For the first time in their 18 year history, the Nashville Predators, (ranked number eight) are off to the Stanley Cup finals, something that was quite unimaginable a few short season's ago. How does a team keep losing key players (captain Mike Fisher, Ryan Johansen, Kevin Fiala) to season ending injuries but continue to win games and series against what so called experts claim as superior opponents (Chicago, St.Louis & Anaheim)? I believe it's called team chemistry! There's no doubt that everyone on that team, from the team owners right down to the equipment guys, truly believe that they have the personnel, skill, character and attitude to win it all. They just might, but having said all that, the Penguins will win the Cup in six games.
After being traded from Montreal to Nashville for Shea Weber in a mega transaction, no one really believed P.K. Subban when he said he just got "a whole lot closer to winning a Stanley Cup". Well, no one's laughing now as his honky (hockey) tonk city from Tennessee are now only four wins away from winning hockey's biggest prize and they must be praying that no one bursts their bubble or wakes them up from their fairy tale dream. Truly astonishing!
Coach Pete Laviolette becomes only the fourth coach in NHL history to take three different teams to a Stanley Cup final. Trivia time number one: name the other three coaches to accomplish this feat? Trivia number two: name the first two teams that he did it with?
Bryn Chyzyk, a member of the Indy (Indianapolis) Fuel of the ECHL, affiliate of the Rockford Icehogs, and Chicago Blackhawks, has decided to hang up his skates in order to pursue a career in law. Bryan has been accepted into the law faculty at the University of North Dakota where he played hockey for four years as a member of the Fighting Sioux, ooops, I mean Hawks. It will be a very different world for this young man and we wish him all the best
It was finally so good to see French officials show a lot of intestinal fortitude and deny Maria Sharapova's application to play this year's French Open. The former number 1 ranked Russian tennis star, who was recently re-instated after her suspension for her use of a PED, was hoping to play at Roland Garros but obviously many people and officials believe not only was her ban not long enough but she should not automatically be given her former rank. The French response, thanks but talk to us later, was totally appropriate and sends a powerful message to others.
At the IIHF World Hockey Championships, Canada came oh so close to a "three peat" but were denied their glory when Team Sweden came up big and beat our boys in the gold medal game, albeit through the hotly controversial overtime shoot out process. Most hockey purists just hate the idea of having a shoot out to decide a World Championship or Olympic gold medal game, and you know what, they're right. You spend all that time and effort preparing to host and play, tons of money is spent to organize and carry out this prestigious colossal event and then you allow a (crappy) shoot out to end it all off. Just not right!
The VCI fastball and baseball seasons have come to a disappointing end, as both the girls and boys ended their seasons on a losing note at the zone provincial play downs. The boys however, will play one league playoff game this Tuesday at home.
Trivia answer; number one: Scotty Bowman, Mike Keenan and Dick Irwin. Answer number two: Carolina and Philadelphia. Until next time...
