Some Hockey Stuff

First:  The Captain will return for at least one more year.  

DETROIT – The giant breeze that rolled up the freeway arteries leading out of downtown was the collective exhalation of a Red Wings’ organization relieved to know that one of the best players of this generation will be back.

Nicklas Lidstrom, who is widely considered the world’s best defenseman in hockey, will return for a 19th season, signing a one-year contract, the Red Wings announced Tuesday.

EVERY Red Wings fan on the planet breathed a sigh of relief this morning and most of us probably said a couple o' Hail Marys or performed whatever ritual their Deity At Hand demands in these circumstances.  Me?  I lit off three sticks of incense and placed them on the Gordie Howe/Stevie Y/Darren McCarty altar along with a Labatt's Blue, given as how I'm fresh out o' rice cakes, oranges, flowers, and other such appropriate stuff.  But I'm always stocked with quality incense.  It's a religious thang, yanno?  And it sure smells good in here this morning.

Second:  Furthering your hockey education is one of our most important goals (heh) here at EIP, Gentle Reader.  Many of you have mentioned in comments from time to time that you just don't "get" the game, while others of you have been downright rude about things... but we won't go there.  Understanding hockey is essential to enjoying the game as it is with all sports and most of life, in general.  So, to that end we offer "After the whistle -Want to know how an NHL postseason pileup works? Follow along with us."  Which is a step-by-step explanation of events when something like this happens:

Blackhawks defenseman Brent Sopel loses his helmet in a scrum in front of the Hawks' goal. (Nuccio DiNuzzo, Chicago Tribune / May 31, 2010)

That would be the scrum, also sometimes referred to as "a gathering of the clans."  It turns out there are rules for the players to follow, along with a certain sequence of events that always unfold when these things happen.  Long-time fans know these things... and understand terms like "chirping," "face-wash," "protected players," and other terms unique to hockey.  But the linked article provides some interesting insight and tips about the finer points of the scrum... like this:

Most of the immediate tactics in a scrum are meant to manipulate a player's ego to provoke him into drawing a penalty. Often, then, the most effective weapon in a scrum is the ability to keep your cool. "The trick is to not overreact to anything," says Pronger. "The game has become so much more about discipline, even in scrums. If a guy punches you in the head, you just have to take it and look at the ref and go, 'You're not gonna call that?' " Players often employ humor at this stage to keep their cool while sending their opponent over the edge. After a skirmish at the end of a 5-1 blowout in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, the victorious Habs' Michael Cammalleri stuck his tongue out at an enraged Daniel Carcillo of the Flyers. In these situations Ducks enforcer George Parros likes to announce, in a loud voice, that the guy he's tangling with needs to brush his teeth between periods because he has bad breath. "There's nothing worse than a guy who gets you and then starts laughing in your face," says Barnaby. "Guys still tell me, 'It wasn't the stuff you did, it was that smile afterward that made us want to rip your head off.' "

It's essential information, Gentle Reader... whether you're a newbie or a long-time fan.  

There was something else, too.  Lemmee think.  Oh, Yeah...  The Hawks are up 2-0 in the series.  Damien Cox speaks for me:

Blame the ice at the United Center if you want. It’s awful, and a muggy, rainy day in the Windy City on Memorial Day didn’t help the conditions.

But the hockey so far has been mediocre at best. A sloppily played Game 1, with 11 goals scored, was followed up by low-scoring but nonetheless sloppily played Game 2.

[...]

The best that could be said about Games 1 and 2 would be that they were both in doubt until the final whistle, with the Flyers pulling their goaltender in both games but unable to tie and create overtime.

That’s good tension, sure. But memorable? Not unless you’re cheering for the Blackhawks, now two games away from capturing their first Stanley Cup since 1961.

My only point of disagreement concerns Game One.  I thoroughly enjoyed that one despite the sloppy play... coz high scoring games are MUCH more enjoyable than a 2-1 "dueling goalies" kinda tilt.  But Cox is right for the most part.  

Chicago is pretty damned lucky to be up 2-0 in this series, given the nature of their defense, the amount of time the Flyers have spent in their zone, and the total lack of scoring from their Big Guns. Where's Kane?  Where's Toews? I can't say "where's Hossa?" coz he provided one of Chicago's two goals last night.  The Flyers, on the other hand, have been pretty danged good in this series, both offensively and defensively.  Antti Niemi is the only reason the series standing isn't reversed; he was stellar in goal last evening after a shaky start in Game One.  I'm thinkin' maybe The Hockey Gods are playing no small part here, too.  

You never shoulda done that, Richards.  I don't care what Sid told ya.