Hockey

[AndyC]

Those Scotty Bowman teams were good. Easy to hate, but had to admire them too. Never hated them as much as the Avs, but they were a close 2nd.

Saw a fantastic Red Wings vs Avs game in Detroit that ended 4-3. Red Wings totally blew the Avs away, racing into 4-0 lead, then they relaxed and to be fair, the Avs came back like crazy - was an absolute thriller. Last game of the regular season at Joe Louis Arena if memory serves me correctly before the Wings went on to win the Stanley Cup. Larionov was just a joy to watch, an absolute joy.

 

[AndyC]

Those Scotty Bowman teams were good. Easy to hate, but had to admire them too. Never hated them as much as the Avs, but they were a close 2nd.

Bowman was an enigmatic character.
Could be gruff at times, but one time in San Jose, the Sharks naused up my wife's tickets and while waiting in the press lounge, Bowman said hello and overhearing us talking, asked what the problem was... he walked off and inside two minutes, her tickets were sorted

 

[SerenityNigh]

Bowman was an enigmatic character.
Could be gruff at times, but one time in San Jose, the Sharks naused up my wife's tickets and while waiting in the press lounge, Bowman said hello and overhearing us talking, asked what the problem was... he walked off and inside two minutes, her tickets were sorted

Hockey coaches are a weird people it seems, but no doubt Bowman was one of the best.

*Probably all coaches are weird upon reflection

 

[AndyC]

Hockey coaches are a weird people it seems, but no doubt Bowman was one of the best.

*Probably all coaches are weird upon reflection

He had a great memory for faces too... a few years later, we were in Moscow for the Igor Larionov Testimonial game and we saw Bowman in the hotel, and he came over for a chat. I think he was a much misunderstood guy. Came to the UK a few years back to host a couple of coaching seminars, he was outstanding to listen to.
Told great stories about the "Russian Five" - the best was after he put them all out on the ice together in a game and said afterwards... "I didn't have a clue what they were going to do, so how the hell could the other team?"

 

[SerenityNigh]

Who was the best of that 5? I remember Federov the most. Although maybe the best Ruskie the Wings had was Datsyuk, he could skate.

 

[wm02]

Can't skate to save my life mate, but many moons ago I reported on ice hockey for magazines, the BBC and Sky here in the UK, and GM'd a team here for a couple of years too.
As for favourite teams, had a soft spot for the old Hartford Whalers, but was mesmerised by the Detroit Red Wings when they had the fabulous "Russian Five" - got to see them a number of times in Detroit and elsewhere, incredible bunch of individuals who - for my money - were perhaps the best team ever assembled. Yzerman, McCarty, Hasek, Osgood, Lidstrom, Shanahan, Chelios etc etc - a genuine All-Star team

Never forget

 

[AndyC]

Who was the best of that 5? I remember Federov the most. Although maybe the best Ruskie the Wings had was Datsyuk, he could skate.

Datsyuk joined towards the end of the best of the Russian Five.

Impossible to pick who was the best of the five, they were all such talented individuals who gelled in the NHL like no other five man unit.
Fetisov was an unreal defenceman; Konstantinov was so imposing as a physical presence, Koslov was under-rated, Federov was the speedster and most dangerous offensively... the lynchpin, architect was The Professor, Larionov… the thinking mans hockey player. An absolute genius of a playmaker, always referred to his playing at centre as being 'the Dispatcher' in that he dispatched the puck to his wingers to shoot or go deep before setting up one of the others.

If you get chance, find and watch a movie called Red Army, that focuses on Fetisov, it's a real eye-opener into how he and Larionov blazed the trail for other former Soviet Red Army players to break into the NHL.

 

[AndyC]

Re-opened by request @SerenityNigh

 

[SerenityNigh]

Got some good Lord Stanley's Cup action going on now. My Dallas Stars look like the real deal and we may finally be getting what was expected of Perry and Pavelski. I know @Connor is excited about his Isles as well.

 

[Connor]

Got some good Lord Stanley's Cup action going on now. My Dallas Stars look like the real deal and we may finally be getting what was expected of Perry and Pavelski. I know @Connor is excited about his Isles as well.

They are GOOD, and it is worrying

 

[tommye]

Isnt hockey a girls game?


*and fellas who are crap at proper sports

 

[mmmmsnouts]

Isnt hockey a girls game?

That’s field hockey. This is ice hockey where a bunch of corn-fed Canadians with knives on their shoes beat each other up three times a week and play through injuries that would make footballers cry for their mommies.

 

[tommye]

That’s field hockey. This is ice hockey where a bunch of corn-fed Canadians with knives on their shoes beat each other up three times a week and play through injuries that would make footballers cry for their mommies.

Oh that's ok then.
Can't beat a good ice hockey scrap, the goalies are my favourite scrappers, gloves off....boom.

Great stuff

 

[mmmmsnouts]

Got some good Lord Stanley's Cup action going on now. My Dallas Stars look like the real deal and we may finally be getting what was expected of Perry and Pavelski. I know @Connor is excited about his Isles as well.

Colorado learning that Roy of the Rovers hockey doesn’t work in the playoffs

 

[SerenityNigh]

Colorado learning that Roy of the Rovers hockey doesn’t work in the playoffs

My (probably naive) take is that this Avs team is actually really good but also really green. They'll be a dominant team after learning their lessons the hard way, and maybe adding one or two more of the right sort of player.

But who cares about them, this Stars squad is actually legit, right? It's a long haul to the cup and these are weird times, but this team feels nostalgic in the good ways.