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...