That's a Wrap

Morning Folks.. That had to be one of the strangest Stanely Cup Finals in a looong time. In the end, the better team won. Boston dominated at home and finally broke through on the road last night when it mattered most. There's much soul searching to do in Canuckland over the next few days & weeks. I feel bad for the real fans - they now have to live down the legacy of a tarnished reputation. All caused by idiots with no respect or common decency. Seeing the images & news reports of the aftermath was disgusting to say the least.

But enough on that. This was a really chippy & tense series. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for the game & how it should be played. Too many theatrics, thugs & intent to injure. It's a copycat league & I fear the rest of the league will now mimic the goon tactics employed by this years Bruins. Did anyone really know that this Bruins team was that good from the get go? The team grew & played better & better as the playoffs wore on. No one will remember their powerplay woes that they began the playoffs. They are a deep team but owe an awful lot to Tim Thomas. He played outstanding & was a no brainer as the Playoff MVP.

Luongo - I certainly don't envy that guy. The Canucks have a real problem on their hands with him. Doesn't have the cahoons to play in the big games & it's really shocking how such an elite talent can fold like a house of cards. With his lifetime contract making top dollar, this is a problem the Canucks are gonna have for a long time. The saying is you must experience defeat before you can ultimately prevail. Having been through the bitter battles with Chicago & finally slaying that dragon this season he'd finally put those boobirds to rest. Now they're back & louder than ever. Way to go LuBrongo.

As for the pool... GAR007 - that's what I call a comeback. Ajax Marlies looked to have this pool in the bag heading into the final round with a 20+ point lead. Last night the lead finally fell as GAR007 had 18 players playing in the finals. His selection of Brad Marchand (only picked twice) was a stroke of genius. Powered by last nights 5 point performance (2 goals, 1 assist), it allowed GAR007 to leapfrog into first place & win the pool by a single point. It just goes to show how picking fringe players in a playoff pool is crucial to success.

Congrats to GAR007, Ajax Marlies & You Guys Suck! for your top 3 finishes in this years pool. Please get in contact with me to arrange the delivery of your winnings.

Speaking of Marchand - he's definitely a Bruin of the questionable tactics, but man he just played the series of a lifetime. It's amazing to think of the impact he had on this series & playoffs - and to think he's only begun his NHL career. Is he this generations Claude Lemieux? You hate hate hate this guy on the other side but there's no doubt you'd love to have him on your team.

Special congrats to Michael Ryder, the 2nd ever Newfoundlander to win the cup. Awesome.. the rock will be a rockin when Stanley comes to town!

Mark Recchi - thanks for the memories.

In case you were following along & visiting the site, the standings & stats have been updated daily. But I must apologize for the lack of email updates during the past few weeks. With such a long playoff seeming that much longer this year finding the time to write & send the updates became a challenge. Between a basement reno, nice weather arriving & work picking up - it was hard to find the time. Next year I may ask for some volunteer's to assist in the daily email updates as it gets to be a bit much as the playoff marathon marches on. With a toddler running around & a newborn on the way this fall - spare time is going to be that much more precious next spring.

Thanks for participating everyone. As always it's been a great deal of fun. The season's over & summer's now here.. So yake advantage & I do hope to see you back next year.

Thanks again!
-PD