Steve Reinprecht (pictured, right) celebrates with Adam Foote (left) after scoring in the Avs' 4-0 win over the Kings.


Second-period flurry helps Avalanche top Kings in Game 7 April 29, 2002

DENVER -- Patrick Roy proved again why he's considered the best big-game goalie in the NHL.

Roy stopped 23 shots and Colorado scored three goals in the second period as the Avalanche beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-0 on Monday night in a Game 7 rematch of last year.

"It's all about emotions in the playoffs and there is a guy, when it's up and down, he's always in control," said Colorado defenseman Adam Foote, who scored an empty-net goal with 3:13 left.

Aww, nice save, Adam. Nice goal too. But we know the real reason that Roy won. We know the real reason Ray wasn't sitting at the ESPN sports desk teasing Barry about cutting off The Mullet.

Oh yes we do and I think the announcers gave it away near the beginning of the second period:

"Patrick Roy, who normally likes to play that position on his knees..."

That's right... Ray was in Colorado last night. I was home in time for face off, and Patty's one true love was in the stands.

It made for a grrrrreat game 7.

AuKestrel: BARRY CUT HIS MULLET!!!!!!!!
ceekane: OH MAN!
ceekane: NO!
AuKestrel: OH MY GOD!
ceekane: it's the end of an era, man
AuKestrel: OH MY GOD!
ceekane: holy shit!
ceekane: but more importantly, is Ray with him?
AuKestrel: No
ceekane: hmmm
AuKestrel: I HOPE Ray's in CO where he fuckin' beLONGs.
ceekane: inquiring minds want to know zee whereabout of Mssr. Bourque...
ceekane: gloryholing in the dressing room, eh
ceekane: "Hey, Pat, whatcha doin?"
AuKestrel: let's HOPE
ceekane: "Nozzing!! Go aWAY!!"
AuKestrel: keep hoping they'll show Ray on the Megatron...
AuKestrel: *G*
ceekane: hoo
ceekane: hands clasped to his chest with a mix of pride and longing....
ceekane: batting his eyelashes
ceekane: wish I was an artist, I have a perfect mental picture of Longing!Ray, with great big huge anime eyes
AuKestrel: Sucking!Ray...
ceekane: oh my
AuKestrel: "No, really, Patty, c'mon! Whatcha doin'?"
ceekane: "I say, NOZZING!"
ceekane: ::stage whisper:: "Unh. Ah, oui, Raymond, oui, deepair..."
ceekane: "Ooh, Raymond... Oui, c'est si bon, c'est si... chaud... Ah..."
AuKestrel: "PATTY! C'MON!"
ceekane: <- laughing too hard to translate
ceekane: "Si doux, mon cher, c'est parfait, oui, droite la... droite.... la..."
AuKestrel: "INTERMISSION'S OVER! Jesus, Adam, will you go fucking get the fuckin' goaltender?"
ceekane: "Uh uh uh... la, la... LA.... ahhhhhhh."
ceekane: (you know we're going to hell, right?)
AuKestrel: (yeah yeah yeah)

Avs 4, LA 0 (yes, I was home in time for face off)

And Adam got an empty net goal!

You want respect, Andy Murray? You gotta earn it, eh. Ha!

sigh...

VANCOUVER 0, DETROIT 4
BOSTON 5, MONTREAL 2
CHICAGO 3, ST. LOUIS 5
LOS ANGELES 1, COLORADO 0 (OT)

See what happens when I'm not home in time for face-off?

NHL
CAROLINA 3, NEW JERSEY 2 OT
NY ISLANDERS 4, TORONTO 3
OTTAWA 3, PHILADELPHIA 0
SAN JOSE 2, PHOENIX 1

Not a thug, eh. Appearances are deceiving. Allison hit him first. Twice.


Just because.

Deadmarsh left the game in the first 15 seconds of the third period. He smacked helmet-first into the boards while chasing Colorado's Adam Foote, whose left leg also got in Deadmarsh's way.

Well, that's one way to put it. How about "The goon was putting some serious hits on Adam (15 in the first period) and this time Adam got out of the way first and he went down!"

Ha.

Boston@ 3
Montreal 5 (Montreal leads series 2-1)

Carolina@ 1
New Jersey 3 (series tied 2-2)

Toronto@ 1
NY Islanders 6 (Toronto leads series 2-1)

St. Louis@ 1
Chicago 0 (St. Louis leads series 3-1)

Colorado@ 1
Los Angeles 0 (Colorado leads series 3-1)

Detroit@ 4
Vancouver 2 (Series tied 2-2)

Well, the good news is the Sharks beat the Corndogs...

SENATORS 3, FLYERS 0
KINGS 3, AVS 1
SHARKS 4, COYOTES 1

And Roy seems to be developing a sense of humour:

> From: AuKestrel
> Date: Sat, 20 Apr 2002 17:58:26 -0400
> To: C K
> Subject: Aww...
>
> They just showed a shot of Roy after the game, the camera on him, and he must
> have known it because he didn't even crack a grin, but he... winked. Solemnly.
> It was cute.
>
> A

So I'm googling for the original owner of the Nordiques and I come across this. Pretty cool.

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE - ORIGINS of NHL TEAM NAMES (team-by-team breakdown)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anaheim Mighty Ducks - Disney CEO Michael Eisner named the team after the hit Disney movie "The Mighty Ducks".
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Boston Bruins - Businessman Charles Adams wanted his new franchise to have brown and yellow team colors to match his stores as well as a name equated with strength and power. A fan named the team in a contest.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Buffalo Sabres - The management held a contest and chose Sabres. Team officials wanted a fresh new name not being used in the pros, and something other than buffalo/bison variations.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Calgary Flames - Given to the team when it was in Atlanta to commemorate the burning of the city in the Civil War. When the team moved to Calgary, management held a contest/vote, and the fans chose to keep the Flames name, which also relates to Alberta's petroleum industry.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Blackhawks - Original owner Frederic McLaughlin named the team in honor of the Black Hawk Battalion he served with in WWI. The unit was named after a Chief Black Hawk. The name was merged to Blackhawks several years ago.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dallas Stars - Dallas is in Texas, the Lone STAR state. Also, when the team was in Minnesota, hockey fans chose the Minnesota state motto "Etoile du Nord" (Star of the North).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Detroit Red Wings - Then team president James Norris named it in honor of a team he had played with - the Montreal Winged Wheelers. The logo was perfect for the Motor City.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edmonton Oilers - The management held a contest and chose Oilers, reflecting the importance of the oil industry. They kept the name when it moved from the World Hockey Association (WHA) to the National Hockey League.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Florida Panthers - H. Wayne Huizenaga wanted to draw attention to the panther, an endangered native wildcat of Florida.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hartford Whalers - When originally in the WHA, club was named New England Whalers for two reasons: (1) Massachusetts seaport towns connected to whaling; (2) the name had WHA in it (WHAlers). Name later changed to Hartford Whalers. [Now Carolina Hurricanes]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Los Angeles Kings - Two possible reasons: (1) The management held a contest and chose the name; (2) Jack Kent Cooke named them the Kings via executive decision, giving no specific reason.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Montreal Canadiens Representing the nationality of the players on the team. Originally, the team had only French Canadian players.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Jersey Devils - Comes from a legend: a witch allegedly gave birth to a demon known as "Jersey Devil" in 1735. The Jersey Devil was alleged to be a half-man, half-beast that stalked N.J.'s Pine Barrens or the area surrounding Lake Hopatcong for 250 years, causing fear and terror and basically mutilating his victims in an extreme display of guts and gore. Others say the Devil was the 13th child of Mother Leeds, jinxed by gypsies. [aka the Swamp Goblins]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New York Islanders - The team is based in Uniondale, Long Island, N.Y.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New York Rangers - MSG President Tex Rickard's team unofficially known as Tex's Rangers (a play on Texas Rangers police), but Rangers was the official name.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ottawa Senators - In honor of old Ottawa Senators hockey team that won 6 Stanley Cups. Originally: as Canada's capital, the nickname for 1901 amateur team.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Philadelphia Flyers - After 25,000 entries, a committee chose Flyers, although the winning entry by a kid was spelled Fliers, because it went phonetically with Philadelphia.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pittsburgh Penguins - The management held a contest and chose Penguins, partly because the team is in PENnsylvania.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quebec Nordiques - Committee named them Nordiques (then in the WHA) because they were the northernmost team in pro hockey at 52 degrees North, 72 degrees West. [now the Colorado Avalanche]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
St. Louis Blues - Then owner Sid Salamon, Jr., drew inspiration from the famous song by W.C. Handy.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
San Jose Sharks - Out of 5,000 entries, officials picked Sharks. 7 varieties in Pacific Ocean, several shark research facilities in area. One part of Bay Area is known as Red Triangle due to its shark population.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tampa Bay Lightning - Tampa Bay is the lightning capital of the world.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toronto Maple Leafs - Two possible reasons: (1) Then owner Conn Smythe drew inspiration from an old Toronto team called the East Maple Leaves; (2) when Conn Smythe bought the Toronto St. Patricks, his first act was to rename the team after the Maple Leaf Regiment of the First World War, as well as for the maple leaf on the Canadian flag. Originally, the team was known as the Arenas, then renamed St. Patricks, supposedly to attract the Irish.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vancouver Canucks - The nickname was taken from a Canadian folk hero. The legend says that Johnny Canuck was a great logger, and was a skater and a hockey player in his spare time.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Washington Capitals - Washington, D.C. is the capital of the U.S.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Winnipeg Jets - Then owner Ben Hatskin asked his pal Sonny Werblin, then owner of the National Football League's New York Jets, for permission. [now the Phoenix Coyotes]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Casey NJ: Ray, Congrats on your career. Great seeing you alongside Barry in the booth too. In your opinion, who is the most fiery competitor in the playoffs you have ever played with or against.
Ray Bourque: (3:51 PM ET ) I've got to say Patrick Roy. He's a major competitor -- he wants to win every game and he wants to play perfect all the time. He's a very emotional guy. You see it just by how he plays.

Okay, am I just stupid or does anyone else see anything wrong with *this* picture:
(Hint: read the very last line first...)

"He (Cole) was awesome," Brodeur said. "He went head-to-head with Scotty the whole time and that's not an easy thing to do.
He was able to do great things out there. He's got a lot of speed, good size and doesn't look like he's afraid to go on the big guy's side out there." [kudos to Brodeur, too, btw, for being so generous - I knew I liked him.]
With 6:30 left in the third, Battaglia received a pass from Cole, who was behind Brodeur's net. Battaglia fired a shot from just above the crease that bounced off the left goalpost and into the corner.
Sykora had a chance to score from the slot with 90 seconds left in the third, but Irbe got his left arm on it to deny him.
"To tell you the truth, I just wanted to get it to the net and make the best of my chance," Sykora said. "He made a great save on me and maybe that was the difference in the game."
Carolina, which has won just one playoff series since joining the league as the Hartford Whalers for the 1979-80 season, has not won the first two games of a series since 1987. The Whalers proceeded to drop the next four games to the Quebec Nordiques and lose the series.
Even though the Hurricanes have a two-game lead, they are anything but overconfident.
"That's the New Jersey Devils over there," Cole said. "You can't count them out at all, that's for sure. It's only going to get tougher for us."
The Devils have managed just one goal in each of the first two games.
"You know, I don't know if we've ever been in this situation before, but we have to pick up our scoring," Sykora said. "We cannot be happy with just one goal. We need to go back home and get things going and come back here 2-2."
The Hurricanes were without the services of defenseman David Tanabe, who suffered a broken right wrist in Game One. The 21-year old native of Minnesota was checked into the boards awkwardly by New Jersey's Jay Pandolfo and is expected to miss three weeks.
Veteran defenseman Glen Wesley played his first game for Carolina since suffering a separated right shoulder in the Hurricanes' final regular season matchup with New Jersey on April 3. Wesley declared himself fit to play in Game One, but Maurice held him back.
"We want to be careful," Maurice said. "It would be, for his luck, that the first game back would go into overtime for him.
(I'm) surprised it didn't go two or three periods more for him, but he should be fine."
Nieuwendyk returned to the Devils' lineup after missing Game One with a stomach virus while Sykora was held out with a bruised right ankle.


D'you think they mean Elias had a chance to score from the slot with 90 seconds left?

You gotta wonder if they're *that* inseparable to the sports writers...

Man, I think the Avs ought to be looking at Irbe. And I was reminded why I love playoff hockey so when one of his teammates grabbed Bates Battaglia around the waist and hoisted him, literally, screaming and arms and legs waving, into the air. It was so cool.

Guess Coll and Rowan will have words on That MotherFUCKING Waste of Space in Front of the Net in Detroit, but kudos to Van for not getting cocky or rattled.

snark alert

from NHL.com:
Not having some of their snipers on the bench hurt the Devils in the finishing department. Just because you have more shots on goal than your opponent doesn't mean anything when you don't win the game. New Jersey found that out the hard way Wednesday night when they were forced to go without Joe Nieuwendyk (flu), Petr Sykora (foot) and Stephane Richer (bruised foot). Add to that list Scott Gomez, who's been out since April 1 with broken hand and you can see why the Devs had trouble filling the net.

Why's Gomez worried about his hand? You don't kick the puck with your HAND, Scotty!

ISLES 1, TORONTO 3
HABS 5, BRUINS 2
BLACKHAWKS 2, BLUES 1
AVALANCHE 4, KINGS 3

Go, Avs! Go, Hawks!

Habs was a hell of a game, too, but the Hawks had me biting my nails.

You know you're in trouble, Toronto, when you have to depend on Domi for goals...

cee: Okay, so Ray's analysing the playoffs with Barry M
auk: hee!
cee: looking very slick in a black suit, which is not Gucci but we'll forgive him
auk: yeah cause he's Ray eh
cee: and wearing more hairgel than I think I've ever seen... someone needs cut off his supply of Brylcream
cee: put the Brylcream DOWN, Ray, if we start washing today, we might get all that crap out of your hair by the finals...
auk: *g*
auk: did he mention, uh...
cee: anyway, so Barry says, he says, "Wouldn't it be weird for you if it came down to Colorado and Boston?"
auk: ..cause if he doesn't mention, uh...
cee: and Ray says, he says, "That would be a great series. I don't lose either way."
cee: and Barry says, "Can't win either way, is more like it"
auk: oh ho ho, Bair-REE, yu du not know vhat I know...
cee: and Ray says, he says, "Well, Boston's doing great things, they've come a long way, and I'd be real proud of 'em. But Colorado's got one thing they don't, you know, and that's Patrick Roy."
auk: 'f mah goaltendair ami wins, eh, Ah will hev a man on his knees prrrrrrraising me to the skies... between licks.
auk: OH!!!!
auk: HOO!!!
auk: Wuv, twue wuv...
cee: Ray does not have an accent anymore
auk: well he does when he's thknkng about St Patrick on his knees, eh.
cee: hee
cee: how do I send you a file?
auk: uh I dont know in Windows
auk: right click somewhere and see what it does...
auk: sg01? if this is a stargate file I'll hurt you..
cee: for, like, inspiration, eh
auk: oh. Ho ho ho. [Seth Green pic]
auk: I think my inner Mark just sat up and went "woof!"
auk: OhMyGod!
cee: I thought it might
auk: Van just won, Henrik Sedin
cee: fuckin' Weasley
auk: FUCKIN' weasley eh
cee: well, there goes that sweep I had planned
auk: sokay hon. They'll put Legace in net...
cee: snerk
cee: what they need is... dunno, a Gretzky pep talk or something. stop playin' like fuckin' idiots, eh
cee: So, Fuckberg's back tomorrow night
cee: look at this picture, they look like they're holding hands crossing the street like in Madeline
auk: LOL!
auk: is Philly still on?
cee: dunno
auk: make me pick up the remote eh...
cee: philly won in OT
cee: Fedotenko
auk: tyk!
cee: go Phlyers go Phlyers
cee: and JR DID come back in the 3rd, and got hisself a penalty while he was at it
cee:
Roy rambles ad nauseum about Ray in the Philadelphia Inquirer
auk: That has to go in the blog... along with the Ray quotes...
auk: clearly his affection is returned...
cee: oh yeah
cee: on ESPN2, no less
auk: I bet Roy is just fucking SAILING tonight.
auk: His beloved idol said NICE things about him on NATIONAL TV...
cee: "Ray spoke of me well!"

Heh heh heh. JR hockey - have to admit my opinion of him went up. I guess Phlyers could go all the way. And Irbe was fuckin' on last night - poor Devils don't have a chance against netminders with forcefields...

But the Sharks beat the Corndogs! I'm supremely happy!

Recap:
VAN 4, DET 3 (OT)
Beth noted a nascent romance in chat last night: DET, Chelios (Roughing), 6:44; VAN, Bertuzzi (Roughing), 6:44. The course of true love...
OTT 0, PHI 1 (OT)
NJ 1, CAR 2
PHX 1, SJ 2

Okay, guys, so who is it in the first round? C'mon...

I'll open with the Western Conference:

Avs, 'cause they have Adam
Wings, 'cause they have ZombieBoy, Shanny, and Stevie (although Cloutier might make a fool outta that Fuckin' Waste of Space in Front of the Net (tm))
I plump for the Hawks 'cause I think Thibault's gotten a bad rap this year - Hawks've had a hell of a year, eh.
And San Jose 'cause I hate the fuckin' Corndogs!

Well, I didn't *buy* anything but it *was* cool, eh, r. Cooler than trying to pick up Angel where I left off before the hockey season got underway... ::snerk::

I've discovered three playoff fantasy hockey sites. Sportsnet.ca is doing a "shootout," faceoff.com has one similar to their regular season game, and The Sporting News/Bench Boss has one similar to *their* regular season (this last one is NOT free, it's $9.95 and you get 30 million to build a small team of two wings, a centre, two D, and one goalie - and lemme tell you, 30mil is NOT enough money, considering who all is *in* the playoffs and therefore who might reasonably be expected to have a shot at it).

aukestrel.com email continues to be down, can't really say when it will be back up, although they said 24-48 hours.

I'm sooorry! It's the damned fish. I have a catfish who mutters to his rocks the way Roy mutters to his pipes, who swallows neon tetras in a single gulp, who is, in short, a murderous insane bowl haircut catfish.
Between him and the bobbleheads, I'm just deeply depressed.

Watching the Avs struggle for second seed isn't helping. Grr. How bad is it when I'm actively rooting for the Blues?

I'll second the Tkeith Tknomination, eh, 'cause he looks like Mark.
OHyeah.

Shaddup! Just... just...

It's that damned announcer playing with his bobblehead Adam and Bertuzzi, I'm telling you. It took all the heart out of the Avs. How can you take a game seriously when a grown man is making bobbleheads talk to each other, with voices and bobbles and everything?

I ask you.

So all I really have to say is - "Go Bluejackets!"

MINNESOTA 3, SAN JOSE 1

That's what I'm talkin' about!

(That leaves the Avs still holding onto 2nd seed, so Go Wild!)

I can't like the Stars either. Belfour is a puck kicker and you gotta be a pretty big asshole to be a puck kicking netminder, eh.

You know what? I have to go back to work tomorrow with a 72+ hr migraine... and I don't care. 'Cause the Avs won tonight! Beat the Blues, 4-2, with a last second empty net goal by Mighty Joe to top it all off! Roy gave Aebischer the sweetest little pep talk in the last thirty seconds, eh. Wonder what he said..."I tell you vhat the grrrreatest defenceman to evair play ze game told to me..."

AND to top it off the fucking Ducks are beating Dallas 2-1 going into the third. Hoo-ah!

Mystery du jour: tonight Adam had an A and Keane had an A, and Blake didn't. What, are Blake and Adam trading off? Does it depend on whose jersey came back from the cleaners with the A?

Greg de Vries is the smartest man in hockey. Look what he says. More importantly, look who he drinks with.

"We are playing," de Vries announced to fellow Colorado Avalanche defensemen Rob Blake and Adam Foote, "with the greatest goalie who ever lived."

Admittedly, the hour was late and the tab was open. But still. Thank you, Sports Illustrated, for a feature article on Insane Bowl Haircut Montreal Chainsaw Massacre Goalie, and thank you, Greg, for taking up Ray Bourque's banner.

I was too disgusted by Adam's gratuitous suspension (unless he's serving Roy's in which case that's marginally better) to even watch the game last night - which they better fucking well have won, it being the Predators and all - so I'll concur, this morning, with realitycek: Go, Habs!

And I guess Captain Puck Kicker deserves a grudging "Many happy returns of the day."