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."

Conferences done right

 I was watching college basketball today, and my son and I were chatting. I noted that we are getting to the end of the season, so now teams are playing a lot of tournaments. Next week, they are starting the national championship tournament. This week, they are playing conference tournaments. My son asked a fantastic question.

"What's a conference?"

In college basketball, that's pretty fuzzy these days. but something the NHL still seems to care about, perhaps to a fault. No more has that been evident than this season, particularly when looking at the Utah Mammoth and Minnesota Wild.

Before we dig into those, let's first talk about what is good about conferences. Familiarity breeds contempt. The rivalry factor makes the regular season a little bit spicier, rather than rote. Cross conference games are interesting, playing teams you don't get to see regularly. Of course there is also the cost containment of having the conferences geographically centered.  And then, the post season enflames all those things, emphasizing rivalry, allowing for fresher teams with reduced travel in the first couple of rounds.

This season, it looks like the playoff structure will cause results that appear unfaCir. I'm a Wild fan, the team most feel is getting slighted, but I don't feel that way. The Stanley Cup, one way or another, is likely to involve a path through Colorado or Dallas, maybe both. After that, allegedly, it should be a piece of cake. But really, if winning the Cup necessarily would involve beating those teams, why does it matter WHEN you play them?

This year is a one year fluke. Anything can happen when you reach the Playoff. Utah might have a clearer path to run deeper towards the Championship. but they haven't improved their odds of winning the Cup. I'm looking forward to an intense series with the Stars, maybe more than one with a team like the Ducks. Bring it on. 

Total Eclipse of the Splash

 

All of those kids are going to be up there in their white polos and khaki pants, thinking they are going to Nationwide to get a literal blue jacket. I'm not trying to make too many generalities, but I have to believe there isn't a huge "spelling prodigy/hockey fan from central Ohio" crossover demographic. A blue jacket would be a nice touch though.

Oh, and for whatever it's worth, Isac Lundestrom would be the toughest name to spell. A lot of strong phonetics on the roster, but the one A Isac would be a real curveball. 

A tame trade deadline

Lately, trade deadlines have been wild, with flurries of major deals that make analysts from TSN to TNT lose their minds. Nowhere has that been more evident than Raleigh, where in previous years trades for Mikko Rantanen (to and from Carolina) and Jake Guentzel. This year, just like the rest of the league, the action was more muted. In response, the trade deadline has been downgraded to a tropical storm.

(This is a meteorology deep cut. My apologies if you are now thinking about Quiznos)