I watched the first period. I didn’t watch the second, and I’ll likely sleep through the third.
After two periods the Lightning are up 2-1. Having the lead is good, but it’s too close for me. Having a 15 goal lead would be better.
Hang on, Tampa Bay.
I promise I am not going to give score updates after each period throughout this Stanley Cup Final series.
I am probably going to do it a lot though. I really, really want Montreal to lose.
In case you didn’t catch that, I really, really want Montreal to lose.
Game one, one period is in the books, and the Lightning lead 1-0. So far so good.
Game one of the Stanley Cup Final is underway. It’s time. Time to end the reign of evil. Time for Tampa Bay to start putting Montreal away.
It’s a best of seven series. Anything less than a Tampa Bay sweep is flirting with danger. Beat them soundly, Lightning. The world is counting on you.
We are in seriously dangerous territory. Montreal is in the finals. 28 NHL teams have failed in the world’s quest to keep Montreal from winning another Cup. There is only one team left who can stop this madness and it just happens to be the defending Stanley Cup Champs.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Before we talk about defeating the evil, let’s look at how my predictions have done thus far. Also, I flipped a coin for all but the first two round’s Northeast Division series so let’s see how the coin is doing (hint, the coin is doing better than I am).
After the first round my winning percentage was exactly .500. Six correct pics and six incorrect picks. 6-6. Pretty much the text book definition of mediocrity. The coin, with three fewer picks made, has a winning record at 5-4.
How did we do in the third round?
Lightning vs Islanders. It came down to a game seven but Tampa Bay was able to make both me and the coin look smart. We both picked Tampa so we were both right. I’m up to 7-6 and the coin is 6-4.
Golden Knights vs Canadiens. The horror. The horror. The horror. I picked Vegas because I hate the Canadiens with a passion that cannot be put into words. The coin sided with evil and picked Montreal. The coin was right (7-4) and I was heartbreakingly wrong (7-7).
And finally (pun definitely intended)……..
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens: So now we’ve arrived at the finals. There is so much more at stake than just the Cup, or my picks, or experiments in random selection, or anything like that. No, the fate of the universe is at stake. This isn’t hockey anymore, this is good vs evil with the defending champions the Tampa Bay Lightning on the side of good, and the vile, hated Montreal Canadiens on the side of evil. This is literally Luke “Lightning” Skywalker vs Darth “Les Habitants” Vader. Clearly I am picking Tampa Bay because I stand against evil whenever I can. The coin, who has picked Montreal twice now, picks (heads for the higher seed, which according to the NHL iOS app is Tampa Bay) Tampa Bay! The coin finally chooses to side against the evil ones! Thanks, coin!
Game one is Monday night. If Tampa Bay wins I will finish the playoffs with an 8-7 record and I’ll get to pat myself on the back for finishing with a winning record. If I lose I’ll finish 7-8 but it won’t matter because the universe will have collapsed into evil and madness so no one will notice my awful prediction skills. The coin will end up with a winning record either way, because it’s an asshole.
GO LIGHTNING!
Two periods into game seven between the Islanders and the Lightning, and Tampa Bay is clinging to a 1-0 lead. They’ve been dominant for most of the game so far, but when the Islanders are clicking they are a little terrifying.
I am rooting for Tampa for three reasons. First, because I picked them. Second, because they are not from New York. Third, because I legitimately feel they will have a better chance at beating Montreal.
One period to go. How about you hang on to that lead, Tampa Bay?
The Montreal Canadiens have advanced to the Stanley Cup Final. As if life weren’t difficult enough already.
They beat Vegas in overtime last night. It’s Montreal’s first trip to the finals since 1993. It’s the first Canadian team to make the finals since 2011 when the heroic, glorious Boston Bruins beat Vancouver.
For my money, anything short of a Bruins cup win feels like misery. The only way it could be worse is if the Montreal Canadiens win it. The last Bruins cup was in 2011. The last Canadiens cup was in 1993. The fact that their drought has been longer than ours is a literally a source of bliss for me. It’s the only thing that can soothe the pain of the Bruins not being the champs. Remember a couple of years ago when the Bruins lost in the finals to St Louis (gag)? As heart breaking and gut wrenching as that loss was, at least we could still say that we had won more recently than Montreal.
The other semi final series has its game seven tonight. Tampa Bay vs Long Island. I am still very much in Tampa’s corner, but if the Islanders should win it and advance to the finals I will be 100% an Islanders fan for a couple of weeks. Even though they are the bastards who eliminated my Bruins, and even though they are from (gag) New York.
As Princess Leia once said (via a hologram stored in R2-D2) to Obi-Wan Kenobi, “this is our most desperate hour.” The Montreal Canadiens must be stopped. They must be stopped!
I’m Nana sitting tonight. She seems okay, but she’s up and about and usually when she’s up an about around 10:00 it’s because she’s having a rough time. We’ll see.
I’ve watched two episodes of Black Summer. So far season two holds with the better episodes from season one. No clue what’s going on. Characters have names but I have no idea what they are. Zero character development, zero actual story, just segment after segment of super intensity. It’s stressful. I wish the episodes were shorter. You need a break from the tension, you know?
Tonight is game six of the Montreal vs Vegas playoff series. The Canadiens are up 3-2 in the series and up 2-1 in the game. If ever there was a time for Vegas to morph into the greatest hockey team ever, now is the time. The Canadiens cannot advance. They. Cannot. Advance. Come on, Vegas. Get your shit together.
I’ve been flipping back and forth between the hockey game and the Red Sox vs Rays game. No score in the bottom of the seventh and the Rays are threatening. I am not sure what the story was, but Nick Pivetta had a no hitter going in the bottom of the sixth and they relieved him with two outs and one on (via an error). What was the deal with that? Was he hurt? Was he on a pitch count? What the hell, bro?
I am not good at the second round. Every year it’s the same thing. First round, good. Second round, awful.
After one round I was 5-3 because the Maple Leafs suck. My coin flip was 2-4, again because the Leafs suck.
How’s it look after the second round?
The Bruins and the Islanders. Shut up. I’m not crying, you’re crying. Stop being such a butt munch, you jerk. I am now 5-4.
Hurricanes and Lightning. The coin and I both picked the lightning. Good work, me. I am 6-4 and the coin is 3-4. That’s it for good news for me.
Avalanche and Golden Knights. Welp… my pick to win it all is out of it. I picked the Avs and the coin picked Vegas. I am 6-5 and the coin is 4-4.
Canadiens vs Jets. Oh for fucks sake. I picked the Jets and the coin picked Montreal. Montreal won because they suck and also because the Leafs suck. I am 6-6 and the coin is 5-4.
So I guess that leaves us with the third round. They don’t seem to be calling it the Conference Finals this year. Instead it is the Stanley Cup Semifinals. Whatever, the Bruins aren’t in it so I hate it.
No. 3 Tampa Bay Lightning vs No. 4 New York Islanders: I hate them both. I hate Tampa because they beat us… last year was it? I don’t care, I hate them. I hate the Islanders more though because they beat us last week and they are from New York, even though they aren’t the real hockey team from New York (The Rangers didn’t make it this year because they suck). So I guess I am picking Tampa because I hate them slightly less. The coin flip (heads for the higher seed, tails for the lower) also picked Tampa.
No. 2 Vegas Golden Knights vs No. 4 Montreal Canadiens: Again, I hate them both. I didn’t hate Vegas a few days ago, but then they beat the team I was expecting to win it all so I hate them now. Montreal though… Can you feel the hate flowing through me? I hate the Montreal Canadiens the way a Sith Lord hates the Jedi. I hate them the way stormtroopers hate shooting straight. I hate them the way Tribbles hate Klingons. I hate them the way Science Fiction nerds hate it when blog writers mix Star Wars and Star Trek metaphors. Again, I am picking the lesser of the two hates and predicting a win for Vegas. The coin flip, for the second round in a row, picks Montreal. I hate that effin’ coin.
What does all of this mean?
It means the Bruins are out of it and it makes me sad. I could really used a Cup win this year. Thanks a bunch, guys.
We’ve had a string of scorchers around here. I’ve mentally blocked out some of it. Has it been four straight days above 90 degrees, or was it five? I’ve been thinking about weather tonight. Specifically Friday’s weather.
Yeah I know, it’s too soon to start thinking about the forecast for Friday. It’s the day after tomorrow, but it may as well be 10 years away. Harry’s graduation is Friday evening and it’s going to be outside on the football field.
The good news is that the forecast for the next couple of days won’t come anywhere near the 90’s. The bad news is the high for Friday in Windham is 68 and the low is 56. Yikes!
Two years ago, when Bellana graduated, it was oppressively hot at the start of the ceremony and frosty cold at the end. I had a suit jacket that day but ended up giving it to someone who was a lot colder than I was. It didn’t take long for me to regret the chivalry. I was freezing my ass off.
This time, I’m bringing a real coat with me. I don’t care if I have to carry it around all day. If we’re still on that field when the sun gets low it’s going to feel like the north freakin’ pole.
The boy scout motto is “be prepared.” The cliche quote* is if you don’t like the weather in New England, wait a minute. I will take both of those to heart on Friday. I am going to love the whole experience so much that I ain’t letting a little frigid air stop me.
The Bruins are getting smoked. 6-2, though two of those Islander goals were empty nets. I can’t believe I have to say this, but here’s hoping Tampa Bay kicks the living shit out of New York in the third round.
*I’ve always heard that quote attributed to Mark Twain. Is that true? Did he actually say that? Is that a true story or just some silly myth. I have no idea. If you live in New England you know it’s a really accurate statement though. We live it every day. I’ve lived in New England for 50 years and for pretty much all of those years I did not have any interest in living anywhere else. Today? Today I am thinking that maybe it’s time.
The Bruins have been eliminated from the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Crap.
Tonight’s a parents’ house night. My 24 hour shift started about an hour and a half ago. My brother was here when I got here and he said it was a pretty quiet day. Yesterday was a nightmare and I wasn’t here for any of it. Will the universe give me a shit day tomorrow to even things out? Goodness, I hope not.
I got them leftovers for dinner and I got them their 8:00pm pills. Apparently my father is supposed to have eye drops with his pills. I didn’t know that, and I didn’t give them when I was here on Sunday night/Monday. I guess now I know, and knowing is half the battle, right?
Dad is watching the Red Sox. They are losing to the Astros. So Major League Baseball seems to have a new cheating scandal brewing? Spider Tack? You heard it here last, just remember that.
I’ve got the Bruins radio coverage on my phone. Like a shit head I forgot my AirPods again. I have a set of ear buds that have a lightning cable and I have a pair of Bose over the ear, noise cancelling cans to use with my computer. I’m going with the ear buds with one ear open. I don’t want to use the Bose because I want to be able to hear if one of my parents calls me. The Bruins and the Islanders are tied at one in the second period. I need, need, need a Bruins win.
Shit… the Islanders just scored. We’re losing 2-1. Shit.
I had something else I wanted to write about. What the hell was it?
Don’t get old, kids. It blows. It’s better than the alternative, but sometimes it just blows.
Go Bruins.
Inside the Red Head's Head 