Sports Talk Pool: Penguins

Showing posts with label Penguins. Show all posts

Thursday, February 17, 2011

The Top Ten List: Songs Containing an NHL City

By Chris Barrymore

St. Louis Blues, William Handy (1914) - This popular American song has been performed by numerous artists, such as Guy Lombardo, Glenn Miller, and the Boston Pops Orchestra. The Bessie Smith/Louis Armstrong version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1993, while the version by Armstrong and his orchestra was inducted in 2008. And of course, the actual NHL team was named after the song. And I'm not even kidding.

Nashville Rebel, Waylon Jennings (from Nashville Rebel, 1966) - The late singer actually had two songs on this record name dropping Nashville, the other being Nashville Bum. Personally, I think Nashville Rebels would be a better name than Nashville Predators. Maybe the name “Rebels” has too many negative connotations, but how many wildlife predators are actually lurking within the city of Nashville?

Carolina in My Mind, James Taylor (from James Taylor, 1968) - So, Carolina isn’t exactly a city. It’s not even a state without a North or a South attached. But if the NHL can cheat in its attempt to regionalize its marketing campaigns for the southeast, then I can cheat and include it here. And why do the Florida Panthers get to claim the entire Sunshine State when the Tampa Bay Lightning also play within the same state borders. No wonder the Lightning hate the Panthers so much. And then you have the Minnesota Wild and the Colorado Avalanche, who are doubly cheating by not only using their home state instead of a city, but also using a non plural team name. Makes me sick. What’s next, the Winnipeg Windchill? How about the Quebec Electricity?

L.A. Woman, The Doors (from L.A. Woman, 1971) - This is the final record that Jim Morrison recorded before his still mysterious and debated death in a Paris hotel room’s bathtub. Morrison was also called The Lizard King. Lizard King. Los Angeles Kings. Need I say more?

Jesus Just Left Chicago, ZZ Top (from Tres Hombres, 1973) - And if the Blackhawks keep playing like they have been, then Jesus will be carrying the NHL’s Holy Grail, The Stanley Cup, with him on his way out of town. The Hawks currently sit in 11th place, 4 points out of the 8th seed.

Philadelphia Freedom, Elton John (single release, 1975) - Eventually reaching #1 on the music charts in several countries, this song is actually inspired by the Philadelphia Freedoms tennis team. However, numerous hockey references are available if you’re willing to swallow the red pill and see the world in its true light. The Philadelphia Flyers were founded in 1967. The songwriting partnership of Elton John and Bernie Taupin was founded in 1967. Philadelphia Freedom came out in 1975. The Flyers won the Stanley Cup in 1975. Besides all that, PF are the initials of both the song and the team. Mind = blown.

Detroit Rock City, KISS (from Destroyer, 1976) - With one of the best home ice records in the league over the past couple of decades, the Red Wings often rock their opponents. Corny, I know, but true. Besides, I don’t see anyone else trying these lists, so shut up. A connection could also be made by pointing out that KISS is one of music’s top merchandisers, with everything from coffee to condoms to coffins, while the Red Wings are one of the league’s leaders in merchandise sales. Although I doubt we’ll see Red Wings condoms or coffins anytime soon.

New York State of Mind, Billy Joel (from Turnstiles, 1976) - There are a couple of interesting things about this one. The running time is 5 minutes 58 seconds. That is also the over/under on how long it will take for the first player ejection when the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins meet again on April 8, 2011. And 1976 is also the over/under on penalty minutes for that same game. I can’t wait to see Mario Lemieux in the front row in Uniondale, banging on the glass, cheering on his Penguins.

Buffalo Stance, Neneh Cherry (from Raw Like Sushi, 1988) - Neneh Cherry (no relation to Don Cherry, or Cherry Blasts for that matter) offered this tune on her debut record in the late 80s. She would achieve international success with this record and song, before fading into pop culture history like so many others. Some inside sources have said this was originally titled “Bison Stance” but was changed at the very last minute. Whew - close one!

Our Love is as Tall as the Calgary Tower, Woodpigeon (from Die Stadt Muzikanten, 2010) - No hockey related list would be complete without at least one Canadian inclusion. I know nothing about this band, or if they are any good. But by including an NHL city in one of their song titles, they’re in. Congrats, Woodpigeon.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

The Guru Report: A Fitting Tribute to Bill Guerin

By Hockey Guru

With the NHL season about to start- the Philadelphia Flyers did not offer a contract to Bill Guerin and before getting into any predictions - this tribute needed to be put together. When Pittsburgh won the Cup- Sid handed it first to Billy.

That respect is well deserved over his Hall of Fame-worthy career: 18 years in the NHL (he missed a year due to the lockout), 1263 games, 429 goals, 427 assists, 856 points. On top of that, 89 scraps and 1,660 PIM - he was a power forward who earned respect. In 140 playoff games, he amassed 74 points (39 goals) and 162 PIMs. His locker room presence also earned him an 'A' in Boston and Edmonton, and he became the captain on Long Island, before even playing a game there.

Billy may have lost a step, but as the young players come into the league, his leadership cannot be replaced. If he does not end up playing again, he will be sorely missed, but as one of his good friends might say, "Billy is a better person than he is hockey player and he may very well be a Hall of Fame hockey player."

So no matter where the road takes him from here, he'll always be a champion, and maybe, if fate will have it, he can take his good friend Stan out for another beer or two.

[Editor's Note: It was mentioned by the author that he wished he had included video of the famous fight with Mike Keane, when Guerin was with the Devils. There's also a copy that comes with no audio, but a better picture]

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Carnac the Guru: The Modern-Day Cinderella Men

By Hockey Guru

Outscored 9-0 in two games – down two games to zero – the “Cinderella story” Montreal Canadiens return home for Game 3.

“A team is never in trouble [in a series] until they lose a game on home ice.”

Assuming that cliché rings true, it is surely being tested in this series. Needing to win four of the next five games is no small task whatsoever for Montreal, and that fact has created a line-up to jump off the bandwagon.

As the Guru was one of the last ones on, he was one of the first ones off, as demonstrated by his change of prediction after Game 1.

If the series is to end in 5 games, Montreal would have to win one of them, and if they can win one, they can win four.

The Guru continues to shake his crystal ball, hoping for greater clarity. Will this actually become a sweep or will Montreal prevail in 6?

Tonight will prove one of those is not a possibility, and the Guru is standing by his predictions from Tuesday.

Or as they are fast becoming known, Guru's Two-4-Tuesday predictions. The near perfect predictions from Tuesday still have the hockey world all abuzz. The Guru's prognostications have led to increased traffic to the Sports Talk Pool blog, reaching record levels of readership in anticipation of the latest installment of Carnac the Guru, and nearly causing a crash to the server!

With the NHL schedule switching up to alternating nights for each Conference, the Guru must put all his eggs into one basket tonight - or more fittingly, all his pucks into one net. And it is extremely difficult to put a single puck into the net - just ask the Montreal Canadiens. After being shut-out so far in the series, the Canadiens are on a mission to find some answers to Michael Leighton and the Flyers' defence.

Rather than employ the same coaching strategies as Claude Julien from last year's playoffs - calling out players and giving them the day off - Jacques Martin spent considerable time constructing and explaining an offensive game plan, including new powerplay approaches, with his players.

That new game plan will surely include similar plans that both Pittsburgh and Washington attempted against Montreal - throw everything at the net. Shoot, shoot, shoot - from everywhere - bad angles, behind the net, the corner - then crash hard to the net. Hope for a bounce, a rebound. Pray for a goal.

That approach back-fired for Pittsburgh and Washington and will back-fire on Montreal. This year in the playoffs - the formula for beating Montreal is DO NOT PUT MORE THAN 35 SHOTS ON HALAK. More importantly, do not out-shoot Montreal. When being out-shot, Montreal is 8-3. When Montreal out-shoots its opponent, however, they are 0-5.

The crystal ball shows Montreal putting together a great effort tonight, out-playing Philadelphia for stretches, definitely out-shooting and out-chancing the Flyers, but not out-scoring them. As the Canadiens pour on the pressure, the Flyers will generate some opportunities on the counter-attack and be opportunistic enough to prevail 3-1 in Game 3.

The Flyers match up very well with Montreal (or conversely, the Canadiens don't match up well with Philly) and to expect a different result tonight doesn't compute according to the Hockey Guru and his enormous crystal ball.

Bonus prediction: Jeff Carter returns to the Flyers tonight.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Carnac the Guru: ... And Then There Were Four

By Hockey Guru

The abbreviated 2nd Round saw the Guru correctly predict 3 of the 4 series winners, and go 11-7 on the 18 individual game predictions. This was, of course, based simply on picking the winners. The results which were based on total score predicted have not yet been calculated, but it appears that the Guru was approximately, oh, let's say .... 16-1. [Ed. Note: In the words of Scorsese actor, Griffin Dunne, "that's not enough numbers, but okay ...."]

Anyhow, with yesterday's off-day behind him, the Guru has geared up for the Conference Finals, which begin in about 45 minutes. Here now, are the new predictions.

The Sharks must be "relieved" not to relive another post season nightmare. The Blackhawks are where they expected to be right along.

The Guru believes that the Blackhawks will look to push the pace of this series - to make it a track meet. The Sharks will comply with the up tempo game at least in Game 1 - and a very fast paced, action-filled game will take place. The speed of the Hawks and edge in goaltending in game one - will end in a 5-4 Chicago victory.

The series prediction (with limited time to be published - so the elaboration will come out as the series unfolds) is that the Hawks speed and goaltending will prevail in 6 games.

The Philadelphia Flyers - the pre-season selection for the Stanley Cup Finals by the Hockey Guru - have home-ice advantage in the Conference Finals against the Montreal Canadiens. The paths to this unlikely series - even had they appeared in a crystal ball - would never have been published.

But these Flyers have overcome a ton of injuries and adversity and find themselves with a path to the Finals without having to knock off either Washington or Pittsburgh. Although Jeff Carter is done, the defense is healthy, Michael Leighton is back and their depth at forward as beginning to emerge.

Their opponent, le Club de hockey Canadien, eliminated both the expected Eastern Conference favourites - Washington and Pittsburgh. Those results sent the Guru back to his crystal ball to figure out how those results were missed. The error was in the data entered. The Montreal Canadiens are not the team that would be indicated by their record at the end of the regular season. Part of the record was the commitment to Carey Price as the starting goaltender. With Price in net, the Canadiens were 13-20-5. With Jaroslav Halak in between the pipes - the Canadiens were 26-13-5. If Halak's wining percentage carried over to all 82 games - the Canadiens would have finished with 106 points - fourth in the NHL and second in the Conference.

This is not the eight seed that they appeared to be, going into the playoffs.

Additionally, the Canadiens have their 100th anniversary team on the ice. (What's that - are people booing the Guru - saying their 100th anniversary was 2008-2009 - which it was based on calander years - however, with the 2004-05 lockout- there was a missing season). Therefore, this is in fact, the 100th season for the Montreal Canadiens - and their magical ride will not end until the Stanley Cup Finals.

Series prediction: Montreal wins in 6 (but 7 would be more fitting).

Game One Prediction: Montreal 3 - Philadelphia 1

Friday, May 14, 2010

Carnac the Guru: Call This One Friday Night Lite

By Hockey Guru

Another Game 7 - another great night of hockey.

The last Game 7 went into Guru's Bizzaro world - and finished as the polar opposite of the prediciton. Rather than a tight game ending with a couple open net goals for a 5-2 Pittsburgh win, it was a one-sided affair and a 5-2 Montreal win.

The strength of the poles continues and the 7th versus 8th Eastern Conference Finals seems destined.

With all the talk about the history being made, in every post so far on the Bruins-Flyers series, how can the Guru not believe that the window to the Eastern Conference Finals will close on the Bruins tonight, as Briere, Richards and Gagne carry an advantage over the Bruins' top forwards, Savard, Recchi, Lucic and Bergeron? The top four on defense don't match up well either, and the home teams haven't fared too well in these playoffs - let alone in series-deciding games. Especially Game Sevens.

Well, the Guru has been burned before. That's why the Guru is hesitating, as Tuukka Rask will probably have a game for the ages tonight. But the Guru is nothing, if not stubborn, and will predict another Flyers 4 - Bruins 1 outcome.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Carnac the Guru: And What Thrives at the Poles?

By Hockey Guru

Eight long hours until the drop of the puck. Man, this is gonna be awesome. The second round is winding down .... (cue the music) ....

What a great playoff season so far. With 10 of the 15 playoff series in the books already - and at least one other ending tonight - the action is slowing down. The upsets, the injuries, ths subplots, the unpredictability of these playoffs has been simply amazing. But not tonight. Tonight will be great action so let's get into trying to predict the outcomes of these games.

Before moving forward, let's pause and reflect on what has happened so far:

Western Conference Quarterfinals - the 1, 2, 3 and 5 seed advance.
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals - the 1, 2, 3, and 5 seed lose.

Western Conference Finals are set with the 1 and 2 seeds.
Does that mean the Eastern Conference Finals will be the 7 and 8 seeds? Will there by perfect mirror images from the two conferences?

If this prediction of the polar extremes of the conferences is to come true, it would mean that Montreal closes out Pittsburgh tonight and Philly would have to force a Game 7 in the other Conference Semi-Final. Well, going back and playing with his crystal ball, this is what the Guru foresees:

The end is upon on us. The end of this series and the end of the season for one of these teams. The Canadiens are the better story - the heart, the overcoming of not just long odds, but of all the adversity they've faced. They are the overachieving underdog. The Penguins are the underachieving champions. Last year's Conn Smythe winner, Evgeni Malkin, has had a lesser role in this series than Maxim Lapierre. Or perhaps, his lack of production is a major role in this series.

This is going to be a very difficult game for Pittsburgh to win. It is expected that they will come out and play their best game of the playoffs tonight. With that said, they MUST be disciplined and NOT shoot the puck. Yeah, you heard right. They are stuck in the conundrum of having to score goals without shooting. If they get to 35+ shots on net, it is like playing too aggressively in pinball - the machine will tilt and you'll helplessly watch as your opportunity rolls down the drain.

The Guru loves good stories and loves the underdog, but in his gut he sees Pittsburgh finding a way to pull off a Game 7 victory and thereby potentially extending the career of one Wild Bill Guerin for at least another two weeks. His crystal ball foresees the Penguins throwing away the passive approach though - this will be an up tempo game. While players will be diving to block shots and getting back defensively on both sides, there will be mad speed and crazy shots. As Dan Bylsma recently said, "Game 7 feels like a flip of a coin."

The Guru flipped a coin and here was the result:

Final Score: Pittsburgh 5 - Montreal 2 (with two empty net goals to ice a close game)

While not quite as big as a Game 7, the result could be exactly the same for Philadelphia - GAME OVER, if they lose. Of course, that was true about Games 4 and 5 and they survived through those games. Tonight's prediction won't catch any of the long-time Guru-maniacs off-guard, but just to be certain, let's play with the crystal ball again (any excuse to touch the ball).

Claude Julien proved something to the Guru last spring. The lesson the Guru took away from observing the Bruins flop against Carolina was that Julien couldn't make adjustments. When the Bruins found themselves down, he called the team out in the papers and gave them the day off to figure things out on their own. The inability to make any adjustments in that series cost them. Spewing out cliches such as focus, discipline and getting pucks to the net are great and all, but it appears that the Flyers have made the adjustments necessary to score on Rask and shut down the Bruins. And I'm not the only one who sees this as a problem.

Tuukka Rask gives the Bruins a legitimate shot to win. The Brian Boucher injury may not be as severe or grotesque as it first seemed, but he's still out. With Michael Leighton back in nets, however, the Flyers may have improved their goaltending a bit. Tonight's prediction is that the Flyers continue to make history as only the third ever comeback from a 3-0 series deficit continues to unfold. Final Score - Philadelphia 4 - Boston 1.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Carnac the Guru: CBC Tuesday Night in Canada

By Hockey Guru

Montreal - really? Really! They have evened their series again and tomorrow night will they punch their tickets to the Eastern Conference Finals? Will this be the end of the Penguins title defense?

The Guru is stumped by the latest turn of events in Montreal and will be re-focusing on that series again tomorrow.

Re-focusing is what Vancouver did well in Game 5, which is why we have some hockey to watch tonight. Can they maintain that focus and hold down the Blackhawks offense which has seen back-to-back hat tricks in Vancouver?

Tonight the crystal ball shows Chicago's advantage over Vancouver at defense being the difference. Where Keith, Seabrook and Campbell can skate with and defend the Vancouver attack, the Vancouver defense will be exploited by the speed of the Hawks forwards - particularly Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. The two stars will lead their team into the Western Conference Finals to face San Jose. The Hawks soar once more in Vancouver and close the series out.
Prediction: Chicago 4 Vancouver 2.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Carnac the Guru: I Believe History Will Be Made

By Hockey Guru

I think Jerry Reed said it best, back in 1971, with:

The Guru's forecasting this weekend was outstanding!

But have no fear, through the magic of the internet, the method for performing the self-congratulatory action without injury has been found and these daily updates should continue uninterrupted through the awarding of the Lord Stanley's Cup.

The Eastern Conference Finals could be determined Monday night, if Boston and Pittsburgh can close out their series.

Will it happen?

The NHL's marketing theme in this year's playoffs is that History Will Be Made. That theme has worked itself into the Guru's subconscious, as you will see in this installment of Carnac the Guru.

And what could be more historic than a comeback from a 3-0 series deficit?

Certainly nobody recalls the Red Sox rallying from that hole against the NY Yankees!

In reality, there have been over 220 times in the NHL, NBA and MLB combined where teams took the first three games of the series. Statistically, if every series were actually a coin-flip (or 50-50 chance for each team in every game) - the odds of a comeback and winning four in a row would show that the statistical probability of that comeback would be: 6.25% and with over 200 opportunities - there should be about 12 of these "historic" comebacks.

There aren't. In addition to the greatest comeback ever in 2004 - the other two times both happened in the NHL. The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs came back against Detroit and the 1975 Islanders performed the feat against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

If the Flyers were to comeback against the Bruins this year and make history, their comeback wouldn't be as impressive as the Islanders' 1975 comeback - but it would be pretty similar.

In 1975, in losing the first 3 games, the Islanders did not have a lead EVER in the series. In fact Pittsburgh led for 85% of the time. (Only tied for a total of 26 minutes and 41 seconds). Elaboration on the "greatest comebacks" in history should be read and won't be rehashed here.

The NHL has assured us that this will be the year that history will be made. The Flyers are gaining momentum and the Bruins "luck" appears to be running out. The Bruins have been perfect on home ice winning all five games - if only by a total of 5 goals (2 in OT). The run at home ends tonight. The Flyers will take Game 5 with a 3-2 victory.

Tonight the fans of hockey get screwed by the Boston-Montreal rivalry - as neither team was willing to change their start time to either 7:30 or 8:00 to allow for staggered viewing or at least an extra hour of hockey.

This is a night for DVR hockey - which means to DVR both games and alternate watching about 5 minutes of hockey from Boston then 5 minutes from Montreal. If more experienced, try about 2 minutes at a time to avoid unwanted updates. Alternatively, the dual television approach can work also.

Pittsburgh has the formula for beating Montreal - DON'T OUTSHOOT THEM - and don't get to 35 shots on net. Firing the pucks on Halak from everywhere is like getting a Mogwai wet or feeding a gremlin after midnight - you're asking for trouble!

The Penguins will play a defensive and opportunistic game forcing Montreal to carry the play and take advantage of the inevitable mistakes that will come. As expected by many - the underestimation of the Canadiens is happening again and the Guru predicts that the Penguins open up a close low-scoring game in the third period to finish with a 4-1 victory.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Carnac the Guru: The April/May of the Penguins

By Hockey Guru

Beware of the Penguins. Much has and will be written about how punchless Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have been in this series and their struggles to score to this point. The Guru won't rehash the same materials.

The Montreal formula for success has been laid out and it's almost impossible for teams not to get sucked into that "trap." In trying to close out their opening round series - Washington began to just throw everything at the net - it didn't work.

Sure, unloading a barrage of shots would seem to make sense - it would seem to give the greatest chance of scoring - and maybe it will. Maybe the dam will burst and Malkin, Crosby and the Pens can put up a big number and take game 5. It's ironic though, that the more a team "dominates" the Canadiens and carries the play - the less success the team has had.

The key to success is playing the same style the Canadiens want to play: be patient, focus on defense responsibility, look to attack in transition and capitalize on opportunities.

So as much as the Canadiens must Beware of the Penguins - the Pens best beware themselves. Beware of falling into the same trap the Capitals did - the trap of believing that merely firing shots at the net is the formula for success against these Habs.

The Guru has the a ton of respect and confidence in Penguins' coach Dan Bylsma - fully expecting him to recognize the best opportunity in this game is to remain patient and wait for their chances. That belief lead to the prediction of a low scoring game (but beware, the Penguins fire power could capitalize break this open),with the Penguins taking the lead back in this series. The broken crystal ball doesn't really have a final score - but since the fans of this site demand a prediction: Penguins 3 - Montreal 0. (How's that for going out on a limb).

"The Sharks close this series out tonight and will look the part of Stanley Cup Favourite in the process. Prediction: San Jose 6 - Detroit 2."

Great call in game 4 - let me wipe that goose egg off my face.

The domination of that game - the other way makes game 5 a lot more difficult to predict. Detroit didn't have to exert every last ounce of energy to keep the series alive. They will be ready to come out in game 5 and may be re-energized by Franzen's game for the ages.

San Jose - particularly the fan base - has to have the shakiest confidence with a 3-1 lead ever. The momentum in this series could snowball and it isn't hard to envision a 7-game scenario and we all remember how well Detroit stepped up in game 7 against Phoenix.

The Sharks know fear. The past failures have fueled their fear of failing. The fear in this game is more in San Jose's room right now than in Detroit's. The Wings may feel they accomplished more than they actually did in game 4. They won one game - and nothing will carry over.

The Shark Tank will be rocking and this will be one of the memorable games available on the Sharks DVD if their run doesn't come up short this year. Tonight, they don't come up short. Tonight they end the season and possibly career for Hall of Famer Nick Lidstrom with a 4-2 victory.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Carnac the Guru: What We Need? The Perfect Pair

By Hockey Guru

One up, one down last night as Philadelphia did in fact get their first lead of the series a mere 152 seconds into the game. However, the second goal never came and the Boston Bruins Mo-Jo is still rising - is there something magical unfolding ala the 2006 Edmonton Oilers?

This Cinderella story can't continue all the way to the Cup, can it? The Krejci injury certainly has sped up the clock - which is fast approaching midnight. More on this series tomorrow...

The winner from last night was the very confident selection of the Chicago Blackhawks. But no need to dwell on the Dustin Byfuglien show.

So the Guru will look to get back to picking another perfect pair in tonight's game 4's:

Montreal doesn't have the depth or firepower to beat Pittsburgh in a wide open game. Their formula for success remains the same: tight defense, build a human wall in the slot, frustrate Pittsburgh, create some turnovers and capatilize on the few opportunities that will arise.

Pittsburgh defeated Montreal in game 3 in the low scoring defensive game Montreal wanted.
Pittsburgh knows it can win that style of game. In fact, it seems they may have uncovered a plan to defeat Montreal in the following statistics and want to play that style of game:

Jaroslav Halak's record when facing 35 or more shots this season is 15-1-2 and
When facing 40 or more shots, it's 10-0-1.
When facing less than 35 shots - his record: 11- 14-0.

The Penguins will take the ER approach to this game (props to long-time reader Grossman for the terminology) - meaning that the Penguins will use "sick patience" in this game. They will not be throwing pucks to the net left and right, but picking their spots to get shots off one-timers and getting Halak moving side to side and creating shots prior to his getting set.

This is expected to be a low scoring affair - another shut-out by Fleury would not be a surprise to the Guru - but the predicion will be 3-1 Pittsburgh (with a chance to really open up the lead toward the end of the game).

"Detroit has too much pride to get swept." "Detriot won't go down without a fight." Phrases like these are surely be thrown around by talking and blogging heads everywhere.

Of course, Detroit hasn't played badly to go down 3-0 in the series. They wanted to win each of the first three games as badly as they want to win this fourth game to continue their quest for the Cup.

However, the Guru's gut tells him there's no reason to expect a different result tonight than we've seen in the first three games. If anything, San Jose may not have to come back in game 4 - they may get ahead and keep on rolling. The depth players on San Jose are much more dangerous than the depth players on Detroit. The top 6 players on San Jose are fresher, bigger and stronger than the top 6 on Detroit.

The Sharks close this series out tonight and will look the part of Stanley Cup Favourite in the process. Prediction: San Jose 6 - Detroit 2.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Carnac the Guru: Like Swami, But to the Extreme

By Hockey Guru

Milan Lucic scored with 2:57 remaining to upset the prediction of a 3-2 Flyers victory in game 2. The Flyers prediction to win the series stands - which means they will indeed win 4 of the next 5 games. However, if the Bruins win a couple more games - that prediction will need to change.

Patrick Kane did score a "big goal" - well an empty netter to seal the game 2 victory for Chicago. While not the 2-1 (OT) final that was predicted - the masses are amazed at the correct prediction for a Chicago victory.

Onto tonight's games.

Pittsburgh Penguins at Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens have shown so much so far in the playoffs. Their victory in game 2 was the perfect formula for their success:

Timely "big" saves from Jaroslav Halak
Bury their limited offensive opportunities
Survive

The reason that the playoffs are 7-game series is so the "best" team can advance. Over the course of 7 games - more often than not Montreal will not be able to hold down Pittsburgh's offense. The Penguins will likely have 4 or 5 scoring chances to each one for Montreal. In at least 2 of the upcoming games - the Guru can see Pittsburgh by 2 or more goals. There will be one or two games that Montreal will have a chance to "steal" -but the previous prediction is not changing - Pitts wins 3 in a row in this series (maybe 3 of 4).

Tonight - despite the atmosphere - the Penguins win 4-1.

San Jose Sharks at Detroit Red Wings

The Sharks-Wings game tonight is a tough read. Detroit has for so long been able to elevate their game when necessary. However, tonight, the Sharks are able to play a bit faster and bit looser - but the fear of losing this game looms. The Sharks have lost 4 in a row after a 2 game lead and won't be taking their foot of the gas.

San Jose takes game 3, and a 3-0 lead on the way to a possible sweep, 6-3.

The final may be a bit extreme but in the spirit of Chris Berman's version of the SWAMI - the Guru is going extreme tonight. To go further out on the limb and open himself up for criticism - Jimmy Howard doesn't finish the game tonight in net!

Note: Jimmy Howard is virtually assured a shut-out tonight and the Wings will likely prevail 4-0.

The Top Ten List: Films A-boot Ice Hockey, Eh

By Chris Barrymore

Upon diving into this list, I quickly realized that there is a severe shortage of pure hockey films - movies where hockey is the story, and the characters are hockey players, and the overall message of the film has something to say about hockey and life. Soooo, I had to stretch the criteria a bit, and the results are as follows:

Slap Shot (1977) Starring Paul Newman, Strother Martin, Michael Ontkean, Jennifer Warren, Lindsay Crouse – An obvious candidate for the No.1 spot. I mean, the Hanson Brothers .... the Charlestown Chiefs .... There is little need to say more.

Youngblood (1986) Starring Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves - Then-active NHL players, Steve Thomas and Peter Zezel, both have small non-speaking roles as Youngblood's teammates on the Mustangs. The film also starred former NHLer Eric Nesterenko, who played the father of Lowe's Dean Youngblood. The filming of Youngblood took place in the east end of Toronto. Ted Reeve Arena was used as the setting for the interior of the Hamilton Mustangs home rink while Scarborough Gardens Arena was used for the setting of the arena's exterior.

Wayne’s World (1992) Starring Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Rob Lowe, Tia Carrere, Brian Doyle-Murray, Lara Flynn Boyle - Myers is an admitted hockey fan, and this movie and its main characters offer too many hockey references to ignore. There’s Wayne and Garth's hangout, Stan Mikita's Donuts, named after the former Blackhawks player. This is a reference to Tim Horton's, a doughnut shop chain named for and started by Tim Horton, a player from the Toronto Maple Leafs (Mike Myers' favorite team). There were also numerous hockey references in the Saturday Night Live skits, including a one-on-one hockey game featuring Wayne Campbell vs. Wayne Gretzky. Game on.

Sudden Death (1995) Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme – Tagline: “Action Goes into Overtime”. Qualifies on the basis that it is set during Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals in Pittsburgh. It has a typically unrealistic plot for a Van Damme movie. But still, Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. It’s in!

Happy Gilmore (1996) Starring Adam Sandler – Yes, another Sandler film. How is it that he keeps creeping into these lists? More a golf movie, so it will make that yet-to-be-compiled Top Ten List as well, but it qualifies for the hockey list based on the fact he is an aspiring hockey player with a killer slap shot but little skating ability. The fistfight with Bob Barker is also the stuff of legend.

Chasing Amy (1997) Starring Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Joey Lauren Adams, Matt Damon, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith - Obviously not a hockey movie, but rarely if ever has a hockey scene in a non-hockey movie so accurately reflected the emotional shattering of two characters and laid out a pathway for the rest of the story to travel. (Please be aware the unedited and uncensored clip linked below has adult themes and lots of foul and explicit language, so it is obviously NSFW). The first 4:40 of the scene is most important, but the remaining 4:10 has some emotionally wrenching dialogue that, depending on how deeply you want to analyze this, may or may not provide some additional insight into the hockey game they just left, or the whole sport of hockey itself. Also contains a few good rips on the officials which I will be using in the future.

Mystery, Alaska (1999) Starring Russell Crowe, Hank Azaria, Mary McCormack, Burt Reynolds, Colm Meaney, Lolita Davidovich – Think about it. Crowe gets to police mostly minor crime in a small Alaskan town. All the while, he gets to think about hockey, talk about hockey with others, play hockey in the “Saturday Game”, welcome the New York Rangers to town for an exhibition, and to top it off he has McCormack waiting for him back home. I’ll take that deal.

Bruce Almighty (2003) – Starring Jim Carrey, Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Aniston - Again, not a hockey movie. But I am obligated to include it here because it may very well be the only time I hear the phrase “The Buffalo Sabres have just won the Stanley Cup!” As a native Buffalonian now living in the Midwest, I remain a lifelong and long suffering Sabres fan hoping that the Blue and Gold can someday hoist Lord Stanley’s glorious Cup. Thank you, Jim Carrey, for giving hope to that dream.

Miracle (2004) Starring Kurt Russell – Herb Brooks is a local hero in these parts, besides being a national treasure. R.I.P Herb.

Ice Kings (2006) Starring Jim Lampley, Bill Macatee - Film critic, Jay Seaver, who probably looks like this, reviewed the documentary when it screened at the Boston Film Festival four years ago, and had this to say: "I'm not much of a hockey fan - baseball and basketball have tended to rule in Seaver households - so a lot of the hockey-specific details may have flown right past me. It's a nifty story, though, even for non-fans, and I expect hockey fans may appreciate it even more."

Monday, May 3, 2010

My Enormous Crystal Balls: NHL 2010 Quarterfinals

By Hockey Guru

After a stunning set of Round 1 Predictions - which were never published - and in response to the incredible pre-season predictions revisited - The Guru has smashed his crystal ball. However, even without a crystal ball, day-to-day predictions on the Stanley Cup Playoffs can be expected by the millions of clamoring STP followers.

At the time of publishing this post, the Penguins and Canadiens are even at 1 game apiece. San Jose has a 2-0 series lead over Detroit, and Boston & Vancouver each hold a 1-0 lead over Philadelphia and Vancouver, respectively.

The Boston-Philadelphia Series

Boston's defense is thin. Zdeno Chara is a beast - but the minutes that are being required from Johnny Boychuk (33:29 in game 1), Andrew Ference, Matt Hunwick, Dennis Wideman and Adam McQuaid will prove problematic for the black and gold.

Whereas Buffalo's injuries toward the end of the year led to a lineup of smurfs - Philadelphia, should be able to wear out the Bruins defense and create plenty of offensive opportunities for Danny Briere and Mike Richards.

The Bruins' struggle to score goals will return in the series and the Flyers will prevail.

The Pittsburgh-Montreal Series

Mike Cammalleri is clutch and clutch is everything. Some players have the ability to elevate their games and PRODUCE when needed - and he is one of those players. Unfortunately for him and Habs fans - so is Sidney Crosby.

The Penguins will not make the same mistake the Capitals made and simply play a series of one-games. The Penguins have begun their series attack on Montreal - from Cooke's hit on Markov to the major-misconduct by Adams - the Penguins are looking to punish Montreal's defenseman and will wear down the Canadiens in the series.

Jaroslav Halak has been solid if not spectacular in the Olympics and in the Playoffs - but Pittsburgh will move through in 5 or 6 games.

The Chicago-Vancouver Series

Prior to the series opening, the Guru was waffling on the winner of this series. After game one - it would be very hard to predict Chicago wining 4 of the next 6. Vancouver appears much more focused from the goal out.

However, Chicago's defense (Campbell in particular) will improve throughout the series. Adjusting from the series against Nashville and forgetting about last year's series victory over Vancouver may have proven difficult in game 1.

Even as this is being typed - the broken crystal ball shows both teams emerging.

Going into Game 1 - I believe that Chicago didn't respect Roberto Luongo enough. I believe they came into the game believing that they would prevail in a run-and-gun style game. They may still believe that. However, in Game 2, I expect the Hawks to come out much more conservatively and with more attention to defense. While sacrificing some potential transition-game offense, Game 2 will be low scoring and Patrick Kane has the clutch-ness to score a key goal and tie up this series.

In this first "draft" prediction for the series, the coin toss landed on heads - actually an Indian head - but the more confident prediction is that the prediction of Blackhawks in 7 will change.

The San Jose-Detroit Series

San Jose has a 2-0 lead. Now Detroit needs to win 4 of 5 to advance. However, it has been said that a team is never in trouble until it loses on home ice. Well, if Detroit isn't in trouble yet - I'm going to be getting a big check in the mail for this post.

The Wings are a great dynasty - but this year is San Jose's year. The depth players will be the difference - San Jose is just deeper and better. San Jose will get through this series (bold prediction, being up 2-0 already). Since today is not a game day, I'll revisit this series tomorrow, but I think San Jose wins Game 3, Detroit rallies for Game 4 and San Jose closes out Detroit in 5 or 6. Again, that is the "early" prediction (if a prediction 2 games into a series can be considered early).

Tonight (Monday), Guru's Gut Sez:

Philadelphia 3 - Boston 2

Chicago 2- Vancouver 1 (OT)

Sunday, May 2, 2010

The Guru Report: Habs Steal Home Ice Advantage?

By Hockey Guru

The Pittsburgh Penguins not only lost Game 2 - the Igloo has been stolen!

Seriously, the Igloo hasn't really been stolen; it's still in Pittsburgh - for now. The Penguins will be hosting Game 5 there and if it comes down to the decisive 7th game - that too will take place at the Igloo.

However, by not winning both home games - the Pens will be forced to win at least one game in Montreal to win the series.

Now, the idea of losing the home ice advantage by losing one of the first two games seems not only overplayed and discussed - but irresponsible journalism. The Hockey Guru is on a mission to eliminate that phrase from our collective sports vernacular.

Did the Bruins have the home ice advantage in Round One against the Sabres? Of course not, the home ice advantage for Buffalo was that Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 were slated to be on their ice. The fact the Sabres lost in 6 games - doesn't change the fact they had the home ice advantage for the series. However, Claude Julien stated after Game 2, "People will say we have home-ice advantage now, and we do."

The acceptance from the media and the fans in general that allow that phrase to be used is beyond annoying! Home ice advantage is determined prior to the series and DOESN'T change.

Anyhow, the more important issue is what is the advantage of playing on home ice?

Comfort of sleeping in your own bed?

It's not like road teams are arriving on a bus on game day or sleeping on the floor in sleeping bags. With the charter flights and four and five-star accomodations - maybe not sleeping in your own bed is the advantage.

Players have less distractions on the road (less demand for tickets, arrangements for family, friends, etc.,), teams are together at the same location for game day meetings and may have greater focus being on the road.

Guru's Advantage-meter: No advantage

Crowd Noise - Intimidation, Motivation, Emotional Impact?

Everybody seems to have their own version of the "White Out." While it is a great spectacle to view on television or even to be a part of - most playoff teams have been through it all before and certainly aren't intimidated by the event.

If any team relies on their fans for motivation - they aren't a Stanley Cup contender. Fans can lift up a team - such as Montreal fans seem to have done in Round One. Fans can also create greater pressure and hinder a team - such as San Jose - particularly early in Round One.

All-in-all, there is a human element and emotional element involved in the sport - and there are certainly times when the fans at least seem to impact the play on the ice. Like this...

Or this...

Guru's Advantage-meter: Minor advantage

Last Change - Lineup Juggling

Perhaps the most significant tactical advantage - the home team coach has the last change. However, through line juggling, etc. - visiting coaches are often able to get the matchups they want. However, it seems to the Guru that more and more coaches are downplaying the importance of creating "matchups" and the game-within-the game seems to be neglected.

Guru's Advantage-meter: Moderate advantage

Even with the "advantages" listed, in Round 1 this year, home teams were (22-27). The 8 teams with the home ice advantage went (4-4) in their series'. Teams playing at home in Game 7 were (0-2).

What does that tell us? Is there a home ice advantage? Or is there a home ice disadvantage? Or neither?

What say you? (Remembering that STP would love to hear other thoughts, comments and opinions)

Sunday, June 7, 2009

The Guru Report: Video Killed the Literacy Star

by Hockey Guru

Sorry about the technical difficulties yesterday. I should have realized that there might have been some of you out there in the Guru Nation, who might make Jacques Demers look like an Honours English major. In stead, I expected you to read the actual script for the previous episode of The Guru Report.

Now that I have located the master tape [thanks, Spezzal Teams], you can now view the episode in its full HiDef glory, the way it was meant to be broadcast. So grab yourself some popcorn and curl up with your loved ones because...

It's time for the Guru Report:

Saturday, June 6, 2009

The Guru Report: So Osgood Isn't Manhandled Now?

Pittsburgh Penguins @ Detroit Red Wings

Game 5

Saturday, June 6th, 8:00 PM ET

by Hockey Guru

How quickly we forget. It's amazing how the last impression we get sticks with us.

It's like a creature out of Greek Mythology, I mean, she was like part woman, part horrible beast.

Going into the playoffs, Chris Osgood looked like an obvious flaw in Detroit's Perfect Machine. It was like the hot chick at the bar, who turns around to reveal a nose like Gonzo the Muppet - so close to perfection, but just not going to work out. Osgood was a glaring problem to experts like me, in Detroit's attempted Cup run this year. And not subtly, like Seinfeld's issue with "Man Hands".

But as the Wings rolled into the Cup Finals, and through Games 1 & 2, we changed our collective tune to:

"Osgood is the most underappreciated goalie ... Ozzie is the greatest clutch goalie ... "

Going back a few days, however, to immediately after Games 1 & 2 (which could have clearly gone either way ... a couple posts, a covered puck in the crease called for a penalty shot, a different bounce off the end boards, and this series could've been a Pittsburgh sweep), all of the experts, the Guru included (note the capital G - someone's a little full of themselves) were saying:

"Detroit is simply awesome ... this is over ... there's no way Pittsburgh or anyone could win 4 of 5 from Detroit ... too bad for hockey ... this had the makings of a great series ... imagine that Detroit is doing this without Datsyuk ... "

It was OVER.

Then, a tremendous second period effort by Fleury and Pittsburgh found themselves tied up midway through the third period in game 3. Capitalizing on their powerplay, Pittsburgh pulls out Game 3 and maybe, just MAYBE the experts again felt that this could become a series.

After a second consecutive 4-2 victory on Thursday night, Pittsburgh squares the series. Now all the experts jump from one bandwagon to the other:

"Detroit is just getting old ... Pittsburgh has all the momentum now ... Osgood is vulnerable ... "

Well, let the Guru now also re-align his own thoughts.

Pittsburgh was down 2-0 to Washington and roared back to a 3-2 lead and eventually blew Washington out in Game 7.

Pittsburgh seems healthy, particularly up front. I LOVE what Dan Bylsma is doing, playing Crosby and Malkin a ton (something that the Bruins failed to do, as their goal was to simply roll 4 lines, no matter what, in case the series contained 17 overtime periods, I guess). Now is the opportunity for star players to seize the moment. With Malkin and/or Crosby on the ice for two-thirds of the game, there is constant pressure applied to the opponent.

Detroit has focused so much on the matchups and awareness of those two, that they've lost a bit of focus on their own game. They've become reactive while Pittsburgh is being proactive. That's the difference in the series, right now.

Going into this Best-of-Three for the hardest trophy to win in all of sports, here's my current breakdown:

Crosby and Malkin are close and they want it WAY more than anyone on Detroit.
Detroit has drank from the Cup a lot and can't match the drive the leaders of Pittsburgh have right now.
Fleury is more able to steal a game than Osgood, at this point. Although, we've learned never to write Ozzie off, this seems like a pretty clear advantage for Fleury.
The Guru is leaning toward Pittsburgh (of course, his rooting interest in this series has been there all along and he may be getting carried away with the short memory syndrome).
Pavel Datsyuk is a wild card - what kind of impact will he bring tonight?
Will the home ice and line-matching ability make it easier for Detroit to get the matchups they want and focus on their own game more?
Which way will the puck bounce tonight?
Aren't we due for an overtime in this series soon?
The schedule from here on out may favor Detroit a bit with the multiple days off between games the rest of the way

Peace to all those who read this post. Your comments, reactions and criticisms are wanted!