Abuse
Playoff hockey isn’t always pretty, as Al MacInnis of the St. Louis Blues can confirm today. The Blues, having blown a 3–1 series lead against Vancouver, were desperate for inspiration last night. So their captain hauled his 39-year-old body and separated shoulder back into the lineup for game seven.
When healthy, MacInnis is an offensive catalyst and defensive anchor. But last night he was in obvious pain, and like a pack of lions cutting an old and sickly gazelle from the herd, the Canucks singled him out. They threw the puck into MacInnis’ corner and chased after him, slamming his damaged body into the glass. After coughing up the puck for the first Vancouver goal, Al disappeared for long stretches of the game and was a non-factor for the rest of the night. In many ways, it was a microcosm of the entire series.
Chemistry
The Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs and Colorado Avalanche all pack up their gear today, three teams wondering what the hell happened. Disappointment is a hockey tradition in Toronto, where the collapse of this year’s aging team seemed inevitable, and in St. Louis, where they have won nothing since joining the big spender’s club a few years ago.
But what are we to make of the situation in Denver? Only two years ago, the Avalanche were the model franchise, built on smart drafting, judicious trading and fat paycheques. Naturally, GM Pierre Lacroix was lauded for assembling a team of great talent and great “chemistry.”
The talent remains, but the chemistry has apparently evaporated. Last year they blew a 3-1 series lead against Los Angeles before winning game seven, then let a 3-2 series lead slip away to Detroit. This spring, they went one better, watching the Minnesota Wild come back with three straight wins. Nobody knows quite what to make of this stunning turn of events (including the Wild; when game seven’s overtime winner went in, the Minnesota bench appeared as stunned as anyone), but we can draw a few conclusions:
- On the coaching front, Minnesota old guy Jacques Lemaire made Colorado rookie Tony Granato look like a rube.
- Patrick Roy’s best hockey is behind him.
- Over the last two year, the Avalanche are 2-7 in potential series-clinching games, which suggests something is terribly lacking.
- Most of the talk about “chemistry” is a load of hooey dreamed up by addled sportswriters.
More Stanley Cup Notes:
Pity the Dot-Com Millionaire
The Slimmest Margin of Error
2003 Red Wings: A Trivia Question in the Making
The All-Muttonhead Team
