OLYMPIC HOCKEY TV SCHEDULE

Here's the men's hockey TV schedule. This is all based on my cable provider, and all the times are Eastern, so some local adjustments might be necessary. The really good games are denoted with a star*

Date - Time - Channel - Game
Tue 2/16 - 3pm - USA - USA vs. Switzerland
Tue 2/16 - 8pm - CNBC - Canada vs. Norway

Wed 2/17 - 12:30am - CNBC - Russia vs. Latvia
Wed 2/17 - 3pm - MSNBC - Finland vs. Belarus
Wed 2/17 - 8pm - CNBC - Sweden vs. Germany

Thu 2/18 - 12:30am - CNBC - Czech Rep. vs. Slovakia*
Thu 2/18 - 3pm - USA - USA vs. Norway
Thu 2/18 - 8pm - CNBC - Canada vs. Norway

Fri 2/19 - 12:30am - CNBC - Russia vs. Slovakia*
Fri 2/19 - 3pm - MSNBC - Sweden vs. Belarus
Fri 2/19 - 8pm - CNBC - Czech Rep. vs. Latvia

Sat 2/20 - 12am - MSNBC - Finland vs. Germany
Sat 2/20 - 3pm - MSNBC - Norway vs. Switzerland
Sat 2/20 - 7:30pm - MSNBC - Slovakia vs. Latvia

Sun 2/21 - 12am - MSNBC - Belarus vs. Germany
Sun 2/21 - 3pm - NBC - Russia vs. Czech Rep.*
Sun 2/21 - 7pm - MSNBC - USA vs. Canada*

Mon 2/22 - 12am - MSNBC - Sweden vs. Finland*

The elimination round commences Thursday February 23rd.

BRUINS BRING STREAK INTO BREAK... BARELY

While I'm certainly satisfied with the way the Bruins finished their 4 game roadtrip, with a shootout win over Florida, I'm still a bit concerned. One might be tempted to call this victory "finding a way to win." I'm more cynically inclined.

I remember back in October and November. The Bruins would play 30 minutes of good hockey, 30 minutes of bad hockey, and somehow come out on top. That's what happened Saturday night. The team was utterly listless for long stretches of play, struggling with even basic things like moving the puck up the ice out of their own zone.

But Recchi deflected a puck to tie it in the 3rd, Krejci lost his handle on a shootout attempt and it found the 5-hole, then Recchi beat Vokoun for the win. There was as much luck as there was strong play.

I don't mind good luck, especially in a desperate playoff race (the Bruins went from 12th place to 7th in about a week). But it would be nice to see the Bruins remain emotionally balanced for more than 3 games in a row.

They've got time to work on it. About 2 weeks. Bruins host the Canadiens on March 2nd. They'll have 22 regular season games left, an extended sprint to the finish. And lapses like those in Florida cannot be afforded.

Source:
ESPN

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Alan Diaz

HIGH FIVES FOR BRUINS

The Bruins scored 5 goals on their way to their 3rd win in a row. That's the most goals they've scored since December 23rd. The B's are also on a 5 game point-streak, and haven't been trailing in any of those games.

But it wasn't as pretty as it should have been or could have been.

The first 30 minutes was sheer dominance. The best the Bruins have looked since Game 2 of the season when they crushed Carolina 7-2. They got 21 shots off in the 1st. After the first 7 minutes of play, Tampa Bay didn't get a single puck on net in the opening period.

But in the 2nd, the Bruins only got 5 shots on goal.

Remember Mighty Ducks 3? The Ducks get recruited to play JV hockey for some prep school. In their first game they score like 8 goals, and everyone's real impressed, then they allow 8 goals in the 3rd period. That's what this game reminded me of.

I actually felt worse about the game AFTER the B's scored the 5th goal. The Bruins play awful when they have leads. And the bigger the lead, the worse they play. They lose their focus and the fundamentals breakdown.

Tuukka Rask is not God. He's mortal (unlike Manny Fernandez) and he has flaws. Flaws which can eventually be polished, but they're still there. All the "Tuukka Time" jerks out there are quick as Mercury to point out Tim Thomas' foibles and miscues, so when I criticize Rask, just shutup and deal with it.



He closes up his 5-hole well enough, but he is slow to close it. That comes with being 6' 2". He's not anticipating things well enough. Again, that can improve with experience. He doesn't steer rebounds away as well as some goalies (Thomas). He's wretchedly indecisive handling the puck.

He's the hot goalie, and if a playoff series started tomorrow, I'd want Rask in net because he is the hot goalie. But he is human.

Had the Bruins blown this game, the season would've ended. No exaggeration here. To surrender a 5 goal lead against a playoff competitor, right before going into the Olympic Break. That's utterly devastating. And guys like Derek Morris did their best to sabotage this win.

I wish the Bruins would alter their breakaway strategy. When you're up by 2+ goals, you're going to force turnovers and get odd man rushes up ice. The Bruins fail to score about 99.9% of the time on these rushes. And what they often do is create a rush for the opponent.

It's simple math. You have a 2-on-1 edge going up the ice, that means your opponent has a 4-on-3 advantage behind you (or worse if you're changing lines). So puck possession is precious in these situations. Unless there's a good scoring chance with the goalie out of position, the B's should hang onto the puck and wait for everyone else. Try to set-up a sustained possession, keeping the puck 150 feet from your own net.

When up 3 or 4 goals, the Bruins need to summon their inner Bill Belichick and "run up the score." The best way to protect a lead is to add to it.

Despite the near tragedy, a win is a win is a win. Michael Ryder looked confident for the first time this season. I think going against Nittymaki, who he's owned in the past, was a good opportunity for him to once again find that scorer's mentality.

Oh, and fuck Steve Downie. Guys like this just piss me off. He tries to fight with Satan, who has been in 2 fights in his 14 year career (Thanks Hockeyfights.com!) Then he instigates Chara by punching him in the back of the head, then Chara turns his 6' 9" 250 pound body around, and suddenly Downie shrinks and turtles.



If you don't want to fight Chara, who is nearly a foot taller and has 50 pounds on you, then don't strike him in the back of the neck. Don't pull on Superman's cape.

Although the whole thing reminded me of this video...



Bruins end their Florida excursion Saturday night against the Panthers. Why does Florida have 2 teams and Wisconsin has 0?

Sources:
ESPN
HockeyFights.com

Photo Credits:
AP Photo/J. Meric

SENIOR CITIZEN CELTICS SUSTAIN SAD STRUGGLES

The Celtics blew yet another double-digit lead last night, in what's becoming an increasingly disturbing trend. This time the C's fell to the barely .500 Hornets. And look out in the rear view mirror because the Raptors are only 4 games behind.

Why is this happening? This team was 23-5 on Christmas. They're 9-13 since then.

To be brutally honest, the Celtics are old. You can blame injuries, but shouldn't you expect injuries from 33 year old power forwards? Did we not see this coming? Pierce, Garnett, and now Ray Allen have all experienced injuries. Injuries that have kept them off the court, AND hindered their performance on it.

In order to have the chance of achieving anything this season, it's time to cash in Ray Allen, and get ANYTHING younger and healthier. Even when healthy, what does Ray Allen do? Shoot threes. And sometimes he hits them, sometimes he hits them. His cold streaks are insufferable, and somehow always seem to happen in the playoffs.

But even trading Allen won't change the destiny of this team. They're a group of ex-thoroughbreds that should be put out to stud. This is their last chance. If they can get healthy, maybe they can make a run. But I doubt it.

This team also needs to find its soul again. There's no more Ubuntu left. You've got Glen Davis worrying about his nickname, a 7 footer taking 3 point shots and harassing officials, then Rondo tries to show some leadership but it gets snuffed by KG. Get back to winning!

Celtics @ Kings next Tuesday.

Source:
ESPN

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Bill Haber

A PIECE OF THE PAILLE

When the Bruins acquired Daniel Paille, I didn't like the move one bit. I've very much enjoyed regretting that.

Paille scored both of Boston's goals, his 8th and 9th of the season. That's not earth-shattering, but he's been a key part to the Bruins' penalty kill. If you remember, the PK unit struggled when the season began, and now it's 2nd in the League. Without Paille, the recent struggles of the Bruins would have been worse.

If not for the Vezinian quality goaltending from Ryan Miller, the Bruins would have won 4-2, maybe even 5-2. Miller is simply exquisite to watch. He's a spider and the goalmouth is a web that very rarely allows pucks to slip through.



Tuukka Rask had another good game. And I have no problem with him finishing out the roadtrip in net. But for those out there who would go so far as to trade Thomas, just look at the 2nd goal Rask allowed. He's inexperienced, and easily surprised. That's blood in the water for NHL piranhas.

I don't like to focus too much on the selection of shootout shooters, but why Michael Ryder. He doesn't have a good track record in shootouts, and he's colder than the ice he mishandles the puck on. Chara, Satan, Rechhi, Bergeron, HUNWICK, anyone.

Marco Sturm, who leads the Bruins with 18 goals, has been used in a shootout JUST ONCE THIS SEASON. And that was last night. Not surprisingly, he scored.

The less Michael Ryder, the better.

On a positive note, Milan Lucic showed a bit of fierceness last night. I've been close to criticizing Lucic for his invisibility on the ice, but his injuries and my murderous hatred of Dennis Wideman have shielded him. He got his first fighting major in 8 games. And he won the fight.

Bruins visit the Lightning Thursday night. Tampa Bay is only 2 points ahead of the Bruins, so it's a big game.

Sources:
ESPN
NHL

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/David Duprey

AT LEAST PEYTON MANNING IS STILL THE CLASSIEST QB EVER... WAIT...

Remember the shitstorm after Bill Belichick congratulated Tom Coughlin with 0:01 on the clock at the end of Super Bowl XLII? Belichick was vilified by some (particular in the midwest) for not congratulating Coughling TWICE after the Giants won the game (there was some clock error, it went down to 0:00, everyone took the field, then it was fixed to 0:01, and Belichick didn't come out to greet Coughlin again).



The best criticism of Belichick's miscue came from the Anderson Tribune, in Anderson, Indiana. Anderson=40 miles from Indianapolis...

"Leave it to the most classless organization in all of professional sports to swing a steel wrecking ball into four decades of Super Bowl tradition...

"By running off the field with time remaining on the clock during New England’s 17-14 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday, Belichick, whether he intended to or not, swiped a large portion of the winning team’s thunder...

"Go wrap a heartfelt bearhug on New York defensive end Michael Strahan, a future Hall of Fame inductee who in his 15th season finally earned a taste of a Super Bowl championship. Tell him how happy you are for him even if, deep down, you’re not...

"Millions of impressionable teens and preteens, many of them athletes themselves, were watching at home. Nice example, coach. The ball was on the tee. All Belichick had to do was swing. He refused and now looks more moronic than ever, which is saying something."

So I wonder what the Anderson Tribune had to say about Peyton Manning NOT congratulating the Saints on their win. Probably nothing.

Nobody will have anything to say.

Peyton Manning, once thought to be the Greatest Quarterback ever, not only exposed his shortcomings in that department, he also showed the world his true colors in the Classiness department.

What would King Class Tony Dungy have to say, Peyton?



Just to recap, the game ends, and Peyton runs direct from sideline to locker room.



This was his justification for vacating the field so quick and quiet like:

"I certainly know how it was three years ago when we won. There's not much consolation for the guys who didn't win. There's the stage being set up and the celebration. It's time for the Saints to celebrate. It's their field."

Wow! So he's like classier then EVERY OTHER PLAYER IN SUPER BOWL HISTORY who has stayed on the field to offer token congratulations to his victorious opponents. But unlike those assholes, Peyton wanted to give the Saints the field. Why not? He'd already given Tracy Porter the football.



Peyton's taking some flak, even from Indiana. But he's already got his adoring public in line to defend him.

"Walking off the field without congratulating Drew Brees(notes) may go against our misguided notion of what sportsmanship should be, but it wasn't at all disrespectful or bitter. It shows how much Peyton Manning wanted to win the game. And who can argue about that?"

Now maybe this guy stuck up for Belichick too. And maybe I don't care.

Peyton fled the field in a huff, like a whiny, 8 year old child in the midst of a temper tantrum. 'I'm taking the ball and going home!' The cornfed, cleancut, suit and tie wearing, gosh, golly, gee, daggumit, cut that meat, Oreo splitting, polite and polished Peyton Manning exposed himself to be human. To be a shallow, envious, and borderline classless human.

BC WINS BEANPOT

Well I was right about the score (4-3), just wrong about the victor. The BC Eagles rode a 3 goal 2nd period, and sustained a valiant 3rd period comeback bid on their way to the 15th Beanpot title in program history.

BC was simply too fast and too accurate with the puck for BU. It's really that simple. The Eagles' depth, and the fact that they put 5 forwards out on power plays really gives them unbelievable quick-strike capability. That's probably why they're 3rd in goals per game in the country at 3.8. That's why they've scored 22 goals in their last 4 games.

As Jack Parker quips, the Beanpot ushers in "Trophy Season." It kicks off the stretch run of the season with a bang. And in the last two years, it's catapulted two eventual National Champions.

For BU, their season is now a salvage operation. Tied for 5th in Hockey East, and below .500 they have little hope of making the NCAAs (they'd need to win the HE Conference Tournament).

For BC, they're riding a 4 game win streak. They're scoring goals, and getting solid goaltending from John Muse (who won Beanpot MVP, and is now 5-1 in the competition). If they matchup with the right teams, they could be Frozen Four candidates.

This goal was sick:

BEANPOT PREVIEW

For the 20th time in 58 years, it's BC vs. BU in the Beanpot Final. BU is looking for their 30th title, and BC their 15th.

This is the 4th meeting of the season between BC and BU. Funnily enough, it's also the 4th different venue. They met at Agganis Arena in December, Fenway Park in January, then Conte Forum just a few weeks ago.

On paper, BC is the better team. They're faster, and are more skilled at putting the puck in the back of the net. But BU matches up against them extremely well, and they've won 2 of 3 matches this season.

The Terriers' 11-11-3 record disguises how well they've played good teams this year. They beat #19 Michigan, #18 UMass-Lowell twice, #15 UMass twice, #14 Boston College twice, and tied #5 Cornell in Madison Square.

And although the game's at the Garden, which is technically "neutral ice," this is BU's tournament. It's hard to argue with history (46th time for BU in the finals, that's 46 out of 58 or 79.3% and 29 wins).

I'm picking the Terriers in an exciting 4-3 tussle.