Wednesday, April 1:
Well it wasn't quite gone by the weekend but the clump of ice at the bottom of the driveway is now officially history. No (April) fooling. Two months ago, the snowbank was over my head. There is still some snow on the property, a 3' by 3' patch up against the garden at the front of the house, the result of having a dwelling that faces north (never again). It's the one and only thing we don't like about the Stouffville homestead. But the ice is sure to melt in the coming days and I'll no doubt be mowing the lawn in about four weeks time, if not earlier.
Thursday, April 2:
Back to work after a run of six days off -- just the way the schedule worked. And I'll pay for it with eight shifts in nine days. But they're evening shifts for the first time in a long time and I kind of enjoy those hours. And when my 8-in-9 is complete, The Bride and I start a two-week vacation, so it's all good.
I have no rooting interest, seeing as the University of Michigan is where my heart lies. And I'm out of the money when it comes to the March Madness office pool. But a Michigan State basketball championship in the upcoming NCAA Final Four would be a wonderful thing for such a beleaguered state. The recession has hit Michigan harder than pretty well anyplace in the U.S., and if the Spartans pull it off, they may help people take their minds off the bad times. A year after the 1967 riots destroyed the fibre of Detroit, the Tigers won the World Series and did wonders for the city's healing process. That ballclub remains one of the most beloved teams in Michigan's sports history. And an MSU title next Monday may be the state's fate. In 1979, the Spartans, led by Magic Johnson, beat Larry Bird's Indiana State Sycamores in the championship. In 1989, Michigan needed overtime to quell Seton Hall. In 1999, the Spartans went to the Final Four but Connecticut prevailed -- but Michigan State came back to win it in 2000. Here we are in 2009 and green and white may just be the predominant colours on display at Ford Field.
Friday, April 3:
I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! Yesterday was gorgeous 'round these parts and sure enough, one of my friends posted on Facebook that he started to get a slight suntan while outside working. Well, that's the meteorological equivalent of Eve chomping on the apple. The weather gods don't take kindly to boasting, so today we're getting socked with enough rain that the thought of building an ark flashed through my mind. I know, April showers/May flowers. But this is "stand-outside-for-10-seconds-and-get-soaked-to-the-skin" stuff. Still, 'tis the season. It's what follows that gives me the willies -- an extreme dip in temperature. We may get snowshowers out here in the 'burbs overnight and our high temperature for next Tuesday is expected to be 32 Fahrenheit -- or 0 Celsius! The freezing mark. I start vacation a week from tonight and if I have to dig out the driveway, I'm gonna be a mite ticked off!
Saturday, April 4:
Anyone seen a unicorn? Apparently I'm supposed to load two of everything onto this giant boat. It was a struggle with the record rainfall and all, but I did manage to get the ark finished. It's still raining hard two hours into this day and heaven only knows when it will all end. If this is what living in Vancouver is all about, maybe snow isn't that bad after all!
UPDATE: OK, I take it back. The rain has stopped but now we're getting flakes of snow flying by and it's freezing cold.
Sunday, April 5:
Every once in awhile I get a chance to prove to one and all that my brain is about the size of a pinhead. Frustrated with Dreamweaver's painful slow FTP uploads (the only flaw in a wonderful program) I've started loading my Scorepics updates via FileZilla, speedy as all get out and a program that's free. After tinkering around with it, I thought I knew what I was doing (reading instructions is like asking for directions for a guy). Suddenly, the folder I store everything in on my hosting site was gone! Meaning, this whole site was gone! No, problem, I just had to upload everything. Yes, problem. I got halfway through and it stopped uploading, giving me error messages instead. I knew I hadn't reached my site limit, so I had to shut things down for a few hours yesterday. This sounds technical, but it turns out I had mistakenly moved my upload folder into the "stats" folder on the hosting site, so it was all still there and when I tried uploading the same files into a different folder, I did go over my limit. Long story short, I managed to get everything squared away last night -- and also removed lots of cluttered files at the same time, so all is as it should be. I think.
Michigan State 82, Connecticut 73. I'm tellin' ya, the Spartans are going to take it all. Yes, they'll be up against North Carolina but I think U-Conn was the hottest team coming into the Final Four. Ford Field will be rocking, and the state of Michigan will have something to cheer about Monday night!
Monday, April 6:
My one day off in a nine-day stretch. So, should I drive to the Motor City and see Michigan State try and capture the NCAA men's basketball championship? Maybe a shorter jaunt to Buffalo where the Red Wings are in town to play the Sabres. There's an even shorter drive into Toronto for the Blue Jays home opener, against the Tigers, no less. Or I could stay home and deal with the 15-20 centimetres of snow (!) were supposed to get. Odds are it will be the TV to the rescue.
UPDATE: Yep, TV to the rescue. I don't have the energy to drive anywhere in this slop.
Tuesday, April 7:
Shoulda gone to the hockey game. At least I would have something to cheer for as the Red Wings beat the Sabres 4-1. But frankly, I'm glad I didn't have to drive around in the slop. Staying at home was the smart choice.
No, they didn't beat North Carolina. Didn't even come close. Michigan State was blown out early against the Tar Heels in the NCAA championship game which turned into a lopsided dud. Very glad I didn't brave the elements and make the long drive for that one.
Can anyone explain the puzzle that is Justin Verlander? Rookie of the year in 2006, a no-hitter and an 18-game winning in 2007, and then 17 defeats last year. Last night, with two out and nobody on in the opening inning, he falls apart and allows four runs to the Blue Jays. Eventually gets yanked after giving up eight. How can someone go from that good to that bad so quickly? No matter, it's going to be another very long season for the Tigers. Three years ago, it looked as if they had the best young pitching staff in the majors. Now, it's one of the worst. And despite all the emphasis placed on defence in spring training, they opened the season with two errors. Yuck.
And what's with the wingnuts who always seem to attend the home opener and give Blue Jays fans a bad name? Their asinine actions in the eighth inning last night almost gave the Tigers an undeserved win by forfeit. Thankfully, they'll be nowhere in sight until next April.
Wednesday, April 8:
One Of Those Days at work, Tuesday was. I couldn't write, couldn't read, my timing was 'way off and my on-air pacing was brutal. Other than that, it was perfect. There was a time I would stew about days like that, which would just made the next day worse. The best part about yesterday was that it's now today. Can't bring it back to try over so I'll just be better today. (Of course, this ice cold beer I'm sipping brightens my outlook, too).
Got home and checked my email and one of them had this in the subject line: "Endangered Tigers Need Your Help." It was from an aid group, seeking help for tigers in Sumatra but my first thought reading the headline was, "you watched the game too, eh?" The Detroit Tigers fell to 0-and-2 by blowing a 3-0 lead in the eighth inning at Toronto and falling 5-4 to the Blue Jays. So riddle me this, Batman: What do lions and tigers have in common? Neither of them can win a game.
And then there's Manchester United. Their once air-tight defence is a thing of the past. In less than a month, they have surrendered 10 goals in four games, and the 2-2 draw with Porto at Old Trafford yesterday in their Champions League quarterfinal means they now have to go on the road and win (or draw 3-3 or higher). Yep, the best part of yesterday is that it's now today.
Friday, April 10:
There's a fair bit of consternation to the west in Motown, where the Tigers have their home opener scheduled for today, Good Friday. I should mention that Detroit is one of those places that celebrate Opening Day instead of opening day, if you catch my drift. The home opener, like it is in Cincinnati, Baltimore and a few other places an event, always a day game and something folks circle on their calendars. It's not quite like Cincy, which stages a parade and has an unofficial city holiday to mark the fact that the Reds are baseball's first professional franchise. The first pitch of the season isn't always in the Queen City anymore, but the Reds are still the only franchise that always opens its season at home. I digress. Catholics are upset because today's game starts at 1:05 p.m., during holy hours. But Detroit has an outdoor stadium and is too far north to start playing night games in the first part of April. I'm actually a bit surprised this hasn't happened in the Motor City before (or if it has, there didn't seem to be a big fuss about it). It's unfortunate, but it's tough to schedule 30 home openers around a 10-day slot with Easter weekend right in the middle. Easter's about as late as it can be on the calendar, so this is rarely an issue. I suspect those who feel strongly about it will give the game a pass and attend service. Those who don't, won't.
Sunday, April 12:
Happy Easter! And this evening will be "The First Sunday Night." That's what I call the best time of vacation -- knowing you don't have to worry about work on Monday. We'll get some baseball games in between now and month's end but where or when is still up in the air. Job one is long overdue spring cleaning on the house. I mean, loooong overdue.
Thankfully the entire American League Central division is off to a rough start. By taking two straight at home from Texas after dropping three of four to the Blue Jays to open the season, the Detroit Tigers are 3-and-3, and tied for first place.
I know he's seven shots back and has to leapfrog a bunch of players I think Tiger Woods will make a big charge today in he final round of the Masters. He may not win but he'll be there. Just sayin'.
Monday, April 13:
RIP Harry Kalas. The voice of the Phillies, NFL Films -- and Chunky Soup commercials -- was one of the best to ever speak into a microphone. He died today in the broadcast booth while preparing for the Nationals' home opener against the Phils in Washington. Despite my personal fondness for Tom Cheek, Harry's call of Joe Carter's 1993 World Series-winning home run is my favourite.
And just an hour or so after hearing THAT news, comes word that Mark Fidrych has left us at age 54. I spent part of the 1976 baseball season in and around Detroit and there wasn't much for Tigers fans to cheer for in terms of a pennant. They were 74-and-87, a fifth-place club that finished 24 games behind the AL champion Yankees. Some of the heroes of 1968 -- Bill Freehan, Willie Horton and Mickey Stanley -- were closing in on the end of their careers. But the Tigers had "The Bird," the curly-haired 21-year-old who talked to the baseball, smoothed out the dirt on the mound, and brought a breath of fresh air to baseball in America's bicentennial year. Fidrych went 19-and-9 and was the runaway winner of the AL Rookie of the Year award. He had just one year of glory, as he wrecked his arm and won just 10 more games in his career. Fidrych died today in a reported accident while working on his dump truck at his home in Massachusetts. A terribly sad day for baseball with the loss of Harry the K and The Bird.
More disturbing health news regarding a dear friend of ours on Vancouver Island. Cancer. And it doesn't look good. We've had more than our share of death and heartbreak over the past six months and this just adds to it. And dammit, these people are from my generation, not my parents'. I'm having a hard time with this. So many, so suddenly, in so short a time. It's making me question my faith a bit.
The Phil and Tiger show was compelling stuff at the Masters but the best was yet to come with Angel Cabrera, Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell. The tournament was Perry's -- especially after a great tee shot on 16 that let to a birdie and a two-shot lead with two holes remaining. But the nerves kicked in and he gave it up, leading to a three-way playoff. Cabrera was the next to seemingly fall out of it on the first extra hole, sailing into the trees. But he recovered for par and then won the whole shooting match on the next hole. I rarely watch golf but this was great stuff!
Tuesday, April 14:
Oh for the luvva Pete! He's doing it again this year!
'Twas the night before playoffs, and get this scenario:
Sixteen teams in the show and none from Ontario!
B.C.? Yep, and Alberta makes two.
And Quebec's represented. 'Course, that's nothing new.
Montreal just got in by the skin of their teeth.
They say there's no turmoil, but what lies underneath?
They were best in the East last year; Boston was eighth.
Now the roles are reversed. B's are real, I sayeth.
The Bruins will leave les Canadiens in tatters.
Round two in the minimum, that's all that matters.
The Caps are exciting, the Rangers are grinders.
Which works best in playoffs? Put New York in your binders.
Let's call it six games, same as Garden State's heroes.
Jersey beats Carolina behind Marty's two zeroes.
Pittsburgh's got the advantage in a Keystone State showdown,
They'll beat the Flyers in seven. There, that's the lowdown.
In the West, once again San Jose looks outstanding.
They'll need five to give Anaheim a rough landing.
I see that you've taken the Wings in your picks.
But just think college football. Jackets stun 'em in six.
Vancouver got hot to win Northwest's Division.
But St. Louis was hotter. Blues in six, I envision.
The Blackhawks went south after losing at Wrigley,
The Flames then, in six, will turn ol' Chi-town sickly.
There you go! Once again we put poetry to picks.
But don't take it seriously -- we just do it for kicks!
Oh, and usually I pick a Stanley Cup winner in that mess. But for the life of me, this year I can't. Just pull a name out of a hat. It's as good a theory as any.
Wednesday, April 15:
Today is the day. April 15th. My unofficial start of spring. The day I believe no more snow is coming until late autumn and that daily high temperatures will be at or above double digits Celsius (or 50+ Fahrenheit). One of my favourite days of the year.
Next week -- sometime -- I'm going on another trip but I'm torn as to where. Part of me wants to head to New York City right away see ballgames in Gotham's two new major league parks. That could be tricky, as a Yankee homestand wraps up a week from today with a matinee. And I'm finding out that getting decent seats to a Mets game -- even a single -- is darned near impossible. But there could be some hockey and basketball playoffs and other ballgames if I head southwest to Washington. The weather will likely be superb around D.C. and we can get a second view of the Nationals' new ballpark -- to say nothing of another trip to Camden Yards in Baltimore, which never gets old. The other part of me wants to head to the midwest. Until this week, I could claim to have seen baseball in all 30 current major league ballparks -- 29 of them as a fan. But my 1991 Metrodome visit was as a reporter. I have no pictures of the place and this is the building's final year. I was in Kansas City as a fan in 1977 and as a reporter in 1985. (I visited Denver as a fan in 1995 but stupidly used a camcorder instead of a camera -- and if I can ever find the old tapes, I'll take some stills and upload them to the site.) I wouldn't be going all the way to Colorado next week, but Minny and KC would be on the agenda. And I'd also check out some college football buildings in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. A visit to the "Field of Dreams" site would be part of the trip, as would a a stop at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, this being the 50th anniversary year of "The Day the Music Died." But to maintain my "I've been in 'em all status," I'm sorely tempted to head east. And I'll have to go to Minneapolis next year to see Target Field, the Twins' new ballpark.
So, I'm torn. And since you take the internet time to check this site out, it's only fair you have a say in where I go, and why. I won't promise that the total vote tally will be the determining factor, but I'll certainly give the results plenty of weight. And rest assured that the destination I skip this month will be the next stop for the Scorepics cameras -- almost certainly before the end of the baseball season. So here you go -- your chance to shape this site's direction! The deadline is this Saturday at 6 p.m. Eastern time. (IP addresses are collected, so you can vote anonymously). I'll post results on Sunday.
Enter your preferred destination for April photo trip:
Thursday, April 16:
Just a reminder to scroll up a bit and help me decide where to go next week (no, it doesn't rhyme with "swell.")
Where have I seen that movie before? Watching the New York Rangers beat Washington last night reminded me of countless Detroit Red Wings playoff games over the past 15 years. Yes, I know they've won four Stanley Cups over that span, but there were just as many early-round upsets, usually due to better goaltending being the determining factor instead of a better team. Last night, the Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist made 32 saves, many of them difficult ones while the Capitals' Jose Theodore allowed four goals on 21 shots, fanned on a short-side game-winner and generally looked as shaky as a California earthquake. One game doesn't make a series but the Caps had better find some stopping power between the pipes or else all of the firepower from Alex Ovechkin and his mates will mean nothing.
Yesterday, I mentioned I was torn over next week's destination. I'm also torn over the OHL West final between London, my home town and Windsor, where I was born. I grew up watching the Knights long before the Spitfires joined the league. Both have a league championship under their belts, each city has hosted a Memorial Cup but only London has won one, ending a 40-year draught in 2005. So, I'm leaning toward Windsor, and a Memorial Cup berth would be something for a city with one of the worst unemployment rates in the country. The Spitfires, who won last night's series opener in overtime after a third period comeback, play in a brand-spanking new arena. I'll bet it's fun but I can only imagine the great din of ear-splitting noise this series would create if the Spits were still at the old Madhouse on McDougall and the Knights still played out of the steel-roofed insane asylum that was the London Gardens.
Two years ago today was the massacre at Virgina Tech. Take a moment and remember.
Friday, April 17:
I had just switched over to TSN last night as the puck was about to drop for the first overtime period in the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs. Beer on one hand, chips in the other and -- being on vacation -- no worries if the game didn't end until four in the morning. I hadn't taken so much as one sip and the Blackhawks scored 12 seconds in to beat Calgary. Sudden death, indeed.
And a pretty sweet Stanley Cup playoff debut for Anaheim's Jonas Hilller. Thirty-five saves and a shutout of favoured San Jose.
Now I know a few folks have dropped in since I posted my online poll the other day, asking where you'd like to see the next batch of Scorepics pictures come from. But you must be painfully shy because response is all but invisible. So, please -- go ahead. Don't by shy. Participation isn't mandatory but encouraged and you'll be completely anonymous! I feel like a radio talk-show host with a station on Mars! Here's that link again...
Enter your preferred destination for April photo trip:
Saturday, April 18:
London-Windsor? Tied 1-1, with both games going into overtime. This could be one for the ages. Interesting in that the top four teams in the regular season are in the OHL semifinals. Brampton, playoff duds for so many seasons, appear to have shed that image, with a 2-0 lead on Belleville.
I know much of my site's tiny traffic comes on the weekend, so I'm extending my poll until tomorrow at 6 p.m. Eastern time. I'll post the results Monday. The voting is close, but there is a leader. Let your anonymous voice be heard and click on the link below!
Enter your preferred destination for April photo trip:
Monday, April 20:
BUFFALO, NY -- Willows are the first. Down here, where it's a tad warmer than the Toronto area, the buds on willow trees are showing a telltale green and it won't be long before leaves are in full bloom. It's almost time to cut grass down here while I imagine that's still a couple of weeks away at home. I'm in Buffalo to pick up a friend who's flying back from Nevada. A red-eye from Las Vegas to Boston, and then back west to Buffalo. Yuuck!!
Manchester United's spotty play finally caught up with them yesterday. This time, they couldn't score and lost to Everton on penalties in their FA Cup semifinal. So it will be a battle of the Blues -- Everton vs. Chelsea -- next month at Wembley.
Ten years ago today, Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado became famous for all the wrong reasons. It's hard to believe a decade has passed since the tragedy.
Thanks, to all who did, for taking part in our first-ever survey. Voting is now closed. The winner, by two votes: Minneapolis-Kansas City. We'll leave either Wednesday or Thursday.
Wednesday, April 22:
POW! When I woke up yesterday morning, I didn't feel particularly good. By 11 a.m. I was back in bed where I stayed all day with a nasty fever and aches in places I didn't know I had. Twelve hours later I was at least able to stagger into the computer room and bang out this brief update. But there's a pretty good chance I'll be going nowhere this week.
Thursday, April 23:
The stats line will say "Windsor wins series 4-1" but to suggest this was any kind of blowout would be incorrect. In fact, if the OHL still followed its old eight-point series format, then this set would be tied five points apiece with both the Spitfires and London Knights still seeking their first win. Yes, just like the five-game 1951 Stanley Cup final -- no, I wasn't alive then -- each and every game went into overtime. And in every game, the home team had to come from behind to force the extra frame. The home team would also win four of those five, with game four being the exception as the Spits weathered London's third period storm and scored the overtime winner. In all, a great series, but one that left us wanting for more.
A bit better yesterday on the health front but certainly not 100% -- and I highly doubt I'll be motoring west or anywhere else this week or next.
Saturday, April 25:
No trip. Yesterday was a relapse day, spent almost entirely back in bed. Chills, fever, nausea, the works. I figure I'll be back to 100% just in time to head back to work late next week.
So today's forecast high is about 25 degrees (77 Fahrenheit), followed by 12 (55), then back to 25 (77) on Monday and 13 (56) Tuesday. 'Sup with THAT? No wonder everyone's down with the flu!
Win, lose or draw from here on in, coach Stan Butler and his Brampton Battalion finally shed the playoff choker label with their six-game win over Belleville in the OHL East final. Which means at least two games of the final against favoured Windsor will be close by. We're already making plans to attend game four of the series with a couple of NOOF pals!
Sunday, April 26:
It was more than just a warm April day. It was just like a mid-summer beauty until the skies got dark. And then a brief but violent thunderstorm lashed the city, tearing away trees and shingles. Out here in Stouffville, we saw plenty of tree damage, including the downing of a large part of a giant pine a few blocks away. Of course, the storm brought in a cold front, which will mean the shorts we wore today will be a one-day only thing (well, maybe Monday again if the forecast is accurate). But it sure was nice for a few hours to bask in the warm sunshine and get a preview of what we hope will be a great summer -- one that we missed out on in the rain-filled days of mid-2008.
A couple of decades ago, I was heading northwest on Detroit's Jeffries Freeway, looking straight ahead at a familiar site. It was Olympia Stadium, the red barn with the silver roof that was the home of the Detroit Red Wings for decades. On this day, the roof seemed invisible. That's because it was -- demolition on the old place had started. The roof was gone and so was one end, allowing a visitor to peek into the interior for a last glimpse where so many memories were created. I didn't have a camera with me, something I've regretted to this day. Last weekend in Buffalo I did have a camera handy when I came across the Memorial Auditorium -- longtime home of the Buffalo Sabres -- in a similar state. I was able to snap a few shots and eventually will give the Aud its own page here. Until then, this week's pic of the week will give you an idea of what it looked like.
Monday, April 27:
I had every intention of staining the deck today. But it rained last night so the wood isn't quite dry enough. And I can't find additional cans of the stain I use. Apparently it is not as popular as it once was. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. So, I enjoyed the sunshine and had a "me" day. And I posted the pics I took last week of the demolition of the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium. Enjoy.
Jo Stafford, who died last year, was my dad's favourite singer and I was subjected to her music while growing up. (My dad constantly had music playing in the house, a tradition I'm sad to say, I have not religiously followed. In my car, well that's another story). At any rate, one of the Stafford tunes that has stayed with me from youth is The Whiffenpoof Song, the wonderfully haunting ditty put together more than 100 years ago by "gentlemen songsters" from Yale University. Stafford's version wasn't the first, nor is it the most popular but it's the one I heard first. And the song tells of a tradition that carries on to this day. The Yale Whiffenpoofs, a senior-class singing group that now elects 14 members each spring, was established a century ago in 1909. Sadly, the "dear old Temple Bar we love so well" closed last year, a victim of the economic crisis. Its web site suggests an autumn re-opening although some fear it will remain closed for good. I've never been inside and never will -- "Mory's" Temple Bar is a place for people with Yale ties and its club list includes ex-US Presidents and the like. Mory's, which actually dates back to the 1860s, is where the Whiffenpoofs -- "the little black sheep who have lost our way" -- hold court Monday nights during the school year to "serenade our Louis" -- former bar owner Louis Linder, who died in 1913. College life is far different today than it was in the early 1900s -- but the idea of raising a pint in song at the local hasn't gone out of style. Added responsibility and social consciousness pertaining to such activity -- thankfully -- has. Still, while it's a few generations from "Baaa...Baaa...Baaa" to "Wasn't that a party?", the general idea is the same -- a celebration of life in the flower of youth.
Tuesday, April 28:
Speaking of haunting (as I was yesterday), happy 63rd birthday to the owner of a singing voice that haunts me to this day. Beverly Bivens, the original lead singer of We Five, was just 19 and 20 when she recorded the only tracks I know of that exist on vinyl or CD. Frank Werber, the group's manager, said of Bivens in regards to another huge San Francisco talent, "She (Bev) put Grace Slick away." Yep. And I'm also a fan of Slick and of Janis Joplin. But what fascinates me about Bivens is her abrupt disappearance from the mainstream music scene in 1966 to marry and raise a family. Good for her, but oh, what could have been!
Interesting to see Joe Thornton "answer the call" by starting a fight at the start of last night's San Jose-Anaheim playoff game. Then he disappeared the rest of the night. He was either hurt or unwilling to battle through the roadblocks the physical Ducks put in his way. And once again the Sharks, the best team in the regular season during the past campaign, are done early. As are the Calgary Flames. They outshot Chicago 44-16 but after the Blackhawks opened the scoring on the power-play (following a dumb Todd Bertuzzi elbow) I never got the feeling Calgary was going to win. The young Hawks showed a poise beyond their years in winning their first post-season series in 13 years.
Denver 131 New Orleans 63?! In Louisiana? An NBA playoff victory by 58 points? How did the Hornets win a game in this series? Down 3-1 and going to Colorado, I don't like their chances to win another.
Wednesday, April 29:
And speaking of birthdays, it's a wonderful xxth to The Bride, my friend, pal, confidante and love of my life!
I can excuse Henrik Lundqvist for allowing Sergei Federov's game-winning blast to escape him with five minutes remaining, leading Washington past the New York Rangers 2-1 in game seven last night. I never saw the shot -- my eyes were glued to a roaming Alex Ovechkin, certain that Federov would feed him for a one-timer. I wonder if Lundqvist was thinking the same thing and cheating toward the middle. He was outstanding in a losing cause.
Less outstanding in the playoffs -- again -- was New Jersey's Marty Brodeur. We wrote this last April 19th: "Hard to believe the New Jersey Devils have lost four straight years in either the first or second round. Harder still to fathom that Marty Brodeur has been outplayed by his goaltending opponent in all four of the losing series." Make it five, and this one was lost in stunning fashion, with New Jersey surrendering the tying and winning goals in the final 80 seconds to lose game seven to Carolina at home! Cam Ward was the better goalie and the game-winner against Brodeur looked particularly weak.
So round one is over and who's the wise guy mentioning my predictions? Yes, I went 2-and-6, including an 0-and-4 record in the West. So sue me! On second thought...
Thursday, April 30:
Oh, this could be over in a hurry. Windsor spanked Brampton 10-1 in the opener of the OHL final last night in the Rose City. We have tickets to game four at the Bunker in Brampton but the way things look now, it may just be a coronation of the Spitfires' season.
Back to work today after 19 days of vacation. It disappeared in a hurry, as all holidays do. And I'll pay for it -- I work 13 of the next 15 days. But that takes us into the Victoria Day weekend, when I'm off Friday-Saturday-Sunday and will get extra time for working the holiday Monday. Sweet!
