Oh man I like seventh game OTs

I really fell badly for my Never B's teammates who root for the Bruins. This looked like their year.
Check out This Old Jock to see first hand how a Bruins fan is feeling today.
BUT, as a hockey fan, what is better than OT in game 7? Walk off homers? Sure, they get you pumped. I was at a Dolphins-Jets game in the early 80s and saw Ken O'Brien hit Wesley Walker for a long bomb in OT to win the game. Exciting. Nothing like hockey OT though.
Every rush, every shot could be the one. Both teams had their chances until Boston's Public Enemy No. 1 -- Scott Walker -- buried the winner at 18:46 of the first OT. Heartbreaking? Yeah. Exciting playoff hockey that shows why the sport is like no other. Definitely yes.
What a series. The Bruins have to battle back to force a game 7 and then it goes OT. Looking forward to Canes-Pens. And I'm rooting hard for the Canes.
The original 6 match up in the west doesn't have me too excited. I like the Red Wings, have for years, but Chicago is a good story. I picked the Red Wings but either one going to the Cup final is OK by me. In the east, on the other hand, Cindy Crosby needs to go home.

Random great hockey video


Gotta like a guy that hits like this.

Newsday says Tavares was on LI
Greg Logan is reporting on his blog that "John Tavares was the first of three top prospects for the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft to visit Long Island."
Thank you. I feel better for the moment.
Victor Hedman and Matt Duchene are also said to be coming in for a look.

Crosby... yeeeesh

Yeah, Pittsburgh won, but I still cant stand Crosby. This is one of my favorite Crosby videos.
For those of my friends who mistake my dislike of young Cindy Crosby as my thinking he has no talent, no. I know Crosby can outright play. I just can't stand the constant whining to the refs. The icing on the cake had to be when he went to the refs early in the Caps series and asked them to make an announcement telling fans to stop throwing hats on the ice after Ovechkin's hat trick. Bite me.
He came into the league as the "face of the NHL" and comes off as someone who thinks he's entitled to play by a different set of rules. Play the game Cindy, maybe people won't despise you so much.

MORE ON PLACID

For more info on the strange doings of the Never B's earlier this month in Lake Placid, check out Goalie/defenseman Brion O'Connor's blog, This Old Jock.
He DOES come close to breaking the "what happens in Placid stays in Placid" rule. He goes right to the edge but then pulls himself back to safety.

John Tavares

Had a meeting with an Islanders rep this week about possibly playing a game or two at the Coliseum prior to an Islanders game. Looks like we are going to do it and it should be loads of fun.
I ended the meeting with a request that the agent give Garth Snow a message.
"Please" I said. "Tell Garth to draft Tavares or I will jump off a roof."
I'm just sayin'.

Do you believe in miracles?!!

Fresh back from a weekend in Lake Placid with my friends the Never B's. Played three games and the only miracle is that no one got locked up.
We didn't win, heck, we didn't even score. But, if you've never been there, the town is really nice and scenic, the people are friendly and the beer can be Canadian.
For a U.S. player, the "80 rink" is, or should be, special. Every time I come through the hallway to step on to the ice I get a chill. I have been playing in CHE tournaments and adult camps since 2004 and it never gets old. This is the spot. USA 4, USSR 3. Just sitting on the benches is cool.
But enough about my goosebumps. The tournament, although rough to take on the ice, was a blast. We have a great team that keeps its sense of humor about things. We get crushed in the morning. No problem, go to lunch and laugh. Lose at night, hey, the bars are open and there's free beer at the hotel and, for the women on the team, French-Canadiens in the bars on Main St.
Its a wacky time. For the most part, in a month or so I will not remember the games at all, but I will remember the laughs and am already looking forward to next year.
I have a playoff game tonight so I will post m,ore details on the Never B's later this week.
CAPS UP 2-0
I know it wont happen but I hope Cindy Crosby and the Penguins get swept.

ISLES DRAFT CONTEST

Islanders web page has a contest offering a trip to the draft in Montreal. Please enter and tell them to take Tavares. For me. I'm beggin' ya.