Letters to the Editor
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OK, I'll say it.
Hoc-... key??
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Boo hoo
I love hockey. I watch a good bit of the playoffs, even when my team is eliminated. Somehow, I thought I had something else to do last night. Five overtimes.
I'm going to go cry now. Or hit myself in the head with a puck until I forget.
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Sorry, four overtimes
OK, I got the number of overtime periods wrong. It's an easy mistake with all that crying and smashing myself in the head.
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Goaltending clinic
Webcelt, don't feel bad. The game ended around 2:30 AM EDT, so I've been using lack of sleep as an excuse for all manner of screw-ups today. But it was worth it to see Nabokov and Turco match each other, big save for big save, for 4 OTs.
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Overtime hockey
Nobody in my hockey pools (yeah, that's plural) picked anyone from Dallas. The assumption being that they would be knocked out by the contending champion Anaheim ducks or by hockey critic darlings San Jose (or possibly pesky Calgary).
But Turco is an absolutely fantastic goalie. Last year, Dallas lost the first round to Vancouver despite getting 3 shutouts.
This year only Detroit was better in the regular season against other Western Conference playoff teams. San Jose built there respectable regular season record by beating lots of lesser teams on the road. Against dominant Western Conference teams they were merely good.
Prediction: If Dallas can upset Detroit, they'll go on to win the cup, largely due to the heroics of their netminder.
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@mhatkinson
After watching last night's game, as well as many others from the Western Conference, I'm absolutely convinced that either Dallas or Detroit will cream Pittsburgh (I simply cannot abide by anyone picking Philly...RJ freakin'Umberger will have to cool down sometime).
I'm a Habs fan in Toronto so all I really watch is the Eastern Conference and the odd Edmonton or Calgary game before heading out on Saturdays so I didn't really get a chance to see what the West is all about. All I can say is wow. Just wow.
If last night was any indication, then Pittsburgh better be worried.
cheers!
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New format
MarkSeaattle: I don't know about the new format, but what the heck - it got you out of having to write a column today !!
Sorry King, it was meant as a joke - that is why the two exclamation points were put at the end, like:
"Everyone knows King Kauffman is the hardest working sports writer ever !!"
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Pens all the way
Every time the Rangers got a series- or game-saving goal, the Pens came right back with another one. Anybody who thinks they can't do that against Turco is crazy. Lundqvist isn't exactly chopped liver.
I think the bigger consideration is what happens to Turco now that he's played a couple of extra games compared to the other netminders still playing.
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Couldn't Stop Watching!
It was insidious wasn't it? I just couldn't stop watching that game. And yes I'm rather tired today as a result. But it seemed the least a fan could do since the Sharks (and Stars) were out there practically killing themselves with the effort. I was impressed with both goalies, and I hope the Sharks go further in the playoffs next season.
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G'bye, Sharks
I like the Sharks a lot, but there's no shame in losing that game. That really was about as good as hockey gets.
I don't like anybody's odds against Detroit, but I didn't like the Stars' chances against the Ducks or the Sharks, so I'm not going to rule them out. They looked good.
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@theGMan
"Anybody who thinks they can't do that against Turco is crazy. Lundqvist isn't exactly chopped liver."
The West Conf. final should be great. And if the mostly inexperienced Pens end up playing Dallas for the cup, they will be playing against one of the West's extremely stingy and determined teams. Dallas probably has more 3rd period OT experience than any team in the league in the last decade. The longer they go, the better chance they have at winning the game.
If Dallas beats mighty Detroit (in 7? In hockeytown?) you don't think they could bring it to the inexperienced Penguins?
Assuming, you know, the Penguins beat the Flyers.
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Ok, let's see...
People who love football often talk about that bone-crushing hit one player got, and the fans talk about it all week. Well, hockey has such hits... every minute. People who love baseball talk about that amazing catch the outfielder did, MAYBE, once a week. Goalies in hockey make spectacular catches every single game, and in the playoffs, every period. People who love basketball cream themselves when one player does some nifty dunk, again, once a game if they're lucky. Guess what, you watch Ovechkin, Hossa, Zetterberg and countless others, and they do that every single game. Did i mention that hockey is also the fastest-paced sport, and the one sport whose athletes are stronger and faster and have more endurance then any other athletes in sports?
When people, solely Americans, say "you know, i'm sure it's fun, but i just never got into it", I can understand that. I know soccer is suposed to be amazing, but i just didnt get it into it.... until the last world cup, where i learned a thing or two about the rules, then appreciated the athleticism involved.
So anyone who "just doesn't get it", just doesnt want to get it. That's fine. But it's like saying "you know, i just didnt get into the Godfather, after watching a few minutes of it, while raiding my friend's fridge, waiting to leave the house to go out."
Not "getting into" the pinnacle of one thing shows how little you care, and how less off you will be for it. And that's your loss. But laughing at a sport that isn't embraced by a culture that never wants to learn about anything new... that's just embarrassing.
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America and Hockey
In response to the previous post about the excitement of hockey and why it hasn't caught on here in the States . . . I think many would agree a stronger, more expansive television/cable deal would benefit.
But I also feel there is a distance many feel to the exclusive skill sets of the sport. Not to take anything away from the other sports but the skill of skating alone turns a lot of people off because a lot of people can't skate. My experiences with other sports fans brushing off hockey, in my view, seemed to be grounded in an impotence of knowledge and background in the basic skills.
That being said, there was a time in the '90s when Sports Illustrated had a cover story stating "Why the NHL is Hot and the NBA is Not" and with the number of close games and OT series enders, it's a wonder why it isn't- maybe the key is exposure and a better marketing campaign, we'll see . . .