Malcolm Subban and the Boston-Montreal Rivalry

Posted on June 25, 2012 by wcornblatt

This year, I went to a Canadiens-Bruins game. I didn’t grow up on hockey, so I never really understood the rivalry, but I did after the game. More than just dislike, there was a distinct hatred in the air. Maybe it was because the rivalry represents an international competition. Whatever it was, the shouts and chants were as vicious and audible as I had heard in Boston.

Never had I seen a player be the victim of those chants as much as P.K. Subban. Every time he touched the puck boos echoed. So when I was following the NHL draft, I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw the Bruins selected Malcolm Subban with the 24^th overall pick.

I love those type of moves. When the Patriots signed Jake Ballard, I jumped with glee at the trivial jab the Pats took at the Giants. It meant nothing, but why not try to get under a rival’s skin? Isn’t that the point of sports? But both P.K. and Malcolm revealed their true colors as they embraced at the news of Malcolm being selected. There was no apprehension, no moments of half-smiles. P.K. hugged his brother with such authenticity it was impossible to hate him. In that moment, he was a brother, and I think it’s important to keep that sort of perspective.

Grown men spend months trying to find a way to anger and frustrate their rivals, and it never looked as petty as the five seconds P.K. hugged Malcolm. Whatever mind games were being played were irrelevant. A kid who’s wanted to play in the NHL got a chance to do just that. Do you think he cares about rivalries? He worked his whole life to get to that moment, and when it finally came, both of those brothers would be damned if they weren’t going to celebrate vehemently.

A Fleeting Interest in Hockey

Posted on June 5, 2012 by wcornblatt

About a month ago, the NHL playoffs were exceeding any sort of popularity expectations they had. People weren’t only watching, they were talking about it. Liking the NHL became cool for a little while, and that’s all it was… for a little while.

Maybe it was the big market teams like the Rangers, Bruins and Capitals that kept viewers hanging around, but you could feel the air deflate from the playoffs the second that the Rangers were eliminated. Maybe it was the constant and rotating Ferris Wheel of games, giving a viewer a thriller to watch at almost any time of the night. It was a great couple of weeks, but here we are, watching a dominant Kings team barrel through the playoffs like we’ve never seen, and nobody could care less. I’m sorry for the loyal fans out there that have stuck with their league through last night’s 4-0 Ambien-like game that put me to sleep faster than watching Tiago Splitter.

Last year’s Stanley Cup felt like the climax of the playoffs, opposed to this year, where the opening round was the most thrilling of all.

In the end, it will be like every other hockey season. The playoff games are enormously entertaining, and no other sport’s postseason can compete with the intensity and unpredictability of the NHL, but after Americans got their hipster fix of liking a sport they weren’t accustomed too, they’ve moved on. All that’s left standing is the Kings’ faithful and those stubborn traditionalists that are so charmingly obsessed with the sport they’ve grew up with and fed off of for as long as they can remember. It’s the cruel cycle of the hockey playoffs. Every year, it feels more watchable, exhilarating and authentic than the paralleling NBA playoffs, which falls around two weeks after the start of the NHL postseason. Everybody finds him or herself making declarations that hockey has the best playoffs of any sport. Yet by the end of the Stanley Cup, us bandwagon hockey fans are exposed while the loyal crowd that truly loves the sport remains intrigued. America is a fickle sports nation, and it’s never more obvious than mid-June.

Rangers and Kings

Posted on May 24, 2012 by wcornblatt

Hockey is unlike any other sport. If you’re a fan of any of the three teams left, watching a playoff game has ceased to be fun. The stakes of each game and the randomness and quickness of goals makes anxiety higher than any sport. No sports are enjoyable when it’s that intense, but what makes it so intense, so damn exhilarating, is that the teams are so even.

The Rangers run to this point embodies the craziness of hockey, and in a weird way the Kings do too. The Kings were an eight seed, no NBA eight seed has ever won a championship. The Knicks got close in 1998, but couldn’t finish off the Spurs. However the Kings haven’t just gotten to the Stanley Cup; they’ve plowed over their opponents, they’ve lost two games all playoffs.

The Rangers on the other hand, have been forced into a game seven in every series including this one if they beat the Devils in game six. The irony is that the Rangers epitomize structure, they have a dominant goaltender and rely on defense.

The Kings changed coach mid-season, made valuable acquisitions, and barely finished the season in the playoff picture, but in playoff hockey, getting hot is all that matters.

The Canucks playoff appearance feels like months ago, yet they won the Presidents Trophy and were Stanley Cup favorites. However they won only one game against the Kings. The Kings run now seems predictable because of how strong they’ve played, but their predictability is so unpredictable. A hockey season changes in the blink of an eye. The Bruins fell on a bad bounce in their own zone. Ottawa could’ve been facing the Devils had they found a way to score at the end of game six or seven, but that’s why hockey playoffs exist. To torture, shock, and scorn in a millisecond. It’s unlike any other sport, and it should stay that way.

Preparation Pays Off: The NHL Playoff Upsets

Posted on April 16, 2012 by wcornblatt

Whatever the sport may be, the playoffs are the most important time of the year. The regular season and training camps evaporate in haste, fooling the shortsighted with a cheap parlor trick. It’s a brutal realization if you’re a victim. Months of hard work are wasted, but for the survivors it’s invaluable hope. It’s a reminder that sports are one of the few unscripted forms of entertainment still available. It’s also a reminder that preparation is the surest way to prepare for the unpredictable, mental slips can separate champions from mediocrity, and so can mental strength.

Watching these enormously entertaining hockey playoffs, it’s easy to see how two huge upsets are brewing. For the Canucks it’s simple, without Daniel Sedin, the pressure they’re putting on Jonathan Quick isn’t yielding enough goals. Quick has been the best goaltender in the playoffs thus far, and has demonstrated an astounding toughness in the face of the President’s Cup Champion. Last night must’ve been frustrating for the Canucks, who watched Cory Schneider match Quick every step of the way until a third period goal that was out of his reach.

The Penguins have fallen victim to a lack of discipline. There’s no excuse for the way they’ve lost. The crazy, whimsical series has been riveting and shameful in the same sense, and I’m not even referring to the fighting. The Penguins have wasted an All-Star team with foolish turnovers and gaping defensive holes. In game two, two short-handed power play goals propelled the Flyers over the Penguins, it’s simply sloppy.

So the Penguins and Canucks, the two Stanley Cup favorites in my book, are on the verge of getting swept. It shouldn’t be so shocking in the playoffs, where upsets have become the only thing you can count on. The Kings and Flyers used their strengths to their advantage and out prepared the Goliaths, good for them!

NHL Playoff Preview: Western Conference

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Glen G

Part 2 of my NHL Playoff preview takes a look at the Western conference matchups and explores who has the edge in each.

#1 Vancouver Canucks vs. #8 Los Angeles Kings

Possibly the most interesting matchup in the NHL. Though most don’t expect the Kings to be able to hang with the Canucks…I beg to differ. The Kings showed guts down the stretch by hanging on to a playoff spot despite strong pushes from the Calgary Flames and the Dallas Stars, and in doing so may have gained the confidence they need to pull off quite an upset. However, it won’t come easy for the Kings as the Canucks really earned the league’s top record and they did it down the stretch without key scorer Daniel Sedin. Getting last year’s Hart Trophy winner back will provide instant offense and the duo of Daniel and Henrik Sedin is in my opinion the most formidable in the league today. Look for their twin chemistry to ignite Vancouver, despite a resilient effort by the Kings’ aggressive defense (ranked 2^nd in the NHL in GA average with 2.18). The only way I see Vancouver losing this series is if Los Angeles can get in the head of Roberto Luongo and force the Canucks to bring in capable backup Cory Schneider. Doing so will rattle Vancouver and could spoil another very good regular season.

Prediction: Canucks 4 Kings 2

#2 St. Louis Blues vs. #7 San Jose Sharks

San Jose was one of the most opportunistic teams as the season winded down. They rode a four game winning to the 7^th seed and in doing so may have saved themselves an early exit from the playoffs. The Blues come into this matchup on somewhat of a lull as they traded wins and losses over the final ten games which cost themselves the top seed in the conference. That being said the Blues had the best defense in the NHL all season long, giving up a league low 165 goals (14 better then the 2^nd best team – L.A. Kings). The Blues however have had trouble scoring at times and the Sharks have the firepower needed to win a playoff series. The key in this series will be the contributions from Joe Thornton and Logan Couture, because if those guys can get it going they can win games alone, but Jumbo Joe just doesn’t seem to be “that guy” anymore. I look for the Blues stingy defense and twin headed monster of a goalie unit (Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliot) to thwart any hopes of a San Jose upset. Blues in 5.

Prediction: Blues 4 Sharks 1

#3 Phoenix Coyotes vs. #6 Chicago Blackhawks

The Star Studded Blackhawks are the underdogs in this series, but this matchup will be very even. The goaltending play of Mike Smith for Phoenix has made fans forget all about that Ilya Bryzgalov chump (just kidding Philly fans). Smith was a man on a mission over the past month of the regular season as his play was the sole reason Phoenix won the Pacific Division. However they earned a matchup with the always dangerous Blackhawks, and with the return of Captain Jonathan Toews appearing to be imminent the Coyotes could have their hands full. I like for this one to go six or seven with the difference being the play of now veteran Patrick Kane and Toews proving to be the difference.

Prediction: Blackhawks 4 Coyotes 3

#4 Nashville Predators vs. #5 Detroit Red Wings

The battle of offense versus defense is in full effect in the 4 vs. 5 matchup, and it should be a good one. The guy I’ll have my eye on in this series is Pekka Rinne, the gifted goalie for Nashville. Rinne is a special player capable of shutting a team out despite his team being outplayed, and with the amount of offense the Wings have he may have to do just that. If the Wings start playing their type of game and utilize those long tape to tape passes only they have the skill for, they could turn this into a high scoring affair, and Nashville simply can’t beat them at that game. For Nashville to pull this off they have to keep the scoring down and play smart and physical. Stud defenseman Shea Weber and fellow star defenseman Ryan Suter must play at the Norris Trophy level there capable of if they want their team to have a chance.

Prediction: Red Wings 4 Predators 2

Agree With Me? Am I Lost? Comments?