hockey
We talk pucks and objects of that kind. We yell, complain, and analyze in the language of hockey fandom. Gretzky can do no wrong.
NHL 2021-22 Eastern Conference 1st Half Recap
It was rocky, but the NHL made it to the All-Star Break, the midpoint of the season. The second half will begin sooner than planned, as the 95 games that were postponed due to the outbreak of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, will all be played during the NHL's originally scheduled Olympic break during the heart of February. But that's the second half. This is about the first half of the season, and it was quite interesting in the NHL's Eastern Conference. Here's how things stand in the East entering the break.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
An Avalanche of Goals and Wins
I have been a fan of the Colorado Avalanche since the team's final two seasons as the Quebec Nordiques. Since the move, the Avalanche have won two Stanley Cups, but it has been a long road back to the prominence this team had back in the late 1990s/early 2000s. The resurrection surprisingly began with a three team trade on November 5, 2017, and just like that, the Avalanche became a playoff team. Here it is, barely over four years later, and now, I am happy to say, the Avalanche we remember from yesteryear, are back.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Recapping the 1st Half of the Seattle Kraken's Inaugural Season
There was a lot of buzz and hype around the National Hockey League's 32nd franchise, even before the team found their new home. The buzz increased when it was officially announced that team #32 would play in Seattle, and the progression of the countdown to Seattle's debut included a new arena, jerseys, and the official name: Kraken. The Seattle Kraken made their anticipated debut this season, and they have played 41 games--putting them halfway into their inaugural season.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Oil Spill: Analyzing the Edmonton Oilers' Skid
It always seems to be something with the Edmonton Oilers, especially in this current era. The Oilers are coming off finishing 2nd in the makeshift North Division last season, but it saw them swept out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs' opening round by the Winnipeg Jets, adding to their recent list of playoff disappointments. In what proved to be another blow against the "North Division sucks" narrative that plagued the previous season, the Oilers got off to a strong start, going 16-5-0 in their first 21 games, leaving many to suddenly believe that the team could contend for a Stanley Cup this season.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Is There No End to the Vancouver Canucks' Freefall?
One of the many things that stood out to me during the "bubble" Stanley Cup Playoffs of 2020 was how well the Vancouver Canucks did. The Canucks entered the 2019-20 season still looking for something, anything that would spark them to a possible Stanley Cup in the near future. Of course, that season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Canucks would get their chance in the modified playoffs that took place in the late summer and early fall of 2020. What we saw from the Canucks was an amazing run the likes of which we have never seen since they fell one win short of the Stanley Cup in 2011.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
NHL 2021-22 Pacific Division Preview
The Pacific Division is fascinating for many reasons, with one of them being that it took the least effort to form in the 2013-14 season. How was it formed? Simple. The remnants of the five team iteration--the California teams (Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks) and the Arizona Coyotes)--were put together with the Northwest Division's Canadian teams (Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks. That's it. The Vegas Golden Knights became the Pacific's eighth team when they began play in the 2017-18 season, and the Seattle Kraken (the NHL's newest franchise) replaced the outgoing Coyotes in the Pacific, due to the Coyotes moving to the Central Division. It is the only division not to feature a team who switched conferences, and it is the only one to not have an Original Six franchise.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
NHL 2021-22 Central Division Preview
When news of the NHL realigning their divisions broke eight years ago, I was wondering how they would look. Not surprisingly, I was immensely happy with the look of the four divisions, but the one I couldn't help but gush over the most was the Central Division. I literally salivated over this; it looked like it was going to be a very, very fun division to watch.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
NHL 2021-22 Metropolitan Division Preview
The NHL has used geographical names for their conferences and divisions since the 1993-94 season. For five seasons, the Western Conference (formerly the Campbell Conference) had the Pacific and Central Divisions, while the Eastern Conference (formerly the Wales Conference) had the Atlantic and Northeast Divisions. When the divisions were realigned in the 1998-99 season, two more were created: the Northwest and Southeast Divisions. The league went back to four divisions in 2013-14, and among the division names was one that stood out the most: Metropolitan. That's not exactly geographical, but it fits the division because of the cities represented. So for the last eight years, we've had the Metropolitan Division (nicknamed "Metro" for short), and it's a pretty fun division to watch.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
NHL 2021-22 Atlantic Division Preview
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, hockey fans of all ages: the NHL that we know is back. 82 games, an October-April stretch, an All-Star break, and yes, normal divisions. The localized divisions from the abbreviated 2020-21 campaign were fun to watch, but I am happy that the normal divisions and conferences are back, because each of the four divisions have a historical connection. Each of these divisions were formed in the 2013-14 season, with the NHL realigning the divisions for the first time since the 1998-99 season--the year that kicked off the NHL's six-division format.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Evander Kane: It's Always Something
Stop me if you've heard this before. Evander Kane is in the news. The reasons why aren't positive. It's connected to his past gambling. To say that Evander Kane is a controversial figure in the NHL would be an understatement. It is always something with Kane; he has been in a cloud of controversy for, pretty much, his entire NHL career.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Game Five: Lightning Strikes in the Same Place Twice
Those who say lightning never strikes in the same place twice...they haven't watched the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning only needed Ross Colton's 2nd period goal, and Andrei Vasilevskiy being a brick wall yet again to capture their third Stanley Cup in franchise history, and their second straight. Vasilevskiy captured the Conn Smythe Trophy, and it was definitely earned. His numbers in this year's playoffs: 16-7, five shutouts (three of them in the Stanley Cup Semifinals and Final), a .930 save percentage, and a GAA of 1.90. WOW! That's supernatural goaltending!
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Game Four: Brooms Broken
The Tampa Bay Lightning entered this game knowing that a win would give them their second straight Stanley Cup. Their game plan was to dominate and take this game so they can hoist the Cup once again. While the Stanley Cup was at the Bell Center, however, the hometown Montréal Canadiens had other plans. The game did not start well for the Habs, as it was all Lightning when it came to shots on goal. Despite this, it remained scoreless until Josh Anderson's wrister beat Andrei Vasilevskiy 15:39 into the first period, and for the first time in the entire series, the Canadiens had the lead.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
