Stanley Cup Storylines: Dirty Ducks and Beer for Breakfast
Wednesday May 30, 2007
With the field reduced to a pair of teams, and a two or three-day break scheduled after every game, the Stanley Cup Final invites overanalysis. But that's part of the fun. Current Stanley Cup storylines:
- The bully at the beach versus the 98-pound weakling
"The Ducks are the toughest team in hockey," says former NHL coach Jacques Demers. "They're the biggest team.... They make you pay for every pass you make. They make you pay if you want to win the battles in the corner. They get in your face." - Dirty Ducks are gooning it up
"It just sickens me," says former NHL ref Bruce Hood, speaking to Ottawa scribe Roy MacGregor, who reports that hacking, cross-checking, slashing, jabbing, interference and running the goaltender are the keys to Anaheim's success. - Senators have not yet begun to fight
"Can Anaheim play much better?" asks Wayne Scanlan of the Ottawa Citizen. "Ottawa can't be much worse." - This year's designated superstar in the making...
...is Ryan Getzlaf. Anaheim's 22-year-old giant winger has the fresh face and hot streak every reporter looks for at this time of year. His boss is doing nothing to dampen expectations. "It's going to depend on him deciding he wants to be one of the top players in this league," says Ducks' GM Brian Burke. "If he decides he wants to be, he's going to be." - Finnish Flash runs up the bar tab
Fulfilling a promise made many years ago, Teemu Selanne has summoned 16 of his best friends from Finland to enjoy the championship series and the California sun, all expenses paid. They witnessed Game One on Monday and celebrated late into the night. When Selanne checked in on Tuesday morning, "A couple of them were having breakfast. You know, a couple of beers."
Comments
Not only are the Ducks the most penalized team in the league, their announcers are utterly execrable, the worst announcers in the sport. Fundamentally dishonest, saying of players from the opposing team “he got away with one” while never mentioning any fault ever on the part of any duck players, the twain twits twist what happens on the ice with an ugly spin that is meant only to deceive, not inform. Try listening to them for a quarter of an hour and not have your brain throw up. Seriously, Jamie, I challenge you.
Los Angeles has and has had great announcers. One immediately thinks of Bob Miller of the LA Kings, Vin Scully of the LA Dodgers, the now gone but never to be forgotten Chick Hearn of the LA Lakers, and Trevor Denman who announced horse racing. Now the Lakers have a couple of (bra-less) boobs and we have the ducks with their two IQ points and their mikes. Ugh. If it wasn’t for Bob and Vin, I’d migrate.