hockey
We talk pucks and objects of that kind. We yell, complain, and analyze in the language of hockey fandom. Gretzky can do no wrong.
Stanley Cup Final Game Three: Pound of Flesh
The Tampa Bay Lightning entered Amalie Arena knowing what was at stake in this year's Stanley Cup Final. They were down 2-0 against the Colorado Avalanche, with Game One being an OT loss while Game Two was an out and out rout. They needed to get back on track, and the scene shifting to their home ice is a good way to do it. However, they did receive some bad news: Brayden Point was out for Game Three. Point missed the last two series before returning in Game One, but his previous issue had resurfaced. As for the Avalanche, they were still without Nazem Kadri, and they received the news that Andre Burakovsky would be out as well.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 2 years ago in UnbalancedStanley Cup Final Game Two: Bombardment!
Since around 5-10 minutes after Andre Burakovsky his OT goal in Game One, I had my thoughts and concerns about Game Two. As a Colorado Avalanche fan, I was wary. This is the Tampa Bay Lightning, the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup Champions. They are going to want to bounce back from that defeat, and Andrei Vasilevskiy will look to get some semblance of payback. I figured that the Avalanche would be in for a hell of a challenge in Game Two.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 2 years ago in UnbalancedStanley Cup Final Game One: Working Overtime
7,676 days. That's how long it had been since the Colorado Avalanche last played in the Stanley Cup Final. That's how long Avalanche fans had been waiting to see their beloved team play for the hardest prize to win in pro sports: the Stanley Cup. In this go-around, the Avalanche had to go toe-to-toe with the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning. For the Avs, they're looking to win their third Stanley Cup overall. For the Lightning, they're looking to win their third straight Stanley Cup--something no team has done in four decades.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 2 years ago in Unbalanced2022 Stanley Cup Final Preview
Well, hockey fans, we finally made it. It's been a gritty, rough, and spectacular season of hockey, but after six months of regular season action, and three thrilling playoff rounds, we are down to the final two teams left standing in the National Hockey League. The Stanley Cup Final is the ultimate ending to a thrilling sport; the culmination of a season of blood, sweat, and tears. Each of the teams involved enter the Summer Classic needing only four wins to capture the ultimate prize, the greatest in all of professional sports: the Stanley Cup. It's hard to win the Stanley Cup, and it's every bit as hard to get to the Final, but these two teams managed to battle their way to this pivotal point. They are as follows:
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 2 years ago in UnbalancedWhat Went Wrong: Out of Gas and Out of Tricks
It is amazing how far the New York Rangers have come in just a short time. The 2020 bubble was very disappointing for the Rangers; they were part of the expanded playoffs that year, but not only were they defeated in the Qualifying Round, they were the only team to be swept in the best-of-five series. However, there was a silver lining. Losing the Qualifying Round allowed them to join the other seven eliminated teams in the lottery for the #1 pick, which the Rangers ended up winning to draft Alexis Lafreniere.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 2 years ago in Unbalanced- Top Story - June 2022
What Went Wrong: Oilers Swept in Chaotic West Final
The Battle of Alberta series didn't just determine who would represent the Pacific Division in the Conference Finals, it was a battle to see who would be the last Canadian team standing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That honor ended up going to the Edmonton Oilers, after a five game series win, and it was their first Final Four appearance since 2006--the year that the Oilers made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final and fell just one win short. The Oilers faced off against the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final, and it was a marquee matchup: Connor McDavid vs Nathan MacKinnon. I was one of many fans who was salivating over this battle between two of the biggest stars in the NHL.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 2 years ago in Unbalanced What Went Wrong: Another Elite Eight Loss for Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes' 2022 Stanley Cup Playoff run was an interesting one, to say the least. After managing to finish first in the Metropolitan Division, the Hurricanes ended up in a dogfight against a Boston Bruins team that was sputtering. Seven games, but the Hurricanes won because of home-ice--the home team won all seven games. The Canes went on to face the New York Rangers in what went on to be a hotly contested series, and just like their first series against the Bruins, the home team kept winning games.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 2 years ago in Unbalanced2022 Conference Finals Preview
The Final Four is all set. The Conference Finals are here. This round is very vital, it will determine which two teams will face each other for the Stanley Cup! We were treated to a very captivating second round that saw so many amazing moments, plays, and goals, but after the dust has settled, it has come down to the final four teams remaining. Since the 2013-14 season, the Conference Finals have been contested between each of the four winners of the division brackets, with the East series pitting the Atlantic vs the Metropolitan, while the West series pits the Central vs the Pacific. The series are as follows:
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 2 years ago in UnbalancedWhat Went Wrong: Blues Lose Series and a Lot of Respect in the Process
A heated and immensely controversial Central Division Final series between the Colorado Avalanche and the St. Louis Blues saw the latter ousted in six games. The Blues entered the playoffs as a much stronger team than they were in the previous season, and it showed. The shortened 2020-21 season saw the Blues in the localized West Division, and in spite of the fact that half of the West Division consisted of poor teams, the Blues struggled to get into the playoffs, and when they did get the division's last spot, they took their struggles with them.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 2 years ago in Unbalanced- Top Story - May 2022
What Went Wrong: Flames Extinguished in Battle of Alberta
We were really excited for this, weren't we? For the first time in 31 years, we had the Battle of Alberta in the Stanley Cup Playoffs; an occurrence that--many say--was set to happen in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused that season to be paused. We all salivated over this, and yes, I was part of the "we all." I was six years old when the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers last met in the playoffs, and I wasn't even thinking about hockey at that time, so this was really my first time experiencing this. I was looking for a seven-game, knock 'em out, street fight between these two longtime provincial foes. Instead, we got a short series that went the way of the Edmonton Oilers.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 2 years ago in Unbalanced What Went Wrong: Panthers Swept Out of Elite Eight by Back-to-Back Champs
The Presidents' Trophy claims another victim, as the Florida Panthers became the first casualty of this year's Division Finals. This was an absolute dream season for the Panthers. 58 wins, 122 points, and their first Presidents' Trophy in franchise history. They were definitely expected to go very far, but they had to do something they hadn't done since 1996: win a playoff series. It was tough, but the Panthers did it, winning a six-game opening round over the Washington Capitals, with Carter Verhaeghe's OT winner (his second of the series) ending the 26-year itch.
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 2 years ago in UnbalancedPerron scored a hat trick, and Husso got shut out in Game 1
Perron scored a hat trick – Forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan leads the way with four points, while goaltender Tyler Parsons makes 37 saves in a 4-0 victory for the opening round of the Western Conference First Round.
valuedPostPublished 2 years ago in Unbalanced