Vancouver Canucks vs. Boston Bruins

Bo-Van Musings and In-Game Scribbles Le Coupe Stanley

My English is as good as yours, I just write these in a stream-of-consciousness mode that I insist excuses me from small things like rules of grammar or general etiquette. Let’s call it conversational English, hopped up on beans. You know what kind of beans (no, Carl Mellesmoen, not the magic ones).

Boston Bruins (46-25-11)
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Vancouver Canucks (54-19-9)

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Stanley Cup Finals
Game Seven (score posted following scribbles)
Series tied 3-3

Missed it? Musings capture the game in writing. A written transcript typed during the game, posted and edited about thirty minutes afterward. (Usually) based on the RDS French telecast of the Montreal Canadiens game, Musings take about 20 minutes to read. More detailed than an article, fresher than a looping highlight and good with morning coffee. Or late-night chocolate. A unique way to re-experience the game.

click here to expand post (it looks prettier)

 

Why is Doctor Recchi on every dollgang episode.  Forty-three year old men don’t wear well (yeah, yeah, I know, I’m 1969)

Every dollgang pregame.  Every hoover-heever broadcast?

Why.

Why.

My natural state is slouching.

I have the rugged, white backup earphones in, and the telecast is on – the back of an airplane seat.  The airline kind.

Fasten seatbelt while seated.  The fine print under the screen under the fold-out table which is under the three by two inch screen.  Or is that centimeters?

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.  And their velvet arm, their royal Canadian sports broadcasting arm.  Or is that velour?

That fisking bagpipe, that fasking Gretzky.  And Orr, Lemieux, Kane.  Another montage.  I’ve seen it before.  Canada is hockey.  I digress.  I disagree.

Seventh game.

No sport does what we do in hockey, says your buddy Dog Cherry.  Seven games, seven games, seven games and so forth.  Several sports come to mind to challenge this small man’s Canadian fantasies.  His suit is hucked up flowers and the florid barfing represents the worst of what the greatest decade of the 20th century had to offer.  The stewardess interrupts with a garbled English missive.  What’s more annoying?  DC or the interruption?  A precise human mathematics I’m not capable of is required to answer the question.

Dog C says Vancouver will win the Cup.  His heart is with Boston (he coached them for an interminable length in the seventies).  But Vancouver will win the Cup.    He references the importance of first goals in this series and says that they who score first shall win.

The greatest decade is the seventies.  Ok?  I’m allowed to be a small (thin, rather) man with small views, too.  Tonight, I’m your CBC.

The sparkling U2 song choice (and arena PA intro) is interrupted by my airline.  The two teams take the ice.  It’s the nerves and leadlessness of a game one magnified seven times, shall we say?

I’m handwriting this part.  Battery preservation and paranoia.

Bought an Acer for this game specifically, I should be ashamed of myself.  It sits in my backpack under the Stanley Cup seat in front of me.

Plastic airline safety demos and Tim Thomas on the small screen in front of me.  Claude Julien is shown from the side and he resembles my father for a dignified, portly moment (I crossed out chubby).

Luongo starts.  Canucks do best at home.  Three and oh in this series coming in.

Two men for two anthems, Luongo blows the air out of his cheeks – there’s no way he’s any less nervous than last game.  A solo, white spot lances hope over him, a halo of doom.

Some number eight is lined up on the blue line with the starting Canucks.  An undeserving and incongruous image.  It’s game seven.  Get that kid off the ice.  Velvet arm decisions are always in the spirit of long-awaited family reunions.  Move on.

And the Green Men are shown.  Up against that hard, hard plastic where they belong.

Throughout, through visuals and sound, CBC Velvet asks us to imagine the obvious.  Does dramatic music mean a dramatic situation?

Stephen Walkom and Dan O’Halloran are the refs.  We are told they are “honoured” with the duty.  Oh, the pageantry and dullard hopes of those biscuit-fed many.  Be glad I’ll be back to RDS in the regular season.  This network is excruciating.  Awkward silences would follow but the trumpets glow too loud.

First Period
Vancouver 0, Boston 0

Kesler versus Bergeron at centre ice.  Go Boston.

Sure.

Shoot-in.  Offside.

You know what the Bruins are thinking; everything on net.  So CBC tells us.

Another centre ice faceoff.  Into Canuck ice.

Chara advances to the hash to play it up.  The crowd sounds much better with these earphones.  Plugged into the jet seat shaft.  What’s it called?

Burrows right side.

Long shot wide.  A lot of hope, a lot of emotion.  Means a lack of objectivity.

Two minutes in.

Behind Thomas’ net.  Bruins win another board battle.  Unusual.

At their best, they understand zone responsibility as well as any team in the East.

One game to win.

This isn’t Parent-Gilbert, Peeters- Smith nor Dryden-Cheevers.

No, only one name can stand with the others – Thomas.

Peverley centres – Krejci, company and snow flies.  Luongo is across.

Other end.  Canucks swerve in.

Sedin.  Henrik, keeping like Koivu, extends – through the crease  – shot.

One Bruin across.  Saved and held.

Kesler chance precedes my takeoff.

Faceoff to Thomas’ left.  Boston wins it.  Long Bruin puck.

Thomas looks and moves with confidence.  Canucks’ best hope is in keeping shots against low.  I mean infrequent.

WestJet interruption.

No video.  Just some Bell Canada Moron standing frozen in offensive digital unawareness and this unapologetic stewie message.

The picture’s frozen.  All screens are now trapped with this Bell vested moron talking tripe – channel choices – I nearly growl in hunger and anger.  Whenever the airline wants to communicate, it cuts across the audio feed.  At volume.

It’s game seven.

And they’re showing some ad.

It’s game seven.

Use Iverson tone.

Channel button doesn’t work now.  What.

I look up.  Around.  Nobody else seems perturbed.  I look around more.  This cabin.  This carpet.  WestJet colours.  Vancouver blue.  Vancouver green.  Fork both.

Where’s the game (try not to look like a gay terrorist, buddy).  So I fume in silence.

Minutes more pass.  The game goes on somewhere below this jet in silence.  I’m cut off.

How could I have picked a flight on this night?

I didn’t know I’d choose to muse (this series).

If I ever hulked out, I’d turn green.  And stay skinny.  Mommy, what’s wrong with that man?  Shh, don’t look at him.

The game is back.

Twelve and thirty remaining in the first.

Mason Raymond waves to the crowd.  White spotlight and that made for CBC smile.  Raymond is out with a broken vertebrae (the corner hit that saw him escorted gingerly off the ice last game).  He’s standing in the player entry area between the benches.

They’re the home team, they won 54 games (first overall) for the right to host any necessary seventh games and I DO sympathize.  The home hound has my understanding.

But.

I think Cam Cole has this one wrong.

Some teams do deserve it less.  The 2008 Celtics (and their finals opponents, the Lakers) come to mind.  They give it out every year no matter how poorly the lane is defended.

With ten minutes left, the Canucks begin their click-ginger passing.  The personas emerge.

I utter my first out-loud “fuck off”.  The stewarding staff feel the need to interrupt the audio.  Yet again.  It’s game seven.  It’s Canadian airspace.  Let’s figure this all out,  why don’t we.  Now some minor turbulence further strains my less-than-credible anger management skills.

Eight minutes.

Canucks are 6-0 (eighteen goals for and nine against) in their past six home games, we are told.

Canuck rush.  Kesler.  Four Bs back.  Now a fifth.  He clears the emerged puck.  That kind of defence wins games.

Burrows.  Lapierre.  Torres.  They’re in the midst of a line change.  That’s not a new line.

Handwriting method is somewhat functional.  Not as bad as I had imagined it might be.  I can look at the screen most of the time.  Most is a bit generous.  Let’s say fifty-one percent of the time (ed note: I never want to have to transcribe from written splurge ever again).

Bruins go offside.

Go Canuck chant starts.  First one.

Replay shows a Bergeron slash on Kesler on the drive down the middle; the three on four (+1).

Luongo traps one for a faceoff.  Either Hughson or Simpson says “what pace”.

He watches too much West hockey.  Unless he means the relative lack of whistles.

Pulling plugs from my ears during the commercials.  How long will that last?

No mute button on the armrest.  Not sure if the laptop is permitted yet.  We’ve leveled off, certainly.  I’m sure of it anyway.

The Jalapeno predicted a riot either way – I’ve never seen so many people in Vancouver, milling about outside, before.   We’re told that for some of the racing events, similar crowds have appeared.

Bruins score.

I chuckle.  It’s all over.

Marchand curled, passed backhanded, one-timer.  In.  Bergeron.

And either Simpson or Hughson has the nerve to call the shot “a lucky break” as it bounced off a post.  I’ll tell you right here; it was the inside of the post.

4:34

Long pass.  Two and two.  Kesler with Tambellini for Vancouver.  Thomas flashed across.  What an understated save description from your booth buddy chumps on CBC.  Hughson.  Bias has no beauty.

These A and W commercials are rather, uh, hypnotic.  I’ve got the plugs out.

Bergeron’s low slot shot is shown.  Pierre McGuire’s take: You can’t get a more perfect shot than that.

4:00

Long puck into Bruin ice.

Any playoff-qualifying East team except Rangers could have been here.  And any of those could have won.  Boston is one of the worst reps of the seven.  Maybe the worst.

Offside Vancouver pass.

Manny Malhotra’s series faceoff numbers are shown (he returned to action after a long break in game two).  Lester Cherry on Malhotra: “Much ado about nothing.”  That said on Monday night.

Luongo’s home and away numbers in this series are preposterously different from each other.  He’s in his own head.  Great numbers at home.  Pathetic on the road.  No answers here.  Except to offer some pop psychology.  Which, actually, I won’t offer.

A ladder is out on the ice surface.  Twenty-footer.  Wood finish – caramel – a bald guy climbs it.  Others support underneath.  And within ten seconds, they’re all gone.  No idea what they were adjusting.  Looked like the tops of the glass.

2:19

Puck rounds the end boards.  Moments later a faceoff outside Van’s blue.

Won by the home team.  Rare turnover on the breakout pass.

Bruins send it in.

Ninety seconds.

Long Vancouver puck.  Higgins in his last game of the year.  Maybe he’ll actually make an effort.  I predict three, four good shifts before habit pulls him back (and tucks him in).

1:11

Sedins.  Jam-tuck slo-mo.  No.  Thomas is across and on the post.  One goal may be all Thomas will need.

Bruin offside entry.  Pace slows somewhat.

Centre ice faceoff.

Krejci.  Kesler.  Peverley, now.  Won by Boston.

Chara sends it down.  Canucks with their usual man extra, exit with it.

Chara is down.  Took a blind elbow.

Not called.  Atrocious.  Chara up on his knees.

Leaves on his own.

Faceoff.  Deep right.  Three Vancouver centres.  Sealed off.

Siren.

One goal on five shots by Boston, CBC insists on spotlighting.  No shame in jingoism.

First Intermission
Boston 1, Vancouver 0

Cherry’s pronunciation of Bieksa’s name is addled.  He mentions that the slot shooter should be an offwing shot.  Right shot on the right faceoff circle.  The opposite for the other side.

No penalties is bad for Vancouver because they have the better powerplay matchup.

Turbulence  comment from the WJ crew …  turbulence … this is game seven.

Ed Hospodar’s ugly punches against Montreal in the pregame (87 playoffs) are shown.

Taking the puck and shooting it into the net to end the warm-up period.  Montreal would put it in.  Hospodar beat up Claude Lemieux.  Apparently Boston or Vancouver engages in something of the same ilk.  Who cares.

Now some roommate stories from Dog.  Teaching one another how to kiss.  And a simulkiss takes place on the little dance screen next to me.  The other passenger’s CTV selection.  What does it all mean.

What a nightmare suit.  Suit.  Nightmare.  Comforter of the seventies.  Or is it duvet.

New keyboards are not appreciated.  Neither are their configurations.  The shift key is in the wrong spot.  And I get ugly accented words.

I never said I’d be sweet.

Sound garblerupts…  and I shake my head for one of the last times this season.

At least this battery will last.  The new Acers are much better than the $1K monsters from the turn of the century … even tho this battery is half-charged, it provides six hours overall …. I have three and thirteen … the old Dell… less than half an hour.

Manny Malhotra is interviewed.  Such a CBC favourite….  why is he so liked.

Second Period
Boston 1, Vancouver 0

Long Canuck puck is called for icing.

Faceoff to Luongo’s right.  Kesler loses it.  To the blue.

Fired wide.   Off target somehow.

Canucks send one long.  No icing.  Chance.  Crowd is ice cubes falling forever.  A tin maw echo the slaw of forever cold snow ……. this sound goes unanswered.

Faceoff to Luongo’s left.

Marchand across.

Hits the crossbar.

Homer announcing.

Pro Van.

What an understated chance.

Your buddies at WestJet don’t have RDS….. Pierre would have been losing it.

Puck, bouncing to the low slot.  And a huge net chance is missed by Vancouver.

They keep it in.

Sedins.

Thomas falls.  Puck is under him.

Henrik was behind the net.  Backhander hit the low part on the outside of his right pad.  Whistle.

Kesler vs. Krejci.  Vancouver wins it.  Sent behind the net.

Out in about three seconds.

And then out of play entirely from centre ice.

Faceoff.

Bieksa low.

Edler across.

Lapierre versus Krejci.  Lapierre wins it.  Torres and Hansen are with him.

They exit.  This line has two game-winning goals this series we are reminded.

Canucks work the side boards.  One pass.  A dig.  Another pass.  Stays there.  And then Boston finds it.  They’re out.

Krejci on a left side entry.

Sixteen and a half.

Crowd appreciates the work on Chara; he was bumped hard.

What is it worth?

Not a lot if both teams are fairly clean… and they’ve both done reasonably well in this regard.

Fifteen.

Marchand.   Swerves, lowers and receives with cruise and comfort … his confidence has increased.   The entry doesn’t last.

Thomas traps one moments later, a harmless one.

This keyboard is infuriating. Q marks become accented e’s and so on. Default settings are for the damned.

Fourteen.

Boston pushes the pace as they carry.

Krejci chuff-chuffs and fires long and hard.

Another Boston rush precedes and follows.

Luongo is forced to stop one at navel level, as he drops…… I feel a momentary sense of sympathy for the Van fans.

Having Luongo in net is an additional fear to go with typical goal-against nerves … the fan kind.

Horton’s equipment is shown; set up in the dressing room, the team wanted it there …… he is then shown spraying the ice with water from New Boston Garden ……. Hughson or Simpson says, “So they should be fabulous on that part of the ice” … the pro-Canadian humour doesn’t work for me …be even or don’t say anything at all.

Over eleven.

Suddenly the spaces loosen, Thomas is falling, Chara parallels… the puck hits white … and stays out ……. it wasn’t ice.

Ten.

That was Vancouver’s best chance.

Boston struggles back in.  Puck is lost on the right point.

Campbell line.

Kaberle and McQuaid low.

Thornton gets to a puck and hits Alberts behind the Canuck net  … but the Canucks emerge and a late offside stops the Canucks return surge.

Commercial.

Chara made the save, got low, Thomas was out of the net and in the wrong lane the bed lane.

Luongo … low…. sliding on his pads, all the wrong moves … Marchand is going to get the chance… keeps.  Can’t see …. Luongo wasn’t across …… and it’s in  … backhander.

CBC makes an excuse for Luongo….. bumped into his teammate.  But here’s what really happened; he was on his knees, not able to push off.  When he did push off, he did a half seal push up into the air.

Was he hoping to land on target?  That’s not goaltending.  That’s something else.

Boston 2, Vancouver 0

Recchi drive, right side, one hand and then the second as he cut across from right to left …… and Luongo got across well on that one.  For him.

6:27

5:18

Tanner Glass gets away with a man-down hit down to the head.

Crowd cheers more frequently….. The old standby.  Go.

Something.

Go.

Now some pressure.

Higgins in the corner … with some real work…. don’t use it…. lose it.

They’re pushed out.

Another entry.

Now Thomas doesn’t know where it is.

Pressure.

And man do they need to score here, we are told.

Have another appetizer.

Does CBC not realise that foreigners watch this telecast … that Canadians play for the Bruins…. that objectivity wins more friends than … ah, you know.

Chara is called.

Van power.

One clearout.

Kesler is in…. big bad wide shot.

What a waste.

It will be a long summer on the west coast… with some rain.  I take issue with having to capitalize either East or West.  There will be breakdowns.

Third entry is rebuffed.

Finally they set up.

Edler on the right point   … and another blast wide.

Burrows drives it down.

Salo keeps it in on the right side … I was informed Monday that Tommy Salo is no relation to that other Salo.

Faceoff to Thomas’ left.

Bergeron…. one on two …. keeps, keeps, arms, low, draped… delayed call.

Goal.

Luongo immediately complains.

Of course. It’s a goal.

Ref calls it a goal.  Bergeron was taken down, fell, slid.  Puck followed him in.  Luongo just watched.  A trained professional might consider stopping it, regardless.  Like falling on a fumble after a whistle.  Ask questions or be asked later.

The discussion ensues…. finally the CBC acknowledge that the on-ice call cannot be disputed.

Shorthanded….. goal stands.

Vigneault chews the gum … more grit than ever before….. Looks up at the clock; two and ten.

Boston 3, Vancouver 0

How’s my buddy SC doing (not Stanley Cup)?

Under two.

Penalty ends.

Crowd considered booing for the goal call but it lasted about one point five.

Thomas the save.

Thomas the save.

The phrase will be heard again.

Yea’ tho’ there were 51 seconds.

Whistle as the puck enters Vancouver ice … offside entry.

The worry is palpable on the bench … there’s nothing for it but what you want…

It’s a little late for those who engage in bad habits.

Marchand line.

Chasing.

Edler touches it … Boston icing.

Time drains away as Ryder handles it low inside his blue.

More understated comments from CBC.

Second intermission
Boston 3 Vancouver 0

Kelly Hrudey apologizes for Luongo.  So does PJ Stock.

It’s not good enough.

Bergeron.  Interview.  Friedman says, “You’re one of the big voices in the room.”

Friedman asks him what he’ll say to his teammates.

Bergeron cites visualization.  The game.  Each and every shift.  Bergeron is a bit obsessed.  Good for his game.  Good for his team.

And Friedman is one of the big voices for CBC … i respect his work greatly.

I finally succeed in solving the keyboard problem.  No more imbecilic accents.

I suppose this is also my last period of the season.  Tho’ I’m considering musing some classic games (some sent to me and others available at your local mainstream video store).

Three goals against a team that wants to close you out for a Stanley Cup win.  Not likely.

The big myths come to an end.  Until reasonable evidence (like this playoff series) is forgotten by those who don’t want to compromise their world view.

Which one might you be?

Third Period
Boston 3, Vancouver 0

I switch to the original Dell for the sake of speed.

But the battery is going to be an issue.

The Canucks are in with verve and gusto.

A Canuck crosses the crease and takes a stick to the face.

Many in the crowd catch the gesture but CBC misses it and it goes uncalled.

Luongo is still in net.

Mistake.

Two minutes elapsed.

Kesler.

Bieksa.  They work the puck to the blue and more but it stays on the perimeter.

A three nothing deficit is an excuse for some teams to mail it in.  In the regular season.  But in game seven, it’s different.

Vancouver is as prepossessed and pointed as they can be.

Replay shows that Thomas accomplished his butt end with the demeanour of an innocent man.  Thomas was facing away from Edler and could have pleaded innocent if needed.  He’s a 37 year old canny veteran.  And I don’t condone that kind of hockey.

It’s unneeded for the win.

Fifteen and a half.

A Canuck puck is called for offside.

The plane is still up in the air and the Canucks still have a chance.  So the exhortations begin.  “Hey this is the biggest game of your lives.”

Pro Canada.

Seidenberg with hit low.  TO the hash.  Bergeron is there.  Stopped at the blue.  Diagonal dump-in.

No.

A Canuck falls on the re-entry.  Uncalled.  Thomas again?

And as the camera moves across the ice and another player is down.

Finger Ference was down.  Vancouver is called.

CBC tells us that this is a penalty you cannot take.  Well, none of this would happen if the penalties were called as they should be.  If the refs didn’t turn such a blind eye, the Canucks wouldn’t get frustrated, wouldn’t strike back in vigilante fashion and now the wrong team is in the box.

No, I’m not a Van fan.  But neither am I Boston.  And in the end, it’s the knucklehead count that matters.

Finger Ference was smashed down by Jannik Hansen.  He’s had enough.  It’s a selfish penalty but the CBC holds back on labelling it as such.  Just how badly do the switchboards light up in complaint?

Boston power.

Not much.  Until a near two-on-zero occurs.  Doctor Recchi and Peverley were involved.  Whistled.

Twelve seconds in the penalty.  It elapses with very little to show.

Twelve and twenty.

Bieksa with a long puck turnover on the exit pass.

Boston.  Paille.  He loses it.

Daniel.  Keeps.  Has a man.  Backhander.  Thomas is run into.  Hansen was the accompanying man.

Dell died here.  Lost some minutes and content in returning to the new Acer.

The new Acer:  Kesler.  Bergeron.  At centre ice.

In the booth; Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson

Embarrassing.  The great Jim Hughson

Maybe, once he used to be.

But I’m going to guess that was before I developed a critical lens for this game and he probably was even worse

He gets a lot of props.

But his lack of objectivity has been galling.

It’s just his tone.

That is galling.

Nine and both teams are working as they had in the first.

Stoppage.

Sedins are in across the blue.

Offside entry.

Lucic is called.

Hooking.

That call wasn’t called all night and it’s being called now … says CBC.

What a stupid ducking league and its apologists.

Vancouver power.

Garbage call, garbage precedent that led to the call and garbage bias on the call …to benefit the losing team.

Marchand generates the first decent chance, for Boston, late in the man advantage.

Six and a half, penalty elapses.

Boston Bruins have not won the cup since Bobby Orr played for the team.

That was 1971-72.

Over the New York Rangers.

Thomas covers one up.

Three of the six originals have won cups in recent times, now.

And.

Rangers in 94.

Canadiens in 93.

Your leafs in 67.

A Canuck fan makes his way to the back of this plane.

I don’t think he notices your scribe’s black Hab lid.

Nor will he read of his sullen, chubby gait.

It’s a tough loss, to be sure.

Those who deserve it, have my derision.

Those who don’t … your team is pretty cool.

They won’t be back.

They can’t survive another full season with Luongo.

They will need to move him before this team will progress  …. but there is little chance of that, perception and politics both being what they are ….. Luongo is too well-liked by too many in Vancouver; fans, media and hockey people alike.

He’ll be staying…. and Schneider will be winning elsewhere.

Canucks fans are shown.

One is rubbing his eye.

Another turns her face away in misery.

A third is rubbing a towel against his lower lip … he still believes.

Four and eighteen.

Higgins.

Hansen.

They combine for a rare chance.

Thomas stops it.

Boston is four low in a box.

Protected.

Krejci leads a two on one, Lucic waiting….. He keeps waiting ………. puck is deflected.

Three and twenty.

Canucks aren’t going away.

Bieksa backhands it deep.

Luongo is gone from the net with about three left in the period.

Decent timing.

Empty net advance.

Marchand.

Shoots.

Net.

It’s over.

They dance and jump.

There are Bruin fans in the stands.

I feel so weird.

I’ve never seen a Bruin cup win.

Felicitations mon Homme de Boston … it’s your time.

Boston 4, Vancouver 0 (nearly typed Toronto 0)

Two and a half.

Cam Neely can finally relax.

And they won’t fire either Julien or Vigneault.

Two oh five.

First team to win three game sevens in the Stanley Cup playoffs .. Did I hear that right?

Rask is forgotten.

But the lunchpail gang will be discussed for many days to come.

Is Bobby Orr in the house?  Who else?

Ninety seconds.

And the season is over for Habs fans too.

Lucic is in.

Snaking, moving, pokes it high.  But it’s over the net.

Luongo was splayed and out of position as usual.

Fifty seconds.

The great Roberto Luongo.

So glad we won’t have that punctuated with an undeserved cup.

So overrated.

Whistle.

Sedins take a seat…. they’ll be blamed by the jingos.

Fifteen.

Eight.

Long Boston puck  …… waved.

Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup.

Final Score
Boston 4
Vancouver 0

Boston Bruins win best of seven final four games to three. And the Stanley Cup.

HDS Stars: Patrice Bergeron, Tim Thomas, Brad Marchand,
RDS Stars: I oughta find out, maybe phone Pierre
CBC stars: Tim Thomas, Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron

For some, stars (and trophies) are a way to get revenge on reality.

Fans chant Go Canucks Go despite it all.

The playeres salute the crowd from centre ice and the crowd cheers back in full gratitude, no boos, and I mist for a moment… they still love their team.

I’m still airborne, first championship win I’ve watched in a plane.

Chara shares a good word with a Sedin.

Luongo really needs the respect but he’s not getting it from the handshake line.

Hughson is just not feeling it and it’s ruining the moment.

I have no other channel choices, I believe.

Flippin Ron McLean (I should get a Nobel Peace Prize).

Recchi.  Why is he the first interview.

Keep your promise.

Retire.

Doctor.

Doctor Quackki.

McLean predicts Tim Thomas for the Conn Smythe.

Gary is on the ice.  I have to laugh.  In sympathy and in humour….. The crowd is booing.

How safe is Gary down there?

Safe enough, I suppose.

Thomas ignores the commissioner’s words and is left with the trophy at last.

He should also be given the Vezina.

That butt end was not cool.  Nor was his jump-out from the crease at Sedin in game three.

But wait.

Here comes the trophy.

The one that isn’t voted on by committee.

Zdeno Chara, a European captain, will be carrying it.

Second European captain, a Czechoslovakian, to hold the Stanley in celebration.

Chara should have been suspended for the playoffs, of course.

But this league lacks much more integrity than many of the others.

He carries it around the ice … he sounds a bit odd.

He hands it to Recchi.

Why.

He kisses it.

He’s no longer a Hab in my view.

Flyer.

Bruin.

Take your pick.

You can have him.

Bergeron takes it, then quickly to Thomas.

Thomas is cheered loudly in the arena.

Interesting.  Respect?

The Stanley Cup is beautiful.

Seidenberg, Kaberle, kisses, arms and then Michael Ryder carries it.

My, isn’t that ours.

Somehow Horton is on the ice in uniform, growling and cheering and holding it over his head in his skates……. I’m not ok with it.

Forty years since Boston won the cup.

Thomas can’t pronounce Luongo…… loo-longo.

Lucic holds it up…. now there’s a guy we didn’t want to see carry it.

Lucic endears himself to me in a few uncluttered, unpretentious sentences.

I think it’s time for that coffee.

Scott Oake stays honest if a bit negative and Claude Julien kisses the cup.  Maybe I appreciate the Oake “negativity” after all these years.

Vancouver controlled the puck for longer periods of time, were smarter, better … but their goaltender was a big difference in a game that holds less difference between its teams than ever before.

It’s too bad.

A man named Schneider could have brought the cup back to Canada.

But we and you will wait again.

The image of Larry Csonka buying champagne for the 72 dolphins crosses my mind…. I don’t like Csonka, I don’t care much for gloating and I think it isn’t worth mentioning.

I find a TSN feed up here on this WestJet flight and immediately there is such a difference in analysis level.  Better.

Duthie and McKenzie break some of it down in detail and I’m impressed again.

Hey where’s that riot?

The unsavoury Colin Campbell suddenly bamphs into view beside his son Gregory Campbell … what a joke and it’s your league.

Campbell is creepy to boot  … imagine if he was your father.

What a hockey dad.

Gregory has had a tough time having me as his father … interesting dynamic between the two.

Not all sons like their dads …… some ever come around to it.

Cam Neely.

When an ugly man smiles he stays ugly.

Chris Kelly is asked about being down to the Montreal Canadiens 2-0.  He responds saying that it’s a team game ad all I can think of is Carey Price’s giveaway from behind the net.

Canadiens could have made it, sure.

So could Washington have done.

And so on.

Peter Chiarelli talks about relief.

Elliotte asks Chiarelli if this is “more sweeter”.

And, yes, it is “more sweeter”.

And the narrative shifted so suddenly that I can’t help but wonder about your u2 sanctified west coast team in blue … where are they.  Who and what …  and why.

They’re your team now more than ever before.

Because they won’t be back again.

For a long, quiet time to come.

We are shown some highlights…….. From all playoffs long ….. to another U2 song.

CBC

Apparently, Jalapeno is right ……. there are riots ongoing in downtown Vancouver.

So.

Montreal is not the only place.

 

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