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.
Game Three: One Win Away
June 9, 1993. The Montréal Canadiens defeat the Los Angeles Kings by a score of 4-1 in Game Five of the Stanley Cup Final, earning them their NHL-record 24th Stanley Cup. Not only did that day mark the last time a Canadian franchise won the Stanley Cup, but it was also the last time a Stanley Cup Final game was played in Montréal, until Game Three of this year's affair. For the first time in this year's playoffs, the Canadiens' backs were up against the wall. With no answer for Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Canadiens find themselves in a 2-0 hole for the first time in this year's playoffs, and they were looking to bounce back in front of their home crowd.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Game Two: Vasilevskiy Takes Over
Game Two of this year's Stanley Cup Final was a milestone: it was the final NHL game for the NBC Sports Network, known to us puckheads as NBCSN. This year's Stanley Cup Final will mark the end of NBC's relationship with the NHL, which began in the 2005-06 season--the first season back from a season crippling lockout. The coverage included games on what was then known as the Outdoor Life Network (OLN), which later changed its name to Versus until converting to the NBC Sports Network on January 2, 2012. The cable channel aired games on Mondays and Tuesdays, and later added Wednesdays and Sundays as part of their schedule beginning in 2012. NBCSN also aired Stanley Cup Playoff games along with NBC's other networks, and always shared coverage of the Stanley Cup Final with NBC, who will air the rest of the Final from this point on.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Game One: Defending Champs Win Big
I absolutely love the Stanley Cup Final, no matter who is in it. My reasons are many, but among them is the prestige of the event. While I always know that the Stanley Cup Final means the end of another hockey season, it is a spectacular end. It is the end result of a long and grueling season played out by 31 teams (32 starting next season), with only two left standing facing each other in a best-of-seven series to determine who will hoist Lord Stanley's Cup. After all was said and done, the two teams left standing were the Tampa Bay Lightning (the defending Stanley Cup Champions) and the Montréal Canadiens, who are actually in the same division.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: One Game
The Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Islanders played a very thrilling and very captivating seven game Stanley Cup Semifinal series. It was close, nail-biting, and productive in many, many ways, but when the dust finally settled, it was the Lightning who emerged victorious. For the Islanders, this marked the second straight year that they were ousted by the Lightning in Round 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but it took everything the Bolts had to defeat the Islanders.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Two Perspectives of What Went Wrong: What Golden Knights Fans Will Say vs The Truth
The Vegas Golden Knights, for the second straight year, were eliminated in the third round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This time, it was the Montréal Canadiens who ousted them, a six game elimination that was sealed with a 3-2 overtime loss. This also marks the third straight season where the Golden Knights were eliminated in an overtime game, and the second straight year that they were ousted by a team with Corey Perry on it (Perry was with the Dallas Stars last season).
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
An Address to Any and All Avalanche Fans
What was supposed to be a dream season for the Colorado Avalanche came to an abrupt end, as the team was ousted in six games by the Vegas Golden Knights in the West Division Final. The Avalanche, who captured the Presidents' Trophy this season, won the first six games of the playoffs, but Game Two saw the Avalanche win despite the Golden Knights starting to take over the remainder of the game. Colorado's next two games would see them lose complete momentum against the Knights, resulting in back-to-back road losses, and while Game Five saw them go up 2-0 entering the third period, the Knights came back in the third and won in overtime. Game Six? The Avalanche tried, but mistakes and miscues were the team's downfall.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: Is the Bruins' Window Closed?
The Boston Bruins suffered a blowout loss--6-2--against the New York Islanders in Game Six of the East Division Final, handing the team their 2nd-straight second round elimination since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2019. The loss and elimination means that the Bruins have now gone a full decade since winning the Stanley Cup in the 2010-11 season--a drought that has seen the Bruins reach the Final twice, losing to the Chicago Blackhawks (six games) in 2013, and losing to the St. Louis Blues (seven games) in 2019.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: Hurricanes Ousted in Five by Defending Champions
The Carolina Hurricanes boasted a loaded lineup that got them first place in the makeshift Central Division this season, and while it was enough to beat the Nashville Predators, it wasn't enough against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Central Division Final. The Hurricanes' 2-0 shutout loss to the defending Stanley Cup Champions on Tuesday ended their season; a five-game loss to the Lightning that saw the Hurricanes suffer three of their losses on home ice. This is their third straight postseason following a drought of nine seasons; 2019 saw them reach the Eastern Conference Final and get swept by the Bruins, and 2020 saw the Hurricanes sweep the Rangers in the Qualifying Round, only to lose to the Bruins in Round 1 in the Toronto bubble.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: Jets Swept Out of Elite Eight
The North Division was the last to complete the opening round of this year's playoffs, but they were the first to crown a playoff division champion, as the Winnipeg Jets ended up swept by the Montréal Canadiens in the North Division Final. The Jets swept the Edmonton Oilers to advance, but when it came to the Canadiens, the Jets couldn't handle the team who was coming off a comeback series win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. While this is still an improvement over last year, and also exceeded expectations for them in the playoffs, it is still a disappointing end for a strong team.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
A Heartfelt Message to Maple Leafs Fans
To any and all fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs: I am sorry. I am so, so very sorry. I am sorry that you have to suffer so much heartbreak year after year after year. I'm sorry that a team as amazingly talented as the Leafs seem to get snakebit in the playoffs on a perennial basis. I'm sorry that fans of teams who aren't half as good as the Leafs have the temerity to make jokes at their expense and mockingly say "1967," even though their teams haven't won anything at all. And most of all, I am so sorry that you had to witness yet another playoff disappointment, especially since this year's team was the best in the last 20 years.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: Wild Lose Seven-Game Thriller to Golden Knights
The Minnesota Wild's series with the Vegas Golden Knights began with a 1-0 overtime win for the Wild in Game One. They lost the next three, but with their backs to the wall, they took Games Five and Six, getting a shutout in the latter, but when it came to the pivotal Game Seven, the Wild stayed in it as long as they could, but they couldn't stop the Knights' onslaught. The Wild's season came to an end, but look at their three wins. Two of them (Games One and Five) were in Vegas, two of them (Games One and Six) were shutout, and the Game Five win came despite being outshot by a near 3-1 disadvantage (40-14).
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: Predators Eliminated by Hurricanes
The Nashville Predators put up an amazing effort in their series against the Carolina Hurricanes, but it still wasn't enough, as Sebastian Aho's overtime goal in Game Six ended the Predators' season. This was a series that was very close after the first two games were dominated by the Hurricanes, as the next four saw a combined 74:13 of overtime played. Nashville's two wins came in double overtime, leading the Hurricanes to score quickly in the last two extra frames to finish off the Predators.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
