Oh, some interesting results for me to read this morning!
[Bolts-Pens] 5-1. Whoa, that is a bit unexpected actually. Playing desperate does seem to pay off. And Flower was dominant in Game 1, but this time it was good old trusty Roloson who upstaged the other goalie.
[Rangers-Caps] 0-2. Excellent. The Rags shut-out! And the Caps were in defence mode, wonder what we will get to see if they also amp up the good old offence!
[Hawks-Nucks] 3-4. Nicely done there, Nucks on schedule to win, like they should.
[Preds-Ducks] 3-5.Welcome back Bobby, Ryan & Corey. These three little Ducklings got their act together and gave us a cool win. Good for my predictions, onto the next one boys!
Today my Flyers play. Will not be aired on ESPN, so I may have to resort to some good old-fashioned stream hunting. I am waiting for my boys to unleash the energy that certainly must be building up to dangerous levels. After that 1-0 loss ... that energy must be waiting to break out. Right? I expect some excellent goals by Roo and Mesz. No idea why Mesz, but it has been known to happen and why should it not happen today?
And as per usual, for my complete predictions, have a look at my previous scribblings:
My Whimsical Playoffs Forecast
Saturday, 16 April 2011
Friday, 15 April 2011
Playoffs Daily | QF Game 1 | April 15th, 2011
Yes, nothing quite as fun as checking in on nhl.com and find your team has lost their first game. Right. And to top it off, the Bruins were not able to win their first game either. Habs! *sends evil looks all the way to Montréal*
[Habs-Bruins] 2-0. Say what? Hmm, this must be the 'by accident' Habs win I mentioned in my predictions. All is cool.
[Sabres-Flyers] 1-0. Oh boy, so much for my 'forecasted' sweep. Hmm, I am not sure why many of my fellow Flyers fans wanted to play the BKK (as I call them) ... they have been the nemesis for my Leafies much of the past few months, by beating a lot of teams on their way to 7th place. Grrrr. But Sergei looked solid for his first ever playoff game! Good vibes for the games to come :D
[Kings-Sharks] 2-3. Sharks might be listening to The Coins.
For my complete predictions, have a look at my previous scribblings:
My Whimsical Playoffs Forecast
Also, if you have not read my forecast yet, stuff like 'listening to The Coins' will suddenly make sense to you ;)
[Habs-Bruins] 2-0. Say what? Hmm, this must be the 'by accident' Habs win I mentioned in my predictions. All is cool.
[Sabres-Flyers] 1-0. Oh boy, so much for my 'forecasted' sweep. Hmm, I am not sure why many of my fellow Flyers fans wanted to play the BKK (as I call them) ... they have been the nemesis for my Leafies much of the past few months, by beating a lot of teams on their way to 7th place. Grrrr. But Sergei looked solid for his first ever playoff game! Good vibes for the games to come :D
[Kings-Sharks] 2-3. Sharks might be listening to The Coins.
For my complete predictions, have a look at my previous scribblings:
My Whimsical Playoffs Forecast
Also, if you have not read my forecast yet, stuff like 'listening to The Coins' will suddenly make sense to you ;)
Thursday, 14 April 2011
Poetic Announcers | March 19th Bruins-Leafs | April 14th, 2011
Although the Playoffs extravaganza has started and there is a lot of current stuff to write about I would like to reminisce a bit about the past season and share one of my favourite moments. On March 19th I tuned in for the Bruins-Leafs game. And then I was just bowled over by the poetic introduction to the game! I tell you, I rewinded it several times to hear it again - do you love your DVR as much as I do? - and I loved it so much, that I transcribed it!
And here is where things get shaky. I do not know who actually did the introduction hahah. Ron MacLean or Joe Bowen? In either case the guy said he was inspired by Tom Petty and some Irish author. I have tried to decipher the name of said author, but without success!
Anyways, here goes!
[disclaimer] I have no rights to these words at all, so hands off anyone who wants to make a buck out of it! Or something along these lines anyways [end disclaimer]
What time is it?
It's later than you think,
And the earth tilts and reboots your personal northern hemisphere
Your heart, your head,
There is a look on your face
And there is something lucky about the place
And your memory,
Your private story
As it must ... turns the page
Springtime! Something good coming for you and me
Something good coming
There has to be
We often accept the temporary peace over a more difficult and distant justice
We're buying time
Winter thinking
Then comes the sun, springtime!
Set aside the memories
Engage your imagination
And in pace ... with renewal
What time is it?
It's spring time!
Time to enjoy yourself
It's later than you think
BEAUTIFUL!
{edit May 2nd} Someone uploaded it! Now for the full experience check this:
And maybe it gave the Leafies good vibes too, because we beat the Bruins 5-2 :D
Oh, if anyone recalls this moment and knows who that Irish author that served as inspiration is, drop me a line! And if you could tell me if these words were spoken by Ron MacLean, Joe Bowen or even someone else, that would be even better!
And here is where things get shaky. I do not know who actually did the introduction hahah. Ron MacLean or Joe Bowen? In either case the guy said he was inspired by Tom Petty and some Irish author. I have tried to decipher the name of said author, but without success!
Anyways, here goes!
[disclaimer] I have no rights to these words at all, so hands off anyone who wants to make a buck out of it! Or something along these lines anyways [end disclaimer]
What time is it?
It's later than you think,
And the earth tilts and reboots your personal northern hemisphere
Your heart, your head,
There is a look on your face
And there is something lucky about the place
And your memory,
Your private story
As it must ... turns the page
Springtime! Something good coming for you and me
Something good coming
There has to be
We often accept the temporary peace over a more difficult and distant justice
We're buying time
Winter thinking
Then comes the sun, springtime!
Set aside the memories
Engage your imagination
And in pace ... with renewal
What time is it?
It's spring time!
Time to enjoy yourself
It's later than you think
BEAUTIFUL!
{edit May 2nd} Someone uploaded it! Now for the full experience check this:
And maybe it gave the Leafies good vibes too, because we beat the Bruins 5-2 :D
Oh, if anyone recalls this moment and knows who that Irish author that served as inspiration is, drop me a line! And if you could tell me if these words were spoken by Ron MacLean, Joe Bowen or even someone else, that would be even better!
Playoffs Daily | QF Game 1 | April 14th, 2011
The Puck Has Dropped!
Hate it, hate it, hate it that I cannot watch at least some of the games live during the week. But work in the morning eh? Will try to catch as many games as I can over the weekend though. And I DVR'd two of last night's games and will check those out when I get home. So thanks nhl.com for NHL Gamecenter. That will my first online stop for the weeks to come :D
Alright, not a bad start at all.
[Pens-Bolts] 3-0. Not going to celebrate, but it is good for my predictions. OK. Some appreciation: Well done Flower!
[Yotes-Red Wings] 2-4. YEAH! And Datsyuk scored one.
[Rangers-Caps] 1-2 ... took an OT, but our Russian buddies Ovi & Semin nailed them! Yeah!
[Blackhawks-Nucks] 0-2. A shut-out. Excellent.
[Preds-Ducks] 4-1. Shaky start for the Ducklings. Ouch!
Tonight my Flyers play. Excited beyond belief!
Oh, for my complete predictions, have a look at my previous scribblings:
My Whimsical Playoffs Forecast
Hate it, hate it, hate it that I cannot watch at least some of the games live during the week. But work in the morning eh? Will try to catch as many games as I can over the weekend though. And I DVR'd two of last night's games and will check those out when I get home. So thanks nhl.com for NHL Gamecenter. That will my first online stop for the weeks to come :D
Alright, not a bad start at all.
[Pens-Bolts] 3-0. Not going to celebrate, but it is good for my predictions. OK. Some appreciation: Well done Flower!
[Yotes-Red Wings] 2-4. YEAH! And Datsyuk scored one.
[Rangers-Caps] 1-2 ... took an OT, but our Russian buddies Ovi & Semin nailed them! Yeah!
[Blackhawks-Nucks] 0-2. A shut-out. Excellent.
[Preds-Ducks] 4-1. Shaky start for the Ducklings. Ouch!
Tonight my Flyers play. Excited beyond belief!
Oh, for my complete predictions, have a look at my previous scribblings:
My Whimsical Playoffs Forecast
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
Playoffs 2011 | Witchcrafting | April 12th, 2011
I would like to share my Whimsical Playoffs Forecast with you. One of my Twitter-buddies posted his predictions earlier, so I got inspired to try this as well. Staying true to my style, this is by no means an in-depth analysis and I will not be showing off my awesome hockey knowledge - hahahah! As if I possess such a thing! Nopes, it is a mix of wishful thinking, absurdity and hoping lol .. which is probably worse than runewatching or consulting a crystal bowl ;)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
[Series A - Caps vs Rangers]
Still hate the fact that the Rangers got through and left the Canes in 9th. So they must be dealt with in a swift and decisive manner. The Caps will dominate all but one game. I say 4-1 Caps.
[Series B - Flyers vs Sabres]
Sabres. Yuck. Still hurts seeing them in the Playoffs. My Flyboys will rise to the occasion and obliterate them. 4-0 Flyers.
[Series C - Bruins vs Habs]
This one is easy. Bruins will expunge the evil that is known as the Habs! I can see the Habs win one game by accident. 4-1 Bruins.
[Series D - Pens vs Bolts]
OK, I prefer the Bolts over Pens, but even in a delusional state of mind I just cannot see the Bolts move on past this stage. So with much regret: 4-2 Pens.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
[Series E - Nucks vs Blackhawks]
Blackhawks ... I pretend they do not exist. 4-0 Nucks. Cause Hawks? Where? *looks around, sees nothing, just some Nucks*
[Series F - Sharks vs Kings]
Have no idea and absolutely do not care. Tail is Sharks. *flips a coin several times* OK, sorry Kings, you are out! I flipped the coin five times and four times I had tails. Since The Coins seem so sure of themselves: 4-1 Sharks.
[Series G - Red Wings vs Yotes]
Like both but the Red Wings more. They have Datsyuk after all. And the Wings will really go for it. Yaps. 4-2 Wings.
[Series H - Ducks vs Preds]
Love the Ducklings! So I hope they can evade the Preds. Mama Duck will save them! 4-2 Ducks.
Ouch, what's next?
EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS & FINALS
[Caps vs Pens]
Caps over Pens anytime and definitely not a prob for Ovi. So here is where the Pens buy it. Buh-bye! 4-2 Caps.
[Flyers vs Bruins]
Bobs {edit: ok so he got replaced by Boosh, and eventually Boosh will be replaced by Leights - I foresee pain in the future} settles in and beats Thomas. Yeah! Bruins have to go home now. 4-2 Flyers.
[Caps vs Flyers]
Caps, I love you guys, but my Flyers will be on a roll. 4-2 Flyers.
WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS & FINALS
[Nucks vs Ducks]
The Ducklings feel confident and surprise the Nucks. Sedin twins are seeing Ducks rain and forget to play. Ridiculous? Very much so! But sticking with it lol. 4-3 Ducks.
[Sharks vs Red Wings]
No contest. Red Wings march through and quite easily too with lots of Datsyukian dekes. 4-1 Wings.
[Ducks vs Red Wings]
Who knew right? But it is happening. The Wings soar as the Ducklings have more issues with flying. All that lurking around in ponds you know ;) ... 4-2 Wings.
STANLEY CUP FINALS
[Flyers vs Red Wings]
My dream comes true. My Flyboys totally dominate and even Datsyuk cannot save the Wings. But good effort there! 4-2 FLYERS!!
So much for my witchcrafting. For a more meaningful prediction you should probably stick with the guys at NHL On The Fly or even with my previously mentioned buddy. Eventhough I have to warn you! He has this strange affliction, he is a Habs fan. *chuckle* You can read his article here: Stevie's playoff predictions 2010-11
EASTERN CONFERENCE
[Series A - Caps vs Rangers]
Still hate the fact that the Rangers got through and left the Canes in 9th. So they must be dealt with in a swift and decisive manner. The Caps will dominate all but one game. I say 4-1 Caps.
[Series B - Flyers vs Sabres]
Sabres. Yuck. Still hurts seeing them in the Playoffs. My Flyboys will rise to the occasion and obliterate them. 4-0 Flyers.
[Series C - Bruins vs Habs]
This one is easy. Bruins will expunge the evil that is known as the Habs! I can see the Habs win one game by accident. 4-1 Bruins.
[Series D - Pens vs Bolts]
OK, I prefer the Bolts over Pens, but even in a delusional state of mind I just cannot see the Bolts move on past this stage. So with much regret: 4-2 Pens.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
[Series E - Nucks vs Blackhawks]
Blackhawks ... I pretend they do not exist. 4-0 Nucks. Cause Hawks? Where? *looks around, sees nothing, just some Nucks*
[Series F - Sharks vs Kings]
Have no idea and absolutely do not care. Tail is Sharks. *flips a coin several times* OK, sorry Kings, you are out! I flipped the coin five times and four times I had tails. Since The Coins seem so sure of themselves: 4-1 Sharks.
[Series G - Red Wings vs Yotes]
Like both but the Red Wings more. They have Datsyuk after all. And the Wings will really go for it. Yaps. 4-2 Wings.
[Series H - Ducks vs Preds]
Love the Ducklings! So I hope they can evade the Preds. Mama Duck will save them! 4-2 Ducks.
Ouch, what's next?
EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS & FINALS
[Caps vs Pens]
Caps over Pens anytime and definitely not a prob for Ovi. So here is where the Pens buy it. Buh-bye! 4-2 Caps.
[Flyers vs Bruins]
Bobs {edit: ok so he got replaced by Boosh, and eventually Boosh will be replaced by Leights - I foresee pain in the future} settles in and beats Thomas. Yeah! Bruins have to go home now. 4-2 Flyers.
[Caps vs Flyers]
Caps, I love you guys, but my Flyers will be on a roll. 4-2 Flyers.
WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS & FINALS
[Nucks vs Ducks]
The Ducklings feel confident and surprise the Nucks. Sedin twins are seeing Ducks rain and forget to play. Ridiculous? Very much so! But sticking with it lol. 4-3 Ducks.
[Sharks vs Red Wings]
No contest. Red Wings march through and quite easily too with lots of Datsyukian dekes. 4-1 Wings.
[Ducks vs Red Wings]
Who knew right? But it is happening. The Wings soar as the Ducklings have more issues with flying. All that lurking around in ponds you know ;) ... 4-2 Wings.
STANLEY CUP FINALS
[Flyers vs Red Wings]
My dream comes true. My Flyboys totally dominate and even Datsyuk cannot save the Wings. But good effort there! 4-2 FLYERS!!
So much for my witchcrafting. For a more meaningful prediction you should probably stick with the guys at NHL On The Fly or even with my previously mentioned buddy. Eventhough I have to warn you! He has this strange affliction, he is a Habs fan. *chuckle* You can read his article here: Stevie's playoff predictions 2010-11
Monday, 11 April 2011
Stars, Stars, Stars ... forgot to reach for the stars | April 11th 2011
ESPN America was very gracious yesterday and showed two early games so I had a hockey-filled Sunday evening! The Flyers and Leafs played their last games on Saturday (will post a short message later) so I thought I would have a nice tension-free hockey evening.
Two games: Red Wings vs Blackhawks and Penguins vs Thrashers. If you have read any of my previous posts, you will recall that the only team I like out of these four are the Wings. The Pens & Thrashers are on my hate-list and the Blackhawks ... I just really do not like them. Hmm, odd, I thought I hated the Pens & Habs most, but at least I *love* to hate them. Blackhawks, I do not even want to think about them really, I just pretend they do not exist lol
OK the games.
Pens-Thrashers >> 5-2
- A rather boring game. I was definitely not on the edge of my seat
- But memorable because after all the games had been played, the Pens confirmed their penalty killing grandness, 86.1% ... have to give them props for that!
Wings-Blackhawks >> 4-3
- Hell yeah! That was exciting. I was definitely on the edge of my seat for this one!
- I wanted the Blackhawks to lose this one, because then the Stars would have the chance to clinch the 8th spot in the Western Conference and boot the Hawks out of contention!
- So you can imagine my chagrin when just 5 minutes into the game the Hawks scored. And you could see they had momentum. How different it was just a few minutes later. The Wings managed to reclaim momentum really quickly there! First Holmstrom scored and a minute later my man Datsyuk scored one too (he was also awarded the 1st star)
- And from there on the Wings did not give up the lead although the Hawks kept hunting. Both teams played a high-octane game and after three periods I was tired just from watching ;)
And that brings me to the title of this article. The Dallas Stars were in control of their own destiny. All they had to do was beat the Wild. But they did not. Instead they fell, hit Earth atmosphere and fizzled out in the atmosphere not even reaching the surface. I have not watched the game so cannot offer my view on how that went, but it's a pitty they failed to win this one. I am sure they agree ;)
[edit April 12th] Watched a rerun of the Dallas-Wild game yesterday and cannot say I was surprised at the outcome, Stars were not shining
Two games: Red Wings vs Blackhawks and Penguins vs Thrashers. If you have read any of my previous posts, you will recall that the only team I like out of these four are the Wings. The Pens & Thrashers are on my hate-list and the Blackhawks ... I just really do not like them. Hmm, odd, I thought I hated the Pens & Habs most, but at least I *love* to hate them. Blackhawks, I do not even want to think about them really, I just pretend they do not exist lol
OK the games.
Pens-Thrashers >> 5-2
- A rather boring game. I was definitely not on the edge of my seat
- But memorable because after all the games had been played, the Pens confirmed their penalty killing grandness, 86.1% ... have to give them props for that!
Wings-Blackhawks >> 4-3
- Hell yeah! That was exciting. I was definitely on the edge of my seat for this one!
- I wanted the Blackhawks to lose this one, because then the Stars would have the chance to clinch the 8th spot in the Western Conference and boot the Hawks out of contention!
- So you can imagine my chagrin when just 5 minutes into the game the Hawks scored. And you could see they had momentum. How different it was just a few minutes later. The Wings managed to reclaim momentum really quickly there! First Holmstrom scored and a minute later my man Datsyuk scored one too (he was also awarded the 1st star)
- And from there on the Wings did not give up the lead although the Hawks kept hunting. Both teams played a high-octane game and after three periods I was tired just from watching ;)
And that brings me to the title of this article. The Dallas Stars were in control of their own destiny. All they had to do was beat the Wild. But they did not. Instead they fell, hit Earth atmosphere and fizzled out in the atmosphere not even reaching the surface. I have not watched the game so cannot offer my view on how that went, but it's a pitty they failed to win this one. I am sure they agree ;)
[edit April 12th] Watched a rerun of the Dallas-Wild game yesterday and cannot say I was surprised at the outcome, Stars were not shining
Saturday, 9 April 2011
Complacency ... Will Bite You In The Ass Every Time! | April 9th, 2011
Just a few months ago my Flyers were riding high. Top of the conference, maybe even the Presidents' Trophy up for grabs. A Stanley Cup looming on the horizon. What a difference a few months can make. Today, we are hoping to clinch the Division. We sure lowered our standards!
No need to go into the possible scenarios, we all know what is going on here. And no need for me to analyse what is going on. Many an expert has done just that.
*ponders*
OK maybe a bit of amateur analysis! I just wonder what happened! Why did they get so complacent? It really made them lose large chunks of that energy that got them to the top of the Conference in the first place. Lack of motivation as they were so far ahead of the rest? Boredom? Was the Versteeg trade a really good one? It went downhill when he joined the ranks. Who would have thought that moving out the Steegster and adding Lupul to the roster would be so beneficial to my Leafies? *chuckle*
Anyways, tonight we need to beat the Isles. Normally I would have laughed at the idea of losing against them (we have won 20 out of 21 of the last after all), but right now, any opponent scares me!
Have not lost hope mind you, the talent is there, injured players are on the mend and according to a fellow fan (thanks Lori!) they played with heart yesterday! So let me end a rather depressing start of this article on a positive note. I know my guys can overcome this and they will be ready to face any team in the Play-Offs. So lets just end the regular season and forget about standings. Lets look forward to a great SC run!
I hope. *chuckle*
PS Feel free to share your musings ;) ... just no hating please, that is just obnoxious :)
No need to go into the possible scenarios, we all know what is going on here. And no need for me to analyse what is going on. Many an expert has done just that.
*ponders*
OK maybe a bit of amateur analysis! I just wonder what happened! Why did they get so complacent? It really made them lose large chunks of that energy that got them to the top of the Conference in the first place. Lack of motivation as they were so far ahead of the rest? Boredom? Was the Versteeg trade a really good one? It went downhill when he joined the ranks. Who would have thought that moving out the Steegster and adding Lupul to the roster would be so beneficial to my Leafies? *chuckle*
Anyways, tonight we need to beat the Isles. Normally I would have laughed at the idea of losing against them (we have won 20 out of 21 of the last after all), but right now, any opponent scares me!
Have not lost hope mind you, the talent is there, injured players are on the mend and according to a fellow fan (thanks Lori!) they played with heart yesterday! So let me end a rather depressing start of this article on a positive note. I know my guys can overcome this and they will be ready to face any team in the Play-Offs. So lets just end the regular season and forget about standings. Lets look forward to a great SC run!
I hope. *chuckle*
PS Feel free to share your musings ;) ... just no hating please, that is just obnoxious :)
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