Tag: Blackhawks

How to Steal a Win in the Stanley Cup Finals

And that, my friends and loyal reader(s), is how you steal a win in the Stanley Cup Finals. Those Blackhawk pukes stole game one from us, and the mighty Bruins turned right around and stole game two from them.

It was beautiful. Actually, it was awful in the first period. Oh my goodness, did they kick our ass in the first. Fortunately, we had one Tuukka Rask in the goal. As the two or three thousand shots came pouring in from inside the hash marks faster than the cameras could actually follow, Mr. Rask stood upon his Finnish head and stopped all but one.

In the second, the Bruins closed the competitive gap. It was still nerve racking, but it was better. The third was pretty even too.

Overtime though… It was beautiful. Dan Paille. 2-1 win.

Glorious!

It’s all tied up at a game a piece now. Glorious.

Here’s the highlight video.

And here is a little nod to the Bruins of the past…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc5yxbr23iM

Stanley Cup Finals Game Two

Game two of the Stanley Cup Finals is through two periods. In the first, the Bruins were completely out played by Chicago. It was the most dominant period I’ve seen in the entire post season. It was awful. Magically though, Tuukka Rask was able to hold the Blackhawks to just one goal.

In the second, the Bruins tightened things up. Rask remained super human, and Chris Kelly scored his first goal (and point) of the playoffs and incredibly the score is still tied at one.

The third is starting now. Hey Bruins, what do you say we steal this one, hub?

GO BRUINS!

Game One: What Did I Do to Jinx It

I take full responsibility for the Bruins losing game one last night.  It is totally my fault.  I don’t know how it’s my fault, I wasn’t even in the same region of the continent, but I know it’s my fault.

I did something to jinx the whole works.  What was it?  I worked a screwy schedule yesterday.  Instead of 9-5:30, it was 6-2:30.  That could be it.  I also ate the last reeses peanut butter cup.  There’s a good chance that was the problem. 

I wore my black Bruins jersey.  Only for a little while though, as it doesn’t really fit anymore.  I’ve always had a weird feeling that shit was bad luck.  I think the Bruins often lose when I wear it.  That’s it!  No more black Bruins jersey on game days!  Be damned, acursed replica jersey!

There is a good chance that the jersey was the jinx, but there is one other thing that might have been the culprit… I fell asleep.

I can’t be blamed.  I’ve had a shit week.  An uber shit week.  I’ve barely slept at all.  Whenever I finally get to sleep something (I’m looking at you, cat) wakes me up.  What’s worse, I’ve been snoring like a chainsaw when I do fall asleep and that is keeping everyone else awake, so everyone is fried this week, thanks to me.

Anyway, I watched most of the first two periods, and then just before the 2nd intermission I went to my room with my iPad and one of the 10,000 or so CBS radio apps.  I made it a decent way into the third period when I decided that I could still listen to the game if I was lying down.  I wouldn’t fall asleep.  The score was still 2-1 but I wouldn’t fall asleep.

Next thing I know I am awake and the audio is off.  The app just stopped streaming.  I looked at the clock, midnight.  Damn.  I checked the score.  You know, to make sure the game ended at 2-1 Boston.  Urgh.  It said 3-3 in the second overtime.  Crap!  I just gave up, took the headphones off, and went to sleep.  I woke up again at about 1:30.  I checked the score.  Damn it!  Blackhawks 4, Bruins 3 in the third overtime.  Game over.

I know it was my fault.  I’m 80% sure it was that damned unlucky jersey… but it might have been my inability to stay awake. 

I’ll try to do better on Saturday, Bruins nation.  I will hold up my end!

Go Bruins!

Game One Tonight!

Game one of the Stanley Cup Finals between the evil, vile, gross, icky, Chicago Blackhawks and the heroic, majestic, kingly, hockey-godly, Boston Bruins is tonight at 8:00ish.

My work schedule today is completely screwy (I punched in at 6:00! The humanity!) and it’s been traumatic disaster after traumatic disaster all day. I haven’t had the time to stoke the Stanley Cup Fire as it were.

Hopefully, this photo of the statue of Bobby Orr that sits in front of the TD Garden will inspire the Bruins to murderlize the Blackhawks tonight.

(note: I know Orr ended his career in Chicago, but didn’t that move contribute to landing his agent in jail? I’m not up on that story, but I heard that somewhere, didn’t I? Besides, there is no question as to which uniform the greatest player ever is wearing in this shot. No question at all)

2013 Stanley Cup Finals Predictions

As always, before I make my prediction for the upcoming playoff round, let me recap my predictions from the previous rounds.

Considering that I correctly predicted the winner of 11 out of the 12 series in the first two rounds, the third round looks like I did a crap-tastic job.  In the Conference Finals I picked:

Boston over Pittsburgh.  Boston won.  I was right.  Oh thank the hockey gods and all that, I was right.
Los Angeles over Chicago.  Chicago won.  I was wrong.

Those damn Blackhawks.  They brought my winning percentage down!  I’m now a measly 12 out of 14.  Thanks to friggin’ Chicago my percentage dropped from about 91% all the way down to 85%.  The pukes.

I guess I’ll just have to move on and keep living life, day by day.

Right, on to the prediction for the Stanley Cup Finals!

Like there is any doubt who this Boston native is going to pick.  Hey, did you notice I changed the image in this page’s header?  What is it, you ask?  Well it’s just the ice at the TD Garden.  I took that pic just after warm ups on 3/15/2008.  The Bruins hosted the Flyers that day.  Gee… so who is Robbie picking in the finals?  I have a tough decision here.  Should I wear my black Bruins jersey tomorrow (because it’s better and it almost fits… sort of) or should I wear the white one (which is too small, but is the same color that the Mighty Boston Bruins will be wearing in game one tomorrow night)?

What was I talking about?  Oh yeah, predictions!

The Blackhawks vs The Bruins.  Chicago has been awesome this season.  Remember the way they started the season?  Damn, that was impressive.  They came back to the pack somewhat, but they still won the West and the President’s Trophy, easily.  They are an amazing team.

Sounds familiar, right?

The Penguins are an amazing team too.  On paper they beat up the Bruins in every measurable way.  Who won that series?  It kinda reminds me of another series, about two years ago, where the Bruins faced a President’s Trophy winner.  What happened in that series?  Well the Bruins beat the Canucks in seven games and won the 2011 Stanley Cup.  Yeah, sounds similar.

Let’s be honest here.  Given all of the strengths in the Blackhawks line up, they should beat the Bruins.  They really should.  Fortunately for Boston, you can’t go by that.  The Pittsburgh series proved that beyond a doubt.  If that series had been closer I might be ready to give up on my home town team, but the Bruins dominated the entire series.  Game one was close most of the way, but the Penguins just came unglued and acted way out of character.  The Bruins got under their collective skin almost immediately.  Game two was a joke.  Game three was better, game four was awesome, but was it ever really in doubt?  Was the series ever really in doubt from the moment Crosby poked Rask, or Malkin picked a fight with Bergeron?

The similarities are clear, and the Bruins came out on top before.  It will be more difficult this time, but there is no reason to think that they cannot do it again.  Rask is on fire like never before.  Two goals in four games against the highest scoring offense in the playoffs.  That’s an inhuman performance.  The Bruins defense was outstanding.  The offense came through when it was needed.  They were just amazing.

The Blackhawks were amazing too.  The Blackhawks are definitely good enough to win this series.  The Bruins, however, look like a machine that cannot be stopped.

I’m picking my Bruins.  I’m picking my Bruins to win the Cup for the second time in three years.  The Bruins will beat the Blackhawks.  It’s going to be ugly.  It’s going to be painful.  It’s going to be brutal.  For us, the fans, it’s going to be uber stressful.  The team, and the fans, are up to the challenge.

Go Bruins!
Go Bruins!
Go Bruins!

Stanley Cup Finals Schedule

Here is the schedule for the Stanley Cup Finals.  Why there is two days off between games one and two and not two and three (when there is travel involved) I will never know.  Oh wait, I do know.  Television.  The NHL whores itself to television and whatever television wants, television gets.  Okay, I get it now.  Anyway…

Game 1: Wednesday at Chicago, 8 p.m. (NBC)
Game 2: Saturday at Chicago, 8 p.m. (NBCSN)
Game 3: June 17 at Boston, 8 p.m. (NBCSN)
Game 4: June 19 at Boston, 8 p.m. (NBC)
Game 5: June 22 at Chicago, 8 p.m. (NBC)-x
Game 6: June 24 at Boston, 8 p.m. (NBC)-x
Game 7: June 26 at Chicago, 8 p.m. (NBC)-x
x-if necessary

So don’t bug me during those times!  Hey kids, no Disney channel on those dates and times.

Go Bruins!

Chicago Wins the West

It’s over out West. The Chicago Blackhawks just clinched the Western Conference with a double overtime win in game five against the L.A. Kings.

Looks like we are getting an original six match up in the Stanley Cup Finals. Bruins and Blackhawks. Word is that game one will be Wednesday in Chicago.

GO BRUINS!

Blackhawks

The Blackhawks lost in regulation last night. It was the first time this (abortion of a shortened) season. Congrats to the ‘Hawks on a great run.

Now can the Bruins go on a 20-30 game point streak of their own? They play Philly in about an hour.

‘Grats to the Blackhawks.
Go Bruins!