The Setting in the West

So the Sharks were eliminated tonight by a very good Anaheim team. Hats off to the Ducks for doing what San Jose has been unable to do; play like they want to move onto the next round.

The East will remain undecided until the New Jersey/Carolina and New York Rangers/Washington series have been decided tomorrow...if you were wondering, I'm still sticking with New Jersey and Washington.

Granted I haven't seen much of the East coast play, but I don't know how anyone is going to be the Western teams advancing here. These two series should be a lot of fun to watch, and I won't be surprised if it takes seven games in both series to decide the conference finalists. Here's my predictions for the next match-ups in the west:

Detroit vs. Anaheim: If the Ducks keep up this level of play the Wings are going to have some problems. Jonas Hiller is looking pretty damn good in net, though as this last series went on, he gave up quite a few more rebounds than were maybe necessary. Plus unlike the Sharks, the Wings are always out to win in the playoffs. Hiller can't expect shutouts against guys like Lidstrom, Hossa, Franzen, Zetterberg and Datsyuk. Anaheim capitalized on San Jose's mistakes and sloppy play, while San Jose was unable to do the same on Anaheim...Detroit won't allow them that luxury. Guys like Holmstrom and Maltby and Draper that will get their sticks free for the rebounds, and will create a huge distraction for the young Hiller. That is just one reason why they are the current powerhouse dynasty. These are the last two cup winners, the cores of those teams are there, they aren't mortal enemies but they are familiar with each other...well, there's the possibility for this to turn into a heinous rivalry with this series. I'm gonna say Detroit...most people are going to bet on Detroit.

Vancouver vs. Chicago: I'm gonna say this series goes to whoever can figure out how to score on their opposing goalies. Khabibulin and Luongo are two world class goalies. I haven't watched either team play much, but there's a part of me that loves guys like Teows, Kane, and Campbell. Campbell is getting on in age, and I'm hoping he's got a few more seasons in him, because I think Chicago is gearing up for something phenomenal on their own. It's really a toss up, but I think Chicago is going to make a big statement by taking this series and giving Detroit some trouble in the conference finals.

In other news, Plymouth State University is still accepting applications for next fall's graduate programs...I like them, but they're loosing points for asking for a personal statement that is 350 words max...I'm verbose...I like myself that way...350 to describe my intentions for graduate school and beyond...oy

Hmmm...

I don't think I'll be the only one to think this is some serious news:

Meghan McCain (senator's daughter) and Steven Schmidt (Chief Strategist for McCain's presidential campaign) have both stated they for gay-marriage...in fact, they've both more than hinted that its time for the non-religious and moderate voices of the GOP to rise up and force their way into the conservative debate.

Perhaps its just because I'm watching the West Wing but that seems to me like that's something that would cause a lot of peoples ears to perk up...yes its just two people, but the Chief Strategist for the last Republican Presidential Nominee and the Nominee's daughter who has found something of a political stage in the last year...those are two people whose words can carry some weight.

I dunno, I'm going to keep my eye on them now. I'm not talking a political switch because thankfully my ideologue alliances are multifaceted and thus not decided by one issue, but I think that debate of political issues can always use more voices...our country is at its best when all minds are comfortable expressing themselves, when the reason of the people is put to the test.

NHL Playoffs

For the second season in a row my dear Sabre's have not made it to the playoffs. Some fans are calling for the firing of GM Darcy Regier and Head Coach Lindy Ruff...I have faith in Lindy, there's a reason he's the longest standing head coach at one organization currently in the NHL. I think the biggest problem is that the Sabres were plagued by injury at the worst time in the season, loosing top goalie for a month and getting him back for the final seven games of the season? Loosing top goal scorer Thomas Vanek for a couple months and then have him come back unable to get back into any rhythm didn't help. Not to mention injuries that caused veterans Tim Connely and Teppo Numinen to loose some games here and there. There was a lot that didn't go well for them, key players gone at a key times, I'm impressed that they actually made a run at the end of the season. As I said earlier, what they need is a stronger leader, a real captain that will be the heart of the team. Anyways, onto the predictions on the actual playoff match ups:

Boston vs. Montreal: Boston won the season series, Montreal is riding a great end of season. If Montreal plays their best for seven games (or less), I think they could knock Boston out. That's a big "if" and well, I don't have a ton of faith in Montreal's ability to hold a streak into the playoffs. I'm picking Boston and hoping for Montreal here.

Washington vs. New York Rangers: The Rangers limped through the second half of the season, Ovechkin and the Capitals, while riding a bit of a loosing streak, are still a great team. The Rangers won't make it past the first round, Washington wins this one.

New Jersey vs. Carolina: Martin Brodeur is still an amazing goalie, perhaps still the best in his position, Carolina is going to have a hard time with him in the playoffs. Kudos to Carolina for getting this far, I think this series might actually be fun to watch, but New Jersey is going to win, probably in 6 games.

Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia: Pittsburgh figured out how to play again thanks to Dan Bylsma at the helm, Philly has been good, but I don't think they're good enough to beat Malkin and Crosby at their best. Pittsburgh takes this one, maybe in 5?

San Jose vs. Anaheim: San Jose has been attrocious in the playoffs, loosing the will to win and such, but we'll see how they fare this season with a coach who has lots of playoff winning experience. They haven't been as strong the second half of the season, but the pace they were keeping the first half was just impossible. Kudos to Anaheim to battling their way into the playoffs, San Jose takes this one, maybe sweeps it.

Detroit vs. Columbus: Great praise to Columbus for making it into the playoffs for the first time in their history, they'll nab one or two games. Detroit is a powerhouse. They are a dynasty...the reality is that they could win the cup every year, they're taking this one. Bad first match for Columbus.

Vancouver vs. St. Louis: Wow, St. Louis came out of no where, best second half of the season of any team, hands down. Vancouver hasn't been having a bad season either. This might be the best series of this round of the playoffs, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say St. Louis pulls this one out, maybe in the final hour of the seventh game.

Chicago vs. Calgary: Chicago has been great this season, I mean seriously great this season. One commentator mentioned that the biggest problem they have is that they always run into a red or teal wall, Detroit or San Jose. I think the series will be fun to watch, but Chicago is going to win.

Well friends, that was fun. Hmmmm, my sister is turning 21 tomorrow...awwwweeesome!

June 30th

I found out last Friday that I was not being offered a contract at the Drew School for the following year. My position is being restructured with either more accounting or database experience and will no longer be a full-time position, but a seasonal one. My contract ends on June 30th, so here's to changing life plans again.

I've been trying to keep a good face on it, and really there's a lot of benefits that I can find, truly a lot, but I cant deny that there is a certain amount of depression-type feelings that surround that situation.

I dunno, I'm pushing through and looking at other things. I can still apply to grad school at USF for the fall, but I'll also need to figure out how to pay for it.

Even within the sadness and the loss, I feel more like myself, I'm working on controlling the self-destructive behavior that I know comes from life changes as this.

And oddly, I'm having a problem with feeling entirely unwanted. Every once and a while someone will make me feel pretty special, but damn, I've never felt so unnecessary at life as I have in the past month or so.

Looking forward to this passing.

A little poem

I wrote this little ditty at some point over the summer with BAM...and I've been meaning to post it here but kept loosing it in piles of paper until I founding it my most recent room cleaning and am now quite excited to show it.

The writing exercise that I gave them asked them to use a phrase and a picture to do a creative writing piece, the phrase was "This is the face of..." and then there was a picture of a ship in a harbor. Looking back, it's not as awesome as I had thought it was, but I think perhaps I was more excited to have busted this out in ten minutes than about the quality itself.


This is the face of briny brilliance,
A salty serenade to lives lost and hemorrhaging memories,
The crisp crack of crustacean claws,
Clamoring for safety,
A last cry for help,
And its then that I know these mysterious creatures of the sea are not so different from ourselves,

This is the face of seaweed sinews,
The kind that survive the tirades of waters meant to brutalize brick wals,
These limbs have clung to the edge,
Whil i vocalized my own version of click-clacky claws,
Grasping only for the hope,
Of a rope made of synthetic substitutes,
For the fibers of festering fragility,

This is the face of rocking resilliance,
The calcium carbonic manifestations of structures not meant for 9 to 5 chains,
I've made my bargain with my make,
My reckless abandon for the favor of fresh catch on our deck,
This sea and I, we breath the same salty scourge and know we are inevitable.

Halfway Hockey

Thankfully the all star game has passed and the joy of the playoffs now seems much closer. Each game has significance, and we experience the phenomenon of "must win" games. I for one have really enjoyed watching this season's conference standing fluctuations. Here's some of the really exciting bits:

A) Number 1: The battle between the Sharks and the Bruins, the best of the conferences. With the presence of a new head coach to polish an already good team, San Jose got a lot of the early recognition as the leagues best team. Boston surprised everyone by actually doing really well. As a poor to mediocre team in the past few years, a meteoric rise and a decent schedule has had them play more games than the Sharks and attain more points in the process. This all came to a head when the two met recently, with the Sharks prevailing in the end. Both teams have been slumping as of late, but we can expect that they'll pull out of it. Boston still has more points and more games under their belt, I'll be interested to see how this all shakes out in the end.

B) Detroit sneaking in: Detroit hasn't had a bad season either, in fact, they currently find themselves one point behind the Sharks in the west, though they have played three more games. Detroit is a dynasty these days. They've won a lot of cups in the past twelve years, and they have a way of pulling together great talent. Both Osgood and Conklin have been notable this season, but once they're both healthy, they'll need to figure out which one is going to be number one.

C) Even with Boston atop the east, most recent standings indicate that the final four places for the play offs are taken up by teams with 66 points, a four way tie for fifth place between the Rangers, Sabres, Canadiens and Panthers. I think we have our 8 teams from the east at this point. Pittsburg is realizing that Malkin and Crosby aren't enough to create a repeat, let alone a playoff birth, Carolina could play spoiler but I doubt they have enough to get in on their own, Ottowa is 13 points outside of the playoff hunt...they won't be able to get it together this season, and no one positioned below them will be able to either.

D) The rising of the Kings. Seriously, as much as it has been a surprise to watch Boston be a team leader, lets just chat about Los Angeles season. After being dismal for seasons, I mean really dismal, last in the conference and/or league for many years, something just clicked during the past month. They're making a run for it, and I think they're going to sneak in. The West is still relatively close.

Shall we talk about chances? To win the cup a team has to have a few things:
1) Solid goaltending: if you cant count on your netminder to make up for a few of your mishaps, well, look out for when the teams your playing are fighting to continue on in the playoffs.

2) Balanced approach: everyone says defence wins championships. I say that's bullshit. Defense is really important, because you can't expect your goalie to stop everything that comes his way, and it would be awesome if the goalie didn't have to stop a shot after every offensive push, but you cant win a game if you cant score goals. The more lines that you have that can score, the harder it is for an opposing team to figure out how to defend you. Its that simple. Each player has to have a sense of purpose and understand everyone elses purpose.

3) The go to guy: When you're in a tough spot, you need to know who is going to get you out of it. These guys are the "stars" because they can handle stressful situations. They change the momentum of games. It's teams with these players who will get into and deep into the playoffs.

Lets talk about chances:

The Bruins have done well this season, but they did loose to the Sharks. I don't care about the argument that they didn't need the win like the Sharks did, whatever. When you play the team your battling for the presidents trophy with, you show up to play. Sharks were better, hands down. I don't know if Boston really has their go-to guy either. Chara deserves a ton of credit, but he hasn't historically been a game changer. Washington is impressive and as Ovechkin matures they'll have everything they need, the question is can they pull it together this year or will it take a while. My guess is that it will take a while. Teams know how to shut Ovechkin down and building a team that will support him doesn't happen over night or even over a season. Philadelphia has been plagued by injuries and I doubt that they can muster enough team spirit to go far, New Jersey has to figure out how much it can trust Brodeur when he's healthy again, Montreal isn't as impressive as last season but is a real contender again, Koivu and Kovalev are some serious vets that help the team take a lot of heart. The Panthers are showing up again as are the Sabres but I would imagine they're both lacking their go-to guys, their game changers. And the Rangers will probably figure out how to hold on for a playoff birth and be eliminated after the first round.

In the West, Calgary will play spoiler but eventually be eliminated. Chicago should be immensely commended for their progress but we all know Teows and Kane are still a bit young to lead them to the promised land, even with the addition of Campbell to their defense (and offense). They're good, but they can't top Detroit or San Jose in a series. Sundin in Vancouver could make their playoffs pretty interesting. Dallas will hang on and be eliminated before the conference finals, who knows if Edmonton and Columbus can hang on through April. The Ducks can easily pull together a playoff run and the Kings will probably find their way in. At the end of the day, the conversation comes down to Detroit and San Jose. Both are fantastic teams, both have the necessary ingredients, Detroit has plenty of experience in winning the cup and San Jose has too much experience loosing to early. I'd say San Jose is a little more hungry for it but Detroit knows exactly what it takes. I think its between these two teams. I'd love to see the Teal and Red do a Western Conference final then meet whomever from the East, maybe Boston, maybe Washington. It really doesn't matter, in my opinion, at this point in the season its the Sharks or Wings cup to loose.

The wonderful thing is, there's plenty more games to go, no one has clinched a playoff birth yet, and the trade deadline hasn't past either. There's a lot left to go and a lot of developments left that we probably don't even see coming. Now is when the exciting hockey starts.

My beef with television...

Okay. So I'm a big fan of TV channels that are educational. PBS is fine, but hook me up to the Food Network, Travel Channel, Discovery Network, History Channel...etc, I'm totally in...

However, I am quite saddened to say that there are some channels having an identity crisis. The Food Network has stayed the course on all things food...but the Travel Channel is fairly certain that it's the Food Network. The Travel Channel has marathons of three shows regularly...and by regularly I mean almost exclusively...Man vs. Food, Bizzare Foods with Andrew Zimmerman, and No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain. All three are shows about food. Now, I'm not opposed to the travel channel having a show or two about eating in other countries, but its hard to flip on that show and find something other than worldly foods to watch. I was so excited when I fell asleep watching an informative show about Austria the other night. I mean seriously! Austria is awesome! I'm lovin it those kind of shows, just a little tour of an awesome area, a viewing of the sites, travel tips and a bit of culture.

The History Channel seems to think it can run shows that have anything that's NOT historical...what? How does that makes sense?

The Discovery Chennel is doing good. I like what they have on.

Anyways, that's my current rant. Mind thy name channels!!!