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Friday, May 21, 2004

MLA Executive Council hockey blogging

Actually, I’m in my hotel in NYC, not in the MLA Executive Council meeting itself (which runs 9-5 today and 9-2 tomorrow), and I have but a moment or two for some crucial pre-finals hockey blogging.  The Flyers did a wonderful job of extending the series last night, and be sure to tune in tomorrow evening for what will be a terrific game 7 (which the Lightning will win 4-2 with an empty-net goal after a furious third period-- if you want a more specific prediction, let me know).  But can we pause for a moment to remark on the passing of an era?  Since my Rangers won the Cup in 1994 (I did not cry when the Berlin Wall came down or when Armstrong walked on the moon, but I cried when the Rangers hung on to beat Vancouver 3-2 in game 7), there have been no Canadian teams in the finals.  1994 was also the last year before the advent of the dreaded Trap (introduced by Jacques Lemaire when he was the head coach of the Devils), certainly the last year in which you would find two teams scoring a surreal eight goals in one period, as the Rangers and Canucks did in game 5 (the Canucks extended a 1-0 lead to 3-0, but then the Rangers scored three goals to tie it before giving up three more in the space of about two minutes).  Since then, the Cup has been won by four teams-- the Devils (three times), and the Three Western Powers (Detroit, Colorado, Dallas).  Well, that long decade is done.  Those four teams are calling for tee times, and for the Lightning and Flames, it’s all about speed, passing, and playmaking.  Settle in for a fast and furious final round, and don’t forget to tape the whole thing, because there won’t be any National Hockey League next year.

Posted by Michael on 05/21 at 11:44 AM
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