Hockey Blog 2007 (I)

I'm writing this an hour before puck drop in the final game of the regular season for my Toronto Maple Leafs. Possibly the final game of the year for them. Or for the Habs, their opponent tonight. Or--depending on what the Islanders do tomorrow against the Devils--for both of them. I can't recall the last time a regular season game was this important. Not for one team (that seems to happen every year for my Leafs: it always comes down to one game) but for two. Simply put, both teams have to win this. It should be an incredible match. Meaning of course, there's a better than even chance somebody's going to get blown off the ice. No, I won't say who. Predictions are a mug's game. They were at the beginning of the season and they certainly are now.
Speaking of the beginning of the season, I made a number of predictionsback in October. Let's see how I did.

1) SORRY, OTTAWA, THIS AIN'T YOUR YEAR EITHER. I'll stand by this and dare them to shock me. They might go one round...maybe even two...but no further. Now, if they had finangled Roberts and Laraque the way the Pens did...
2) THE LEAFS WILL BE LIFE AND DEATH TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS. AGAIN. As our ex-P.M Johnny Crouton was wont to say, "For sures on dat." How much more life and death can you be than having to win your last game and rely on another team to lose their last game?
3) DUCKS-PREDS CUP FINAL. Braincramp! This is, of course, impossible until the League re-aligns. Surprised nobody called me out on this...it would have given me a chance to say Ducks-Sabres final instead...but that'd be cheating, now, wouldn't it?
Mind you, both Anaheim and Nashville are tied with 108 points right now. At least I selected two fine teams.
4) AT LEAST FIFTEEN PLAYERS WILL SCORE OVER 100 POINTS.
Uh...not quite. Only five have that many now; Hossa might sneak into the club, as might Jagr with a hot hand in his last game. I also suggested here that only two goalies would have a GAA under 2.00: Kiprusoff and Brodeur. Neither managed it, though Brodeur came reasonably close. The indefatigable Dominik Hasek came closest, and hands up all one of you who saw that coming.
5) GARTH SNOW WON'T LAST THE YEAR. Here I fell flat on my face in exactly the same way Wang and Snow didn't. I had the Islanders picked to finish dead last. Instead, they're still in the playoff mix with less than 24 hours to go in the season. As far as I'm concerned, Ted Nolan should get Coach of the Year. Again.
6) OVECHKIN WILL BEAT CROSBY IN THE POINT PARADE. Bzzzt. Can I weasel out of this by saying I had no idea Malkin would actually play for the Pens this year when I wrote that? Probably not, since he and Sid the Kid don't even play on the same line. Count me in on the Crosby bandwagon: the guy's amazing. And Pittsburgh looks like a budding powerhouse. Beyond their big three, they have surprising talent and depth. Still a little green in goal, but give them a year or two.
7) BOSTON WILL IMPROVE BY AT LEAST TWENTY POINTS (and probably make the playoffs) Bzzzt again. Take the zero away...they've improved by two points instead.

See? Mug's game. Like I said.

Leaf report card later.