Open Your Eyes

It wasn't an original 6 match-up but in my eyes it was just that. The bullies from Philadelphia against the true original 6 team from Chicago. When both teams made it to the Stanley Cup finals, it seemed kind of a perfect battle that the NHL needed, just something different than the Penguins and Red Wings.

There were plenty of story lines, Hossa, 7th seeded Philadelphia, and the drought both cities have endured but in my eyes the biggest story line was Mr. Gary Bettman. The message I would love to shout at him is,

"Look at the teams and the cities that are in the Stanley Cup finals and open your eyes to the fact that people from hockey cities deserve your attention. Instead of wasting time and money on non-traditional cities pay attention to the true hockey towns."

It pisses me off to see all the potential the NHL has as a league and be forced to watch an idiot like Bettman force NHL teams into American cities where hockey is basically a hobby and not a part of life. Hockey teams should be put into cities where arenas are going to sellout on a nightly basis, satisfying true blooded hockey fans and let's not leave out those owners who want to fatten up their bottom line. Win win situation!

The NHL and more importantly the loyal hockey fans deserve better.

Back Into Hockey

After a few years of really not enjoying or caring for the NHL game, I've signed myself back into the hockey world...Yahoo! Fantasy Hockey. My way of trying to kick start my love for the game. What better way of doing that than getting into the fantasy world.

Here is what I have to go to battle with.

Goalies - Huet, Roloson, Bryzgalov
Centres - Datsyuk, Zetterberg
Left - D. Sedin, Gagne
Right - J. Franzen, D. Brown
Defence - Blake, Kubina, Hainsey, Zidlicky
Bench - Pominville, Zajac, Ruutu

I'm thinking I have some fire power with my centres and left-wingers. Hopefully, my side of the Sedin twins holds up after signing their contracts in the off-season. A little worried about Zetterberg's and Gagne's health issues. Defence seems little shaky especially with the age of Blake. My goalie situation is leaving me with an unsettled feeling.

In all my fantasy leagues I always try to stick with my drafted team for the first bit and not go overboard with trades and pick-ups. Overreacting too early in the season with poor performance or predictions have never gone well for me. It is nice watching others go crazy and make poor/quick decisions because I like taking advantage of them.

Hopefully my fantasy team keeps me tuned in and focused when the NHL season starts. Still not sure if this fantasy thing is going to work this year since the NBA will be starting up and if there is usually any choice between the NBA and the NHL, the NBA wins hands down.

What do you think about my team? Suggestions? Tips? Strategies?

Yawn

Where do the days go. The Stanley Cup playoffs are about to begin but how did this happen? It seems like yesterday when I was itching for the season to start and now it's playoff time.

This year seems a little different though. I was attached to the season when it began but as the year unfolded my attention drifted and planted itself onto the NBA. The year, the NHL didn't do it for me. There isn't one reason for my eyes to focus entirely on the NBA but it just happened. The NHL this year, in my eyes, seemed like a chore. I knew it was there and the only way it I was going to get to the NHL was if I forced myself to sit and watch.

There were plenty of games I watched but none where I was actually into. It was more background noise than anything else. It usually happens, the 82 game season is kind of long and there are other things in my life other than sports, it is hard to believe but it is true.

As I continue to write this post I realize how parallel it is to how I feel about the NHL season. At the beginning I had things to say and was into writing the post. As the post goes on, I drifted and was only typing because I knew there was a post to be finished. Now that the end is near, I'm tired and ready for something new.

I hope the NHL playoffs draw my attention back to the great game of hockey. The playoffs usually do drag be back but I'm not sure if this year is going to be the same. Never felt this way about the NHL season before.