The Monday Morning Goalie For SUDS

TRUTH & RUMOURS FOR SUDS CAR WASH

1 – CHAPEAU A MONTREAL: (Hats off Montreal) The Canadiens are off to Round 2 following a 2-1 victory at Tampa Bay in Game 7 on Sunday, capping off a series for the ages. All seven games were won by a single goal, and the road team won five times. Rookie Montreal goalie Jakub Dobes singlehandedly won the Canadiens the game – the Habs only had nine shots on goal and none in the second period – and that’s just fine. In fact, he looked like the second coming of Patrick Roy. Maybe he is. Lightning coach Jon Cooper said afterwards the hockey gods simply weren’t on the Bolts’ side and he couldn’t have put it any better. But make this no mistake; this was a big blow to Florida hockey. For the first time in seven years, the Stanley Cup Final will be played outside the Sunshine State and sports fans here have officially checked out on hockey side. It is what it is! In Sunday’s other game, Colorado clobbered Minnesota 9-6 in a bonkers Game 1 of that Western Conference Semifinal. On Monday night, Anaheim plays Game 1 at Vegas while Carolina hosts Philadelphia in Game 2.

2 – STANKS SERMON: Kamloops Blazers alum Logan Stankoven has scored in five straight Stanley Cup Playoff games, setting a Carolina Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers record, including a pair in a 3-0, Game 1 victory over Philadelphia on Saturday to open Round 2. What an astute trade that was, in exchange for Mikko Rantenen! And do you think the Carolina Hurricanes are pissed off and mean business? They are 5-0 in the playoffs and have yet to trail in a game at any point. They’re the fifth team in NHL history to do that behind the 1960 Canadiens, 1969 Blues, 1969 Bruins, and 1986 Capitals.

3 – LEAFS: How we feeling today Leafs Nation? The Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday confirmed the Sportsnet report that Mats Sundin and John Chayka are taking over the club in some sort of President/GM combo. Sources tell me that Sundin was hired by MLSE President Keith Pelley after the nudging by his former Leafs teammate Tie Domi. Of course it doesn’t hurt that Tie’s son Max is on the team (and you thought this stuff only went on in minor hockey!) As for Chayka, that’s a surprise to me, but I wish him well. The wunderkind was supposed to save the Arizona Coyotes with hockey’s version of Moneyball but that failed and Chayka hadn’t been heard from since, till now. I hope it works!

4 – FISCHLER: What a treat it was to guest on Toronto’s Bottle Rocket Podcast on Saturday and find out once I logged in that the other guest was the Dean of hockey writers and Hockey Hall of Famer Stan Fischler! The 94-year old New York NHL sportswriting icon smiled ear-to-ear when I told him his columns were my favourite part of The Hockey News when I devoured them as a child on the farm at Milestone, SK. You might wanna tune into that podcast because I realized very soon that Stan and I would be dynamite on a panel show together. Within minutes we were yelling at each other over hockey opinions and by the end, Stan told the host, “You’ll need to tell Rod (blah, blah, blah) because I’m no longer talking to him!” And then he flashed his trademark grin again. Oh man, I haven’t had that much fun in quite some time …

5 – JUNIOR LOOP: The Prince Albert Raiders have joined the Everett Silvertips in the Western Hockey League championship series after finishing off Medicine Hat in six games in the Eastern Conference Final. The Raiders won Game 6 by a 7-6 score on Sunday. … What an inaugural season for the expansion Penticton Vees, making it all the way to the Western Conference Final. … The dominance of the P.A. Raiders over the past several years, plus the Moose Jaw Warriors winning the WHL title just three seasons ago, defies logic. We were always told the small markets couldn’t survive? Turns out being in a small market was just an excuse. So what excuse now do the bigger markets have? … The Centennial Cup opens in Summerside, PEI on Thursday. The SJHL is represented by the Flin Flon Bombers. The rest of the field consists of the Niverville Nighthawks (MJHL), Canmore Eagles (AJHL), Thunder Bay North Stars (SIJHL), Truro Bearcats (MHL), Rockland Nationals (CCHL), Sudby Cubs (NOJHL), Longueuil (LHJAAQ), Toronto Patriots (OJHL) and host Summerside Capitals. … For those going to the tournament, I’m so jealous!!!! … Kudos to my longtime friend Rockin’ Rob Hart for being named to the SJHL Hall of Fame after decades as Voice of the Bombers on CFAR in his hometown of Flin Flon, MB. … We worked together at CKBI in Prince Albert in the 1990s and somehow I became Rob’s personal chauffeur. One day I asked him when he was ever gonna get his driver’s license. He replied, “Why would I do that when I have you?” I was stumped for a reply.

6 – CFL PLAYOFFS: Yah, yah, yah. The talk of the week in the Canadian Football League was the change to the playoff format, going from six to eight teams, which completely overshadowed Tuesday’s Draft. I’m hoping that was by design. Regardless, the debate has been raucous which frankly, is something the CFL should want even though they’d really prefer not to have any negative talk at all. I don’t like the change – it’s a quick and easy cash grab which could have longterm consequences – but that’s just one man’s opinion. We’ll all still be watching the games and maybe it’ll turn out to be the greatest thing the league’s ever done. We’re not allowed to break news anymore so all we’re left with is our opinion. If they took that away from us, it’s over.

7 – SPEAKING OF: Sports leagues are at each others throats for eyeballs and it’s fascinating to watch that race. For instance, did you know the Raptors went to a Game 7 on Sunday at Cleveland to close out Round 1 (they lost 114-102)? I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t been watching Sportscenter. The NBA suits couldn’t have been pleased when TNT’s Charles Barkley said their playoffs have been “boring as hell” and that the NHL is far more interesting (he’s not wrong). NHL ratings are the highest they’ve been in 14 years and pundits are pointing to the fact all the hockey games are on ESPN and TNT (cable TV). Yet everybody says TV is dying and streaming is the way to go. What I can tell you is I’ve hardly watched any MLB this year because it’s a paid-for streaming service, and not on cable. So I don’t watch. And I gotta pay to listen to Blue Jays games on radio? Nope.

8 – UFL: What an enigma this league is. I’ve tuned into a handful of games – simply because they’re on the main networks – and have seen generally very sloppy football. The league’s attendance is the shits despite ads for the UFL everywhere you look, including on the infield track of Saturday’s Kentucky Derby (won by colt Golden Tempo, which is owned by Florida Panthers owner Vinnie Viola). Didja know the UFL announced 10 days ago that the United Cup will be played in Washington, DC on May 6? Imagine a pro league announcing the location of its championship game just a matter of days before it’s going to be played! I’ve gotta hand it to them – they’e trying.

9 – LOCALLY: The NLL’s Saskatchewan Rush bit the dust in Round 1 of the playoffs. That finished most peoples’ interest in the NLL playoffs, in my circles. … The Canadian Elite Basketball League season opens next Saturday with Winnipeg at Edmonton however I’m not following the league – at all – since my good friend Mike Morreale is no longer Commissioner. … The Western Canadian Baseball League season begins Thursday, May 28. I will be back for a third season calling Moose Jaw Miller Express games on Flo College Baseball, and can’t wait. I love Moose Jaw, the players, and the Saskatchewan summers.

10 – RANDOM THOUGHTS: Man buns seem to be a thing of the past. Thank God. … If you have two Facebook accounts, you are diabolical. … Headline: “Sandra Bullock Breaks Silence”. Is it really breaking silence if we didn’t notice she was being silent in the first place? … As far as Florida lifestyles go, mine’s a lot more like the Golden Girls than it is Pitbull’s. … Please fasten your seat belt, make sure your tray table is in an upright and locked position, and prepare for delivery. A passenger on a Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta gave birth to a healthy 5-1/2 pound girl just before the Boeing 737 landed at Portland International Airport in Oregon on Friday night. Two paramedics who happened to be on the flight assisted, borrowing blankets from other passengers and using a shoelace to tie off the umbilical cord. Baby Brielle Renee Blair came in about two weeks ahead of schedule; the plane, about 20 minutes. Her mom, Ashley Blair, who is from Tennessee, was flying to Oregon to be with her own mother for the birth, but didn’t quite make it. She went into labor about half an hour from Portland. … AND HOW WAS YOUR WEEK?

Y’er welcome,