hockey
We talk pucks and objects of that kind. We yell, complain, and analyze in the language of hockey fandom. Gretzky can do no wrong.
The Devils are in the Details...and in the Stanley Cup Playoffs
I still vividly remember when the New Jersey Devils were...well...the DEVILS! They won their first Stanley Cup back in 1995 and from that point on, they became this juggernaut who was always in the playoffs, reaching the Final three more times after that 1995 Cup, and adding two more Cups in 2000 and 2003. Those days are long gone; names like Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Bobby Holik, and of course, Martin Brodeur are enjoying retirement. Ken Daneyko has since gone from winning Cups with the Devils to calling their games as a color analyst (one of my current faves), and we have seen new stars shine for the Devils.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Hurricanes Return to Playoffs; Look to Avenge Elite Eight Loss
The best part of what I call "NHL March Madness" is seeing teams lock in their spots in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Boston Bruins became the first team to do so, but that was almost two weeks ago, because they were so far ahead of the second best team in the league, the Carolina Hurricanes. Twelve days after Boston locked in their spot, the Hurricanes had the chance to do the same. A win vs the New York Rangers would have done it, or just one point and outside help. Unfortunately, the Hurricanes were defeated, 2-1, on their home ice, but they could still get in with a Florida Panthers regulation loss. That's exactly what happened; the Panthers were soundly defeated, 6-2, by the Toronto Maple Leafs, and following the agony of defeat, the Hurricanes celebrated the thrill of joining the playoff party.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
A Look at the 2017-18 Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals entered the 2017-18 season as one of the most hard luck teams in the NHL, and it all started with their historically hideous inaugural season. Eight wins. 21 points. That's how the 1974-75 season went for the debuting Capitals. It would take them nine seasons to finally reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time, and they needed Year 10 to finally win a series. The Caps' first trip to the Final Four didn't come until the 1989-90 season, and it was in the 1997-98 season that the Capitals finally reached the Stanley Cup Final, but they were swept by the Detroit Red Wings.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
What Went Wrong: Sharks Miss Playoffs for 4th Straight Year
16 teams will participate in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but there are 16 teams that won't get that luxury. Every year, there has to be a first, and in spite of the immense ineptitude of the Anaheim Ducks, the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Chicago Blackhawks, this season's first elimination ended up going to the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks are 31st overall in the NHL, yet it was their overtime loss to the only team with a worse record--the Blue Jackets--that did them in. San Jose lost, 6-5, thanks to Johnny Gaudreau going beast mode with five points (two goals, including the OT winner, and three assists).
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Back-to-Back: A Look at the 2015-17 Pittsburgh Penguins
As a fan of Sidney Crosby, I was very elated when he and the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2009. It was a payback moment; they defeated the very team who bested them a year prior: the Detroit Red Wings. Also, it was inevitable; Crosby was already proving that the hype surrounding him prior to being drafted was immensely justified. However, as seasons passed, the Penguins wouldn't come close to retutning to that very pinnacle, and that led to some doubt from talking heads regarding Crosby's ability to win a second Cup. Even I started to wonder if 2009 would be his only hit.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Bruins Become 1st Team to Clinch in 2023, but What's Next?
I am a huge fan of sports takes aging horrendously, and yes, ladies and gentlemen, that includes my own. During the last offseason, I looked up and down at the league, and when it came to the Boston Bruins, I flatly said that this team was not making the playoffs. Why? Because I felt that the team was relying solely on the Perfection Line. Because I thought their goaltending was reliable. Because I thought they had absolutely nothing behind the blue line. Also, they fired Bruce Cassidy as head coach, the very coach who took the Bruins to the Cup Final in 2019. I actually had the Bruins finishing in sixth place in the Atlantic Division.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
NHL March Madness 2023: A Look at the Stanley Cup Playoff Picture
I love the month of March, obviously because I was born on this month, but also because it's the best month in the sports calendar. For us hockey fans, March is the home stretch; it's the final full month of the NHL season, and it begins a period in the season where the numbers get thinned out and the playoff picture becomes complete at last. Right now, it's quite fuzzy. Logjams are all over the place, but such is life in the chaotic NHL.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
The Extraordinary Career of P.K. Subban
In an earlier story, I wrote about Willie O'Ree, who broke the NHL's color barrier back in 1958, when he debuted for the Boston Bruins. O'Ree's influence led to a plethora of Black players making their mark in the NHL in the decades that passed. Notable Black players include Grant Fuhr, who was in net during the Edmonton Oilers' monstrous dynasty in the 1980s, Jarome Iginla, who set all sorts of high numbers in his amazing career, and the subject of this story, P.K. Subban, one of the best defensemen in the league during his career.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
The History of the Quebec Nordiques
My name is Clyde E. Dawkins, and I am a Quebec Nordiques fan. That was my team when I started following hockey at the age of seven. I was fascinated by the team names when I read them in the sports section. Whalers, North Stars, Flames, Islanders. I would see team names I saw in other sports: Rangers, Oilers, Jets. But the name that stood out the most to me was "Nordiques." At the time, I knew very little about hockey. Also, this was the early 1990s. As I would find out, I wouldn't have time to enjoy the Nordiques, as the team moved away in 1995. I would learn about hockey history and each team's history as I got older and after I got cable, making it easier to actually watch hockey. Because of this, I can properly detail the history of the Quebec Nordiques, as shaky as it is.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
I Guess That's Why They Call Them the Blues
On June 12, 2019, the St. Louis Blues finally achieved the ultimate goal: they won the Stanley Cup. The Blues' Cup came after over five decades of hard luck and suffering. The Blues' Cup came one season after they ended up as the last team eliminated from playoff contention. The Blues' Cup came just months after they were actually in last place in the entire NHL. It was an amazing story and a terrific ending for a team who had nothing but hardships since joining the league in 1967, and it looked like they would be a juggernaut for years to come.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
1 vs 8 or Divisional: Which Stanley Cup Playoff Format is Better?
For hockey fans, the road to the Stanley Cup is a fun one. Stressful and nail-biting, yes, but fun. The Stanley Cup Playoffs serves as the best sports stretch on the calendar year; after a wild 82-game season, an even wilder 16-team postseason begins in mid-April and ends with the Stanley Cup awarded in mid-June. There is never a debate regarding how fun the Stanley Cup Playoffs are, because it is immensely exciting to watch 16 teams fight for the greatest prize in sports. The debate, however, is centered on the format.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Reviewing the 2023 NHL All-Star Game
I do love the NHL All-Star Game and its festivities. I've been watching this event since the mid-1990s, and if there's one thing I've learned the years, it's this: the NHL's All-Star Game went through so many changes. When this started in 1947, the format back then pitted the defending Stanley Cup Champions against a mixture of All-Stars from other teams. Then in 1969, it was the East Division vs the West Division, but six years later, the format changed to the Wales Conference vs the Campbell Conference. It became Eastern Conference vs Western Conference when the geographical names returned in the 1993-94, but a few years later, the NHL decided that for the All-Star Game, they would pit a team of North Americans (Canada and the U.S.) against The World (mostly European players), before going back to East vs West.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
