Feeling Purple?

by Lisa Ovens

A funny thing happened to me Wednesday night during the third period of Game Four. It was still 0-0 on the scoreboard and I was hankering for a goal. So I tweeted, "Think I'll leave the room for a bit, in hopes it will encourage a goal to be scored." I went outside for a short walk. I walked back inside, and sure enough, not one, but two goals were scored! First the Devils broke the deadlock, and then a minute or so later, the Kings tied it up, creating a new deadlock. The Devils went on to score two more, winning the game 3-1. Then Phil Pritchard, the guy that has one of the coolest jobs ever, packed up Stanley and headed to the airport.Yes, I guess they brought the Cup out too soon (it was still o-o when they showed Cup curator, Pritchard putting it on a table somewhere in the bowels of Staples Center).

And speaking of Pritchard, who is also VP of the Hockey Hall of Fame, wouldn't this be the best contest ever...

Win the opportunity to be Phil Pritchard...

 and accompany the Stanley Cup on one of it's many journeys!!

Just another way the Hockey Hall of Fame could engage us. Anyway, Game Five takes place in New Jersey on Saturday June 9th...which seems so far away. I can imagine Kings fans will take this time to relax a bit. I can imagine everyone was on pins and needles right up until Wednesday night's game was out of reach. Hang in there, regal ones!

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Round Two TV Market Match Ups

 

By Lisa Ovens

You see, for diehard hockey fans recently bounced out of the playoffs because their team lost their first round series, wondering out loud about the size of TV Markets is a popular activity. I guess it helps mask the pain they are feeling after some of the epic oustings we witnessed during this year's Quarter Finals. So, they turn to the rankings of TV markets in order to decide which teams actually “deserve to still be playing” and in some cases; bolster their NHL Conspiracy theories arguments. However, many fans don’t actually look up the TV Market rankings.

When the Phoenix Coyotes eliminated the Chicago Blackhawks, and the Florida Panthers appeared to be in the driver's seats of their  first round series with the New Jersey Devils, many a fan jumped to a "Stanley Cup Final conclusion" featuring those two teams, and it wasn't pretty: plenty of these speculators felt the Coyotes and the Panthers don't deserve to be in the Finals. If they did check out the TV market rankings, they'd see the Coyotes are in the 12th largest market, and the Panthers reside in the 16th largest. That's not too bad! Yes, I did the research, and this is how the TV Markets are matching up in Round Two…

Let’s see, in the East we have Number One Seeded TV Market, the New York Rangers vs. Number  Nine TV Market, the Washington Capitals. In the other Eastern Conference Series, Number Four TV Market, Philadelphia Flyers up against New Jersey Devils, who appear to have one foot in Number One  (Ranger’s market) and the other foot in Number Four (Philadelphia’s market) Yep, Stanley Cup parking lot parades, no unique TV Market to call their own…nothing comes easy for those Devils.

Out West, the high flying Los Angeles Kings, tops in Left Coast TV numbers (the Number two US TV Market) vs. Number 21, the St. Louis Blues. Phoenix is looking steady at Number 12 , vs. the smallest Round Two TV Market (29^th), the Nashville Predators.

The best part about the four Western Conference teams: none of them have won a Stanley Cup, therefore one of these virgin teams is guaranteed at shot at winning it all this year! Both the Kings and the Blues have played in the Stanley Cup Finals: the Blues lost three years in row (1968, 69 and 70) and the Kings were finalists in 1993, losing to the Montreal Canadiens (that was last time a Canadian based team won the Stanley Cup). The Predators and the Coyotes have yet to make it to the Finals, and considering they are playing each other right now, one of them isn't going to make it any further than Round Two :o(

Out East, the Capitals are the last remaining Cup-less team in this year's Playoffs, only tallying one appearance in the Finals (1998, and they were swept by the Detroit Red Wings). Who knows how this is going to play out, but  if the Capitals make it all the way to Round Four, then one of the final two teams will bring The Stanley Cup home for the very first time. Trust me...this is one story line that will keep many of the fans in Canada watching. What else are we gonna do?

Happy viewing :o) 

 

Top One Hundred TV Markets

Brendan Shanahan Retires

by Lisa Ovens


Brendan Shanahan played a whopping 21 seasons in the NHL, and he had this to say...

"I would like to thank my family and all of the friends who have helped me achieve and maintain my childhood dream of playing in the National Hockey League. I am enormously grateful to all of my coaches and teammates I've had the privilege of learning from and playing along side of, throughout my career. While I always dreamed of playing in the NHL, I can't honestly say that I would have ever imagined that I'd be this fortunate and blessed. I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has helped me fulfill this dream."

Here's an interesting Shanahan statistic: he leads the league with 17 career Gordie Howe hat-tricks. That's pretty impressive stuff. Plus Shanahan is the only goal scorer to score over 600 goals and tally over 2000 penalty minutes. (total goals 656, points 1354). Shanahan is one of only 22 hockey players in the world who have won a Stanley Cup, and Olympic Gold Medal and a World Championship.

Teams Brendan played for...

New Jersey Devils
New York Rangers

Detroit Red Wings  - won three Stanley Cups here- woot!
Hartford Whalers
St. Louis Blues 

Brendan Shanahan may have retired from the game, but the hockey world should hope he finds a position where he may offer some input and guidance to the National Hockey League or the NHL Player's Association or both.

During the2004/05 NHL Lockout he intstigated a summit with a prime directive calling for some desparately needed changes to the game. This event led to the forming of the Competition Committee and those changes being implemented, making the game what it is today.

Above all of that, Brendan Shanahan is a really funny guy :o)

Best of Luck, Shanny!

 The above photo: The Brendan Shanahan card is a cut out hockey card from a box of Kraft Dinner. This was part a promotional series of hockey cards from "The 1998/99 Kraft Collection." My sweet Mom, Stella cut out the Shanahan card and gave it to me.

Shanahan Swag from Lisa's Hockey Collection...