Liam's Lament

I hate motorbikes. I never rode one, never will. My brother Mike owned several but thankfully not long after a cross Canada tour he rid himself of the last one and has been in cars ever since. He did have one spill, an accident in Ottawa in which he went flying but was basically uninjured. He was fortunate. Not so much for Luc Bourdon who died tragically May 28th. Officials are now speculating that a very strong gust of wind hit Bourdon and forced his bike into the path of an oncoming tractor trailer. Game over immediately. It’s when you sit back and wonder about the coincidences in these types of accidents that you sometimes are convinced there is a higher power involved. I don’t know, for whatever reason God must have needed a kid with all heart and a tremendous appetite to succeed. Why would the gust come up at that time, why was there a truck coming the other way, why anything at all at that precise moment? The agony of trying to determine what happens mere seconds either way can drive you crazy. Imagine the family. I’ve lost numerous friends to accidents. So many, I can’t even count them all and when we lose an athlete who has in a brief time captured our hearts for me at least it brings home many of the other needless deaths including people like Neil Janz on a motorbike just last summer or my very good friend Mike Doyle on a ski-doo two winters ago. It’s very tragic and upsetting. Condolences to the family and friends of Luc Bourdon, may he rest in peace.

The Penguins answered a lot of people in game three first by scoring, secondly by winning the game or more appropriately hanging on. If you could bottle what element of desire Gary Roberts has and transpose it in the bodies of twenty young men you’d have the ultimate dynasty. In his prime he could score fifty, rack up 200 pim’s and play twenty minutes a night. He’s half that player now but with eight to nine minutes of ice time per game he is by far the most effective player with the least amount of time in this entire playoff – at forty-two years of age. Will this series mirror Ottawa-Anaheim last year in which the Senators won game three and battled gamely in game four only to lose before bowing out in five or are these young Penguins poised to put their mark on the 90th Cup final in NHL history? My head says Detroit wins tonight, my heart says Pittsburgh. So, when in doubt go with your heart, I mean what kind of trouble has that ever got us in?

I appeared on a local TV station with former Montreal Canadien Murray Wilson on Monday May 26th. Wilson indicated that he’d be surprised if Pat Burns re entered the coaching fraternity of the NHL. Despite a successful run as one of Ken Hitchcock’s assistants at the recently completed World Championship and with rumours abound that Burns may have his hat in the ring for the Senator job Wilson feels that his recent triumphant battle with cancer was extremely draining and that he is just not up for the rigors and the stress of the job. We will soon know. Other names that are in the mix include Pat Quinn, Bob Hartley, who we believe have at least interviewed for the job. Craig Hartsburg, Kevin Dineen, Pete DeBoer who supposedly was on the short list last season, my choice of Randy Cunneyworth and now possibly John Tortorella from Tampa Bay. The core of the Senators needs to win yesterday. With Alfredsson in the mix they’ve got maybe two seasons so a real ball breaker coach is what’s needed which means I’d relent on my original choice of Cunneyworth and agree that Tortorella would be a prime choice if he was available – pending a no go from Pat Burns At some point, somebody is going to give Cunneyworth a shot and they’ll be a better team for it.

If I were a Leaf fan right now I’d be livid at Mats Sundin. After he accepted the Mark Messier Award stating that, “perhaps the Leafs were not his only option” going forward for next season. Are you kidding me? He doesn’t wave his no-trade, states he does not want to be a rental player, wants to finish his career in TO and then says this? Speculation is that he was quite miffed at being asked to waive his no trade in the first place. With all due respect to Sundin and he deserves a ton of respect for the way he’s played during this current three year hiatus from the playoffs but he needs to understand that interim GM Cliff Fletcher was trying to improve the club. Dealing Sundin would have paid huge dividends and Sundin could have simply resigned in the off season. It’s not like he played his whole career there ala Steve Yzerman or Joe Sakic. Sundin was in Quebec for four seasons including a playoff stint in 1993. Granted he has more than made his mark on Toronto including breaking long standing records held by the likes of Darryl Sittler and Dave Keon but if I were a Leaf fan I would be extremely upset that he seemingly has misplaced their loyalty, put his ego first and has clearly not looked at the big picture.

A small group of historians picked the Miracle on Ice as the number one international hockey story over Team Canada 72. Actually the second story they picked was Henderson’s goal in game eight which to me is a huge slap in the face and ignoring the totality of the comeback and Henderson’s goal scoring in game’s six and seven. Granted the theatre of game eight can never be duplicated. If you compare it to the Miracle game – Canada was down 5-3 after two periods. Clearly the officiating was extremely bias, the off ice officials as well – they did not even turn the goal light on after Yvan Cournoyer had scored to tie the game at 5-5 leading to the whole debacle involving Alan Eagleson, the Soviets then declare they will take victory in the series due to the goals for over the eight games only to have that yanked from them in the last minute by THEE goal. Team Canada 72 was about the last three games, not one game. It was about heroics and a never-say-die attitude. It was about a man who for whatever reason took this opportunity to score three of the biggest goals in the history of the sport. It’s about another man, Phil Esposito who played the best twenty minutes of hockey anywhere, any time in the third period of game eight. I wonder where these historians were from. Let me guess. What a complete and utter joke. Case in point, to justify their selection, after it was announced one of the European minion’s states, ‘we’re glad it was an Olympic moment selected as the number one.’ Sure you were Alexi. Because that means it wasn’t something favouring Canada who you hate. That’s okay. We get the picture we always have that’s why for every single time in every single event that Canada wins, which is many, guys like me remember comments like yours. Otherwise you can just go to sleep every night hearing Foster Hewitt. ‘Henderson has scored for Canada.’

The cyclical nature of sports is the perfect teeter totter. You go up – you go down. Sometimes you stay in the middle long enough, like the St. Louis Blues for almost three decades but in the end you usually go up or down. After a couple of inspired Cup runs from East especially the South East division, notably Tampa Bay in 2004 and Carolina after the lockout in 2006 the West is awake and really flexing it’s muscles.

Anaheim looked like the most dominant force in hockey last season and seemingly built for at least a two to three year run mind you the loss of several foot soldiers, Dustin Penner, Shawn Thornton and the delay in getting Teemu Selanne and Scott Niedermayer back clearly played a factor in their quick demise at the hands of the Stars mind you coupled with their undisciplined play especially early in games the Ducks set themselves up for a fall from grace. Detroit is a different breed. With the Ducks you have a franchise that took a small nucleus from a Cup run in ’03 and translated that into success four year’s later. The Wings are two wins away as of this writing from a fourth Cup in the past eleven seasons, ten if you minus the lockout. That is about as close as we’ll see to a dynasty right now.

The Wings play with extreme discipline; they are dedicated shot blockers, all of them. Clearly Coach Babcock has preached successfully a defense first philosophy whereby the talent up front particularly Zetterberg and Datsyuk are as adept and committed to their own end and yet are able to dominate offensively. Nashville exposed some weaknesses by being able to establish their fore check whereas the Penguins have not as of yet. The Stars rode the heart and soul of Brendan Morrow and Marty Turco but so rarely do teams who play in those lengthy OT games achieve the ultimate prize. As a result although the Wings were pushed a bit by the Stars and the Predators, they walked on the Avalanche and seem to be in cruise mode again against the Penguins. What does that mean for possibly a repeat trip to at least the final next season? Historically not a lot but with ten players who have Cup rings this franchise who by the way have one of the most successful alumni will rally around those who have not yet tasted a drink out of Lord Stanley, like a Dallas Drake and the Motown tradition continues.

The fine feathered Penguins are more likely feeling tarred and feathered after those first two games. Tough enough to win when you can hardly score let alone get a shot on goal. Kudos’ to Sid the Kid who after two outings was 0 in the +/-, nine shots on net and in game two was 12-9 in the dot, the only Penguin over .500 on face-offs. He has set up almost everybody he’s been on the ice with including the D at least once and has done all but scored himself. He turns 21 in August. I’m curious about the pundits and experts who only a few short weeks and months ago were heaping praise on the next Russian superstar, Gino Malkin now to watch him not only be ineffective but play uninspired and disinterested hockey. He should be sat down, given that rest he wants and watch a game while his spot is taken by an Adam Hall or a Tyler Kennedy. Malkin is a spectacular player but Wayne Gretzky said it best. ‘There are four parts to every season, the pre-season, the regular season, the playoffs and the finals. Each gets more difficult to play especially physically.’ What you have to play through to have success in the post season let alone the finals is a different world that many never get to experience that’s why you absolutely have to leave it all out there every shift. So Gary Roberts threw a few cheap shots. Get over it. If Franzen deems himself fit to play and is medically cleared to do so then he has to take the risks that come with it. I don’t believe he was targeted any more than any other Wing by any of the Penguins; he just happened to be there and had the other sweater on. Will Roberts ever win the Lady Byng, my guess is no but frankly for the better park of his entire career, including right now, he could play on my team any day.

Interesting tidbits if you’re into history at all; the last time Detroit and Pittsburgh pro franchises met in a final was the 1909 World Series when the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Detroit Tigers 4-3 in games in a very hard fought baseball final. Honus Wagner of the Pirates and Ty Cobb of the Tigers were the games respective superstars at that time. Although not as old, we think, Chris Chelios then with the Montreal Canadiens lost in the Cup final to Gary Roberts Calgary Flames in 1989. Chelios is having a hard time getting back into the series. Lidstrom and Rafalski dominate the ice time while Brad Stuart and Nikolas Kronwell are the +/- dynamos having been on the ice for all of Detroit’s even strength goals to date.

Last comment, although many names are always missing that was a very solid World Championship. I’ve never been a fan of Ilya Kovlachuk but those were two big goals at opportune times. Canada played text book hockey for two periods and fell asleep a bit in the third in their OT loss to Russia in the gold medal game. And although it's a tournament that routinely does not attract all the big names, even Sweden had twenty-one players say no this time around, the final standings do affect matchups in future events including the Olympics and with their high finish again Canada is ranked number one in International hockey and that ranking will carry over to the Olympics which are being held in Vancouver. This is huge news for Canada. We will not face an equal power house until the quarter-finals at the earliest. Heck of a run for the boys, one loss in 18 games. Steve Yzerman has a lot to be proud of and he and his crew did a hell of a job. And if you don’t think fans here in this city – Ottawa – weren’t watching how Jason Spezza was handled by Ken Hitchcock…..guess again. More on Ottawa’s new coach-to-be next article and more international comments re the top moments in IIHF history.

Just a few short days ago I eagerly awaited the semi-finals in the Stanley Cup playoffs thinking we’d be in for fireworks between the Flyers and the Penguins and hoping that the Stars magical run could continue. That was before the four overtime period marathon which clearly sucked the life out of the Stars, at least at this point. Coupled with the Wings phenomenal efforts to date that makes tonight’s game three a must win for the Stars otherwise a terrific ride that has seen them knock off the defending Cup champs and the prohibitive favourite will go for naught. Unfortunately that’s the way the puck bounces sometimes. Thanks to the inspiration of Captain Brendan Morrow the Stars have crashed and banged their way to the semi-finals behind the great goaltending of Marty Turco. Despite a less than stellar record on home ice the Stars will need to go to that well one more time. Detroit actually out hit Dallas 39-26 in game two, this against a Stars team that have averaged close to 40 hits in most of their games. And the game two victory came with Dan Cleary back in the Wing lineup along with Darren McCarty as the surprising news of Johan Franzen’s concussion symptoms made the news pre game. Most of the talk post game centered on the Ott-Riberio-Osgood fines which emanated from two separate incidents toward the end of the contest. Ott drilled Kris Draper and tried to fight him but Draper was unwilling as most Wings other than McCarty are. It’s a lesson in discipline and with the rules the way they are today also a further reminder that as long as you are willing to initiate physically on the fore check and go to the dirty zones you can survive and thrive in today’s NHL without worrying about dropping the gloves. Do I like it – no I don’t. It’s spawned a new breed of player, the Ruutu’s of the world who are shameless. I’d say gutless but frankly I don’t think that’s the case. I think they have some guts. I’ve seem them fight a bit when pressed but overall their antics are a disgrace to the NHL and when Jarrko was called for his dive last night after his exchange with Martin Biron of the Flyers I thought, right on, call that on him every time and maybe he’ll stop getting away with this blatant style of BS crap that makes me want to puke. I digress.
The Wings right now look like a team possessed. As much as I eagerly awaited the semi-final I now find myself saying the same thing about a potential Penguin-Wing final although Detroit’s experience looks like it could be a factor personified. We’ll see. As for Ribero and Osgood, again the right call was made with the fines. Osgood through the first shot with that butt end. Granted it did not hit but if somebody throws a butt end they should expect to get hit and that was a love tap Ribeiro gave Osgood yet he still went down like he was shot from the grassy knoll. That was a joke so it was good to see no suspensions come out of that.

Back to the Penguins and the Flyers and you shut down Malkin, along comes Sid the Kid. Playing his best hockey of the post season Crosby was a dynamo last night and easily could have had two more goals and two or three more assists on top of his one and one. Unfortunately for the Penguin fans this series is looking eerily similar to Detroit-Colorado where bodies are dropping for the Flyers much like the Aves and they are trying to make a game out of it. Braydon Coburn has played a ton of hockey this year for Philadelphia. Losing him two minutes into the contest with a puck in the face was disastrous. With Coburn’s absence and Timonen’s blot clot the Flyers were grossly short staffed on defense. Hatcher played more than 28 minutes, Randy Jones more than 26. That’s a ton of ice. What’s also fun to watch on the Penguins is they have somebody physical on every line. Ryan Malone, Pascal Dupuis, Tyler Kennedy and the entire fourth line featuring Big George all can bang and they bring it. If you don’t think the fact that George Laracque is a factor on this team or in this series you are crazy. I can count the times on one hand I’ve seen Derian Hatcher take a backward step from any kind of shot, punch, stick or otherwise and when hit by Laracque early last night, even though he drew the penalty, he wanted no part of him nor does anybody. It’s a quick trip to the hospital, do not pass go and I love the fact that Therrien has his on the ice to finish almost every game that they are going to win. Wayne Gretzky said it best, ‘intimidation is still part of our game today,’ amen and thank God Wayne, that’s all I have to say.

Last point today, how much more can be written about the video review of Finland’s goal against the States in the World Championships. The IIHF reported immediately after the game that the man in question was dismissed and will not work again this series. Where did he go, right to the next figure skating event? What an absolute farce, a disgrace, a black mark for the sport, just a total sham. The tree huggers all bemoan anytime somebody throws a punch in hockey. You know, watching those three blind mice try and corral that situation at the end of that game was the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen in the sport of hockey since the grossly inadequate zebras’ who worked the Piestany punch up at the World Juniors between Canada and Russia on New Years Day, 1987. Those clowns left the ice during a brawl and had the arena lights turned off. Yep, it’s just great hockey overseas and even better officiating. Let’s face it folks, like the NFL and the CFL this is the same sport, played by different rules, different sized surfaces and officiated wildly different than what either side of the ocean thinks is right. I like my eggs over easy, my pints cold and a server who lets me know its last call. I also like my hockey rough, accountable and if necessary, violent as need be. That eliminates me from next season’s hockey pool in Europe. Let’s hope some level of competence referee’s the medal rounds.

Liam Maguire