April Anarchy
If the college hoops world can have March Madness then the Stanley Cup quarterfinals (AKA the “first round”) can be April Anarchy. After the Devils found themselves down 2-0, I decided to step back and just enjoy the playoffs. With both the Mets and Yankees finding ways to leave the bases loaded (the baseball equivalent of a loose puck in the crease), I have little else to cheer for this time of the year, so I’m going to enjoy the playoffs until the Cup is raised. By someone. Hopefully our Devils, but as Gary Bettman sometimes says, I’m cheering for the sport (Bettman cheers for ratings publicly).
Here’s what crossed my mind between Friday night and this chilly Monday morning:
The Habs-Bruins series reminds me of being in Boston 15 years ago. At the time, the Bruins were attempting to make another run deeper than the first-round, and my friend Rich came over to watch the game on our miniature TV (since he didn’t have cable in his apartment, just to put this in historical context). After a snappy goal, I began shouting “Koach Wesley” (Hebrew for “Power of Wesley”) and my wife popped her head out of the kitchen long enough to say “That’s never been said before.” And hasn’t been said since, at least in Bean Town. But for a series that looked all Montreal, the little bears are hanging in there. And after the trouble dealt to the Devils by the Canadiens, I’m rooting for the underdogs.
I like Alex Ovechkin as much as I dislike Philadelphia. Go Caps. This series pits a guy who wears #8 in honor of his mother (that would be Ovie) against a city that jeers Santa Claus and the Armed Forces (that would be Phillies fans on opening day 2008).
Lou should pay careful attention to the Calgary-San Jose series. Owen Nolan (discarded by the Sharks) and Alex Tanguay (moving north from Colorado) were instrumental in the Jaws-like destruction of the Sharks last night. San Jose blew a 3-goal, first-period lead. I’m watching David Hale (#21 for Calgary, former Devil) and smiling; he’s holding his own. Phaneuf, after looking a little phluffy last year at this time, is a machine. You can pick up veteran talent and young players with potential and turn them into a team.
The Stars trade that picked up Brad Richards looks brilliant. The Stars are pulling the wings off of the Ducks, matching the rough-and-tumble style with a lot of skating, shooting and playmaking. I would have preferred to be cheering for Jeff Halpern with Dallas this year (he was sent to Tampa as part of the Richards deal), so my interest in this one is simply seeing the Ducks returned to their little pond.
And finally, let’s hear it for hard work from the Devils. Madden puts a puck toward the net, ostensibly for the rapidly encroaching Sergei Brylin, and it goes in. It’s the kind of play that the Devils didn’t get all season (and if they did, it was reviewed and overturned by Toronto). Two goals deflected into their own net by Rangers players, and it’s a series. That’s one definition of anarchy (or insanity). Even if I didn’t get to run through the house screaming “Freakin’ Brylin”, it was a good night.