Adidas Dress Up

The NHL and Adidas released the new uniforms for all 31 teams this past week in Las Vegas.  The ADIZERO jerseys are lighter, cooler, and more durable.  For fans, not much of that matters.  At least for me, it doesn't.  I care more about how they look.  So, how do they look?

Every single team had a new look, sort of.  Whether teams actually changed their design or not, they now featured a common collar, even if teams have laces.  The collar is the same type of collar that was featured on the World Cup of Hockey jerseys, wider, and inexplicably for some teams, only the back half was coloured in.  Hopefully, those teams will come to their senses as soon as next year and fix this problem.  Other than that, for most of the league, the jersey design was the same, except now, hem stripes followed the curve of the hem instead of being straight across.  With the Reebok jerseys, that created a very ugly whale tail effect, while with the new Adidas jerseys, they are more hidden.  Of course, they could have just made it with a STRAIGHT hem in the first place, eliminating the stupidity of that particular design.

Thirteen teams, including the Vegas Golden Knights, were said to be getting a makeover, some minor while others a completely new look.  Unless I missed it, there was one more team that revealed a brand new home jersey, to the complete surprise of everyone, and it was a most pleasant surprise.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes had switched up their jerseys in 2013 and were immediately being compared to Team Canada.  For whatever reason, the home and aways did not match. Black was only found on the logo, collar, and trim of the numbers on the home jersey.  They fixed that problem with their new home jersey that features a sublimated hurricane flag pattern that was featured on their original set.  Unfortunately, they chose to keep their road uniform.

Grade: A+

Colorado Avalanche

Many teams quickly changed their jerseys following the initial Reebok Edge roll out in 2007. The Avalanche should have been one of those teams.  Finally, they righted a wrong, but going back to their mountain design to the delight of their fans.  It's a simpler version, dropping a stripe.  Strangely, the only blue and black found on both jerseys are in the logos, numbers, and collars.  They will still wear a black helmet at home and black pants, which may have been a missed opportunity to adopt a Burgundy or blue helmet and pants.

Grade: A+

Vegas Golden Knights

The new kids on the block, Vegas becomes the first team in NHL history to wear a grey jersey full time as their home uniforms.  It's an okay design, one that seems to have gotten love from a lot of people, although I am more: bleh.  I don't hate it.  It's just okay to me.  The logo features some fancy embroidery (which I like), and is also featured on the gold stripe on the sleeves (which I don't).  Going with grey instead of black on the road whites was a poor decision in my opinion, as it looks washed out.  Hopefully, the white gloves was more for show and won't actually be worn on the ice by the players.

Grade: C

Minnesota Wild

The Wild have a pretty good jersey history.  They may not always be perfect (or match), but they are pretty nice.  Their new home uniform continues that trend, as the team returns to green as their permanent home colour after being in red since 2007.  It is similar to their white road uniform (which they are keeping the same), but moving the hem stripes to the middle like Montreal and Florida.  I would have much prefer had they put the stripes on the hem, which is why the jersey is not quite perfect.

Grade: B+

Edmonton Oilers

The first team to announce that they would be changing their uniforms, going with orange at home, but tweaking the colours slightly.  While the Oilers have fully embraced orange, unlike any other time in their NHL history, it was a curious decision to not be wearing blue at home.
Most fans assumed they would be rocking the third jerseys which they had worn throughout the playoffs.  Instead, they shocked everyone by unveiling a brand new orange uniform that mirrors their regular uniforms.  Opinion has been mixed about the design.  Upon seeing a leak of the design, I was not a fan.  However, I've come around to it a bit after seeing a better picture of them.  They still should be a blue team, though, and it will be interesting what happens next year when teams will be allowed to have alternate jerseys again.

Grade: B-

Nashville Predators

The Western Conference Champions needed to do one thing and one thing only.  Actually, two things.  Switching the socks on their road jerseys to be the way they should be, with the blue on the bottom and yellow on top to match the jersey.  But, the major thing they needed to do was get rid of the vertical stripes that run down the sides and intersects with the hem stripes.  It marred what was a really nice jersey.

On their new jerseys, those stripes have been removed, but I guess the designer decided to keep on going, removing a stripe from the sleeves.  Gone are also the "fangs".  That leaves a jersey that is rather bottom heavy, losing some of the character that came with the now old jersey.  They would have benefited from at least finding a way to keep the "fangs" without the vertical piping or by adding a blue shoulder yoke.  It's still a decent looking jersey, just not as interesting.  The guitar string treatment with the back numbers now finds their way onto the sleeve numbers.

The road whites were not released and it will be interesting to see how they look.  I have a feeling the sleeve stripes will mirror those of the old socks.

Grade: B-

New Jersey Devils

All of the teams that have made significant changes have been good to decent.  Now comes the truly bad in the Devils.  It's not a good thing when fans take to twitter to voice their displeasure with the new look and the response is this:

The Devils had a uniform that did not need to be changed, rivaling those of the Original 6 in looks.  Done right, though, it could have brought in new revenues (isn't what this is all about?)  Done wrong, well you get the backlash, and maybe ownership questioning their decision to change.  Would it be surprising to anyone if they have another new look in a couple of years?

The sleeve stripes are similar to the old stripes, but pumped up with steroids, making them over-sized.  The hem stripes were dropped for a single, thin black stripe at the bottom.  With Lou gone, everything goes now in New Jersey, I guess.

The truly weird part is how the Devils are embracing their past.  The past, being the Colorado Rockies and Kansas City Scouts, where the Devils once played, but have never acknowledge before hand.  Considering how bad and inept those teams were, it's curious as to why now.  I guess they needed a story to sell the new jerseys.

Grade: F

The Tampa Bay Lightning were one of the few teams to release their road jerseys.  They had good reason to do so as they have decided to drop Tampa Bay from them, simply going with the logo.  It's a good move that makes for a cleaner look.

It's weird how some of the teams that announced changes were something as simple as changing the number font like Boston, who dropped the double outline on the NOBS and numbers.  Then, there is San Jose with a new shoulder logo, not coming out with an announcement at all, waiting for the teasers to drop to let everyone know about the change. The new shoulder logo is a vast improvement on their the previous one, which was simply the full body shark.  It was too big for a shoulder logo, which may have been the reason for the change, as I have noticed that all shoulder logos seem to be closer to the collars than before.

Other teams like Calgary and Buffalo have finally dropped the piping and pit stains that go to nowhere.  What they didn't do, to the dismay of their fans, was to change their looks altogether.  Buffalo fans would like the team to return to royal blue, while Flames fans would like something, anything, better than what they currently have.  That might have to wait until they get a new arena, which at this pace, might be never.

Just like Boston, the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators have new, more traditional block number fonts.

Design wise, the shift to Adidas is a much more pleasant one compared to when Reebok introduced the Edge Uniform System in 2007.  There were too many teams using the same templates and weird piping that do not belong on a hockey uniform.  It would have been nice had Adidas made right which was the most stupid thing about the Reebok jerseys, which was the curved hem.  They did and didn't, reducing it, but not eliminating it all together.

Repeat Champions

Late to the party...

The Pittsburgh Penguins accomplished, something something very rare in the NHL these days, repeating as Stanley Cup Champions.  The 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings were the last team to do so, with the Penguins becoming the first in the Cap Era to do so.

The road to repeating was not an easy one.  Their reward for finishing second in the entire league was to take on the team that finished fourth overall in the league, in the Columbus Blue Jackets, before needing 7 games against the President Trophy winning Washington Capitals in the next round.  Ottawa proved to be a very tough foe in the Eastern Conference Final, needing a dramatic double overtime winner by veteran Chris Kunitz to send Pittsburgh into the Final where they met the exciting Nashville Predators.  It took 6 games, as I predicted, before Pittsburgh was able to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup again in Smashville, once again following in tradition of clinching on the road like their previous four Cup wins.

The question now becomes can they 3-peat?  That's something that hasn't happened since the New York Islanders dynasty of the 80's (1980-84) when they won four straight Cups.  It's somewhat unlikely, though not entirely impossible.

Consider the team still has the best player in the league in Sidney Crosby, who won his second straight Conn Smythe.  Evgeni Malkin is no slouch, either.  Matt Murrary is only 23. The team won with a defence that didn't have a player who had ever received a single Norris trophy vote.  Imagine how much better it will be when Kris Letang returns next season after being injured the last half of the season.

There will be changes; more than there were last season.  Some players like Matt Cullen and Chris Kunitz will be moving on.  At 40, Cullen has already said he was retiring, although he said that last year as well.  Kunitz could do the same after winning his fourth Cup.

Nick Bonio and Trevor Daley are both UFA's, but I'd would say short of a low ball offer, both would be foolish to leave.  Daley would be the bigger loss as Bonino didn't quite have the playoff he had a year before as part of the HBK line (Phil Kessel and Carl Hagelin).

So who could possibly stop the Penguins attempt at a 3-peat?

Eastern Conference

Washington Capitals: They were the President Trophy winners last season, but after failing to advance beyond the second round, again, thanks to the Penguins, Washington faces some changes.  Most of the key guys are signed thru next season, though T.J. Oshie, Karl Azner, and Kevin Shattenkirk are all UFAs.

Tampa Bay Lightning: A healthy Steven Stamkos should get the Lightning back into the playoffs after missing last year.  They came close a couple of years ago, losing to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Final, then lost to Pittsburgh the next year in the Eastern Conference Final.  Even after today's massive trade with the Montreal Canadiens, saying goodbye to Jonathan Drouin, they still have a deep team.

Montreal Canadiens: Marc Bergevin finally addressed the scoring woes that plagued the Canadiens in the playoffs by acquiring Drouin from the Lightning.  They still need a true number one centre and there is still a question of whether Alex Radulov will be re-signed or not.  The Russian forward proved that he was a changed man last season, but could he price himself out?  They have one of the best, if not the best, goalie in the league in Carey Price.  The window may be closing fast as Price is set to be a UFA soon, which could force Bergevin to make more moves to turn the team into an even bigger contender.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Wait, what?  The Penguins have played a lot of hockey in the past couple of seasons and face another short off-season.  There was already suggestion that the team was running on fumes in the Final, though we all know how that turned out.  It's possible that a 3-peat is out of the question, but another championship the year after might not be as surprising.

Western Conference

Chicago Blackhawks: The Hawks were stunned by the Predators in the first round.  Not because they lost, but because they were swept.  That prompted changes behind the bench to Joel Quennville's assistants.  The team itself, remains intact.  Along with Pittsburgh, they are the only team to have won 3 Stanley Cups since 2009.  They are due for a fourth.

Anaheim Ducks: Always a bridesmaid, never the bride.  The window to win appears to be closing somewhat as the team's leaders get older.  The expansion draft could throw a wrench in their Stanley Cup aspirations, as they could potentially lose a really good player, either up front or on the back end.

Nashville Predators: Despite finishing 8th in the west, the Predators are a better team than their record belies.  They have arguably the best defence in the league and have a young nucleus of forwards.  Beating Chicago, St. Louis and Anaheim on their way to the Final prove they are a true contender and a return to the Final is not out of the question.

P.K.'s Stinky Breath

IT WAS A JOKE!

I can't believe how many people have been hooked by what he said.

Rinne Or Bust

The first two games of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final have been a little wacky, to say the least. The team that, most agree, been the better team are down 2-0 in the Final, while also facing a goalie dilemma.

Pekka Rinne's numbers in the Final have not been pretty.  His save percentage is an ugly .778 and his goals against is 4.00, a far cry from the numbers (.941 save percentage & 1.70 G.A.A.) he carried into the Final as the playoffs top goalie.  Perhaps it shouldn't be all that surprising, as Rinne has never beaten the Pittsburgh Penguins as a starter (1-7-2), with his only win coming in relief.

What's more discouraging than Rinne's numbers has been how the Penguins have amassed those eight goals on him.  They've come in a short, soul crushing few minutes, in both games.  Three goals in the final five minutes in the first period gave Pittsburgh a 3-0 lead that they would eventually blow, only to have their very first shot in 37 minutes beat Rinne for the game winner.  In game two, with the game tied at 1-1, Pittsburgh scored just ten seconds in.  Three and a half minutes later, the game was over as the Penguins added two more goals and chased Rinne.

That has lead to the speculation over the next two days as to who will start in net for the Nashville Predators.  Could head coach, Peter Laviolette, hand the reins over to backup Juuse Saros for his first career playoff start in what may be the most important game in franchise history?

It would take a giant set of you know what and a complete total lack of faith in Rinne
to make the switch to Saros.  I don't believe Laviolette or any of the other players have lost faith in Rinne.  After all, a big reason as to why they are in the Final in the first place is because of the Finnish goaltender.

And, let's be honest.  Saros is not Pittsburgh Penguins goalie, Matt Murray.  He didn't lead the Predators to the Stanley Cup like Murray did a year ago with the Penguins and who would have started from the very first day off the playoffs if he had not injured himself in the warm ups before the first game.

At this point, the only choice is still Rinne.

Not Another P.K. Story

It's unavoidable with P.K. Subban and the Nashville Predators in the Stanley Cup Final. You know there will be tons of these stories.

First, a recap.

There's probably never been another trade in NHL history that has been discussed as much, and for so long, as the one that happened nearly a year ago between the Nashville Predators and Montreal Canadiens.  At least, one that I can remember.

It was a shocking day that also saw another blockbuster trade in Edmonton sending Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils for Adam Larsson.  The only one still talking about that trade is Hall, who to say the least, is still sounding a little bitter about the new found success of his former team, after suffering through the bad times.

P.K. Subban's name had popped up a few days earlier at the trade.  The Montreal Canadiens quickly denied that they were trying to trade their superstar player.  The media pounced, however, zeroing in on a number of things that make them believe where there is smoke, there's fire.

It was no secret that then head coach, Michel Therrien, was less than enamoured with Subban, singling him out for a loss two years ago in a February game against the Colorado Avalanche, after Subban had turned the puck over.  Never mind that it was still a 3 on 3 going back the other way and ended up being played incorrectly by those three players, leaving Jarome Iglina all alone in front for a tap in.  None of those players were called out.



There were rumours that Subban's over the top personality was rubbing some of the players the wrong way, including the captain, Max Pacioretty.  It is suggested by at least one person that Pacioretty was more of a divider than uniter, while another person said Subban did make some mistakes that pissed off some his former teammates.  I've never been in that dressing room, so I wouldn't know if that is true or not.  It would appear P.K.'s new Nashville Predators don't seem to have a problem with him.

Former Montreal Canadiens and a friend of Subban, George Laraque, believes the players might have been jealous of Subban due to his popularity.  Subban wasn't only the most popular player (maybe second behind Carey Price), but one of the most popular people in the entire city.

Lastly, a no movement clause would be kicking in on Canada Day, July 1st.  That would make any trade that much more difficult to pull off.  So, if Marc Bergevin wanted to move Subban without conditions, time was running out.

For whatever reason, P.K. Subban was swapped for Shea Webber.  In the very first year of the trade, here is Subban and the Nashville Predators four wins away from the team's first Stanley Cup, while his former team has been golfing for a few weeks now.

Let's make it clear: the Predators were already a very good team and could still have made it this far had they not made the trade.  In other words, Subban was not the final piece of the puzzle to a legit contender.  It also might not be a coincidence, either.

He's not the top defenceman on this team, which already was one of the best with Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis, and Mattias Ekholm.  In Montreal, there was veteran Andrei Markov and Jeff Petry, but its nowhere close to be as good as Nashville's.

The one big knock on Subban, from a purely hockey standpoint, was that he wasn't as strong defensively or that he took too many risks.  It's interesting, then, that Subban was tabbed to be on the shut down pairing with Ekholm and did more than just an admirable job.
No doubt, he will be out against either one of Pittsburgh's top guns, Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin.

One of the things I guess nobody seem to consider while Subban was still in Montreal (especially Thierrien) was that he needed to take those risks because the team is offensively challenged, proven by the team's 1st round exit where they struggled to score goals, something Bergevin failed to address at the trade deadline.

To be truthful, I wasn't a big P.K. Subban fan in the first place.  But, as I came to the realization that not only was Subban a really good defenceman, but a pretty good guy, I began liking him more.  Everyone who seems to be criticizing him for no good reason only made me like him even more.

I believe the Pittsburgh Penguins will repeat as Stanley Cup Champions in six games and while I'm not really rooting for either them, I wouldn't mind seeing the Predators win, if so P.K. could bring the Cup back to Montreal, not to rub it in to his former GM and teammates who may not have appreciated him, but so the kids at the Montreal Children's Hospital could enjoy the Cup up close.

All the other P.K. supporters in the city, and there are plenty of them, can remind Bergevin and Therrien about that, instead.



After just one year, it's hard to believe that a winner of this trade, for those who need there to be a winner, could already be declared.  If the Predators win the Stanley Cup, then regardless of whatever happens in Montreal next season and beyond, they would be the winners because they get the younger player in Subban.

The real winner, though, is Subban himself.  He now is in a place where he can continue to be himself and not worry about having daggers thrown his way by the organization.

Jersey Change, Part 2

Here's part 2 about what I think about the teams changing their jerseys for next season.

Florida Panthers: The Panthers only changed their jerseys a season ago, so I would suspect anything but a minor change.  I suspect that the team could (should) make the bottom hem stripe thicker.  It would be great if they swapped out the placement of the numbers with the sleeve patch, but that seems unlikely as that is suppose to be one of the big design elements as the owner is a US Army veteran.

Minnesota Wild: A rumour going around is that the Wild will adopt their Stadium Series jersey as their new home, while keeping their current road jersey.  Every since 2007, the Wild's home, away, and alternate jerseys have not matched.  It's a bit of pet peeve of mine, except for the most part, the jerseys look pretty good.  However, it is clearly time to change up the red home jersey, which has lost some of its luster when it was originally released as an alternate jersey in 2003.  The removal of the hem stripes and introduction of faux shoulder yolk in the edge makeover were complete downgrades.

If the Wild do switch to the Stadium Series jersey at home, it would mean having red as a more prominent colour on the green jersey, which is good thing.  On their green alternate and road white, red is almost an after thought.  For me, I would rather they based the new home jersey on the current road, somehow using more red, instead of going with the Stadium Series jersey, as it is nicer.

Nashville Predators: The team changed their jerseys, going yellow at home, back in 2011. The under used colour at home has been fully embraced by the team and its fans.  I hated it when the team switched the blue helmets to yellow helmets this past season full time after wearing them the previous season for Saturday night games only, but have since come around to them.

It would be surprising if the Predators make a major change.  Removing the piping that goes from the front all the way down the sides would make the jersey even more beautiful. Flipping the white socks back to the way they original were would make a whole lot of sense, though I could actually see the team doing the opposite and flipping blue for yellow on the sleeves instead.

New Jersey Devils: The New Jersey Devils have a solid look that should not be changed. But, with the team struggling on the ice and off of it, freshening up the look might be in order.  It also will get the fans they have to buy something new.

What info that has been out there is that the logo won't change and neither would the colours.  Someone close to the team suggested that the Devils will continue to look like the Devils, so that should be good.

While I don't think they should be changing uniforms, if they do, basing something on their original uniforms, but in black and red, wouldn't be such a bad look.

Ottawa Senators: The Sens are coming off a great playoff run that surprised everyone. What's not surprising is that they are changing their uniforms.  They once shard the same template as the same team that just eliminated them from the Eastern Conference Final, Pittsburgh, as well as Tampa Bay.  Both of them have thankfully changed since, with Pittsburgh flipping back to their original set just this season after wearing their original black jerseys at home for the playoffs last season.

There will be those that will want the current alternate heritage jersey to become the full time home.  We have already seen a "light" version of it when the Senators played the Vancouver Canucks in the 2014 Heritage Classic.  I like the design of the uniforms, but do not like the "O" logo, as I do not feel it is strong enough to be a primary mark.  Perhaps, a combination of those jerseys with the long forgotten re-designed side facing logo would make a good match.

To which direction the team will be going is any body's guess.  They could come out with a completely new design that is primarily black at home.  They could use more gold in their colour scheme, which has only used on their Peace Tower alternate uniforms (2000-07) outside of the logo.  Any change could also be minor, instead waiting until the completion of a new arena in downtown Ottawa, though that is not a sure thing yet and would be a couple of years away.

With no third jerseys for next season, the Senators could be also going the route of the Edmonton Oilers, using their current alternate as the home jersey as a stand by until they do make the move downtown.  It would not be the first time they have had mismatched jerseys, as that had been the case from 1999 to 2007.

Part of the reason I believe any change could be minor or the team simply using the alternate jersey is due to the fact that the team's new CEO, Tom Anselmi, only took over in January.  So, unless the jersey change was already in the works, it seems unlikely that such a complete overhaul would have been done in the few months since, as the process usually takes a little longer than just a few months.

Down To The Final Two

The Pittsburgh Penguins will look to successfully defend their title as Stanley Cup Champions against the Nashville Predators beginning on Monday at home.  No team since the 1997 and 1998 Detroit Red Wings have managed to repeat.

Pittsburgh survived a thrilling 3-2 double overtime game 7 against the Ottawa Senators to reach the Final, their second straight game 7 of these playoffs, knocking off the President Trophy winners, Washington Capitals, in round 2.  Despite missing out on their top two centres, the Predators won back to back games and pluck the feathers off the Anaheim Ducks in six games.

Nashville have been waiting since Monday and will have a full week off in between games, while the Penguins will only have three days off.  The long break for the Predators could be both an advantage and disadvantage.  The advantage comes from the obvious; being able to get as healthy as one could get after weeks of hard, bruising playoff hockey.  However, that's weighed against the loss of momentum (if you believe in stuff like that) going into the franchise's first every Stanley Cup Final appearance.  By this point, the players have developed a routine and the long break could throw them off.  Playing game 1 on the road could help the Predators maintain their focus.

Injuries have been an issue for the Penguins throughout these playoffs, which makes them returning to the Final that much more remarkable.  The good news is that they are getting bodies back.  At what percentage of health they are working at is something only the players know.  At this point, only Patric Hornqvist is the only regular, outside of Kris Letang (no chance of coming back) that remains on the IR.  Don't be surprised, though, if we see him at some point in the Final against his formal team, if he isn't ready to go for game 1.

So, who will raise the Stanley Cup at the end?

The Predators, unquestionably, have had the best goalie during these playoffs.  Pekka Rinne's numbers have been off the charts, and they will need to continue to be if he wants to be able to get his name etched into the greatest trophy in professional sports.  As talented as their previous opponents were, the Pittsburgh Penguins present a different beast, that features the game's best player in Sidney Crosby and the playoffs leading scorer in Evgeni Malkin.

They will need to continue to get surprising performances like the one from Colton Sissons in game 6 against the Ducks, where he recorded a natural hat-trick, including the game winner.  Sixteen players have scored for the Predators during these playoffs, and all sixteen might have to beat Pittsburgh.

The defence will have their hands full with Crosby and Malkin, but will also be called on to provide offence in the same matter that they did against St. Louis, when the top line was effectively shut down.  The group lead by Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis, P.K. Subban, and Mattias Ekholm, have combined to lead the playoffs in goals by a defence core.

It's funny how at the beginning of the season, very few people picked the Penguins to return to the Final, let alone repeat as champions.  The experts had the Washington Capitals finally breaking through in the east, or the Tampa Bay Lightning making it three times a charm, having made it to back to back Eastern Conference Finals the last two seasons, only to fall short.  It goes to show how difficult it actually is to repeat, having played 106 regular season and playoff games combined last season.

But, here they are, ready to defend their title.

The experience of having won just a year ago will pull them through to successfully defend their title.  They have battled hard and had to deal with adversity throughout these playoffs, whether its injuries or two game 7s.

Sidney Crosby broke out of the funk he was in, following the concussion he received from Washington's Matt Niskanen, in the second half of the Eastern Conference Final.  That's bad news for the Predators.  If you stop Crosby, then there's Malkin to deal with.  Or Phil Kessel, who no matter how you think of him, is as dangerous as anyone on the ice.

Pittsburgh's power-play operates at a 25% clip, while Nashville is languishing at only 14.9%. Without Ryan Johanssen, it becomes even more difficult for Nashville, who were able to get away with an unproductive power-play against Anaheim.  It won't against Pittsburgh.

The Penguins will repeat as Stanley Cup Champions in six games, with Crosby once again named the Conn Smythe winner.

Successful Duck Hunt

It just might have been the first time the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl was accepted by a man in a suit.  That was the case Monday night when the Nashville Predators defeated the Anaheim Ducks to advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history.
Mike Fisher, the team captain, was injured in game 4, so had to watch from the luxury box the last two games.

As it has become tradition, Fisher did not touch the Campbell Bowl, nor did anyone else on the team.  It is not the trophy that they want and would not make up if they fail to get four more wins.  However, it didn't stop the team, including injured centre, Ryan Johansen, from gathering around the trophy and taking a picture.  The last time I could remember anyone picking up the Campbell Bowl was when a very joyful Vancouver Canucks' captain Trevor Linden in 1994.  He dropped the lid to the bowl when he lifted it up.

In the absence of the team's top two centres, other players needed to step up these last two games.  It was Pontus Aberg last game, scoring the game winner.  On this night, it was Colton Sissons, recording a natural hat-trick, including the game winner after the Ducks had come back to tie up the game at 3-3.

Nashville got the start any team would want, scoring just 1:21 into the 1st period on its very first shot.  They would go up 2-0 a few minutes later on only its second shot.  The roar inside the Bridgestone Arena was deafening.

It was not John Gibson in net for the Ducks.  Out with a lower body injury, the Ducks would rely on former first round draft pick and highly touted goalie prospect, Jonathan Bernier, to force a game 7.  Bernier needed to stop the second goal that was scored by Sissons, but it's hard to say that it would have made a difference if it had been the Ducks regular starter.

At the other end, Pekka Rinne, simply outshone Bernier.  He would have done the same to Gibson.  He stopped 38 of the 41 shots directed his way.  The Finnish goalie leads the playoffs with an outstanding 1.70 GAA and .941 save percentage, along with 12 wins.  To say he's been the best goalie of the playoffs is an understatement.

The final 6-3 score makes it seem more of a blowout, but the final 2 goals were scored into an empty net, sealing Anaheim's fate.  The Predators had themselves a 3-1 lead before the Ducks managed to come back.  But, Sissons final goal of the night had Nashville minutes away from winning the west.

This would have seemed impossible just a few years ago when the team was on shaky ground.  Local ownership stepped in and prevented the team from possibly moving.  The small market team then got good through smart drafting and trades.  Predators first and only general manager, David Poile, and his staff (some of whom have been with him since day 1) deserve an incredible amount of credit for putting this team that is very capable of winning the Stanley Cup together.

And the fans should be given credit for fully embracing hockey in the south.  No more is it just Nascar country.  It's become hockey country, as well.

Welcome to Smashville.

On The Brink

The Nashville Predators put on a gutsy performance Saturday evening, winning 3-1 over the Ducks in Anaheim.  They were without their top 2 centres.  We already knew on Friday that Ryan Johansen's season was done, having injured his leg in game 4, that required surgery.
He suffered an acute compartment syndrome of the left thigh.

Mike Fisher was also hurt in game 4.  The Predators' captain was struck in the jaw by an errant knee from Ducks defenceman, Josh Manson, jumped in an attempt to bat a puck that was in the air.

The Ducks had their own injury woes, as the team's second leading scorer in the playoffs, Rickard Rakell, with a lower body injury.  He won't be ready to play in game 6, nor Patrick Eaves, who also has a lower body injury.

Of even greater concern would be the status of the team's starting netminder.  John Gibson left after the first period in game 5.  No reason was given, but it was suggested that he might have injured his right knee when video replay showed he might have stretched out his right leg awkwardly against the post.  He commented that he would be ready to go for game 6 following the game, though head coach, Randy Carlyle, was non-committal until Gibson was evaluated by team doctors.

Nashville now have the chance to punch their ticket to their very first Stanley Cup Final appearance at home.  There shouldn't be an empty seat in the building, with every single fan decked out in yellow.

Not to jinx them or anything, but when the regular season started way back in October, the Nashville Predators were predicted by EA Sports to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup.  They were once game predicted to win before the playoffs began using the 16 teams that made the post season.  Five more wins and those predictions become true.

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Part of the story line during the Eastern Conference Final were all the injuries to key players in which the Pittsburgh Penguins were having to deal with.  They've gotten some of them back as the series went on, while others went on the IR.  

Now, it's the other way around.  Three very important players for the Senators left the game early.  Erick Karlsson, Cody Ceci, and Derick Brassard were all done after the second period.  It's would be a huge blow for Ottawa if any of them, let alone all three, were unavailable for game 6, as they face elimination.  Even with them, they would be in tough as the Penguins have finally figured them out.

More than Matt Murray providing the Penguins' solid netminding as he took over for Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh were able to finally break through Ottawa's frustrating defence, mainly by taking the lead in game 4, forcing Ottawa to open things up, which played right into the more skillful Penguins.  Ottawa eventually scored twice in the third period, but were unable to tie the game up, losing 3-2.

In game 5, Ottawa did themselves in.  Turnovers, turnovers, and more turnovers lead to goals by Pittsburgh.  They had 4 before the 1st period was over, chasing Sens' goalie, Craig Anderson, twice.  Once after the Penguins took a 3-0 at the sixteen minute mark, then for good after the 1st intermission.

Before we go on saying the Senators' Cinderella run will be coming to an end, we should remember how resilient the team has been through this years playoffs.  They have come back in games to win in overtime.  People thought they were done after being embarrassed by the New York Rangers in games 3 and 4 of the second round.  They bounced back to reach the Eastern Conference Final.

It will be tough.  Tougher if the team loses any of its top players.  But, it's not entirely impossible that there will be a game 7 back in Pittsburgh.  Know this: Ottawa will bring it at home on Tuesday.

Anthem Controversy

There's a curious anthem controversy involving the Nashville Predators semi-regular anthem singer.  No, he didn't butchered the American national anthem, attempting to add his own spin to it, like some other famous celebrities have tried.  Nor did he forget any words.  So, what's the problem?

The problem, so says Dennis K. Morgan, is that some of country music's finest, including the captain's wife, who just happens to be Carrie Underwood, have been asked to sing the anthem for playoff games, instead of Morgan.  He let the team know of his unhappiness, then let everyone else know through the Tennessean, and was given the thumbs up to do so by Preds management.

Outside of friends and family, it's hard to believe too many people will be behind Morgan on this issue.  The fact is that while Morgan has sang the anthems for the Predators since 2000, that's amounted to only 185 regular season home games out of a total of 639.  So, while he's the "regular" anthem singer, it seems like he's more like the semi-regular anthem singer.

It also seems like somebody who thought people were actually go out to the game to hear him sing the anthem.  While it is cool when any celebrity is trotted out to sing the anthems before the game, anywhere, they are just a precursor to while 17,000 plus fans are there in the first place.

Me thinks the Predators will be looking for another semi-regular anthem singer for next season.

Smashville

There's Hockeytown, USA, in Detroit and the State of Hockey in Minnesota.  They are more just a catch phrase, to help sell the game.  They are two traditional hockey markets where the sport is as big, if not bigger, than any of the other pro sports played in the city or state.

Then there is Smashville, located in Nashville, Tennessee, home of the Predators.  As far as you can get from the traditional markets, the city has embraced the Predators the last few years after the team was mired in turmoil off the ice.  The team has been owned by a group of local owners since 2007, bringing stability to the team, allowing the management, coaches, and players to simply focus on hockey.  They weren't moving to Hamilton or Kansas City or anywhere else.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the team has enjoyed its greatest period of success since then, with the team making the playoffs 7 out of 10 times since.  Tonight, they get to host a Western Conference Final game for the first time in franchise history.  The Bridgestone Arena will be packed and loud, rocking yellow coloured t-shirts, matching the team's yellow home jerseys.

The area around the arena is also jumping before and after the game (especially after a win).  The building has helped revitalize the area.  Without the team, it's unlikely that process would have happened as quickly, especially with the bars and restaurants popping up, where fans without tickets go to watch their team.

Nashville is home to country music.  There have been plenty of sightings of country music's biggest stars at the Bridgestone Arena, cheering on the Predators.  Luke Bryan, Vince Gill, and Carrie Underwood are among the celebrity fans.  I certainly hope Underwood would be, considering she is married to Predators' captain, Mike Fisher, who she met while he played for the Ottawa Senators.

There are plenty of people, particularly Canadians, who believe hockey shouldn't be played in southern markets like Nashville.  Instead, there should be teams in Quebec (most definitely) and Hamilton (maybe), or other Canadian cities.  I, however, feel hockey is a great game and should be spread around the world, including what is normally Nascar country.  Time needs to build those markets.  That isn't to say that the NHL shouldn't eventually throw in the towel and relocate a team *cough* Phoenix *cough*.  But, Nashville is proof that if you give it some time, with stable ownership, and a team worth cheering on, the hockey can work in the south.

Best In The West

After becoming public enemy number 1 in the province of Alberta, dispatching the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers in successive series, the Anaheim Ducks now move on to play the Nashville Predators in the Western Conference.  The Preds, as the 8th seed (if the NHL were to still seed teams) surprisingly swept the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1st round, before taking care of the St. Louis Blues in six games in round 2.  It will be a rematch from a year ago, when they met in the 1st round.  The Predators were the latest team to have beaten the Ducks in a game 7 at the Honda Center, until Anaheim was able to break that curse this year against Edmonton.

The Predators have one of the best defense in the league, led by Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis, and P.K. Subban.  The group can also get it done offensively, having scored 9 goals and 27 points total so far, numbers that will no doubt continue to go up.  In fact, they might need to, as the Predators big 3 in Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg, and Viktor Arvidsson were effectively shut down by the Blues in round 1.  Then again, the threesome put up big numbers against the Blackhawks in the opening round.  If they get going, then the Ducks will be in tough.

Down 2-0 to the Oilers last round, Ducks' captain, Ryan Getzlaf, decided to man up, put his team on his back, and carried them to a 3-2 win and getting them back into the series.  He was a man on a mission for the rest of the series, even bringing Corey Perry back from the doldrums.  Stop him and the Predators win make even more history by reaching their first ever Stanley Cup Final.

In net, hands down, the edge goes to Pekka Rinne and the Predators.  The long serving Predators' goaltender leads the playoffs in goals against (1.37), save percentage (.951), and shutouts (2).  The man is so good, he even recorded 2 assists against the Blackhawks.

John Gibson showed resilience after getting pulled twice, and playing great in net for Anaheim.  After giving up a strange opening goal in game 7 against Edmonton, Gibson shut the door the rest of the way.  As great as his ability to bounce back, that can not happen again if the Ducks are to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since they won it all in 2007 against the Ottawa Senators.

Prediction: Nashville in 6.