Conference Finals, Day 8. The End May Be Nigh

Tonight @ 4:30pm
VERSUS HD, CBC HD, RDS HD
Pens lead series 3-0

Conference Finals, Day 6. 3-0?

Today @ 4:30

VERSUS HD, CBC HD, RDS HD
Pens lead series 2-0

I thought this game was on at noon, but it's not. That would be tomorrow's game. I should have realized that TPTB would not find Pens/Canes anywhere near as sexy as Hawks/Wings.

Recapping the past:

Mina and I watched the first period of last night's game together. She arrived just in time to see the Hawks second goal and that ridiculous hit on Havlat. Dude was out before he hit the ground. Passing out with your eyes open is creepy. Having that happen with people above you who are wearing sharp blades on their feet? Dangerous. Someone smacked him in the head with their stick as he lay there, though it was unintentional and part of the scrum above him the occurred after he was hit.

To summarize our reaction to the hit, Kronwall left his feet. Fighting on top of the unconscious guy= NOT SAFE!

Even though Havlat should have been looking up, there's no excuse for leaving your feet. If he stayed firmly planted on terra firma, it's a clean hit. Brutal, but clean. Mina points out that while it was not interference, it was charging. Neither of us had a problem with the penalties handed out.

Like any fan would, we wondered what the reaction would have been from the media had Havlat taken out Kronwall.

You can view the hit here and make your own opinions. I just tried to watch Quennville's post game press conference reaction, and the audio for another Hawks video that wasn't even open took over and I got a very tinny, stuttering rendition of "Ring My Bell" cutting in and out between the press conference. The NHL video guys might want to look into not having Anita Ward and Joe Quennville playing dueling banjos. Just a thought.

Anyway, after that mess, we met up with some folks for dinner. We we got the the place of dining, the game was 3-0 Hawks. At some point I looked behind me and realized the 3-0 had become a 3-3. We were all floored, but sure enough, the Wings had scored 3 goals in the second.

Not really being able to easily watch the game from where we sat, we went on with dinner, Sharks talk, and general rostercourse when someone mentioned the game had gone to OT. Several of us turned around in time to see fans and Blackhawks alike hugging. Mina proclaimed the game winning goal to be the result of "...what we call a defensive breakdown, ladies and gentlemen." And so it was the the Blackhawks took game three in OT to make the series 2-1.

Conference Finals, Day 4. Hockey Is Back!

How did everyone handle their day without hockey? Hopefully well. I spent my evening at The Fox. Good choice on my part.

The ECF begin again today, as the Pens take on the Canes in a epic battle of...epicness.

Today @ 4:30
VERSUS HD, TSN, HD, RDS HD
Pens lead series 1-0

Conferernce Finals, Day 2. I Don't Have A Clever Historical Pun For The East

Today @ 4:30
VERSUS HD, TSN HD, RDS HD
Game 1. FIGHT!

I hope everyone enjoyed yesterday's guest art. Our guest artist was a little bummed no one commented, but I told him not to take it personally.

Conference Finals Recap:

So. Wings, huh?

I was really hoping the Hawks could take game 1,and for awhile it looked like it would at least be a battle. Then Detroit decided it was time to stop effing around and time to start pwnage. This is going to be a long Western showdown. I think I speak for everyone not rooting for the Red Wings/mutual annihilation when I say "Go Hawks."

Playoffs, Round 2 Day 15. End Game

The second round wraps up tonight when the following teams take to the ice for at least 60 minutes of (hopefully) non stop action:

Today @ 4pm
VERSUS HD, CBC, HD, RDS HD
Series tied at 3

Today @ 5pm
VERSUS HD, RIS, TSN HD
Series tied at 3

Yesterday's game. A Recap:

A rather anti climatic end to what was the best series of the playoffs so far. The Caps got owned. I mean OWNED. At times I wondered if the Caps were ware it was a Game 7. Obviously not the night to have a bad game, but it struck them anyway.

Putting on a dominant performance, the Pens shut down the Caps and won themselves a seat in the Conference Finals. They'll play the winner of Boston/Carolina.

Gotta give a hand to the Caps fans, who, despite booing and jeering some of their guys earlier, gave a standing O for the face offs and stayed standing for the final minutes of the game, in full on cheering mode. Nice when to send your boys off. (minus the jeers)

Playoffs, Round 2, Day 13

Hey East coasters, you guys have a late night ahead of you. Time zones are fun! Both games are potential elimination games again tonight. Should be a fun evening.

Today @ 4pm
VERSUS HD, TSN HD, RDS HD
Carolina leads series 3-2
That whole no suspension for Walker thing will likely be a hot topic



Today @ 7pm
VERSUS HD, TSN HD, RDS, HD
Wings lead series 3-2
If the Ducks force a game 7, I'm going to laugh.

Recap News:

Chicago eliminated Vancouver to advance to the WCF. There will be art for this later today, once Gray has gotten some sleep.

In a crazy OT game, the Caps stay alive to force a game 7. I'm not honestly sure who was more stunned, the Pens fans, or the Caps themselves. Judging by the reaction on their bench, I'm leaning towards Caps.

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People have been finding this site with some weird search words. I mean weird. Many people seem to be interested in Kevin Bieksa. A few folks also came over from Fark. I'm not sure if I should be scared or amused. I'm pretty sure we were just mentioned in the comments somewhere over there. Either way, hello Farkers and Kevin Bieksa fans!

Playoffs, Round 2, Day 11

We have one potential elimination game today, along with one game that may or may not involve someone's spleen coming out their nose.

Let's get to it, shall we?

Today @ 2pm

TSN HD, RDS HD, NHLN-US
Series is tied at 2 a piece

Today @ 4:30 pm
VERSUS HD, TSN HD, RDS HD
Canes lead the series 3-1

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Real Life has caused me to neglect the last two days of playoff hockey. Yet another day with no recaps.

It's nice outside, what can I say?

Playoffs, Round 2, Day 9

Two games today, for your viewing pleasure:

Today @ 4pm
VERSUS, CBC, RDS, all HD
Caps lead series 2-1




Today @ 4:30pm
VERSUS HD, RIS, TSN HD
Canes lead series 2-1

Recapping last night's games:

For some reason I can't get into the Hawks/Canucks series. No idea why, it's just not doing it for me. It went to OT last night and I was most excited when it ended. It hasn't been a bad series, but I just can't get into it. I've been amazed at the nearly impenetrable wall of goalie that is Luongo, but that's about as far into as I've gotten. Hawks won in somewhat dramatic fashion in OT 2-1.

The big show for many in this area was last night was Ducks/Wings. The Ducks got pounded, losing 6-3. It was nearly 7, but somehow Jiggy got back to his net in time and I think the puck went wide. Jiggy? Yep. Hiller got pulled for the third. It just wasn't his night.

Some debate as to whether or not one of the goals scored on Hiller was 5 hole or not. Doesn't matter as it as in the net either way. The win allowed the Wings tie the series at 2.

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The Coyotes will be back in court on the 19th. The folks over at Five for Howling have fairly complete coverage of these events.

Personally, I am sad, but not surprised, to see this degrade into personal attacks against fans on the various message boards. The fans are the ones getting screwed here. If you've lost a team, you should at least be able to understand how they feel, even if you disagree with their point of view. This effects the entire league. It is not "us v them", nor is about who is "worthy" of having a team.

Maybe it's that I grew up a baseball fan. Baseball is America's past time, but I have never felt like we "owned" it. Many other countries have fallen in love with the sport and it has expanded across the globe. I love that. Something we love here is loved with equal passion elsewhere. Even if we have no other common ground with someone, we can talk about baseball. Seeing a sport expand beyond it's traditional confines shows its strength and appeal.

Maybe it's that I am the fan of a relocated team. The A's were moved here in 1968. They picked up and left two cities before settling in Oakland. (Technically 3, but when they moved from Indianapolis, they had just made the AL and they weren't yet the A's.) In their case, the two other fan bases did get a team, but that doesn't mean they weren't upset. It also doesn't mean Oakland was any less worthy of the team they got. The fans here had nothing to do with the move. Businessmen and the league decided the team's fate, not us. Is the team moves again (ah, stadium troubles) believe me when I say the fans had nothing to do with it. If the A's end up moving out of state/the area, I'll be pissed, but their new fans wont have made my team move. They won't have stolen it. They're caught in the middle, just like I am.

The fans are the ultimate victims in any move. Stop blaming them and start trying to see the complexity of the problem.

Playoffs, Round 2, Day 8

Today @ 5pm
VERSUS, CBC, RDS, all HD
Canucks lead series 2-1

Today @ 7:30pm
VERSUS, TSN, RDS, all HD
Duckies lead 2-1

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Lot going on today. The Coyotes will be in court today @ 1pm MST. That will give everyone their first hint about how ugly this battle could get.

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Last night's Lost was epic. In this corner we have the "Man of Faith." In the other corner we have they mysterious Other controlling force known as "Jacob." Who will win this amazing battle?

Reader: You know this is a HOCKEY blog, right?

Gray: Yes, but I just imagine Locke and Jacob in hockey gear fighting it out on the ice. That makes it relevant.

Reader: ...

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So was the Caps/Pens game. This series is just insane. Can they duke it out in round 3 too, please? It ended up going to OT after a crazy last minute goal by the Caps to tie the game. I've been there, Pens fans. I know how much it sucks to taste victory and they realize it was really the bottom of some old, mouldy shoe that had been kicking you in the mouth. The Pens ended up winning in OT, making it a 2-1 series.

Boston and Carolina went to OT as well. I didn't get to see much of this game because it was on concurrently with the Pens/Caps VS broadcast, and while I could have found a way to watch it, two games at once is a bit much for me. VS switched over to show us the OT period and it was some crazy pressure in Carolina's zone before pig pox hit and a goal ended up in the net behind Cylon Tim Thomas. (still waiting on that list of names, dear readers) He was not a happy man. Canes now lead that series 2-1.

Playoffs, Round 2, Day 7

By now, most everyone has probably heard about the 'Yotes. There are a lot of opinions on the subject, but for me (Gray), I'd like to see the 'Yotes stay put. Yes, I know, they were relocated. Yes, I know, Canada doesn't have many teams. Yes, I know, it's the desert. But as a fan of another "non traditional market" team, I really feel compelled to back the 'Yotes here. Mina and I disagree on this, but the 'Yotes have done a lot of good for the sport of hockey in the southwest and I'd hate to see them go. We won't see the dividends until a few years from now, as more and more players start to find their way up from the desert lands. It takes TIME to build these things up. Time seems to be something the Coyotes don't have a lot of.

There are a lot of other factors that go into attendance issues, (like how the rink is bit of a drive from Phoenix and traffic sucks), and I have to think that if this was a playoff caliber team every year (or close to it), no one would think to touch them.

I don't know what's going to happen to their team, their fans, or the league (a move effects ALL 29 other teams. All of them). Only time will tell.


Onto the games for today:

Today @ 4PM
VERSUS(HD), CBC(HD), RDS(HD)
Caps are up two games to none. If you only watch one game today, make it this one.


Today @ 4:30
VERSUS(HD), RIS, TSN(HD)
Series is tied at 1 a piece
Will pig pox strike again?

Playoffs, Round 2, Day 4

Two games on tap for today. First up:

Today @ 11am
TSN HD NBC HD, RDS HD
Detroit leads series 1-0


Today @ 4:30pm
VERSUS HD, TSN HD, RDS HD
Boston leads series 1-0

Playoffs, Round 2: In Which Two Other Teams Begin Competition

I ended up skipping the game last night in favor of more boring endeavors. 5-3 Canucks was not a final score I expected to see, but then again, I'm not sure what I expected.

Today we have two games coming to a terebi near you:

Today @ 4pm
VERSUS HD, CBC HD, RDS HD
We're hoping for mutual annihilation

Today @ 4:30
VERSUS HD, RIS, TSN HD

What's the over under on the number of swine flu jokes brought up because of Stormy?

Playoff Round 1 Day 9 (seriously?! 9?!)

Cat caused fiasco last night. Ah the joys of pet ownership. A few dead pixels aside, I seem to be otherwise whole. Lucky for you!

In a summary of what went down yesterday, the Habs met a wall of bear and Cylon and were eliminated by a giant sweeping broom. I heard Price was heckled mercilessly, poor kid.

The Flames and Hawks decided to have a goal scoring contest in the second. The Flames ended up winning. Note to Blackhawks: Do not piss of Ignila.

Ovie finally found the net in the Rangers/Caps game, but it wasn't enough. Lundqvist has anti Ovechkin spray, I think. Or anti Alexander spray. Not guys names Alex can score against him. (even if they have. The spray is new. Still some kinks to work out.)

What's on the docket today, Bob?

Today @ 4pm
CBC, VERSUS(HD), RDS(HD)
Pens lead series 3-1
This series has been good folks, if you can tune in, do so.

Today @ 4pm
TSN2(HD), FS-D(HD), FS-O
Detroit leads series 3-0
This may be your last chance to see the Blue Jackets this season. Or, it may be a chance to watch them take a game back and crawl back into this series.

Today @ 4:30
Series tied 2-2
VERSUS (I believe this game will be joined in progress), RIS, TSN(HD), FS-CR
Brodeur probably won't lose his mind again, but you never know.

Playoffs Day 7, Round 1

Non Sharks games on the scheduled today:

Tonight @ 4pm

CBC, VERSUS(HD), RDS(HD)
Pens leads series 2-1

Today @ 4pm
TSN,FS-D, FS-O, all HD
Wings lead series 2-0

Tonight @ 4:30
RIS, TSN2(HD), MSG+(HD)
Devils leads series 2-1

Today @ 5:30pm
CBC, KPLR, both HD
Canucks lead series 3-0

Everyone is playing today! Well, not exactly. but it feels like it.

If your in the Bay Area, today is a good day to hide inside and watch some hockey. It's way too hot outside for April.

Playoff Round 1 Day 5

Today @ Noon pacific
NBC, CBC, RDS
Pens lead series 2-0
Philly is going to be nuts folks, tune in.

Today @ 4pm
VERSUS, CBC
Canucks lead series 2-0

Today@4:30pm
RIS, TSN, MSG-HD
Series tied 1-1

Playoffs Day 3, Round 1

Playoff hockey is like a gift from the gods in that there always seems to be a game to fill the void between when you team played and when they play again.

On the docket today we have:

Today at 4pm

Pens lead series 1-0
Watch on CBC, VERSUS(HD), RDS(HD)


Today @ 4:30pm
Devils lead series 1-0
Watch on RIS, TSN(HD), FS-CR

Today @ 7pm
Vancouver leads series 1-0
Watch on VERSUS(HD), CBC(HD), RDS(HD)

Playoffs Day 1, Round 1

Today @ 7pm
Watch on Versus(HD), CBC(HD), RDS, FS-MW
The Couch Tarts say Blues in 6

Today @ 4:30pm
Watch on RIS, TSN2(HD), FS-CR
The Couch Tarts say Hurricanes in 6 (Mina) or Hurricanes in 7 (Gray)

Today @ 4pm
Watch on CBC, RDS, VERSUS(HD), FSN-P(HD)
The Couch Tarts say Pens in 6 (Gray) or Pens in 7 (Mina)

Today @4pm
Watch on TSN(HD), MSG(HD), CSN-DC(HD)
The Couch Tarts say Caps in 5 (Mina) or Caps in 6 (Gray)

Overheard At The Game, Carolina Hurricanes Edition

The following events took place outside HP Pavilion sometime between 6:30 and 6:45pm on Thursday, Feb 5th 2009.

Ok, maybe I embellished a little. Mina never wears a watch.

Sharks v Hurricanes

I didn't believe Mina when she told me their mascot was a pig. But hey, why not?

Tonight @ 7:30pm. Radio, TV, Tank, Interwebs

It's hard to preview teams the Sharks haven't faced since 2005. You read that right, 2005. Ridiculous!

Carolina isn't having a banner year, and it coming to town down their Captain and fresh off a loss to the Canucks. They are also one of the worst teams in the league when it comes to PP and PK, placing 26 and 23 respectfully.

The Sharks are coming in after what basically amounts to a Spring Break in the schedule, and a loss to the Blackhawks. It's also Black Armor night. And, according to our friend Mr. Plank at FTF, Dan Boyle is (hopefully) back. Huzzah huzzah! You don't realize how much he does on the ice until he's missing.

All of that is a way to say, no idea what will happen, but I hope it works out well for the Sharks because we'll be at the game.

Post Game:

Things we are not intimated by: Your husband. When we ask you nicely to lean back, don't whine to him, lean back. We're more than happy to have an usher resolve that situation if you want to go that route.

Also, please random Carolina fan, don't start yelling at people who haven't said anything to you. I realize you're a) drunk, b) kind of a poo or, c) a drunk poo, but let's be reasonable here. Besides, I think the guy at the end of our row could have taken you.

Our section is kind of lame this season.

Onto the game.

It started well, but then it went downhill and we spent most of the third wondering where the hustle went. Maybe the nubs in front of us stole it. Or, perhaps it's stuck in the same weird time warp the Lost island is. Out of phase with reality and flitting about through time in a bright and noisy flash of light. If it gets a nose bleed, we're screwed.

Carolina was shot black city.

The Sharks were turnover city.

There were times when the crowd liked Kerry Fraser. There were other times when they did not.

That's the first game I have ever been to where the crowd got a play reviewed. That was kind of awesome.

Carolina was always in the way and to their credit, they stayed on the Sharks and never gave up.

The Sharks? Well...they kind of gave up sometime in the second.

Anyone see what happened to Douglas Murray. We didn't see him on the bench late in the third and hadn't seen him on the ice in awhile.

Leighton was crazy good. No star?

Semenov got a goal!

Speaking of goals, that penalty shot was a killer.

Michalek was involved in all 3 goals scored by the Sharks and was the only Shark to score during the shoot out. He did really try to win the game by himself. Good hustle, Milan! We appreciate it.

The ice was weird. People were falling left and right all game.

The Geico gecko? Really?

Carolina would not let the Sharks set up in their zone. The Sharks also had a hard time clearing their zone. Never good times.

Mina jinxed the game. You can blame the loss on her.

Goals: Clowe, Semenov, Vlasic (PP)

For Carolina: Cullen on the Penalty Shot, Samsonov, Whitney

Stars: (3) Cullen, (2) Michalek, (1) Babchuk (who?)