Total Eclipse of the Splash

 

Adam Valenti is an undersized forward from the University of Michigan lately, and Toronto originally. He was picked with the 96th overall selection in the draft, and the Mammoth wanted their fans to learn more about the young prospect. You might think that this was a photo shoot at the draft, but now, those aren't generic NHL jerseys. Those are prototypes for Utah's coming third jersey.

Ottawa on my mind

If you are paying attention to the NHL Offseason at all, you are aware that the Ottawa Senators have been busy. Their most notable move was sending Brady Tkachuk to Florida, because that is where Tkachuks naturally end up. The second move, big, though with fewer draft picks involved, saw the Senators acquire William Eklund from San Jose. That's nice. 

It is also the transaction that caught my attention the most. Eklund rejoins former teammate Fabian Zetterlund, not only a former Shark teammate, but long time friend of Eklund, to the point that they are even sauna buddies. As Scandinavians, there is no greater symbol of friendship.

Also, Eklund has played with former Senator Mikael Zibanejad in Sweden. That's Christian Eklund, though, William's father. That's right, just like the Tkachuks, the Eklunds are hockey dynasties! William even has a brother that was recently drafted (by the Islanders). 

Hockey is one big family, and increasingly, that is a very literal meaning. 

Is this just a French/English thing?

 In case you haven't figured it out by now, I'm an American. I have a great love for Canada for a lot of different reasons, and i like to keep tabs on the country - not in a creepy way, I swear - and I follow Canadian news and opinion and whatnot. But I'm not Canadian, despite how much we all think Minnesota should be Canada. So I can't access a bit of knowledge that I think I might understand if I was born a little further north. 

How was the rise of the Montreal Canadiens so quiet? We've been waiting on the Oilers to win the Cup, for the Maple Leafs to get anywhere in the postseason, but the Habs rose and fell and rose again soff the radar. 

The Leafs certainly take up a lot of the oxygen in coverage, but why do I know that the Jets were a disappointment this year and the Senators were a pleasant surprise? And yet the Canadiens made the Cup Final in the pandemic year, then plummeted to the bottom of the East and are now back in the Conference Final. They are going to lose, but the trajectory is strong!

Montreal seems like the type of place even Canadians would make fun of. Out of envy, in a lot of cases. It has an air about it, given it's close ties with continental Europe. Every time I see a picture of central Montreal, I can forget it's closer to me than New York City. Quebec is so much more French than, say, Louisiana, which is French-ish, by comparison. And people tease what is different. And yet, I just don't hear the jibes about the Habs like I do about other Canadian teams. 

I've heard all about Winnipeg coming back around, and then falling on their face this year, but maybe that is because the Jets are in the same division as the Wild. Similar as to why the Canucks are on my radar - they made a huge trade with Minnesota this year, so I knew all about how bad they have foundered. But why am I so in tune with the Flames and Senators? It's not just a broad Canadian bias from the American side of it. And the best NHL Media is Canadian anyway. And the Canadiens are an Original Six team. That should be sacrosanct, top of the page coverage, right?

Montreal made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in the weird Covid season of 20-21, and then were out of the playoffs until last year. Now, they made it to the Eastern Conference Final on the backs of a group of players not getting the attention they deserve. Has Nick Suzuki always been this good? I still know more about Juraj Slafkovsky because of the 2022 Olympics than his time in the NHL.

It looks like their road is almost over this year, but I will pay closer attention to the Habs next year. I should have been paying attention this whole time. 

During the writing of this post, we learned of the passing of former Canadiens great Claude Lemieux. Condolences to those who knew and loved him.

Total Eclipse of the Splash

 

The Blue Jackets have this image in my brain of this young expansion team still trying to figure it out. In truth, the Blue Jackets have existed longer than the Minnesota North Stars did. And the history is tortured, not only on the ice, but especially off the ice. Not enough compassion is given to our friends in central Ohio. RIP to Bill Davidge, somehow the "long time" broadcaster of the Blue Jackets. 

Total Eclipse of the Splash

  

It all comes down to this. One game for an entire, hockey rich land to hang on and keep their hope alive. Hope to etch their names on the Cup, just like so many that waved their flag before. Or just like that, it could be over. After the the Lightning and Habs finish game 7 in Tampa tonight, a place that everyone associates with hockey success could be done in the first round, with no more representation until next October.

Yes, it sure is strange to think that we might not have a team from Florida in the Playoffs after tonight. 

Total Eclipse of the Splash

 

One thing I can tell you for sure is that team web sites aren't unbiased news sources. The main headline is the preview for their homestand opener against the Wild. Sure, I guess that is fine. Until you realize this game was already played, and it ended as a heartbreaker for Detroit. 

Maybe everyone is off for Easter. 

The Canucks are probably going to be all right, right?

 

I would argue that despite the records, and the Blues victory over Vancouver, they are the team on a worse trajectory than the Canucks, given that Vancouver had assets that they moved for very good talent, play in a thriving NHL market and aren't obviously cursed. 

But man, it's hard to look at that picture of Elias Petterson hunched over his awkwardly angled stick, with the puck starting to get get away from him already and think "yeah, everything is going to be all right there."