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Hold the presses...the Stanley Cup has been dented in sunny California!
Jes Golbez writes:
I know the Stanley Cup has been beat up more than a GW Bush piñata at Osama Bin Laden’s 50th birthday bash, but can’t these teams show a little more respect and care for the holy chalice?
Nice choice of words Jes!
Check out his post and take a look at the picture he included, clearly showing a dent.
And here's a nice little cartoon I found while scanning the net, thanks to Offside Sports
Last night had a lot of firsts. My personal favorite thing from the night was seeing Scott Niedermayer get the Conn Smythe. He deserved it...he held his team together and he did it in the classiest manner there is. He never complained, he just lead his team because that's what he is good at. He was the only one on the team who had a Stanley Cup Ring *well he actually has three* 
Seeing Scott hand Lord Stanley to Rob also was amazing... 
Then there was Teemu who finally got to hold the Cup. Seeing him so overcome with emotion you couldn't help but be happy for him. He deserves this. His wait is over. Congrats to the Anaheim Ducks and to the Anaheim Ducks fans for proving that people in California know their hockey also.
Expect a better post later...but for now this is all I have.
It's so tough to decide who's been the better goalie in this 88th version of the Stanley Cup Final, featuring the Ducks' Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Ottawa's "Sugar" Ray Emery.
How about we let the photos decide who's been the better goalie and who will win the series?!
Just for fun though...
Jean-Sebas Giguere, in full gear, chats with Martin Gerber who's in his street clothes on the bench during practice in Anaheim.
Man, Gerber musta said something funny to make Giguere laugh like that:
"What does stopping a puck feel like again? It's been so long since I've done that, I don't even know why I bother growing this beard?!!"
Giguere probably said: "Grow some hair on your head before letting your beard get long, and then I'll show you the basics."
"Oh wait, is Ray calling me?"
Now, who has the nicer mask?
I wonder if Emery can match his excellent taste in clothes (we'll get to that later) with his goalie mask.
Tough one.
Giguere has the "Pond" nicely made on the lower part of his mask, right under the cage, with a half-robot/half duck emblazoned on his head with an overlaying Ducks webbed logo spitting out lightning.
That's will be tough to beat Ray.
Then again, that "Mike Tyson" type boxer that caused SOOO MANY problems with the Sens' staff earlier last season is really just unforgetable, but is the SENATORS streak across his left cheek and the Trojan Senators Logo on the chin enough to beat Giguere?
Nope, sorry Ray, your mask lacks a little bit of zip, J.S beats you here again.
Yep, it's sad for us bandwagoning Canadians, but it's the obvious truth.
No team from north of the border, has won hockey revered prize since mes Canadiens did it back in 1993 against the Los Angeles Kings.
Not saying that this is going to happen, I said IF history repeats itself.
Now you ask, what is this history?
2003-2004: Tampa Bay Lightning defeat Calgary Flames in 7 games
2005-2006: Carolina Hurricanes defeat Edmonton Oilers in 7 games
2006-2007: ------------------- defeat Ottawa Senators in 7 games ?
For the past 2 finals, Lord Stanley's Cup has been lost twice by two Canadian teams, the Edmonton Oilers last season to the Carolina Hurricanes, and the last pre-lockout season when the Calgary Flames came up a game short against the then-powerful Tampa Bay Lightning.
The history would scare any Sens fan away, but, here's another interesting tidbit that completely debunks my outrageous claims above:
The modern-era Ottawa Senators have never made it to the Stanley Cup Finals
so, we can never know how they'll perform?
Will they suck?
Will they be awesome?
God only knows.
Until yesterday at around 6:30-7:00 PM EST, that idea was still in play.
No more though.
I wish you Sens fans all the best, it must be great having a dominating team heading into the Cup Finals for the first time, while we Canadiens, Leafs, Oilers, Flames and Canucks fans can all but sit and watch on our Plasmas, LCD's or some crappy 90's box.
Now the question of the post: Who do you prefer? Detroit? or Anaheim?
--BBR
P.S. The Ghost may come out of his tavern and post a little something on those defeated and depleted Sabres later.
2007 EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL
#1 Buffalo vs. #4 Ottawa
Thursday, May 10, 7:00 p.m. at Buffalo
Saturday, May 12, 8:00 p.m. at Buffalo
Monday, May 14, 7:00 p.m. at Ottawa
Wednesday, May 16, 7:00 p.m. at Ottawa*
Saturday, May 19, 2:00 p.m. at Buffalo*
Monday, May 21, 7:00 p.m. at Ottawa*
Wednesday, May 23, 7:00 p.m. at Buffalo
2007 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL
#1 Detroit vs. #2 Anaheim
Friday, May 11, 7:30 p.m. at Detroit
Sunday, May 13, 7:30 p.m. at Detroit
Tuesday, May 15, 9:00 p.m. at Anaheim
Thursday, May 17, 9:00 p.m. at Anaheim*
Sunday, May 20, 3:00 p.m. at Detroit*
Tuesday, May 22, 9:00 p.m. at Anaheim*
Thursday, May 24, 7:30 p.m. at Detroit
These should be really interesting series, sadly (for me and my playoff pool hopes), there was no Cinderella team this year for fans to bandwagon on.
I chose the Wild to be that team, others chose the Islanders, or the Flames.
Detroit-Anaheim interests me a little more, since we don't always get to see #1 vs #2 in a playoff series.
They're both killer teams and it'll be very difficult to predict who a winner will be...well actually, now that Mathieu Schneider is out for the rest of the playoffs, Detroit has a glaring hole on its blue line, its #2 defenceman out!
So, Anaheim has the slight edge and I can see this going down to the wire, and may we please get a damn Game 7, which seems to be so difficult to get to this year!
Even though I like that series more, I probably will get to watch every single Sabres-Senators game, since up to this point, I have watched EVERY signle Sabres and Senators games on TSN and CBC.
I just don't feel like staying up till one in the morning to watch the Ducks play at home.
What will you be watching?
This is what CBC tells us about Michael:
A Vancouver resident, Michael McKinley has penned several hockey-themed best-sellers, including The Magnificent One: The Story of Mario Lemieux, Hockey Hall of Fame Legends, Putting a Roof on Winter and Etched on Ice. He has also written for The Guardian (London), The Los Angeles Times and Sports Illustrated. McKinley was selected by the CBC to write the English-language book that will accompany the Hockey: A People's History television series, set for publication in October 2006.
And here's what Random House says about him:
The author of Putting a Roof on Winter and The Magnificent One: The Mario Lemieux Story, Michael McKinley is also a journalist, a documentary filmmaker, and a screenwriter. A Vancouver native, he was educated at the University of British Columbia and at Oxford University. His journalism has appeared in England, the US, and Canada, including the Guardian, Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, and the National Post. He has also written and produced several documentaries for CNN and an episode of South Park.
And here's what Bleu, Blanc et Rouge says about him:
You may have seen him on CBC, read his books, or witnessed him playing pick-up hockey somewhere where ice exists this winter, Michael McKinley's the hockey writer and more importantly, hockey fan, you want to meet.
He was kind enough to offer us some insight on his life and hockey through this interview, and also tells perhaps the best story of Lord Stanley's Cup journey as written in his succesful book Hockey: A People's History and as seen in the television show on CBC (same name).
Thanks again Michael, I hope you all enjoy it!
1) First off, I'd like to congratulate you on your book's "Hockey: A People's History" success.
Tell us, what prompted you to write it in the first place?
Thank you. It was a pleasure to write, and I hope I did the story justice.
I was invited to write the companion book to the CBC TV series “Hockey: A People’s History”, as well as the accompanying children’s book, “Ice Time: The Story of Hockey,” largely because of my previous hockey history, “Putting a Roof on Winter,” which some of the people planning the CBC series had read and liked.
I was inspired by the scope of the project, and the chance to tell as much of the story of this great sport as we could on both page and screen.
It's an epic tale that touches practically all of North America, and this would be the first time that I know of that the (largely North American) history of the game could be found under one cover, as it were.
It was an amazing experience for me, because I benefited so much from working with the TV people, who would send me their research and interviews with people and about places and teams that it would have taken me five years to compile.
2) Growing up, who was your favourite player, your favourite team?
I grew up in Vancouver, and despite having the Canucks to cheer for (or boo and hiss at, for the longest time), I loved the Montreal Canadiens.
I even made my own Montreal hockey sweater using a white sweat shirt and blue and red felt pens when my mother had committed the sin of buying me a Toronto Maple Leaf hockey sweater (yep, I was just like that kid in Roch Carrier's classic tale The Hockey Sweater, except he was in Quebec and I was in Vancouver).
I loved Guy Lafleur for his speed and skill and seemingly effortless ability to light up whatever goalie he was playing against.
The Canadiens of the 1970s defined hockey for me.
3) Now, who is your current favourite player and team?
My favourite player is Trevor Linden, and my favourite team is the Vancouver Canucks (I have a 2.5 year old daughter and she likes the Canucks, so I have to humour her).
I live in just had the pleasure of writing a profile on Linden for Vancouver Magazine, which you can find right here.
Linden is the kind of player who gives you everything he's got in every game he plays.
He's also a tireless worker off ice on behalf of kids with illnesses or who are in tough circumstances, and he does it all without calling any attention to himself.
He scored the winning goal in Vancouver's seventh-game first round playoff victory against Dallas, and he represents the best of that franchise.
He's a great role model to the young Canucks who are coming up, and I hope he signs another deal with the C's next season, as he's currently at the end of a one-year contract.
4) Is Atlanta GM Don Waddell to blame, especially after litteraly selling the farm to get Tkachuk and Zhitnik at the deadline?
I think GM's are under all kinds of quick fix pressures come the trading deadline (and to win the Cup, always), and so I wouldn't single out Don Waddell as being especially ruthless.
He gambled, and his acquisition of Tkachuk and Zhitnik helped Atlanta close out the season quite strongly and got them a playoff spot, because that too was in danger at the trading deadline.
However, Tkachuk bombed in the playoffs, and so did his team.
Waddell just lost his playoff bet; the Thrashers lost the playoff series.
He also gave up some draft picks, and this is the other part of the bet-- hindsight --if those traded picks turn into something.
5) Could Team USA make a serious run to win the upcoming World Hockey Championship? How do the other teams look heading into the event?
You know, I've so preoccupied with the end of the NHL season and the first round of the playoffs that I've paid little attention at all to the Worlds.
I do think that Canada has great goaltending in Cam Ward and Dwayne Roloson, and with a couple of Staal brothers in the line-up should go deep.
The USA has a lot of young guys in their lineup, and who knows-- they might come together as a contender.
It bodes well for the future of US hockey.
6) The Battle of California: the Ducks and Sharks are both very good hockey clubs, wouldn't it be interesting if they faced off and battled to make it to the Stanley Cup Final?
It would be a great series if the Ducks and Sharks met-- but big, tough San Jose has to get through skilled and savvy Detroit, and that's no small task.
Similarly, Anaheim, also a crash and bash team with some serious skill has to contend with the Canucks, who were shocked back into their A-game by Dallas.
The Canucks already had their playoff scare, and I think will play this series in a "nothing to lose" kind of way, and that will be dangerous for the Ducks.
7) Calgary, Vancouver and Ottawa are the only Canadian teams to make the playoffs this year, should the NHL consider bringing new franchises north of the border as to attract more fans in a hockey-crazy Canadian market?
I'd love to see NHL franchises in Winnipeg, Quebec City, Halifax (where the game began), and one in Regina.
The NHL can't seriously say that the inclusion of these cities will harm their ability to get a lucrative TV deal in the USA. I mean, look at the TV deal they have now.
The addition of competitive teams in hockey crazy cities would only make the NHL look good, and attract more hockey fans, period.
The league should be looking for success in place where its already waiting for them.
8) Since we're talking about the playoffs, maybe you could share with us who was this Lord Stanley and how did his "Cup" become the most renowned and sought after trophy in all of sports?
Frederick Stanley (AKA Lord Stanley of Preston) was the Governor-General of Canada from 1888 to 1893.
He was an aristocrat, the younger son of the 14th Earl of Derby, who had also been Prime Minister of England. Stanley had been a Member of Parliament himself, as well as an army officer, but at heart he was a gregarious sportsman who loved the vast potential of the new world—and he loved hockey, when he saw his first game at the Montreal Winter Carnival of 1889.
Soon, Stanley’s sons Arthur and Algernon were playing the game on a team called the Rideau Rebels, after Rideau Hall, the Governor-General’s official residence in Ottawa.
His daughter Isobel played in the first recorded women’s hockey match in Ottawa 1891 (though she—and women –played well before that), and Stanley built himself a rink at Rideau Hall and was known to play as well—even on Sundays, which earned him some grief for blaspheming on the Sabbath.
Stanley owned shares in the Ottawa rink in which his favourite hockey team played, the Ottawa Hockey Club, and while he would have loved to see them win his “Dominion Challenge Trophy”, that was not why he gave the sport this extraordinary gift.
The idea of such a trophy had been around in Canadian journals and saloons from the early 1890s, and Stanley saw that hockey was indeed Canada’s “national winter sport”.
Stanley had traveled across Canada, and he saw a young country of huge size and sparse population that was a British dominion next door to much more populous and republican USA. He saw a challenge trophy as a way to express Canadian national identity and to unite a far-flung people through hockey by making it possible, for example, for a team from the Yukon to play a team from Ottawa (as happened in 1905) for what was soon known as the Stanley Cup.
Stanley also saw the widespread play of hockey as a way to keep young men of military service age in shape during the winter, since there were real fears that the US might try to expand its borders.
So the Stanley Cup has a rich history for its being, and a great irony at its core: Lord Stanley never saw a match played for his trophy because he went back to England on the death of his older brother in July 1893 to become the 16th Earl of Derby.
The first Stanley Cup was awarded a few months later.
To me, it’s the greatest sports trophy in the world not just because it’s the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, nor because you have to win sixteen games over a gruelling two month schedule to win it, but because what began as a nationalistic enterprise is now truly international—hockey players from all over the world can come together to compete for it and to win it, not as a nation, but as a team made up of different nationalities who for this season, prove it belongs to them.
9) In your opinion, what does the NHL need to do in order to draw more fans in a "light" American hockey market?
The NHL needs to change its nutbar schedule, so that we here in Vancouver see the Habs or the Leafs or Sidney Crosby more than once every three years. How can you get fans of any stripe excited here if they're seeing Edmonton or Minnesota for the eighth time in a season (and vice versa)? The NHL they want to build regional rivalries. Yes, well, having exciting players and famous teams come in will make the home side play hard, and rivalry will ensue-- if only for that game. Give us some variety. A lot of GM's feel the same way, but a few Eastern GM's are happy with the current schedule, because they can play in their own time zone for months on end, and life is easy. For instance, Martin Brodeur didn't play a game outside of the eastern time zone from November 27 to the end of the season. Sure, a couple of games were in Florida, but it makes a huge difference to the wear and tear on a team and their budget if they can travel to games by bus.
10) And finally, what do you think of my blog? Does it need more Michael McKinley content to spruce it up?
Your blog is great, and I'd be happy to contribute to it whenever you like.
If the Canucks go deep in the playoffs, I'll have lots more to say!
And that's it!
I hope you've enjoyed this little tidbit of mine, it goes along nicely with two other informative interviews the Ghost posted earlier today.
I wonder what's next from Michael?
Canadiens: The Story of the franchise from the Man whose mother bought him a Maple Leafs jersey.
Just kidding there!
Have a good one everyone!
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