Notes From Behind the Bar

A little warning about keeping your head on a swivel, or perhaps just another example about knowing who is on the ice at all times.

The Kings' Mike Richards caught Alexandre Burrows at a moment when his attention needed to be everywhere at once. Could easily have been the other way around during this game, which makes the Canucks-Kings series a fun one, should you not have a horse in the race. There are enough skill players, and a healthy collection of players you might describe as having hearts filled with shit and splinters, to make me stay up late on the East Coast.

Points to consider. Both teams need to do better on the power play, because there should be plenty of them in this series. Numbers like 2 for 8 and 0 for 5 signal there is plenty of room for improvement.

Next on the docket is the Shea Weber meets Henrik Zetterberg in the corner moment at the end of the Predlies' victory over the Wings.



Right off the faceoff, Weber goes into the corner and, wouldn't you know it, the nice Saint Zetterberg of Detroit appears to say hello with an elbow to the back of Weber's head along the glass. So, one can only assume Mr. Weber was attempting a gentlemanly "and how are you, good sir" with a bent arm shiver to the back of Saint Zetterberg. Does Weber deserve a suspension? Yes. Even I know that, but there is a point where you have to address the saintly status of the Red Wings. They take penalties and on this night they are called rather than ignored. Learn your lesson.

For the next few months, your saintly status has to be earned again.

Seriously, if I read one more thing about how the Red Wings play the game the right way while I witness Holmstrom doing what he is supposed to do -- bending every rule ever so precisely to gain an advantage in front of the net -- I will have to turn the sound on the TV off.

Probably a good idea since Doc Emrick is already getting on my nerves with his "pass to Crosby ... WHO HITS THE PIPE!" I like to imagine a young Doc at a party, practicing his patter by describing the path a certain illegal substance is being held for a long time before, "Johnson takes yet another hit, looks to his left, AND PASSES THE PIPE!"

Pass the remote. I'm now TURNING THE SOUND OFF!

(To be fair, I'll let Doc and his good friend Pierre McGuire have the last word, and then I am cutting them off in the Lounge.)