What a series this final has been. With Roberto Luongo having good games and bad games, the rest of this series has been extremely unpredictable. Luongo has 2 shutouts, but Boston still has scored more goals than the Canucks capped off by an 8-1 win in game 3. Due to how well Boston played at home, I am pretty confident they won't lie over easily even though they will be facing elimination tomorrow. Tim Thomas has had an awesome final and the Sedin twins have been silent. I have enjoyed watching this round even though as a Red Wing fan, neither of these teams are near the top of my favorites list. Still, they are both showing why they deserve to be battling for a championship and it's a nice thought knowing there is still at least 1 more game between them.
Well since it's been a while since my last post I thought I would use this one to voice my opinion on a couple important events that happened in the NHL. For example, a quick one would be the trade of Ilya Bryzgalov to Philedalphia. He was a stud in my hockey pool last year and if they can sign him the Flyers suddenly are a contender again. I won't speculate on any trades in this post, saving that for after the final is done and teams start reassembling their rosters. But Winnipeg and Brenden Shanahan's new role are newsworthy here.
So let me begin by saying I wasn't really sure how I should approach this topic which is why I held back on writing about it. I didn't want to speculate on what the team will be called but I figured we would have already been told by know, which hasn't happened. Last season was one of the more promising ones in the Thrashers' history so any fans in Georgia should be upset as they were on the right track. And Winnipeg (something's) fans should be excited with the team they are getting with Alex Burmistrov, Evander Kane, Tobias Enstrom, Bryan Little and Dustin Byfuglin all providing solid play as well as Ondrej Pavelic in net, one of the leagues most underrated goalies. I do not think the team will become the Jets. The Jets are in Phoenix. Also, the owners would miss out on all the merchandise sales from fans who already own Jets stuff, so it would be smart to make them buy new shirts with a new logo. I am pretty sure the team will be called the Winnipeg _____, not Manitoba, as Winnipeg has been constantly been used when the new owners speak and is more recognizable for the American markets. Twitter has provided some creative names for the team including the helicopters, beavers, polar bears, Ice and Lakers. Like I said before, I was expecting to have heard the name by now, which leaves me to think it could still be a while before any announcement is made. Either way, as a Canadian, it is always good to see American's give us something we want and deserve, in this case an NHL franchise. Go (insert team name here!)
Brendan Shanahan also has a new job starting next season. He will be replacing Colin Campbell as the NHL supplementary disciplinary head. Since Campbell's son is playing in the final, Greg on Boston, he was able to make the announcement before game 1 since he wasn't ruling on any of the remaining games anyways. I think Shanahan is a good pick for this role as he has only been retired for a couple of years so he knows the post lockout game. And he proved his hard work and dedication by organizing the past All-Star game festivities which were a huge success. Hopefully he is able to make the NHL safer but still provide a wise and informed decision on any dangerous plays that happen on the ice. He was one of my favorite players on the Red Wings as a kid and I think working in the NHL front offices now is a good fit for him. I'm sure he will do a good job in his new role.
That pretty much all I have for you this week. I'll post something the night the cup is handed out either tomorrow or Wednesday with talk about the last game, the Conn Smythe winner and the impact this win will have on the championship team. I will close this article with my Conn Smythe predictions: for Boston Tim Thomas or Patrice Bergeron. For Vancouver Ryan Kessler or Kevin Bieksa. So there you have it. Now let's watch some hockey.
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