ottawasportsblog

Quick post game 3 thoughts for both game 2 and 3:

• Here we go again. Anthem booing seems to pop up on an annual basis. Why can't some morons make the distinction between booing players and booing anthems? Do these moreons not realize that many of their players, including most of their best ones, are Canadian? Anyway, I'm not going to dignify it by spending any more time thinking or writing about it, but I hope Sens fans have the sense not to boo the Star Spangled banner before Game 5.
• The Eaves hit was unfortunate, but clean. Hopefully the concussion is not too severe.
• Redden and Meszaros need to be nailed to the bench. Meszaros has been particularly putrid. He's jumpy and afraid to take a hit.
• Corvo has been monsterous. After getting over his early self-doubt, he got better as the season went on and has been outstanding in this series. While he kouldn't convert on his break tonight, he's been excellent bringing the puck up, holding the line, and even solid in his own end.
  
• I am, or possibly my wife is, the cooler for the Sens. The Sens were about 3-8 during the regular season when I was there and sure enough, I was there for the game 2 loss yesterday.
  
• Alfie!!! Finally having a good playoff
• Pump down the volume. Option 1: TEAM 1200 - too far out of synch. Option 2: CBC- Bob Cole and Greg Millen. 'Nuff said, no thank you. Option 3: RDS Best of a bad lot, but at times the Pengiuins are the only team on the ice. Final verdict: pump down the volume.

I've been hearing the "C" word a lot over the last couple of days.

"When will the Sens "C" this year?"

"Time for the Sens annual "C""

"The Sens may not "C" in the first round, but they will eventually"

"The Sens are "C" dogs"

Etc, etc...

As Bryan Murray eloquently stated yesterday, bullshit.

Further proof of how many writers and broadcasters are lazy and just resort to the first shop-worn cliche that pops into their heads.

First of all, a quick glance at the final standings should prevent the automatic use of the "C" word in this case. To "C" you have to be a heavy favourite. There are no heavy favourites in a series between a 4 seed to a 5 seed that had 105 points each. If anything, the favourite would be the team that features the next coming of Gretzky and the legendary, magical veteran that can shoot fireballs and run people from behind in a single bound.

Just because a team has "C" in the past, doesn't make every future loss a "C". Under-achievement is not synonymous with "C".

Driving into work this morning, a contest asked which 2 Sens played in the 2000 loss to the blue team. The pair of holdovers aside* the only common thread, as Jerry Seinfeld said, is laundry. Laundry doesn't "C", teams "C".

The Sens may lose the series. Depending on how it happens, the Sens may even "C". However, to pre-emptively call any loss a "C" is just plain lazy.


* Phillips and Alfie for the record (Redden was hurt and Fisher was a healthy scratch(!) which, although he was young, says a lot in itself about how differently those teams were built)

Rising from oblivion for the playoff run and Lynx opening day.

Thank God for both the TEAM 1200 and French Immersion. From Rob Brodie's blog at the Ottawa Sun:

Bob Cole and Greg Millen are the commentators.
RDS is also showing every game in the series

Sigh. Almost makes me wish the Leafs were in the playoffs.

The buzz on the radio and in the papers today is about Eaves' fight with Tucker (I actually missed it while I was flipped to the ballgame at that point), but to me the real disgrace last night was Chad Kilger's brutal spear on Christoph Schubert's erm, German sausage so to speak. I'll be angry if Kilger doesn't land a game or two suspension (though not surprised given the blue and white goggles they have when it comes to disciplining Leafs players). Courtesy of the Sun, we have this blood-boiling quote featuring noted Sen-killing ref Bill McCreary":

"The referee (Bill McCreary) was yelling at me and telling me to stop acting. I asked him how he would feel if he got speared in his 'two little friends.'" said Schubert.

Wow. As any guy who has taken contact in that region will tell you, that was no acting. Kilger seriously pitchforked Schubert. I happened to flip back to the game just in time to see the first replay and my immediate gut reaction was loud and I imagine the same as almost every other guy watching. Oof!

A few weeks ago, the Sens fan and blogging communities suddenly lost one of its own, Thomas DeChastelain, who wrote Sens Watch (site has been taken down). On the web blogs can take on a life of their own; it's easy to forget sometimes that each blog is connected to a person. A shocking and sad event like this is a jolting reminder.

Here's a short biography, taken from his website before it was taken down.

"Thomas DeChastelain is a retired Canadian Armed Forces infantry Captain. Tom grew up playing hockey in northern Quebec, prior to earning an Engineering degree. He currently writes stock market technical analysis articles on Quasimodos.com and devotes spare time to this blog. Tom currently resides in Ottawa with his wife and three child replacement units (the cats)."

My condolences to his family and friends.

Back to regular posting shortly.

The Toronto Star has an interesting piece on how batting practice works. I knew the gist of how it worked (better/more senior players first) but I learned a few things about how hitters approach getting prepared.

Also, the Sens made a nice depth signing in inking Dean McAmmond to a 1-year deal yesterday. Haven't heard anything about the terms yet, but assuming a reasonable price, he's a good signing. I was a bit surprised that he has only played 19 career playoff games though.

Given today's Hasek signing news, looks like this guy would be a good fit in the Wings front office.

Of course, as soon as I break my blogging silence to rave about the Lynx's recent offensive tear, they're promptly shut out in back-to-back games.

As pennance, I offer these videos. First, the credits from the best Simpsons episode ever.



Also, a Brian McGrattan montage, set not to the customary turned-to-11-heavy-metal-fight-montage music, but to a bluegrass tune. Yee-haw!