Congrats to Kristen, she manhandled Abby to move on to the second round and face Darcy. Good luck with that. ;)
Steve has opened a 5-2 lead on Geoff tonight, but most of the games are still late in the second period, and their match up is close. I still don't know who I'm beating next week.
11:22pm. Oh boy. Steve and Geoff are tied, 3-3. Tie break system goes into effect. Ties are broken by:
1. Goals. nope, still tied.
2. Assists. Poof. Steve wins. Thanks for playing, Geoff.
So, round 2 is set. Darcy vs Kristen, and GJ vs Steve this week.
Oh, and Geoff plays Abby this week for fifth place.
Next week begins the two week game: Winners of the semifinals play for #1, losers of the semifinals play for #3, and Marc and Eric play for #7.
Geoff said about 13 hours later
So close! It was a good bout to the end, an exciting start to the playoffs!
GJ said 3 days later
Good time for my goalies to take a week off. This is going to be an interesting game with Steve, to say the least.
GJ said 4 days later
If Malkin and Crosby don't get their heads out of their collective anuses, Steve is going to freaking bury me. And screw having my goalies play--especially if they're going to give up five goals a game.
Going into the weekend, the Motor City Madmen have the listless Dragons in a 9-2 vise grip. Without a minor miracle, the Dragons won't even have a chance to defend their title in next week's championship, and thus a new champion will arise this year.
In other news...the Neanderthals have a slight lead over the Dirty Germans, and the Dark Wildcats are taking our their frustration on the Super Media Men rather effectively.
Watch here for further developments--by Sunday night, the championship teams will be set!
Update: The Motor City Madmen held off a furious last-minute charge by the Dragons, and the Dirty Germans held out against the Neanderthals in a barn-burner. Both games came down to the last NHL game of the weekend.
Congrats to Steve and Kristen--they'll be competing for the chance to bring the trophy home over these next two weeks.
The Dirty Germans currently lead the Neanderthals by a slim margin...but the Dragons are putting up a fight against the Madmen this afternoon. They've cut the lead to 7-4, and with the pickup of two more categories (three are possible) the Dragons will win, 6-5. However....that will require a lot of help from the less than helpful Madmen. Stay tuned!
GJ said 1 day later
The Dirty Germans struck a blow to the Neanderthals by having their goalie pick up another win...this leaves the Neaderthals hoping the Sedin twins score at least once tonight to win the game.
In the other semifinal, the Dragons have pulled to within 5-6 in an improbable challenge to the Madmen's 9-2 lock on the game just a day ago. The Dragons need just one more category to pick up--and it might just happen!
GJ said 1 day later
Ok, the deciding game is about to start. Steve is up on GJ 7-4 and has totally locked GJ out of the GWG column. GJ has two forwards and a goalie playing, Steve has one defensemen.
What GJ needs: goals. pretty much, if GJ cannot at least tie Steve in goals, the game is over. GJ needs four goals between Hejduk and Brunette, with none for Steve's D. He also needs some +/- help, but four goals will do that.
What Steve needs: goals, just not as many. Every one Steve's D gets, that's one more plus four that GJ has to find.
It doesn't look good. Darcy's in trouble, too...she REALLY needs some PIM, a GWG, some +/-...and she has the Sedin twins to do this tonight. Darcy has about a 25% chance to beat Kristen tonight. GJ....well, this morning it was about 3%...it's now maybe up to 10%.
GJ said 1 day later
Game over, the champ is pretty much dead. Steve has taken PIM, and added to his lead in goals. Stick a fork in me, I'm done.
The Darcy - Kristen game is going to the wire...and we'll have a winner in less than two hours.
Geoff said 2 days later
The cup is leaving NY this year folks! The Madmen and Dirty Germans will be fighting for bragging rights this year, and the sweet smell of victory!
Steve said 2 days later
I'm just fighting so hard for the cup because I want to know it actually exists!!!
So has it been engraved with past winners yet?
Two down, one to go! Good luck Kristen, just know I'm gunning for you! I've finished 2nd in 3 of the past 4 Hockey seasons, it's time for that luck to change. Gold all the way!
GJ said 3 days later
I will be having it engraved this week or next...but we'll award it at Memorial Day. I don't think I'm making the trip for Easter..and the game runs through Sunday night anyhow.
GJ said 3 days later
Past winners to be engraved:
2005 GJ (Darcy)
2004 no season
2003 GJ (Kristen)
2002 Marc (Steve)
2001 Geoff (Steve)
2000 Darcy (Eric)
1999 GJ (Geoff)
Runners-up are in parenthesis. Not sure if I'm engraving runner-up or not yet.
Steve said 3 days later
Um, I think I was second in 2003 as well. That's what my fantasy profile says, anyway.
Steve said 3 days later
Are you engraving just the winners, or runner's up too? I think it should be just the winners, but if you do runners up, I'd be on there 3, hopefully 4 times.... :)
GJ said 3 days later
Maybe you were. OK, folks, please take a look at your fantasy profile on yahoo and make sure it matches up with what I have here.
Geoff said 3 days later
Looks good 2 me
GJ said 3 days later
Oh, wait--we weren't going to list the runner up, we were going to list the regular season champ. Unfortunately, Yahoo doesn't list that as the 2nd place player, instead, it's the runner up from the playoffs. I think we'll just go with recording the winner--mostly to save space on the cup. I think it'll have year -- team name -- owner name.
Geoff said 5 days later
Hey Kristen/Steve, you guys do realize the object of the game is to score the most points in order to win? Not that the Germans' blistering 2 goals and 2 assists isn't a devastating blow to the Madmen's 0 goals and 2 assists. At least it's a close game!
Steve said 5 days later
No kidding. And I've had 14 forwards and 4 defensemen already play in games this week!! Thank God this is a two week battle!
GJ said 6 days later
Last year Darcy killed me in week 1, and I returned the favor in week 2 and won the match up. It ain't over till it's over. Again, Steve, I do have to thank you for the killer week last week. Hahahaha.
I'd love to grasp the Baumbach Cup for once, looking forward to drinking celebratory champagne out of it at the Awards ceremony in, um when, Thanksgiving? Christmas? When are we all going to be in the same place at the same time???
GJ said about 10 hours later
Who knows...let's pick a date in the summer for a long weekend Wii playing hockey celebration.
Edmonton, Canada - A seven year old boy was at the centre of an Edmonton courtroom drama yesterday when he challenged a court ruling over who should have custody of him. The boy has a history of being beaten by his parents and the judge initially awarded custody to his aunt, in keeping with the child custody law and regulations requiring that family unity be maintained to the degree possible.
The boy surprised the court when he proclaimed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and he adamantly refused to live with her. When the judge suggested that he live with his grandparents, the boy cried out that they also beat him. After considering the remainder of the immediate family and learning that domestic violence was apparently a way of life among them, the judge took the unprecedented step of allowing the boy to propose who should have custody of him.
After two recesses to check legal references and confer with child welfare officials, the judge granted temporary custody to the Edmonton Oilers, whom the boy firmly believes are not capable of beating anyone.
Congratulations to the Motor City Madmen, champions of the 2007 Baumbach Fantasy Hockey Cup. I'll post the final overall standings soon, but Steve managed to both knock off the defending champ in the semis and then demolish his opponent in the finals. This marks his first win.
OK, time for my first round NHL Playoff predictions:
Western Conference:
(1) Detroit vs (8) Calgary. I'll take Calgary in six. Hands-down, Detroit is going to lose this series.
(2) Anaheim vs (7) Minnesota. Anaheim in seven, though it wouldn't be a shock to see Minnesota in seven.
(3) Vancouver vs (6) Dallas. You're kidding me, right? Vancouver in five.
(4) Nashville vs (5) San Jose. This will be the best series in the West. Nashville in seven....or San Jose.
Eastern Conference:
(1) Buffalo vs (8) New York Islanders. Buffalo is a scary, scary team. New York isn't. Buffalo in five.
(2) New Jersey vs (7) Tampa Bay. I think the last second coaching change is going to hurt the Devils...in the second round. New Jersey in six.
(3) Atlanta vs (6) New York Rangers. New York is hot. Atlanta is not a playoff team. New York in five.
(4) Ottawa vs (5) Pittsburgh. On paper, this series is pretty close. On ice, it's not. One reason: Ray Emery. Pittsburgh in six.
That's freaking awesome!! The perfect gesture. He's not threatening, not banging on the glass or anything. This is much more effective, and humiliating to the goal judge. Awesome....
Geoff said about 2 hours later
That is cool. I hope that goal didn't cost them the game....funny it was Rochester vs Syracuse
GJ said about 11 hours later
Replays are indeed not available at AHL games--at least, not to the referees. That's why they use goal judges. I'm not sure if they still use goal judges in the nhl, other than as someone to man the red light (in other words, the refs don't consult them any more).
GJ said about 22 hours later
"I was changing my oil (Wednesday night) and the guy from the (car) dealership told me he saw it and couldn't believe how funny it was. The players, friends of players, many people have come to me and told me. I didn't really think that it would be funny. It just came out. I don't know where it came from. Maybe I should be a funny guy every day. I didn't swear or anything, I tried to be nice and asked if he'd please come see the mark on the cross bar. He never said why he threw me out and he never told Randy either."
-Mika on his cleaning the glass for the goal judge in Syracuse (March 17, 2001)
Steve said 1 day later
He got kicked out for that? Are you kidding me? Guys can bash each others teeth in, but wiping the glass clean gets you kicked out? What is the world coming to?
...the Oilers failed to win five Stanley Cups in a row, feast your eyes on the actions of one Oiler, Steve Smith (#5 in the video), who was celebrating his birthday on April 30, 1987 when THIS happened:
Calgary and Edmonton were tied 2-2 with about 10 minutes left in this game, Game 7 of the Smythe Division Finals. The much vaunted Oiler offense couldn't score another goal, and their quest for a third cup died. Calgary went on to the finals but lost to Montreal (sporting their still-unknown goalie phenom Patrick Roy).
Listen to the home crowd go from loudly cheering...to something that could best be described as wailing. :)
Let's see how everybody's favorite know-it-all did with his predictions:
Western Conference:
(1) Detroit vs (8) Calgary. I'll take Calgary in six. Hands-down, Detroit is going to lose this series.
Hmmm...somebody won this in six, all right. It just wasn't the Flames.
(2) Anaheim vs (7) Minnesota. Anaheim in seven, though it wouldn't be a shock to see Minnesota in seven.
Close series, Minnesota just didn't win much.
(3) Vancouver vs (6) Dallas. You're kidding me, right? Vancouver in five.
Marty Turco caught fire in the postseason for the first time ever. Add to that the fact that Vancouver is adept at losing series once they have a team by the 3-1 choke hold, and you have a Dallas team that will likely win Game Seven tonight.
(4) Nashville vs (5) San Jose. This will be the best series in the West. Nashville in seven....or San Jose.
Ouch. Can't get much more wrong than I did with this one.
Eastern Conference:
(1) Buffalo vs (8) New York Islanders. Buffalo is a scary, scary team. New York isn't. Buffalo in five.
Hey, I got one!
(2) New Jersey vs (7) Tampa Bay. I think the last second coaching change is going to hurt the Devils...in the second round. New Jersey in six.
Hey, I got two!
(3) Atlanta vs (6) New York Rangers. New York is hot. Atlanta is not a playoff team. New York in five.
Pretty close--I got 2.5!
(4) Ottawa vs (5) Pittsburgh. On paper, this series is pretty close. On ice, it's not. One reason: Ray Emery. Pittsburgh in six.
Wow. The Sens and Sabres will meet in the conf finals, what a series that'll be.
Last round was interesting, and the Western Conference was unpredictable (which is the only thing you can predict, haha). Let's see what my crystal ball says about the quarterfinals:
Buffalo vs New York: Wow, the Rangers just totally dismantled the Thrashers, and Buffalo beat the Islanders with some hard work. I think this one will come down to goalies--Ryan Miller didn't look as good as I know he can play last round, and Henrik Lundquist is giving the Rangers a far better season than the rest of their team really can ask for. I'll take Buffalo in six.
Ottawa vs New Jersey: Ottawa really pounded the crap out of Pittsburgh, but the Devils will prove to be a far bigger test. Is this Ottawa's year? Dunno--but I think Ottawa may win in seven.
Detroit vs San Jose: If San Jose can shoot the puck and their goalie tandem stays hot, Detroit is in a lot of trouble. Of course, if they can't stay out of the sin bin, Detroit will eat them alive on the power play. Sharks in seven.
Anaheim vs Vancouver: Vancouver barely survived Dallas...and showed that they aren't much more than a goalie and one line. Anaheim is far stronger than Dallas and will likely make short work of Vancouver. Ducks in five.
