For this born and bred northerner, summertime in the South is more something to dread than look forward to. At home any temperature above 85 degrees is considered a sweltering summer day, but here in Greenville that's pretty much mild. When we start hitting the 95, 96, and 97 degree days you had best believe that it will be nearly impossible to find me outside of the office or my apartment. And those temperatures only serve to drive the dagger that is created by the five-and-a-half month void of hockey further into my side. If you couldn't tell, high temperatures or not, this is my least favorite time of the year. Sure it's nice to have weekends available again, and I don't miss trying to sleep in my bunk on the bus during long road trips, but I'll take the long hours and lack of sleep because it means there are games to call. For now the Stanley Cup, Calder Cup, and (yes even though Greenville has been eliminated) Kelly Cup playoffs will tide me over during the next few weeks.
Like all fans enjoying these series, there are two layers to them; what you want to happen and what you think will happen. See how your ideas and feelings stack up against mine:
STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS:
What I Want to Happen - When it comes to the NHL playoffs, I want what is best for the league which means well played, exciting games between teams that offer up compelling storylines. The league needs that to draw attention to itself and gain fans in the U.S. and the formula above it what I think will achieve that goal. Last season's Stanley Cup final was a perfect example with an Original Six team that was starving for a title (Chicago) going up against an underdog that overcame long odds and had also gone a long stretch without a championship (Philadelphia). It also helped that these were two major market teams with storied histories.
Now I have nothing against Tampa Bay or San Jose, but I do not, under any circumstances, want to see those teams playing each other for the Stanley Cup. Sure the games will all sell out, and there will be arguments that the success of those teams in reaching that point will help grow the game in non-traditional markets. That's all well and good, but there is nothing juicy about that match up. To me, it would be as devoid of drama as any heavyweight boxing match in the last 10-15 years has been. What I want to see is the Boston Bruins, without a Cup since 1972, up against Vancouver which has been to just two Cup finals since it joined the league in 1970. There are plenty of ECHL ties to that series with Boston goalie Tim Thomas and former Greenville Grrrowl forward Alex Burrows lacing them up for the Canucks. I'd be happy to see either one get their name on the Cup. I want to see if Tyler Seguin, who has blossomed in the series against Tampa, can continue his rapid rise to stardom. I want to see if the Sedin Twins can find a way to create offense against Zdeno Chara and the rest of the Bruins' defense. I want to see Ryan Kesler and Milan Lucic battling one another for an entire series. I want to see the celebration that will ensue whenever one of two fan bases, which lives and dies with its team, see its team raise the chalice. I also want to see much, much more of this (fast forward to the 3:14 mark, and no it's not the flasher from the other night).
What I Think Will Happen - Boston and Vancouver will make it to the Stanley Cup final and Boston will win in seven games.
CALDER CUP PLAYOFFS:
What I Want to Happen - The Calder Cup final is almost set as the Binghamton Senators swept the Charlotte Checkers in the East and they are waiting the winner of the Huston/Hamilton series which Huston leads 3-1. I don't have an emotional attachment to any of those teams so I'm pulling for the most dramatic storyline to play out. That would be Binghamton, which has never won a championship to come away with the title. Hamilton and Houston have each won a Calder Cup during their time in the AHL. Plus, I was truly pulling for Charlotte so I guess it wouldn't be so bad if the team that eliminated the Checkers went on to be champions.
What I Think Will Happen - Without having seen a single AHL game this season, it's hard to accurately judge where the championship will land. My gut tells me that with three of the top four scorers in the playoffs (Ryan Potulny - 25 points, Ryan Keller - 22 points, and Kaspars Daugavins - 18 points) that Bingo is in pretty good shape. I'll say the B-Sens take out Houston in six games.
KELLY CUP PLAYOFFS:
What I Want to Happen - Well my true hope was dashed in Game Three when Kalamazoo won 4-1 to make it a 2-1 series lead for Alaska. I was hoping the Aces, which had swept its first to series, to go undefeated through the tournament. That has never been done in the ECHL and I would've liked to see that historic occurrence. At this point, I am content to see either team win the title and am just hoping for a dramatic series. I have covered/worked with a number of players on each side of the series. Aces defenseman Russ Sinkewich played a season and a half in Johnstown and is a truly classy individual. Defenseman Steve Ward and forward Tyler Ruegsegger were in Greenville's training camp this season but, ultimately, didn't end up making the team. For Kalamazoo, goalie Ryan Nie set the single-season wins record for the Johnstown Chiefs in 2007-08 (my first season covering the team) at 29 while Wes O'Neill and Jon Landry patrolled the blue line in the 2008-09 season.
What I Think Will Happen - Home ice advantage doesn't always mean much in the playoffs, just look at Greenville's Game Seven against Wheeling, but I think it will in this series. Both Kalamazoo and Alaska play on very unique rinks. Kalamazoo's is smaller than regulation size and the team benches are on opposite sides of the ice sheet. Alaska plays on an Olympic size sheet of ice and is the only team in the ECHL that does as such. It seems likely to me that Kalamazoo will win one of the next two games in its building and send the series back to Alaska. But up north the Aces rule and will win the series in six games.
My prognostication skills have been known to be a little suspect so don't be surprised if those theories are blown out of the water over the next couple of weeks. And if I end up completely wrong on all fronts, who really cares as long as the hockey is good and us fans get the full enjoyment out of it. Maybe the best thing to hope for is all the series to go seven games so hockey season is extended as absolutely long as possible.
Fret not, though, about the season ending and thus me having nothing left to blog about. I'll be keeping in touch with you all summer with updates as the Road Warriors' roster begins to take shape and updating you with what's been going on with your favorite players during their summer. I'll also keep you updated on my goings on this summer as I train for my first half marathon! Very shortly I'll be signing up for the Spinx Runfest half marathon on October 29, 2011 so I'm going to be a real road warrior this summer as I pound the pavement to train for the race. I'll be running my first training race on May 28 at 8:00 a.m. which is the Paris Mountain 11K Trail Run. If any friendly faces would be willing to come out and cheer me on in support it would be greatly appreciated!
In closing I want to leave you with a couple of my favorite summer songs. Hope you enjoy!
