Tag: hockey

And that’s D-Town for ya!!!!

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So Detroit did EXACTLY what I called. I predicted a Detroit Red Wings first round 7-game series win against a top seed. I was just about as close as possible.

I predicted that Detroit would take down the Blackhawks in the first round. That didn’t quite happen.

Instead, Detroit did one better and made it into the playoffs as the 7th seed, dealing with the Anaheim Ducks. They just took them down in 7 games.

I watched the last couple minutes of the game, and I was in awe as to how well-disciplined that Detroit team is.

I’m gonna dissect it all this week. I haven’t really researched all of the game tape yet. I only saw the last period.

One thing is for sure. Despite him not having a goal or an assist, there’s gonna be plenty of Pavel.

My new predictions-In round 2, I expect the Kings to deal with the Sharks after maybe 6 games. The Sharks get very tired very quickly. As for Detroit, after what they did against the Ducks, the sky is the limit for them. However, Chicago is a completely different story. I think Chicago will take that series. We will see.

Didn’t See That Coming

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So at the beginning of the NHL playoffs I entered a bracket challenge on nhl.com

I based my predictions off of how the teams played during the year, and where they finished in their respective conferences.

Here is my bracket that I started at the beginning of playoffs.

So many teams have not played the way they were supposed to that my whole bracket is basically ruined.

So far the only thing I have gotten right completely is that the Kings would beat the Blues in 6 games.

Hey, at least that’s a start.

I also guessed Chicago would be Minnesota, but who didn’t?

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Movie Day

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Well, on a lazy Sunday, what better way to spend my time but watching a bunch of movies?

So let’s take movie role call.

I started with Happy Gilmore. Unfortunately, my Netflix wouldn’t let me watch it. So, that one was a bust.

So I ACTUALLY started with Coach Carter. Everyone should see that movie. It’s basketball and it’s awesome. That was great.

Then I ventured into the hockey genre, and watched Goon and Slap Shot. Goon reminds me a lot of me. It’s a hockey player that really doesn’t care about anyone. He fights, and that’s it. My temper matched his. Slap Shot is an interesting classic as well. Just more hockey and that’s that.

Then, I finished up the day with some Jackass and Nitro Circus. Doesn’t get much better than watching a few guys try and hurt themselves. It’s just awesome.

Anyway, let me continue my evening of Nitro Circus and maybe some other weird stuff.

Inspiration

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The internet is full of inspirational videos. Sports videos, spiritual videos, just plain old inspirational videos, but there are few that touch me and make a big difference. Being that team sports have not always been a part of my life, but have recently come up and made an impact I look for something to keep me moving. Something that makes me want to play hard and something to inspire my teammates. A quote by Henry Ford is something I keep in my mind when the team is having a hard time, “Keeping together is progress, coming together is a beginning, and working together is success.” Sometimes our teams don’t work together, but work as individuals. That isn’t how the game is played. Some people have to be willing to work hard and get none of the glory. Being a lineman in football I understand this feeling very well. I go out everyday and I try and I try. Am I the best at it? No, not even close, but do I try? Yea, I try really hard day in and day out. But nobody ever says, “hey he really took up space so that that someone else could get the glory.” The glory goes to the people who run the ball, throw the ball, but that’s not possible without the people on the line. As our coach said, we are the Dirty Dogs. Nobody wants a dirty dog, but they are rough and tough, but get no glory. That is how to work as a team, everyone has to be willing to put in 110% and get nothing in return personally, but understand it was for the betterment of the team. This is one of the first speeches that truly inspired me to be better and do better.

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Why the Red Wings?-Let’s Discuss

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So why do I think the Red Wings spell disaster for the Chicago Blackhawks (the Western Conference’s projected number 1 seed)?

The Detroit Red Wings are an incredibly storied franchise not only in the NHL but in all of sports. This season’s Red Wing team is equally as dangerous as in years past. This team is simply flawless. They are much younger than they have been in the past, being right in the middle of the league’s average roster age.

For those that are interested, the link for NHL ages is right here. Really just had to google it.

And for those interested, the NHL’s oldest roster is my New Jersey Devils. That might have something to do with the fact that our goalies are Martin Broduer (40) and Johan Hedberg (39).

Back to the Wings, though. Detroit has a few stars on their roster that while a little older, have superb conditioning. They are the most fundamentally sound team I’ve probably ever watched.

Let’s take roll call. We have the captain, Henrik Zetterberg, who has 8 goals but 27 assists. So whose scoring the goals?

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Let’s Talk a Little Hockey

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As many know, the NHL season was cut in half this season due to problems with a collective bargaining agreement, or CBA. It’s funny how in the past 2-3 years, labor issues have been a serious problem in professional sports across the board. The NBA and NHL lost games while the NFL lost certain preseason workouts. All three were greatly affected. However, this 48 game season of hockey (a full season has 82 games) has been nothing short of exciting yet confusing.

I’m a big New Jersey Devils fan. They lost in the Stanley Cup finals last year to the Los Angeles Kings, but I wasn’t torn up about it. I was excited to even get to the finals and win the Eastern Conference. That was way more than I was expecting last season, but it elevated my expectations for this season.

We aren’t the best team in hockey. But, we play very well. At least we can say we are better off than Columbus.

Regardless, the playoffs are fast approaching as there are about 10 games left for most teams in the regular season.

The NHL is ranked on a point system. A team is given 2 standing points for a win, 0 for a loss, and 1 for a loss in overtime or a shootout. In each conference, there are 3 divisions. This is the last year we will see this, as next year the league is realigning into four conferences. Anyway, there are three divisions in each conference, and the division leader in each makes the playoffs as the first, second or third seed. In order to finish off the playoff bracket, the next 5 teams in point standings are added to the bunch. 8 teams from each conference go to the playoffs, making a total of 16 teams.

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NHL-It’s a distant second

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Well, as you guys remember, I was a pretty big fantasy football player during the NFL season. This season, I follow fantasy hockey. I’ve been playing with a few of my friends this season and I’ve really enjoyed making some trades (including some that shouldn’t have been made and now I’m just laughing to the bank with it :))

Anyway, I’ve always been a pretty big NHL fan. I am a New Jersey Devils fan, and my favorite player is probably Ilya Kovalchuk. To be honest, I don’t have a favorite player. I just love watching some good hockey.

I especially love this time of year, which is trade season. The trade deadline is on Wednesday and teams are making some last minute adjustments to their rosters in the hopes of pushing for the playoffs.

I just want to discuss the Jarome Iginla trade from last week real quick. Iginla was traded to the Pittsburg Penguins for a first round pick and two college prospects. I think the Flames win this trade given Jarome’s age. But, I want to direct everyone’s attention to one of the college prospects that the Pens sent to Calgary.

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Need to Skate

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Seeing as the hockey season has been over for about a month or so I haven’t been on the ice as much.

The season just started this past Thursday, but sadly I had to bench myself and sit in bed at home sick.

Tomorrow night is the 2nd game of the season and I am ecstatic about lacing up the skates and going out to play hockey.

I honestly have not skated as much as I should have in this off season, but hey I can’t be perfect.

What I really need is to find time to start lifting in the gym again, but I have no idea where that is going to fit in.

This season is going to be the one, I feel it.

Last season brought some new faces to Team USA, myself included, but this season we have all worked together and we know what we are walking into.

It is time to get down to business and change the face of Team USA.

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Lacrosse Week

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This past week marked the first 3 games of the 2013 lacrosse season.

Our first game was against the York School from Monterrey, CA.

The team was on a southern California road trip and had played four games prior to their game against us last Saturday.

Our team on the other hand had not yet practiced as a whole team yet, and it was evident on the field.

The team has many beginning players and adding new players changes the chemistry of the team every year.

It is an adjustment period to learn how people play the game and to be able to predict how they will react to certain situations.

Come game time I was excited to be back on the field from 9 months ago.

For most of the game York was dominating offensively and defensively ultimately scoring 11 goals.

The game almost ended in a shut out until one of our star returning players, Grant Spencer, scored the one goal of the game.

We all celebrated like we had won the game, but to us it was a victory because we did not give their goalie the shutout.

Final score was 1-11 L.

I was disappointed, but also realized it was the first game of the season and we had a lot of room to grow.

On Wednesday came the game against Laguna Blanca, a game I look forward to every year no matter what sport I’m playing whether it be football or lacrosse. Even when I’m not playing in the game, but the school is, I get excited.

Many think that Thatcher is our biggest rival, and they are, but they are our biggest hometown rival. Laguna Blanca is our biggest rival over all.

Most games with Laguna consist of some mouthing off from players and their parents which at our level of play can get a little out of hand.

We aren’t playing Division 1 sports, what parents need to remember is:

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Glass

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I have always wanted to live near the glass.

Open and cold

Pure and nice.

Crystalline structures formed feet above the surface.

The glass is the only thing that serves a purpose.

Frozen water, a protector from the sub zero abyss.

The sun sets and rises and reflects of the face, until the heat comes then it’s a race.

A race against time

To finish through the line.