Final Scores and Standings, June 10

Hawks win, and I don't even have to check today's scores to know that #31 is your new Playoff Pool champion.

Last night was a hell of a great game, made less so because of the deplorably bad officiating.
Michael Leighton is a sieve, just like every other Philly goaltender since Ron Hextall.
It's so good to see an original six team win the cup, especially the Blackhawks. They've had a rough ride with bad ownership and bad management. I hope the fans enjoy this--they've certainly been through enough to make this one very sweet.
STFU, Jeremy Roenick. This is THEIR moment, not yours.
Dan Patrick: just...go away.

Next up: The draft, and the wonderful trades that come along with it.
And don't despair: We'll bring you the second installment of the KK awards throughout the summer.




1. #31: 133 (130)
F. Patrick Sharp (CHI) G,W=3
F. Brian Gionta (MON)
F. Henrik Sedin (VAN)
D. Sergei Gonchar (PIT)
D. Tyler Myers (BUF)
G. Ilya Bryzgalov/Coyotes (PHO)
Total: 3

2. P-Stone: 114 (109)
F. Patrick Kane (CHI) G, 2A, W=5
F. Zach Parise (NJ)
F. Alex Semin (WAS)
D. Dan Boyle (SJ)
D. Christian Ehrhoff (VAN)
G. MA Fleury/Pittsburgh (PIT)
Total: 5

3. Capt. Sparrow: 108 (106)
D. Duncan Keith (CHI) A,W=2
F. Pavel Datsyuk (DET)
F. Henrik Zetterberg (DET)
F. Ilya Kovalchuk (NJ)
D. Drew Doughty (LAK)
G. Martin Brodeur/New Jersey (NJ)
Total: 2

4. Geoff: 89 (89)
F. Evgeni Malkin (PIT)
F. Alex Ovechkin (WAS)
F. Johan Franzen (DET)
D. Rob Blake (SJ)
D. Mike Green (WAS)
G. Ryan Miller/Sabres (BUF)
Total: 0

4. BoK: 89 (89)
F. Sidney Crosby (PIT)
F. Nicklas Backstrom (WAS)
F. Derek Roy (BUF)
D. Alexander Edler (VAN)
D. Nicklas Lidstrom (DET)
G. Simeon Varlamov/Capitals (WAS)
Total: 0

The draft: official page

Here are your final rosters.


1. Geoff:
F. Alex Ovechkin (WAS)
F. Evgeni Malkin (PIT)
G. Ryan Miller/Sabres (BUF)
F. Johan Franzen (DET)
D. Mike Green (WAS)
D. Rob Blake (SJ)

2. BoK:
F. Sidney Crosby (PIT)
F. Derek Roy (BUF)
D. Nik Lidstrom (DET)
G. Jose Theodore/Capitals (WAS)
F. Nicklas Backstrom (WAS)
D. Alexander Edler (VAN)

3. Capt. Sparrow
F. Pavel Datsyuk (DET)
F. Henrik Zetterberg (DET)
F. Ilya Kovalchuk (NJ)
G. Martin Brodeur/New Jersey (NJ)
D. Duncan Keith (CHI)
D. Drew Doughty (LAK)

4. #31
F. Henrik Sedin (VAN)
F. Patrick Sharp (CHI)
D. Tyler Myers (BUF)
G. Ilya Bryzgalov/Coyotes (PHO)
D. Sergei Gonchar (PIT)
F. Brian Gionta (MON)

5. P-Stone
F. Patrick Kane (CHI)
F. Zach Parise (NJ)
F. Alex Semin (WAS)
G. MA Fleury/Pittsburgh (PIT)
D. Dan Boyle (SJ)
D. Christian Ehrhoff (VAN)

Playoff Pool: draft order

Bride of Kovalev drew names out of a hat this morning, and I am pleased to announce the seedings for this year's playoff pool draft.

1. Team Mom and Dad (They're still being adamant about not participating, but I thought I would offer them one more chance.)

2. Me

3. BoK

4. Capt. Sparrow

5. #31

6. P-Stone, fresh off the IR


Draft is "There and back again": we go 1,2,3,4,5,6,6,5,4,3,2,1, and so on.


Goals are still worth 2 points, Assists worth 1, Wins are worth 1 point. And of course, Shutouts are worth an extra 2
We're drafting three forwards, two d-men, and one goaltending team.

There has always been some controversy surrounding goalies. Capt. Sparrow had a good idea that we draft TEAM goalies. So instead of taking just one guy, you would instead pick all the team;s goalies. So your goaltending roster spot will be a team name, rather than an individual player.

Make sense? Good.

Some more rules about goalies: a win is worth 1 point, and a shutout gets you an extra 2. So for goalies, a shutout win is worth THREE points. And if your goalie goes to OT tied at zero and loses; sorry, no points at all. The game was not finished until the winning goal was scored, and the goalie did not finish the game with a shutout.

Suspensions: if your player is suspended, he earns NO points if his team wins during that suspension.

Injuries: players still earn points for team wins.

Benched: your player still earns points for his team wins.

And now, a message from Mother of Kovalev:

Am assuming you are meaning me as Mother of Kovalev but am reminding you that if great Russian biologists are correct, mother of kousin is aunt of Kovalev so disappointment is showing from me in son’s lack of understandingness of scientifical principle. Also am requiring kousin of Kovalev to understand unfortunateness of not being able to stay awake for viewing of hockey contests due to tiredness and agedness and job—oh boy don’t even ask. Ignorance of players and records causing major handicap in pool-ish activities, not wanting to be laughingstock, am choosing to yield to those with more up-to-dateness. Is not for lack of caring, is hoo-boy just ignorantness.

One more thing I am saying—eat, eat, you’re too thin anyway.

Love, Mama

Get in the Pool!

OK folks, you know what time it is. Time for the annual KK's playoff pool. Yes, BoK has still not received her prize from last year (unless you count another year of blissful matrimony), but no matter. P-Stone can tell you about the awesome prizes that await the lucky winner. PM me or reply in the comments, it matters not.

Father of Kovalev and Mother of Kovalev are being poopy-heads again this year, claiming they're just too darn busy to draft six players and watch the standings unfold. Hey, if it's important, you make time.

Oh well. I expect the usual suspects to participate this year. I might also make room for a celebrity guest or two.

The draft will begin promptly next monday morning. Seedings and rules to be announced later.

Dunder Mifflin Canadiens interoffice memo:

To: Jacques Martin/Michael Scott
From: Carey Price
RE: your comments to Habsinsideout: "I respect the fans. They pay good dollars to be entertained and they have a right to an opinion. As a professional athlete, or a coach, you have to work within the framework. Sure I'd like to see better results (for Price), as he would. At the same time, I can't say we lost the game because of him."


Dear coach: Thanks for the vote of confidence. I too would like to see better results. Please to start actually coaching the team when I'm playing in the future.
Sincerely,
Carey

Hockey Talk

To increase everyone's hockey knowledge, here's a word definition:

shark tank

-noun
1. The annual event in which the San Jose Sharks (NHL team), after a great regular season, lose in the first or second round of the playoffs. Usually accompanied by horrendous goaltending, lack of scoring, and each teammate playing far below his abilities. See also: overrated.

2. Informal. The arena where the San Jose Sharks play, accurately called the HP Pavilion at San Jose.

Don't even bother

See the previous post for reasons why the Habs don't deserve Carey Price, or any good goalie.

What the Canadiens need to do now is to start Price for the rest of the season, lose every single one of those games despite his sensational play, and hope for a higher draft pick.
Cause the Habs sure as hell ain't beating anyone they'll be seeded against in the playoffs.

What bothers me most about this is, if the Habs had been playing Price from the Olympic break onwards, they would be in prime contention for a lotto pick against the Leafs or the Panthers (given that they flat-out refuse to win a single goddamned game when Price is playing). Instead, we fins ourselves in the all-too familiar territory of hovering around 8th place. They're not very good, and they don't flat out suck. And if you don't think the Habs are rebuilding, you're nuts. At least the Leafs are finally developing a clue that they've been rebuilding ever since 2003.

I live in Virginia, and while hockey sure isn't the most popular sport, the Caps have always been entertaining, and are attracting a lot of fans to the sport. This morning I was shocked to realize that since 1998, Washington has been to the Stanley Cup Finals, rebuilt, rebuilt again, and is now poised to make another deep Cup run.
Compare that to Montreal: since 1993, they have won the Cup, rebuilt, rebuilt again, rebuilt again, won the division ONCE, and is rebuilding again.
Before last year, Pittsburgh last won the Cup in 1992. Montreal will not even match the Penguins brand of "success" the way they're going.

No, it looks like Montreal is set for a Detroit or New York style drought for years to come. It's not getting better, and the real problem is, it's not getting worse either. Only when teams fall to the bottom does it seem they can really rise to the top again. And Montreal is content to keep a lukewarm record. So strap yourselves in for a lot of long, cold winters of mediocrity, Habs fans.
But, there is a glimmer of hope: if they keep Carey Price and play him as the bona fide starter next year, we can be assured of a last-place finish. Then the rebuilding can really start.