One year ago, Marian Hossa sat slumped on the ice realizing his dream was over. He looked up, seeing the men in red and white, the storied Detroit Red Wings, celebrating once again. He wondered if his chance would ever come to feel that jubilation; to put his hands on the Stanley Cup.

A rematch in any sport produces drama and many riveting storylines. In the 2009 NHL Stanley Cup Final there are many: will Sydney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have matured enough to win this year? Can Nik Lidstrom lead the Detroit Red Wings to glory once again? With so much hype going into the series, the most compelling story is not of a team, but of one player and his quest to win.

The bad blood caused by memories of last year’s battles will not be shared by Hossa, as he looks across at the Pittsburg Penguins’ bench to see the familiar faces of friends and ex-teammates with whom he made the trip to the Final last year. While his decision to switch allegiances for the more proven team may reek of selfishness, when examined closely, his intentions are noble. Upon becoming a free agent in the summer of 2008, Hossa, the premier unrestricted free agent of the summer, received many hefty contract offers and multi-year deals, including a rumoured $9M over several years from the Edmonton Oilers. The Penguins also offered a multi-year contract, and job security in the world of sports is always sought after. Hossa went the unconventional way, agreeing to a one year deal at $7.4M with the Detroit Red Wings – leaving both money and term on the table so that he could play with the team that gave him the best shot at a championship.


In an age where most professional athletes will chase the almighty dollar wherever it leads them regardless of the quality of the destination – see Ed Jovanovski to Phoenix, Nikolai Khabibulin to Chicago, or countless other examples – it is very refreshing to see a legitimate superstar take a paycut and be willing to share the spotlight in order to win. If his gamble doesn’t pay off, Hossa may look much more dejected than he did last year, as he watches the team he could have signed with, hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup.



Note: This Saturday posting is in lieu of Monday's.

On Wednesday, Rick Rypien signed a two year contract extension with the Vancouver Canucks worth a total of $1.1 million. At an average of $550,000 per season, it’s a bargain for a player who possesses more skill and talent than he’s given credit for. Fostering talent in unforeseen sources is something the most consistent, successful NHL franchises do, and the Canucks finally seem to be catching on.

In the space of 3 seasons, Alex Burrows has gone from being a fourth liner to one of the Canucks’ leading goal scorers, playing on the top line with the Sedins twins. This transformation has been based largely on hard work and desire, but also on his unrecognized talent level. Rypien, for his part, may be even more capable than Burrows. He possesses great puckhandling skills and speed which he combines with poise and vision. Given a chance to play in a more offensive role, Rypien will be able to produce.

Unfortunately, this skill could all go to waste if he continues his string of injury luck. Since signing with the Canucks in 2005, Rypien has broken his leg and thumb, torn his groin, and suffered a sports hernia. His lack of durability was likely the most significant contributing factor in the relatively low contract. Although the signing leaves both money and term on the table, you can bet both sides will be overjoyed if Rick Rypien is demanding a hefty raise in two years time.

We've heard all the rumours about the Vancouver Canucks and the Sedins being a million dollars apart on contract negotiations, with the Canucks offering around $5.5M for each, and the twins' agent, J.P. Barry, asking $6.5M. Mike Gillis, Canucks GM, has been very receptive to new ideas regarding team management this year, so we here at "Head To The Net" thought we'd offer a few suggestions to help him bridge the gap.




Exhibit A:

Following a rich history of constant jersey turnover, we propose the 4072nd jersey design in the team's 30 year history. Surely the Swedish twins would feel more at home wearing their national colours. As a bonus, Canucks marketing can advertise it as a colour not yet seen in the stands of GM Place, allowing fans to embrace the "Sea of Rainbow".

Exhibit B:

Speaking of the team's home arena, surely General Motors would like the idea of selling something in 2009. Mike Gillis, can you convince the Aquelinis to make this happen? Ikea Place sounds nice, doesn't it?

Exhibit C:

Following along the theme of bringing Sweden to Vancouver, if the above two initiatives fail, we propose a fullproof Plan C. Presenting the Vancouver Canucks new ice scraping girls for the 2009/2010 season, complete with uniforms:

They are fleet footed, skilled, and intense and entirely unstoppable when at top flight. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the two best footballers in the world, as ranked by the FIFA 2008 Player of the Year rankings, and they play for Manchester United FC and Barcelona FC respectively, the two teams that will face each other in the UEFA Champions League final this Wednesday May 27th, at 10:30 A.M. PST.

For one month every four years, North Americans take notice of the world’s most popular sport when the FIFA World Cup of Football takes place. Aside from that, the average American or Canadian all but forgets that another form of football exists, thinking there’s no point in watching unless the best of the best are representing their countries at the world’s largest sporting event. Newsflash: high level football exists outside international competitions, and in many cases, club teams are even better than even the best national side.

In sports like basketball, hockey, and baseball, when international competitions occur, it is a chance for a particular country to assemble their best players, and in such cases as Canadian Hockey and American Basketball, they are basically all-star teams – a combination of the NHL or NBA’s best players all on one roster. In football, this may actually be reversed, as the most powerful clubs actually pick the best and brightest players from all the football playing countries in the world and combine them on to these super teams. Manchester United and Barcelona are two such powers.

United’s Ronaldo, the Portuguese superstar, is widely regarded as the best football player in the world. During his 2007/08 season, he scored 42 goals in 46 matches, showing that his heart matches his skills. Barca’s Messi, at just 21, is perhaps more skilled, and even faster than his counterpart, and it’s likely only a matter of time until he overtakes Ronaldo as the world’s best. The Argentinean has already scored 41 goals in 56 matches in his most recent season, and at such a tender age, it is just a sign of things to come.

Manchester’s all-star supporting cast is led by Messi’s country-mate, Carlos Teves, and the English superstar, Wayne Rooney, two players who would headline any other team they played for. Add the 2009 PFA Player of the Year, Ryan Giggs, and the best defensive squad in football, featuring Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra, and it’s easy to see why United are the defending champions.

Barcelona has a reputation as being able to score their way out of any trouble they find themselves in. Never was this on greater display than during the Champions League Semi-Final against Chelsea, where Barca, down by a man due to a red card, needed one goal to make it to the final. In the 93rd minute of the match, Spaniard Andres Iniesta, finished off a wonderful pass from Messi – an incredible last gasp that landed the team in the championship match. Indeed, the team offers many scoring options, as they boast four players ranked in the top 10 of FIFA’s 2008 Player of the Year rankings. Along with Messi and Iniesta, Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o and Spain’s Xavi Hernandez Creus, are members of that exclusive list. Add Thierry Henry, the French striker who has scored 42 goals in a season, and it is clear why Barcelona’s front line is the most feared in the world.

The odds-makers are calling Manchester United the favorite, based on an all-rounded team, but Barcelona will counter with more fire-power up front. With so much talent on one field, it promises to be a wonderful match, one every sports fan should be watching.

It is the end of the second period of Game 3, Detroit has just scored three straight goals to tie the hockey game, and CBC’s Kelly Hrudey just said “The problem for Chicago is that they don’t have the leadership that some of the Detroit Guys have.” But Kelly, I thought the ‘Hawks just didn’t know any better? That’s not helping them much right now, is it? And is Detroit winning this game because of overwhelming leadership? True, their team is a lot older than Chicago’s but leadership doesn’t score goals.

The Red Wings’ leadership didn’t dominate the entire second period, not letting Chicago have a sniff of the puck. Not to take anything away from Nik Lidstrom, who is a great captain, but he didn’t score Detroit’s first goal because he’s a great leader, he scored because he is divinely gifted. The entire Red Wings roster is better top to bottom, and that’s why they will go on and have a chance to defend their Stanley Cup.

Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of Research In Motion, the company that makes the Blackberry, is trying to bring another NHL team to Canada – Hamilton, Ontario to be exact. This is what the public has heard, and our emotional reaction as patriotic Canadians is, “What a Saint of a man, he’s bringing us another team!” This cleverly orchestrated response is what Balsillie hopes will push forward his movement, putting pressure on the NHL and allowing him to move the team.

All of this is a shroud of smoke that Balsillie has created to cover up what he is actually doing. He is, in fact, attempting to take over the Phoenix Coyotes without NHL approval and relocate the team, again without NHL approval. Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes has reportedly lost $300 million since buying the team 8 years ago, and he has now filed for bankruptcy, with Balsillie offering to purchase the team contingent to relocation. The purpose of the bankruptcy filing is that it circumvents the NHL’s decision making body, taking the power out of their hands and putting it into the courts of America.

Balsillie has created a website, called “makeitseven.ca”, to rally Canadians behind his cause. However, since the issue is not about if Canada wants or could support another team, perhaps his website should be addressed “helpmecircumventNHLrulesbecausethatstheonlywayi’llgetateam.ca”. He'd better check GoDaddy to make sure the domain isn’t taken. Balsillie has tried on two previous occasions to buy American NHL franchises and relocate them, and he has been stopped due to various reasons including encroachment onto Maple Leaf’s territory and the NHL’s commitment to the cities in which it has teams. Perhaps the reasons behind not allowing movement need to be reviewed, but breaking the rules is not the solution. A rogue owner who plays by his own tune is the last thing the NHL needs, and they must look only as far as Mark Cuban – owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks – to see why.

Throughout history, the popularity of sports has been built on rivalries. From baseball’s Yankees vs. Red Sox to cricket’s India vs. Pakistan, the intensity of certain matchups have a certain aura about them that pulls fans in, allowing them to attach to one side’s successes and failures and to despise the other’s existence.

In today’s sporting world, there is no rivalry that consistently provides more thrills than that between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, the world’s two best tennis players. For several years it has been generally accepted as not a matter of if, but when Federer surpasses Pete Sampras’s record number of 14 Grand Slam titles to accept the mantle of tennis’s greatest ever athlete. But at the French Open semi-final in 2005, Federer met Nadal for the first time in a Grand Slam tournament, and Rafa, as Nadal’s fans call him, played a match that would serve notice of those to follow. His game stood in the face of Federer’s, as if to say, “Superman, I will be your kryptonite.”

On that sunny 2005 day, a confident Roger Federer, the world’s number one ranked player, walked onto centre court at Roland Garros, already a holder of four Grand Slam titles. He needed only the French Open title to achieve the career Grand Slam at the age of 24 – winning at all four Major tennis championships – a feat only achieved twice before during the open era (by Andre Agassi and Rod Laver). Unfortunately for Federer, it was at this tournament that Nadal began his climb towards being the greatest clay court player of all time by defeating Federer in four sets and going on to win his first Major championship.

Fast forward to 2009: Federer, at age 27, holds 13 Grand Slam titles, one shy of Pete Sampras’s all-time record of 14. In early February of this year, Nadal thwarted Federer’s latest charge at the record by winning his first Australian Open Championship.

During his runners-up acceptance speech, Federer attempted to put on a brave face , acting as if losing to Nadal for the fifth time in a Major final was but a minor hurdle, saying, “Maybe I’ll try later.” But upon finishing these words, he broke down crying, forcing out, “God, it’s killing me,” before having to step away from the podium where the man who has caused all the anguish, Rafa, put his arm around him in consolation.

Nadal, at the tender age of 22, already holds six Grand Slam titles. He is showing that he may be more than just a consistent adversary, as Agassi was to Sampras for so many years. For comparison, at the same point in his life, one month short of his 22nd birthday, Federer had won three. Doubt has been cast on Federer being the heir to the title of “Greatest of All Time” as Rafa is on a sharper upward trajectory than his counterpart was at the same age.

All of this brings us to the upcoming week – The 2009 French Open begins on May 24th – where Roger will once again be gunning for the trophy. And the plot thickens as we approach the tournament: four days ago, he won the lead-up clay court tournament, the Madrid Open, beating Nadal in straight sets for the title, and ending his dominant 53 match winning streak on clay. It was also his first victory against Nadal in 6 tries, a streak that includes losses at last year’s French Open, Wimbledon, and the recent Australian Open.

Perhaps this glimmer of hope is all Federer needs going into the second Grand Slam tournament of the year. Out of the four tournaments, this is certainly the one he wants most, having won multiple times at the other three. It would certainly add some substance to his claim at being better than Sampras, as the former legend never did manage a title on the clay courts of France. However, Madrid and France are two different places. Nadal comes to Rolland Garros with four years of success under his belt. It is a slower surface than that of Madrid, mostly because of the lower altitude. A slower game combined with a best of 5 format, rather than a best of 3, certainly favours the fitter Nadal, tennis’s best grinder.

There are, of course, other tennis players who can challenge these two, and Federer may have a tough time with the natural clay courters such as Juan Martin del Potro, Gilles Simon, and Ferndando Verdasco. But we, the fans are rooting for the rivalry. We want only one thing: to once again see Roger and Rafa staring each other down from opposite ends of the court on a Sunday.

Throughout the playoffs, Don Cherry, from the CBC’s Coach’s Corner, has been harping on various teams to shut down the point shots from the opposition. We’ve seen clip after clip of teams that collapse towards their own net in defensive formation, leaving the opposing point men wide open to take shots.

During one segment a few weeks ago, the show’s host, Ron MacLean challenged Cherry, asking, “So you’d like to see them send 2 men out to the points?”

To which Cherry replied, “I’m not telling them what to do, I’m just showing you the problem.”

So what should the coaches do to fix this? The problem is that most of the shots Cherry has shown to illustrate his point have been during powerplays. When playing down one man, someone is always going to be open. Different teams have varying philosophies and formations on the penalty kill, but none can cover the points man-to-man. If they did, it would leave two defensemen to cover three forwards, all of whom are closer to the net and more dangerous based on this proximity.

So what does a special teams coach do when given four players to cover the opposition’s five? It doesn’t even take a hockey mind to realize that they need to be tighter on the players closer to the net, while giving a little more room to the two men furthest away. Hence, the points are open! It’s very nice of Cherry to point out this deficiency, but unless he can produce an extra man out of thin air, the problem cannot be solved by his constant yelling of, “Cover the points!”

The Canucks held their post-season press conference with General Manager Mike Gillis and Head Coach Alain Vigneault yesterday, May 14th, and they delved into a number of hot topics. If you didn’t have a chance to watch, read on for a summary.

The Coaching Staff:

Gillis talked about the mixed expectations on the coaching staff following the previous season and stated that a 100 point season and division title were a great accomplishment. When asked if he intends to extend the contracts of the coaching staff, Gillis replied with a yes.

The new GM has proven to be a straight shooter who sticks to his word, but he's also shown that he plays things close to his chest. He is quite capable of surprising us at anytime, might he be wavering on his coaches?

Were the Canucks a Contender?

On being asked his thoughts on the playoff success of his team, the GM suggested that the Canucks had not played their best during the Chicago series. He stated that they never found their “A” game, but they were on the right track as they had held the lead in every game of the series.

Note: Gillis did state earlier that he intends to resign Alain Vigneult, but don’t his comments stating that the team never performed to it’s abilities say something about the coaching of the team? He basically affirmed that he thought his player personnel had the ability to go further… so if they didn’t play up to their abilities, whose fault was it?


The Sedins:

One year ago, when Mike Gillis was announced as the new GM of the Canucks, he claimed that he knew the Sedins were good players but wasn’t sure if he’d want to build a team around them. When asked about those comments yesterday, he said that it’s simply difficult to suggest building a team around players whose contracts are expiring in one year, with no guarantee that they will be resigned.

“I thought they were excellent players when I got here and I have an even higher opinion of them now,” he said, adding that he intends to sign them and he will be meeting with their agent J.P. Barry in a couple of weeks.

Roberto Luongo:

One reporter brought up the negative comments that have been thrown about since game 6, in which Luongo allowed 7 goals, and Gillis responded by saying that the idea of trading a world class player based on salary cap issues makes no sense. He cited that there are no salary cap issues on the team, and they work very hard to make sure of that.

Later he was asked if he intends to sign all three – Luongo and the twins – and if he believes he can fit the three under the cap, and he said, “I do believe I can.”


Mats Sundin:

Upon being asked about the future of Mats Sundin as a Canuck, Gillis mentioned that he had met with the individual players earlier in the day, including Sundin. He said that Sundin had been everything he asked for, in terms of being an example in the locker room, his professionalism, character, and integrity. On his and all of the players’ prospects of signing a new contract, Gillis said that he’s giving everyone a few weeks to decompress and they will be in touch thereafter.

Note: interesting that he didn’t mention his thoughts on Sundin’s actual on-ice play. Surely good character alone does not deserve a $10M contract.

During an interview on the Team 1040 radio station a day later, Gillis stated that he had told Sundin during their meeting that "He'd be welcome on any team I'm in charge of."


Steve Bernier

Earlier in the day, the Canucks resigned Steve Bernier for two additional years. Having just inked the deal, Mike Gillis obviously had many positive things to say. He commented on Bernier’s determination and character. On Bernier’s finishing ability, Gillis pointed out that it was Bernier who had put himself in those scoring positions, and that the Canucks would be working with him on his goal-scoring to help him relax in those situations in order to capitalize on the opportunities.


Injuries

As is always the case during the playoffs, injuries are completely hidden from the public. So which Canucks were playing hurt, and did it affect the series? This is the report we received:

Pavol Demitra will be undergoing shoulder surgery for a labrum tear. Maybe this is the reason he didn’t throw a body check during the playoffs. But that doesn’t explain his softness during the regular season.

Taylor Pyatt is having arthroscopic surgery on his knee, but it should be nothing serious, according to coach Vigneault.

Alex Burrows will be having surgery for a bone chip that has been bothering his wrist for some time.

Ryan Johnson will finally have a chance to heal his broken finger.

Welcome, Mike Gillis, to the end of the season for the Vancouver Canucks. I almost feel bad for you because you had no idea the type of heartbreak you were in for when you agreed to this job. I am writing this at 5 A.M. because I can’t sleep. I cannot shake that ridiculous third period out of my mind, and I know that wherever you are, you can’t sleep either. During Vancouver’s incredible winning streak in February, you were quoted on the Team 1040 saying, “The slowest group to come around is clearly the media because they look at everything as if it's 20 years ago and something is going to blow up and explode.”

The 2009 playoffs might just be the largest explosion in Canucks history thus far. Down by 2 goals midway through the second period, the team showed guts and determination, not only tying the game at three’s before the end of the period, but grabbing the lead quickly in the third. Adam Burish of the Hawks answered with a tying goal 2 minutes later, but once again the boys in blue showed how much they wanted it. Daniel Sedin scored what should have been the game winning goal with 7:45 left on the clock.

On a night when three scoring lines produced for the Canucks, the team’s best players were their best players with the Sedins scoring 3 points between them and Mats Sundin having a 2 point performance, the Canucks most important player and captain Roberto Luongo had a stinker. For all the goals allowed that could be blamed on others, there was one, Patrick Kane’s game-tying wraparound with seven minutes remaining, that no goalie should ever let in. And that was when we knew that this shootout wasn’t going to go our way.

In Vancouver, the season never just ends for our Canucks. No, they bring our hopes up higher every year and then they inevitably kick us in the teeth. Here’s a quick recap of the recent memories. In 2002, the eighth-seeded Vancouver Canucks roared into the playoffs as the hottest team in the NHL and stole two games from the Red Wings in Detroit. Finally, we thought, the Canucks were ready to take the next step after being swept from the playoffs in 2001 by the Colorado Avalanche, and boy were we excited. Midway through game three of the series with the Wings, Nik Lidstrom scored from centre ice on Dan Cloutier, and we watched as the Canucks disintegrated before our eyes, losing four games straight. And we sat there wondering, “What just happened?” In 2003 the seas parted for the Canucks as they drew the sixth seeded Minnesota Wild in the second round. Up 3-1 in the series, they realized that if they beat the Wild, they would face the seventh seeded Anaheim Ducks in the Conference finals. The bandwagon was hopping that year, but a 3-1 series lead was not too much for the Canucks to destroy, and destroy it they did. In game 7 of the series, the team held a 2-0 lead in the second period, only to lose the game and the series in the third. We, the fans, were stunned, again thinking, “What just happened?” Of course there is game seven of the Calgary Flames series in 2004, where Matt Cooke tied up the game with four seconds remaining on the clock to send the game to overtime. Alas, it was only to bring our hopes up and crush them once again in overtime, leaving us once again in disbelief, “Seriously, did that just happen?”

This year, the Vancouver Canucks may have had their best shot in their 39 year history. Scoring lines three deep, the most solid group of six defensemen in the NHL, and the goalie with god-gifted talent had been assembled and engineered for one thing: playoff success. They managed, yet again, to bring Vancouver fans’ hopes up, which is not easy considering what we’ve been through. We know better, we’re a weary bunch of pessimists, but they had us captivated. I must admit, I was wrong when I predicted that goalie Roberto Luongo would be dialed in. He seemed anything but, and considering he is the Canucks best player, hardest worker, and has had so many clutch performances, allowing 7 goals in a playoff game is a stunner.

Welcome to Vancouver, Mike. Beware of explosions.

Dear Faithful Readers,

I just want to let you all know that this is not solely a Vancouver Canucks site. I am, admitedly, a hardcore Canucks fan, and as such, when my team is in the playoffs, it is hard to focus on anything else. However, I aim to attack a number of issues and write on an array of sports including tennis, golf, basketball, maybe a little football, and of course hockey. I am going to post at least every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, but hopefully more than that, so please check back often.

Regards,

Omar

Open the papers today and you’ll see comments about how the Vancouver Canucks have not hit their stride yet:

“We haven’t seen the Canucks play their A game in this series.” – Vancouver Sun Sports Section.

Others offer criticism of certain players by stating that the Sedins or Alex Burrows have been invisible.

Well Mr. MacIntyre, Mr. Average Fan, what, to you, would constitute the Canucks hitting their stride? Here’s the answer: the Canucks play their best when they’re dominating the offensive boards, forechecking hard, and containing the puck in the opposite team’s end. This type of game plays directly into the hands of the Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Alex Burrows, Ryan Kesler, and probably most of the Canucks forwards. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to see it because the coaching staff has been so focused on their trap.

Thus far in the Canucks second round series with the Chicago Blackhaws, this has been the game plan: obtain the lead, shut down the hawks, win the game. Sending one man past Chicago’s blueline and keeping the other two high is not an up-tempo fore-checking scheme. More often than not, it will not lead to more goals for the trapping team. Pointing out that the Canucks have underperformed or not shown up only displays a lack of hockey understanding from the analyst, because in reality, the Canucks have done quite well at trapping. In fact, before game 6, the Canucks have held a lead 90% of the time in this series.

The problem? Chicago can score in bunches in a very short time period. The answer? Keep trying to score! Build up as big a lead as possible and count on an attempted comeback, because you can be sure it will come. And trust in the best goalie in the league to step up and make the key save.

I have a feeling that whatever the coaching staff says tonight, the Canucks will be too jacked-up to play shut down hockey. Roberto Luongo will be too dialed in, facing elimination, to allow anything past him. It’s going to be a good one. Get ready.

Since Mats Sundin arrived in Vancouver in early January, we’ve heard all sorts of criticism directed towards him. Such comments as:

“Sundin was invisible once again tonight.”

“His age is showing through that laboured skating stride.”

“Sundin isn’t the same dominant player he was in Toronto.”

“He’s a shadow of his former self.”

For all Mats Sundin doesn’t bring to the team with his game on the ice, he makes up for it in spades with what he brings to the Canucks’ locker room. Think of it like this: have you ever in your life said “no” to your grandfather? Isn’t there something about the wrinkles and lines on his face; the way you can see the vein on his left temple throbbing when he’s giving an order that makes you instantly stand to attention?

What if one day you witnessed old granddad drop the cane, running off to play hockey against people half his age? Seeing him taking hit after hit and skating as hard as his old legs would allow – even if his speed was a joke to you – wouldn’t you be inspired to play your hardest?

So Mats addresses his teammates in his stern accented English: “Come on guys, let’s play hard” (he is a man of few words). If you’re young Alex Burrows or Mason Raymond, you’re sitting there wide-eyed, nodding furiously, hoping he doesn’t cuff you upside the head. You go out there and you play hard, like he asked, thinking he will notice and hopefully not cuff you upside the head when you return to the bench.

To Ryan Kesler, who is lucky enough to play on the same line, he says, “Young man, I will win the faceoff. You take the puck and shoot.” This is for a defensive zone faceoff. And Kesler, being a good kid, takes the puck end-to-end and scores half the time. No wonder he’s had such an offensive boost since Sundin’s arrival. No wonder, really, that the Canucks are a better team with the addition of this plodding, grizzled old man.

According to so many NHL analysts, the Chicago Blackhawks have reached the second round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on sheer “they just don’t know any better”. Apparently, when they fall back by a few goals early in a game, the young core of players does not understand that teams usually give up at this point, so instead of rolling over, they keep playing! CBC and TSN analyst groups have formed a consensus. From ex-coaches Marc Crawford and Peter Laviolette to ex-players Craig Simpson and Darren Pang the argument is trumpeted as the reason the Blackhawks have managed four comebacks of at least two goals in only eight playoff games thus far. Well, if the experts say so, then it must be true. I’ve learnt that when I become a general manager, I will assemble a team of 22 idiots and morons. My captain will be Duhh-ion Phaneuf, and his supporting cast a group of fourth line meatheads who have taken too many pops to the head over the years. The team won’t know any better, and they’ll win game after game!

I suppose if I’m going to assert that the ‘Hawks reasons for getting as far as they have is not quite so simple, I should explain the real reasons behind their success. For starters, they boast 10 players who scored 40 or more points during the regular season. In comparison, the Pittsburg Penguins had four 40 point scorers, the San Jose Sharks nine, and the Detroit Red Wings eleven. Led by 4 supremely skilled forwards in Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, and of course Martin Havlat, they are one of the most potent offensive teams in the league. Add defensemen Brian Campbell (52 points this season), Duncan Keith (44 points), and Cam Barker (40 points), and it’s clear why this team ranked fourth in goals for during the year, with 264.

Of course, no team can win through scoring alone, which is where the extremely effective third and fourth lines come into play. Ben Eager, Adam Burish, David Bolland, Sammy Pahlsson, Kris Versteeg, and Dustin Byfuglien all add grit and energy every night and they also have the ability to play with the puck on their sticks. Add a former Cup winning goalie to backstop the team, and it’s clear that the Blackhawks have a lot more going for them than sheer dumb luck. Of course, if and when this Chicago team is ousted from the playoffs, and the same analysts are doing the regular autopsy, they will undoubtedly blame the youth and inexperience of the Blackhawks for their demise. And we will be left scratching our heads.