight. I didn't see that same intensity. They looked like they didn't have their game faces on.
COACH: You're absolutely right. We had them, but we left them back at the hotel. My centreman had a skeleton face, my wingers were both sporting Zorro masks, my defencemen had Abbott & Costello faces and my goalie had a nice Batman mask. Hell, he even had an outstanding cape.

REPORTER: Can you talk about the great contribution from your goalie today?
COACH: He always plays better after a liquid lunch.

REPORTER: Why did you switch from the trap to fire wagon hockey?
COACH: Well, we played fire wagon for the entire game. Glad to see you were watching though.

REPORTER: When your number one centre left the game due to the major penalty, did that hurt your team?
COACH: No, it was great. He sat next to me on the bench and we talked about where we were going to eat after the game. Then he asked my assistant coach about the girl who winked at him. I think he is going to hook up with her.

REPORTER: I thought I heard your assistant coach yelling '4-1 offence' or something like that. Was that the offensive format you wanted?
COACH: No, he was trying to tell that woman that he was in room 41 at the hotel.

REPORTER: Your team didn't seem to have that same sense of urgency that they had in the last game.
COACH: Hell, you're right. I forgot to tell them that if we lose I get fired and they will be coached by you for the rest of the season.

REPORTER: When you were down one with two-seconds left in the game were you looking for an offensive miracle?
COACH: Actually I was looking for the hotdog guy and my assistant coach was looking for that woman.

REPORTER: During the final timeout before the last five minutes you looked angry. Could you talk about that sequence?
COACH: Well, we had turned the puck over on four straight possessions, which all resulted in goals for them so would you have preferred that I was ecstatic? Then you could have asked me why I was smiling. Great question.

REPORTER: What problems did they present for you?
COACH: Probably the fact that they scored more goals.

REPORTER: What were the positives that came out of the loss?
COACH: My assistant coach did hook up with that woman.

REPORTER: What did you say to the team after the game?
COACH: I told them that I was sorry, but that they had to go out and answer stupid questions from the media.