Kovalev Strikes Again!

Kirk’s On Crack!

Kirk Penton of the Winnipeg Sun recently claimed this season’s NHL Playoffs have been “boring” and that he would rather watch cycling in France! Now, I’m not sure which games he has been watching, but the games I have seen have been anything but boring. I know I’m not alone in my thinking either.

Here’s a little of what Kirk had to say (feel free to shake your head…I sure did):

Hopefully Alexander Ovechkin fired up the offence last night, because the first two days of the NHL playoffs were more sleep inducing than watching The English Patient eight times in a row.

In the first eight games there were three shutouts. The losing team scored one goal in three more.

Zzzzzzzzz.

There are hockey fans out there who love the defensive battles and the cycling down low. I’d rather watch cycling in France.

I understand that he has to take a stance one way or another in order to sell newspapers. However, it still makes me wonder why he, as a sports columnist, equates goal scoring to the excitement level of a hockey game?

From Zero To Hero

Alex Kovalev went from zero to hero Saturday night in Montreal. The veteran winger

took a selfish slashing penalty after missing a breakaway in the third period and the Bruins proceeded to tie the game on the ensuing 5-on-3 powerplay.

Guy Carbonneau, along with 21,273 Habs faithful, scolded Kovalev for what might have been the first time this season.

Fortunately, Kovalev buried a bullet from the half boards over the shoulder of Tim Thomas to secure the win for the Canadiens in overtime.

The story of this game, in my opinion, had to be the shoddy (at best) officiating. Both teams were on the short end of some questionable calls and even more questionable non-calls in some cases.

For the most part, the officials have done an admirable job thus far in allowing the players to play and letting “playoff hockey be playoff hockey”. However, last night’s officiating in Montreal was an absolute atrocity. Enough said.

Chelios Hits Another Milestone

Chris Chelios of the Detroit Red Wings made his 248th post-season appearance on Saturday afternoon, surpassing the NHL record held by Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy. Yet, another feather in the dusty old top-hot of the Wiley veteran.

It is interesting to note that Chelios had the benefit of being on some of the great playoff teams in history in Montreal and Detroit. If it were not for some “lean” playoff years in Chicago, Chelios would have surpassed Roy years ago.

Ducks Mesmerized By Stars

Mike Modano and Brad Richards scored 55 seconds apart in the third period to lift the Dallas Stars to a 5-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night and give them a 2-0 series lead over the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Hobey Baker Winner Announced

The Hobey Baker Memorial Award Foundation announced today that Phoenix Coyotes prospect Kevin Porter, a senior at the University of Michigan, has won the 2008 Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s top player. Porter, 22, ranks 2nd in Division I scoring with 33-30-63 in 43 games.

When you get a compliment like this from the legendary coach such as Red Berenson, you deserve every accolade you receive:

‘Kevin came back with supposedly an empty cupboard,” Berenson said. ”He came back on a mission. I’ve never seen a player take the whole team in his grasp, put them on his back and make it happen. He’s been a tremendous leader.”

How’s that for an ego boost…Wow!