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.
NHL January 2023 Review
January means the beginning of a new year on the calendar, but in the NHL, it's the last chance for teams to make some positive noise before the All-Star Break hits. While this review does feature one team from each of the four divisions, for this month, they all have something in common: they are all behind the playoff line. While being out of the loop is a negative, I assure you, not all four of these stories are downers. With that said, here are the four teams who stood out in January.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
The Glorious Career of Bobby Hull
On the morning of January 30, 2023, I woke up to the tragic news that Bobby Hull, a 23-year NHL veteran, passed away at the age of 84--an age he reached just 27 days prior. Bobby Hull is a name I've heard a lot as a hockey fan; one of the great legends in hockey history. Born Robert Morgan Hull on January 3, 1939, Hull's hockey career began in the Ontario Hockey Association in 1954, playing three years for the Gall Black Hawks before joining the NHL's Chicago Black Hawks in 1957. He had 47 points (13 G/34 A) in his rookie season and finished second in Calder voting, and regarding his jersey number, Hull wore #16 and #7 before switching to his famous #9.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Conference Championship Recap: Blown Opportunities
Conference Championship Sunday: the last stop before the big game. For the 53rd year, the American and National Football Conferences take one solitary Sunday to decide which teams will play in the Super Bowl, and for the second year, these games took place on the final Sunday in January. I myself am old enough to remember when the Super Bowl occupied the last Sunday in January, but I digress. Every year, the conferences rotate time slots, and this year, the NFC went first, which featured the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the San Francisco 49ers.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
The Flyers: The Black Sheep of Philadelphia
It's amazing what's going on (or what's been going on) in sports in Philadelphia. The 76ers are continuing to be one of the superpowers in the NBA's Eastern Conference, boasting a pair of absolute superstars in James Harden and Joel Embiid. The Phillies coming off their National League pennant and are looking to get back to the World Series in this upcoming season. The Eagles are kicking a lot of ass and could be headed to the Super Bowl in what has been a dream season for them.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
State of the Colorado Avalanche Address
To any and all of my fellow Colorado Avalanche fans...well...we made it. As we all know, the only thing harder than winning the Stanley Cup is defending it. Every team's ultimate drive is winning the Stanley Cup, but once you've won it, you want to do it again that following year. That is immensely difficult. Yet in the last decade, we've seen the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Tampa Bay Lightning go back-to-back. So why can't the Avalanche do it? Even though the team lost Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky, and Darcy Kuemper this offseason, the Avs still have a lot of those big game players that led this team to the Stanley Cup last year. Even after those losses, I said, "We're repeating this year."
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
A Look at the Boston Bruins' Historic Pace...and What the Result May Be
You know, I'm used to takes and predictions aging badly. After all, I've usually been the one to disprove said takes and poke holes in them. However, we are all capable of big errors, and I am no exception. After the last NHL season ended, I made my share of predictions. Some are on pace to come true, some...not so much. One take I was certain would be a certainty was this: I said that the Boston Bruins would not make the playoffs in 2022-23. I based that prediction on the fact that the famed Perfection Line (Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak) was seemingly carrying the team, as well as their first round exit in the most recent Stanley Cup Playoffs. Add the fact that Marchand would start this season on the IR, and it seemed like Boston would be on the low end of the Eastern Conference standings.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
The Jaw-Dropping Career of Connor McDavid (So Far)
I am a Colorado Avalanche fan. I am also a Connor McDavid fan. These things can happen. When the name Connor McDavid is mentioned, I think about what he's done so far and I just shake my head. I don't do it out of shame, mind you. My head shaking is out of incredulousness. I always ask the one word question: "How?" How is he doing all of this? How is he just racking up points at will? I've said many times, "McDavid's not human." His offense is absolutely and deliciously monstrous. It's insane that he's doing this at such a crazy pace, and just think, he was nearly a Buffalo Sabre.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
2023 Winter Classic Recap
One of many things that pleases me as a hockey fan: all of the other sports have their designated holidays, but it's the NHL who takes over the first day of the calendar year. Beginning in 2008, the NHL featured an outdoor game known as the Winter Classic, which serves as the American equivalent of Canada's Heritage Classic. The game is usually played in northern/midwestern cities for obvious reasons, though the 2020 game between the Dallas Stars and the Nashville Predators was actually played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Baseball and football stadiums are often used to host the Winter Classic, which takes place on New Year's Day, unless the day falls on Sunday, then it occurs on January 2nd.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
NHL December 2022 Review
2022 is now in the past, and it ended with an amazing December in the NHL season. While the month saw Alex Ovechkin continue to make history and surpass Mr. Hockey himself, Gordie Howe, for 2nd place on the all-time goals list, the Washington Capitals are not the team making the most noise in the Metropolitan Division. Here are the teams who made the biggest impact (positive or negative) in each of the NHL's four divisions (Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central, and Pacific).
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
800 and Counting: The Legendary Career of Alex Ovechkin
One of the major storylines in the NHL in the last few seasons has been Alex Ovechkin's road to goal-scoring immortality. Throughout his career, Ovechkin's received a pair of notable nicknames: "The Great Eight" and "Alexander the Great," both with plenty of merit. Ovechkin's stellar career began in the 2005 NHL Draft, yes, that draft. He was drafted by the Washington Capitals on the same year that some kid named Sidney Crosby was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins. That, alone, is epic.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
And You Thought YOUR Owner Was Bad!: The Twisted Tale of Harold Ballard
Oh boy. You know, a decade ago, I joined Twitter, and a few of my first followers were wrestling fans and fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs. I remember when the Leafs clinched a playoff spot during that lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, and how happy those fans were on Twitter, because it had been nine years since the Leafs qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I also remember one or two of them telling me about the Leafs under the ownership of Harold Ballard. All I knew back then was that Ballard wasn't a good owner. If only that was all.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
NHL November 2022 Review
This November was quite amazing during the 2022-23 season. As I watched during the past 30 days, I was planning on what teams to feature in this review for the month of November, and the reason for that is simple. As I stated in my October review, the monthly review will contain a story from each of the NHL's four divisions: Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central, and Pacific, and each story centers on a team who I believe made the most noise from each of the divisions, either positively or negatively. The teams are as follows:
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
