Hockey Week in Review

Hockey Week Prime: 10/21/2010

HockeyWeek@hotmail.com (Hockey Week) — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 01:22:00 +0000

Download the first episode of Hockey Week Prime

Hockey Week Prime: 10/21/2010

HockeyWeek@hotmail.com (Hockey Week) — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 01:22:00 +0000

Download the first episode of Hockey Week Prime

Another Blog Says Exactly What John Said Last Month

HockeyWeek@hotmail.com (Hockey Week) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:56:00 +0000

If you remember our Too Drunk for Television episode, you'll remember a little thing called "predict something unpredictable" for this upcoming season. Dave said someone would beat Gretzky's record of 50 goals in 39 games, and it would be someone unexpected. I said something a little less crazy: the LA Kings will make the playoffs.

In conversation, I've stood by this prediction, and it has cemented itself in my head, much like my prediction that the Pens would win the '09 cup way back in '01. I've expanded upon that, saying that they will upset someone in the first round, coming as a total surprise, before getting swept. Though this hasn't been on Hockey Week yet (yes, I know, there hasn't been an episode in a while, and I'm slacking on concepts, but how much has their been to talk about recently?), I am holding to that prediction. Rob will be happy if he ever reads this/watches that.

This is not just a post to feed my ego, but rather to say that I'm not the only crazy one. The Sporting News' Craig Custance has just written about which non-playoff teams are the most likely to make it this year. His #1: Los Angeles.

http://www.sportingnews.com/nhl/article/2009-07-28/little-help-kings-finally-have-playoff-look

Definitely something to check out, considering that I said it a while ago.

-John

Second Outdoor Game...Still?

HockeyWeek@hotmail.com (Hockey Week) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:38:00 +0000

There's been a lot of rumor about the Montreal Canadiens hosting the Washington Capitals on November 28th outside in the open air of Olympic Stadium. The game is indeed on the schedule, but there has been nothing official saying that it won't be held at Centre Bell. This would be a celebration of the Canadiens 100th Anniversary as a franchise, which would be wrapping up right around then (it's for all of the calendar year 2009).

Now there's a couple things that can be said about this, which I'm sure we'll cover in our next episode of Hockey Week. The issue I want to discuss here, perhaps to begin some talk, perhaps because it won't get enough talk on the show, is the matchup. The Washington Capitals?! Really?! Sure, it'll be a good game, and Ovechkin will make it fun to watch, but what do the Capitals have to do with the 100th Anniversary? Have they ever been considered a real opponent? A team that Habs fans love to hate? A team that Habs fans even notice?! I really question things here.

There are two possible reasons, that I can think of right now, anyway, as to why the Washington Capitals would be chosen for this special outdoor game: Guaranteed NHL Approval and as a Cash Grab.

The two perhaps go hand in hand, the Canadiens want their outdoor game, they want something special for their anniversary. So instead of waiting for another Winter Classic, which probably wouldn't be held in their territory, they are going to hold their own. To do this, they take the team that NBC snubbed, and that the NHL wanted for this year's game at Fenway, and display them outdoors anyways. How could Bettman refuse?

This ties in directly to the other idea: Cash Grab. How many Capitals fans started saving money to see their team play at Fenway? I bet more than you'd expect. Why spend that money somewhere else? The Habs will welcome Caps fans north of the border for an outdoor game where they can spend money. How many other casual hockey fans will go to see Ovechkin play? Combine those people with those who want to see an outdoor game, and you can't go wrong, they'll pack the house, probably more than they would against a rival that makes more sense.

But wouldn't other teams make more sense? Montreal and Ottawa would be amazing, especially with the throwback sweaters they could use (see concepts for what I think the matchup could be, using Montreal's already announced 100th Anniv sweaters for this season), and with Kovalev in Ottawa now, now it has more clout, as if it didn't already! Seriously, how great could it be?
Not only that, these two sweaters (well, close to them, anyways) saw each other way back in the NHA, before the NHL, I'm a huge fan of "accurate to a certain year" jersey matchups.

How about Toronto? Give them an Arenas throwback to 1917, the first year of the NHL and a year they won the cup. They already used St. Pats jerseys for a game in recent history, that was completely random, now do something like that again. Think of the marketing! Think of how much money the Leafs bring in, now expand that arena to Olympic Stadium. Incredible! Maybe Montreal is scared of being outsold at their home game, but I think that risk would be worth it. Have a game that has some history to it, Canadiens, don't just go for the finances.

It might be too late for any kind of matchup change, but it wouldn't be impossible. The game after the 11/28 game is December 1st, Leafs at Canadiens. The Senators would be a bit tougher, with the closest possibilities being January 16th and October 17th, but the Habs play in Ottawa on December 8th. How tough could it be to get that game moved to Montreal? Make it happen, Habs, have a game against a team that MEANS something.

-John

Flyers-Bruins Winter Classic is Official

HockeyWeek@hotmail.com (Hockey Week) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:15:00 +0000

The next Winter Classic is official: Philadelphia at Boston at Fenway Park!
Link Here, from the Boston Globe

I'm sure we'll cover this in-depth in the show, as we have been for quite some time, but the part we won't get to in the show is the part I want to discuss here: what will the jerseys be?

Part of this is a repost, some is new.

The Winter Classic is THE place for the NHL to introduce new throwback jerseys. The Pittsburgh Penguins adopted their throwback as a 3rd jersey because it sold so well, even though they only bothered to wear it 10 of the allowed 15 times this season because they played so horribly in it...just like the actual team that wore it. Buffalo brought back an updated version of their throwback logo for copyright reasons. Chicago is adopting their Winter Classic jersey (with the addition of shoulder patches), and Detroit wore their Winter Classic jersey for their last game against Chicago last season, leading me to believe that it might remain an unofficial 3rd jersey for the Wings - which would be a first for them.

The matchup will almost certainly be the Boston Bruins hosting the Philadelphia Flyers after the push NBC made to see them, so the teams are depicted as such. Considering that the Flyers are wearing their orange throwback 3rd jersey as their home jersey this season (something the Islanders weren't allowed to do), this would be the perfect opportunity for them to unveil the white throwback, which could be adopted as their away jersey next season. The big question is what the Bruins will wear. My hypothesis is that they will use a jersey already marketed as a sweater in the CCM Vintage collection just like the Red Wings, Penguins, and Sabres did previously. This jersey was seen from 1949-1955.

What I would love to see, however, is this matchup:

Those sweaters saw each other in 1929, The Philadelphia Quakers were a team that only lasted one season after moving from Pittsburgh; it was wiped out by the Great Depression. This first NHL team in Philly would be perfect outside on the ice at Fenway. On the other side, the sweater worn by greats such as Eddie Shore and Tiny Thompson when the Bruins won their first Stanley Cup in 1929. Since the Bruins have acknowledged that this horrible logo exists with their new updated secondary logo (which is awesome), what better time to use it? I really do hope the Bruins don the brown and gold, but I fear it's just a pipe dream.

What I wouldn't mind seeing, not because it is something good for hockey, or a good idea for Reebok and Bettman to even consider, but because it would be something very different and downright nifty, would be the Bruins jerseys from 1940-48, better known as "the football sweaters". Would it not be interesting to see something completely different without them being radical RBK designs? Will it happen? No. What would the Flyers wear? It wouldn't be worth the effort, but it's an interesting, rather forgotten sweater from a great era in Bruins hockey (after all, Milt Schmidt wore these things!)

Keeping Things Rolling

HockeyWeek@hotmail.com (Hockey Week) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:38:00 +0000

I hope to put numerous concepts out right away to establish this new section of Hockey Week, and hopefully lead to more hits. If you're reading this, please, leave a comment, let us know what you think, even if it's to say that the whole idea for a jersey concepts section is dumb.

This one was posted on Icethetics some time ago, but was edited quite a bit and forgotten with that website's hiatus. Based on the new popularity of the Penguins 3rd jersey, I created a more conservative look based on those sweaters, primarily because I am completely against the Penguins returning to blue/blue and abandoning black and gold. The idea is to use the large logo on the home sweaters, and the name-ring logo on the away sweaters, similar to how Boston has the BRUINS secondary logo text on the home jerseys and BOSTON on the away. With gold being relegated back to a trim color, it can return to being metallic gold and not the khaki seen on the RBK Edge jerseys. However, following historical precedent, the Pens should definitely not change jerseys after winning the Stanley Cup...that typically is a bad omen for a franchise (See 1992-93).

Without further adieu...

The Times They are a'Changin'

HockeyWeek@hotmail.com (Hockey Week) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:37:00 +0000

You might notice a bunch of new things here on HockeyWeek.blogspot.com, starting with the link at the top of the posts. It is the first of many changes to this blog, aimed at giving the online arm of the Hockey Week in Review more of a role. You'll also notice that every post now has labels or tags. By clicking one of them at the bottom of a post, you'll find all the other posts in that category. For instance, if you click "rant man" at the bottom of a post, you'll be taken to every post that the rant man is featured in. If you click "written posts", you can read all of our typed ramblings on one page, etc. All of the categories are available in the lower right column of the page.

First off, nothing is leaving the blog. You'll still see all the episodes posted on here shortly after their airing, watchable and downloadable for your viewing pleasure/pain. There'll be plenty of new stuff in all of the categories you're already used to seeing.

But there are some new things, oh yes, there will be new things.
First off, I'd like to formally introduce Christopher Covert to the Hockey Week family. He made an appearance in what was originally a blog-only special, but I figure he needs a full introduction here. He's a Penguins fan, a Junior at Mercyhurst, and a major jersey fanatic like myself. After this year, he will be replacing me in the studio on this show (but I'm sure I'll stay involved in some way). So he is heir apparent to the Hockey Week throne.
This year, he will have a unique role. I have wanted to do this for a while, and finally he is the perfect man for the job. Chris will be paying close attention to the show, laptop in hand, checking all of our facts as we say them, at the end, he will come on camera to correct our errors and maybe throw his two cents in. He will be our "Corrections Officer" (clever, eh?).

There is a reason why I am introducing him now, however. This blog is adding an entire new section. For over a year, I have been posting on Hockey Jersey Concept pages under the name HockeyWeek. After working to gain a respected though often different opinion, I feel it is time to throw our hat into that ring. Hockeyweek.blogspot.com will contain hockey jersey concept art along with everything you've seen previously.

Some of the competition and inspiration:
UniWatchBlog.com has been a constant bulwark in this niche, but owner Paul Lukas has always been about jersey news, and he's a baseball fan, so I'll tip my hat to him and stay out of his way.
Icethetics.info, the former NHL Tournament of Logos that went so far as to be quoted on NHL.com, was the front runner in all things hockey art related for quite some time. Recently, owner Chris has strayed from his roots, adding tournament after tournament, never finishing those, moving towards news rather than concepts, adding unrelated things such as a free-agency tracker, and even shutting down for the entire playoffs. They are slowly returning to the forefront, but not without problems already. I wish them luck, but I fully plan on Hockey Week jumping into that category.
PuckDrawn.com has picked up a lot of icethetics' slack. Owner Johnny Griswold has done a great job of keeping abreast of all things new, and has started some fantastic projects of historical jersey concept art (check out his WWII concepts, they're very nice). However, I have disagreed with most everything he says, especially on the topic of powder blue and traditionalism, and instead of being a constant dissenting opinion over there, I will post things here instead.
What separates me from the previous two websites other than my opinion, is their focus. Both Icethetics and PuckDrawn are run by graphic designers (or at least users of Adobe Illustrator), and therefore focus a lot more on logos. I have never been a logo nut, as fascinating as they may be, rarely do I come up with something completely original for a logo. Instead, I am a jersey man, and as I have said very often, the jersey/sweater is what represents the team, and should be as recognizable as any logo. So these concepts will all be very jersey-oriented.

I want to start out right, so I'm posting two concepts that I think everyone can grasp: The Winter Classic.

First Concepts Post!

The Winter Classic is THE place for the NHL to introduce new throwback jerseys. The Pittsburgh Penguins adopted their throwback as a 3rd jersey because it sold so well, even though they only bothered to wear it 10 of the allowed 15 times this season because they played so horribly in it...just like the actual team that wore it. Buffalo brought back an updated version of their throwback logo for copyright reasons. Chicago is adopting their Winter Classic jersey (with the addition of shoulder patches), and Detroit wore their Winter Classic jersey for their last game against Chicago last season, leading me to believe that it might remain an unofficial 3rd jersey for the Wings - which would be a first for them.

The matchup will almost certainly be the Boston Bruins hosting the Philadelphia Flyers after the push NBC made to see them, so the teams are depicted as such. Considering that the Flyers are wearing their orange throwback 3rd jersey as their home jersey this season (something the Islanders weren't allowed to do), this would be the perfect opportunity for them to unveil the white throwback, which could be adopted as their away jersey next season. The big question is what the Bruins will wear. My hypothesis is that they will use a jersey already marketed as a sweater in the CCM Vintage collection just like the Red Wings, Penguins, and Sabres did previously. This jersey was seen from 1949-1955.

What I would love to see, however, is this matchup:

Those sweaters saw each other in 1929, The Philadelphia Quakers were a team that only lasted one season after moving from Pittsburgh; it was wiped out by the Great Depression. This first NHL team in Philly would be perfect outside on the ice at Fenway. On the other side, the sweater worn by greats such as Eddie Shore and Tiny Thompson when the Bruins won their first Stanley Cup in 1929. Since the Bruins have acknowledged that this horrible logo exists with their new updated secondary logo (which is awesome), what better time to use it? I really do hope the Bruins don the brown and gold, but I fear it's just a pipe dream.

So that starts it off, my biggest post in a while, and hopefully the first of many. You'll see a lot of concepts from Chris Covert as well in the near future. Keep checking back, and you'll have plenty to see.

-John

HockeyWeek@hotmail.com (Hockey Week) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 15:23:00 +0000

Steve "Kirby" Faber has done some work with us in the past and was actually in our Season 2 Finale, and he has come through with a nice article for this blog. One of the biggest Pens fans I know, I'm sure he won't disappoint, though I don't know if I agree with him about the smart phones (I'm still in the 20th Century with that). Without further adieu, here's Kirby.
-John

Thoughts on Surviving a Championship Season
By Steve Faber for Hockeyweek.blogspot.com

As I write this article, I am watching the last march of the 2009 Champion Penguins. As I am no slouch in the fan department, I feel it is my duty to help those who didn't grow up eating, sleeping, and breathing sports that I did, so that if by some odd chance we don't repeat(though unlikely), they can survive the long road of the regular season and the even longer road of the playoffs.

The first thing I must stress is: COMPASSION. There is no reason to expect that you aren't going to get booed when you go into another team's arena wearing the away colors. Just like your team probably won't get as many calls on the ice, if you escalate confrontations, you may only get one phone call...to the bail bondsman. So, be nice about the fact that your team will clean the glass with their players' faces.

The next thing to survive is: HYDRATION. Whether it be Pop or Port, Water or Whisky, there is no way that you can survive the season without being hydrated. You can't cheer if you can't breathe, so save up and get that extra $4 for the beer so you can lung-hurl your team to the top.

Bringing me to the next thing, which is: ECONOMIZATION. In the current state of the nation, this is nothing new. There are times when your cheers and jeers just aren't going to be heard, so let the other fans have their fun, and then show them how one voice can shudder the nerves of ten thousand! Usually after whistles, if you get them going early, or when the players come out of the tunnel, if you're close to it.

Fourth and fourthmost is: PERSPIRATION. Your team sweats off a large lake of water so you can get enjoyment. It's only fair that you put forth a little effort as well. Whether that means taking the extra night shift on game 1 so you can buy tickets for game seven, or keeping your AC up in the house so you can freeze the garage for the annual start of the playoffs ice skate and date(a wonderful idea, no?), there is no reason not to work at it.

Moving along, a very important thing is: INFORMATION. If you don't know what you're talking about, sit the hell down until you look it up on your computer or your smartphone (PS-you don't have a smartphone? FTW?) As a fan of some of the best and also some of the worst teams in all of professional sports, I know my history. I also know, because of a certain Sunday where I ran the entire box for the Beer League, it's not that hard to keep hockey stats, or to remember them fondly when the time comes to show up the competition.

Finally, the best thing I can say is: DEDICATION. When everyone says you can't, you must. Whenever anyone says you won't, you do. When people ask you why the hell your beard isn't off, even though you're graduating and should be clean-shaven, just tell them what you tell everyone who looks at you funny...hockey season. They'll understand. And if they don't, just check 'em into the nearest lightpole, they don't warrant an uber-fan like you spending time teaching them.

Summer Audio Vault: Rant Man and the Free Agents

HockeyWeek@hotmail.com (Hockey Week) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:57:00 +0000

Download Rant Man and the Free Agents

Summer Show Episode 3: Too Drunk for Television

HockeyWeek@hotmail.com (Hockey Week) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:26:00 +0000

Seriously, I was kidding about the Hurricanes being owned by a tobacco company.

Plus, Rant Man gets aggravated toward the end...sorry, but I thought it made sense (says the Rant Man himself).

Download Summer Show 3

Season 3: Show 2: The NHL Awards Party in DC w/special guests

HockeyWeek@hotmail.com (Hockey Week) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 02:50:00 +0000

Apologies on scratchiness on audio in the duration of the show. See explanation and plea below.

NHL Awards party at Bailey's Pub and Grille hosted by Puck Daddy and Japers' Rink. We had a chance to interview Puck Daddy himself, Greg Wyshynski. Also, we were in conversation with Brian Schrembs from http://saucerpass.com.

Anybody that has any ideas on how to clean up this audio, please help. Plus, can anyone recommend a good portable device that would be appropriate to record interviews and prevent this crap audio from happened again? I mean, the sound, not what is being said. Haha.

Download Summer Show 2
-Right click the link, and 'Save As' or 'Save Target As' (depending on your browser, of course), save it where you can find, enjoy when it finishes.

Season 3: Summer Edition: Show 1 (06/06/09)

HockeyWeek@hotmail.com (Hockey Week) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:13:00 +0000

We apologize for the quality and appearance of this show. It looks, well, I'm not going to say it. This may be one of the scrapiest shows we've ever done next to last year's post game done in John's apartment in Erie, PA.

Sorry about showing the [hairy] legs, and yes, that jersey I (the Rant Man) am wearing is, in fact, a little tight.

Enjoy...I think.

~The Rant Man~

Download Summer Show 1
-Right click the link, and 'Save As' or 'Save Target As' (depending on your browser, of course), save it where you can find, enjoy when it finishes. Almost like making pie in the oven, except we made it and you're just eating it. Mooches.

Post Game Analysis and More...

HockeyWeek@hotmail.com (Hockey Week) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:17:00 +0000

Tomorrow night, an hour long session of Hockey Week in Review to be released.

Various topics including the Post Game Report of Game 5. We apologize, but we had some technical difficulties with our Pre Game Report.

John and I, the Rant Man, went to The Pour Hour in Washington, DC, for the game. A Pittsburgh bar that was welcoming to John and his Pens jersey, and somewhat hostile to me and my Red Wings attire.

Stay tuned. The show will be here on the blog tomorrow evening.

~The Rant Man~

Game 5: Someone Will Take the Lead

HockeyWeek@hotmail.com (Hockey Week) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 13:37:00 +0000

Don't you love obvious headlines? They make me smile.

My HP notebook is currently on life support. Apparently the wireless drivers in some HP notebooks are known to suddenly disappear. It's covered by warranty, but I do not feel like shipping out this thing with the risk of it getting lost, damaged beyond recognition, etc.

OK, so Game #5 at Joe Louis Arena, 8pm (EST) on Network of Bullying Cowards (NBC). I have to stay on task here. Key factors in tonight's game:

RedWings-
~Datsyuk is finally back in the lineup.
~Last change on the ice, Zetts to Crosby, clutch (and possibly grab).
~Them boards, them boards, them funny bouncy boards.
~Osgood, home ice, decent.
~Obvious: Home Ice/Home Crowd.
~A full healthy roster (if you're not looking at age).
~Mike Babcock, possibly dawning a fedora.

Penguins-
~Line combinations are finally clicking.
~Secondary scoring is now in the mix.
~Power Play opportunities have been favorable.
~Jordan Staal woke up from his coma!
~Bylsma can keep everyone calm. I mean look at those glasses!
~Fleury is finally focused...on trying to convince everyone to give him a break.

John Baranowski (The Penguins guy) and I, the Rant Man (Red Wings/Sabres hybrid mixed with a poodle) will in the DC area somewhere catching the game. Follow me on Twitter for the latest: http://twitter.com/NHLhockeyrant

Rant Man's W.T.F. Video Find

HockeyWeek@hotmail.com (Hockey Week) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 21:53:00 +0000

Wow. Darude, you know, the guy with the club song "Sandstorm", yeah. Interesting.

Post-Game: Game 3 to the Penguins

HockeyWeek@hotmail.com (Hockey Week) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 02:49:00 +0000

So, there you have it. The Penguins are using home ice to their advantage, and from what I've seen, this series is possibly far from done! I did say that the Red Wings would have this in 6 games, but that would mean winning at least one on Pittsburgh ice. Can the Red Wings rebound in Game 4 to take one in the Steel City?

Well, tonight, the secondary scoring showed up for the Penguins in the form of Maxim Talbot. The first and last goals of the game come off Talbot's stick and it didn't come easy. The fact that Osgood only face 21 shots may hinder the idea that he is a viable Conn Smythe Playoff MVP if the Red Wings pull this off. It will have to be a rock solid performance for him here on out. I think that Malkin's behind the scenes three assists was key to this game. His performance after the fight at the end of Game 2 proved who was the bigger impact winner from the emotional factors that be. If you want to see what Game 4 will be like, mix the emotions of both Game 2 and 3, and you'll have a charged up Red Wings squad versus a confident Penguins unit. Things could be very physical in Game 4 considering how well that worked in the first half of this game in favor of the Red Wings. If the physical play keeps up, and the defensive melt-downs are addressed, Detroit will take Game 4. If the tone is consistent through to Game 4 with echoing sentiments of tonight's performance on both sides, then Pittsburgh can expect a huge momentum swing in this series.

After all is said and done, the Red Wings have to win Game 4 if they want to ensure winning this series. The Penguins having the second change definitely went in their favor. I hate saying this, but the referees were also in the Penguins favor. I am not one of those that will harp on some conspiracy theories that the league is pulling for the Penguins, but some of the calls made tonight were soft. It just so happens that the Penguins nail two powerplay goals in the end. If the Red Wings can play "Mister Nice Guy" but still deliver a physical game in Game 4 while staying out of the box, they're bound to win. The question now surrounds the defensive pairings against Pittsburgh's top line, and the force that control the front of the net. Do the Red Wings' forwards need to step back a bit to support the defense, or push forward for more scoring opportunities by putting more traffic in front of Fleury? The Video Coaching staff now have their work cut out for them.

Good night, everybody! Talk to you all real soon.

~The Rant Man~

After 2 periods of play...

HockeyWeek@hotmail.com (Hockey Week) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:45:00 +0000

A nice physical game played by both sides, but like I've always said, the smarter defense and body playing game belongs to the Western Conference. No matter what team we're talking about, the Western Conference has always had a more physical dynamic. With the physical game and finished checks, the opportunities opened wide for the Detroit Red Wings who had 14 shots in that period alone. So, compare that to the 4 shots by the Pittsburgh Penguins, and you have a completely different set of philosophies when it comes to scoring opportunities. Detroit is thriving off their physical game and aggressive fore-check to grab up the puck.

Conversely, Fleury is playing a lot better when you look at the numbers. No silly bounces have his rattled (just yet). So, there is a positive that the Pittsburgh angle can take away from that period. Crosby and Malkin aren't creating as many opportunities as they should, but considering their skill, they should be able to find their way around these roadblocks. The defensive core of the Red Wings have the Penguins pinned, and Pittsburgh needs to find their way around it here in the third period to break loose from this tie. I'm willing to bet that somebody will score before the half-way mark of the third. Something is bound to break. But, overall, great game thus far.

~The Rant Man~

After 1 period of play...

HockeyWeek@hotmail.com (Hockey Week) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:05:00 +0000

If you're not doing so already, follow me on Twitter. (http://twitter.com/NHLhockeyrant)

After one period of play in Game 3...

Quite a different series if this continues. The home-ice factor seems to make a difference in some regard. When we look at the last change made by the home team, Pittsburgh definitely has an advantage as to keeping Crosby from matching up with Zetterberg. So far, Babcock has found so good opportunities in the action have Zetterberg change on the fly. But, with all of that juggling going on, can a coach lose sight of other things happening in the game if he becomes too focused on changes and lineup matches? This could prove to be exhausting, but the new formulation of Malkin, Crosby, and Kunitz seems to alleviate some pressure as to when Zetterberg and his crew join the ice. Rafalski and Lidstrom are the favorited defensive pairing to get sent to battle against the Crosby line. They're proving to be moderately effective, but can they handle double the threat with Crosby and Malkin playing a line together? The second and third period remain...at least.

Osgood allows 2 goals on 7 shots? Ouch. Fleury allows 2 goals on 12 shots? Ok. So, now it's a war of talent. Zetterberg already has a goal and an assist. Letang already has a goal and an assist. Now, the waiting game. Will it be Abdelkader for Detroit or Adams for Pittsburgh to get the next goal? Truth is, the next goal could come from anybody, but the offensive pressure by Pittsburgh has seen a lot of improvement compared to Games 1 & 2.

This all coming from a Red Wings fan of 14 years. Taking it from my birth heritage of being a Sabres fan (if I weren't an overall hockey fan), I should be caring less at this point. Just kidding, of course.

Enjoy the second period!

~The Rant Man~

Stanley Cup Finals 2009: The Fast-Food Version

HockeyWeek@hotmail.com (Hockey Week) — Fri, 29 May 2009 23:11:00 +0000

This year's Stanley Cup Finals are going to be remembered (by me, at least) as the Fast Food Stanley Cup Finals. It's going to be hot (teams are still sweating from their last series played), fast (possibly done in less than a week), cheap (whatever works for NBC, NBA, and AA), and convenient (to Gary Bettman and his agenda).

Ok, so the schedule came out, and everybody is not thrilled. Seriously, I am not happy either, and usually I am a happy-go-lucky guy (sarcasm). What really bugs me even more is that the NHL is waiting on the N(freakin')BA in order to schedule a time for Sunday's Game 2. ...Hold on, let me get this straight. The NHL is waiting on the NBA in order to decide when the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins will play that day? First off, you put Game 1 & 2 back-to-back, and now you're waiting to see what is going on in the NBA that day before announcing a game time?!?

You know what, I can't even blog this one. I'll be audio podcasting this one. I'm very disappointed in the professionalism of a certain pointy eared fiend, also known as Gary Bettman. This guy still doesn't get it even after 16 years. You would think he'd have it down to a science.

Audio podcast will be online within the next five hours.

Love Always,

The Rant Man

Follow the Rant Man on Twitter

HockeyWeek@hotmail.com (Hockey Week) — Sun, 17 May 2009 20:01:00 +0000

http://twitter.com/NHLhockeyrant

Follow the Rant Man on Twitter. Yes, he's going to try something new.

Post Series, Intro Conference Finals: Wings vs. Hawks, Pens vs. Canes

HockeyWeek@hotmail.com (Hockey Week) — Fri, 15 May 2009 21:29:00 +0000

Time to look forward to the Conference Finals!

Download Rant Man's Chattering

Rant Man's Post Series Report: Pens vs. Caps

HockeyWeek@hotmail.com (Hockey Week) — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:33:00 +0000

I would have done this face to face, but I've got this 5 o'clock shadow going on.

Rant man strikes again.

Download Rant Man's Musings of the Pens Caps Series Finish

Hockey Week show 13B: The Podcast Show

HockeyWeek@hotmail.com (Hockey Week) — Tue, 12 May 2009 23:35:00 +0000

This show was meant for the podcast only, exclusive of television (though it might end up there anyways), and because Rob wasn't available, heir apparent to the Hockey Week legacy Christopher Covert joins us in the studio for some discussions about Jim Balsille, contracting teams, and NHL Website Cover Pages.

Download Show 13B

Show 13

HockeyWeek@hotmail.com (Hockey Week) — Tue, 05 May 2009 15:45:00 +0000

Lucky 13! Lucky because we don't have Dave on this show. Nah, I'm just kidding. This episode, we cover all our 2nd round picks, the trophy candidates, and of course, all the news and happenings from around the league in the previous round. Enjoy!

Download Show 13

Merciad Article

HockeyWeek@hotmail.com (Hockey Week) — Tue, 05 May 2009 04:51:00 +0000

The Merciad is the school newspaper here at Mercyhurst College, and I've been asked to write a column here, and have been doing so for a few weeks. I referenced this column on the air, and I wanted to make it accessible to everyone here.

Let’s Clear the Playoff Air

This column is purely to end some arguments before they happen with respect to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and specifically my Pittsburgh Penguins.
I would first like to apologize to NHL fans everywhere. We did not make Sidney Crosby the league posterboy. It is not the Penguins,’ nor is it their fans’ fault that he is shoved down your throats by the media. I will not refute the talk of his complaining, because he does do that, but the NHL is a very superstar-oriented league, and every star gets special treatment (yes, even Daniel Briere), and Wayne Gretzky was worse than Crosby in this. Now can we please shut up about him? I am sick and tired of people complaining about his complaining. That’s hypocrisy. Get a grip people.
Second, many people have a problem with Penguins fans. A great many of them are not Penguins fans, but merely bandwagoners. If a person claiming to be a Penguins fan cannot tell you 3 people from the X Generation (I’ll even include X Force), or have no idea what you are talking about, they are not Pens fans. They are bandwagoners, and they make us all look bad.
Let me clear some things up. If you cannot name anybody from the X Generation, you are a bandwagoner. If Ramzi Abid, Dick Tarnstrom, Konstantin Koltsov, Sebastian Caron, and Alexei Morozov mean nothing to you, you are a bandwagoner, or a sorely uninformed fan. If you cannot name when the Penguins won the Stanley Cup, you are a bandwagoner. If you didn’t follow the team for years because they weren’t very good, no matter how big of a fan you were as a kid, you ARE a bandwagoner!
But there is hope if you are new to the Penguins fandom: do not claim to be a super fan, listen to facts and stories, never claim that this team is our best team (see: 1992-93), never think that Crosby is better than Lemieux, and never, ever, consider yourself a bigger fan than those who cheered through the horrible losing seasons.
It happens with all teams. My freshman year, I learned to hate the Buffalo Sabres because of their fans, when in fact, it was only a bandwagon which has since dissipated.
So do not hate all Pens fans, look a little deeper and better direct your hatred; everyone will be a lot happier.

John Baranowski