I overheard a nasty stat on the radio today fro Penguins fans:

The last time Pittsburgh has won a game in Detroit was back on Dec 10th 2000!

A year ago the Ottawa Senators were fighting with Buffalo to see who would represent the East in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Sens eventually lost that fight, but during that time a second, if not more poignant battle was being lost.

Elgin Fraser passed away last year on May 19th, succumbing to a rare cancer. Today his memorial is in the Ottawa Citizen:

A little boy who fulfilled his life’s

purpose in only three short years.

He inspired countless people

with his courage and strength

while he lived with Neuroblastoma,

a rare childhood cancer.

His love and passion for the game

of hockey brought communities

together and left an imprint on

people around the world.

Despite fighting for his life, he taught

people to love the life you are given and

to make the best of each day.

“Game On!”
Elgin-Alexander Fraser, Age 3

There is still a movement to get Elgin’s jersey hung at Scotiabank Place.

Oh yeah, the Sidney Crosbies beat the tar out of Philly and ‘the kid’ refused to touch the Eastern Conference trohpy. (Bastard…)

What will the PensBlog¹ do if Gary Roberts² doesn’t produce anything tonight?

Will they wither their support of their star player Gary Roberts? BTW: Didn’t they used to have a guy named Crosby on their team?

Will they refund money to those poor saps who shelled out $5 for a wristband on the basis of a single game’s outcome?

The overconfidence of Pittsburgh is reminiscent of early Ottawa Senators teams vs. Toronto Maple Leafs teams where they’d forget that this was a series. Even last year when Ottawa brush Penguin excrement off our skate blades, we never celebrated until the series was over.

Gary Roberts knows what I’m talking about. He’s been there. Last year in fact.

I’ve never seen so many grown men (in Pittsburgh or otherwise) act like a bunch of puck-bunnies over an aging near retirement war-horse. Guys, get over it. Ottawa played like ass and Gary capitalized on a few gimmies… He is not the second coming… Unless you’re into that sort of thing, not that there is anything wrong with that!

I mean fair is fair, but come on…

pensblog.com↩
Damn Dirty Ape!↩

The truth has come out. The Pittsburgh Penguins have suited up an ape to play in this years playoffs. The player formally known as Gary Roberts is now known to be a ‘Damn Dirty Ape’!

There is something in the air today. There are bold predictions around the web. Hockey analysts are dusting off their best ties. TSN has had a facelift. The Maple Leafs are scheduling tee times. There is stubble on my face for the eleventh straight year.

In hockey, as in life, there are no certainties. A team with the best opening record in the history of the league, barely make it into the post season.

The second last game of their regular season against a team long since eliminated from competition makes more headlines than the goalie controversy.

Fittingly, the player who takes out the captain of a contending team now has to spend the summer in jail. (Perhaps he thought the original crime didn’t fit the time and felt he had more work to do to justify it?)

But as is said, the second season, is a new season. Anyone has a chance. Some have better chances than others. Some can argue who deserves to be here, and who doesn’t. Some will be up to the task, some won’t.

I predict, Ottawa’s first round will go long. Ottawa is a veteran team in the playoffs vs. a very young team. A team we knocked off easily last year. I team we outplayed 3-1 this past season. It won’t be easy. It won’t be a matter of fact. But we can do it.

We need only make it out of the first round. I don’t think anyone can expect anything more than that this year. Make it out of the first. Make a showing of it, and then heal in the off season.

Get out of the first round, and then Alfredsson and Fisher might just be back.

Then there are no guarantees…

Notes:

Sorry for the disappearing act this season. Work life has been tough, but that is now 100% behind me. I’m not a bandwagoner, I am a true fan. I’ve watched as many games as I could get my hands on. I’ve been out in bars in TO to have the heckles of the locals fall upon my back.

The next few weeks are busy ones for me, but I now have time again to analyze my favorite team and get this site back on track.

Many thanks to the faithful who’ve kept the internets alive with the teams antics in my absence (not that I’m the best or anything…)

Apologies to the BOOB, I dropped off the pool pretty quickly too. That won’t happen again. If you’ll let me into the next pool I’d be honored to be allowed a chance to participate again.

Anyone else notice that there are many more NHL bloggers out this year?