Tampa Bay Frightening!!!

So if you're not a hockey fan, how do you become one? Well convincing someone to become a hockey fan may be tougher than you think!!! We've got an ESPN hockey analyst that has now returned to the bench after a 13 year absence in Tampa. We've got the old Tampa coach trying his luck as a hockey analyst with TSN. Weird huh??? Let's take a closer look at this hockey team from Florida!!!

This Tampa team somehow received 1st pick overall in the draft which is supposed to be reserved for the worst team in the NHL. How was Tampa worst than Phoenix? Or Chicago? Or Los Angeles? Why don't we look at it this way...when was the last time Tampa won the Stanley Cup? Hmmm....2004...and they joined the league in the 1992-93 season. (Same season as the Senators if anyone's keeping count). Chicago is an Original Six team and they hold the distinction of being Stanley-free for the longest time...they last won it in 1961. Toronto last won it in 1967 but who really cares!!!

Phoenix used to be the Winnipeg Jets which joined the NHL during the 1979-80 season which also saw the Edmonton Oilers, Quebec Nordiques, and Hartford Whalers come in from the WHA collapse. No Cup winners in Winnipeg (including Phoenix) but there were a few in Edmonton...I'm sure that even if you're not a hockey fan you may have heard of a man named Wayne Gretzky.

Quebec won it twice but they were the Colorado Avalanche when they won them and Hartford won it as the Hurricanes in 2006.

Los Angeles joined the league for the 1967-68 season...in case you haven't heard Toronto won its last Stanley Cup in 1967...when there were only 6 teams!!! Anyway, Los Angeles joined at the same time as the Minnesota North Stars, the California Golden Seals, the Philadelphia Flyers, the Pittsburgh Penquins, and the St. Louis Blues. Out of those additions the Flyers and the Penguins have won the Cup...Minnesota had to move to Dallas to win one.

So what am I getting at??? How is it that the rules of drafting 1st overall favour a team that has won the Cup in its first 12 years of existence? That Cup was won 4 years ago yet they somehow managed to stink up the place since then that they got the 1st overall pick...Steven Stamkos! How the heck did that happen??? Sure they had some bad goaltending but the fire-power was still there. How do they even get in the running with the likes of Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Chicago stinking up the win-loss column and not even sniffing a chance at the first overall pick? If I was a Chicago sports fan I'd be suicidal. I mean seriously...the Blackhawks, the Cubs, the Browns, the Bulls...at least the White Sox have a chance at doing some damage in October!

I'm guessing it may be pretty hard to get new fans on the NHL bandwagon especially in the States but I would imagine that if the rules were a little easier to understand then you might be able to pull more people into it. I know of some Canadian hockey fans that are having a hard enough time understanding how things work but Bettman doesn't really care about the Canadian fan base so our complaints fall on deaf ears. Strange eh???

What The ?????

Anyone miss me?

I know I've been lying low all summer but I had a hard time trying to figure out which story to write about. There were so many crazy things going on in the NHL, every time I wanted to start writing about it something even crazier would surface! So I've decided to basically pick up where I've left off. I'll catch up on the other stuff in the next few days or so...bear with me!!!

The last time I posted a blog was when the Sens were eliminated in 4 straight to the eventual Eastern Champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Of course the Sens could've faced the Pembroke Pylons Over 50 Squad and the result would've probably been the same...yes...they were that bad!!!!

That being said, General Manager Bryan Murray decided that enough was enough. There were problems in the dressing room that had to be rectified and he set out to do just that. The rumour mill was running at a furious rate in Ottawa with respect to illegal substances and the players who were involved. I'm not in a position to say who was involved because I never saw it actually happen but the "Group of Three" are no longer members of the Sens.

Now let's keep that train of thought going shall we? Bryan Murray is not only one of the most demanding but one of the most fiscally responsible GM's in the NHL. He refuses to give big contracts to under-achieving players. He does appear to be in the minority because for some reason the New York Rangers saw enough potential in Wade Redden from the last 2 years to offer him a sweet deal. They are now paying him $6.5 Million per year over the next 6 years! Glen Sather must've been eating some Maple Leaf deli meat when he offered that amount. There's no way this man is worth HALF that amount!!! He's been an absolute bust since he signed a $6.5 Million contract with Ottawa 3 yrs ago!!! I'm sure Bryan was happy to see him go as he tried to get him to waive his no-trade clause before last year's deadline but to no avail! I'm betting he didn't want to leave his "snow-buddies"!!!

Now Bryan's down to the "Group of Two"!

Brian McGrattan has spent more time in the penalty box than on the ice during his stay in Ottawa. I have to admit that I love a good scrap so I've been a little disappointed that I haven't seen him on the ice more often while he was wearing a Sens jersey. On the other hand, he is a one-dimensional player that will probably hurt your team before helping it. That being said, I still love the way he re-arranged Tie Domi's nose on my birthday in 2005!!! That was beautiful! He cranked Tie's nose and connected it to his left ear!!! That was the last of the Domi factor in the NHL. Unfortunately, because he was just a scrapper, I believe Brian had too much free time on his hands. After all, a hockey player wants to play hockey right!?!? With Chris Neil in the line-up there really wasn't any need for McGrattan to be on the ice...at least Neil could score. So McGrattan used his free time to socialize...and he basically socialized himself out of a job with Ottawa. Good luck in Phoenix Brian!!! I don't believe it snows in Phoenix and I'm sure Mr. Gretzky will deal with it if it does!!!

So now Bryan's down to the "Group of One"!

You have to understand that I'm only picking out three Ottawa players who weren't re-signed. If you see any other link with the 3 people I've chosen it's purely coincidental. With that in mind the last player I'd like to mention is Ray "Razor" Emery. This guy has never really had to work too hard to earn his ice time. Always seemed to be at the right place at the right time. He is just one of those naturally gifted athletes that make guys like me jealous!!! He excelled in golf, baseball, and soccer until he decided to settle on hockey. He didn't start playing in goal until he was 9 yrs old. And once he did the trophies started piling up. This trend continued with the Sault Greyhounds, the Binghampton Senators, and then right through to the 2006/07 where he was a huge reason why the Sens made it to the playoffs. But then the wheels fell off. He signed a big contract and then he got lazy! He, like McGrattan, had too much time on his hands which led to rumours of his party lifestyle! Mr. Murray decided enough was enough and bought out the rest of his contract. Now Emery is drinking vodka, enduring "snow-storms" and living in a Russian apartment. Personally, I hope he gets his head straightened out...if not then the Russian Gestapo will take care of him and he will never be in the NHL again.

That's all I'm going to bore you guys with right now but I will be back next week to talk some more about other teams and the idiot contracts that were signed in the off-season.

Hey...if you have any comments about my opinions please let me know!!! I'll eventually convince you that I'm right!!!!

CHEERS!!!!
The Rokpig!!!!

Anybody Got A Broom?

It's official!!! The Ottawa Senators are the first team out of the 2007-08 playoffs! They were swept in 4 by the upstart Pittsburgh Penguins! Yes, this is the same Ottawa Senators that set a record for the best start in NHL history by going 15 and 2. The same Ottawa Senators who made it to the cup final last year. The same Ottawa Senators who have the likes of Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfreddson in their lineup. Well, like I said in the title, anybody got a broom?



The Penguins brought their broom and swept the Sens out of the playoffs. Now Bryan Murray needs a broom to clean out the dressing room. In my humble opinion there are a cast of characters that need a new address!! Let's start with the obvious...

1. Wade Redden - What happened??? He signs a huge 3 year contract at $6.5 million a year and he quickly became a defensive liability. When Murray tried to trade him (twice) he wouldn't waive his no-trade clause because he believed he was here to win the cup. Well, as long as he's here Ottawa has no chance to win the cup!!! He's an unrestricted free agent come July 1st and we can only hope that Murray can trade before then...even if he only gets a bag of pucks and a pair of skates it would be worth it!


2. Ray Emery - The cancer of the dressing room has finally wore out the welcome mat!!! If Murray can get anything for him he would be proclaimed a genius but, alas Ottawa will be forced to buy out the rest of contract. Look for Ray to emerge as a backup somewhere in LA or Phoenix.


3. Randy Robitaille, Luc Richardson and Mike Commodore - Randy and Luc were ecstatic to have the chance to end their careers in their own backyard...consider it ended!!! Mike Commodore was a complete bust!!! I was expecting the hard-hitting, energetic Commodore of past...what we got was another slow-moving pylon on the defensive core!!! SEE YA!!!


4. Martin Lapointe - Brought in for toughness when Chris Neil was injured. The only thing tough about Lapointe was watching him play! Useless as tits on a bull!!!


5. Brian McGrattan - There's no room in this league for a slow, bumbling fighter who can't score!!! It's time to put him out to pasture...I believe there's room at the Celebrity Texas Hold'em tournament right next to Bob Probert and Tie Dummy!!!!

Now for the not-so-obvious...again, in my humble opinion...

1. Jason Spezza - I don't know about you guys but I keep hearing trade rumours of Spezza being traded to Vancouver for Roberto Luongo. That would go down as one of the most lopsided trades in NHL history!!! What's fueling this rumour is the fact that Luongo has let it be know that he wants to be traded back to the east to be closer to his wife and new child. I understand that. His wife and child are in Florida...Ottawa will not be his number 1 choice especially after the debacle of a season they just had!!! I'm also assuming that Spezza is wearing thin on the fans in this town. With the way he coughs up the puck trying to make the highlight reel all the time...makes sense! Him for Luongo??? The new GM in Vancouver (whoever that may be) would be chastised by the Canuck fans! Of course there is the outside chance that Spezza and Emery could go for Luongo...wouldn't hold my breath on that one though!!!


2. Andrej Meszaros - This guy lead the league in plus/minus 2 years ago. He has since become one of the worst (or unluckiest) defencemen in the league!!! Give him a new address!!!


3. Antoine Vermette - Before the trade deadline his name was brought up quite a bit while Murray was trying to package something with Emery. Truth is this guy can skate...he can shoot...he can be tough in the corners...he can be a game-breaker...but only when we feels like it. Anyone remember Martin Havlat??? Sound familiar??? Give him a new address!!!


4. Christoph Shubert - This guy hates to play forward...he keeps complaining that all he wants to do is play defense and yet they keep playing him as a forward. They put him on defense when they need him. He is a great 2-way player who can play both positions but complainers become a cancer in the dressing room! If he would've proven to be a better player on defense they would've kept him there...he didn't!!! Too busy complaining I guess!!! Give him a new address!!!!


5. Chris Neil - Where was the fire and passion of Chris Neil? He used to be one of my favourite dirty players! He picked up his game last year and was actually able to put the puck in the net...not too many times but enough to be an effective team player who can scrap and jack up the team. He disappeared this year. He had fleeting moments of glory but for the most part he was invisible. I don't think you need to give him a new address...it seems he already has one and it hasn't been in Ottawa for the past 5 months!!!!

That's my assessment of this 2007-08 Senators team. If you have an official team photo, keep it!!! It'll be the last time a lot of these players will be seen together. The players I haven't mentioned should be kept in Ottawa. Murray should also bring up the likes of Brian Lee, Nick Foligno, Cody Bass, Lawrence Nycholat, Josh Hennessy and Matt Carkner. I also think Murray should give Jeff Glass and Brian Elliott the chance to compete for the backup goaltending job. Unless of course he's able to get Luongo out of Vancouver!!! Anybody got a big enough broom to sweep him into Ottawa?

Let me know your thoughts!!! Enjoy golf season!!!

CHEERS!!!

The Rokpig!!!

the sensquatch challenge

Hey Everyone (from Allan on behalf of the Rokpig),

I'm sure you're just as bummed out as I am about the Sens loss tonight. They came out of the gates incredibly strong with Alfie in the line up and it looked like they were going to take this one. When the Penguins came out in the third with two quick goals, the wind came right out of the sails and that was that.

Having said that, I wish I had been at the game and we would like to give you a chance to go to the next one. Our friends at Philthy McNasty's agreed to put up two tickets to the private suite for the Wednesday game but it is going to take a bit of work to get them. On Wednesday, we'll be shooting the Nasty Show once again starting at about 5:30 and we'll be giving away two tickets to the fan that does the best Sensquatch impersonation. The Rokpig and Allan may even join you! Lucky You! In case your head has been buried under a rock, I thought we would bring you up to speed on the Sensquatch by showing you an interview we did with "The Squatch" himself (see video below). So come on out to Philthy McNasty's on Wednesday at 5:30 in your best Sensquatch impersonation and the crowd will cheer with the final call being make by the red giant himself.



C U Wednesday
Allan (on behalf of the Rokpig who is too sad to write anything tonight)
PS. I'll upload the show we taped tonight as soon as possible

The Nasty Hockey Show - Episode 7

Hey Everyone,

First of all, you might have noticed a couple of extra features to the right (provided by my incredibly smart brother in law Allan Isfan who is the co-founder of FaveQuest and is sponsoring/producing/editing and posting this show). You can register your email and get blog updates by mail. Note that you'll have to come to the website to see the actual video. There is also a reader poll for you to vote on stuff.

The Nasty Hockey Show has now entered the playoff phase and, together with Ryan from Philthy McNasty's in Kanata, we are giving away some great prizes including sens t-shirts, hats, discounts for food and drinks. Watch the video below to find out how to win prizes during the Monday show (starting at ~5PM). Then, on Tuesday, watch the show to find out how to win the grand prize "two tickets to the Philthy Suite for the Wednesday April 16 game!!!".

One last thing. We are now taking reader questions on this blog that we will have one of the lovely servers read during the next show ... if you're worthy. Rokpig and Liam will the provide answers or opinions so leave some comments below.

Enjoy the show and we hope to see you at Philthy McNasty's in Kanata (Centrum, near AMC theater).

Start Your Engines!!!

Ahhh...the sweet smell of spring is in the air which can only mean one thing...the STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS are about to start!!! This is real hockey...rough and tough hockey...not for the faint of heart. The hitting, the fighting, the passion...and that's just the fans in living rooms and bars across the country!!! Watching the games can be harmful if you have high blood pressure or if you're wearing the wrong jersey at the wrong bar!! I have some hazy memories of being in Montreal a few years ago in a sports bar wearing my Bruins jersey. I guess it didn't help that Boston was actually winning the game and I was telling anyone who would listen how much the Habs sucked!!! That was a rough night but I survived...unfortunately Boston didn't and lost the series after being up 3-0!!! It's tough to be a Bruin's fan I tell ya!!!

As the final weeks of this season were drawing to an end I couldn't help but notice the amount of idiocy happening in the NHL.

1. Mark (Darth Vader) Bell from Toronto taking out 2 of Ottawa's stars and not even being challenged! The hit on Alfie was clean (according to the NHL rules) but the team should have made him pay. This shows a lack of support within the club. Something stinks in the dressing room and it ain't coming from their hockey bags.
2. Boston playing Ottawa and neither are gauranteed playoff births. Boston needs the win and Ottawa needs one point. Ottawa loses but thanks to Jaques Martin and the Florida Panthers beating 3rd seed Carolina, Ottawa gets in anyway!!!
3. Pittsburgh played Philadelphia on Sunday. If Pittsburgh wins they get 1st place in the conference which allows them home ice advantage in each round. They would also face Philadelphia in the 1st round. They don't like playing the physical style that Philly brings so they throw the game in order to face a much softer Ottawa team. If I was Bryan Murray that news item would be on the bulletin board in the dressing room and used for motivation. That alone might help Ottawa win one game...maybe!!!

It seems that there's at least one idiot a week in the NHL...my vote this week goes to Bryan Murray. When the Leafs were taking their liberties with the Senators he should've sent a message. If the players didn't feel compelled to stand up for their captain then Bryan Murray should've lit a fire under their collective asses!!!

Let me know what you think!! If you have an opinion for who the NHL idiot of the week is let me know! I've got a plan that should be fun...something along the lines of a voodoo doll and Super Dave Osborne!!! I'll keep you posted.

Before I leave I must share my picks for the 1st round...if you win any money with these just remember, I like Molson Canadian!!!

East

1. Montreal vs Boston -> Boston in 7
2. Pittsburgh vs Ottawa -> Pittsburgh in 5
3. Washington vs Philly -> Washington in 6
4. New Jersey vs Rangers -> New Jersey in 7

West

1. Detroit vs Nashville -> Nashville in 7
2. San Jose vs Calgary -> San Jose in 5
3. Minnesota vs Colorado -> Minnesota in 6
4. Anaheim vs Dallas -> Anaheim in 4

If you think I'm crazy and want to know why I picked the teams I did...email me and I'll let you know the method to my madness!!

That's it for now...I'll be back next week...enjoy the 2nd season!!!

CHEERS!!!

The Rokpig!!!!

History Repeats...Sort of!

When I was in high school there was a kid in the same grade as me who couldn't play sports to save his life. He couldn't catch a football, he would constantly fall while trying to skate, too soft for rugby, he just didn't have any sports ability in him at all. The sad thing about this is that the kid loved sports!!! I mean he craved it!!! He knew the players in every sport...he followed the games by the numbers...he was even one of the biggest fans of every one of our high school teams!!! The jocks liked him just because of his knowledge and that was the group he hung out with. I'm sure he was proud to hang out with the jocks. He couldn't be one so this was as close as he could get. This kid has pursued his love of sports and is now a prominent sports columnist. From what I understand he still hangs with his old high school friends as much as possible even though he gets to meet the most elite athletes through his profession.

I'm telling you this story because I believe it's a direct parallel to a certain hockey team. My high school friend is amazingly similar to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team wishes it can be good enough to make the playoffs and hang out with the best of the best but they just don't have enough of that athletic ability to make it. Consequently they end up watching and cheering others that may be friends of theirs. Some of them will almost certainly be approached by TSN or Sportsnet to help out with play-by-play or just being the "special" guest for the playoff run. See the similarities?

Now, I'm not a Leaf hater. I just find it amusing that coach Paul Maurice started off the year by guaranteeing a trip to the playoffs to all of Leaf-Nation...and they bought it!!! This is their 3rd year in a row for getting the best tee-off times and it doesn't look too rosy for next year either.

Without getting too long-winded I will make some bold predictions for this year's post-season. Just remember, you heard it here first...

1. Ottawa will be lose in 5 games to their first-round opponent...probably New Jersey.
2. Washington will finish first in their division which will put them 3rd in the conference. This will give them home-ice advantage in the first round. I believe the Caps are the dark-horse team that wins the east and competes for the Stanley Cup.
3. The standings in the west will probably stay the same although I expect Calgary to move up a bit and Dallas to move down.
4. I believe San Jose will win the west but the dark-horse there is probably Minnesota. If I was a betting man I may put long money on Minnesota vs Washington for the Stanley Cup!!!

That's it for now...Like I said I didn't want to get too long-winded. If you have any thoughts about this years' playoffs please feel free to drop me a line!!!

CHEERS!!!!!

The Rokpig...

The Ship Has Been Righted

Hey Everybody,

This is starting to fall into the wrong pattern but I do have a good reason. I haven't been putting out a blog and speaking my mind lately and I'm sure you really miss me!!! OK...maybe not but hey I can dream right? Truth is I love speaking my mind when it comes to sports and anything else I'm passionate about...like my family! This leads me to why I haven't been blogging much lately and it has something to do with the blog title...my family ship has finally been righted. We have moved out of our 1300 sq ft house on one of the busiest streets in Kanata. We have moved into a 2700 sq ft house on a quiet street in Stittsville. Very busy with the whole move thing since the middle of September and there's still a bunch of work to do...but you don't care about that!!

So let's talk about one of the other ships that has been righted! The Sens have been going down a horrible stretch since the All-Star Break. Truth be told it's been going bad for quite some time. Hard to believe these guys were good enough to get to the Stanley Cup Finals last year! I guess Mike Comrie and Tom Preissing were really that good!!! Or is Bryan Murray that good? When he took over the GM job and assigned John Paddock as head coach I thought that wasn't a bad move! Bryan's been a very successful GM before and John had successfully coached the majority of the Sens stars while he was head coach in Binghampton!!! Besides, he's inheriting a phenominal team that any coach would dream of guiding to the finals again. Well....not so fast people!!! According to Liam Maguire, John Paddock is the first coach in the modern-era to coach in the all-star game and be gone before the end of the season. There's a lot of finger-pointing as to why this happened and the Ray Emery distraction seems to be at the centre of it all. He was a distraction from the beginning and John didn't handle it properly. He subsequently lost the players in the room. Enter Bryan Murray! The re-entrance of Bryan Murray should right the ship of this team and make them contenders again...that is, if one of the goalies can get it going!!!

Another ship that has been righted is the FaveQuest Nasty Hockey Show. For those of you who don't know I have been hosting a show with different co-hosts for the past 6 weeks at Philthy McNasty's in Kanata. Some of my guests have included Liam Maguire (http://liamslament.blogspot.com/), The Sensquatch (http://www.mefeedia.com/tags/sensquatch/), Shredder from The Sens Underground (http://sensunderground.com/) and Angela Grant Saunders from Saunders Farm (http://www.saundersfarm.com/). All video footage is posted on favequest.com (http://favequest.com/) and is pretty good entertainment if you have some time to check it out. We tape every Saturday at around 5:00pm for about a half hour but we'll be taking some time off to plan for the playoff run. The Nasty Hockey Show will return on Saturday, April 5th so circle that date on your calendars and try to make it out. Liam Maguire should be on hand to handle any trivia questions and to alert us of any "Gutless Pukes" that may have made it to the playoffs...he loves to speak his mind!!! Now the reason why I say this ship has been righted is quite simple...believe it or not this show is starting to attract an audience! Every week the hits on FaveQuest have steadily increased. For me it's a feeling of accomplishment as I have never done anything like this before in my life...but I love it! What a rush it is to be able to talk to passionate hockey fans over a couple of pints as it is being recorded and sent out on the internet! We are creating content and people are finding it interesting!!! Very cool!!!

With that in mind I hope you get a chance to check out the websites I've included. It should give you some insight into the fun you may have been missing...then you can right your own ship and check it out live on April 5th!!

CHEERS!!!
The Rokpig

Going Live And On the Internet

I know it's been a while since I blogged but I guess life's been keeping me quite busy!!
We've sold our house and bought a new one (well...new to us...it was built in 1984). We'll be moving for basically the last 2 weeks of February, which means we've been packing and purging quite a bit lately.
I've also been consumed by the Facebook world which can pull you in and keep you there for longer than you planned. That being said the Facebook world is very dynamic. You can generate your own application and host it on Facebook. This is a great idea for people who want a large audience to try out their latest fun ideas.
One such application is called FaveQuest. This app will show you videos that you may like based on your Facebook profile. You don't have to go to search engines and type in what you like...this application will do it for you.
Now, as some of you may know, I'm a huge sports fan. Not much of a trivia guy but I love watching sports. Especially the NHL!!! I have noticed that there seems to be a shortage of video content available on the internet for a lot of things I want to see. I like post-game shows with honest talk from the players...not the same old gibberish that they spew out for every interviewer. I also like to see shows that offer opinion from fans and not what sport's shows think the fan wants. As much as I like listening to the Hockey Insiders they don't supply the channels for me to ask my own questions. Hopefully all that will change...at least in a local context anyway.

This brings me to the significance of the title of this blog. Starting this Saturday, January 19th, 2008 at 4:30pm...Philthy McNasty's in The Kanata Centrum will be home to the launch of the FaveQuest Nasty Hockey Show. This show will be hosted by yours truly and Liam McGuire. We are planning to run this every Saturday at 4:30pm for at least 8 weeks. I encourage all who read this to come out and have your voice heard. Ask questions, start debates, offer opinions, make a statement...just make yourself be heard!!! This show will be videotaped live in HD and posted on the internet for the world to see. This will be a perfect forum for the regular hockey fan to make his case for what he truly believes in and to see who else agrees.

For example:
Was Bobby Orr the greatest player to ever strap on the blades?
Will the Toronto Make-Beliefs ever get an NHL team?
Can the East beat the West in the 2008 All-Star Game?
Why does Gary Bettman look like Pee-Wee Herman? Are they related?

Those are just some of the things swimming around in my cranium...there's a bunch more which will most definitely come out at some point during these hockey shows.

I hope to see you folks at these shows...you can even think of some questions to try and stump Liam!!! My money's on Liam!!! We will also be trying to get some Sens players to say what's truly on their mind! Can't gaurantee that for this Saturday but we should have something lined-up in the next couple of weeks...I hear Heatley has some down-time for the next 6 weeks or so.

Also, if you have something on your mind that you want to be brought up at this show just reply to this blog or email me at rokpig@yahoo.com and I'll make sure it gets brought up. Make it good though!!!

See ya Saturday folks!!!

CHEERS!!!
The Rokpig...

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

Stanley Cup 2007

Well hockey fans....this is it!!! The culmination of 82 games from September to the first week of April. The playoffs have run the first 3 rounds and we now have 2 teams left standing!!! Each one has won 12 games to get here...only 4 more wins to touch the beloved Cup from Lord Stanley.

My picks to emerge from the last round were right...although I picked Ottawa in 6 and they wrapped it up in 5. That being said, I'm still in shock that Ottawa has made it to the Stanley Cup Final!!! I'm even more surprised that I scored tickets...but that's another story...and they have to get to game 6 or I'm S.O.L!!!

So let's re-cap...in the first round I was 6 and 2...in the second round I was 3 and 1...and in the third round I was 2 and 0...that puts me at 11 and 3 so far...not too shabby!!! At least I'm beating TSN's monkey.

For the final I think I'm in the majority when I say the Senators are going to take the series. The way they've played to get here has been phenominal. It's completely out of character when comparing this team to their performances in playoff's past. Alfie is playing like a man-possessed and is the current front-runner for the Conn-Smythe trophy. Redden is starting to kick it in gear. Phillips is loving his role as the top defenceman. And his partner, Volchenkov, is living up to his nickname...The A-Train!!! He stops pucks and he'll level the opponent with a body-check that you swear you can feel through the TV. Also, the top line is playing like the top line...absolutely amazing!!! And let's not forget Emery who I think still has another level he can hit.

Now Anaheim is no slouch. They're a very big mobile team that is loaded with talent!!! Chris Pronger, The Niedermayer brothers, JS Giguere, the emergence of Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, Teemu Selanne, and the list goes on. They're just as hungry for this cup as Ottawa. This will be the toughest opponent Ottawa has faced thus far and their biggest issue may be the travel. They are heading to Anaheim this Saturday to get an extra day to climatize...personally I think they should've gone today (Thursday) and get some ice time starting tomorrow...but that's just me.

Let's look at some numbers...funky or otherwise...

• 1927 - The last time the Ottawa Senators won the Cup
• Any year that ends in a 7 has seen the Detroit Red Wings or a Canadian team win the Cup
• 2002 - 2004 - Bryan Murray was General Manager of the Anaheim Ducks and saw his team quickly make a mark in the playoffs, reaching the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals. Many of the players currently on Anaheim's roster are from his work as GM.
• 80 years ago, Frank "The Shawville Express" Finnigan won a Stanley Cup with Ottawa and scored the last goal in franchise history before that version of the Senators moved to St. Louis. Bryan Murray is also from Shawville.
• The Anaheim Ducks led the league in penalties in the regular season.
• On the power-play in the playoffs, Anaheim ranks seventh at 15.3% and Ottawa ranks second at 20.0%.
• Penalty killing in the playoffs has Ottawa fourth at 88.6%. Anaheim is sixth at 87.5%.
• In the playoffs Mike Fisher (47), Christoph Schubert (44) and Chris Neil (41) are the Senators' leading hitters. Samuel Pahlsson (57), Ryan Getzlaf (25) and Chris Kunitz (25) lead in the playoffs. Pahlsson leads the league with 57 playoff hits.
• The top face-off man for Ottawa is Antoine Vermette at 60.1%. Anaheim's Andy McDonald leads his team at 54.1%.
• Anton Volchenkov leads the playoffs with 61 blocked shots.
• Dany Heatley leads the Senators with 21 points in the playoffs.
• Daniel Alfredsson leads the Senators with ten goals in the playoffs.
• Chris Pronger leads the Ducks with 14 points in the playoffs.
• Andy McDonald, Teemu Selanne and Ryan Getzlaf lead the Ducks with five goals in the playoffs.

As you can see the numbers are slightly tipped in Ottawa's favour. It all depends on how bad they want it. Anaheim will be bringing their best game so it will depend on who wants it more.

My pick is Ottawa...I was going to take them in 5 but since I got free tickets to game 6 I'm gonna say Ottawa in 6!!!!

See ya at the parade!!!!

CHEERS!!!

The Rokpig...

Stanley Cup is 8 Wins Away!!!!

All I can say is WOW!!! These playoffs have been riveting. My picks from the last round were 3 and 1...I was wrong with the Rangers beating the Sabres. That's ok...it puts me at 9 and 3 so far in this year's playoffs which ain't too bad.

Some highlights in the last round...

1. Nabokov's puck clearing attempt right onto Datsyuk's stick which susequently went into the net in game 4.
2. Ottawa's game 1 mastery of Brodeur by scoring 4 goals in the 1st period right over his glove hand.
3. Chris Chelios is now getting 25 to 30 minutes of ice time...and he's 45 years old!!!!
4. Observing the mastery in Anaheim...The Niedermayer brothers...Chris Pronger...Teemu Selanne...JS Giguere. They are firing on all cylinders and are amazing to watch.

Again...I'm sure there's plenty more but that's all I can think of right now. Please feel free to send me some of your 2nd round highlights.

Well...on with the picks.

In the East

Ottawa Senators vs Buffalo Sabres (Ott in 6) -> These 2 teams have a history together and it's not pretty. However I think cooler heads will prevail in the playoffs. The winner advances to the Stanley Cup Final so there will be no room for costly penalties. Both of these teams will bring a dynamic offensive punch and posses an equally effective defensive game. Their goaltending has proven to be exceptional both in the regular season and so far in the playoffs. However, I believe that the Sens are rolling 4 solid lines and everyone is contributing both physically and on the scoresheet. If we haven't seen the Sabres best game yet then I may be proven wrong but they haven't really been tested the way Ottawa will test them. My pick is Ottawa in 6 games.

In the West

Detroit Red Wings vs The Anaheim Ducks (Anaheim in 6) -> Anaheim is the strongest team right now...The defensive pairing of Pronger and Niedermayer may well be the best in the league. Up front Selanne, Pahlsson and Getzlaf are playing like men possessed. Guigere is also having a dynamite playoff season. Detroit's battered and bruised right now and depending heavily on 45 yr. old Chelios and Lidstrom to carry the defensive weight due to injuries to Schneider and Kronwall. Detroit has had the toughest battle to get here...first Calgary then San Jose whereas Anaheim had an easier road going through Minnesota and then Vancouver. However I feel that the strength and depth of this Anaheim team will take them by Detroit in 6 games.

That being said you should see Ottawa and Anaheim in the final. Smart money would stick with Anaheim but we'll see how the injuries accumulate over this round.

Enjoy the conference finals....should be extrememly entertaining!!!

CHEERS!!!

The Rokpig

One Round Down...Three To Go!!!

That was a pretty exciting first round. I could've done without the hockey marathon between Vancouver and Dallas but it was a good finish. With the Vancouver win I was 6 and 2 with my predictions. I lost with my Minnesota pick and, of course my Penguins pick. Not too shabby.

Some notes worth mentioning from the 1st round.

• Mikka Kiprusoff - in the six games against Detroit he faced 255 shots. That's an average of 42 per game!!! He let in 16 goals during that span and without him the Flames wouldn't have won the 2 games they took at home!!! He kept them in every game...if anyone deserves a raise it's this kid!!!
• Sidney Crosby - Anyone want to guess how many Stanley Cup rings this boy will have before he retires??? I'm guessing he'll be in the 5 or 6 range before he's done. This man-child played with the heart and determination of a true competitor. I don't care what Don Cherry says Sidney is one of the most dynamic players in the league. His future is very bright and so is the Canadian Hockey program.
• Anton Volchenkov - The Human Wall. This guy will do whatever it takes to block shots and find a way to deliver a body-crunching clean hit to the unsuspecting. He laid so many pastings on Gary Roberts that I'm sure Gary is still looking over his shoulder while he reaches for his 9-Iron!!!

There's probably many more highlights that I'm missing but those are the ones that stand-out for me. I can only remember so much!!!

Let me know what some of your highlights were!!!

So, as promised, here are my predictions for round # 2...

In the East

The New York Rangers vs The Buffalo Sabres (NY in 6) - The battle of New York State continues into round 2. After Buffalo dumped the Islanders in 5 games they're now facing another cross-state rival. The Rangers won't be as easy as the Islanders however. Buffalo will have a tough time with these guys. This promises to be a very exciting series as the offence on both teams are very exciting and their goaltending is very solid. The Rangers are tougher than they have been in the past and they won't give the Sabres too much room to showcase their fine passing skills. There will be alot of Buffalo turnovers that will more-often-than-not lead to goals. I'm picking the Rangers in 6.

The Ottawa Senators vs The New Jersey Devils (Ott in 7) - I was extremely impressed and surprised to see how the Senators played against the Penguins. They were hitting with passion, they were getting goals from just about anybody, and Ray Emery was solid in goal. I was still waiting for them to play a heartless game but they came to play every night. I think they have what it takes to beat the Devils this time. I think they will probably lose the 1st game in NJ but they will get their legs and fight back to get the split before coming home for game 3. The Devils are a pretty solid team and won't go down easy but I think the depth and determination of the Sens will win in the end...Ottawa in 7!!!

In The West

The Vancouver Canucks vs The Anaheim Ducks (ANA 4) - Two words...BRIAN BURKE!!! Burke used to the GM in Vancouver...he's now the GM in Anaheim. He was fired by Vancouver so he wants to take them out!!! Also worth noting is that Vancouver just finished a marathon series with Dallas. Three games went to overtime with the first one being decided in the 4th overtime...they get a day-off today and they're back at it tomorrow night. They'll be done in 4!!!

The Detroit Red Wings vs The San Jose Sharks (Det in 6) - The Red Wings are too powerful and they're not showing any signs of slowing down. I think the Sharks will keep it interesting and close but they can't match the talent on this Red Wings organization. This team will be in the Stanley Cup final and may even take the whole thing. You have no idea how much that hurt me to say that...I'm definitely not a Red WIngs fan!!!

So that's my picks for round 2...let me know what you think...let me know if you agree or if you think I'm full of it!!!

Good luck on your pools...you can't hold me financially responsible if you lose.

Keep it real...

CHEERS!!!

The Rokpig

Sixteen Wins!!!

Yes...16 wins...that's how many hockey games one team has to win in order to get their names engraved on Lord Stanley's Cup...and it all starts TONIGHT!!!! This is the best part of hockey season...the post-season. The media will be ripping each team apart through stats and play-off experience just to make their own predictions. All hockey pools are buzzing right now and people are making decisions based on one of three things...1) their favourite team is in so they'll be rooting for them 2) looking at the teams and making picks based on stats and 3) jersey colour.
You can basically eliminate reasons 1 and 3...these are people making picks without reason. If they actually thought about things they may actually pick against their favourite team or their favourite colour. So, as my personal contribution to the hockey society I will give you my picks for the 1st round and my reasons for the choice.

Let's start in the East.
Buffalo vs New York Islanders(Buffalo in 7): I'd love to see the Islanders take this one just for Ted Nolan. For those of you who don't remember, Ted Nolan used to be the coach for the Buffalo Sabres when John Muckler was the GM. Nolan had just won the Jack Adams trophy as coach of the year in 1995-1996. Unfortunately he and Dominik Hasek (Buffalo's goalie at the time) didn't get along so Muckler had to get rid of one or the other...Nolan was gone. He was blacklisted from the NHL for some time but he continued coaching in the juniors. The Islanders took a chance on him and he got them to just squeeze into the playoffs. Dubie is hot in nets right now...the team is clicking at the right time. I think they'll make a series out of it but any team that has Alexei Yashin in the line-up will not be going anywhere.

New Jersey vs Tampa Bay (NJ in 5): Tampa has some wicked firepower and they play a very high energy game however, their goaltending is average at best. You don't get anywhere in the post-season with average goaltending and you also never bet against Martin Brodeur in the play-offs. I think Tampa may steal one game...that will be game 3 in Tampa just to make it interesting. After that NJ will shut the door!!!

Atlanta vs New York Rangers (NYR in 6): Notice that 3 of the 8 teams in the east are from New York State!!! The last time that happened was in 1994 and that was the year the New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup after defeating the Vancouver Canucks 4 games to 3. Anyone remember Mark Messier's bold prediction??? I'll save that one for another blog posting. Anyway, I think the Rangers are a much stronger and well-rounded team than the Thrashers. To me it boils down to strength in goal. Lehtonen was inconsistent all year whereas Lundquist was pretty solid. Also, you can count on Sean Avery to agitate Kovalchuk and Hossa to the point where they won't even want to step on the ice.

Ottawa vs Pittsburgh (Pens in 6): The lack of experience on the Pittsburgh bench will be a non-factor in this series. The veteran leadership of Mark Recchi, Gary Roberts and Sergei Gonchar plus the security of Georges Laraque will have this team firing on all cylinders. The Senators are a very fragile play-off team due to their past losses. The main reason the Sens have lost in the past is in their inability to play with the heart that is required in the post-season. The Penguins have the talent and their veterans will right the ship to rip out the Sens' hearts once again. The strength on paper sides with the Sens...at every position. However, you can't measure heart on paper and that's the Sens downfall.

In the West.
Detroit vs Calgary (Detroit in 7): This has the makings of an upset with Calgary winning it in game 7 but I think Detroit will take this one. The depth of the Red Wings is just too much for Calgary to contain. They will make a good push for it but I think Hasek will win the goaltending duel against the Kipper. This series will be a tough one physically and the winner will have some sore bodies to mend. Detroit won't have anything left after this series.

Anaheim vs Minnesota (Minn. in 6): This is my pick for the upset in the west. The Wild will play a trap style of game that will frustrate the Ducks to no end. This will be a boring series and, unfortunately there will be more in round 2. Coach Jacques Lemaire was a coach in New Jersey and he introduced the trap then. Now that he's in Minnesota they're playing the same style...BORING!!!! In nets the battle will be won by Niklas Backstrom over JS Giguere. Backstrom led the league with a 1.97 goals against average and .929 save percentage. Of course it helps when you have an entire team playing defence in front of you.

Vancouver vs Dallas (Vancouver in 5): This one is a no-brainer. Turco has been horribly inconsistent in nets all year...Luongo has been outstanding. The way these teams play goes by the way of their goalies...Luongo will shine and the Canucks will adavance.

Nashville vs San Jose (San Jose in 6): My reason for picking the Sharks is quite simple...Joe Thornton. I loved him in Boston and I still can't figure out why they traded him but he's been having a blast in San Jose. If Nashville can figure out a way to stop Thornton, Cheechoo, Marleau, and Guerin then they might have a chance. Nashville have Kariya, Forsberg, and Arnott but they don't have the depth. In goal they're pretty much equal so it'll take goal-scoring talent to win this series...Thornton was second in the league with 114 points. That should do it!!!

That's it for the 1st round...I'll be back to cover the 2nd round.

As usual any comments are welcomed and encouraged.

Keep it real!!!
The Rokpig...

Hockey in Florida!?!?!?

Good day folks!!! Sorry I haven't posted in a while...I was on a much-needed vacation with my family for about 10 days in the great state of Florida. We enjoyed Disneyworld, Seaworld, and the Islands of Adventure to no end...you can't put a price on the enthusiasm of a child in any of those theme parks. It was fabulous!!!!

Of course, for the kids and my wife it was great...I also had a great time however for some reason I couldn't get my sports fix!!! To be more specific I couldn't get my hockey fix!!! Now, the last time I checked, there were 2 NHL teams located in Florida...the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers. The Panthers are basically out of the playoff picture but the Tampa Bay Lightning are still fighting for 7th or 8th position which will get them into the playoffs. This should be BIG news. It is also worth noting that the Lightning won the Stanley Cup in 2004...right before the lockout. Now with 2 NHL teams located in one state how come I can't get any NHL news? The only sports news I received was NCAA March Madness basketball!!! To those of you who aren't familiar with this we're talking about college/university basketball championships...not a professional sport but bigger than any Canadian sporting event to be sure. That being said I should still be able to receive updates and hi-lights from professional sports...at least from the leagues that are local!!! In Florida they have teams in every professional sport...Major League Baseball (Florida Marlins, Tampa Bay Devil Rays), National Football League (Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars), the National Basketball Association (Miami Heat, Orlando Magic) and the National Hockey League (Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning). Yet I can only receive news from the NCAA (not professional), the NCWAA (the women's college/university basketball program...again non-professional) the NBA and some grapefruit league action...which is MLB's pre-season.

I'm sure I'm not the only individual who encounters this dilemma. I understand that Florida is not a huge hockey market however they are somehow able to support 2 hockey franchises in this state...someone down there must want to follow one or both teams. Florida is also known for it's abundance of Snowbirds...these are also known as retired Canadians who reside in Florida for the winter months. Hmmmm....let's see....Canadians in Florida during hockey season. That should equate to some people requesting hockey info especially as the playoff race tightens. For some reason that info is not supplied!!! I'm beginning to wonder if any of the news stations ever bothered to check what their viewing audience may want at different times of the year!?!?!? I doubt it!!!

Living in Ontario we have 2 NHL teams as well. The fan base is huge and when you watch Sportscentre or Sportsnet, hockey is front and centre in the news. However, I believe we have a higher sports IQ!!! We not only show the NHL we also show hi-lights of NCAA, MLB, NFL, NBA, Soccer, Cricket, Diving, Skiing, etc.

I'm not ashamed to say that, as Canadians, we have more sports knowledge and more sports savvy than the U.S. We're just too damn nice to pick up the phone and tell the station what we want to see...we're also too damn polite to tell the bartender to change the channel and find some NHL action!!!! Who knows...if more hockey news was broadcasted in the southern U.S. they might actually attract some fans!!! Remember when I said that Tampa Bay won the Stanley Cup in 2004??? They couldn't fill the arena...even during the playoffs...and they were giving tickets away!!!! Sad isn't it!?!?!?

If they spend as much time on the NHL as they do on the grapefruit league or NCAA I would bet the attendance would climb and the buzz would spread!!! After all, it's the best game in the world...if you know about it!!!!

Keep your stick on the ice...

All cheap shots and comments are welcome!!!

CHEERS!!!!
The Rokpig

International Women's Day

Don't let the title fool you...I will tie this into the wonderful world of sports!!!

In case anyone missed it, yesterday (March 8th) was International Women's Day. A day to reflect on the changes that women have gone through since the early 1900's when they fought for, and won, recognition as human beings. Since then the feminist movement has been strong as they fight for equality with men...at times though, the line has been crossed.

I personally have no issue with women having the same rights as men however I have issue when they want more rights than men. I'm only going to address this issue from a sport's perspective as that's my area of expertise.

As far as I'm concerned, women should be able to play any sport they choose whether it's considered a man's sport or not. There are hockey leagues, basketball leagues, golf leagues, rugby leagues, football leagues, etc. that are all available as a men's league or as a women's league. What I don't understand is the need for a woman to try and play in a men's league if they already have a league of their own. If women are in pursuit of equality then they should try and achieve it without running the risk of a double-standard. Sadly, in sports we have a double-standard. It is now acceptable for a woman to try and make the cut and play in a men's league. In some cases it's even encouraged through sponsorship exemptions or clever marketing ploys...but what would happen if a man tried to join a women's league? Case in point...Manon Rheaume started a pre-season game in goal for the Tampa Bay Lightning against the St. Louis Blues. She only played one period, faced 9 shots and let in 2 goals. Good for her??? Yes. Good for the women's league??? I don't think so. Good for the Lightning? Absolutely!!! Phil Esposito even went on the record to state that putting her in nets was nothing more than a marketing ploy to get people in the building. What if a male goaltender wanted to play in the women's leagues? There's the Ontario Women's Hockey League, The Western Women's Hockey League, the Mid-Atlantic Women's Hockey League, etc...would that be acceptable??? Absolutely not!!! Have you heard of any of these leagues??? Probably not!!! Wouldn't that be a good marketing ploy to bring some exposure to these leagues??? I would say yes but would it be good for women's hockey??? I'd say no!!!

How about the world of golf? Michelle Wie continues to try and make the cut on the PGA tour. This one really confuses me. I would think that, before a woman would try and compete in a men's league she would have at least dominated somewhat in the women's league. I'm not taking anything away from her ability. She's one heck of a golfer. But there is a league for her to play in and it's called the LPGA...that's the Ladie's Professional Golf Association. Can you imagine the uproar if Tiger Woods decided to play in an LPGA event??? Same idea though isn't it??? And that's becoming a double-standard which is, by definiton...A set of principles establishing different provisions for one group than another. Does that sound like equality? It doesn't sound that way to me.

Again...don't get me wrong...I think women should be treated equally as men but at the same time the realization that men and women are different has to be recognized.

• They can't share a change room for obvious reasons
• Men are physically stronger than women
• Women tend to be more emotional...(there's no crying in baseball...Tom Hanks)
• Typically records held by men are higher than the one's held by women in the same sport.

To sum up...there are fundamental differences between men and women. The fight for equality is a good one and should continue. The fight for women to compete with men in a man's sports' league should be stopped. Efforts should be spent on trying to raise the level of awareness of women's leagues which would eventually create a market. Once you have a market you will get television contracts and sponsorships. Instead, you're wasting energy by creating a higher profile for men's leagues. Sounds like women's fight for equality is being won by the men...again!!!

That's just my 2 cents...

Thanks for tuning in!!!

CHEERS!!!

The Rokpig...

The Winners and Losers

Happy Post-Trade Deadline day for the NHL. I don't know about you guys but I'm glad it's over!!! Nothing too exciting happened except for the Ryan Smith deal. Depending on who you talk to the writing was on the wall for Smith to be dealt. He was demanding a huge long-term contract and Kevin Lowe wasn't going to give in. I believe that Oiler management knew well in advance that Smith wasn't going to give in to a 'hometown deal' so they could've had their ducks in a row long before the trade deadline. In other words, they should've known what the other 29 GM's would've given up for Ryan Smith. Surely, at the GM's meeting in Naples, Florida, Kevin Lowe would've had a good sense as to what team would've given him the best deal for Smith. This is why I have no idea why he traded Smith for 2 prospects and a pick!!! Kind of reminiscent of the Joe Thornton trade Boston made with San Jose...basically giving him away for a bag of pucks and a stick-boy!!! Just my two cents!!!

Anyway, from my stand-point, these are the winners and the losers...
Winners:
East
The Pittsburgh Penguins - They were able to get a gritty forward who loves play-off hockey in Gary Roberts. They also get George Laracque who's going to keep everyone honest when it comes to Crosby and Malkin. They just may be playing Ottawa in the 1st round and that would be bad news for Ottawa...unfortunately for Sens fans this would be another early play-off dismissal and I'm willing to bet that Roberts is going to have a big hand in that!!!!

West
The San Jose Sharks - In getting Bill Guerin they'll be able to spread out more scoring responsibilty. Thornton and Guerin played together in Boston so they wouldn't be strangers if paired up on the same line. Also, they picked up Craig Rivet from the Habs on Sunday. He's a solid defencman but suffering from pneumonia right now. Should be good to go soon.

Losers
East
Well the losers from the trade deadline in the east is a tough one to nail down. Ottawa wanted Roberts but got Oleg Saprykin. Not quite the same type of player.

Montreal needed goaltending so they claimed Michael Leighton off waivers from the Flyers. They could've had seasoned goalies such as Eddie Belfour or Curtis Joseph for next to nothing.

Toronto got Yanic Perrault...FOR THE THIRD TIME!!! This has got to be the biggest trade loser in the east. They get Perrault, who was a free agent looking for a team at the beginning of the season...nobody wanted him!!! Toronto trades Brendan Bell for him...Bell is a solid defenceman that is starting to mature and will only get better. I can only shake my head at the Big Smoke and laugh...if there's a more backward team in the NHL please point them out to me because I have no idea who they are.

West
And this is strictly from the trade deadline point of view. Detroit is the biggest loser by acquiring Todd Bertuzzi. This man has played 7 games all season and hasn't even been close to game shape...what are they thinking. The Panthers get Shawn Matthias and up to 2 conditional draft picks, depending on how the team and Bertuzzi do from here on in. Now I still think that Detroit will do well in the play-offs but I doubt that Bertuzzi will have any influence in any of their series!!

Well...that's my opinion on what went down yesterday. I'm sure everyone agrees with me so I won't be surprised if I don't get any comments.

Let's see how the last section of this season plays out...I'll be back next week to let you know who's in and who's out of the play-off's!!!

Till then...
Always shoot for the 5-hole...
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.

Got em...Got em...Need em...Need em...

Got em...got em...need em...what have you got??? What do you need???

Sounds like the good old days when trading hockey cards was a great way to get the card of your favourite player. You had to be pretty wise, a little sly, and extremely lucky to get the card you wanted without losing a lot in the process. Well guess what...some of those kids never stopped playing that game!!! They grew up and became General Managers of hockey teams and they do the same thing but with real players. Since the introduction of the salary cap blockbuster trades are a little tougher to come by but the potential is still there. I think there will be considerable movement before the trade deadline...Sean Avery has already been moved to the Rangers.

Now, with trading and salary caps the NHL players still hold the upper hand. This is somewhat of a thorn in my side!!!! The going rate for players is starting to creep back up to what it was before the lockout and the owners don't seem to care!!! Can you smell another lockout??? As far as I'm concerned the NFL does it right. If a player signs on to a team that contract is not really worth much. If that player tanks then the team can dump him and his contract. The team is only on the hook for the remainder of the season. If that same mentality applies to the NHL then the Ottawa Senators could dump Martin Gerber and keep Emery...opening up room to get a decent backup. The Montreal Canadiens could dump Sergei Samsonov and free up over $3 Million for next year. Colorado could dump Jose Theodore...the Islanders could dump Alexei Yashin...and the list goes on!!!! If you want true parity in the new NHL then a team shouldn't be forced to keep a high priced boat anchor on their team...they should be able to dump him if he's not performing!!! Then let another team take a chance on him or he just doesn't play!!!! Sounds fair right??? For the amount of money a fan pays to go to a game we should see the best possible product on the ice every game...that means every player should be giving 100% of their work every game in order for him to feel his job is safe. That would make for some very exciting hockey games in every NHL city...hey, US attendance might even go up!!!!

That's it for now...remember the trade deadline is February 27th...there just may be a blockbuster move by then so keep your eyes and ears open!!!

CHEERS!!!!
Bobby Orr's # 1 Fan...
The Rokpig