Will Garth's new main man be a Maine man?

OK, so Ted Nolan is out at the Mausoleum, and the Islanders need a new coach.

Let's deal with the first half of the statement: Supposedly, the issue was that Garth Snow thought the Isles were underachieving, and Ted didn't think he had enough talent to work with. Much as I'm no fan of Ted Nolan, I think it's pretty obvious who wins that argument.

Now, as for who gets the job. Write this down: John Tortorella.

Unlike Ted Nolan, who has shenanigans on his résumé involving the University of Maine (remember the Simon Danis-Pepin affair when Ted was at Moncton?), John actually went to the University of Maine, like Garth Snow. It also helps that Torts has a Stanley Cup on his résumé. I also think it's kind of funny that Ted didn't get pushed out the door on the Island until Torts was fired by Tampa.

It's a fairly obvious move for the Isles, but is it the right move? Torts isn't known for his patience with his players, and with a young lineup, whoever takes the reins on the Island will need a lot of patience. Bob Hartley, late of the Thrashers, may be a more natural choice, having both a Calder Cup and a Stanley Cup to his name with the Hershey Bears and the Avalanche, respectively.

Still, I think the Old (Orono) Boys Network is going to make it happen on the Island.

And since I brought up Simon Danis-Pepin, let's finish up with talk about who is changing where he plays his amateur hockey: Patrick Wiercioch, who changed his commitment from Wisconsin to Denver. I really don't have much of a problem with this. For him to be able to play at Wisconsin would involve putting off his college hockey, and probably, by extension, his pro career. Given the potential for injury in the sport, there's a limit to the amount of waiting that a young prospect should do at the junior level, where you're not getting your college education and you're not getting paid. If Wiercioch is ready now to play college hockey, he should be playing, and Mike Eaves should understand that. And if he's going to go someplace else, I'm glad that it's Denver, where they had a tough situation with David Carle.

And by the way, speaking of Carle, I love the new Lightning owner Oren Koules...good guy for drafting David Carle, and I think it was cool that the Lightning traded for Matt. And of course, I'm happy to see Barry Melrose back behind the bench.

Finally, a fond farewell to Ryan Hollweg, traded to the Maple Leafs, where he could resume his fine chemistry with Dominic Moore (recall the OHM line with Jed Ortmeyer in 2005-06), in exchange for a fifth-round pick. With the additions of Dan Fritsche, Pat Rissmiller, and Aaron Voros, not to mention the potential return of Brendan Shanahan (who's best suited to a third/fourth line role at this point in his career, plus special teams time), something had to give, and Hollweg, with his tendency for taking bad penalties, was the obvious choice. That said, I'll miss "Hollywood," with his personality and style (check out his pics from the Rangers' Casino Night), and I'll always remember that when the Canucks came to the Garden in December '05, he was the one who stepped up and fought that worthless scumbag Todd Bertuzzi. His brother, Bryce, is moving on after completing his career at Army, and Ryan is now moving on, too. So long, Hollywood, and thanks for the memories.

New Looks

Looks like my concerns about the Rangers were mostly unfounded. The team's acquisitions, for the most part, seem to make sense. The Rangers may have overpaid for Wade Redden, but he fills a definite need for the Blueshirts as a No. 1 defenseman and a quarterback on the power play.

The biggest concern I have is that the Rangers will be relying on Nikolai Zherdev for a lot of offense next season, and of all the adjectives that could be used to describe Zherdev, "reliable" is not necessarily one of them.

I like the signing of Markus Naslund. Yes, he's on the back end of his career, but so is Brendan Shanahan, and he's been a real asset to the Rangers the last couple of years. Besides, he's getting the $4 million per year that Sean Avery wanted, and if I have to choose between two years of Naslund and four of Avery - much as I like Avery - I take Naslund. He's a leader and a veteran, and he'll produce more than Avery without wearing out his welcome in the locker room. All that for less than the Oilers are paying Dustin Penner (speaking of which, memo to Gary Bettman: let Kevin Lowe and Brian Burke have at each other all they want. It's summer, we need the entertainment).

And yes, I know that Avery was a vital part of the Rangers' chemistry the last couple of years, but this is going to be a different team. Jaromir Jagr is gone to Avangard Omsk of the KHL, Martin Straka is playing in the Czech Republic, and we still don't know if Brendan Shanahan is coming back (probably not). This is going to be a different team, and if we're lucky, it won't be a team that needs Sean Avery in the lineup for the other guys to play like they give a hoot.

As Jagr goes "To Russia with Love," Ray Emery is going to Russia with glove, signing for $2 million, tax-free, with Atlant Mytishchi, also in the KHL. So, basically, with the exception of Jagr, who decided that exile in Siberia was preferable to Edmonton, the major KHL acquisitions out of the NHL are, for all intents and purposes, real exiles.

Of course, Emery only signed a one-year deal with Atlant, so he may be back someday soon. Still, when I think of Emery, and the fact that I am sorry to see him go, I'll always be reminded of this classic.



Of course, with Emery going to the suburbs of Moscow, he won't be going to Los Angeles, where I anticipated him being a holdover until Jeff Zatkoff is ready for the NHL. They may still go with Gatorade pitchman and "yo mama" joke master Jason LaBarbera, although it could also be a destination for Nikolai Khabibulin, whom the Blackhawks will likely need to move with Cristobal Huet coming on board. Of course, the Kings still need a coach, too.

Finally, while I'm digging into YouTube, it is my opinion that every WCHA arena with video capacity - except the Kohl Center, of course - should make this clip a regular part of programming when Wisconsin comes to town.

Here comes the money...

So, yesterday was my day off, and NHL free agency began. How did I mark the occasion? I slept until 3:30.

(In my defence - oh geez, "defence?" Reading TheHockeyNews.com is getting to me - I worked until 4AM last night, then went to the gym to pass the time until my 5:40 AM train).

Anyway, starting with the Rangers, the fate of Jaromir Jagr remains unknown. The interesting thing is the involvement of the Penguins, although I have doubts about how much Jagr actually wants to play in Pittsburgh again.

One way or another, I think things should happen pretty quickly with Marian Hossa landing in Detroit. HockeyOverstock.com has a great deal on Jagr replica jerseys right now, so if he stays in New York, I just might have to get one.

Meanwhile, the Rangers have made some nice moves already, headlined, of course, by Wade Redden. Redden will give the Rangers a real No. 1 defenseman and a quarterback on the power play, both of which the Blueshirts have sorely needed, and he'll be a good mentor to the Rangers' young D like Marc Staal, Bobby Sanguinetti and Dan Girardi. I also like the signing of Pat Rissmiller - nice to have Holy Cross' contribution to the NHL on the roster - and former Alaska Nanook Aaron Voros should fit in nicely as well.

Meanwhile, I now have to bid farewell to Sean Avery. It's not like we didn't know this was coming, and if he had to go somewhere, I'm happy for it to be someplace like Dallas, where it's not going to bite the Rangers too hard. Last night, it occurred to me that the Islanders might get him - they'd give him the money he wants because they have to overpay anyway, and he could still be close to New York and his society and fashion circles - but if he wants to go to Dallas, then I suppose I'll just say, "Thank you and Zach Bless." I guess the Stars make enough trips through

I think the Rangers will be OK without Avery. For all my talk about the Attitude ADJustment Line, Dubinsky and Jagr seemed to have the real connection there, as Jagr kept it up when Avery came off that line late in the season. Of course, the Rangers need to re-sign Jagr now, since most of the other options are off the table. And to be honest, as lukewarm as I was to the idea of signing Mats Sundin, if it's what the Rangers have to do to keep Jagr, then fine, as long as it's not some ridiculous multi-year deal. I'm still not sure it'd work, but I like the idea of having both Jagr and Sundin better than not having either of them.

In other news, I like what the Oilers and Blackhawks have done. Chicago, in particular, got the big blueline prize in Brian Campbell and a hell of a young goaltender in Cristobal Huet. With all due respect to Nikolai Khabibulin, he's on the tail end of his career, and Chicago should have a goalie who's going to be part of this team for the long run with this group of Kane, Toews, Jack Skille, etc. I like the young nucleus that Chicago has, and it should be a nice group together for the league to show off in the Outdoor Classic against the Red Wings.

Edmonton, meanwhile, gets scoring punch from the blueline with Lubomir Visnovsky - imagine how he'll look with Sheldon Souray on the power play - and Erik Cole should fit in nicely with the Oilers' forwards, and the young forwards like Andrew Cogliano and Sam Gagner will benefit from his Stanley Cup experience.

Finally, how about that Kings d-corps? Jack Johnson, Matt Greene, and Drew Doughty with Rob Blake as the elder statesman and mentor...that team is going to be nasty to play against. Sean Avery may want to watch his behavior in LA when he comes through with the Stars...

More to come, of course...let's hope it includes comments on Jagr re-signing.

Will They Ever Learn?

Of course, there's been plenty of activity since the draft, leading up to the July 1 start of free agency. Personally, I'm not looking forward to it all that much.

For starters, I'm very sorry to see the likely end of the Sean Avery era in New York. I'm going to try not to hate his guts when he goes back to another team, but if he goes to another team I am favorably disposed to - i.e. the Blues, Panthers, etc. - that should make it easier. I think it's most likely that Avery winds up back in his old stomping grounds in Los Angeles. Other than New York, I think it's the only city that really offers Avery the kind of life that he wants to have, including his new celebrity stylist business.

By the way, I also think Los Angeles is a sensible destination for the recently bought-out Ray Emery. The Kings are high on Jeff Zatkoff from what I've heard after a strong debut in Manchester following the college season, but he's obviously not going to step right into the NHL. Emery is a proven goaltender who can get hold down the fort until Zatkoff is ready, by which time Emery will have likely worn out his welcome in the locker room anyway. I have no idea if the Kings are thinking about this as I am, but it would make sense.

But enough about the Kings. The main thing I'm not looking forward to is seeing the Rangers make a play for Mats Sundin. Same old Rangers, going for the big name because they think that's what it takes. Just wait until it turns out Sundin and Jaromir Jagr have no chemistry and Brandon Dubinsky comes back to the top line, leaving Sundin centering the second line, Scott Gomez on the third, and - get this - Chris Drury on the fourth line. ARGH!

Of course, the other development, the one that's been getting most of the talk, is the hiring of Barry Melrose as the new coach of the Lightning. I think it's a great hire. Barry is being talked about as a players' coach, in contrast to John Tortorella, which should proabably make for a nice change and a sizable "new coach bump."

It's great for Barry, too. It's one thing to be ESPN's lead NHL commentator when you actually have NHL games. It's another entirely when the Mouse isn't doing games. Of course, his years with ESPN will instantly make him the second-most recognizable coach in the NHL (Wayne Gretzky, obviously, being No. 1 on that list).

It's also fairly obvious that since Barry and his mullet will no longer be calling college games for ESPN-U, and can no longer be considered part of college hockey, Don Lucia is left with an undisputed claim to the college game's most talked about hair.

Hey, I had to...

Uh Oh...

With the 40th pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, the New York Islanders select Aaron Ness.

Something tells me that Don Lucia will be adding Just For Men to his list of hair care products.

A Disconcerting Level of Content Devoted to Other Sports...and the Draft

I have a recommendation for the new owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Actually, I have several, not the least of which is that Barry Melrose should be hired as head coach on the condition that he keeps wearing those suits on the bench. However, this one concerns a new potential season ticketholder.

See, since Eldrick Woods is going to have a lot of time on his hands in Florida while he rehabs his knee, I think the new ownership should offer him season tickets, so that he can have something nicer to say the next time someone asks him about hockey (If I'm not mistaken, the Lightning are the closest NHL franchise to his home in Florida).

Now, don't get me wrong. I don't wish ill on Eldrick, I'm not celebrating his injury at all, and his performance this weekend was remarkable, to say the least. However, as long as he continues to show disrespect to hockey, he can suffer the small indignity of my calling him by his given name.

Moving on, there's been some talk lately on TV about Becky Hammon (a former guest commentator with my former employer) choosing to suit up for Russia in the Olympics when USA Basketball bungled things up (given what I've seen of the U.S. women's hockey program, I'm shocked, shocked that a U.S. sport federation could bungle something like that).

Now, while I'm sure that Bill Simmons is likely to compare this situation to Sgt. Slaughter becoming an Iraqi sympathizer in 1990-91 leading up to Wrestlemania VII - not that there's anything wrong with that; I'd enjoy reading that column - I'm reminded of one of my favorite athletes that I had an opportunity to work with when I was at CSTV: Nicole Corriero.

Nicole, as you may recall, is a tremendously talented player, who holds the NCAA single-season record for goals. She also has one of the best senses of humor I've ever seen, as exemplified by this article from the Harvard Crimson her senior year. She also has the ability to do something that I never thought possible: she got me to root for Harvard (yes, when I covered the 2005 Women's Frozen Four, deep down, I was hoping for Harvard to beat Minnesota during the championship game, but apparently, Harvard only wins when I don't want it to happen).

But anyway, I wrote this article about Nicole in 2005, and if you read it, you'd be inclined to agree that Nicole got as raw a deal from Hockey Canada as Becky Hammon got from USA Basketball, if not more so. She also had much more of a case to play for Team Italy at the Torino Olympics than Becky has to play for Russia. However, she chose not to.

In addition to being talented, funny, and charming, Nicole Corriero is a class act all the way. I can't say the same of Becky Hammon.

Of course, the Russians I should probably be writing about are Nikita Filatov and the other prospects who will be selected in this weekend's NHL Draft. I had previously written that I expected the Kings to take Filatov, but that was based on the lack of star forward prospects, and the Kings will likely be drafting for impact, which makes it more likely that they'll get one of the big defensemen to join JMFJ in the d-corps.

I was reminded by this by reading the excellent NHL Draft Preview materials over at Hockey's Future. I highly recommend D.J. Powers' article on the top current collegians available for the draft, particularly since she's been great at picking players who get drafted despite not appearing on the Central Scouting rankings (Ryan Maki comes to mind). There's also a very handy list of the college commitments of draft-eligible players, which I wish I'd had last year when I covered the draft for CSTV.

HF also has the Rangers going for a blueliner, and that sounds about right. The problem is that unless the Rangers trade up, there's not too much that they can do with this pick in terms of the 2008-09 season. They still probably go D, but I wouldn't be surprised to see them trade the pick, either to move up and get someone who can help immediately (because the blueline needs help), or to move down, get the player they want, and have an extra shot at getting the next Ryan Callahan or Nigel Dawes.

Finally, it's also been reported that the Rangers have shown interest in Blake Wheeler. I think Blake would be a great fit, as a hardworking winger who can get physical when the situation calls for it. Having interviewed Blake a couple of times, I also think he'd do well with the New York media. Plus, it'd be the best of both worlds for me: the Rangers can acquire a college player without screwing up his signing and development.

Will it happen? We'll have to wait and see.

Who's Gone and Who Isn't

Yeah, yeah, the Wings won the Cup. Congratulations to them. The Penguins, of course will be back...I always figured they were more Edmonton '83 than Edmonton '84.

And happy trails to Dominik Hasek and Trevor Linden, who have announced their retirements. Both are great players, and both have much to be proud of in their careers as they move on.

Speaking of moving on...I should do the same.

Well then...

So, it would appear that Don Waddell, if he was ever in danger of losing his job in Atlanta, is off the hook. It may be that the Chicago Wolves' victory over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for the Calder Cup has gotten him off the hook for now, but it'll be interesting to see how that progresses.

Don is one of college hockey's best friends in the NHL, and I hope he can stay in a position of power somewhere in the league. We need more NHL executives with his attitude toward the college game.

Meanwhile, as Waddell tries to find the Thrashers' next coach, Marc Crawford is now available, having been let go as the Kings' head coach. Not that I'm expecting him to turn up in Atlanta, mind you, but it just seemed like a logical connection.

It'll be interesting to see what the Kings do here, as this is a young team that has potential to make a move. I like a lot of the Kings' young talent, and in the case of some of them, I mean that personally. Brian Boyle is one of my favorite players I had the opportunity to work with at CSTV, and Jack Johnson is one I've always regretted not interviewing (although I mostly consider it his fault for blowing off the Junior Evaluation Camp, twice). I also like the talent they have coming up, although it doesn't look like they have a true franchise player on the way at forward. Remember that if you see the Kings go for Nikita Filatov in the draft.

The problem, of course, is that the Western Conference is brutal right now, especially in the Pacific division with the Stars, Sharks and Ducks very strong, and the Coyotes also on the rise with a young team.

I'd be interested to see what Mark Morris, the head coach of LA's AHL club in Manchester, could do there. Given the success that Michel Therrien has had in Pittsburgh after being promoted from the Baby Pens, and the Capitals' Southeast Division title this year under former Hershey coach Bruce Boudreau, this could definitely be the right move for LA.

I had several conversations with Dean Lombardi and Ron Hextall when I was at CSTV, and I like what I heard from them, and I'm hoping that they make a good decision here and can get that franchise on the right track.

Does anyone else find it odd, by the way, that this has been a very quiet off-season so far on the coaching carousel? Just the one change at Alaska. Personally, I'd been sort of expecting a domino effect starting in the CCHA and extending through Hockey East and ECAC Hockey, but it appears that that won't be happening.

I'm being vague on purpose, because I've met so few people in college hockey that I haven't liked, and having been through unemployment recently myself, I don't speculate on other people's employment situations lightly. That said, I told several people to expect said chain - I may have even told them to write it down - and now, I'm going to have some egg on my face.

Oh well, it's OK...after all, I'm not making a career on my hockey musings anymore.

Finally, there's a lot of talk in the outdoor game department lately. Obviously, the big talk is of the Outdoor Classic at Wrigley, but I'm wondering why the NHL hasn't made an official announcement yet. Could Yankee Stadium still be in the mix? I'm still holding out hope until there's an official announcement, since they're not tearing down Wrigley anytime soon.

In the college ranks, they're talking about Minnesota and Wisconsin playing a pair of outdoor games in the next two years, one at Camp Randall and one at the Gophers' new football stadium. The obligatory joke about Don Lucia's hair has already been made, so I'll just say, "Bring it on." I really liked Camp Randall when I had occasion to cover a football game there in 2006 (it was against Illinois in the middle of the Wisconsin-BC hockey series), and as for Minnesota, well, when you talk about kids growing up playing on ponds and backyard rinks, what state better epitomizes that than Minnesota? And since I don't see the Wild being picked to host an Outdoor Classic in the near future - my guess is that they're going to go for classic venues like Wrigley, Yankee Stadium, Fenway, etc. for the next little while - this is something that ought to be done in Minnesota.

Trophy Season

For starters, here's a Sean Avery update. He was at something that calls itself the Fifi Awards a couple of weeks ago, and he arrived with Vera Wang, who, as I understand it, is kind of a big deal.

As for the people who are still playing, we'll see if the Wings can do any better a job closing out the Penguins than they did with the Stars. I've been keeping an eye on the last couple of games from the office, and I've got a feeling that the Pens aren't done just yet. I think Detroit will win the series, I'm just not convinced that it's happening tonight.

Meanwhile, I ducked into the NHL Store yesterday - where I know I can see the NHL Network - to look in on the Calder Cup final between the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and the Chicago Wolves. I could be happy with whoever wins, since both teams have Dartmouth alums on them - Ben Lovejoy and Nick Johnson on the Baby Pens, Grant Lewis on the Wolves - but since Lewis hasn't been playing lately (anyone who follows the Thrashers or the A know what's up with that?), I've been pulling more for WBS (especially with all-time All-Rink Rat goaltender John Curry in the nets). I was there to see the Baby Pens' two goals, but I had to get to work not too long after that. The Wolves won, winning the first two games at home. We'll see if Curry, Lovejoy, Johnson and the rest of the Baby Pens are any better at bouncing back after losing the first two than the parent club.

Meanwhile, back in the college ranks, the biggest surprise of late would be UMass recruit John Carlson opting to go to London of the OHL. Why is it always London?

Of course, one of the reasons a player goes major junior is when he's very close to being ready for the NHL, so even if the player went to college, he'd be a likely "one and done," and the value of that kind of player to a program like UMass - which is trying to build a consistently strong program over time - is limited.

Still, I'd like to know why it is that when a college player opts for the OHL instead, it's almost always London. I tried to ask them about that when I was at CSTV, but they really didn't want to talk. Just saying...

Finally, on a much more important note, I'm walking this Saturday in the American Foundation For Suicide Prevention's "Out of the Darkness" walk in New York City, where I'll be walking 20 miles overnight. I'm also responsible for raising $1000, which I haven't quite done yet. If you can donate, any donation you make is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law, and you can donate online. Here's the link:

http://www.theovernight.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=extranet.personalpage&confirmid=10009276

Thanks for any help you folks can give.

Trophies, Trophies, Trophies...and the Draft

You know, I've never been a huge fan of the NCAA's trophies - they kind of bore me, and I wish they'd give something at the Frozen Four that was a bit more unique - but at least the damn thing doesn't fall apart.

(Seriously, you know my take on major junior: different routes are best for different people. I just want everyone to have all the information they need to make the right decision.)

Speaking of championships, I haven't seen a lick of the Stanley Cup Finals so far. I work nights now, and the office doesn't get Versus. Thankfully, with the series moving to NBC tonight, I'll have my eye on things.

The best news so far, from where I sit, is that the ratings are up. Isn't it amazing what happens when the matchup isn't Secondary Canadian Market vs. Warm Weather City Where No One Cares? Seriously, as the Penguins finished off the Flyers in the last game I saw, I couldn't help but think of the sign above the entrance to the Penguins' locker room at Mellon Arena bearing Badger Bob Johnson's immortal "It's a great day for hockey!" quote.

The NHL is clearly getting what it wants here, and if NBC can spend some time with members of Chris Chelios' Malibu Mob - getting past the fact that Scrubs and John C. McGinley are moving to ABC - so much the better.

By the way, the Malibu Mob has to be one of the coolest things I've heard of all year, if only because my favorite movie actor (Cusack) and favorite TV actor (McGinley...although he was also in Office Space, which is awesome) are part of it, and I'm also a big fan of Kid Rock, who appears to be on the verge of joining. I think I officially have something to dream about: get rich, buy a place in Malibu, and join them.

However, on the more immediate - and real - horizon, I'm starting to look at what I'm going to be able to see in person next season. At the moment, I'm working a Thursday-Monday week, so as the schedules come out, I'm looking to see who's playing Tuesday night games that I can get to easily. UMass at RPI, RPI at Harvard, Holy Cross at BU, Providence at BU, Providence at Brown, Harvard at Brown...you get the idea. In other words, if you thought I was an "East Coast tool" or an "East Coast homer" before (holla if you hear me, SiouxSports.com message board), well, it's about to get worse.

Actually, since I plan on keeping up my Hobey Baker blogging with USCHO (among other things), I will probably take the plunge on a sports package to watch the FSN-North and FSN Detroit games (and maybe even the Big Ten Network, although I'm not sure if that's included). Heretofore, I'd never seen the point, because:

1) CSTV was not included in the package.
2) I was never home on game nights anyway.
3) It involved giving more money to Cablevision.

I have serious issues with Cablevision, and while they largely stem from the fact that they don't carry my former employer, I also have more general issues with Jim Dolan, a card-carrying member of the Lucky Sperm Club who has managed to screw up everything he touches, most notably the New York Knicks, although includes the Rangers, which needed the lockout and resulting salary cap to change the organization's philosophy on developing talent. Moreover, I have a feeling that Dolan does untoward things with farm animals, because the only possible explanation I can think of for Isiah Thomas' continued employment is that Zeke has photographs of such activiites taking place.

In fact, I actually considered not getting cable service at all when I moved out of the parents' place, and getting by with online streaming and iTunes and such, but then I realized I was going to be buying Rangers tickets anyway, so it was really kind of a stupid and futile gesture. Besides, as my financial future is no longer tied to a network that Cablevision may or may not choose to carry, I don't really see the point anymore (except for the whole farm animal thing).

Finally, bringing it back to hockey, I bought a copy of the Hockey News' draft preview, and I haven't finished with it yet, but at the moment, I have one main question: when did Steven Stamkos become a Greek god? I thought depth was the big thing this year, not a Crosby or an Ovechkin at the top, and that Stamkos would be a distant No. 2 in this draft if John Tavares had been born a week later. Guess I haven't been paying as close attention as I ought.

On the bright side, there aren't nearly as many disparaging comments about the college track this year as I saw in last year's issue, which may well mean they stopped using the scout who was saying such nasty things, although there is one shot at the USHL in their blurb on John Carlson (and even that had more to do with perception than reality). Nothing really major to report, except that BU's Colin Wilson is ranked No. 7 and Wisconsin's Cody Goloubef is No. 42, those two being the only current collegians in the Top 100.

Oh, and one last thing: Lee Stempniak was listed as the Blues' shrewdest pick of the last 10 years. Hell Yeah!

Guys Who Aren't Well-Liked

Memo to Chris Simon: Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out of the country. Now if only we could find a way to exile Jesse Boulerice and Steve Downie to Siberia as well (and yes, I know that it's actually Avangard Omsk that's in Siberia). I, for one, will still be chanting "Simon sucks" instead of "Potvin sucks" when the whistles start up at the Garden (I've always thought it better to yell about someone who actually did something dirty).

Speaking of the Garden, one of its most controversial denizens - for hockey, anyway - Sean Avery is now in his second week as an intern at Vogue. There have been a few news items about this, although the best comes from a publication that I probably won't ever link to from this blog again - Women's Wear Daily.

Personally, I wonder whether Avery's presence in New York this summer increases his chances of re-signing with the Rangers. Personally, I want him back in blue this fall. I think his presence really helps the Rangers, of course, but you don't have to be a genius to figure that out, just look at the team's record with and without him since the trade.

That said, I think Sean Avery is one of the most fascinating athletes to hit New York in some time. I mean, seriously. He's not just the guy who gets under opponents' skin. He's also the guy who challenges his teammates when they don't hold up their end (see his fight in practice with Marek MaWEAK this season). He's the guy who has significant passions outside sports (like Ricky Williams without the pot). He's the guy who transcends sports into society circles. And yes, he's the guy who takes an internship at Vogue.

In the end, though, Avery is mainly the guy that half the NHL wants to kill, because, by all accounts, he's an ass. Now, I won't deny that, having seen him breeze through a crowd of post-game autograph seekers outside the Garden, when Brendan Shanahan stopped and signed for everyone (I myself have three Shanahan autographs from this season: a ticket, my Rangers hat, and a puck from the '99 All Star Game).

All that said, though, if Sean Avery is an ass, he's like Jennifer Lopez's rear end: always attached to a beautiful woman, usually covered by something from a top designer, impossible to ignore, and a major asset to the complete package.

Ideally, I'd end things there, but I feel as if I'd ought to weigh in on the current issue surrounding Don Lucia. Patrick Reusse of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune isn't drinking the Kool-Aid when it comes to Mike Guentzel's resignation, and implies that Guentzel is gone because someone had to take the fall for Minnesota's disappointing season.

That may well be true. However, like Sean Avery and Jennifer Lopez's backside, I have to throw in a BIG "but(t)" here.

That the Gophers made the NCAA tournament this season may not impress the spoiled folks in the Twin Cities who are used to such things (I'd be thrilled for Dartmouth to have had Minnesota's season if it meant getting into the tournament, which the Big Green hasn't done since Bob Gaudet was in goal)...BUT, when you take into account that Minnesota lost a second-round pick (Ryan Stoa) in the second game of the season, lost Kyle Okposo to the pros over the Christmas break, and was without Mike Carman until after the World Juniors. making the NCAA tournament and losing to the eventual national champion is pretty darn impressive.

Can you blame Lucia for Okposo's departure? I don't think so. I think that Kyle wanted to turn pro last summer, and when he was told that he wasn't ready, he sulked being back at the U, especially with his good buddy Erik Johnson gone. If you take a look at his production in the AHL and in his late season call up to the Islanders, it suggests that Kyle's attitude was better suited to being a pro, and I'm not really sure how much Don could have done to change that.

Now, I'm not a huge Don Lucia guy. If you go back and look at my CSTV columns, you see a lot more of Red Berenson, Jack Parker, Jeff Jackson and George Gwozdecky, unless I'm specifically writing about Minnesota. All of that said, getting the Gophers to the tournament this year - especially when it involved winning a WCHA playoff series on the road - may have been his most impressive coaching job since winning his second national championship in 2003. After all, with the way Lucia is able to recruit, he usually has more difficulty getting his hair to look like that than he does making the NCAA tournament (come on, you know I hade to make a hair joke).

So yeah, maybe something needed to happen after last season - although, Jeff Frazee turning pro was good enough a "something," in my opinion - but to be honest, I really don't think Lucia and his staff did that bad a job last season.

Sioux-ner or Later

The big signing this week isn't one we haven't been expecting, as T.J. Oshie is off to join Lee Stempniak and the Blues (and yes, Lee Stempniak gets top billing from me, deal with it). Of course, Oshie was ready to go, and will bypass Peoria completely and make an instant impact with the Blues

I made a comment in my Rink Rat Rankings last season, inspired by the Soulja Boy parody Crank Dat Kosha Boy that someone needed to do something similar with T.J. and write "Crank Dat Oshie Boy." What I never mentioned was that I had the chorus of such a song kicking around in my head, but didn't like the original enough to write the whole thing. Here it is.

Oshie Boy at North DakOOOOOOta
Skating in to score a goal.
Watch him Crank Dat Oshie Boy
Right to the Frozen FOOOOUR
With the SIOUX!!!
(Crank Dat Oshie Boy)
The SIOUX!!!
(Crank Dat Oshie Boy)
With the SIOUX!!!
(Crank Dat Oshie Boy)
The SIOUX!!!
(Crank Dat Oshie Boy)

Now that he's signed, though, you'd have to change it to something like this...

Oshie Boy from North DakOOOOOOta
Skating in to score a goal.
Watch him Crank Dat Oshie Boy
And thrill St. Louis, MO!
For the BLUUUUUUUUUUUES!!!
(Crank Dat Oshie Boy)
For the BLUUUUUUUUUUUES!!!
(Crank Dat Oshie Boy)
For the BLUUUUUUUUUUUES!!!
(Crank Dat Oshie Boy)
For the BLUUUUUUUUUUUES!!!
(Crank Dat Oshie Boy)

If you're curious, I also had a Counting Crows parody about Miami's Ryan Jones that I can post, and I have the makings of a Barenaked Ladies parody about BU's Colin Wilson. If you're interested, post a comment, and I'll see what I can do.

On a more serious note, Oshie's former linemate, Ryan Duncan - also known as the only non-telemarketer ever to call me "Mr. Olshansky" - is staying at North Dakota for his senior season. Ryan has been a class act as long as I've known him, and I think he's making the right decision for his life, and quite possibly for his hockey career as well.

You can make the argument that Duncan is costing himself money in the short term, but the fact of the matter is that barring some awful injury (G-d forbid...wishes for someone's health are important enough to invoke His name), Ryan won't have much different a pro hockey career based on his decision to play this coming season at North Dakota or in the minor leagues (with respect, he's not going straight to the NHL). With that being equal, Ryan is making the right move, because the long-term value of his UND diploma outweighs the difference between his first pro contract were he to sign it now and when he signs it after the season.

Looking forward to seeing Ryan skate for the Sioux again this seeason.

How Would a Red Neck Go With Those Suits?

I have to confess that I haven't been watching much of the conference finals, as my new employment at an undisclosed media outlet (sorry folks, them's the rules) keeps me in the office in the evenings (I'm also becoming very well acquainted with the 24-hour New York Sports Club in the MetLife building), and I haven't checked to see if we get Versus at the office (maybe it's all that "No one can find Versus" propaganda emanating from The Mouse, but I'm not optimistic). However, the progression towards a Pittsburgh-Detroit final is cool with me.

What's also cool with me is seeing Don Cherry contributing to the Mouse. While I'm concerned that the wrong combination of suits from Don and Barry Melrose could cause a few TVs to go on the fritz, I love watching and listening to Don. Of course, he made a splash in his first ESPN appearance by calling Detroit a "redneck town" to explain why the current edition of the Red Wings isn't cleaning up at the box office. The comment didn't sit well in some quarters, but I do understand what Cherry was talking about.

I had a conversation a couple years ago with a scout from the Central Hockey League who's a regular at Princeton games. The first time I met him, we talked about Angela Ruggiero playing with her brother in the Central League, and a little bit about women's hockey in general, more specifically, why Angela's home state of Michigan has eight Division I men's programs (down to seven now, sadly) but only one women's program. The explanation given was that where folks in Minnesota appreciated the amateur/international style with its emphasis on speed, creativity, etc., folks in Michigan prefer the grittier, harder-hitting "old NHL" style. Seems to me like Don was saying the exact same thing, except that he used the word "redneck." And he may have a point.

Moving on, word is that Don Waddell has been asked to step down as GM of the Atlanta Thrashers. If this is the case, I'm sorry to see it. Don has been a great supporter of college hockey among NHL executives, with Dany Heatley being the one college player he signed early (and that Calder Trophy makes it look like that was a good move). I don't know who will take over in Atlanta, but I hope that policy is continued, and it'll be interesting to see if Don's reluctance to sign collegians before they graduate is blamed for Atlanta's lack of success. I hope not.

Finally, good luck to Sean Avery, who starts his career in publishing today as an intern at Vogue. I just want to know if he was in Crawford over the weekend, given the rumors linking him to First Daughter Barbara Bush.

Don't Look Back In Anger

No, this isn't a post about the Rangers' season ending, although I suppose I should say a few things about that too...let's make it quick.

- There was a reason I didn't want to see Pittsburgh in the conference semis. Of course, I also thought it would have been great for the NHL to have Pittsburgh play Washington and have Crosby vs. Ovechkin. However, Pittsburgh has an amazing array of talent, and was truly the better team. If Hossa re-signs this summer, that's going to be one scary team for a long time. Of course, that could be what's needed to elevate the level of talent in the Eastern Conference as a whole, to have teams like the Rangers, Canadiens, etc. chasing Pittsburgh. Whether or not Crosby, Malkin, Sykora, Hossa, Staal et al (heh, that rhymes) raise the Cup this year, they're the best team the East has seen in years, and will be chased in a way that no top eastern team has been chased in years. The better team truly did win.

- Now, all of that said, the fatal flaw of this Rangers team is that the best defenseman was a rookie. You could make an argument that Paul Mara was the best defenseman on the team, I suppose, but Staal is going to be a mainstay on the Rangers' blueline for years. That said, he's not quite there yet. The Rangers could really stand to shore up their blueline this offseason, and while there's going to be a spot for Bobby Sanguinetti (adios, Marek MaWeak), the Rangers need an experienced top four defenseman to balance out the youth of Staal, Sanguinetti and Dan Girardi.

- Finally, a quick note on Jarmoir Jagr. I've been very critical of him in the past, and suggested that it took the youthful energies of Sean Avery and Brandon Dubinsky to make him work. In these playoffs, and the tail end of the regular season, Jagr did more than play like an All-Star. He played like a captain, and if he can play like a captain, then I'd be more than happy to see him spend the last two years of his NHL career in New York.

Now, to the real topic of this post. I'm in my second week of my new employment, and I think that it's finally time for me to write a thing or two about my former employer.

CSTV gave me a tremendous opportunity, and you will never, ever hear me say any different. Not many people get their first job out of college as an editor on a website and wind up producing segments for television, getting opportunities as on-air talent, and getting to any number of other things that I wound up doing in three and a half years there.

More than that, though, CSTV was where I really learned to love college hockey. Covering Dartmouth hockey as a student was fun, and Thompson Arena (STUPID WOODEN BOX and all) will always be home, no matter how many Agganis Arenas and Kohl Centers and Lynah Rinks I've worked in.

However, when I was a student covering Dartmouth hockey, I only saw the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the passion and tradition that makes our college hockey community so special. CSTV gave me the chance to see the fish fly at Lynah, feel the KurtCenter pressbox shake during "The Song" at the Beanpot, try to decipher the "Seeya" chant in Yost Arena (I've read it written down, but I never remember it), learn to sing "In Heaven There Is No Beer" (and for the record, it was in Mankato, at a game against Alaska-Anchorage), and

I also got to hear George Gwozdecky come out of left field (no pun intended) to compare Adrian Veideman to Cesar Tovar, Blaise MacDonald realize that he was watching a major sporting event on TV in Hanover for the first time since the 1986 World Series (and see the Patriots lose the Super Bowl to the Giants minutes later), Jack Parker jokingly question Brandon Yip's assessment of "probably, the biggest goal of my career" after Yip scored the overtime winner against BC for the Hockey East Championship, listen to Rick Comley make a snappy comeback after Tim Kennedy unwittingly call him old, and hear Mike Eaves try to find the right words after Wisconsin won the national championship. I even grew to appreciate some of Don Lucia's posturing, insofar as he was sticking up for his players and/or his program, deserved (defending the quality of the program in the wake of Kyle Okposo's departure) or not (calling Jeff Frazee's career save percentage "good" after the Ice Breaker).

Of course, it's really about the players, and I had the opportunity to work with some really extraordinary ones, on and off the ice. Whether it was Nathan Gerbe scoring a hat trick against BU (with two shorthanded goals, no less), Chris Lawrence winning a national championship in his last game of organized hockey, Eric Ehn becoming the first Hobey Baker finalist from a service academy or Nicole Corriero expressing no regrets about choosing her Harvard education over a future with Hockey Canada, John Curry and Matt Gilroy rising from walk-ons to All-Americans or Danny King getting his one chance to play for Denver - and seriously, I could go on for quite a while - I've been privileged to get to know some tremendous players and tremendous people.

I really have two major regrets about my time at CSTV, and they're kind of tied together.

The first real regret is that when the 2007-08 season began, I had set out to see all 59 men's Division I teams. I sat down with the schedules over the summer, looked at who was playing where and when, and submitted a schedule that would allow me to see all 59 teams. Until the end of January, I was basically on pace. There were some crazy things that I was going to have to do (including taking a train to South Bend to see Notre Dame play Ferris State, then stop in Buffalo on the way back to see Canisius play RIT...and wouldn't that have been an interesting game to see?), but I could have done it.

It was also how I intended to end my time at CSTV. I was going to leave after this year anyway, and wound up starting my new job right around the time I had intended to, only that I hadn't intended to be out of work for two months. It's a silly fantasy, but I had this Willy Wonka type fantasy...you know, "I can't go on forever, and I really don't want to try." There was at least one of the students I met along the way who expressed an interest (unsolicited) in doing what I was doing, and I had hoped that he or someone else would pick up where I left off.

Of course, that's not going to happen. CSTV is now CBS College Sports, and the online presence is obviously going to be different going forward (how different, I'm just not sure). But that said, if things were working as they were, this would be a much different blog post.

I suppose it'll sound hokey, but I felt like I had a mission when I was working for CSTV. There's something a lot more personal in college sports, and having covered football, basketball, baseball, gymnastics, field hockey, lacrosse, softball and wrestling in addition to hockey while I was at CSTV, there's a spirit that transcends the individual sports that was very tied in to what I felt CSTV was all about. To me, that spirit was a big part of what drove CSTV, and to the extent that many of the wonderful people I worked with at CSTV are still there now at CBS College Sports, it will continue to be part of the renamed network. Just not in the same way.

Of course, at the end of the day, no matter how many hockey games are or aren't on CBS College Sports, or what's online, or anything else, that spirit belongs to us. And CSTV allowed me to become part of that us; it's the reason you're reading this right now. That's something I don't ever intend to lose, and it's something that CSTV gave me.

That's a lot for me to try to put into words, and I hope you'll understand why it's taken me this long.

Here We Go Again

As the coaches finish up their meetings in Naples, I too am headed back north, looking forward to starting my new job on Monday. I'm also ready for more Rangers playoff hockey, as the puck drops tonight in Pittsburgh on the Blueshirts' series against the Penguins.

This was the matchup I was least looking forward to, because I feel like Pittsburgh is the toughest matchup remaining in the East where the Rangers are concerned. However, this is hardly impossible, and I would remind the naysayers that the Rangers won the regular-season series. And no, that doesn't mean the Rangers are going to win here. It just means that the Rangers are capable of beating the Penguins.

It's going to be a great series to watch, of course, with lots of starpower on both sides, the big storylines like Jagr vs. the Penguins (and their fans, the Boo-Birds) and Jordan Staal vs. Marc Staal, and two teams that have played good hockey against each other. However, for now, I'd like to look back to Tuesday night.

Yes, the Flyers won, and I hate the Flyers. Yes, Steve Downie played in the win, and I can't stand Steve Downie. However, it was the best NHL game I have ever seen in person. The atmosphere was everything I could have hoped for, right up until the moment when the life was sucked out of the building as the Flyers scored the winner.

And yes, I thought there was goaltender interference on Philly's second goal. In fact, Don Koharski was also officiating when I watched the Wolf Pack's game against the Pirates in Hartford last week, and he was awful then, too. How he got Game 7 of a playoff series is beyond me. Seriously. How does that happen?

(EDIT: My friend Ken Schott up in the Capital District, where the Albany River Rats went to five overtimes last night, pointed out that the Koharski in Hartford was Don's brother, Terry. I mused to Ken that apparently, every incompetent hockey ref has an equally incompetent brother, and called it "Murphy's Law." If you're an ECAC Hockey fan, you know why. Of course, you WCHA folks might have another name in mind.)

But I'm not going to let Don Koharski tarnish my memories of an absolutely amazing experience. The energy in the building was truly amazing, and Alex Ovechkin is a marvel to behold in person. His goal to tie the game in the second period...wow. Of course, one person I know is quite happy the Capitals lost because Ovechkin is now available to play in the World Championship (and with alll due respect to Tim Thomas, I have a feeling that we're really going to miss Rick DiPietro this year for the US...good to see Lee Stempniak getting another call, though).

I got my first practice giving the "Maaaaarty...Maaaaaarty" chant to Martin Biron, because we're going to need someone else to pick on once we start chanting "Faaaaaaaaatso....Faaaaaaaaaaatso" at Martin Brodeur, and the Caps fans next to me liked it. I think they may pick it up.

Cristobal Huet is also a fun goalie to get behind. I was even able to get a few people in my section to sing "Huet, Huet Huet Huet, Huet, Huet," soccer-style. That's one thing I'd love to see them add, especially during penalty kills (a nod to BU there). Also, as long as they're going to make "Rock the Red" into a big slogan, they might want to lift the Cornell/RPI practice of shouting out "RED" during the national anthem at the appropriate point. Then again, does anyone else find it funny that a hockey team starring Ovechkin, Semin, Fedorov and Kozlov is wearing red and playing in our nation's capital? Just saying.

OK, my BoltBus is about to reach the stop (for the record, I highly recommend it for travel between New York, Washington, Philly and Boston), so I'm going to end it here.

LET'S GO RANGERS!

Ducking Into The Phone Booth

Greetings from the Bolt Bus, everyone!

I'm heading down to Washington to visit some friends for a few days before I start my new job. Actually, I'd been planning this trip for a couple of weeks anyway, since my beloved New York Mets make their first visit to Nationals Park on Wednesday and Thursday, and I've been wanting to visit my friends in DC for a while. However, one of the things I did after I got my new job was buy a ticket for Game 7 of the Caps-Flyers series, just in case it went to a Game 7.

For a while, it looked as if all I did was pay Ticketmaster a convenience charge for absolutely nothing, but instead, I get to witness my very first Game 7 in person tonight at the Phone Booth. In addition, I also get to watch Alex Ovechkin in person for the first time tonight, and I visit my seventh different NHL team's home game this season (the other six: Rangers, Islanders, Devils, Bruins, Wild, and Lightning).

It's good to be able to take in a Stanley Cup Playoff game in person, especially a Game 7, since I wasn't about to pay the ridiculous marked-up price at the Garden (I'm pretty sure Isiah Thomas is to blame for that, because MSG is trying to make up for all the Knicks tickets they couldn't sell). Then again, it's not like I haven't had my fill of hockey in the last week.

Last Thursday, I drove out to Hartford to watch Hugh Jessiman and Mike Ouellette play for the Wolf Pack in their Calder Cup playoff game against the Portland Pirates. It was a good game, but unfortunately, the Pack lost 3-2 in double overtime. The truth is, there shouldn't have been a need for overtime, but Ouellette's would-be game-winner was neutralized when the referee missed a high stick to Mike's throat, and the Pirates tied the game on that same shift. The Pirates won both games in Portland over the weekend, meaning the Pack will need to win three straight to advance.

The next night, I went to the Ziegfeld Theater for the Rangers' Game 5 viewing party. It was fun to watch that game in the company of other fans, singing along with the Rangers' goal song when the team scored, joining the chants of "Maaaaaaaaaaaarty," and generally taking part in the atmosphere that comes from a large crowd of hockey fans.

Oh, and on the Big Handshake Snub: Truth be told, I don't entirely blame Martin Brodeur for not shaking Avery's hand. I love watching Avery, I'm glad he's a Ranger, and the team had damn well better re-sign him this summer, but there's no denying the fact that he's an @$$#0le. He's our @$$#0le, and I'm amused by his antics, but he's still an @$$#0le.

And for the record, there are players I wouldn't consider our @$$#0le if the Rangers acquired them, Steve Downie being one of them. Downie, as it happens, hasn't played for the Flyers in the playoffs, and that's just fine by me.

Oh, and it should go without saying, but I'm pulling for the Caps tonight. Not only do I hate the Flyers more than the Islanders and Devils combined (which isn't saying all that much, because I don't really hate the Isles or Devils), but I'd much rather the Rangers face the Canadiens in the second round than the Penguins. I think the Rangers can beat the Penguins, but that's the hardest matchup remaining. In addition, Gary Bettman is probably creaming himself at the moment in anticipation of a potential Penguins-Capitals series in the second round, and a matchup between Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. Snide comments aside, Ovechkin-Crosby would be great for the league, and I am, in fact, all for it.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the wonderful article in last week's issue of Sports Illustrated about Nathan Gerbe and his tour de force performance at the Frozen Four. It's great to see that kind of article on college hockey in SI, and Gerbe certainly earned it with his play. Of course, given how glowing an article it was - with nary a mention of the infamous spear and suspension - it's going to be an amusing article to look back at in a few years, when he's in the NHL and everyone outside of Buffalo hates his guts.

Well, everyone except those of us who knew him when.

Marc It Down

With apologies to Humphrey Bogart, "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, they walk into mine.

OK, fine, so Smith's Bar on 44th Street and 8th Avenue - where I went to celebrate following the news of my pending employment on Tuesday - isn't "mine," but I have been known to spend a few Tuesday nights there and sing karaoke. And no, I don't think I saw that much gin being served there, either - I myself went with a Coors Light while watching the Wild-Avalanche game.

However, when one of my fellow karaoke singers answered the KJ's question (KJ = karaoke jockey) about where he was from with "You wouldn't know it, it's way up in Canada," I had to ask where.

"Thunder Bay," he said, to which I asked, "Aren't the Staal brothers from Thunder Bay?"

And that was how I came to learn that I was sitting at the next table over from Marc Staal's uncle and aunt, in town to see the Rangers-Devils series, with a possible side trip to Pittsburgh to see Jordan play if the Senators could have forced a Game 5 (which, of course, didn't happen).

I chatted for about 20 minutes with Marc's uncle and aunt about hockey, New York, and what have you. Sure, he may have been BSing me, but really, who makes that up and why?

In any event, they certainly got something to make their trip worthwhile last night, when Marc scored the game-winner to beat the Devils at the Garden, his first career playoff goal.

Marc has played very well for the Rangers in this series, and may even be the Rangers' best defenseman at the moment. However, when you're looking to a rookie to lead your blueline corps, that strikes me as a sign of trouble.

Another potential sign of trouble: with the Flyers in the driver's seat in their series against the Capitals, Rangers-Penguins seems likely for the second round (and no, I'm not saying the series with the Devils is over, it's just likely that the Rangers will win one of the next three games). That, of course, would mean the second year in a row in which a Rangers player would face his brother in the playoffs, with Marc vs. Jordan Staal following last year's Marcel vs. Marian Hossa matchup in the first round.

I'm a bit concerned about how Staal would handle that level of media attention, being a focal point in the series when it's usually all about Jagr, Shanahan, Lundqvist, Avery, Gomez, etc. Then again, the Staal family has been getting plenty of attention for some time given the talents of the four boys, so this may not be something to be concerned about.

Thank You Tanner!

You may notice that the picture that leads this site has been changed from your humble blogger alongside Lee Stempniak (former Dartmouth basketball center and Minnetonka, Minn. native David Gardner is the third person in that photo, in case you care to know), to a picture of yours truly with Tanner Glass.

This has been done because Tanner has officially gotten me a job. Well, I can't give him all the credit - I'd like to think that my own experience and work had a role - but Tanner certainly helped.

You may recall the circumstances, as discussed in this old post. Well, it has indeed worked out in the end that my good friend Tanner helped me get a job with the aforementioned paper, which I will still decline to name. In any event, I'm about to be gainfully employed once again.

Thanks, Tanner.

Ends of the Spectrum

I must say that it was very cool hearing Tim Russert congratulate Boston College on the NCAA title at the end of Meet the Press on Sunday morning. Russert's son, Luke, goes to BC...although apparently, he didn't go out to Denver for the Frozen Four, despite the fact that he co-hosts a sports talk show with James Carville on XM. I wonder if anyone told Papa Russ who holds the NHL rights of the Frozen Four's Most Outstanding Player, Nathan Gerbe (that would be Russert's hometown Buffalo Sabres for anyone who didn't know).

It was significantly less cool, of course, seeing the Devils beat the Rangers on Sunday night. It's not like I was expecting a Rangers sweep, but getting beat on some tough bounces is tough to stomach.

What was also annoying was not being able to hear DOC~! call the game. I opted for the Rangers crew over Cangelosi and Chico, the one consolation being that I got to hear Sam Rosen's "It's a POWER PLAY GOAL" call a couple of times, knowing how much it pisses off a certain Isles fan I know, especially when Sean Avery was the goalscorer.

Speaking of Avery, the NHL has declared his little faceguarding technique on Martin Brodeur to be unsportsmanlike conduct. That's fine by me, since it looked like something out of a Mighty Ducks movie, but it was pretty funny. I'm sure Avery will continue to chirp at Brodeur whenever he's in front of the net (albeit without the arm waving), as reporters seem to be the only people that Avery won't talk to these days.

As someone whose seats at the Garden are in the zone the Rangers attack twice, I'm always happy to see someone yelling at the goalie. After all, yelling at goalies is one of my favorite aspects of college hockey fan behavior that doesn't really make the move to the NHL. Of course, the Rangers fans do enjoy taunting Brodeur, and as long as they like that, I have another couple of college chants that apply in this series with the Devils.

- The "KILL THE MIDGET" chant for Brian Gionta, as originated by the fans at BU. The Terrier fans - or as the one and only Pinhead Nation calls them, the "fanboys" - revived this one for the aforementioned Nathan Gerbe this season, but I think it's time to return the chant to its original target. Sadly, I didn't buy tickets for these games (the price jump from $36 to $84.50 is a little tough to stomach when you're unemployed), or I would try to get it going myself.

- RPI's 19:00 tradition of "Ooooooooooooone Minute, and CLARKSON STILL SUCKS!" I wonder if Paul Ranger takes it personally when he's at New Jersey for the "Rangers Suck" chant, or at the Mausoleum for "If you know the Rangers suck, clap your hands." I tend to doubt it, but that's no reason not to apply the same principle to the Devils' David Clarkson.

- Finally, since the Devils are emphasizing their red jerseys with these "Red-outs" and such at the Prudential Center, I'd be amused if some of the Devils fans picked up Cornell and RPI's tradition of yelling out the word "RED" at the appropriate point during the national anthem.

Getting back to the series, someone needs to remind the Rangers TV crew that Mike Mottau isn't the only Devil who went to Boston College...just the only Devil who won a Hobey Baker there. But seriously, it seems like the first mention of Mottau on the last couple of Rangers telecasts (which I watch when DOC~! isn't doing the Devils game) has been followed by a mention of "Mottau's Boston College Eagles" in the Frozen Four, but no mention of Gionta. And a mention of Gionta's history at BC would have been a nice touch in the third period, when he wound up as Chris Drury's dance partner during one of those scrambles in the third period last night.

And in case anyone's wondering, BU and BC never met in the postseason while Drury was at BU and Mottau and Gionta were at BC. BU won the Hockey East championship in 1997, beating UMass-Lowell after the River Hawks beat Mottau and the Eagles in the semifinals. In 1998, Mottau and Hockey East Freshman of the Year Gionta won the Hockey East title with BC, Drury's Terriers having been eliminated in the quarterfinals by...Merrimack in the 1-8 matchup.

I'm typing this as I watch the Wild-Avalanche game on Versus. This may well be the best series of the first round. Personally, I'm looking for the Avs to come out of this one, because with the great rivalries in the first round in the East (Rangers-Devils, Canadiens-Bruins), the Western Conference could use a good Wings-Avs series, especially if T.J. Hensick were to get a taxi squad call-up now that the Lake Erie Monsters' seeason is over.

In general, though, I'd just like to see Colorado win because of David Jones. It's good to see a Dartmouth product (can't call him an alum since he hasn't graduated yet) in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It continues to solidify the wisdom of Jones' forfeiture of his last year of college eligibility, since I tend to agree with Red Berenson that a player shouldn't leave college early unless he's ready for the NHL. 27 regular-season games and a regular spot on the playoff roster is pretty darn good, even if it wouldn't have gotten over the threshold in my statistical analysis that I did for CSTV before last year's NHL Draft. Then again, Jones was drafted in 2003, and he would only have had a one-year contract if he'd signed this spring (I finally have a handle on that rule, having looked in the back of the Isles media guide a couple of weeks ago). He's even got a pretty decent playoff beard going.

OK, the game is over, the Wild having won on Pierre-Marc Bouchard's overtime goal, so I'll leave you with one final thought. And since a picture is worth a thousand words...

Sometimes, I Don't Love New York

I'm never missing the Frozen Four again, if I can help it.

I had a job interview yesterday (Yes, if you're scoring at home - or even if you're alone, as Keith Olbermann used to say - I'm still pursuing new full-time employment), and decided to spend some time in Manhattan afterwards. Of course, with the Frozen Four going on, I'd have to find a place to watch it.

Chris over at Western College Hockey informed me of a Michigan alumni club viewing of the second game, but besides not wanting to crash and take advantage of someone else's drink specials, I was more interested in the first game, figuring BC and North Dakota would be the better matchup.

Ha. That's a good one.

You know, after I wrote my last post, I thought to myself, "Gee, now that I picked North Dakota, they're probably going to lose, and when they do, some Sioux fan is going to claim I gave them the Kiss of Death on purpose because I'm a 'a little East Coast homer' or an 'East Coast tool,' or some other phrase starting with 'East Coast.'" Then, I thought, "Nah," and laughed.

In any case, I settled on ESPN Zone, figuring that since the games were on ESPN2, they'd have to show them there. I was right, more or less, except that the game was on a small TV on the highest level of their big wall of screens, while the NHL Network, which was showing a replay of the NHL Live radio talk show with no sound, was on one of the big screens. I wasn't the only one annoyed - a lovely young woman from Fargo was two tables away from me - but despite our complaints to management, they couldn't change the arrangement, because the TVs are preprogrammed.

Yes, that's right. They can't change the TVs at ESPNZone, even if it's that kind of ridiculous situation. Now I ask you: What kind of Mickey Mouse organization is so unresponsive to its...oh, wait a minute....right.

I left ESPNZone at the second intermission, figuring I'd watch what was left of the game, along with the start of Michigan-Notre Dame, at the gym. I go to New York Sports Club, which has individual TV monitors attached to the top of most of the cardio equipment, but the location I went to doesn't have ESPN2 available. In any event, it's not like there was much game left anyway.

After I got out of the gym, I headed to my favorite bar in Manhattan, Keats on 45th and 2nd, where I figured to watch the rest of the game. Unfortunately, I hadn't planned on the Mets going into extra innings, so I didn't get to see the second period, either (good thing the Mets won, or I'd really have been pissed).

In any event, I got to see the third period and overtime, and it seems like it was one hell of a game.

So now, we get Boston College and Notre Dame for the national championship. Given my horrible prediction record in this tournament - somewhat surprising, since I won the USCHO Staff (and friends) bracket competiition in 2006 - I will refrain from picking a winner.

All of that said, it is worth noting that even in bad years, Notre Dame has had good success against BC. It's also worth noting that Notre Dame's arrival on the national scene really began with last October's 7-1 win over the Eagles at Conte Forum (a game that, like tomorrow's game, I was originally supposed to be at, but plans changed). Then again, the third time could wind up being the charm for BC.

In any event, it should be an interesting game tomorrow night.

Tonight, meanwhile, in what should be another great game, the Rangers go for a 2-0 lead against the Devils. For those picking the Rangers in five, this is the game I think the Devils would be expected to win. Both teams have things to improve on tonight - upon further review, Brodeur really did have a stinker of a game for the Devils on Wednesday - but if the Devils can't win tonight, the series is over. I don't mean that in the sense of a sweep, but that if the Rangers win tonight, they will be unbeaten in regulation against the Devils in 10 games this season, and New Jersey's big guns have never really gotten on track against the Rangers. If they don't do it now, they're not going to do it, and while New Jersey could certainly get one or two wins based entirely on the brilliance of Martin Brodeur, they won't win the series that way.

As a side note, does anyone find it somewhat odd that of the three coaches the Devils have started the season with since the lockout, Brent Sutter is the one who weent the distance? I always thought it was kind of an odd pairing, with Lou Lamoriello being a big proponent of college hockey (founder of Hockey East, former Providence coach, etc.) and the Sutters being a family of major junior hardliners. But go figure, Brent got out of the regular season in tact. If this is a short series, though, I don't know if he'll last the summer.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

The Stanley Cup Playoffs started tonight. The Frozen Four starts tomorrow.

Seriously, does it get any better?

Of course, I am in a much sunnier mood than I might be otherwise, owing to the Rangers' 4-1 win over the Devils tonight to take a 1-0 lead in the series and steal home-ice advantage.

To borrow from a New Hampshire fan's sign during the Hockey East playoffs, I present the following scoreboard for tonight.

RANGERS 4
DEVILS 1
ISLANDERS 5 OVER PAR

Scott Gomez was the big story, with three assists against his former team, but the players who stood out to me were Ryan Callahan, Henrik Lundqvist, Martin Brodeur and Brendan Shanahan.

I love Callahan's energy, and he seems to have a bit of a knack for turning that energy into shorthanded goals when given the opportunity on the penalty kill. Of course, on the play when he delivered his game-winner, the puck was pretty badly misplayed by Brodeur.

Now, in fairness to Brodeur, he played a fine game, and none of te other goals can really be considered his fault. But watching Brodeur mishandle the puck in most unBrodeurlike fashion is a reminder that he's on his way out. Coincidentally, Jeff Frazee left Minnesota to sign with the Devils this week, but the only Devils he'll play for in New Jersey are the Trenton Devils.

I actually do have one lingering question about Frazee...and no, it has nothing to do with whether the Islanders would give him problems. I do wonder whether he will have a better chance to be a success away from Minnesota. Some detractors of Miami have enjoyed pointing out that Jeff Zatkoff - also a recent departure from the collegiate ranks, having signed with the LA Kings - was Frazee's backup with the US Junior National Team at the 2007 World Juniors. What's often omitted in such discussions is that Frazee only took over the starting job after Zatkoff got off to a bad start, and played very well for the U.S. in that tournament, leading me to wonder whether Frazee may have just been a bad fit at Minnesota.

But I digress.

Getting back to the Rangers, Lundqvist was outstanding tonight, and how he wasn't one of the three stars is just a bit puzzling to me.

As for Shanahan, his goal and assist weren't enough to make him one of the three stars either, but he was involved in one of the best moments of the game. With time running out and the Devils' net empty, Shanahan passed the puck to Nigel Dawes as both players crossed the blueline, handing Dawes his first NHL playoff goal. It was a monumentally classy move by Shanahan, reminding me why, as much as I enjoy Sean Avery's antics (especially the way they piss off a certain Islanders fan I know), Brendan Shanahan is my favorite Ranger.

Shanahan, to me, represents everything that is good about hockey. The talent is obvious: that alone makes him a first-ballot Hall of Famer. However, the fact that he's still out there killing penalties at the age of 39, that he stops to sign autographs for just about everyone who wants one after games (his exit of choice is the Employee/Media entrance on 33rd and 8th; Avery uses that one too, but will only sign while walking, if at all), and that he thinks to give a rookie his first playoff goal when he has the opportunity are the things that show just how special he is. He's talented, tough, classy, and a great leader on a team that put its C on a guy who has turned out to be a captain in name only.

Finally, since I gave my Frozen Four picks this evening on Hockey On Campus, I may as well share them with you all as well:

Michigan vs. Notre Dame: To those who look to the regular season results to predict this one, I would remind you that the Irish hadn't beaten Michigan State in two regular season meetings, and that it took a late tying goal to force OT at the Joyce Center, and yet, the Irish topped the Spartans in Colorado Springs. I'd also point out that the Irish may be more acclimated to the altitude for having played in the Springs for the regionals...although that advantage is likely negligble, given how long it's been since the regionals. In the end, though, I still like the Wolverines. They have the goaltending (who woulda thunk it?), they have the veteran leadership from Kevin Porter and Chad Kolarik, and I just think they're a team on a mission.

North Dakota vs. Boston College: If I were Adam Burish - who was forced to wear a Sioux jersey on the Blackhawks' plane to Detroit for this past Sunday's season finale, due to having lost a bet with Jonathan Toews - I would have said, "Ah, it doesn't matter, you'll just lose to BC again anyway." That said, however, I think the third time is the charm for Dave Hakstol's team against the Eagles. I think Jean-Philippe Lamoureux's dramatic improvement this season is going to make a difference (especially against John Muse as opposed to Cory Schneider), and the makers of the now-famous pact - Taylor Chorney, Joe Finley, Ryan Duncan, and T.J. Oshie - will make their presence felt in this one. Nathan Gerbe will probably have a goal or two in this one, but I think North Dakota pulls it out, likely in overtime.

Final: North Dakota over Michigan. The older, more physical Sioux will wear down the Wolverines, and the Sioux will break through and capture the championship.

Of course, you all know from the regionals what my picks are worth...

This Is Why I Don't Make Predictions

I probably should have gone out on a limb and made some NCAA Tournament picks at some point this week. I was going to. I meant to. Other stuff kept getting in the way.

In the end, it's probably just as well. I would have wound up looking stupid.

OK, Michigan-Niagara was a slam dunk. That said, it's probably the only game I would have gotten right.

I would have figured the University of No Hardware to bow out early, but not in the first round against a Notre Dame team playing without its top forward.

I would have gone back and forth several times about Michigan State and Colorado College, but then I would have gone with the Tigers at home on the big sheet.

I would have picked St. Cloud to beat Clarkson...against my better judgement.

But now that I've said what I was expecting yesterday, here are a few thoughts for the rest of the weekend.

Denver beats Wisconsin, if for no other reason than that the Pioneers own the Badgers at the Kohl Center. If you need more reasons, try Peter Mannino.

North Dakota beats Princeton. Congratulations on returning to the tournament, Tigers, but it's time to go home.

BC beats Minnesota. I'd wonder how the Gophers would contend with the likes of Mike Brennan, Tim Filangieri, and all the other Eagle defensemen from Long Island, but Alex Kangas is the Gophers' starter these days, so I can't really make that joke.

Miami beats Air Force, despite the inspiring return of Eric Ehn. The Falcons are going to give the RedHawks one hell of a run, but Miami is too strong from top to bottom.

Michigan State beats Notre Dame As much as I'd love to call the revenge win for the Irish - who, of course, fell to the Spartans in last year's regional final in Grand Rapids - I think the champs get to try and defend their title, and Jeff Lerg may just play his way into the Hobey Hat Trick.

Michigan beats Clarkson. Clarkson is the first ECAC Hockey team other than Cornell to win a game in the tournament since 2000 (St. Lawrence), so good on them for that, but this Michigan team is just too doggone good.

And for tomorrow

Miami beats Boston College The RedHawks exorcise their demons...wait...demons? At a Jesuit school? How does that work?

North Dakota beats Denver I like Denver as much as the next guy, but I maintain that the Sioux are a Frozen Four team under Dave Hakstol until proven otherwise.

That gives us a Frozen Four of Michigan-Michigan State and Miami-North Dakota. Oh, wouldn't the CCHA-haters love that? I suppose it's only fair, though, after the WCHA had four teams in Columbus in 2005.

Michigan over MSU, North Dakota over Miami in a multi-overtime classic, Michigan over North Dakota for all the marbles.

One quick Rangers thought: I don't like Renney tinkering with the lines. It took most of the season to figure out how to get Jagr to work, and while the Rangers have taken three of a possible four points since changing things up (and having to because of the Gomez injury), I'd stick with the way things were now that Gomez is back in the lineup.

Catching Up

Yeah, I know, I haven't posted in a while...although I have posted a couple of entries at my blog over at USCHO, so hopefully you haven't missed these entries too much.

In my sort-of-silence, the Rangers have amassed five points in three games, making it 28 points in 18 contests for the Blueshirts. Sadly the one game they didn't win was last night against the Flyers, and as you know, I can't stand the Flyers, particularly in their current form.

It'll be interesting now to see whether Prince Vali-ant, previously thought to be a Flyer-killer, will get the start for the return engagement on Tuesday at the Garden. Of course, the more pressing concern will be the center position, with both Scott Gomez and Blair Betts out of the lineup. Greg Moore, Artem Anisimov, come on down...

Meanwhile, in the college ranks, there's an interesting day of action on tap in conference championships. Miami gets one more shot at Michigan, the top national contenders out of the WCHA will meet in the consolation game at the Final Five, Princeton has a chance to make the NCAA tournament by beating Harvard for the ECAC Hockey title, and Vermont gets to play for the Hockey East title against a Boston College team that played into triple overtime against New Hampshire before pulling out a 5-4 win in a game they trailed 4-1.

Of course, that means Boston University is done for the year, which is quite a shame given their admirable second half run. Speaking of admirable runs, Minnesota has a shot at the WCHA title, and if the Gophers pull it out against Denver tonight, someone should look into getting Don Lucia an at-large berth as a Spencer Penrose finalist (only conference Coach of the Year winners and Frozen Four coaches are nominated). Given how the Gophers had been left for dead after everything that happened in the first half of the season, this is really an impressive accomplishment.

That doesn't mean I'm rooting for them tonight, though. I really have no preference in that WCHA game, although I do have a soft spot for Denver and George Gwozdecky. I like both Michigan and Miami, too, although Miami has much more to lose in that game, since the RedHawks' ability to beat the Wolverines and Jeff Zatkoff's ability to "win the big one" are both in question.

In the east, I'm for Princeton and Vermont. Besides my not-so-warm feelings toward Harvard, it'd be great to see this Princeton team that came from out of nowhere win the ECAC and make it to the NCAA tournament. As for Vermont, my dislike for Harvard seems kind of odd in light of the fact that Crimson alum Kevin Sneddon has long been one of my favorite coaches to work with, and I think he runs a great program. It'd be good to see this team get into the NCAA tournament.

Like this blog entry, it's been a long time coming.

Oh Well

You know those jokes about Florida being someplace where people go to die? A lot of those people happen to be New Yorkers, so it's only appropriate that the Rangers' point streak died in Florida.

Yep, the Rangers return to the Garden to face the Penguins on Tuesday night (with yours truly in attendance), looking to snap a two-game pointless streak. Ugly game against Tampa tonight. No real jump that I could talk about from the Rangers, although Lundqvist made his best effort to steal a point or two for the Blueshirts. Just hoping the boys can shake it off and get back at it in a huge game against the Pens on Tuesday, to be immediately followed on Wednesday by a game against the Devils in Newark.

Friday against Florida, I didn't mind so much, because I'd like to see Florida make the playoffs. For starters, Tanner Glass would be part of a taxi squad, I assume, which is his only real shot at the postseason since the Rochester Americans aren't making the Calder Cup playoffs. Also, the Panthers getting in would probably mean that Philadelphia would drop out, and if there's one team I can't stand, it's the goon squad known as the Philadelphia Flyers. There are things that have happened in Flyer uniforms this season that have no place in hockey, and I would rather not see them rewarded with a playoff berth.

Of course, they're the teams trying to get into the playoffs. In the college hockey world, we have playoffs going on right now, and two conference champs set to be crowned tomorrow. Bemidji State, having dropped the final curtain on Wayne State, will face Niagara for the CHA title, while Mercyhurst, having beaten Sacred Heart and Army, will look to post one more upset against Air Force for the Atlantic Hockey title.

I'm sad to see Army's season come to a close, but I'd love to see Air Force go to the tournament. Actually, I'd love to see a Serratore Sweep go down, with Bemidji and Air Force going to the tournament. Both Frank and Tom are great guys, even among college hockey coaches, who are pretty much good guys all around to begin with.

Meanwhile, in playoffs that end next weekend, there are some interesting Game 3 situations going down on Sunday night, with teams on the bubble potentially playing for their seasons. Notre Dame, sitting fourteenth in the Pairwise after Saturday's game, goes into a potential do-or-die situation against Ferris State, while Boston University, on the outside looking in at the moment, needs a win against UMass-Lowell to stay alive. I'd love to speculate on the implications of the Minnesota-Minnesota State game, but as we've learned, the Gophers are about as indestructible as their coach's hair.

Finally, there's Michigan Tech and North Dakota. Now, I doubt there's much in the way of implications here, because the Sioux are clearly in, and the Huskies are almost certainly out (if they take two out of three from North Dakota, who's to say they couldn't win the WCHA, you know?). However, I do think it's kind of funny that after handing North Dakota its first loss of the season, Michigan Tech snaps another North Dakota unbeaten streak.

Oh, and I've started doing some blogging for USCHO, speculating on the Hobey Baker race. You can read my first entry here.

Good Night For Green

Quick thought on the Rangers: was it just me, or did they look better defensively against the Sabres on Monday night without Marek MaWeak in the lineup? Next question: think the Islanders can take him off the Rangers' hands sometime soon the way they did Tom Poti?

But that was Monday night. From Tuesday night, kudos go to David Jones, who scored his first NHL goal and handed out two assists as the Avalanche beat Atlanta, 5-2. I don't know Dave personally, just professionally, but it's another proud moment for the Dartmouth program.

Lee Stempniak, meanwhile, scored a third-period goal for the Blues Tuesday night, to help send their game in Edmonton to overtime. However, Andrew Cogliano is apparently Mr. Overtime these days, with his third OT goal in as many games to win it for the Oilers. I really had high hopes for the Blues this year, so seeing them basically playing out the string at this point is unfortunate. Of course, since my real team is on a 13-game point streak, I'm not going to spend too much time complaining.

In women's hockey news, congrats to the Dartmouth women on making the NCAA tournament. They managed to sneak in, and they draw Harvard in the first round. I can't say I have terribly high hopes for this one, given how good Harvard is this season, but the Big Green does have Carli Clemis, and as the Big Green learned in painful fashion last season, a career performance by a goaltender can make a world of difference in the NCAA tournament.

As for me, though, I'm actually taking the weekend off from hockey, at least Friday. Dartmouth tied for the Ivy League women's basketball title, and is in a three-way playoff with Harvard and Cornell this weekend for the right to advance to the NCAA tournament. It's being held at Columbia's Levien Gymnasium - aka The Bargain Basement (it is literally in the basement of Columbia's athletic center) - so I get to stay close to home this weekend.

I know I should be at a hockey game somewhere this weekend, but there are a couple of things here. First, no one is paying me to travel, so I may as well support the alma mater...especially since I get to be fully unbridled as a fan when I go to this game (as opposed to having to behave somewhat professionally). Second, I've seen Dartmouth at two Women's Frozen Fours (2004 and 2005). I have never been in the building for Dartmouth at an NCAA women's basketball tournament game. This is notable since every four-year Dartmouth women's basketball player since 1980 has won at least one Ivy League title except for two...those two were my classmates in the Dartmouth Class of 2004. I was working at CSTV when Dartmouth made the NCAAs in 2005 (when the Big Green got crushed by UConn) and 2006 (when Angie Soriaga gave Rutgers one hell of a scare), but this is a time when I plan on watching the Big Green dance. It starts Friday against Harvard.

Oh, one last New York thought, going back to the Rangers: the question of a game at Yankee Stadium. There seem to be two issues at the moment:

Should it Be Played?

I have two minds about this. The venue is a major part of an outdoor game, as far as I'm concerned. Of course, I covered the Frozen Tundra Hockey Classic in 2006, and I can tell you that the venue of Lambeau Field made the game truly special. Obviously, it can be special without a storied venue - with all due respect to Spartan Stadium and Ralph Wilson Stadium - but it would be wonderful for the sport to play at Yankee Stadium.

There are also the people who insist - understandably and justifiably - that a baseball game should be the final event at The House That Ruth Built. It is worth noting, of course, that some serious college football games have been played in the Bronx over the years as well - the "Win One For The Gipper" speech was made there at halftime of an Army-Notre Dame game, for one - but it is a baseball stadium, the most famous one on the planet. If the Yankees want baseball to be the last event there, then so be it (I do understand, however, that Yankees management is on board).

I can see both sides here, but if the Yankees are on board, then I say go ahead. The Yankees were concerned in the past about the effects of building a rink on the field, so this is really the only time they could do this, with the stadium on its way out. The building is being torn down...is anyone really going to be offended in five years that hockey was the last event at the stadium?

Whom Should They Play?

Original plans called for the Islanders. Now, word is that the league and NBC want a different market represented, preferably one from the Western Conference and/or an Original Six team. Obviously, if you're talking Original Six and Western Conference, you mean either Detroit or Chicago. Detroit is a perennial powerhouse, of course, and Chicago certainly does have two of the NHL's stars of the future in Pat Kane and Jonathan Toews. However, I would actually stay away from either of those teams.

If New Year's Day is going to be the day for this game, I'd rather pick a market where minds are less likely to be on a bowl game. Do the names Michigan, Michigan State and Notre Dame ring a bell?

Staying with the Original Six, though, I like the idea of the Boston Bruins (since BC football isn't likely to play on New Year's Day). If a Yankees game isn't going to close the House That Ruth Built, I do like the idea of a New York-Boston game being the final event. This, of course, leads to talk of a return engagement at Fenway, but I'd want another team involved. Bruins-Canadiens would be my choice for Fenway, since bowl games aren't much of a thought up there, either.

Save that game for 2011, though. 2010: Wings-Blackhawks at Wrigley. It's their time.

Memo To The Mouse

OK, here's a thought for the folks at ESPN, specifically the ones responsible for the ticker on ESPNews: if an NHL game is 0-0 after regulation and OT, and the shootout is won by a 1-0 score, maybe you should say who scored the goal on the ticker.

I was at a friend's birthday celebration during the Rangers-Bruins game, and I went to the gym afterwards. I watched ESPNews while on the elliptical (it was a non-lift day), and they kept showing:

BRUINS 0
RANGERS 1 NYR wins shootout, 1-0

and then

BRUINS 0 OTL Auld 35 svs
RANGERS 1 W Lundqvist 29 svs

It wasn't until I went to a bar later that I found out that Nigel Dawes was the shootout hero for the Rangers. I haven't said much about Dawes this season, but I love the Rangers' young talent in general: Dawes, Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan. The energy they bring to the team - in addition to being fine players - is one of the biggest factors in the way the team is playing right now (10-0-3 in the last 13 games, heading into tonight's game with the Sabres).

That's an exciting game, but I'm still amazed at how exciting the Army-American International game on Saturday was. The Black Knights' 5-2 series-clinching win included the following:

a disputed goal

a power outage immediately following the disputed goal

the underdog leading 2-1 after the first

a penalty shot

two goals (including the penalty shot) on the same penalty kill in the last 45 seconds of the second period

The power outage was a pain, as West Point hosted the Patriot League women's tournament this past weekend in addition to the Army-AIC playoff series. It lasted about half an hour, and affected the entire post, not to mention the neighboring village of Highland Falls. During the break, I shared stories with the Yellow Jackets' SID, including the North Dakota-BC fiasco from the fall, and a multiple-overtime classic from 2002 between Dartmouth and Colgate. Then, the announcement was made over a barely-functioning bullhorn that the power would be restored in 15 minutes (listening to the megaphone, I couldn't help but think, "Our tax dollars at work.").

When the lights came back on, AIC led after the first, and was actually in pretty good position until the last minute of the second, when Owen Meyer scored on a penalty shot and Ken Rowe followed with a true shorthanded goal. Meyer almost added yet another shorthanded tally in the last few seconds, and AIC was just about done at that point.

I will say that AIC was much better this season than in the past. Gary Wright's coaching job this year was not reflected by the record, and Dan Ramirez in goal will give AIC an opportunity to move up in Atlantic Hockey in the next couple of years. Of course, there may not be much room to move up in the conference between Army, Air Force, RIT, Sacred Heart, Mercyhurst and Holy Cross. Those are six quality programs that will have staying power at the top, but they'll find themselves having more and more trouble with AIC in coming years.

Finally, Dartmouth's season ended last night in ugly fashion, in a 6-0 loss to Cornell that clinched the ECAC Hockey first-round series for the Big Red. It was an ugly year in confernece for my alma mater - although, oddly enough, the Big Green beat the top three teams in the Hockey East standings - owing largely to the graduation of Grant Lewis, Ben Lovejoy and Mike Hartwick, which left Dartmouth with a very young defensive corps. Of course, the departures of David Jones to the Colorado Avalanche and T.J. Galiardi to my favorite major junior team, the Calgary Hitmen, didn't help matters. (And yes, I do have a favorite major junior team, owing largely to the Hitmen's namesake, Bret Hart). Dartmouth will be back, though. You can count on that.

Never Say Never

If we ever have a nuclear war, G-d forbid (I'm not about to go making Zach Parise jokes for something like nuclear war), I've got a sneaking suspicion that the Boston University and Minnesota hockey teams will be among the survivors. I mean, I always figured Don Lucia's hair could survive a nuclear war, but his team?

The latest edition of the PairWise Rankings sees the Terriers and Gophers as part of a four-way tie for 11th. While I was taking in Army's 4-0 win over American International, BU was finishing off a 2-0 win and a weekend sweep against Providence, while Minnesota beat Minnesota Duluth by a 4-1 margin.

It amazes me that those two schools could have the kind of disappointing seasons that they did and still make the NCAA tournament.

And you know what? Good for Minnesota. I know the Gophers are the team everyone loves to hate, and there was plenty of schadenfreude going around when the Gophers were really down and out. However, this is a team that got half a season from Kyle Okposo, is getting half a season from Mike Carman, and got all of two games from Ryan Stoa. Oh, and they lost half of their defensive corps - and the really good half, at that - from the 2006-07 season, not to mention a first-round draft pick who was supposed to move back to D to help alleviate the loss. Alex Kangas has made a huge impact in goal, and even though this will be the first Minnesota team in decades not to have a point-per-game scorer, they are on track to make the NCAA tournament. It's hard to envision the Gophers as underdogs, but if they do finish this off and get into the tournament, it may well go down as one of Don Lucia's best coaching jobs in his career, and this is a man who's won two NCAA championships, won 500 games, and been to the Frozen Four with two different programs.

BU, meanwhile, has won nine of its last 10 games and gone 13-5-2 in the second half of the season. One of those losses was the overtime loss to Boston College which would have been a tie if the Beanpot didn't have full overtimes. Pete "The Prophet" MacArthur and Bryan "Boomer" Ewing have had a great senior year, and Colin Wilson has contributed a point per game as a freshman. Wilson will be a first-round pick in the NHL draft, and if the team that drafts him is college-friendly (think Colorado, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, etc.), he could have the opportunity to be a very special player for BU.

Yes, I have a soft spot for the Terriers. Their fans were among the first to really embrace what I did at CSTV, and I've never forgotten that. I've also really enjoyed the atmosphere around the program: the way they make the balcony and pressbox shake at the KurtCenter when they do "The Song," the frequent appearances by "Sasquatch," the painted faces, and of course, the wit of Jack Parker (and it never hurt that BU's press meal is extremely consistent in terms of high quality). The BU players have also been a lot of fun to work with, although I wouldn't be surprised if Pete MacArthur was happy to see me gone from CSTV, given how often I've referenced his freshman year promise to deliver a national championship before he graduates.

I kid...Pete is a great guy, just like every other BU player I've been privileged to talk with. But I'm not too worried about BU right now, since the Terriers aren't playing tonight.

Army, however, is, and I'll be up at West Point again.