Will history be made, or is it will history be tied? The Devils are making a nice comeback from a 3-0 hole and are trying to duplicate the feat of the 1942 Toronto Maple leafs who came back from 3-0 against the Red Wings and swept the last four games to win the Cup. Game six is in LA and the Kings should wrap it up there. Or should I say the Kings must wrap it up there. I hope so. I've had enough of the Marty Brodeur saga.
The Hockey Writers blog has a nice article on the 1940 Stanley Cup Champion Rangers and the thought that they were the greatest Ranger team ever assembled. They won the Cup in six games and the last four were on the road. The writer makes a strong case and notes that six of the players are in the Hockey Hall of fame. Dave Kerr, the goalie was on the cover of Time magazine. I once mispoke and said that Chuck Rayner was on the cover and that was my error. Anyway, my all-time team was the 1950 Rangers who didn't quite make it while playing all seven games on the road. If you get a chance, read the article.
The other day the most disagreeable and now discredited coach was on a radio show and spouted off something to the effect that he doesn't pay attention to the idiots who write blogs and tweet. Oh most disagreeable one, does that mean you read them? One of my sources has told me that most sportswriters read through blogs before posting their stories. Now we know that so do coaches.
And speaking of disagreeable, how about the surgery that the much maligned Gaborik had to go through for his aching shoulder that bothered him for months. Months that he was subjected to veil threats, benchings and being blasted in the newsprint. What a coach. Worse yet, what a poor excuse for a human being. The humiliation that Gaborik suffered with the long bench time and the insinuations. "It's time for the big players to start playing big." With a shoulder separation no less.
On a pleasant note, hockey is not over for The Pundit. Good news that grandson Nicholas has won a roster spot on the Connetquot-Sayville High School freshman team. Boy time flies. It was like only yesterday (actually nine years ago) that his Dad laced up the skates and made him hit the ice. So now he is a member of the Thunderbirds and another chapter in the life cycle is under way.
Go Thunderbirds!
-----
ICINGS:
Dave Kerr | Time Magazine | Mar. 14, 1938