Before getting to the Wings and Avalanche, there’s finally some NHL news going around. Just when they need something else to talk about at the next owner’s meeting, Gary Bettman got a bright idea to further crowd the NHL postseason:
DETROIT — The NHL will likely expand the Stanley Cup playoff field from 16 teams to 20, according to TSN, a Canadian cable television outlet and NHL rightsholder.
TSN reported Saturday that the idea was put forward by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, and that the league’s board of governors “absolutely love it.”
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They’re absolutely retarded if this doesn’t cut down the amount of regular season games. It’s a nice pick me up for teams who are in desperate need of money and 20 out of 30 teams isn’t as bad as 16 out of 21 teams making it to the postseason, like it was in the old days.
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Under this proposed format, the top 10 teams in each conference would qualify for the postseason, with the top six earning byes in the first round “play-in” to the playoffs. A best-of-three preliminary round would see the seventh-seeded team in each conference play the 10th-seeded club and the No. 8 seed face the No. 9 seed.
The winners would then join the top six clubs for the start of the traditional best-of-seven playoff format. The plan could be approved at the NHL Board of Governors meeting in New York on April 20. League officials could not be reached for comment. The NHL expanded its playoff field from 12 to 16 teams during the 1979-80 season.
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Again, this is a great situation for the Panthers and Blue Jackets and every other team that has NO shot at ever making the playoffs under the current system because they can raise ticket prices for these playoff games and spark some interest within the city to get people going to the games. But overall, this just further damages the NHL’s credibility or whatever crappy credibility it has left. There are lots of positives and negatives to this idea and I’ll let all of you figure them out and send them to me, quite frankly. So, is this a good move? Does it FURTHER alienate hardcore hockey fans and does it perpetuate the thought amongst regular sports fans who don’t necessarily follow hockey that the league is just a joke? 2/3 of the teams will make it to some sort of postseason action. Does it seem like the league is just blindly moving along now?
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1995-1996 saw the birth of the Colorado Avalanche/Detroit Red Wing rivalry take center stage as the NHL’s marquee matchup. Two teams loaded with talent and two teams playing to win at all costs. By 2002, many of the cast members from 95-96 were gone, but some of the main players remained: Sakic, Forberg, Roy, Yzerman, Federov, Shanahan.
In 2002, the two teams faced each other again to determine who would go on to the Stanley Cup Finals and here’s how Game One went:
NHL 2002 Western Conference Finals
Game One – Detroit Red Wings Vs Colorado Avalanche – May 18, 2002
1st Period
– Colorado goes with the Sakic line (good choice) while Scotty Bowman counters with Federov along with Maltby and someone else on the wings.
– “Let’s Go Red Wings” chant kicks off immediately.
– Well, there’s not much going on here, but Detroit is starting to cycle the puck and not really getting any chances, but they’re keeping up the good puck possesion. Seeing as how Federov is going up against Sakic here, I’m thinking Yzerman heads up against Forsberg. Not much sense there as Forsberg is as physical as anyone on the ice and Yzerman only has one leg, but as Bill Clement likes to say, ‘You can’t play defense against courage’. Bill Clement needs to get fired.
Ah, something mildly game altering:
Penalty @ 1:35 – Brendan Shanahan (Detroit) Interference
– Oh, definitely. That looked like interference to me too. Good call, Blue.
Colorado PP
– Sakic comes into the zone, puck being worked down low. Sakic just had an empty net and missed!! He shanked the puck into the crowd. Worthless Sakic, trade him NOW!!
– Back to play and the puck is cleared by Detroit, now here’s Sakic carrying it back into the zone, he splits the defense and let’s go a nice a looking wrist shot and he scores!! Joe Sakic! 1-0 Colorado! He skated past Past Lidstrom and Chelios, no less. I’m sorry I doubted you, Joe. That was a great play.
Power Play Goal @ 2:48 Sakic (8) from Foote, Blake
– Play resumes and both teams skate around for a while, occasionally touching the puck and trying to pass it unsuccesfully. Roy comes up with some good saves @ 3:37. Federov is really flying here and he’s the only Red Wing that has got any sort of jump in his game thus far. He gets a nice shot from the right circle @ 6:41 and this game is in bad need of Claude Lemieux.
– Colorado comes back with some good pressure and the Wings are scrambling around. Detroit takes the puck back, but Hull dumps the puck back behind his own net (the hell?) and now another penalty on Detroit.
ABC decides to go to commercials and during this lockout if there’s one thing the NHL should just simply feel SHAME about is the fact that everyone is missing out on a fresh batch of ‘Hockey Falls’ Bud Light commercials. As for Budweiser, they should feel ashamed about Bud Ice.
Anyhow, it’s been a fast paced game so far with not much going on other than Sakic and Federov being all over the ice. Clement and Thorne were talking about Detroit being rusty after totally breezing past the second round, but even if they were to lose this game, one game doesn’t win a series. It ‘may’ set the tone for the series, but the momentum changes so fast in this sport that none of that matters. Get me in that press box, damn it.
Back from the ads.
Penalty @ 7:34 Chris Chelios (Detroit) Roughing
Colorado PP
– Sakic down the middle again, but Hasek makes the stop. Colorado continues to control, pass to Foote, back to Blake, over to Foote, shot and a save by Hasek as he holds on to the puck to get the whistle.
– Face off controlled by the AV’s and they’re back with all of that good puck movement garbage, Blake in front of the net creating traffic and he gets knocked down hard. There’s another shot, save, great shot by Forsberg, another save by Hasek and the puck is cleared.
– PP over, 3 shots.
– It seemed as if Colorado was just content with having some time to kill on offense than actually wanting to score. With that being said, Detroit comes back now, controlling the puck in the Colorado zone.
– Now here are the AV’s with a 2 on 1, save Hasek.
– Federov comes back @ 13:37 with a hard shot, save Roy!! Federov taking charge for the Wings again. Now Patrick Roy pulls the net off the pegs as Adam Foote is down. The replay shows Foote getting elbowed right in the mush by Kris Draper. Draper clipped him directly on the chin with a stiff elbow…ouch.
– There was no penalty called there and here’s another odd man rush for Colorado, it’s Forsberg and Drury, deek, pass, save Hasek!! Detroit comes back, Yzerman with the puck, penalty coming up.
Penalty @ 15:28 Stephen Yelle (Colorado) Slashing
Detroit PP
– Here’s the Red Wings chance late in the period. Detroit has the 3rd best PP in the playoffs. Robitaille gets shoved down by Blake, it’s former Los Angeles King on former Los Angeles King violence! Adam Foote is not on the ice for any of this.
– Detroit is getting nothing here as Colorado is keeping the puck on the outside and doing a nice job of blocking the passing lanes. A flimsy shot is saved by Roy. It’s over. 1 shot for the Wings.
– Foote is back on the ice @ 17:31
Penalty @ 18:25 Mike Keane (Colorado) Goalie Inteference
– Keane had his stick inside Hasek’s jersey for some reason and that’s just rude.
Detroit PP
– Yet another chance for the Wings. They’ve looked a little flat here…save Roy, but he can’t control the puck properly and he scrambles, score!!! Holsmtrom or Yzerman!! And it looks like it was Holmstrom while he was sitting on the ice. He slid the puck towards the net right before Roy could shut the door on him between his blocker and the left goal post, it’s 1-1!! What a play by Holmstrom.
Power Play Goal @ 18:48 Holmstrom (3) from Shanahan, Federov (1-1, tie)
– Detroit has something to build on now and both tems just want to get out of the period now. End of 1st period. Shots on Goal; Detroit: 11, Colorado: 7
ABC’s intermission reports are absolute nonsense.
2nd Period
– A couple of minutes in and things have SERIOUSLY slowed down. It’s a 1-1 tie and it’s defense galore out there.
– Small pressure by Colorado, but not enough to get me to describe it.
– Sakic taking control @ 4:14, slings the puck at the net several times, save by Hasek. Sakic again, shot, save, rebound, Hasek swipes it away.
– More defense and neutral zone trap crap that no one likes. I’m looking at the score again and yup, still a 1-1 tie. They’ve got world class athletes all over the place and they can’t so much as deviate from the system or they’ll get a stern look from the coach and probably get they’re ice time cut. How about letting them use their creativity (and some cheating and diving) and letting them play their own game for a little bit?
“Oh sorry, Gretzky, we just can’t accept you bouncing passes off the net and scoring goals off of goalies backs. This sport doesn’t need that type of creativity and excitment involved in it. Take your game to Europe weirdo, this is the NHL.”
– Hull finds some space and Roy with a great save!! Colorado comes back, end to end stuff here and now everything is working, Colorado cycles, Sakic to Tanguay, save Hasek. Puck is cleared, here comes Detroit, in the offensive zone, stop up, no shot and Sakic with a pick pocket. Colorado with a 3 on 2, Sakic/Hejduk/Tanguay, Sakic with a pass to Tanguay, drop pass to Sakic, shot from the left circles, save Hasek, rebound, Tanguay picks it up, fakes a shot and then decides to go with a pass across the crease, score!!! Milan Hejduk!!
– That was pretty damn impressive.
-2-1 Colorado!! Hejduk chipped the puck into the empty net as Hasek couldn’t dive back in time, great play.
Goal @ 12:21 Hejduk (2) from Tanguay, Sakic (2-1 Colorado)
– Whew, nice. Another odd man chance for Col. This time a 3 on 1, Blake trying to go high glove, save by Hasek.
– McCarty and Blake collide in the corner and Darren McCarty is down. Back up @ 14:19, I guess he just got the wind knocked out of him. Roy with a big save on Maltby @ 14:55
– Forsberg back on the attack for the AV’s, screens a shot for himself and he fanned on it. Here comes Detroit, backcheck by Forsberg and he steald the puck and then HE gets jacked, score!! Red Wings!! Pavel Datsyuk with a brilliant recovery as he came into the Colorado zone, got the shot off right in front of Roy, and Hull came in to slide the rebound in, it’s 2-2. Great stuff.
Goal @ 16:29 Hull (6) from Datsyuk (2-2, tie)
– Hasek cheers cheerfully from the other end. Me too buddy, me too. Sakic and Chelios battling hard as Sakic has now become Chelios’ main target. He’ll most likely swing his stick at Sakic’s head soon.Yzerman trying to skate as hard as he can. Both teams playing the clock down. That’ll do it here.
End of 2nd Period. Shots on goal after 2; Det.: 21, Colorado: 20
ABC’s intermission reports suck.
Well, this period was certainly slower than the first, but Detroit seemed to be on top of things a bit more than Colorado did. Should be a good third. Let’s go!!
3rd Period
– Mike Keane is going nuts here to start the third, he’s all over the place. He broke his stick and a score!!! Darren McCarty!! It’s 3-2, Detroit! Adam Foote went down to block that shot in his own unique way and screened the shot. Roy never saw it, celebrate Darren, celebrate. You know, that is the third or fourth goal that I see scored on Roy because Foote crouches all the way down to the ice, tucks his face into his chest and then covers his head with his free arm and since he can’t see, a player sidesteps him and lays off a rocket that Roy picks up way too late because Foote is screening the shot for the other guy. I saw it last year against the Kings and earlier this year. What a shot by McCarty.
Goal @ 1:18 McCarty (1) from Chelios (3-2, Detroit)
– “Patrick” chant rocks the Joe as both teams begin to scramble for a few minutes. Penalty here.
Penalty @ 5:22 Luc Robitaille (Detroit) Boarding
Colorado PP
– Nothing, nothing, nothing. Detroit has taken over this game and they are controlling everything here during the AV’s power play. The Av’s can’t get into the zone and it’s over. Just like that, no shots.
– Detroit is clamping down on the defense even more now. Sakic and Forsberg out together now, Reinprecht is the other winger.
– Sakic and Forsberg haven’t touched the puck yet, now they do and they turn it over. 3 on 1 for Detroit, McArthy again, score!!! Darren McCarty with a huge blast from the top of the right circle, high on the glove side, Roy gets smoked again. 4-2 Wings!!
Goal @ 12:44 McCarty (2) unassisted (4-2, Detroit)
– Colorado with a shot, save by Hasek. Riku Hahl got that shot off for the AV’s. The Wings thought they were going to get an icing call here, but I guess it was tipped on it’s way down the ice.
– The Wings come back and dump the puck in, Roy goes after the puck and they turn it over, Maltby with a shot, save by Roy!! Rebound, scooooores!! McCarty again!! HAT TRICK!! Here come the hats and eight legged sea creatures, 5-2 Red Wings and Darren McCarty is Superman! Roy went to play the puck behind his net, coughed up the puck, came back and dove in front to save the shot by Maltby from about the blue line, but he let loose a rebound to McCarty who was right in front, he stepped back and shot over the sprawling goalie. Nice job there.
Goal @ 15:55 McCarty (3) from Maltby (5-2, Detroit)
– Unreal. The crowd is buzzing, feel the Patrick hatred!! It’s more like repesct though.
Penalty @ 17:49 Jiri Fischer (Detroit) Holding
Colorado PP
– Av’s get an offensive zone face off and they score!!! What a sequence, it’s 5-3! Skoula’s shot was deflected off Chelios’ leg, the puck went to Drury on the right side of Hasek, cross crease pass to a lonely Tanguay who cradled the puck and shot into the empty net past a diving Hasek.
Power Play Goal @ 18:00 Tanguay (4) from Skoula, Drury (5-3, Detroit)
-Roy gets pulled from the net @ 18:28. Hasek yelling at his guys to stand up at the blue line, traffic in front and McCarty gets leveled by Forsberg. Chelios jumps in and he’s going to the box.
Penalty @ 19:41 Chris Chelios (Detriot) Roughing
– The game’s over anyway, take all the penalties you want, I suppose. There’s the buzzer, Wings win the first game and take a 1-0 series lead.
So what happened? Much like the Leafs and Flyers, these two teams exchanged wins and headed to a Game 7 showdown in Detroit. It was supposed to be the biggest game of the year for the NHL. What they got was Detroit sending Patrick Roy to the bench after going up 5-0 and eventually defeated the Avalanche 7-0 before going to the Finals and winning the Stanley Cup.
The next year, 2003, Colorado looked to redeem itself. Roy decided not to play in the Olympics in order to be ready for the second half of the NHL season and for the playoffs. The Av’s drew the Minnesota Wild in the first round and promptly took a 3-0 series lead and then proceeded to lose 4 straight and were eliminated. It was also the end for Patrick Roy, who retired after the season.
As for the Red Wings, they got Anaheim in the first round and got swept 4 games to 0. Which, in turn, was the end for Federov in Detroit, as he signed with Anaheim at season’s end.
