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.
19 Years in the Making: Leafs Finally Advance
They did it! They finally did it! Normally, I would be writing a "What Went Wrong" piece about the Tampa Bay Lightning, but I can't do that, because I don't want to take away from this moment. The Toronto Maple Leafs ended up going to overtime in Game Six of their Atlantic Semifinal series against the Lightning; a game that saw Auston Matthews strike first, only for Steven Stamkos to tie it up in the 3rd period. 1-1 was the score heading into the fourth frame, and I watched with anticipation, hoping the Leafs would pull this off. We would see John Tavares, the current Leafs captain, take the puck, shoot it, and it found its way into the net.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: From Wild to Mild
It's hard to believe that 20 years have passed since the Minnesota Wild had their only legit playoff run. It was their first time in the playoffs, and it was their third season of play. They won back-to-back seven-game thrillers over the Colorado Avalanche (in what would be Patrick Roy's final playoff series) and the Vancouver Canucks, but their trip to the Western Conference Final saw them run into the Great Wall of Giguere. Even so, it seemed like we would see more of this from the Wild as the years went by.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: No Goalie is an Island
April 28, 2023 had to be a historic day in playoff hockey. Four Game 6s took place. Four elimination games. One of them took place in Long Island, as the New York Islanders managed to stave off elimination two nights prior with a win in Game Five of their series against the Carolina Hurricanes. The road 3-2 win earned them one more chance on home ice, and it did look good for the Isles. They did score first, and that 1-0 score held up after the first 50+ minutes. However, Sebastian Aho tied it up on a crazy backhand, and overtime would see Paul Stastny squeak one past Ilya Sorokin, and that squib ended the Islanders' season.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: Jets Grounded by Golden Knights in Familiar Fashion
This has to be the longest that the first round has surpassed before finally getting its very first elimination. It looked like we would see all eight Division Semifinal series go at least six games. This was the 11th day of this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the third straight to feature at least one elimination game. The New York Islanders were the first to face elimination, avoided it on Tuesday. Next up was the Florida Panthers, they avoided it on Wednesday. The Tampa Bay Lightning and the Winnipeg Jets both faced elimination tonight, and while the Bolts stayed alive for one more game, the Jets couldn't, as they were taken down easily by the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Five of the Pacific Division Semifinals.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
2023 Division Semifinals Preview
The ultimate madness begins! The greatest championship chase in all of professional sports is all set! For the next two months, we will bear witness to a chaotic, thrilling, and fantastic journey to the holy grail known as the Stanley Cup. For the first time in nine years, the Nashville Predators and the Washington Capitals won't be involved. Even more shocking, for the first time in 17 years, the Pittsburgh Penguins won't be involved.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Islanders Complete 2023 Stanley Cup Playoff Field
The field of 16 is complete! Only three games took place on this Wednesday, April 12, but the main one was the only one not aired on TNT: the meeting between the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Islanders. The Islanders were looking to nab the 16th and last playoff spot left on the board; it was between them and the Pittsburgh Penguins, who had been playoff bound for 16 straight years. For the Islanders, this was their 82nd and last game of the regular season, and they had an easy scenario: all they needed was one point, just get to overtime. It was a close affair; the Isles led 2-1 after the first 2o minutes. Brock Nelson had a goal in the first, and added one in the second to make it 3-1. It was 3-2 after 40, but Anders Lee's power play goal with 4:00 left in regulation started the countdown, and New York knows a thing about countdowns.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Jets Land on the West's Final Playoff Spot
I had a lot of faith in the Winnipeg Jets this season, so much so that I picked them to be part of the Central Division's Top 3. They were in that position for a while, but the Jets started to descend into an apparent free fall after the All-Star Break. It really looked like the Jets would actually end up out of the playoffs for the second straight season, which would have been absolutely disappointing given their amazing start. But they managed to get back upright and start flying at the right time, while the main teams below them--the Calgary Flames and the Nashville Predators--fell off.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Panthers Claw Their Way to Playoffs as Wild Card
Hockey is a funny thing at times. When the Florida Panthers made that trade for Matthew Tkachuk, I said--on a loop, mind you--that they fleeced the Calgary Flames. I had the Panthers as one of the top teams in the Atlantic Division (and maybe the Eastern Conference overall), while the Flames would either miss the playoffs or barely squeak in. By the midpoint, however, both teams were sputtering big time. However, the Panthers managed to get over the hump just a bit, while Calgary hung on and stayed alive for several weeks.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Kraken Released Into the Stanley Cup Playoffs
One of the many things that fascinates me about the National Hockey League is the timing of their expansion wave. The other three leagues added teams at the same time (usually the 1960s), and while the NHL did double in size in 1967 and did some more adding during the 1970s, the real big expansion wave occurred during the 1990s. I had the chance to see a number of teams added and relocated during my lifetime, and the result is a 32-team NHL, with the Seattle Kraken becoming team #32.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Reigning, Defending, and Undisputed: Avalanche's Championship Defense Begins
As the late, great, iconic Jackie Gleason once said, "How sweet it is!" The Colorado Avalanche entered the evening of April 4, 2023 with a lot of golden opportunities. Mikko Rantanen was one goal away from 50. Nathan MacKinnon was on the verge of reaching 100 points. But overall, the Avalanche had an opportunity to lock in a playoff spot, and they had three ways to do it. The first, of course, was win and in. Secondly, if the Calgary Flames lost, the Avs would only need one point to get in. A third option had the Avs getting in with a Nashville Predators lost coupled with a Flames regulation loss.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Even With Kaprizov's Imminent Return, Can the Wild Actually Advance This Time?
The Dallas Stars weren't the only Central Division team who clinched a playoff spot on the third day of April. The abbreviated hockey Monday kicked off in Minnesota with the Wild hosting the Vegas Golden Knights, with the former looking to lock in a playoff spot. A win would get it done, but just when it looked like they would get the win, Vegas tied it and forced overtime. It went to a shootout, which Vegas ended up winning, so with only one point acquired, the Wild had to look to the Dallas Stars to get them in, as they needed Dallas to defeat the Nashville Predators. Dallas did just that, so not only did Dallas clinch with their win, Minnesota got in with Nashville's loss.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
Stars Reach Playoffs for 4th Time in 5 Seasons
It took until the third day in April, but the Central Division, my Central Division, finally has official playoff teams. Only three games took place on a Monday evening centered around the first Raw after WrestleMania, as well as NCAA basketball's National Championship. Two of them featured teams who could clinch spots in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and both teams fulfilled their duties. The Dallas Stars' first chance to lock in a spot occurred on April 1, but their loss to the Colorado Avalanche forced them to wait a few days. Their next opportunity came on April 3, against a lowly Nashville Predators team that was suffering and riddled with injuries. Of course, the Stars pounced; a 5-1 victory over the Preds, and it placed Dallas in the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons.
By Clyde E. Dawkins12 months ago in Unbalanced
