OK, Clever Girls- remember what I said about penalties in the NHL playoffs? Well, a perfect example of this is what occurred last night during the final (whew) game of the Wings / Coyote series in the first round. Four on four (this means each team had someone in the penalty box) creates a LOT of open ice (undefended ice) and that is a PERFECT field for the endeavors of a Clever forward like Pavel Datsyuk. The Wings were at their most intuitive last night- except when they dropped one to Fiddler on the faceoff. I’m going to call that luck on his part because that almost NEVER happens. On a faceoff- the goal is to take possession of the puck -and if it’s in your attacking zone- to set up a play to score. He banged it in on a one timer. I’m proud- as I always am of my guys who are going to advance to meet the Sharks.
Washington and Montreal are tied at 3.
Boston takes it from Buffalo 4-2.
Chicago won the Nashville series 4-2.
Pittsburgh took it 4-2.
Vancouver over Kings 4-2.
Sharks over Avs 4-2.
Flyers over Devils 4-1.
You might notice there are a lot of games to decide a matchup and that is true. I disagree with the number- best of three is sufficient (considering they have played each other all season -hockey at 82 games compared to football at 16). However, this does not translate to revenue and I’m pretty defensive when it comes to hockey income. The NHL lacks the star power of the other three yet they play harder are deserving of their pay (except in tragic excess) and tend to be much more humble than the "others."
So, all that to say- be patient- it’s a long run to the cup, and if you abhor hockey you don’t have to pay attention yet. Just KNOW what is going on so you can converse. Not show off- converse. BIG difference. HUGE.
If your guy is a Cancer (for those of you looking to settle down, Cancer is your man, according to the paradigm-shattering data collected by Stella Starsky and Quinn Cox- check out "Sextrology" and KNOW his sign!) AND a rabid hockey fan- look into taking him to Vegas on June 23rd for the NHL awards show for the BEST birthday ever. These are the high points as I see them:
Vegas in June- HOT
The pools in Vegas in June- COOL
The nightlife EVERY night in Vegas- XXX
The shopping- FANTASTIC
The dining- SUPERB (though I miss the Bacchanal Room at Caesar’s)
People watching- UNRIVALED (unless you are in an airport)
My friend Erika bartends at MIX at Mandalay and she is on of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen (oh, and I’m very discriminating)
Your status as the ultimate So Very Clever Guy’s Girl? Indisputable. I’m thinking you CANNOT lose on this bet.
I could go on and on and on about Vegas- I’ve spent A LOT of time there. We can cover that in another post.
So … what awards? Great question. These are the hockey awards and who the finalists are.
Vezina Trophy- Top goaltender
Ryan Miller- Buffalo Sabres
Martin Brodeur- New Jersey Devils
Ilya Bryzgalov- Phoenix Coyotes
Ironically, all three finalists were knocked out in the first round. My pick? Do I really have to embarrass myself- again? I’ll go with Ilya on a hunch. Not emotionally bound here.
Selke Trophy- Best defensive forward
Ryan Kesler- Vancouver
Pavel Datsyuk- Detroit Red Wings
Jordan Staal- Pittsburgh Penguins
SOOOO emotional (wasn’t that a song by Whitney Houston in '87?)
Norris Trophy- Top defenseman
Duncan Keith- Chicago
Drew Doughty- Kings
Mike Green- Washington
I’ll go with Duncan-all this Wings/ Blackhawks talk has made me sentimental for Bob Probert.
Calder Memorial Trophy- Top rookie
Jimmy Howard- Detroit
Matt Duchene- Avalanche
Tyler Myers- Buffalo Sabres
It’s really never a guess when the word Detroit comes up on a ballot.
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy- Sportmanship- gentlemanly conduct (oxymoron?)
Brad Richards- Dallas Stars
Pavel Datsyuk- Detroit
Martin St. Louis- Tampa Bay Lightning
Hmm. I wonder whom I should pick? You might wonder who Lady Byng is or you might be barely tolerating me. Her name was Marie Evelyn Moreton and was married to Viscount Byng of Vimy (the Governor General of Canada in the early 1920s). This huge fan and likely quite a So Very Clever Guy's Girl awarded the very first trophy, which is now a memorial in her honor.
Hart Memorial Trophy- Most valuable player
Finalists will be announced tomorrow.
Jack Adams Trophy- Best coach
Finalists will be announced today.
So Very Handsome Former Player-
Mario Lemieux (reigning title holder)
Brenden Morrow (who happens to be married to a fantastically beautiful friend of mine who won't get mad at me for saying so). A side note here is off the ice he would be eligible for the Lady Byng awarded every single day. He exemplifies humility, character and kindness.
OK, I have to run. I am playing all day with my CG counterpart (Cool Geoff). We had an absolute blast last night at Mercy Wine Bar in Addison. If you have not been- you NEED to go.
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