I am actually mildly disappointed about that. First off, I was away for 18 days touring through Italy, Greece, Croatia and Montenegro on a dream trip if there ever was one. I returned really late Monday night after something like 27 hours of travel (including all the time waiting in airports), so essentially home on Tuesday.
I was hoping the St. Louis Blues were going to close out the Boston Bruins in game six on Sunday just because I want St. Louis to win. But now I will get to finally see my first action of the Stanley Cup final in game seven on Wednesday night.
Though I was unable to watch any live action overseas, I watched all the highlight packages, kept up on all the story lines and knew everything that was going on.
Here are some thoughts:
- Yes, the referees blew the non-call on the Tyler Bozak trip, just like they did earlier in the playoffs with the San Jose hand pass and on many other occasions as well. Get over it. Every team's fans thinks the refs are against their team. And beyond that, try looking up the Montreal newspaper reports way back in 1875 after the first ever official game of hockey was ever played. The report complained about violence and refereeing. It will never change.
- Ryan O'Reilly is such a joy for me to watch. Those who know me know that I was very bullish on the Blues' acquisition of O'Reilly last summer, more so than any other transaction all season. I thought it was just the perfect puzzle piece for the Blues. It took a little bit, but he and Colton Parayko have to be my Conn Smythe Trophy votes if the Blues win the Stanley Cup.
- Then again, even if the Blues win the Stanley Cup, Boston goaltender Tuuka Rask has been the best player on the ice bar none. He is the best goalie in hockey right now, and the easy choice as playoffs MVP if the Bruins win. He might get it even if they don't.
- Anything can happen in game 7. The Blues have to stay out of the penalty box. The Bruins are masters at initiating garbage after the whistles and the refs always call the retaliatory offense. The Blues have been the significantly better team at even strength, carrying the play most of this series. But they are getting killed on the special teams battle.
I don't have a great feeling about game 7, perhaps because I was away eating too much Greek food instead of analyzing all the action. The heart wants the Blues to win, though the brain keeps telling my Boston on home ice will have the advantage.
2 comments:
We could said now the Blues had ended their drought and got their first Stanley Cup championship. ;-)
Now both Vancouver and Buffalo are the 2 oldest teams who still wait for their first championship, it'll be interesting to know which one will break their jinx or curse first? Imagine what if there'll be a Stanley Cup final featuring the Vancouver Canucks and the Buffalo Sabres.
Typical of your Boston hate obsession (along with your obvious Gretzky above Orr preference).
I know you were gone for most of the Cup Finals but it's interesting that you state that the Bruins are the initiator of 'garbage', especially after the whistle. If you can, check out the full games later on replay. You will be surprised (If you can be impartial) and come back and tell me again how the Bruins were the 'Garbage Team'. In fact, the Blues played much like the Bruins did against your beloved Canucks in 2011. They beat the living crap out of the Bruins taking cheap shots / head shots (two suspensions in the series) and should have been called for double the amount of penalties they got called for, including what should have been 2 Majors (5 minute intent to injure) in the calls that led to suspensions. But they didn't because the whole tone of the series was changed when their coach cried about the amount of penalties his team got called for after game three. Much like in 2011, I can honestly say "The better team LOST". Yes, I said that back in 2011 when my Bruins won. We were not the better team (the Canucks were) but sometimes the better team loses (see this years TB Lightning or many years of the Washington Caps). But please don't give me the Bruins play a garbage game line - not this time. It was the Blues playing the bully and yes, they won doing it but they were outscored and outplayed for most of the series. Their goaltender played big in the critical times and they basically iced the puck whenever they were up by a goal (doing it a record number of times in Game 7). They don't have any offense so they just crash and bang until someone loses the puck and then they got about 75% of their goals off deflections off players. No skill involved there. I would not be surprised if the Blues don't even make the playoffs next season or are a bubble team.
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