hockey
We talk pucks and objects of that kind. We yell, complain, and analyze in the language of hockey fandom. Gretzky can do no wrong.
What Went Wrong: How Badly Did the Avalanche Break This Team?!
Well, Tampa Bay Lightning, I'm about to say some words that are long overdue: Consider your Stanley Cup window shut. I'll say this. The Bolts did surprise a few people with their late season surge. After all, the team was coming off a very embarrassing first round loss to their in-state rivals, the Florida Panthers. They also lost Steven Stamkos to the Nashville Predators during the offseason, and they were actually on the verge of possibly missing the playoffs by January. But a funny thing happened. They won games. And kept winning. The Bolts actually made it to 2nd place and had a good chance of winning the Atlantic. They didn't, but still, 2nd place means home ice.
By Clyde E. Dawkins11 months ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: Les Habitants Ousted in Five
On the eleventh day of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, we finally saw an elimination, and it was the New Jersey Devils who were eliminated on Tuesday by the Carolina Hurricanes. One elimination down, 14 more to go. So who would be #2? Maybe I should just give it away and say "deux." Game Five saw the Montréal Canadiens back in DC looking to extend their series against the Washington Capitals. When this series matchup was made, my mind shifted back to 2010. We all remember that year. Caps were the Presidents' Trophy winners, and the Habs were pretty much "also rans." Yet Montréal took out Washington in seven games and went on a wild and long run.
By Clyde E. Dawkins11 months ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: Devils are 1st Team Out, but Made it Interesting
You know, what I'm about to say can be saved for another story, but as I watched the manic playoff action from both the NHL and NBA, it hit me. Both leagues' playoffs started on the same day, and this was Day 11. The NBA already had four eliminations, but at the time, the NHL, no eliminations yet. This was still true when the Ottawa Senators won Game Five to stay alive yet again. The New Jersey Devils were looking to do the same. They were down 3-1 in the series, but they put up three goals in the first period of Game Five against the Carolina Hurricanes.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
John Jay can’t beat the Rain or Yorktown in 6-2 Loss
Please see tip, pledge and subscribe buttons below or my venmo address is : @Rich-Monetti On Saturday April 5, a dreary, cold, rainy day still had John Jay come out pretty hot versus the visiting Yorktown Huskers. Blake O’Callaghan short hopped Thomas Carney’s sidewinder in the opening seconds, and right back the other way, Dino Rajamani found the net at 10:40. The small crowd up in arms, the cheers unfortunately subsided the rest of the way.
By Rich Monetti12 months ago in Unbalanced
2025 Division Semifinals Preview
Well, folks, we're here! The regular season's ending, and the beautiful annual madness known as the Stanley Cup Playoffs is all set. The matchups are locked in, as is the overall schedule, which is flat out nuts this year. Of the eight series, two of them start on Saturday, three start on Sunday, two start on Monday, and one actually starts on Tuesday. And the one that starts on Tuesday isn't the one you'd think. The opening round of any sport's playoffs is always magical. Whether it's this, the Conference Quarterfinals in the NBA, Wild Card Weekend in the NFL, or (since 2022) the Wild Card Series in MLB, Round 1 is always just amazing, because from the moment the first game begins, the atmosphere and aura let fans know that this is a whole new game.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Le Doux Seize: Canadiens Grab Final Playoff Spot
I love this damn league, I really do. Nothing is cut and dry in the National Hockey League. The race for that 2nd Wild Card in the East was supposed to be over on Friday, but the Columbus Blue Jackets kept on winning when they needed it. As a result, the gap between the Blue Jackets and the Montréal Canadiens shrank. Two points separated them entering the penultimate day of the regular season. Each team had one game left. The Canadiens played first. They still controlled their own destiny. This was their last chance to get in on their own, and all they needed was one point in the standings. If they didn't get that, they would have to watch the Jackets tomorrow, and hope that the New York Islanders have enough in them to at least get that game to overtime.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Blues Complete West's Elite Eight Field
Hockey is a funny sport, isn't it? Six years ago, the St. Louis Blues finally did it. Their first Stanley Cup Championship in their long franchise history; the last team from that 1967 group to win the big one. After that, a hard fall. First round exits in each of the last two seasons, and then in 2022, an embarrassing second round loss to the Colorado Avalanche. That year ended up breaking the Blues, as the team sank to near rock bottom. They cleaned house. Let go of anyone relevant. It showed in the last two years. Terrible seasons all around. Even this year looked like it would be more of the same.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Wild Reach Playoffs Against All Odds
On this day, the 15th of April, everything could end up in place in this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs. This included the Minnesota Wild, who had a number of chances to clinch, and while they didn't get in entering this day, they kept moving closer and closer. On this Tuesday, the Wild were finishing the regular season, playing Game #82. They faced off against the Anaheim Ducks, and I swear, I can't watch a Ducks/Wild matchup without thinking of 2003 and how this was somehow the Western Conference Final that year. All Minnesota needed was just one point--get to OT.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
California Dreaming
For the Colorado Avalanche, the last few games saw one clear mission: get ready for the playoffs. The foregone conclusion that we'd be facing the Dallas Stars was there for weeks. Now it's official. We entered our home finale with nothing else to play for, and we entered the last two games of the regular season with that same motivation. After hosting the Vancouver Canucks, the Avalanche's regular season ended in Southern California with back-to-back games against both clubs.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Stanley Cup Playoff Push 2025: The Remaining Pieces
Well, fellow puckheads, we are down to just four days left in the 2024-25 NHL regular season. The Stanley Cup Playoffs are less than a week away. I figured that all of the spots would be locked up by this point, but surprisingly, it's been a challenge. With very, very little time remaining, there's still quite a bit to decide. Let's talk about what we know for sure.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Preparing for the Playoffs
There's always something special about the last home of the regular season in any sport; though in baseball, it would be the last home series. In the case of hockey, similar to basketball, it's 82 total games, 41 at home, 41 away. The Avalanche played our 41st and final home game of this regular season with really nothing much to play for other than thanking the fans for another great regular season.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
