At Least We Got Somebody?

The Maple Leafs were late to the free agent dance again, and while they didn't end up waltzing away with a complete minger, they didn't quite end up with the homecoming queens. Fergie picked up Jason Blake for a lot of money and a long time, and while it's not entirely a bad move - adding a 40 goal scorer is never bad per se - but still, the dude is 33 dudes, and he's only now starting to be a premier goal scorer? I mean, you have to be suspicious of a guy who puts up career numbers in a contract year, especially this late in the game.

On the other hand, I'm also pretty glad that the Leafs didn't break the bank to sign Danny Briere or Chris Drury or Scott Gomez. Anything past 5 years on a contract and you have to wonder how far ahead the people responsible are really thinking.

Philadelphia and the Rangers are now my two least favourite teams in the East, incidentally. Phillie's looting of Nashville to pick up Hartnell and Timonen left a really sour taste in my mouth, and now they have Briere for forever, Smith from Edmonton plus Biron in net and it's almost like last season never even happened. I seriously hope they pull a Boston. And over in New York, they've actually built a team in which Jaromir Jagr is only the third highest paid player, which is such an impossible sentence that it can only come out of Broadway.

And now with the cap hitting fifty million, it looks like it's back to business as usual for the NHL, with the divide between small and large market teams becoming visible once again. Poor Buffalo which lost its two best players, plus Zubrus if that counts for anything; the Islanders who will have no chance of repeating their unlikely run to the playoffs now that half their players have been bought out from under them; and saddest of all Nashville, who saw a championship calibre team cannabalized right before their very eyes in a matter of weeks. I don't think there is anything sadder in pro sports than a great team being dismantled for financial reasons.

Paul Kariya, keeping with the free agent theme, must know something we don't, because he has signed away the last years of his prime to St. Louis, which is not a team that looks like it will be a contender any time soon. You'd think for a guy who still needs a Stanley Cup that he would have chosen any number of contenders that were willing to pay him money, and yet he lumps on with a team that's still rebuilding. Sticking with St. Louis, they did it again. They resigned a player they traded at the deadline last year, this time Keith Tkachuk, previously Doug Weight. This is a way uncool practice that should be stopped.

Back to the Leafs, Fergie is going with essentially the same team as last year, but with Raycroft splitting time with Vesa Toskala, and Jason Blake on Sundin's wing. Steen, Wellwood and Coliacovo are all a year older, and hopefully that much better, Antropov will stay healthy and chip in at least 20 (I'm not even kidding dudes), Ponikarovsky has 30 in him, I know it and Mats Sundin will score a reliable thirty goals, seventy points. With the stars aligned, this team can make the playoffs, can win a round or two as well.

It's not a Stanley Cup team though.

Jason

Fergie Does It Again

Vesa Toskala and Mark Bell are Maple Leafs. Cherepanov or Esposito could have been.

This would seem to be the trade that determines whether Fergie is gainfully employed in Toronto come next draft.

Hockey Scribbles

- Mats Sundin is back for another year. All is right with the world.

- Next year one of Danny Briere, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Ryan Smyth or Scott Hartnell will be a Leaf, fer sure.

- Micheal Landsberg asked Fergie if he would consider signing newly freed agent Alexei Yashin. Worryingly, the Leafs' GM did not immediately say "No way in hell".

- Sidney Crosby is only a year older than me. This will never ever cease to amaze me.

- Nashville won't have the Preds much longer. Hamilton might very soon. This worries me, not only because the Leafs would have to play this very talented team at least eight times a year, and really having to play against the Sens that much is bad enough already, but seriously, Hamilton? Canada's half-hearted answer to Pittsburgh? Moving them to wilds of Kitchener is even worse, mainly because the Kitcheloo Blackberries is a name too ridiculous to talk about. Move them to the 905, I could live with that. Call them the Toronto Toros or whatever and give the rich refugees in Toronto's sprawl something to cheer for. Toronto needs another team, is what I'm saying. Sympathies to Nashville fans, who have a legitimately good team on their hands but none of the ties that kept the Penguins grounded in Pittsburgh.

- Mike Keenan is a coach again. What? Insert joke about NHL coaching jobs being like a game of musical chairs but when the music stops, nobody takes away a chair. Or even better, insert joke comparing Keenan to promiscuous girl at college frat party. Everybody gets a turn. More confusing is that it's Calagry that has dipped into the communal coach pool, a team that is good enough that they shouldn't have to make such desperate looking moves.

- Keenan's mustache is also kinda creepy, in a pedophile kinda way.

- Back to the Leafs. Here's the problem. I want the Leafs to make the playoffs because that is something they haven't done in too long now, but on the other hand, the only way Fergie will ever get fired is if the Leafs tank the season. So... make the playoffs and curse ourselves to another five years of ineffective weak-kneed GMing, or take a deep breath and hope for the worst on the ice in order to ensure the best in the boardroom.

Lates peeps,

Jason

Oh Yeah, That Stanley Cup

Call it the Stanley Cup Final that Toronto forgot. Ottawa versus Anaheim will do that.

I'm a little late here, so you know how the story ended, and nobody should be surprised, except for Ottawa fans who were probably already planning ahead to next year when they would finally have a definitive piece of evidence to prove their superiority over the Maple Leafs - it's hard to argue with a Stanley Cup.

I think we should all agree that the better team won here. Anaheim deserved it, and now we really do know that Brian Burke is a hockey God.

Also, don't rag on Ray Emery too much, if anything he proved that he is capable of taking a team to the Stanley Cup finals. Ottawa needs to resign him.

And finally, I have a feeling that Ottawa won't be in the finals again any time soon. They had their shot, the last decade was practically building up to it in fact, and then they blew it and is this team good enough to repeat? And will the upper management be able to resist blowing up this team?

Free agency is less than a month away,

Jason

Endnote - I can't seem to reliably spell Anaheim. Thank goodness for the Google spellchecker

I Love You Dreger

Best free agent signing of last year? Darren Dreger going from Sportsnet to TSN, easily. The 'Net wasted him as a babysitter for Kypreos and Big Bill Watters, but TSN realized his true potential and gave him a megaphone to voice his previously hidden thoughts. Wouldn't you know it, the man knows what he's talking about.

Anyways, that all leads to this. According to the Insider, there is actually a team out there crazy enough to take Bryan McCabe's contract. Crazy hockey team? We're talking about the Islanders, natch, who all of a sudden find themselves with a hella lot more cap space now that Alexei Yashin can call himself a free agent. McCabe was el capitan on Long Island once upon a time, and word is, he might be willing to waive his ironclad no-movement clause to return there (in twenty years, John Ferguson Junior won't just be remembered as the warm body who filled the Leafs' GM spot after Pat Quinn and before the man who finally ended the cup draught, no Fergie will also be remembered as the man who gave hockey the no-movement clause. Let's all say thanks for that guys).

If there is a team silly enough to want McCabe at the almost 6 mil per the Leafs are paying him, it's going to be the Islanders. Buying out Yasher with four years left on his contract might be the sign of a team finally getting its act together, or it might be be a sign of business as usual.

No offense McCabe, but you might not have noticed that there are a ton of young ankle biting blueliners in Leaf jerseys just waiting for a chance to prove themselves, and as long as long as you continue to clog up a roster spot with your sustained mediocrity, it is just that much harder for them.

Go home Bryan.

Jason

Oh wait, while we're on the topic of Fergie and the Islanders, let's mention Sean Hill. It's Fergie's contention that because the NHL let Hill play even though they knew he was juicier than a Florida orange that my Buds missed the playoffs. Don't scapegoat Hill here. If he had maybe scored the game winning goal in their last regular season meeting, well maybe there would be an argument. But as it stands, Hill is a journeyman defenseman who does not tip the balance in anyone's favour. I just wanted to make that clear.

These Sens Are Scary

It was the crazy Leafs fan in me that made me choose Buffalo over Ottawa, not the rational level headed hockey connoisseur I normally am, I swear. Ottawa is obviously the best team left in the playoffs. Obviously. They didn't so much as blink while dusting off New Jersey and Pittsburgh, and it's not like those teams are bunch of stiffs either.

Ottawa is the complete deal right now, and I just hope you, as the reader, can understand how hard it is for me to type those words. In picking Buffalo, it was more because I wanted them to win, than because they deserved to win.

Ottawa has done something special this year. I don't know what it is exactly, but I've always gotten the sense that past Ottawa teams tried to hard. They compiled great regular season numbers, and then when they got to the playoffs, folded quietly. This year, they're regular season was anything but smooth, and I don't know, I guess it made them more... human? That sounds stupid, but what I mean is it's a lot easier to sympathise with them this year than in any other year previous.

Buffalo won last night, which isn't that surprising, I mean, they didn't get to where they are without being a decent team, but Ottawa will take control, like they did in their two previous rounds, and clamp down on the Slugs.

This really hurts to say, but I think Ottawa will win the cup. Even worse, I think I want them to.

Jason

Third Time Lucky

I might as well make my predictions known before its too late, and before I look like to much of a moron for choosing Buffalo. So I have Buffalo over Ottawa, in seven games now I guess, and Anaheim over Detroit, for the record.

Keep your sticks on the ice,

Jason

You Can't Make This Stuff Up

When JP Ricciardi fessed up to lying about the extent of closer B.J Ryan's injury, and that the little elbow tweak would actually require Tommy John surgery, it was kind of hard to imagine that the Jay's season could somehow get worse. The season long loss of B.J was really supposed to be the cap on what had been a disastrous few weeks for the Jays.

Then Roy Halladay went down with appendicitis.

At this point, with the season already gone, all you can really do is laugh. Appendicitis! You can't make this stuff up. If this was a movie, this is the part where you'd say, "Ok, they're really stretching it here." But no, Halladay's appendix really did swell up, and the Jay's have already placed 11 players on the disabled list this season, which matches the total number for all of last year.

Also, any time Ted Rogers feels like firing Ricciardi won't be soon enough for me. I have finally decided that he is a smarmy, self-absorbed blowhole. "It's not a lie if we know the truth"? Don't spit on my deck and call it varnish.

For those scoring at home, that's two Toronto GM's now that need to be axed to one that deserves to be sainted.

Jason

Bad News, In Bunches

So to recap, the Raptors are out of the playoffs, Sam Mitchell might not coach next year, Fergie Jr is still GM in Leafland, the Jays can't even win a game when Doc Halladay starts, Roger Clemens is back in the AL East, Toronto's new soccer team have yet to score a goal after an embarrassing number of games, and Barry Bonds will break the home run record sometime soon.

On the other hand, well the weather is nice.

So Four French-Canadian Referees Walk into a Bar...

There's a crisis in the nation's capital these days, and at the centre of it is Shane Doan.

No, Parliament has not launched a Royal Commission to investigate how an only slightly above average hockey player who consistently puts up less than spectacular numbers is both Phoenix's franchise player, and current captain of Team Canada, but rather, certain politicians have taken issue with a two year old incident in which Doaner was alleged to have aimed an anti-French remark at a French ref, in Montreal no less. Politicians from Quebec, actually. They seem to have a problem with Doan's captaincy, despite that the allegations were never proven, the NHL did not punish him, and to quote Jeremy Roenick, Doan is "the kind of guy who says 'fudge'."

This is a non-issue. Doan's not the kind of guy who would say something like that, and frankly, I think most people had forgotten about the incident, except of course Quebec, where their freaking motto is "Je me souviens".

If you want to get angry about something Parliament, get angry about the fact that the best we could do for a captain was Shane Doan. Now that's a cause I could get behind.

"Mr. Speaker, how can we justify, in this day and age, making a player like Shane Doan, with his history, captain of Team Canada? The international community is watching, Mr Speaker. Do you know how many points he scored last season? It's embarrassing."

Jason

Verdict For April: Meh

The Jays have played one month of ball, and have yet to clearly define themselves. Their record is a hair over .500, and they've proven that they can play with Boston and New York, however, they've also proven that they can just as easily be swept by Baltimore.

Injuries are a problem sure, as losing closer B.J Ryan has meant that every late inning lead is in danger, but for the most part, the substitutes have filled in nicely. Adam Lind could likely stay in left field all season now, regardless of whether Reed Johnson ever comes back; John Macdonald, a guy we've always had a soft spot for and now displaced by the return of Troy Glaus was hitting .500 for a little while there; and Jason Phillips, the back-up catcher with the glasses (I don't know, I can't help but like an athlete who wears specs) filling in for Greg Zaun's broken hand knows when to lay down a clutch hit.

So the replacements have been probably no worse than the regulars would have been, which makes us wonder if we should take 13-12 April as indicative of what we can expect of the long haul. there have been some standouts, though. Roy Halladay has been money in the bank, sits 4-0 and leads the league in innings pitched, Vernon Wells is his usual sublime self, and Aaron Hill is having his breakout season.

This team, as always, comes down to pitching. Josh Towers didn't last the month, and Victor Zambrano will get his next start. Gustavo Chacin is suddenly injured, and Dustin McGowan gets that start. Tomo Ohka threw his best game of the season against Texas the other day, and seems to be improving with every game. These are the pitchers Toronto needs to worry about, at least until Halladay can figure out a way to pitch on a days rest. Wouldn't that be something?

Jason

Round Two, Coming At You

Ok, second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Let's make this brief: I went an ok 6 for 8 in the first, due to an overabundance of optimism for Pittsburgh and Nashville, but those are understandable mistakes. I mean, it's not like I made any stupid picks like the Islanders over Buffalo or something.

Moving on, I'mma take Buffalo over the Rangers (they'll get their act together), Ottawa over New Jersey (begrudgingly), San Jose over Detroit (they manhandled Nashville, and Detroit had some problems with l'il ol' Calgary) and Anaheim over Vancouver (because, duh?) for round two.

Gotta run,

Jason

Oh Yes, Their Will Be Boos.

It's a beautiful piece symmetry, the Raptors first playoff appearance in forever is. The basketball gods have given Toronto a final chance to once and for all expunge Vince Carter from its sports concsiousness, in the form of a first round match up against VC's New Jersey Nets. Chris Bosh and the one-for-all Raptors get to play the last man to call the Raptors his franchise, get to finally show that Vince Carter was the problem with Toronto, and not the other way around.

Sure, maybe a date with the collapsing Washington Wizards might have be easier, but a play-off with New Jersey is custom ordered drama.The first round doesn't really matter, but here are two teams who will go at it like it was a championship series. They spilt their season series 2-2, both teams winning their home games, which gives the higher seeded Raps maybe an advantage in that category.

Game one is Saturday at the ACC. Oh yes, their will be boos.

Jason

Suk On That, Daisuke

I admit, I was soaking in the schadenfreude after watching the Blue Jays defeat Boston earlier today. It was the the gyrating gyroballer himself, Daisuke Matsuzaka on the mound for the Sawks against our always enigmatic (though slightly less now that his shades are transparent) Gustavo Chacin. The Jays won 2-1.

Here's what I love about it. Daisuke pitched an amazing game. He gave up just three hits all night and struck out 10 batters (Frank Thomas and Adam Lind combining for 12 of them). In short, he was as good as anybody would have expected. He matched his hype. 'Cept Chacin was better.

Where the two pitchers seem to differ (Daisuke only has four MLB starts to extrapolate from, but I feel confident that my limb will hold) is that Chacin (2-0) always seems to find a way to win, no matter what comes off of his glove where Dice-K (1-2) can throw masterful stuff, and still lose. Chacin throws too many pitches, doesn't last enough innings, gives up too many runs - and has an overall winning record lifetime. He pitches to the situation, and the runs seem to show up when he needs them.

Anytime your third string pitcher can out duel a man worth $100 million and who commands a larger press following than say, our prime minister, you can say it's been a good day.

Game 2 of the series is tomorrow, and it's the Jays' turn to send a Japanese pitcher to the mound in Tomo "I'm Not Bitter" Ohka. I'm trying to imagine what it would be like if they had faced each other. Imagine the orgasm of reporters in both clubhouses, and imagine the Japanese swear words coming out of Ohka's mouth ("Tomo, Kyoto Daily Evening Standard Reporter Times. Do you feel any extra pressure today facing Daisuke, knowing that all of Japan will be watching?").

Let's talk injuries now. The Jays have 'em. Lots of 'em. Two weeks in, and the Jays have already lost two of their everyday position players in Troy Glaus and Reed Johnson, and their ace closer, B.J Ryan. Troy Glaus won't be gone too, too long and his replacement is a combination of defensive ubermensch John MacDonald and some stiff named Jason Smith. Reed Johnson is done for until at least the All-Star break, but this is a funny injury because it paves the way for Adam Lind, a promising kid who was this close to making the roster out of spring training anyway. The question for Reed is, will he even have a spot in outfield to come back to?

B.J's injury causes the most problems, because it's not like the Jays didn't have problems in the bullpen already. He'll be gone for six weeks or so, which isn't as bad as it could have been, since the alternative rhymed with Mommy Gone Burgery, and involved no more B.J(s) till 2008. In the meantime, we have Jason Frasor as closer, and he did look pretty confident sitting down David Ortiz on way to his first save.

The season is not lost yet. The replacements, hinging around Frasor, can more than tread water while we wait for healthier times.

Sayonara,

Jason

The Playoffs, Sans Maple Leafs, Again

Don't blame New Jersey for not starting Martin Brodeur, blame Toronto for not beating the New York Islanders when they had the chance last week. Thanks to that 5-2 loss, the Leafs' heroic performance on Saturday was meaningless. The better of the two teams made it, frankly. That's all I have to say on that.

With that, let's make some predictions on the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

East

Buffalo (1) vs New York Islanders (8)

Here's what all the fuss was about, a chance to lose to the league's best from Buffalo. The Islanders, who have done amazingly just to make the playoffs, will be wiped away by Buffalo with no problems. Buffalo just keeps getting healthier, and the Islanders will be relying on someone named Dubielewicz in net. The faster New York is gone, the happier I'll be. Buffalo in five.

New Jersey (2) vs Tampa Bay (7)

Sweet Lou surprised everybody by firing his coach with just days remaining in the regular season. The last time he did that, it resulted in a Cup victory. New Jersey is still missing some top players I believe, Martin Brodeur is really the only guy they need. Tampa Bay has this year's Rocket Richard Trophy winner in Vincent Lecavalier - the top goal scorer vs the top goalie. Goaltending wins out, and New Jersey wins in six.

Atlanta (3) vs New York Rangers (6)

This is a tough series to call. Atlanta is playing in its first ever playoffs, which has to count for something. Both teams played well down the stretch, Atlanta after acquiring Keith Tkachuk and Alexei Zhitnik; New York after picking up Sean Avery of all people. I'm going to give the edge to the Rangers who will win it in seven.

Ottawa (4) vs Pittsburgh (5)

This will easily be the most interesting series to watch. Sidney Crosby and the rest of the NHL's future square off against the NHL's most notorious chokers. I have a hunch that the the Pens will dominate the Sens, and that while it will be great to watch, the result won't be so great for Ottawa. Pittsburgh in six.

West

Detroit (1) vs Calgary (8)

Another year of playoffs, another year of Detroit in the number one seed, and another year taking on a team from Alberta, except this time, if they lose, it won't be quite as surprising. That's not to say that they will, because Calgary has been anything but impressive over the final stretch, but they will definitely put up a fight. I can't see Detroit allowing itself to be bounced in the first round again, so I'm saying Detroit in six.

Anaheim (2) vs Minnesota (7)

Anaheim is no one's underdog's this year, after putting up a consistently impressive season. Teemu Selanne keeps improving, the rookie's are scoring, the defense is solid and the goal-tender already has a Conn Smythe to his name. Minnesota, from here on out, the "darkhorse team", won't go quietly, having put up a very impressive final few months largely on the backs of the wonderful play of Marian Gaborik and rookie journeyman goaltender Niklas Backstrom. However, I'm always skeptical of flash-in-the-pan goalies like that, so I'll give it to Anaheim in five.

Vancouver (3) vs Dallas (6)

I don't see any reason to be excited about this Dallas team who is stocked with a great goalie with a bad playoff reputation. Of course, Vancouver's goalie has no playoff reputation at all, but Roberto Luongo is more or less why Vancouver is here in the first place, making this probably the easiest Western match up to call. Vancouver in six.

Nashville (4) vs San Jose (5)

This is an exact rematch of last year's 4th vs 5th seeds, in which San Jose manhandled a goalie-less Nashville team in just five games. It won't be so simple this time around, Nashville is much, much better now, and San Jose is still good without being great. It's time for Peter Forsberg to prove his worth and propel Nashville past the Sharks in seven games.

And that's that. I'll also go out on a limb and put Nashville and Buffalo in the finals, with the decision going to...... Nashville.

While we're with predictions, some matters of ego to attend to. Looking back to October, I called five of the eight teams in the East (somehow missing the upcoming horror show in Philadelphia, and mediocrity in Carolina and not surprisingly missing the miracle on ice on Long Island). In the West I (ready for it?) I went eight for eight, which isn't really that special considering the drop off in talent after ninth place.

That's all for now,

Jason

Sidenote - One year anniversary as of yesterday. Celebrate.