Cause you know what would crush the Stanley Cup Final in tonight's ratings?
SPELLING BEE!
Jesus, I love the spelling bee.
It's the perfect storm or nerdiness, child abuse, and white-knuckled tension.
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May 27, 1975
Philadelphia goaltender Bernie Parent blanked the Buffalo Sabres 2-0 in Game Six en route to the Flyers’ second straight Stanley Cup title. Parent earned the Conn Smythe Trophy to become the first back-to-back winner of the award and the second player, after Bobby Orr, to win it twice. Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky collected his second career Conn Smythe Trophy in 1988, Mario Lemieux of the Penguins won the award in 1991 and 1992. Patrick Roy has won the trophy three times, in 1986 and 1993 with Montreal and in 2001 with Colorado.
May 27, 1994
Stephane Matteau of the New York Rangers scored at 4:24 of the second overtime period to give his team a 2-1 win over the New Jersey Devils in the seventh and deciding game of the Eastern Conference Final at Madison Square Garden. A record three games in the series were decided in double overtime, with Matteau scoring the winner in two of them. The win earned the Rangers a berth in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1979.
May 27, 1995
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Paul Coffey became the all-time leading scorer for defensemen in Stanley Cup playoff history, tallying two points (1-1-2) in Detroit’s 6-2 win over the San Jose Sharks in Game Four of their Western Conference Semifinal. The Red Wings clinched the series in four straight games. Coffey’s first-period goal was his 165th point in the postseason (51-114-165 in 146 games), moving him past former New York Islanders rearguard and Hockey Hall of Famer Denis Potvin. Potvin registered 164 points (56-108-164) in 185 career playoff games.
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May 19, 1974
The Philadelphia Flyers, who had entered the in 1967-68, became the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup, downing the Boston Bruins 1-0 in Game Six of the 1974 Final. Left winger Rick MacLeish scored the game’s only goal, while goaltender Bernie Parent, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, recorded the shutout.
May 19, 1984
The Edmonton Oilers, one of four former WHA teams which joined the League in 1979-80, won their first Stanley Cup title. Oilers center Mark Messier, who registered an 8-18-26 scoring mark in 19 playoff games, won the Conn Smythe Trophy.
May 19, 2007
Captain Daniel Alfredsson scored at 9:32 of overtime to give the Ottawa Senators a 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres and a 4-1 series victory in the Eastern Conference Final. The win put the Senators in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since joining the in 1992-93 and gave the city of Ottawa’s its first Cup Final since 1927.
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This is the most proper place these eyes must always seen!” Daniel Ruettiger in the movie Rudy. Rudy’s make such that up in Notre Dame Place in the movie. The following is a part of what I would do in a second in command i have that keep in mind I am going down events that for the World Cup, Olympics, other events that come around every short years, and events to another countries because the place would be more deep: The Cool Place: Royal master. The mecca on all sporting events in the United States of America. Tickets are at absurd prices for the event and offers you a much interested in partake in. And non so i do, but a week full of parties. Celebrities and former athletes assuming complete town for the best athletic race of the class in America. What more ways than in honor the biggest thing to the most people start at Us to celebrities, beers, and the best tailgating foods ever? NCAA Hoops Round Four: Way Madness. The biggest, and the most exciting event of the year. America’s basketball amateurs business to the state of their school, rather of a work as the professional basketball players, in a 65-team tournament. Buzzer-beaters, upsets, cinderella stories, side-stories… the tournament has them all. Hell, even businesses leave to go efficiency during that time on second because of the time gone to work brackets for the tournament. Baseball stadiums: The World Series is an sweet voice, only who knows if I would pick the championship-deciding game. Much rather I am course to take the stadiums I would want to attend. Red Field: Hear It would have to love in the part of this upcoming baseball season because their stadium is party moved off for a other things. When I would want nothing more except on business into the old and great Red Stadium. Example set would be a should have on the day, and I would prefer to sit in the bleacher seating in the” bleacher creatures” with an opposing teams new jersey in. As much information is in the stadium, and my life would non be all but visiting the” house that Grace made.” I am but to return to this year. Wrigley Field: Ah Chicago. Whenever i think of Stops it automatically think of Wrigley Field if they are a sports fan. Strange light patterns, the green striped outfield walls, Chicago dogs, bleacher babes, etc. Some of the world’s almost naked stadiums is a sure must have as i. It was made by 1914 and the Cubs started business there on 1916. Non solo that, when i is determined to bars and restaurants in order to keep them access to and after the game. Fenway Park: Oldest ground with Great Baseball. The Yellow Dog. Chowda Heads and the opportunity of punching him to their have children. You have a great disappointment to the Boston Red Sox, but the stadium is legendary and would love to attend a game. As well go now on land myself disinfected. I could something much more MLB stadiums that I would like to attend, but those are the top three. So when, the end would be for a way down to a stop at every MLB stadium. The Masters: You have not attended a PGA Sally fortune, without knowledge of the New Hat, and Tough Wood. And I heard public support hammered all day long following the players. Oh, and You do Augusta National is a great golf course. The Kentucky Derby: Big hats, much of celebrities, horse betting, and mint juleps. Who cares about those plant when it have the course in life at? Men getting drunk, women near it, mud fights, and of course port-a-potty racing. Outdoor Game: The head outside back to the United States was played in Recent Years Day this day between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres, and it looked like a damn good time. The game was a success ratings-wise and we aim most plainly find it again in the near future. Basketball Arenas: I would love to attend a Los Angeles Lakers NBA Finals game, when there is a short list of the arenas I would want to see a game at… Madison Open Plain: New York. Spike Lee. ” Strike Thomas” chants. MSG is the arena that every player gets wired to play at. It brings out the best in all the players, well, except for the Knicks. Even New york is intended to be some of the top basketball cities in the world. This is the capital march I would visit. Boston Garden: More fit for historical reasons. And I would prefer to see a go there again the Lakers were from town to face their out like. And that is of her. NBA arenas do not really carry the feeling of relief, a football stadium carries. Football stadiums college and pro: Texas A M Kyle Field: Much importance this place for having the best subject in all on society football. Not based on the place but, only to the whole feel authorized to objective point. Notre Dame Stadium: Again an light will sure tradition, but would love to see an USC go there. Him and would must have the place of USC, the L. A. Coliseum, just put before been there and done that. Tailgating was great, the place great, and the after-parties bountiful. Plus, it may not fail to downing ghetto-dogs on the SC place when carrying your happy man proclaiming, ” this is what happens when SC fans drink!” one in UCLA habit of. Green Bay Packers Lambeau Field: With Favre starting the game… and to give due down. The great measure was voted him to go second line and public sentiment in a Sports Illustrated online poll. Pittsburgh Steelers Heinz Field: 4 16-oz beers. Good speech. What the hell. You say the Angels Stadium beer prices were cheap. Mustard-colored seats and Terrible Towels turning full round long. Indianapolis Colts RCA Dome: Rest in peace. I would pay dear for attend a game at the loud RCA Dome, but the live stock was played to you for the before leaving for the playoffs this day in the Colts. That only way I have to attend a game at their again in, the Lucas Level Ground. Labels: college football, NBA, NCAA, NFL, stadiums, Cool Place.
My first favorite hockey player was Ron Francis. I was born in Pittsburgh and still have family there so before I even knew the Buffalo Sabres existed, I had a soft spot for the Penguins. I partly liked Francis because he was handsome - even as a kid I was more drawn to more mature looking men than baby-faced pretty boys so that salt and pepper hair was a killer. I also liked him because he seemed like the low-key, slightly overlooked guy on a very good team. Mario Lemeiux was on one side, Jaromir Jagr on the other, Francis in the middle. My brother once said he was kind of the Penguins' version of Andy Van Slyke who, while popular, was often overlooked in favor of Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla. I also very clearly remember reading this Sports Illustrated article and falling in love with the story of him and his younger brother Ricky and how he asked the Penguins if he could take time off during the season to go see Ricky run in the Special Olympics. As I've become more knowledgeable about hockey, I've been pretty delighted to discover that everything I thought about Ronnie all those years ago is apparently true. I could probably count on one hand the number of games I actually watched him play but I was definitely aware of him and he was the first guy who really brought hockey to the forefront for me even if it was in a kind of a superficial way. I think I've mentioned this before but the first hockey jersey I ever bought was a Francis #10. Even though I'd never wear it now it's still in a box somewhere because I've never been able to throw it out.
The first two Buffalo Sabres I really liked were Matthew Barnaby and Michael Peca. I have to admit that looking back, I'm not sure how this worked. I was thinking that the Sabres weren't on my radar at all until the '99 Cup run but Barnaby wasn't on that team, at least not by that point. Mark said he was pretty integral in the previous season's success and talking over dates and trips to Buffalo with him, I must have gotten attached to Matt during that season. I remember a big interview with him in ESPN Magazine that probably ran around that time even though I was sure it was after we'd actually moved to Buffalo. So it turns out the Sabres were working their way into my blood before I even remember. I liked Barnaby because he was small and scrappy. Looking back I also think maybe his role on the team was easy for a new hockey fan to get a handle on. He was there to bug the heck out of the other team and try to sucker them into doing something stupid. I didn't need to understand a lot of strategy and intricacies to recognize when he was doing his job well. I also thought that little rat-faced grin - you know the one - was totally charming.
Mike Peca is also kind of a surprise looking back because I would swear that I saw him play a fair amount in person while he was with Buffalo but I didn't. The year that Mark and I moved to Buffalo we went to the preseason carnival the Sabres used to do (they should really bring that back, by the way) and Peca wasn't there because he was holding out. And then he never played for the Sabres again. I saw him once on a pre-move trip we made to Buffalo and once on our honeymoon. (We spent our honeymoon in the mountains of Tennesse - absolutely beautiful - and our trip home just happened to coincide with a Sabres visit to Atlanta so we stopped for the game on the way back to Birmingham. I hadn't thought about it until just now but seeing the Sabres on our honeymoon seems pretty fitting in retrospect.) So I mostly saw him via TV, but I think Peca was my first stepping stone towards really becoming a hockey fan even though it still took a few years for the bug to really bite me. There was probably a little bit of "hey, I know what that guy is supposed to be doing!" involved because of his propensity for big hits but he was the first guy that really made me ask a lot of questions about the sport. What's the Selke? How exactly is a forward defensive? Is there an award for offensive defensemen? Why not? But if offensive defensive win the Norris what about defensive defensemen? How come some guys are good penalty killers and some aren't? Even then I was kind of fascinated by penalty killing. My pea hockey brain figured it was easy to be good on the power play - I mean, you have more players on the ice than the other team! - but penalty killing was totally different. It seemed hard and challenging and I automatically liked a guy a little more if he was a penalty killer, something I still feel today.
Barnaby and Peca led to Jay McKee who was probably my first genuine, real-thing favorite Sabre. I saw him play a lot on TV, I saw him play a fair amount in person, he was here while I was in Buffalo, I read all those daily game interviews and quotes from him, I saw him on the news... all those little ordinary things that you take for granted that somehow add up. I'm not going to lie. At first I liked him for two reasons. One, I thought he was handsome in a slightly off-beat kind of way. Two, he's the same age as me which was pretty young at the time. I thought it was cool that someone my age was in the full-time. Eventually I did come to like the way he played and my fondness for defense fully bloomed. I was especially taken with Jay in the 2005-2006 season. The New favored speedy skaters and puck carriers and that wasn't his game. He did a great job of finding a way to make his skills work in a changing game by becoming one of the best shotblockers in the league. I think shotblocking can be overrated sometimes but I admired his fearlessness and how he he would just show up and play with some pretty gnarly bruises and cuts. I know he's hardly the only hockey player to play through pain but he was a toughie. Since I was actually in Buffalo for a chunk of his time here he was also the first hockey player I loved who I really connected with the community. He was fully embedded in Buffalo by that point - we loved him and he loved us - and I thought that was very cool. Remember I didn't grow up with professional sports teams so I'd never really seen that firsthand before. The only reason I never bought a McKee jersey is because by the time I decided I wanted one it was his last season here and Mark suggested I wait to see if he re-signed. Even though he didn't and I wouldn't have gotten much use out of it, I'm a little sorry that I didn't buy that jersey anyway. It would've been right for Jay to be my first Sabres jersey.
Instead it was Tim Connolly. I know, weird, right? Mark said one day a few months ago, "I always thought Timmy was just a fling for you," and I guess that's what he was. Sometimes you have to date the bad boy to know the bad boy isn't your thing. I had to cheer for the flashy offensive player to realize that flashy offense isn't my thing. Don't get me wrong, I definitely enjoy seeing Sabres score - kind of hard to win games when that doesn't happen - and I do think Timmy is amazingly gifted (when not hurt) but I really am more thrilled by an awesome defensive play or a nerve-wracking penalty kill. When the 2006 playoffs started I, like most of the city, was totally swept up and decided I had to have a jersey and I had to have it stat. Mark had scared me off the McKee so I had kind of decided a Connolly would do and one day while walking through the mall I saw one hanging in the window of Laux. I think sometimes an impulse buy like that is pretty indicative of how you really feel but sometimes an impulse buy is just an impulse buy. If I'd waited until a few months into the next season I wouldn't have made that purchase but now I'll always have a memento of my short but intense love affair with Timmy.
When the 2006 season started, Jay was gone (::sniff:::) and Timmy was still sidelined with his concussion. While I missed Timmy and worried about him at first, eventually I... kind of forgot about him. That was my first hint that I was probably not as attached to him as I thought. And before I knew it, bam! I was in love with the unassuming Swedish d-man who was coming off a great postseason. I've written many a post, including one mini-opus, about why I love Henrik Tallinder but the short story is this: beautiful skater, often unnoticed and underrated, smart, and super pleasant. I think Hank is partly a reflection on my growth as a hockey fan - understanding and appreciating defense requires a little more knowledge, I think because it's not always obvious and easy to miss - but I also think part of me has always been drawn to guys like him. Barnaby to Tallinder seems like a bit of a leap but Barnaby to Peca to McKee to Tallinder makes some sense. And I suppose it comes as no surprise that Mike Weber is the youngster I'm most excited about. As Mark said, "Yep, you have a type."NEW YORK (April 29, 2008) – Calgary Flames right wing Jarome Iginla, Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin and Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin are the three finalists for the Hart Trophy, awarded to the player judged “the most valuable to his team,” the National Hockey League announced today.
Members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association submitted ballots for the Hart Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters announced as finalists. The winner will be announced Thursday, June 12 during the 2008 Awards Television Special, which will be broadcast live throughout Canada on CBC and the United States on VERSUS from the historic Elgin Theatre in Toronto.
Following are the finalists for the Hart Trophy, in alphabetical order:
Iginla, a Hart Trophy finalist for the third time, finished second in 2002 and 2004. He tallied his second career 50-goal season in the and recorded a career-best 98 points (50 goals, 48 assists) in 82 games, ranking third in the League in both categories. The Calgary captain led the Flames in goals, assists, points, plus-minus (+27), power-play goals (15), game-winning goals (nine) and shots (338). He became the franchise leader in career games Nov. 29 with his 804th appearance, eclipsing the mark of Al MacInnis, and became the Flames’ all-time goal-scoring leader March 10 with the 365th career tally, passing Theoren Fleury.
Evgeni Malkin
Pittsburgh Penguins
Malkin, a Hart Trophy finalist for the first time, led the Penguins in scoring and finished second in the League overall to Ovechkin with 106 points (47 goals, 59 assists) in 82 games. Malkin posted a 15-game point streak from Oct. 23 to Nov. 22, the longest by a Russian player in history, and tallied 46 points (20 goals, 26 assists) in 28 games while Sidney Crosby was sidelined with an ankle injury during the second half of the season. Malkin was the’s leading scorer after Dec. 31, tallying 65 points (32 goals, 33 assists) in 44 games; the Penguins posted a 27-11-6 record in that span.
Alex Ovechkin
Washington Capitals
Ovechkin, a first-time Hart nominee, tallied 112 points (65 goals, 47 assists) in 82 games, capturing the Art Ross Trophy as scoring leader and Maurice Richard Trophy as the League’s top goal scorer. He also led all players in power-play goals (22) and game-winning goals (11). Ovechkin set the single-season record for goals by a left wing, surpassing Luc Robitaille’s 63 with Los Angeles in 1992-93, and his 65 goals were the most by player since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96. Ovechkin scored 51 of his goals in the 61 games after Bruce Boudreau was named head coach Nov. 22, pacing the 37-17-7 run that carried the Capitals into the playoffs.
History
The current Hart Trophy was presented by the National Hockey League in 1960 after the original trophy was retired to the Hockey Hall of Fame. The original was donated to the in 1923 by Dr. David A. Hart, father of Cecil Hart, former manager-coach of the Montreal Canadiens.
Announcement Schedule
The finalists for the Jack Adams Award (outstanding coach) will be announced on Wednesday, April 30.
Previously Announced Trophy Finalists
Vezina Trophy (outstanding goaltender)
Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils
Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers
Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose Sharks
Norris Trophy (outstanding defenseman)
Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins
Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings
Dion Phaneuf, Calgary Flames
Calder Trophy (outstanding rookie)
Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals
Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks
Lady Byng Trophy (sportsmanship and gentlemanly play)
Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings
Jason Pominville, Buffalo Sabres
Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning
Frank Selke Trophy (outstanding defensive forward)
Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings
John Madden, New Jersey Devils
Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings
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