Don't worry, hockey fans -- if someone informs you that your id is showing today, it's no reason to check that your fly is zipped.Hate to use a corporate buzzword, but talk about convergence. The sore spots of all three Eastern Canadian NHL teams have never been on display simultaneously quite like they have been across the past 24 hours, even if the whole process is arbitary.
Montreal Canadiens: Conspiracy theorists -- there are few in Quebec -- must be bouncing off the walls and ceiling. The Canadiens took and/or received four straight penalties across the final minutes of the second period and first couple minutes of the third, which helped the Leafs score the tying and winning power-play goals to prevail 6-5 and eliminate the Habs from the playoffs.
Sounds like the fix might have been for the team from English Canada to win, compliments les maudits anglais, the monied English-speaking boogeymen. It would have to been a pretty elaborate fix, since it also involved making sure Alexei Kovalev would fail to take a shot on goal in a game which had less defence than France in World War II. The Leafs also played the last half of the game with native Montrealer Jean-Sebastien Aubin in goal, but that was probably all part of the plan hatched by the boys in New York and Toronto.
Relax, Quebecers. The Habs are going golfing, but you have so much to live for. Three words: Cheap lap dances. Two words: Federal transfers. One word: Youppi!
Toronto Maple Leafs: It was fun, it was exciting, just like a great night out on the town. Now here comes a throbbing hangover and the I'll-never-drink-again repentance to compound the aggravation of spending Easter Sunday with your extended family.
The Leafs barely won even though the Canadiens were hornswoggled royally by the officials. Andrew Raycroft soiled the bed in a big game, going to pieces after his defencemen once again showed they can set a screen better than half the players in the National Basketball Association.
Nevertheless, the people who make up what co-blogger Neil Acharya calls the "95 percent ratio" of Leafs fans (and remember, Neil is a Leafs fan) treated it "like the Stanley Cup." For pity's sake, it won't amount to a hill of beans since the Islanders can nab the final Eastern playoff spot by beating New Jersey today. (There's a good reason why Leafs fans have no idea what the Stanley Cup is like, but please don't go there.)
Following the Leafs' win, Don Cherry was on about how the Devils "have to play" goalie Martin Brodeur today vs. Islanders even though it's a nothing game for New Jersey. Sure, Grapes. It always has to be all about the Leafs, eh?
Being a smart guy from Kingston, I checked Brodeur's game log and he's played in all seven previous Islanders-Devils games, going 6-1 with three shutouts. Martin Brodeur has done quite enough already to help the Leafs get into the playoffs. Why should the Devils risk their best player being injured? Besides, it's not like the Leafs had a chance to take out Islanders on Thursday. Oh, wait, they did.
Ottawa Senators: The Denialists can't bring themselves to admit that only big boy teams get first crack at playing in weekend prime time during the first round. The Precious Team will play in the afternoon, up against That 70's Show reruns.
Rob Brodie of Sun Media has cleared it up, confirming that the Penguins-Senators series will begin Wednesday at Scotiabank Place. In his latest post, Brodie also explained that elements of an Il Divo concert on Friday and NBC's territorial imperative to slobber over Sidney Crosby dictate that Games 2 and 3 will be weekend matinees -- 3 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday.
Nevertheless, in the face of all that logic, someone -- and if it was a Senators employee or one of their puppets at The Team 1200,* please have the dignity to put your name to it -- actually left a comment last night that the concert booked for the Senators' arena next Friday "has nothing to do with the (playoff) scheduling." Really? Playoff games tend be held on alternating nights and Friday is two days after Wednesday, presumably even in alternative realities.
The Sens are playing in the afternoon; that's win-win for NBC and Hockey Night in Canada. That leaves the evening timeslot open for Calgary-Detroit and/or Dallas-Vancouver. It's not a diss to be playing in the afternoon, Senators fans. You're good enough (until the playoffs, at least), you're smart enough, and doggone it, pople like you.
Anyway, as for that final Eastern playoffs, yesterday's stance stands:
Whatever happens, happens, but the joke would be worth it if the Leafs beat the Canadiens in dramatic fashion tonight ... then the Islanders beat the Devils tomorrow to win the eighth playoff spot.
Remember, it's all arbitrary!
That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
(* It probably wasn't someone from The Team, since everything was spelled correctly.)
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