Work in Progress

let us pray

It is comical how often Maple Leafs President and GM Brian Burke refers to Toronto as the "centre of the hockey universe" because no one ever calls him on it. I mean, what is his criteria for making such a declaration? (beyond the obvious pathetic pandering to local saps fans)

Seriously, for someone to express such an opinion, he must surely have some facts on which to base his assertion? Certainly, Toronto has been an important hockey market and a source of some excellent players over the years. (PK Subban, for example)

Otherwise, what? In what way has Toronto ever been the centre of the hockey universe?

Let's see, hmm... I know!

Burke must be basing his comment on most championships won, longevity of franchise, most Hall of Famers, most games won, most goals scored, most individual honours anything?

No.

None of these could possibly be the reason behind his boast because the Maple Leafs are leaders in none of these categories.

Perhaps, it has nothing to do with the team.

Perhaps, Burke refers to the fans when he says Toronto is the centre of the hockey universe, implying that Toronto saps fans are the most ardent, most passionate supporters of their team.

Well, let's consider that notion.

While everyone knows the Leafs' Stanley Cup drought is approaching its 5th decade in fine form, you may not realize that Toronto has missed the playoffs every year since 2004. This team, this hotbed of excellence, has not even made the dance in almost 8 years.

Children not born the last time the Leafs made the playoffs are half-way to their driver's licences while their parents, born since 1967, are 5 years away from qualifying for a Senior's discount at Shoppers Drug Mart. I'm sure the discounts will come in handy. Maybe they can get a deal on some tissues. And some device to make them comfortable because there is no indication this drought is going to end anytime soon.

In any case, as you may or may not know, this season has not been one on which Habs fans will look back with undiluted pleasure. Rather, it has been one long nightmare and it appears likely that our heroes will miss the playoffs for the first time in a long time. This is a shame but how do Montrealers react to this sad state of affairs?

Simple.

It is seen as a societal emergency. It is not merely an unfortunate but acceptable reality of life. Fans are outraged. There is talk of civil unrest.

In fact, the Catholic Church, that other religious bastion in the province of Quebec, has thrown its support behind the one true Faith in an ad that appeared in Montreal newspapers today.

The church has sent out a call to alms. Asking for fans to band together and pray for 8th place so that the team may squeak into the playoffs.

I've lived in Toronto since 1994 and I love my adopted city but no one here so much as raises an eyebrow when the Leafs stink up the joint. And this is why. Because Leaf fans just don't care enough.

Centre of the hockey universe? I think not, Mr. Burke, I think not.

Go Habs.

joy

 

Not sure why this is so appealing because I hate dancing and am not particularly fond of crowds but the simply unabashed gleeful happiness-to-be-alive from this clip chips away at my morning grumpiness.

Besides, I suspect I know why they're all so happy and I can't blame them.

here for a good time, not a long time

 

Eastern
Rank	Team	GP	W	L	OT	PTS	GF	GA	Home	Away	Last 10	Streak
1	Washington	7	7	0	0	14	30	14	5-0-0	2-0-0	7-0-0	Won 7
2	Pittsburgh	10	6	2	2	14	30	22	3-1-1	3-1-1	6-2-2	Won 3
3	Toronto	8	5	2	1	11	26	27	4-0-1	1-2-0	5-2-1	Lost 1
4	Philadelphia	8	5	2	1	11	27	21	2-2-1	3-0-0	5-2-1	Won 1
5	Buffalo	7	5	2	0	10	20	13	1-1-0	4-1-0	5-2-0	Lost 1
6	Florida	8	5	3	0	10	20	19	2-1-0	3-2-0	5-3-0	Won 2
7	NY Rangers	7	3	2	2	8	14	14	0-0-0	3-2-2	3-2-2	Won 1
8	Tampa Bay	8	3	3	2	8	25	27	2-1-0	1-2-2	3-3-2	Won 2
9	Carolina	8	3	3	2	8	22	27	1-1-0	2-2-2	3-3-2	Lost 1
10	New Jersey	6	3	2	1	7	13	16	2-1-1	1-1-0	3-2-1	Lost 1
11	NY Islanders	6	3	3	0	6	14	14	3-1-0	0-2-0	3-3-0	Lost 2
12	Boston	8	3	5	0	6	19	19	2-4-0	1-1-0	3-5-0	Lost 1
13	Ottawa	8	3	5	0	6	24	34	3-2-0	0-3-0	3-5-0	Won 2
14	Winnipeg	8	2	5	1	5	17	27	2-2-0	0-3-1	2-5-1	Lost 1
15	Montreal	8	1	5	2	4	18	26	0-3-2	1-2-0	1-5-2	Lost 1

pure class

   

See you in the fall, boys.

Go Habs.

tough gig: on being a Saviour

National Post columnist Bruce Arthur's piece on the growth of Carey Price in the past year is a prime example of sportswriting at its best... Not merely good, it's great.

Oh, we can be a demanding bunch, we Habs fans, and pleasing us is no easy task.

Fixing us may be near impossible, but still, some hardy types try:

It is a hell of a thing to want, really. There may be no more difficult or pressure-filled job in team sports — some quarterback, maybe, or the closer for the Yankees, or some such thing. But being the goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens is for icons. You will be measured against Jacques Plante and Ken Dryden and Roy. You won’t be measured against Cristobal Huet.

And when Montreal drafted the B.C. native with the fifth-overall pick in the 2005 draft, the aim was clear. Nobody spends their highest pick in 20 years on someone like Huet. Price is only expected to be great.

“Carey’s been outstanding for us this season — he’s given us a chance to win every night,” Canadiens coach Jacques Martin said. “We expect the same thing in the playoffs.”

When Price was booed in that pre-season game it was a reminder that Canadians can take their hockey too seriously, and that Montreal fans take it the most seriously of all. It was a reminder that being the goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens is a religious position, and it is not hard to get crucified. But those afternoons at Brossard showed a kid who just wanted to play hockey, to feel the ice under his skates. You have to love the game to want to be a saviour.

“Yeah, that’s a job that he handles really well,” Montreal defenceman Hal Gill said. “It’s a tough spot that he’s put in a lot of nights, and we try to support him as much as we can, but it’s tough. The media and the city, they ask a lot of him.”

They ask everything. And now, Carey Price has another chance to give it to them.

Seriously, do yourself a favour and read the rest here.

Believe me, it has nothing at all to do with hockey and everything to do with fame, expectations and pressure. Bruce Arthur is a very good writer.

Just Breathe

Sports arouse our passions.

Something about our teams appeals to the tribal instincts we've honed as bipeds over the past million years or so. Sporting events can be wonderful occasions to bring people together in shared experience. But there is an unseemly side to any tribalism.

Often, too often, these passions are allowed to bubble into the absurd. When the Habs Max Pacioretty was checked into the stanchion by Zdeno Chara, all hell broke lose.

Where most unbiased observers saw an unfortunate hockey play, in Montreal, the sport's most passionate fans raged at what they saw a blatant attempt to injure. Some went to the edge of reason and called 911 to report what they believed to be a criminal act.

Please.

At worst, one could ascribe the play as worthy of a short suspension due to Chara's recklessness but calling the police?

Again, please.

Thia is what passion can do.

Since that time, Habs fans have taken some well-deserved ribbing in relation to this overreactionn but apparently, Boston fans are not immune to such over-the-edge behaviour when their sports teams are involved.

Exhibit A: The Red Sox.

Following a successful off-season, the Bosox entered 2011 as the favourites to win their division, and they still may. Less than two weeks into this young season, however, the team is floundering with the worst record in baseball and the fans are not, um, taking it well.

Here is a portion of an editorial in yesterday's Boston Globe:

So far, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong.

A 162-game baseball season bears a certain resemblance, however, to the ebb and flow of history. At the start of the year, who would have guessed that Hosni Mubarak would be talking to prosecutors about the sources of his family’s wealth, or that the Arab League would invite NATO planes to fire missiles at Moammar Khadafy’s mercenaries?

This is a time for Sox fans to recollect their despair after the Yankees took a 3-0 lead in the 2004 playoffs. It wasn’t a miracle when the wheel of fortune started spinning in a different direction. It was more like a triumph of long-term reality over short-term appearances.

And what happened before can happen again.

Read the rest here.

When a serious newspaper feels compelled to publish an editorial calling for calm among the populace because a local team is struggling, we can assume everyone needs to take a breath and regain some perspective.

When a serious newspaper attempts to make any comparison between NATO bombing missions in Libya and a baseball team, we can assume everyone needs to take a breath and regain some perspective.

However, as I cannot credibly criticize others for allowing their passions to become enflamed, I will merely suggest to Red Sox nation, of which I am a proud member, that we should all give Tito and the boys time to turn things around.

I will otherwise reserve further opinion because I have been known to, on occasion, become somewhat agitated by the vagaries of certain sporting events.

That said, chill, Red Sox Nation, doesn't everyone know it's too early to even care about baseball yet?  

Go Habs.

 

 

How ya like me now?

 

This is awesome.

the lowdown on the triple low-five

 

May this be the celebration we see for years to come.

Go Habs.

 

How Gerry Cheevers became Jesus Price

At one time, I was the greatest garage hockey player in the world.

In the 70s, no one could touch me as I spent hundreds, probably thousands of hours alone in the garage, constantly replaying the same game over and over and over again.

It was always the same scene: Habs, Bruins in the finals; Habs victorious in the end. Essentially, I was just replaying in the garage what was happening in real life where the Habs made it an annual tradition to squash the Bruins' Stanley Cup dreams.

On the ice, I had all the natural grace of a Nebraskan on skates but when I retreated to my private lair, Lafleur, Shutt & Lemaire never looked so good and play-by-play man Danny Gallivan never sounded so eloquent.

If you listened closely, you could have heard "he shoots, he scores!" at least 10,000 times emanating from my garage on Robin Avenue in Beaconsfield.

My brother was never inclined toward street hockey and my sister was my arch-enemy so it was always me against an imaginary Gerry Cheevers and, man, poor Cheevers never stood a chance.

Anyway, I still love garage hockey and after 44 years, I finally found my real-life incarnation of the Bruins' goalie.

Funny thing is, this long-awaited garage Gerry Cheevers insists I call him Carey Price and he informs me my name is Sydney Crosby.

Pretty cool.

 

The Toronto Maple Leaf fan, in all his glory

Nothing to add to this. It is perfect just as it is.