The best and worst day of the year.

game 7.

how friggin giddy are you?

Because I am so freakin stoked I could.... do something really awesome. But i'm also a little sad as well...

Because no matter what happens tonight, hockey is over.

waaaah.

Along with most of the city of Halifax, i'll be cheering for Pittsburgh tonight. It's selfish really... I want Captain Sid to bring the cup here!

But here's what worries me about Pittsburgh's chances. First of all there's the disastrous outcome of Game 5 in Detroit (I missed that game because I was at a Tragically Hip concert in Art Park, NY... but i'll tell you I was happy I missed it after receiving the score update from a friendly dude with an iPhone in the bathroom line.)

Pittsburgh just seems unable to pull it together in the motor city. Although in Game 1 and 2 they were right in it, and save for a few bad bounces off those crazy boards behind the net at Joe Louis, they could've taken at least one game and it might have been a different series.

I mean, geez Detroit is 11-and-1 at home through the playoffs. And Sidney Crosby can't seem to score in Detroit... probably because he can't take a pee without Zetterberg lurking in the shadows behind him, which is all the easier when Detroit has the last change at home.

But that was game 1, 2 and 5. And this is game 7. It's a different animal. The Cup is in the building and it's getting awarded no matter what. And I would expect that Crosby and gang will turn it up a notch. And hopefully Fleury will be able to shut the door this game.

I would also like to see the look on Marion Hossa's face when he realized that he picked the wrong team. Oh the kharma in that... I think i'd cry with happiness. I would then call him up and laugh uncontrollably on his voicemail.

But it'll be a good game, regardless of the outcome.... the only thing is... i don't want it to end. Fingers crossed for some exciting Game 7 overtime action? Perhaps a few hundred overtime periods? Have the players signing their July 1 free agent contracts during intermissions?


Coaches, coaches, coaches.

Win: Sutters take over Calgary?

Brent Sutter stepped down as the coach of the New Jersey Devils with a year remaining on his contract. Rumours are swirling that Brent Sutter will land the job vacated by Mike Keenan in Calgary and join brother and Flames GM. The Sutters are awesome... Calgary should try to collect the whole clan.

Indifference: Marc Crawford

meh.

Fail: Jacques Martin

Not a good choice. The one upside is that Martin is considered an off-ice "drill sargeant" and may be able to curb the partying, oreo-eating ways of the young Canadiens players... doesn't really help with the under-acheiving parts though.


Jim-Balls

I really don't understand this at all. The NHL has owners like William (Boots) del Biaggio and they're concerned about Jim Ballsillie?

Also I've found a few columnists a little alarming recently... Particularly a Globe and Mail column by Jim Blair... "Just cut the cheque, Jim.
Try to carve out $5-million here or there if you want, fudge some numbers, spread it out, give the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres television money in perpetuity – whatever. Just cut the cheque. Join the club, and let’s get on with it. "

These people are talking like it's their money. Would you appreciate it if we told you how to spend your paycheque? Why should Ballsillie get screwed by the league? Was there a relocation fee when the team moved from Winnipeg to Phoenix? Is it really fair for the NHL to treat this entire fiasco as if it's going to be a detriment to the league...

Hmm, rich guy who was unanimously approved by the League's Board of Governors back in 2006 when he attempted to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins... moving a team that has not actually MADE money since it moved there from Winnipeg... to a place where there's ample hockey-mad population. Gee, this is going to bankrupt the entire goddamn league, Bettman. (see: intense sarcasm)


The Return of the Emery

For some reason (maybe i'm delusional from the imminent end of hockey season) i'm actually okay with emery returning to the NHL. I think it's time for another chance. Besides... it'll give something for Michael Landsberg to talk about besides Sean Avery....

Tonight.

The game is exactly 3 hours away.

Sweden is a tough opponent. It's obviously a grudge match, since the two teams faced off last year and Canada came out with the gold. And the Swedes have a lot of veteran players who were around last year for that bitter overtime defeat. And, let's face it, Canada has had a lot of trouble in the past few games.

PK Subban said in an interview that it's ok that they didn't play that well last game because they're a good team and good teams find a way to win.

True they do... But, Really? PK, buddy, let's have a heart-to-heart here. You played like an arse against the Russians. I would have benched you if I were the coach. Who do you think you are doing spinaramas at the blueline when you're the last man back during a semi-final against mother russia? UN-REAL. The first time it happened I can look past it. But you you did it a few more times. And it came back to bite you.

Also the goaltending has been suspect. For Canada's previous four gold medals canuck goaltenders have finished first in save percentage. Dustin Tokarski is EIGHTH! Are you kidding me Pat Quinn?

My question is... where is Chet Pickard. I know this is redundant. I've been asking this since Quinn decided to start Tokarski in the final game of round robin against the United States. And then again after Quinn decided that even though Tokarski got down 3-0 to the Americans in the span of 10 minutes, he would start him in the semi-final.

Am I the only person in the country that thought Tokarski looked extremely shaky and scary in the Semi-Final game?

"oh but he played so well in the shootout."

WHAT?!

One attempt hit the post. The second was a very lame attempt at the five hole. A child could've stopped that.

I wouldn't call that playing well.

A few people I was chatting with earlier today expressed concern over the goaltending, and wondered about Quinn's insistence of starting Tokarski. They did express that Quinn will look like a genius if Canada wins gold.

In my books, he'll look lucky.