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Most recently published stories in Unbalanced.
Stanley Cup Final Game One: Welcome to the Big Time
For the first time in five years, we are guaranteed a first-time Stanley Cup Champion. The Vegas Golden Knights and the Florida Panthers face off in this year's Stanley Cup Final, with each team looking to win the Cup for the very first time. This is the second Final appearance for each team; Vegas is currently in their sixth season of play, while Florida's last appearance came in 1996. Speaking of Florida, this is the fourth straight year that the Sunshine State is represented in the Cup Final, with the Tampa Bay Lightning reaching the Final during the last three years. It's somewhat reminiscent of the province of Alberta dominating the Cup Final between 1983 and 1990.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Finals Game One: 47 Years
This year's NBA Finals stands out above many others that have come and gone, mainly because of the storylines of the participating teams. First off, we have the Denver Nuggets representing the Western Conference. For the second straight year, Ball Arena is in a championship spotlight, but this time, it's not the NHL's Colorado Avalanche, it's the Nuggets. We know Denver's history, they started in the old American Basketball Association back in 1967, and were one of four ABA teams who joined the NBA as part of the merger in 1976. The other three teams were the San Antonio Spurs, the New Jersey Nets, and the Indiana Pacers, but while the other three had some semblance of deep success (especially the Spurs, who won five NBA Championships), the Nuggets, well, hadn't.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
2023 Stanley Cup Final Preview
It's here, folks. The Stanley Cup Final has been set for a few days now, and it's an interesting one. For the first time in five years, we will be guaranteed a first-time champion, as neither team has hoisted Lord Stanley's Cup. The last Final to guarantee such a historic feat was 2018, which featured the Vegas Golden Knights facing the Washington Capitals that year. 2019 was the last time that we saw a team win their first-ever Cup, as the St. Louis Blues won ended their tenure-long drought.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
A Look at the Last 10 Presidents' Trophy Failures, and the Aftermath of Each One
With the Boston Bruins' shocking first round exit in this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs, it now marks a full decade since a team won the Presidents' Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same season. The Chicago Blackhawks remain the last team to win both trophies in the same year, doing so in the 2012-13 season. You would have to go back a bit farther than that to find the last team to accomplish this feat in a non-lockout season, as the Detroit Red Wings were the last team to do so, winning both trophies in the 2007-08 season. In fact, the Wings are the only team to accomplish this feat twice, as they won both trophies in the 2001-02 season as well.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: Stars Lose West Final, but Go Down Swinging
With the Eastern Conference Final ending in a four game sweep, the spotlight turned to the Western Conference Final between the Dallas Stars and the Vegas Golden Knights. It looked like we would get the same outcome, as Vegas was up 3-0, and a sweep was a foregone conclusion. However, Dallas managed to win Game Four in overtime, but you know how that goes. The team down 3-0 wins Game Four: "Well, at least they won't get swept. Yet the Stars won Game Five. Now, it's serious. Now it could be possible for them to pull off the reverse sweep. After all, they were back at home for Game Six, and home ice is always an advantage...except when it's not.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
A Look at the 2020-21 Montréal Canadiens
Normally, I feature Stanley Cup Champions in my stories, but the NHL has been known for some of the craziest, most unexpected, and most memorable Cinderella runs in sports. We are currently in the midst of one with the Florida Panthers, literally the worst of this season's playoff teams, reaching the Stanley Cup Final. The run has been amazing, and it could result in the Panthers reacing the top of the proverbial mountain. However, while the team mentioned in this story did come up short, they did give us something to make us smile during a really tough period.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: All Calm, No Storm
Here's what I love about the playoffs, in any sport. When the top team in the entire league gets knocked out early, the pecking order changes. This year, the Boston Bruins ended up ousted early after a 65-win season, so that caused a huge paradigm shift in the NHL pecking order. Once they and the then-defending champion Colorado Avalanche were both gone, the new top favorite out of the remaining teams became the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, the Leafs ended up ousted, so who ended up as the best team left? The Carolina Hurricanes.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
A Look at the 2018-19 St. Louis Blues
As the saying goes, "You always remember your first." That line definitely relates to the St. Louis Blues. A season prior, the Washington Capitals finally hoisted their first Stanley Cup after 44 years of trying and being snakebit at every turn (usually by the Pittsburgh Penguins). As jinxed as the Capitals were, the Blues' story is that much more heartbreaking. Here's what the team had to go through entering the 2018-19 season.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
2023 Conference Finals Preview
I always enjoy the Final Four of any sport's season, because it's the last stop before the whole enchilada is decided. No matter what the sport, that final round before the championship is immensely grand. In the NFL, it's the Conference Championship. In MLB, it's the League Championship Series, and in the NBA and NHL, it's the Conference Finals. The 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs are now down to the Final Four, with the two berths in this year's Stanley Cup Final being officially decided. Since the 2013-14 season, the Conference Finals have been contested between each of the four winners of the division brackets, with the East series pitting the Atlantic vs the Metropolitan, while the West series pits the Central vs the Pacific. The series are as follows:
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
XFL Championship Recap: The Underdog Story is Complete
As I said in past stories about the XFL, my memories about the original XFL are decreasing. I do remember the championship, which was known as "The Million Dollar Game," and it was the Los Angeles Xtreme who won and emerged as the best team in the league. Of course, that XFL is no more, but even so, the Xtreme's championship remains part of that history. No champion was crowned in the XFL's return in 2020 due to the incoming pandemic cancelling the rest of the season, but regarding the 2023 season, we would get a full campaign, followed by an actual champion being crowned.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Grading the Seattle Kraken's 1st Postseason
The second season of existence for the Seattle Kraken is definitely one they will remember for years to come. The Kraken became the NHL's 32nd franchise, joining the league four years after the Vegas Golden Knights, and because Vegas went all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in Year One, a lot of fans expected something close to that for the Kraken. Seattle was nowhere close to that level in their inaugural season, but their sophomore year saw some big time signings, and a huge turnaround.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Reviewing the 8th Season Finale of "How We Ruined Connor McDavid's Career"
For nine years, CBS had How I Met Your Mother. Hulu currently has the sequel/spinoff series, How I Met Your Father. The NHL has topped that with a sitcom of their own, as the Edmonton Oilers are giving us the NHL's longest running sideshow: How We Ruined Connor McDavid's Career. And the eighth season finale took place on the evening of May 14, 2023 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
