HiR:tb Toots (@warwalker)

Project Adopt-a-Team Underway.

Blatantly swiped graphic from Japers’ Rink, posted there as a welcome for those of us clambering aboard the bandwagon and shouting “Just say OVIE!”

Go_Caps_Go___medium

Thanks to the folks there, and the folks at On Frozen Blog for throwing out the welcome mat for us in a big way.

I got home right at 7:00 only to find that TSN was showing golf, for God’s sake. I know it’s the Masters, but dude – anyone who’s still chasing their ball around the course at 7 pm isn’t likely to win, am I right? Thus, as a result of some idiot in Programming’s questionable decision-making, I was consigned to watch as some fool in even more questionable pants stood with his hands on his hips in the middle of a wooded area, evidently in the area of a golf ball, instead of Ovie and the boys taking to the ice as the Phone Booth goes batshit for playoff hockey. I also missed Donald Brashear’s opening goal, though I did manage to catch the replay of both the goal and the most unco-ordinated seizure masquerading as a celebration I’ve ever seen.

Instead, I flipped over to CBC and caught a bit of the first period of Game 2 in the Ottawa/Pittsburgh series. The first period is now over and the Senaturds are down 1-0, having been outshot by a margin of 20-8 in the opening frame. What a bunch of lame ass mailer-inners, and I oughta know – I watched a lot of Leaf games this year.

Anyway, apparently enough old guys are now finished spraying their Titleists into various ponds to permit the telecast of the Caps game to continue. Excuse me, I’m going to enjoy having a team in the playoffs for a while.

Update: What a finish! The Caps had a collective brain fart there in the second period and coughed up three quick ones to Philly. Down 4-2 to begin the third, first Mike Green and then the Great 8 willed the Caps on to a rousing victory. First Green pots a backhand on a lovely feed from an apparently rejuvenated Sergei Federov, then he goes all Bobby Orr and pops one in past a stunned Marty Biron and wooshes overhead like some badass F-18 for good measure. Then, with the score tied and little more than a minute remaining, Ovechkin makes like a freaking wizard, casts some crazy voodoo spell on Kukkonen and turns him into stone steals the puck deep in the Flyers’ zone. In a flash, he’s rocketing towards Biron, who tries to go to his left as fast as Ovechkin is cutting for far post. ovtallBiron seems to stumble and is going down; simultaneously, Ovechkin-wan-Kenobi unleashes a fucking laser that hurtles through space so quickly Einstein sits up in his grave and says “holy shit.” 5-4 Caps, and Ovechkin looks like he’s trying to knock down the rink board glass as the entire Phone Booth has a collective brain aneurysm and collapses inward under the weight of its own joy. Game over, comeback complete, and a classic moment for the ages from a truly remarkable player. Just say Ovie!

I flip quickly over to CBC to see what’s up with the Sens/Pens. I am dismayed to see that the Senators have finally managed to put a couple biscuits in the basket and the game is tied at 3-3. I curse loudly. No sooner has the profanity left my lips than Marty Lapointe draws a high-sticking minor. His arse has barely grazed the bench in the penalty box when the Pens scramble the draw and Ryan Malone tucks one past a sprawling Martin Gerber on a wraparound. In the final minute of the game, Ottawa can’t even get the puck out of their own zone long enough to get Gerber to the bench; they may not have managed to get the extra attacker on at all except that Gonchar makes like a dimwit and ices the puck with 12 seconds left; not to be outdone in an impromptu imbecility exhibition, Bryan Murray one-ups the Pittsburgh blueliner by calling a time out to permit the tired Penguin defenders time to rest, so that they can manage to diffuse the attack after one final faceoff in their zone and extinguish the final fading hope of the National Capital Region gang. A shot of the Ottawa bench during the said timeout showed the Senators players looking like Wile E. Coyote after yet another ACME-product related, smolder-inducing incident with that damn bird. “Meep meep” say the Penguins and race out the Zamboni doors, leaving a trail of fire behind them.

It’s been a good night for the Leaf fan-tourist.

Further update:

This post from Theory of Ice says it best about Ovechkin:

Ovechkin was irresistibly charismatic as a high-scoring rookie; as a nearly record-setting goal scorer, he’s like crack with an accent. Everyone’s hooked.

5 comments to Project Adopt-a-Team Underway.

  • yzermanismyhero@yahoo.com

    I feel your pain. The folks at TSN clearly showed a lack of judgement. In the southwest we were deprived of watching my beloved wings. Nothing like listening to Jim Nance provide his insightful comments when I could have been watching Game 1 coverage from the Joe. My particular favorite was when Jim Nance finally stopped talking, TSN realized the urgency and broke into hockey coverage with a split screen. James Duthie announced, I hope you enjoyed the bonus coverage of the masters! What do you think James???? In my rage, I lodged complaints with both the local cable provider and TSN. Althought it took about 25 minutes of my time that I will never get back, I sure felt better afterwards. And the Wings won game 1, so all is well that ends well. Let me know if you want the number to TSN’s audience relations department!

  • Maybe we should mail them copies of Heidi. Seriously, I know that people follow golf and all, and especially so when it’s the Masters, but you can’t tell me that TSN was banking on drawing the same kind of numbers from Friday evening golf (everybody knows that tournament doesn’t really get started ’til the leaders hit the back nine on Sunday) that they were expecting for Ovechkin’s first ever playoff game. Stuff like this dumb-ass decision out of TSN combined with things like Celebrity Dance Contests and this nonsene out of the CBC all make me wonder if jobs in broadcasting are getting filled by single-celled parameciums.

    As for your screen name, I’ll let it slide. Stevie Y was crazy good for Team Canada at the Salt Lake Olympics; I choose to believe he played no other significant hockey, ever.

  • Well here in the States (specifically, southern California) they blacked out the Ducks- er, I should know this … oh, right, the Stars (who gave up a rabid fanbase in Minnesota for the attractions of … uh, Dallas (I spent a week in Dallas, and I’m not getting it back)).

    There’s a fair number of programming decisions that I could be casting about for Anarchist’s Cookbook items for, but many of those seem to revolve around Veronica Mars. Am contenting myself with, as recommended, blog coverage instead of the coverage on Versus.

    Good time of year, too. Spokane’s taking a few more steps in the WHL; do you happen to remember who the Memorial Cup host is this year?

  • The Memorial Cup is actually going to be just down the road from Juniorvania in Kitchener. I am hoping to maybe convince Spouse to take in a game or two…

    I haven’t been following the WHL playoffs – how far along are they?

    Sounds like the Ducks kind of had it handed to them last night by Stars – all four goals on power plays. That’s got to hurt. I didn’t see any of that game here – I don’t know if it was on regular TV here or if you’d have to go PPV. I recorded the Flames/Sharks game because I want to watch that tomorrow morning. I am thinking of semi-adopting the Sharks as “my” team in the West, mostly because they have a goalie named after one of my favourite authors. If the Flames want me to change my allegiance, they’ll have to convince Kipper to change his name to “Vonnegut” or something.

  • Now that’s a pretty good recap of the game 🙂