My good hockey friend is gone. Pablo the Hockey Pug was 17, and in those years, he was ferocious in his attempt to dig popcorn and carmel corn out of the corners in the kitchen, on the couch and just about anywhere else.
And he was the one friend I could count on to watch a game with me in the bunker or in the Lounge. He will be missed.
The Lounge has been quiet the last few weeks. And a good thing, too. The HD screen in the Lounge needs some work, unless you like the blinking or shutter effect on the game or program you are watching.
(Good thing hockey season is over.)
But now that I have spent weekends in Boston as well as Coney Island in Brooklyn and Rockaway Beach in Queens, it's time to get back to the matters at hand, and that, as always is hockey.
OK, first a college football note. Glad to see Colorado leaving the Big 12 for the Pac-10 plus 2. The Texas schools always acted like they were doing the conference a favor of being in with CU, K-State, KU, Mizzou and Iowa State when all they really wanted was OU, OK-State and the Cornhucksters. And well, what did CU need with Baylor?
Nothing. Hopefully this is the final year of the association and then goodbye and good luck.
Now on to a short note about baseball. I've tried, believe me, to get through a full MLB contest. But I can only reach the fifth inning before I think that I might want to clean a garage (it doesn't need to be mine), spend an afternoon following someone who loves to shop or sit through a time-share pitch. I used to love the game, but it just drones on now. And the announcers won't be quiet. Yap, yap, yap. I'll check back in on Labor Day.
Until then, I'll monitor the progress of the New York-Penn League (Staten Island Yankees, short-season A) and the Pioneer League (Casper Ghosts, Rookie) for my baseball fix.
Now back to hockey. The draft's over and the free-agent fun begins July 1. We're back in operation here at the Lounge. Come on in. The first one's on us.
Here's the song that's bouncing in my head at the moment.
The Hershey Bears won their second consecutive Calder Cup championship on Monday night, defeating the Texas Stars, 4-0.
The victory completed a winning run of four consecutive games for the Bears, who spotted the Texas Stars a 2-0 lead in this American Hockey League series before coming back with three victories in Texas and the series-clincher back in Hershey. The Bears get another entry on the list of AHL champions; it is Hershey's 11th Calder Cup title.
This officially concludes the 2009-10 season, giving the Lounge some time to unwind with a few draft previews, some cold adult beverages and the NHL Network's off-season fare, which will include classic Stanley Cup finals, every game from this past Stanley Cup tournament.
It all gets serious once again around the first week of September when the rookies compete in the fine prospects tournament at Traverse City, Mich. That's certainly something to look forward to.
AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE Calder Cup Finals At Hershey 4, Texas 0 (Hershey wins, 3-2) Recap is here Hershey Bears, 2010 Calder Cup Champions
There's at least one game left in the hockey season, and it will be played in Hershey on Monday night.
The Hershey Bears took all three games played in Texas and will now have a chance to clinch the Calder Cup on home ice after a 2-1 overtime victory on Friday night. The Stars led the series with road victories in Games 1 and 2, but the Bears topped that mark with three road victories to gain the advantage.
Monday's game and Game 7, if needed, will be televised by the NHL Network, starting at 7 Eastern. The full spreadsheet report on the series is below.
AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE Calder Cup Finals Hershey 2, at Texas 1 OT (Hershey leads, 3-2) Recap is here.
It wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I stated that Patrick Kane was the X-factor in this series, but his overtime goal in Game 6 was exactly what the Chicago Blackhawks needed to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers, 4-3, to claim the Stanley Cup.
And now comes the hard part for the franchise, which will next face the accountants who will help them scan the roster and trim the payroll to fit under the salary cap next season. (Sporting News Today offers Kris Versteeg, Patrick Sharp and Dustin Byfuglien as candidates for departure. Consider and discuss. Who are your candidates?)
There will be some pain this summer. Some critical figures in the dressing room will be on the move. Some champagne or cold beer in the Stanley Cup should help make that part of the story go down better.
Next up is the rest of the American Hockey League's Calder Cup finals (check the spreadsheet bookwork below for all the details) and then the NHL draft. After that, I put the Lounge's remote control on the shelf, open up the blinds and throw out about 400 pounds of notes, box scores, magazines, schedules, power-play diagrams, depth charts and take-out menus.
And after that, summer is officially marked in the Lounge by watching the NHL Network, which shows every game of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs, from the first to the last. Thanks to better technology, good cable plans and some fortysomething eyes that can still get the job done, I watched all but 6 games this spring. Gotta do better than that next year.
The CBC always does a good job on video montages to sum up the playoffs, and I thought they would be hard pressed to top the production of last season, which was put to the fine tune "Sleeping Sickness" by City & Colour (for my money, ain't no flaws there). This year the Smashing Pumpkins' "Tonight, Tonight" gets the call.
And while I might have been disappointed by the song, the footage remains top shelf. Seeing Jean Béliveau giving the Canadiens' Glen Metropolit a note of encouragement is enough for me. I hope it is for you.
Don't forget about us here in the Lounge this summer. We'll be here. Thanks for dropping in.
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE Stanley Cup Finals Best of 7 Chicago 4, at Philadelphia 3 OT (Chicago wins, 4-2) Recap is here. Three stars by Puck Daddy. Chicago Blackhawks, 2010 Stanley Cup Champions
AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE Calder Cup Finals Best of 7 Hershey 4, at Texas 2 (Series tied, 2-2) Recap is here.
Andrew Gordon, Kyle Wilson and Mathieu Perrault each had two goals to rally the Hershey Bears to a 6-3 victory in Game 3 of the AHL's Calder Cup finals. With the victory, the Bears trail the Texas Stars, 2-1, with Game 4 set for Wednesday.
Should Texas win on Wednesday, the Stars could clinch at home on Friday night. Game 6, if needed, is June 14 in Hershey. Game 7 would be on June 16.
Below is the spreadsheet bookwork on the series.
AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE Calder Cup Finals Best of 7 Hershey 6, at Texas 3 (Texas leads, 2-1) Recap is here.
After the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Philadelphia Flyers, 7-4, to take Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals, the immediate talk centered on which goaltender the Flyers would use in Game 6.
Keith Jones of Versus said he guaranteed that Michael Leighton, who was pulled after the first period of Game 5, would be the starter again on Wednesday night. Kevin Weekes, who has been working on the NHL Network during the finals, thought that Brian Boucher had earned the starting nod for Game 6.
The Puck Daddy blog looks at the question a bit deeper, although it prefaces it's post by stating that it really doesn't matter who starts so long as the Flyers play Game 6 as they did Game 5.
But that's too simple (It may be true, but that response is more about being a smart aleck than trying to view the game from a coach's perspective). You are trying to decide who will give you the best chance to win with the assumption that you will play your best game. You shouldn't open the door to the ice if you don't think you will play your best. (This is most likely the reason why the Puck Daddy blog decided to carry out it's analysis rather than just say, a la "Meatballs," "It just doesn't matter. It just doesn't matter." By the way, that movie gave us Bill Murray in a Blackhawks jacket straight from Gunzo's, just like mine.)
And just remember, Flyers Coach Peter Laviolette did not spend a second, either after Game 5 or (below) during the off-day, considering a response to the reporter who asked whom he would start in net on Wednesday. He knows; he's not telling. Next question.
Here are some postgame thoughts, first from Leighton.
Next up in the Lounge is Boucher.
OK, now that you've weight all the words, written and spoken, just whom would you start for Game 6 if you were Laviolette?
I say Boucher. He has looked much more confident in his time in net and I believe he can best complement his team's effort rather than force them to do even more to lessen the goaltender's workload.
But I'm just behind the bar here at the Lounge. What do the customers say? (Here is what Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer has to say. And now that we've heard from the Inky, I guess I'll have to dig up a copy of the Daily News to see of that part of Philly is on board with the same plan.
Ah, here's that copy of the Philadelphia Daily News. Rich Hoffman is wondering a bit about the goaltending situation as well.
Down at at the other end of the bar, Blackhawks Coach Joel Quenneville looks pretty good after doing some major shuffling of lines. My question, why did it take until Game 5? Yeah, I know. I'm no expert. But that is why I am asking the question. What made him confident that he did not have to make major changes for Games 3 or 4, considering that there were signs of trouble?
Those are the words on the bar today in the Lounge. Following the spreadsheet bookwork on Game 5, you will find the latest installment of "Coach's Corner."
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE Stanley Cup Finals Best of 7 At Chicago 7, Philadelphia 4 (Chicago leads, 3-2) Recap is here. Three Stars by Puck Daddy.
