Red Wings' draft news...

Red Wings selected Anthony Mantha from the Val d'Or Foreurs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the 20th draft pick in the first round... the only fifty goal scorer in this year's draft... his grandfather is four time Stanley Cup Champion Andre Pronovost,who played 556 games with Montreal,Detroit,Boston,and Minnesota,between the 1956-1957,and the 1967-1968 seasons... note:bloodlines,and talent mean most in NHL Draft... the rest of the draft picks for the Red Wings will be coming tomorrow...

Red Wings' news...

Red Wings signed Jakub Kindl to a four year contract extension,and signed Drew Miller to a three year contract extension....

mother would be 75,today....

this would be my mother's 75th birthday:HAPPY BIRTHDAY,Ahnawake Unger(June 28,1938-February 8th,2008)... i miss her very dearly,and deeply...

simple statement...

simply said,i truly love the beautiful game of hockey,period... can not wait for the 2013-2014 NHL season to start... bring it on!!!!!!!!

correction...

the Red Wings led the Blackhawks,3-1,in games,in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs,before they won,in seven games... this is a correction,and i corrected it... i wrote that the Red Wings and Blackhawks met in Western Conference Finals-i was wrong... they played the Los Angeles Kings,in the Western Conference Finals,and beat them in five games,before they played the Bruins in the Stanley Cup Finals...

blog statement...

as the NFL,and NHL are on their offseasons,i need a few days off to mentally "recharge" my batteries,as i have been worn out,recently,and my recent blogging is not up to my usual standards,in my opinion... i will report on breaking news,of course,as always...

commentary...

the Boston Bruins blew it last night!!!!!!! up,2-1,with 1:16 left,in game six,they allowed the tying goal on a six on five situation(goaltender pulled),and then turn the puck over,seventeen seconds later,as the Blackhawks scored Stanley Cup-winning goal,in a 3-2 thriller,for Chicago,and just a heartbreaking loss for the Bruins... only 1:16,from game seven,in Chicago,the Bruins lose a chance to win the Stanley Cup,and suffer a (very) historic collapse,at the worst time... someone i know told me that the Bruins just had to play keep away to win game... funny thing is that he is not a hockey fan,but he noticed that the Bruins just basically "quit"(his words-stopped skating-my words)in the last two minutes,and he was dead right,as the Blackhawks played hard until the final buzzer,as they won the Stanley Cup,for the second time in four years(also,in 2010)... i have to give much credit to the Blackhawks,as they proved that they were the best team in the NHL,in the regular season,and except for a major hiccup against the Red Wings(down 3-1,in games,in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs),they mowed down everybody else,period... they beat the Minnesota Wild in five games,the Los Angeles Kings,in five games,the Red Wings,in seven games,and then the Eastern Conference winning Boston Bruins,in six games... as i hate to say,congrats to the Blackhawks!!!!!!

BLACKHAWKS WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS... Blackhawks win Stanley Cup,3-2,with two goals,in seventeen seconds,very late in third period... commentary,tomorrow morning...

Stanley Cup Finals' game...

Blackhawks/Bruins,game six,Stanley Cup Finals,tonight... Stanley Cup will be in the building,tonight in Boston... Blackhawks up,3-2,in games... if Chicago wins tonight,they skate Stanley Cup around TD Garden,in Boston,tonight... Bruins do not want that...

commentary...

like i said earlier,i now can not figure out the Bruins,as i could not figure out the Blackhawks... this series reminds me of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs,when Boston played Vancouver(the last time that Boston fell behind 3-2,in games,before winning the last two games,and Stanley)... in that series,Vancouver,and Boston had goaltenders(Bruins' Tim Thomas,and the Canucks' Roberto Luongo),who played like Hall of Fame member,and Montreal Canadiens' legend Ken Dryden,who amazingly won the Conn Smythe Trophy(playoff MVP),BEFORE,winning the Calder Trophy(rookie of the year),in,i believe,1971... (Dryden came up from the minors,with a handful of games left,in 1971,and was entrenched as the number one goaltender,as the Stanley Cup playoffs started that year)... Chicago,and now Boston,have gone cold in their scoring,and the Bruins have been chasing the puck,and their overall team defense have suffered,not badly,but just enough to lose the games,because the Blackhawks have been very good with their passing the puck,and making the Bruins turn over the puck in the neutral zone,shortening the rink by about half,and means that the Blackhawks' potent team offense does not have to go 200 feet,which means trouble for the Bruins,and does not give enough time,for goaltender Tuukka Rask to basically recover his composure,after multiple rushes,by the Blackhawks... even though Rask,and Blackhawks' goaltender Corey Crawford have had games that have been very good,both teams have had trouble scoring goals,in this best of seven series... well,now it is the Bruins' turn to be super in the clutch... well,folks,the Stanley Cup will be in the building,for game six,in Boston,and one question will be answered,in game six,can Boston return the favor,and win,and force game seven in Chicago??? this series has been tight,and both teams could have won this series in less games,if the bounces of the puck went the right way for either team... so,is this series going to be like 2011,or is Chicago going to skate the Stanley Cup around the rink,in Boston??? either team can still win this best of seven series,but momentum is on the Blackhawks' side,but again the same thing was said in 2011,when the Bruins last won the Stanley Cup,that year...

Stanley Cup Finals' game score...

Blackhawks 3,Bruins 1... Blackhawks up,3-2,in games,in best of seven series... Stanley Cup will be in building,in Boston,for game six... my opinion:it may go seven games... commentary later tomorrow morning...

Stanley Cup Finals' game...

Bruins/Blackhawks,game five,Stanley Cup Finals,tonight... now,a best of three series,for the Stanley Cup... whoever wins tonight,the Stanley Cup will be in building,in game six... so that will be exciting...

odd poll...

TSN in Canada has a "Play of the Year" countdown to find the best play of the year,as voted by viewers... amazingly,with all the plays by everybody in the NHL,the top two plays are done by only one player:the Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk... the overwhelming(by the viewers)winning play was a play in which Datsyuk went almost coast to coast,and went one on four,in the Red Wings' offensive zone(including faking the goaltender out of his skates),to score tying goal,against the Nashville Predators... i even mentioned the goal on my blog... the other goal was done by Datsyuk,against the Kings,and was also spectacular,in faking out the goaltender out of his skates... my opinion:pundits talk about Sidney Crosby as the overall best player in the NHL,but i have watched enough of Datsyuk,and i believe that Crosby,and Datsyuk are number 1,and 1a... a couple of years ago,in a NHL players poll,in the Hockey News(when Crosby was out with a concussion),guess who was number two,in the poll??? you guessed it... Datsyuk...

NHL news...

former Bufflao Sabres' head coach Lindy Ruff was named the new head coach of the Dallas Stars...

blog statement...

i am going to bed shortly... so i will be blogging,tomorrow morning...

blog statement...

will blog tonight... it is very nice outside,today...

Stanley Cup Finals' game score,and comment...

Blackhawks 6,Bruins 5,overtime... Blackhawks did what they had to do!!!!!!!!!! a extremely wild,entertaining game... series tied at two...

Stanley Cup Finals' game...

Blackhawks/Bruins game four,Stanley Cup Finals,tonight... a must-win for the Blackhawks...

Grand Rapids Griffths:AHL Champions(Calder Cup Champions)...

i have to deeply apologize to you... because of the short NHL season this year,i have not paid attention to the American Hockey League much at all... i really should have,if i was a true Red Wings' fan(and i am,a hardcore fan),because the future of the Red Wings was on display,in Grand Rapids... the Griffiths won their first Calder Cup(AHL Championship)tonight,beating the Syracuse Crunch four games to two... they beat the Crunch in the first three games of their best of seven series(in Syracuse:game one,3-1,and game two,6-4,then went up 3-0,in games,by beating the Crunch,4-2,in game three in Grand Rapids),and after losing the next two games,to Syracuse,in Grand Rapids(game four:3-2,and in game five,5-2),the Griffiths scored three goals to break a 2-2 tie,and then they cruised to a 5-2 win,and win the Calder Cup... it appears that the future is very bright for the Red Wings!!!!

commentary...

the Chicago Blackhawks are in serious trouble... they are 0 for 11,on power play against the Bruins,in the Stanley Cup Finals... in fact,they have not scored a power play goal,since game two of the Western Conference Finals,against the Red Wings(Bryan Bickell scored,in second period of that game)... the major stars have gone dormant in their scoring,and they have griped about the physical play of the Bruins... crybabies,the lot of them!!!!! stop complaining,and start playing hockey the way that you can,because if you do not start playing hockey,you will be toast,against the Bruins... you are supposed to be to be the best team in the NHL,and you are being embarrassed by a better team,in the Bruins... you are griping about physical play,and yet,you have a big lineup,who can pummel their opponents,and yet,it seems that you do not like rough and tumble play,because you still gripe about the hits given to you,during the Stanley Cup Playoffs... the main reason that you fell behind three games to one,against the Red Wings,is the fact that Detroit got under your corporate skin,and then you righted yourself,and simply beat the Red Wings... however,the Bruins are not the Red Wings,and if they go up three games to one,they have enough composure,and skill to put you away,and the fact that you have home-ice advantage does not matter a whit... Joel Quenneville:shut up,and just coach your team,because,Joel,you are being out-coached,without a doubt,period...

NHL news...

Logan Couture and the San Jose Sharks agreed to five year,$30 million contract extension... excellent move for the Sharks...

NHL news...

Alain Vigneault agreed to be the New York Rangers' new head coach... contract worth:five years,$10 million,reports say...

Red Wings' news...

Pavel Datsyuk and the Red Wings agreed,and signed,to a three year contract extension,worth $22.5 million... YAY!!!!!!!!!!

commentary...

i can not figure out anything about the Chicago Blackhawks throughout the playoffs... they,at times,have seemed to be unbeatable,but their power play has been non-existent,or dormant,for most of the Stanley Cup playoffs,except for their series against the Minnesota Wild... their major stars have done very little,in scoring,except,for trying to rough up their opponents... against the Bruins,they have not scored in 123 minutes of game time,and have scored only two goals,since the first of three overtimes started in game one... they have played well at times during this series,against the Boston Bruins,but their team offense has gone dormant,and at the worst time for the team... if the Blackhawks again go down three games to one,this time to Boston,they are in very serious trouble,because unlike against the Red Wings(hate to admit),the Bruins have enough team offense and grit to really finish off the Blackhawks... the Blackhawks really does have enough firepower to make this a series,but they have done absolutely nothing,recently,to make people think they can do anything,against the Bruins... i have ultimate respect for the Blackhawks,but i do have to really wonder what is wrong with the Blackhawks right now,because if they do not "fire up" their team offense,they are toast...

Stanley Cup Finals game score,and comment...

Bruins 2,Blackhawks 0... simply said,Blackhawks stunk up the joint... Bruins,up 2-1,in games,in best of seven series...

Stanley Cup Finals' game...

Blackhawks/Bruins,game three,Stanley Cup Finals,tonight...

commentary...

being out-shot 19-4 in the first period,the Boston Bruins relied on their outstanding goaltending in goaltender Tuukka Rask,who was simply spectacular,in this game... Boston was only down 1-0,after the first period,and honestly,should,and could,have been down something like 3-0,or even 4-0,after one period... after taking nineteen shots in first period(and that 1-0 lead),the Blackhawks stunk up the joint,offensively,taking only fifteen shots the rest of the game,and with the spectacular goaltending for both teams,last night's game was a game mired in mud,because neither team played a great offensive game,and even the 4-3 triple overtime game was a game that had parts of the game that had outstanding goaltending for both teams... Chicago's power play this postseason has been extinct so far,at least in this series,and without some firepower from the power play,the Blackhawks are in serious trouble of winning this(so far)defensive-minded series from the Bruins... to remind you of one small fact,both teams have only one power play goal between them in this Stanley Cup Finals' series(Boston scored it)... i have noticed that Blackhawks' goaltender Corey Crawford seems to bat at the puck,with his catching glove,drop the puck in front of him,and then cover the puck with his body,which honestly is a flaw in the glove side of his goaltending,because if the Bruins dig at the puck in front of Crawford,they may strike gold,in putting the bouncing puck in the net,and that could be the difference in the series... in fact,the goal scored by Boston in the second period,was that kind of goal,because of a scrum in front of Crawford,and the puck get tipped up high,behind Crawford,and into the net...

Stanley Cup Finals' game score...

Bruins 2,Blackhawks 1,overtime... Stanley Cup Finals' series tied at one... commentary,tomorrow morning...

Stanley Cup Finals game...

Boston Bruins/Chicago Blackhawks,game two,Stanley Cup Finals,tonight...

commentary...

i deeply respect every team in the NHL... as the Red Wings move to the Eastern Conference,i will "dislike" their new division rivals just as much as i "disliked" their former division rivals... i still will "dislike" the Blackhawks,because of their long rivalry,as two of the Original Six teams,going back to 1926... i can not wait for the 2013-2014 NHL season to start... as for the ongoing Stanley Cup Finals,i am rooting big time for the Boston Bruins,because i deeply "dislike" the Chicago Blackhawks... always will,no matter what... the hatred does not go away that easily(laughing)...

NHL news...

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin signed an eight year,$76 million contract extension,with the Penguins...

commentary...

last night's Stanley Cup Finals opening game was a slugfest,and a long one at that... the Blackhawks won,but just barely... actually,the only lead that they had throughout the game was the final score...i could talk of the basics in the game:who scored goals,and so on and so on,but i want to talk of two teams who actually dominated parts of the game,but could not put the other team away,until after midway into the third overtime,when a puck deflected off not one,but two people,and into the net behind Bruins' goaltender Tuukka Rask,for the Blackhawks' win... i talked earlier about a weird puck bounce deciding the series... well,it decided at least one game,in this series... unless you were a hardcore hockey fan,you may have thought of last night's game as a snoozefest,but honestly,it was a very good game between two goaltenders,and teams who simply refused to lose... the Bruins even had a 3-1 lead,midway into the third period,but in about five minutes of actual game time,the Blackhawks tied it,to send the game into three overtimes... both teams showed that they do not like each other,but expect even more nastiness going onward into this best of seven series... the game itself was a tightly fought battle,with very few penalties,but some very big hits,and both teams had chances to win the game,throughout the game,with both goaltenders making some spectacular saves to keep the game in check... i am not a fan of either team,at all,but i am a very hardcore fan of the beautiful game of hockey,who saw over 98%,of the game,and even though i was not playing hockey last night,i was even exhausted watching the game... last night was HOCKEY,folks... enjoy it...

Stanley Cup Finals game score...

Blackhawks 4,Bruins 3,triple overtime... Blackhawks lead one game to nothing... commentary tomorrow morning...

Stanley Cup Finals...

Boston Bruins/Chicago Blackhawks,game one,Stanley Cup Finals,tonight...

commentary...

the Stanley Cup Finals matchup between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins is the most interesting of any of the matchups that could have been in the Finals... the Blackhawks have more firepower,in scoring offense,but the Bruins have a slightly better team defense,and still can score at the right time... if you like team offense,you will be for the Blackhawks... if you like team defense,the Bruins are your team... both goaltenders(Blackhawks' Corey Crawford,and the Bruins' Tuukka Rask)have been excellent,with the edge going to Rask,ever so slightly... a very nice end to a short miserable NHL season... it will go six or seven games... winner:flip a coin... maybe a weird bounce of the puck will ultimately decide the series... this series has the potential to be a nip and tuck,rough and tumble series,with the winner being decided in the seventh game,in double overtime... if that was to happen,that would be a real treat...

blog statement...

i am taking a much needed break... i feel fine but mentally tired... see you tomorrow...

NHL news...

Bruins/Blackhawks,Wednesday... first Original Six Stanley Cup Finals,since 1979...

Western Conference Finals' game score...

Blackhawks 4,Kings 3,second overtime... Patrick Kane scored hat trick,including series winner...

Western Conference Finals game...

Los Angeles Kings/Chicago Blackhawks,game five,Western Conference Finals,tonight...

commentary...

the Pittsburgh Penguins sucked,because they absolutely lost their cool,and definitely choked in the clutch... Sidney Crosby,and Evgeni Malkin WAS NON-EXISTENT,in the series,against the Bruins,and where was Jarome Iginla,the big gun traded from Calgary,for this playoff run??? Crosby,Malkin,and Chris LeTang,another non-existent player this series,had ZERO points in the series,against Boston... Bruins' goaltender Tuukka Rask stopped 158,of 160 shots,allowing only two goals in the four game series... going into the series,against the Bruins,the Penguins were 13 for 46,on the power play,and they were 0 for 15 on the power play against Boston... the team short-circuited in the worse way... they had the fewest goals in a seven game series,since the Minnesota Wild had only one goal,in a four game sweep loss to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks,in 2003... WAY TO GO,SIDNEY AND EVGENI!!!!!!!!!

Eastern Conference finals game score,and comment...

Boston Bruins 1,Pittsburgh Penguins 0... Bruins swept Penguins in four games... first sweep of the Penguins,in playoffs,in 34 years...

comments...

simply said,the game between the Chicago Blackhawks,and Los Angeles Kings was a very physical,and fast paced game,and the Blackhawks simply out-played the Kings in last half of game(after the ten minute mark of second period),and deserved to win...

Western Conference Finals game score...

Chicago Blackhawks 3,Los Angeles Kings 2... Blackhawks up,3-1,in games,in best of seven series...

commentary...

the Pittsburgh Penguins are in serious trouble of being bounced out of the Stanley Cup playoffs... being the top seed of the Eastern Conference,going into the Stanley Cup playoffs,they mowed through their first two opponents,and looked incredible in doing so,but they have run into a formidable team in the Boston Bruins,who basically have destroyed the offensive power of the Penguins by hounding their stars into a shadow of their former selves... Sidney Crosby,Evgeni Malkin,and company have scored only two goals in three games,including only once in a double overtime 2-1 loss,last night... they have been out-scored 11-2,including being shut out 3-0 in game one... the other game scores were 6-1,in game two,and 2-1,in double overtime,in game three,all in favor of the Bruins... not much of a series,so far... game four,in Boston,Friday...

Eastern Conference Finals game score...

Boston Bruins 2,Pittsburgh Penguins 1,second overtime... Bruins up,3-0,in games...

Eastern Conference Finals' game...

Boston Bruins/Pittsburgh Bruins,tonight... most critical game for the Penguins... a must-win for them... if they do not win,they will be an almost impossible to come back from 0-3 hole...

Western Conference Finals' game score,and comments...

Los Angeles Kings 3,Chicago Blackhawks 1... Chicago did absolutely nothing on offense,and Kings' goaltender Jonathan Quick made up for a lousy game two(for him),and was his usual stonewall self,in net... Blackhawks up two games,to one game,in their best of seven series...

Eastern Conference Finals' game score,and comments...

Boston Bruins 6,Pittsburgh Penguins 1... Bruins score twenty eight seconds into first period,and in a five goal first period,they scored four times,including with nine seconds left in period,only twenty five seconds after the Penguins cut lead to 3-1,and the Bruins beat the Penguins,in Pittsburgh,so they head up 2-0,in games,and Pittsburgh seems to be very angry and frustrated,but honestly they should forget their anger,and remember that they are down 0-2,and they have stunk up the joint with their putrid play... Sidney Crosby,and company:forget the anger and start playing hockey,because scoring only one goal in two games,after averaging four and a half goals/per game,against their first two opponents in the Stanley Cup Playoffs does not matter one iota,if you do not beat the Bruins,and scoring just a goal,in two games,really stinks up the best of seven series,against the Bruins,because you done absolutely nothing,period...

NHL news...

Boston Bruins/Pittsburgh Penguins,game two,Eastern Conference Finals,tonight... Bruins,up one game to nothing...

game score...

Blackhawks 4,Kings 2...

commentary...

scoring a goal and a half/per game(three goals in two games) just means that the Los Angeles Kings are in deep trouble in the Western Conference finals,even though the Kings are headed home to Los Angeles,for game three,and four,against the Chicago Blackhawks... they did score the last two goals in the game,but being down 4-0,at the time,means only that the Kings have a pulse in this series,but right now,they are on life support,because Kings' goaltender Jonathan Quick had a very,very bad game,giving up four goals before getting pulled,in the third period... i have to tell that it was the first time that Quick gave up more than three goals in a Stanley Cup playoff game,in the Kings' last thirty five games that he has started,but to go down a possible 0-3 in games means that the Kings need to win in Los Angeles,in game three of their best of seven series with the Blackhawks,and to come full circle,they need to score more than three goals in two games...

NHL news...

Los Angeles Kings/Chicago Blackhawks,game two,Western Conference finals,tonight...

commentary...

simply the game between the Los Angeles Kings,and the Chicago Blackhawks was a game that goaltenders dominated,and both teams looked like they were tired,and rusty... even though the Kings had a 1-0 lead,after the first period,they ran out of gas,and both teams played defense well enough to win,but the Kings only scored once(after first period:nothing in net),and the Blackhawks scored twice in the second period,and then both teams coughed up a lung,looking tired in the third period,as both goaltenders made save after save,like two stone walls... simply,an ugly game won by the Blackhawks,with just enough offense to eke out a 2-1 win... both teams will play better,but unfortunately,both teams play again today,in a back to back series of two games,in Chicago,so it may be a very ugly series,until game three,in Los Angeles... buckle up,boys,you are in for a bumpy ride,as both teams try to find their team offenses...

commentary...

the Bruins got under the skin of the Penguins throughout the entire first game of their best of seven series... they played like spoiled little brats,so much that even captain Sidney Crosby complained about too much physical play by the Bruins in the newspapers,and blamed the Bruins,and the referees,when in fact,they should have looked at themselves... hey,Sidney,it is hockey,not playing bridge!!!!!! you are supposed to hit each other into the boards,and play like you want to win... unfortunately,you may be the best hockey player,outside Motown,but you acted like a total rear end,yapping,and bumping Bruins' goaltender Tuukka Rask every commercial,and in between periods... David Krecji had two goals,and had three points in the game,for the Bruins,and the Penguins had many penalties,and a stupid fight,at the end of the second period,while Rask had a great game in goal,frustrating the Penguins with great save after save,for the entire three periods,as crybaby Sidney Crosby yelled and stomped his skates into the ice,like a petulant little brat,and seeming to want to fight,and argue every call by the referees,and even doing it in the newspaper,after the game... my opinion:GROW UP,Sidney...

Eastern Conference finals' score...

Boston Bruins 3,Pittsburgh Penguins 0... commentary later...

Western Conference finals' score...

Chicago Blackhawks 2,Los Angeles Kings 1... commentary later...

NHL news...

Western and Eastern Conference finals start today... will give you scores later on,today...