It started early yesterday. Certainly earlier than the media knew, and seemingly earlier than the Vancouver Police Department knew. Hours before the game, a friend of mine posted on his Facebook page “Lots of bridge and tunnel people flooding downtown. Police better be ready if the Canucks lose.” Well, it seemed like the only people that were ready for the violence that broke out following the Boston Bruins victory were the rioters themselves.
What the hell is wrong with the NHL? All this talk and controversy lately about fixing the rules of hockey and making them clearer to protect the players. It's the playoffs after all, and the NHL finds itself in the mainstream media's spotlight, with major injuries and concussions becoming more and more of a (logical and enlightened) focus. Its no wonder then, that we're left confused and angered at the lack of any call in Game 6 of the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins match-up, with the Stanley Cup itself on the line.
In the 2011 Stanley Cup finals, a debate rages. Boston fans and media are painting the Vancouver Canucks as villains thanks to Alex Burrows’ bite on Patrice Bergeron and Aaron Rome’s hit on Nathan Horton. But on the other coast, Vancouver fans and media are pointing to the Bruins’ propensity for hacking, slashing, and face-washing Canucks at every turn. So who’s right? Who are the good guys and who are the bad guys of the NHL post-season?
With Game 4 of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals only hours away, many hockey fans are still bewildered by the 8-1 Boston Bruins blow-out in game three. The Vancouver Canucks dominated Games 1 and 2, and then got walloped badly. What happened, and what’s going to happen in game four of the Stanley Cup finals?
The Vancouver Canucks defeated the Boston Bruins 1-0 in Game 1 of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals this week, but all anyone is talking about is “The Bite.” During a scrum at the end of the first period, Vancouver forward Alex Burrows chomped down on the finger of Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron (see video below). The league is expected to speak with Burrows, as both sides await a possible suspension.
Trade deadline day in the NHL ain’t what it used to be. In the past, it seemed like almost every team was making significant moves on that day, but lately the trend has been for big moves to take place over the course of about a week leading up to the deadline. But the art of the last second deal hasn’t flatlined yet as the Washington Capitals, L.A. Kings, and Vancouver Canucks proved on Monday. Here’s a breakdown of what the moves mean for Jason Arnott, Dustin Penner, Dennis Wideman and Chris Higgins, their new teams, their old teams, and the NHL playoff picture.
During the first-ever NHL Fantasy Draft in Raleigh, North Carolina, Team Staal Captain Eric Staal ended up picking a roster filled with NHL video game cover athletes. Staal, Assistant Captain Ryan Kesler (Vancouver Canucks), Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals), and Rick Nash (Columbus Blue Jackets) were all on the cover of either the EA Sports or 2K Sports hockey video game. Throughout the NHL SuperSkills Challenge, EA Sports NHL 11 was used to explain each of the skills challenges. Team Staal ended up beating Team Lidstrom 33-22 in front of a sold out RBC Center. Staal and his teammate goalie Cam Ward are both gamers. They talk about celebrating All-Star Weekend on their home ice.
The Philadelphia Flyers had their hearts broken last season when they lost a hard fought finals to the Chicago Blackhawks. The Flyers made it past the Boston Bruins by the skin of their teeth, only to watch someone else raise the Stanley Cup. But that experience seems only to have made the Flyers stronger. This year, Daniel Briere, Mike Richards, Chris Pronger et al are poised to return to the NHL playoffs and finish what they started last year.
2010 was an incredible year in sports, especially if you are a basketball, hockey, or MMA fan. But other sports had plenty of drama as well, both good and bad. Phil Mickelson, Serena Williams, Mike Krzyzewski, Sidney Crosby, Manny Pacquiao, Georges St. Pierre, LeBron James and Roy Halladay were all in the headlines for the right reasons. Meanwhile some characters, like Tiger Woods and Reggie Bush were in the headlines for the wrong reasons. All in all, it made for an exciting year in the NFL, PGA, NBA, NCAA, UFC and just about any other league you can name. So without further delay, here’s my list of the best moments of the sports of 2010:
The long-suffering Los Angeles Kings look like they’re finally ready to bump one of hockey’s longest slumps. The Southern California NHL team has a crop of hungry and talented young players including Anze Kopitar, Jack Johnson, Drew Doughty, and Wayne Simmonds, along with stalwart veterans like Dustin Brown and Ryan Smyth. That crew helped them make the playoffs in 2009-10 for the first time in seven years, and they plan to improve on that output in 2010-11.
The New Jersey Devils’ Ilya Kovalchuk is one of today’s most talented NHL players. For nearly his whole career, that talent has been far from the spotlight as the Russian winger has racked up points in the hockey graveyard of Atlanta, where he played for the Thrashers from 2001 until last season. Now he has a chance to make an impact with a competitive team, but it all hinges on the validity of his contract.
The Edmonton Oilers may have been the NHL’s greatest dynasty in their heyday. The Montreal Canadiens of the late ‘60s/early ‘70s and the New York Islanders of the late ‘70s/early ‘80s were great teams as well, but they didn’t have quite the flare of Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri, Paul Coffey, and company.
With the 2010-11 NHL season underway, it looks like another lackluster outing for the teams in the Sunshine State. Both Miami’s Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning appear to be icing mediocre teams at best, which will do little to draw fans to already sparsely populated arenas.