Tonight in the NHL
Posted by jtbourne on April 15, 2009 · 7 Comments
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Live Blog, (3) Canucks V. Blues:
9:43: What a great sign for the Nucks. They only scored twice, but they owned the puck. I was very rarely defensively nervous. Luongo’s an absolute stud in net. Not much for the Blues to build on! Great start for Canada’s best hope!
9:25: I’m a little nervous that the Canucks have so heavily outplayed the Blues, but are only up one. I’d be downright scared if Luongo wasn’t in net. They need to capitalize on this PP like I need Orville Redenbacher in my life right now. Homp.
9:20: Jim Hughson does a nice job. Able to decifer set from broken plays, quickly recognize players and is able to be a good non-bias commentator. Even has a unique voice… a well qualified Neale/Cole successor.
9:14: From the obscure musings file: Do you think the combined colours of the two teams jerseys affects your enjoyment of a series? I’m finding this sea of blue and green a little more soothing to watch than some Carolina/Devils eye-burner.
9:00: Isn’t it funny how “boys” became acceptable slang for your buddies, especially in hockey? It’s such a derogatory term out of context: “He likes boys”.
8:55: I’d win a referee slapping contest. I’d love to watch to these teams play 5 on 5 for a hot minute.
8:45: Great goaltending all game, and even on that play you can’t fault Luongo. The Blues have looked unsure of themselves, so hopefully making it 2-1 wasn’t too inspiring.
8:31: For years I’ve been telling people “The Transporter” was one of the worst movies of all-time. Little did I know, Jason Statham would make it his career goal to repeatedly prove me wrong. His latest, Crank, looks like he could set a personal best in embarrassing scenes.
8:24: For years I’ve been plagued with the “How is Mats Sundin successful in a fast league while skating like a bull moose on rollerblades” question. I’ve made no progress.
8:20: Damn. Nice shot. Don’t you love when goalies make that #%?$ air punch with their blocker when they get scored on? Makes you feel like they really care.
8:17: When the 16 year old girl making my pita today can recite the “best record in the second half” mantra everyone has been chanting on St. Louis’s behalf, it’s officially been overdone. They’ve done well. Got it.
7:50, after the first: This is gonna be a good series. Lots of young guns with lots of pop. PS – Did anybody not enjoy hearing what wasn’t meant to be caught on audio for viewers at home as the period ended? The NHL should be covered by HBO, they should put mic’s everywhere, and let everyone appreciate the best part of the game.
7:39: Early turning point, where most of the league goes down 1-0. Down 5 on 3, Luongo makes a toe save that’s impossible if you aren’t the world’s tallest Italian. Huge kill.
7:32 I’ve seen the “extra attacker” thing attempted one billion, six hundred and four million times on the delayed penalty, and never seen it work. Nice timing for the ‘nucks for that to work out. Great off hand one-timer/re-direction thing from Daniel Sedin, the world’s largest moving garden gnome.
7:25 Luongo provides a nice sense of serenity for the Canucks fan. I was never quite as confident in _________ (insert any previous goaltender in Canucks history, including Kirk Mclean).
7:12: I could kiss everyone in Vancouver for singing the anthem. That’s so amazing.
7:11: Updates as it happens! So pumped for this one!
*****
Night one, the rest of Stanley Cup Playoffs:
(2) Capitals v. (7) Rangers
I’m not sure there’s a team in the league more fun to watch than Washington. Ovi does for them what Lebron does for the Cavs (comparably uninteresting teams prior to their stars arrival as well).
So, the Caps made me look like an ass right off the hop… thanks. Theodore made everyone (sort of including me?) look smart who said he had the chance to puke games away for them. I’m stickin’ with the Caps, but I’m secretly hoping something that something happens like that Van Damme movie “Sudden Death”, where some non-hockey playing rando has some reason to take over the job between the pipes.
Shots? Rangers: 21. Capitals: 35. Ovechkin: 13 – Absolutely ludicrous.
(4) Penguins v. (5) Philly
Widely described as the closest series to call, game one of this war was embarrassing for the Flyers. Fleury looked at ease, and players like Guerin, Malkin and Crosby were able to play as if Philly was unawre that the Pens had any marquee names to key on.
Great start for Pittsburgh, the type of win that makes Philly question themselves, each other, and the goalie. With a goal and an assist for Sid, I’m guessing he’s not planning on grooming that fur on his face anytime soon.
(3) Devil v. (6) Canes
No idea. Didn’t watch it. Call me when it’s time for one of these teams to upset a team that I care about so I can continue hating them. Apparently New Jersey won.
In a related story, there aren’t any related stories about two of the NHL’s least likable franchises.
I'm a hockey player turned writer. After playing for Alaska Anchorage in the WCHA (NCAA), I carried on with an NHL tryout (New York Islanders in 2007) before spending a couple seasons in the AHL/ECHL (last year was 2008-09). My father, Bob Bourne, won four Stanley Cups with the Islanders in the '80's, as did my fiancee's dad, Clark Gillies. I'm now the web editor for theScore's hockey blog "Backhand Shelf."
Lovin’ the live blog JTB. Do you think Simmons feels like he should get royalties from every live blog that is out there today? Granted, his weren’t truely “live”, but I think Deadspin did roughly 1273 live blogs of baseball games last year, and even though Simmons is approaching “I’m Keith Hernandez” status, he really was the pioneer of the running diary (live blog). Keep up the good work.
P.S. – Ryan Kesler is legit.
Favorite thing about this series: Mason’s pre-playoff beard in full effect. It makes him look like the bass player of a speed metal band. The shaved head really sets it off as well.
Haha, Simmons should get zero royalties, he makes bank. But if he did, it should be for his use of explaining athletes as characters in movies. I freaking love his mailbags.
Mason is in the running for NHL’s most curiously disturbing person to look at, no doubt about it. It like… weirds me out or something. The Sedin’s are in that category too. I’ll try to define their look as much as possible in the coming weeks, since you clearly have Mason so well-pegged.
Hey Justin did you hear Celine Dion is gonna buy Montreal Canadians and when they lose in the first round to my Bruins they have to go to Cirque De Sole’ training and perform there in the off season. hahaha
Be very glad you’re in Canada right now. Last night it was Pitt v. Philly and Stl v. Van on Versus no chance to watch anything else. Tonight the first game is Det v. Cbj so I don’t even have the option of watching Boston and Montreal continue the hate-fest. God I hate Versus.
I didn’t read in until this morning but the live blog is hilarious.
Dead on about the reffing, one of the worst single periods I’ve seen in a while and enough to take some serious wind out of an energized Nucks team… HUGE 5-3 kill, sending shudders through the Blues bench. Tkachuk looked worried in his post-game interview, I think the Blues will win one or maybe two but they’re toast if they can’t score on the PP.
GM was unreal, the singing was great, definitely some confidence in the fans but it’s clearly tempered by painful memories of past exits. If the Blues had scored first GM would have been in a tailspin.
Caps are in huge trouble. Paging Doctor Varlamov. Philly didn’t learn their lesson last year about going deep with an average goalie and no Chris Pronger.
I’ve been in Mats’s corner with the “he’s not a fast player” and “he’ll be ready when it counts” stuff but last night he looked bloody slow, people were booing him for ignoring pucks that Burrows would have thrown himself head-first at. I am still a defender: the money was there, he’s freed up space for the first line, blah blah blah. But yeah, he’s skating like he has to carry me around on his back right now.
Love the hockey bloggin, keep em coming!!!