ESPN Columnist George Johnson Loves Mike Keenan, Too

The hockey writers at ESPN.com aren't too keen on the hiring of Mike Keenan to coach the Calgary Flames. Yesterday, Scott Burnside dissed him. Today, aloof and mustachioed columnist George Johnson chimes in with words that are slightly south of supportive:

Yes, "Iron Mike" Keenan is back. Harder to get rid of than a zit a day before the prom. His authoritarian jackboots traded in for a pair of cow-pie clogged cowboy kickers, bringing his blunt, uncompromising, signature style to Calgary.

Zits and jackboots. Now those are some lovely images to invoke, George. But Johnson isn't done, not hardly:

Historically, his abrasive style has the shelf life of a wheel of unrefrigerated cave-aged Gruyere. He hasn't had success of any kind since commandeering the Rangers to that 1994 championship (a Cup that really belonged to Mark Messier , anyway). In subsequent pit stops in St. Louis, Boston, Vancouver and Miami, he got no closer to the Stanley Cup than during his days in charge at the University of Toronto.

Only one Keenan team in the past 13 years has advanced past the first round of the playoffs. Hmmm, see a pattern developing?

So, to recap, George Johnson thinks the whole Keenan thing in Calgary is likely to end very badly. So does Scott Burnside. So does Allan Maki at the Globe And Mail. The list could go on.

My only hope is that they're right, and Jerome Iginla, Miikka Kiprusoff, Dion Phaneuf and former Av Alex Tanguay are all driven out of town by Iron Mike. The fewer strong teams in the Northwest Division, the better.

Read More...

Summary only...

Everybody Loves Mike Keenan

photo courtesy Eliot Schectner/Getty Images
Today's big hockey story is the hiring of "Iron" Mike Keenan as the new head coach of the Calgary Flames, replacing the fan-maligned Jim Playfair who has been demoted to assistant. Keenan, if you didn't know, won a Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in 1994 and then proceeded to destroy every good relationship he's ever had in the NHL with each subsequent coaching job he took. The Rangers hate him. The Canucks and the Panthers hate him. The Blues hate him. He's not exactly best friends with Boston, either.

The reaction in hockey mediaville hasn't been all that favorable, either. Scott Burnside posted an article whose title should have been, "Mike Keenan? WTF?" Teebz at Hockey Blog In Canada is also not a big fan. And Jes Golbez at Hockey Rants sees the whole thing going south for the Flames real quick.

Oh, and Jim Rome just dissed Keenan on today's episode of "Jim Rome Is Burning" on ESPN and predicted a relatively quick dismissal or otherwise a speedy exodus of the team's talented players.

I'm completely in favor of Keenan being hired as Flames coach if it means the team ends up struggling to make the playoffs and all the best players are driven out. Nothing could be better for that organization, in my totally non-biased-toward-division-rival-Colorado-Avalanche opinion.

Read More...

Summary only...

Finally Gone

photo courtesy Larry Macdougal/AP
Alex Tanguay is on a whole different team and he still gets jacked around by the Red Wings. Too bad for him, and his new teammates.

Goodbye Calgary, and good riddance.

Read More...

Summary only...

Pathetic Part 2

As Avalanche fans, it's just not possible for us to root for the Detroit Red Wings. The rivalry may have died out a bit, but there's just something about America's Worst City™ and their hockey team that rubs us the wrong way. So, despite some misguided remarks in previous posts, we must once again reaffirm our complete distaste for the Dead Wings. We definitely don't want them to advance to the second round of the playoffs.

Now, that out of the way, we must also reaffirm our distaste and disappointment in the Calgary Flames, who stayed true to form with another horrendous, pathetic performance on the road. Detroit kicked the crap out of them. Utter and complete domination.

Some teams take a beating with grace, and keep their focus on playing good hockey and turn their frustration into something positive. Even down three games to one, the Islanders played clean hockey as hard as they could, and had only six penalty minutes in their Game 5, series-ending loss to Buffalo. They acted like adults and just played the game, win or lose.

Not Calgary. The Flames, whose captain Jerome Iginla has been a total no-show for the entire series, have resorted to nasty, dirty cheap-shots. The worst example has to be backup goalie Jamie McLennan's completely unprovoked slashes on Johan Franzen, who wasn't even in his crease at all when the attacks came. McLennan had to skate out of the crease and away from the net to hit Franzen, who went down like a sack of potatoes. While we support rough, physical play at all times, and would oppose any ban on fighting, crap like McLennan's slashing doesn't belong in the game and neither does he.

If we had our way, neither Detroit nor Calgary would advance to the second round. Neither deserves it. Both are incapable of winning on the road and both play dirty. Instead, we'd advance both Dallas and Vancouver, who both have earned the right to keep playing. It will be sad to see either Marty Turco or Roberto Luongo go home early after Game 7 of their series---both of them have proven themselves to be the epitome of class and determination. Calgary and Detroit couldn't even come close.

Read More...

Summary only...

Maximum Suck

We've got to hand it to the Calgary Flames, at least they're consistent. Not only are they consistently bad on the road anyway, but in the last several games of the season and the first two playoff games against the Dead Wings, they've been consistently horrible. As in, really, really bad.

Detroit beat them easily again in Game 2, taking a 2-0 series lead. At the start of the game, it looked like the Flames were some kind of ECHL team out on the ice, all out of position, making horrible turnovers and taking ridiculous and undisciplined penalties, especially in the first six minutes.

What amazes me is how lenient the refs actually were, as Robin Regehr took some serious liberties with little Jiri Hudler after the latter fell down near the Flames goal in the first period. Regehr just started punching him in the head the second Hudler hit the ice, and for mostly no reason at all---and the refs did nothing.

A little roughing around the crease is to be expected in the playoffs, but remember that Hudler is just 5'9" and 178 pounds. Regehr is 6'3", 225. A bit of a mismatch, we'd say.

At any rate, the Flames continued their suckage and proved once again that the Avalanche deserved the final playoff spot far more than them. It's difficult to imagine the Avs, coming off of a successful late-season run, playing with the same incompetence and resignation that Calgary has these past two games.

But, as the late, great Kurt Vonnegut was fond of saying, "so it goes."

Read More...

Summary only...

Colorado 6, Calgary 3 (The REAL End)

At least they went out on a high note. Not a Dan Hinote, but a high note nonetheless.

The Avs beat the Flames handily in a come-from-behinder that included Joe Sakic reaching 100 points, Jose Theodore actually winning a game, and rookie hero Paul Stastny recording a goal and an assist.

And to top it all off, Ian Laperriere beat the living crap out of Flames Doucheman Dion Phaneuf for a cheap-shot on Dear Lord Stanley favorite Tyler Arnason.

photo courtesy AP/Jack Dempsey (how fitting?)

Said Lappy:

"Nineteen players out of 20 on their team knew exactly how the game was going to be played: play hard but don't be stupid. At the end, it was a stupid hit. We don't want to hurt them going into the playoffs and nobody wants to get hurt going into the summer. You can play hard and smart, but he decided to take a run at Arnason and I felt it was the place to tell him it's not right.

"You just can't do that. You've got to respect the game because it's going to come back and bite you."

Too bad the game itself didn't really mean anything...

Except this: The team that deserves the eighth spot the most will not be in the playoffs this year.

For the first time in my entire life I'm actually rooting for the Dead Wings to win a playoff series. I hope Detroit crushes the Flames in four games, all shutouts, and reminds them that literally backing into the playoffs with the help of a ridiculous one-point-for-an-overtime-loss system will not cut it in the NHL. Destroy them, Dead Wings.

Just make sure you lose the next round, of course.

Read More...

Summary only...

Nashville 4, Colorado 2 (The End)

Of course the Avalanche would lose at home against the Predators on the same night that the godforsaken Edmonton Oilers beat the Flames. Of course Colorado's playoff hopes were dashed one day before a final showdown with Calgary for the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The Avs played super hard against Nashville but just couldn't stem the tide. It would be fitting that two former Colorado players, Peter Forsberg and Paul Kariya, would play roles in their demise. Arguably Paul Kariya doesn't count as a former Av (dismal single season played with the team), but you know what we mean.

So the magical run ends.

Let's review the lessons learned here, shall we?

1. Don't wait to become a competitive, even dominant team until game 65 of the regular season.

2. Do get to know your teammates and play together like you actually care about each other's success from day one.

3. Don't count on young sophomores (Svatos) to carry the goal-scoring weight early in the season when veterans (Hejduk) should be leading the way.

4. Do give your home-grown goalie talent (Budaj) a chance to succeed from day one, instead of shunning him for out-of-town dead weight.

5. Don't ever trade anyone for Jose Theodore. Ever. Ever ever ever ever ever.

6. Do play your hearts out every night of the season.

Next season the Avalanche have lots to look forward to. Young players continuing their development as stars, a now-proven starting goalie with success to build upon, a returning veteran captain still at the top of his game, and a coach who has shown he can motivate his players even if it all came a little too late.

The Avs should be ashamed of themselves for not making the playoffs, but proud that they worked so hard in the end and hopeful for far more success next year. And in the name of Hockey Jesus, bring back the avalanche warning siren to the Pepsi Center for every home goal scored!!

Read More...

Summary only...

Coloardo 3, Vancouver 1

photo courtesy Chuck Stoody/AP

The impossible continues to be the norm as the Colorado Avalanche beat the Vancouver Canucks last night while the Calgary Flames lost to the San Jose Sharks, keeping Colorado in the race for the playoffs and closing the gap between them and the Flames to just three points.

Milan Hejduk scored all three Colorado goals and rookie phenom Paul Stastny assisted on each. Hejduk, who played like he was half asleep for most of the year, has scored ten of his 34 goals since February 27, when the Avs began their desperate run for the final playoff spot. Stastny, who set the NHL record for rookie scoring streaks at 20 games earlier in the year, has scored two goals and five assists in the last four games.

Still standing in the Avs' way are Nashville and Calgary themselves, not to mention a win by Calgary against Edmonton on Saturday that would mean the end to any remaining chance of a playoff spot.

The farther the Avs go, the more potentially painful a Colorado loss or a Calgary win becomes.

And still the question remains: Why the hell didn't Colorado win like this during the rest of the season? Why did they wait until game 65 to remember how to play like the championship teams of 1996 and 2001?

Part of me wants to be proud and impressed by the Avalanche, but the rest of me is nothing but frustrated and disappointed. Hopefully next season they can play like this from the very start. Anything less is unacceptable.

Read More...

Summary only...

Worst Case Scenario

It is true that if Colorado loses to Vancouver tonight, their playoff hopes are over. It is also true that if Calgary beats San Jose, the Avs' playoff hopes are over. Either of those possibilities is depressing enough for most fans, but the real worst-case-scenario won't reach its pinnacle until Sunday.

Pretend for a moment that the Avalanche beat the Canucks tonight, say 11-1 (we're pretending), and the Flames lose to the Sharks. Then, the Avs beat the Nashville Predators at home and the Flames lose again, this time to Edmonton (really, we're still pretending). That sets up a true showdown as the Avalanche face the Flames---at home---in the final game of the season on Sunday. The Avs would trail the Flames by only one point, and would need to win (even if it's in overtime) to surpass the Flames and claim the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Pretend that all of that happens, and the final showdown really does take place.

And now pretend that the Avs blow the game and lose, missing the playoffs on the final day after a phenomenal 14-2-2 run over the last 18 games of the season. Now, wouldn't that be depressing?

It's amazing the Avalanche have made it this far and still have a chance. The only consolation, I suppose, is that if the NHL had never adopted the ridiculous policy of giving one point to a team that loses in overtime, the Avs would currently be only two points behind Calgary instead of five. But enough pretending already.

Read More...

Summary only...

Colorado 4, Calgary 3

Joe Sakic can no longer be considered human. In a must-win situation last night, he led the Colorado Avalanche with four points, scoring the eventual game-winning goal and assisting on every other goal scored by his team. He now has 95 points on the season, and he's 37 years-old. The man doesn't age.

Paul Stastny was one of the other goal-scorers for the Avs and fellow rookie Wojtek Wolski tallied an assist. Peter Budaj was less-strong in goal than he has been on other nights, but he was still better than the Flames' Miikka Kiprusoff.

The Avalanche had to win, and they did. Now they have to win all three remaining games, and pray for the Flames to lose theirs. It's still not over for Colorado, but they're definitely still not in the clear.

Read More...

Summary only...

Moment Of Truth

Tonight is the night. At 9:00 PM Eastern Time, The Colorado Avalanche play the Calgary Flames (in Calgary). If the Avs win, they keep their slim playoff chances alive. If they lose, the season is effectively over.

The good news is that the Avs continue to play very well, and Peter Budaj, despite a brief hiccup in his performance due to fatigue a couple games back, has been consistently strong in net. He'll need to be, since Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff has been at the very top of his game lately as well.

Should be an exciting game, regardless of the outcome. But since we're not totally impartial here at Dear Lord Stanley, there's just one more thing to say: Go Avs!

Read More...

Summary only...

Colorado 2, Minnesota 1

The Avalanche beat the Wild with a come-from-behind scoring drive in the second period, and Peter Budaj was dominant. But the Flames won again and remain seven points ahead.

The reality of the situation is this: The Avs can make the playoffs only if 1) they win all four remaining games of the season (including two against the Flames themselves) and 2) Calgary loses all four of their remaining games with no more than one overtime loss. Otherwise, it's all over.

Let's just say the odds aren't in Colorado's favor, unfortunately.

Read More...

Summary only...

Colorado 4, Phoenix 3

The Avalanche finally reached 40 wins last night with a victory over the ever-struggling Coyotes, but remain seven points behind Calgary for the final playoffs spot in the West. The Flames have forgotten that they suck on the road and somehow keep winning. It's like they really want to play in the post-season or something.

As for the Avs, their win over Phoenix started well enough, with four unanswered goals in the first two periods. Said coach Joel (Dr.) Quenneville (Medicine Woman),

"We played perfect for two periods of hockey."

That's very true, coach. Unfortunately, there are actually THREE periods in a hockey game, and your team very nearly lost the game in the third one. In the final period, the Desert Dogs managed three goals of their own and twelve shots on goal, while holding the suddenly-inept Avs to just three shots. I'm no infallible hockey expert, but I'm pretty sure that if you're going to play any two perfect periods, they should probably be the last two, not the first two.

Almost every game it seems the Avalanche at some point forget what it is they're supposed to be doing (winning). They somehow manage in the end, but barely. Even if they make it to the playoffs, does this team really deserve to play in the post-season? Sure, they've been really successful in the past 15 games or so, but it's almost in spite of themselves.

The good news is Paul Stastny ended a five-game scoring drought with two assists, and Tyler Arnason continued his solid play with two assists of his own.

Now all that remains of the season for the Avs are games against Minnesota, Nashville, Vancouver and two against Calgary. No pressure.

Read More...

Summary only...

Vancouver 3, Colorado 0

Well, crap. This isn't good at all. With the Flames winning last night, the Avs are now at a point where they can not afford to lose ANY games the rest of the season, including the two remaining against Calgary.

No exceptions. Hopefully no more Theodore, either.

Read More...

Summary only...