Edmonton Oil Kings

I've just returned home from the franchise opener (of sorts) for the Edmonton Oil Kings hockey club, which plays in the WHL, against the Kootenay Ice (the franchise which used to play in Edmonton a few years back). Despite scoring the first goal a little more than 2 minutes into the game, the Oil Kings skaters found themselves mostly outplayed. Nevertheless they hung on and tied the game at 3 a little more than halfway into the 3rd period before a bad bounce goal gave them the victory with less than a couple seconds left in the frame.

All in all it was an enjoyable evening, especially since the ticket was free, but there's still something to be said for the player calibre of the NHL. These Oil Kings guys (not to mention the Ice players) were falling all over themselves, getting tangled up with one another and generally looking amateurish. There were still some nice plays, but it's not hard to tell the players aren't quite ready for primetime.

Thanks, Sens.

The Sens gave it a good run this post-season, far better than they've managed for a very, very long time... they just hit a brick wall with the Ducks and now will have a year to wait to see if they can repeat their Eastern Conference domination.

Thanks for a wonderful season and playoff guys, we still love ya!

Still here...

I've not posted much lately, but then I've not had much to post. I've not been going to the casino (though I did go to a home game a week ago and finished out of the money, 6th of 25; the top 2 wound up getting paid), and aside from Saturday, I've not been keen to write about hockey. So, this is just a quick late-night-can't-sleep post to say that yep, I'm still here. Crib is this coming Thursday after an extra week's gap... I came in fourth last time so I got paid for the first time in ages there, and hopefully I'll fare better yet as it's the second-last event before the summer break.

I might be glad when the Stanley Cup finals are over though... I've been consuming WAY too much beer as of late (even on non-game days). Except then we're into the summer beer-drinking season, so who knows.

Sens vs. Ducks

To say the third period of the just-completed Ducks/Wings game 6 was wacky is an understatement. The Ducks entered the third period up 3-0 and had to scramble to hold on for the win after the Wings made a game of it at 4-3. I wanted the Ducks to win, but I'd have preferred they do so in 7 games so there's not so much of a rest for them before the finals.


Nevertheless, the teams are set. GO SENS GO!

Monday, May 28

Today the NHL released the schedule for the Stanley Cup finals, and they begin in 6 days on Monday, May 28. The first game in Ottawa is the following Saturday, June 2, and it's actually in prime time rather than early afternoon to accommodate NBC and their crappy coverage.

GO SENS GO!!

The Sens and the Finals

Ottawa lost its grip ever so slightly against the Sabres before Captain Alfie popped in the winner during the first overtime period to send the Sens to the cup finals for the first time in the team's modern era.

I for one can't wait for the finals to begin. I'm not even really bothered who wins between Detroit and Anaheim, though I have a feeling the Ducks would be the easier opponent for Ottawa. However, having the Sens play the Wings means a nice, consistent time for games starting, which might make things easier on the Sens so they're not shifting time zones and having to readjust. Given the way the NHL schedule is now drawn up, teams in the East so rarely have to deal with alternate time zones that it might just be enough of a shock to have to play games 3 times zones away from what they're used to. On the flip side, despite being in the eastern time zone, Detroit as a western team is used to shifting around so maybe they could get slightly thrown off by this consistency... hmm...

Nevertheless, there's at least a week gap between Sens games, which is going to be tough to take, but it means they'll be well-rested for game one of the Cup finals... I just hope they're not TOO rested, if you know what I mean.

3-0 Sens, woot!

Tonight the Sens showed they could control a hockey game with the best of them, limiting Buffalo (who led the league in goals during the regular season, with Ottawa being a close second, and had not been shut out in about a year) to 15 shots and no goals in a convincing (though tense!) victory en route to taking a stranglehold on the Eastern Conference final, all but assuring their presence in the Stanley Cup finals beginning next week. This is the deepest Ottawa has reached since scrambling to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the Eastern Conference final in 2003 to force a game 7, only to lose to the eventual Cup winners, New Jersey. This is the first time Ottawa has led a series 2-0, let alone 3-0 and nothing comes close for the team to this accomplishment in the modern era of the NHL, though the city of Ottawa has enjoyed 10 Stanley Cups in a quarter-century span in the early years of professional hockey. Game 4, possibly the deciding game, goes Wednesday night and I know my eyes will be glued to the TV.

On another note, I swung by Absolute Power last night to hang out with Shaun for a bit and play some Company of Heroes (which is an alright game, though much like any other RTS out there) before going to the casino. I played for about 4 1/2 hours, and cashed out when Shaun decided he was too tired to go on. I wound up down a fair amount, dropping $154 on the night. That puts me back in the red for poker winnings at $136 to the bad. Time will tell if I head back to the casino (if I say that enough times maybe it'll happen) but I'm definitely disinclined to do so any time soon. I've certainly done worse in the past, but I've also done much better.

One down, three to go

Ottawa has just finished off the Devils in game one of their playoff series. Ottawa got a fantastic jump in the game before New Jersey mounted a comeback to nearly tie the game. An early third period goal by Wade Redden wound up being the game winner and Ottawa has taken home ice advantage and a 1-0 series lead.

GO SENS GO

Round Two: FIGHT!

Ottawa versus New Jersey. That's the matchup the Sens face starting this Thursday. While I had hoped Tampa Bay would prevail over the Devils, especially after holding a 2-1 series lead, I'm far from surprised they lost. New Jersey tends to field a strong team year after year, and it's been 4 years since they've squared off against the Sens. The result from that series, the Eastern Conference Final, went 7 games before the Sens fell to the Cup-winning Devils.

This would be the perfect series for Ottawa to get the playoff monkey off the team's back, especially considering what happened the last time these teams met in the playoffs. Key players like Alfredsson and Spezza will need to step up; Alfie has had one of his best playoff rounds yet, and Spezza did well but still has some room for improvement. If some of the marginal players like Chris Kelly and Mike Comrie can keep up the momentum then the Sens will have an easier time vanquishing the Devils. Overall, the key is Brodeur and always will be for as long as he's around. Get to him and the rest of the pieces fall into place.

GO SENS GO.

Sidney Crosby is overrated

The timer has just run out on game 5 of the Ottawa/Pittsburgh series, and Ottawa has clinched the series with a convincing 3-0 victory. Ottawa, during the regular season, was the best team at stifling Sidney Crosby's abilities, and that held true for most of the 5 games in this series as well. Pittsburgh got severely outplayed, and the Sens are now on their way to the second round; the second round opponent has yet to be decided.

Kudos to Crosby for invigorating the game, and best of luck to him in the future. I don't know if I envision him winning a Stanley Cup any time in the next few years (it took Mario Lemieux several years before he won a cup with the Pens) but I definitely see him helping Pittsburgh being more of a mainstay in the playoffs.

GO SENS GO

2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs

The most wonderful time of the year has arrived, the start of the NHL playoffs. There were some surprise teams making the cut (most notably the New York Islanders) and we're no doubt in store for some fantastic games.

Already we've seen an overtime battle between San Jose and Nashville, with the Sharks prevailing after giving up a 2-goal lead late in the 3rd period and losing their highest scorer, Jonathan Cheechoo.

Ottawa won its game quite easily, dominating the Penguins in game one of their series, leading by as many as 5 goals before the game finished at 6-3 for the Senators. While I always fear for the Sens in the playoffs, they've got a good start under their belts to be sure.

As I type this, Dallas and Vancouver are still deadlocked, a little past the halfway mark in the 2nd overtime frame. I'm really pulling for the Canucks, if only because I want all the Canadian teams to advance as far as they can. So, while I generally wouldn't cheer for the Canucks or Flames, I'll be doing so for as long as they can stick around.

I can't wait to see how things unfold.