Friday Morning NHL Roundup

Posted on Fri May 04, 2007 at 02:03:14 PM EST in NHL
More on: Ducks, Canucks, NHL (all tags)

Ducks 2, Canucks 1 In the irony of all ironies to end this one, a team that was based on a brother duo - the Sedins - for most of the season (hell, the Sedins ended that 4OT game in the Dallas series) gets run out of the playoffs for good by another, less-heralded-overall brother duo. Rob Niedermayer deflected a puck in the second overtime over to his brother, Scott, who poked it through Roberto Luongo to end another overtime battle between these guys.

Even though the series ended up 4-1 Ducks - they're headed to the Western Conference Finals, awaiting the winner of Red Wings vs. Sharks - it was actually closer than it appeared. This makes us sad, when cities with one professional team of record get bounced. Look, I mean it sucks to be in Dallas right now (Tony Romo can't hold snaps, Dirk is growing a man-gina, the Rangers haven't been relevant since - well, ever, and the Stars lost to Vancouver itself in the first round of the NHL playoffs). But it might suck to be in Vancouver, because now you have nothing, unless you're fans of the Warriors because the Sonics have ceased to be relevant, and, you know, well, the Grizzlies kind of left and all.

We'll say this much: at least Luongo got his first-round win, right? At the very least, that happened. And Ducks vs. Sharks, if it happens - the battle for Paul Kariya's Metaphysical Soul - is going to be a barn burner.

[Ted Bauer will be covering the NHL playoffs for us this year. You can find more of Ted's work at A Price Above Bip Roberts.]

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Wed Morning NHL roundup

Posted on Wed May 02, 2007 at 09:47:34 AM EST in NHL
More on: NHL, Sabres, Rangers, Ducks, Canucks (all tags)

Rangers 2, Sabres 1
Is it just me, or is this whole "Upstate vs. Downstate New York" battle starting to look a little like Scott Norwood might come hopping onto the ice? The Sabres are falling apart a little, and doing so in creative ways they haven't collapsed since the late 1990s. On Tuesday, Daniel Briere appeared to score a game-tying goal with 17 seconds left, but it was disallowed when it was ruled Lundqvist stopped it before it crossed the line. Somewhere, Brett Hull snickered and said "Buffalo... HA" under his breath before continuing to make out with a supermodel. The series is 2-2. You know Mike Bloomberg wants to make that bet now with the Buffalo Mayor.

Ducks 3, Canucks 2 (1 OT)
These guys don't like to play just an entire regulation game, apparently. The Ducks took a 3-1 lead - they might wrap it up Thursday at home - when Travis Moen netted one 2:07 into overtime. Roberto Luongo has to be thinking that first round was a glorious dream at this point. Honestly, though, you should be pretty hyped about a potential San Jose vs. Anaheim Western Finals; that might take you back to the Avs vs. Red Wings days, i.e. "When hockey was once relevant."

[Ted Bauer will be covering the NHL playoffs for us this year. You can find more of Ted's work at A Price Above Bip Roberts.]

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Monday Morning NHL Roundup

Posted on Mon Apr 30, 2007 at 10:33:23 AM EST in NHL
More on: Rangers, Sabres, Ducks, Canucks, NHL Playoffs (all tags)

Rangers 2, Sabres 1
The Blueshirts hadn't beaten the - uh, Blueshirts from the other part of the state, I guess - in 7 tries this season, and for a while, it seemed like it would be eight. See, this puppy went into one overtime, and then, as is the proper style for these NHL playoffs, it went into a second overtime, and that went close to 17 minutes - we were approaching the dastardly THIRD OVERTIME - before someone (specifically, Michal Rozsival) scored on a screened off Ryan Miller. It's 2-1 Sabres series-wise, which is the mathematical inverse of the score of this game. That's absolutely trippy.

Ducks 3, Canucks 2
Corey Perry, who was eligible for selection in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft yet was not selected at all (feel better, Brady Quinn? You should), scored the game-winner on Roberto Luongo, who once went No. 1 in the same Draft. Here's the lesson Quinn should take away from this: someday in the future, the Browns will play the Raiders. Now, CBS will send their G-Level team to this game, because even though both fan bases are rabid, no one gives a crap. So, with Dan Bonner somehow on play by play ("But guys, I do college basketball color..."), Quinn will oppose Russell, and with :03 left, Quinn will absolutely bomb it out - showing Russell arm strength in the process - and hit Braylon Edwards in stride for a 77 yard TD. Edwards will then break his leg celebrating. Anyway, the point is, don't pass on Corey Perry. He can do some damage. So can the Ducks.

[Ted Bauer will be covering the NHL playoffs for us this year. You can find more of Ted's work at A Price Above Bip Roberts.]

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Satuday Morning NHL Roundup

Posted on Sat Apr 28, 2007 at 09:45:03 AM EST in NHL
More on: Canucks, Ducks, Rangers, Sabres, NHL Playoffs, NHL (all tags)

Canucks 2, Ducks 1 Here's an interesting piece of irony: one of the guest bloggers for the NHL playoffs over at their website is the band Emerson Drive. Ironic, you say? But why? Their most notable single is "I Should be Sleeping," which pretty much summarizes every game the Canucks play this postseason. No, no - they're not boring. Rather, they start late (I mean, it is the Pacific Northwest) and they end even later. They went 4 OT with the Stars already these playoffs, and last night, they went 2 OT with the Ducks before winning to even the series. We assume Luongo is hitting the bottle pretty hard these days, nerves shaking and all. That water bottle atop the goal might just have a smidge of Irish Coffee in there.

Sabres 3, Rangers 2 In Buffalo's City Hall, there's a poster showing some magazine survey that ranked Buffalo "one of the 20 best American cities" (I have no idea what magazine would justifiably print that). Next to it, there's a poster the Mayor put in there himself. It shows two pictures: Lord Stanley and the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Under it, it reads, "Need these." Indeed they do. They're another step closer - to a rematch with their arch nemesis Senators, nonetheless. Lindy Ruff has the boxing gloves ready.

[Ted Bauer will be covering the NHL playoffs for us this year. You can find more of Ted's work at A Price Above Bip Roberts.]

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Odds and Ends: Watch out for the crackers!

Posted on Thu Apr 12, 2007 at 04:28:28 PM EST in NFL
More on: Canucks, Stars, NHL, Cowboys, Stu Scott, Odds and Ends (all tags)

Endorsement deal coming up

Vancouver Canuck Brent Sopel enters the stupid injury hall of fame after he got a back spasm while bending down to pick up a cracker. He missed the morning practice and the epic 4 OT game last night between the Canucks and the Stars. That's gotta be the weakest injury since Marty Cordova missed a game because he spent too much time under a tanning bed.

What? Were you expecting a Chris Rock joke?

In other news...

[AOL Sports]: Jason Whitlock: "I'm calling for Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, the president and vice president of Black America, to step down."

[Sports by Brooks]: So that's what Elizabeth Shue has been up to

[Flash Warner]: Would it really make a difference if the Raiders had an easy schedule?

[AOL Fanhouse]: Super-Gangsta Stu Scott says calling a woman a Ho is "affectionate". And when we call Stu a douchebag, it's a term of endearment.

[Egotastic]: Will Ferrell + Jenna Fischer in a corset = awesome. (via Mr. Irrelevant)

And finally, two different takes on Drew Bledsoe's retirement. This one is nice. This one is just mean.

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March 8 in sports history: Ali goes down!

Posted on Thu Mar 08, 2007 at 09:12:21 AM EST in Other Sports
More on: Muhammed Ali, Joe Frazier, boxing, sports history, Todd Bertuzzi, Canucks, Avalanche, NHL (all tags)

In 1971: Joe Frazier handed Muhammed Ali his first professional defeat in a 15 round decision at Madison Square Garden. It was the first of three classic matches between the rivals, and it was the first time in history that a fight featured two undefeated champs (Ali was stripped of his title for refusing to go to Vietnam). It was simply dubbed "The Fight of the Century." It lived up to its billing, as the two battled into the fifteenth round. Referee Al Mercante later claimed that Ali (who predicted he would knock Frazier out in the sixth) gave away many rounds. Most who watched, however, found that it was hard for Ali to "give away" rounds when he was being mercilessly pounded in the corner by Frazier, who sent Ali to the canvas in the fifteenth. Ali survived the knockout, but Frazier won comfortably on all three cards. The fight was one of the most hyped events in sports history, with over 700 press credentials awarded (and another 500 turned down). There were even some celebrities who couldn't get good seats, but Frank Sinatra smartly got the best seat in the house, snapping pictures on the ringside apron as a photographer for Life Magazine.

In 2004: The National Hockey League officially erased any doubts about its "The U.S. media only talks about hockey when something bad happens" status with one of its ugliest incidents in years. Wanting revenge for a hit by the Colorado Avalanche's Steve Moore which knocked out star player Markus Naslund three weeks before, Vancouver Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi came up to Moore from behind and punched him on the side of the head. Moore was knocked out immediately, and he fell face first to the ice. It didn't help that all 245 lbs. of Bertuzzi fell right on top of him. It didn't help any more when three other players piled on top of them. Moore suffered a broken neck, a concussion and severe lacerations on his face. Three days later, Bertuzzi was suspended for the rest of the season (including the playoffs) and would not be reinstated until after the lockout in 2005. The atmosphere in Vancouver's GM Place was ugly that night, as the Canucks vowed to get even with Moore (who did fight earlier in the game). But, as Rogers Sportsnet announcer Jim Hughson said, "the score settling has gone too far." Bertuzzi later plead guilty to assault and received probation. Moore has also attempted to sue Bertuzzi for over $15 million in lost wages and damages and has still not played a game since.

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