On this Thanksgiving it's time to give thanks for the Greatest Teams in National Hockey League history:
(1) 1984-85 Edmonton Oilers ~ finished first in the NHL with a 49-20-11 record on their way to winning a 2nd straight Stanley Cup. The team, led by Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri and Mark Messier were just beginning their dominance. Could score at will.
(2) 1967-68 Montreal Canadiens ~ finished with a 42-22-10 record and dominated the Stanley Cup playoffs. This team was stacked with several future hall-of-famers.
(3) 1925-26 Montreal Maroons ~ the great team of the first half of the 20th Century. Led by superstar Nels Stewart, this team was solid, top to bottom and revolutionized the game by deivising the 2-2-1 "Coolidge Trap".
(4) 2011-12 Minnesota Wild ~ it's not a stretch to assume this 13-5-3 team will be parading the Cup down Kellogg Boulevard come next June. With it's unique blend of veteran scoring savants (Heatley, Koivu and Setoguchi) and promising young defensemen (Spurgeon and Scandella) this squad may rise in my rankings. Stay tuned.
(5) 1981-82 New York Islanders ~ nice team. Finished 54-16-10 and won the Cup.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
Possible Playoff Matchups
The Minnesota Wild are 1st in the Western Conference, so we thought it'd be a good time to look at some first round playoff match ups against possible #8 seeds:
(1) Wild v. Red Wings ~ as of today I'd say Wild in 4 games because the Wings are getting older and would be completely tired out by the time the playoffs roll around. This series match up is very unlikely, however, because the Wings probably won't qualify for the post-season.
(2) Wild v. St. Louis ~ I'd pick the Wild in a sweep. The Blues don't have the goaltending to match up to the Backstrom-Harding double punch.
(3) Wild v. Edmonton ~ Probably the Wild in 4. The Oilers have some talented younger players, but they lack post-season experience.
(4) Wild v. Los Angeles ~ Wild in 4. I don't yet trust the Kings on the blue line. Doughty and Jack Johnsen are overrated and overpaid. Give me Spurgeon and Prosser any day.
(1) Wild v. Red Wings ~ as of today I'd say Wild in 4 games because the Wings are getting older and would be completely tired out by the time the playoffs roll around. This series match up is very unlikely, however, because the Wings probably won't qualify for the post-season.
(2) Wild v. St. Louis ~ I'd pick the Wild in a sweep. The Blues don't have the goaltending to match up to the Backstrom-Harding double punch.
(3) Wild v. Edmonton ~ Probably the Wild in 4. The Oilers have some talented younger players, but they lack post-season experience.
(4) Wild v. Los Angeles ~ Wild in 4. I don't yet trust the Kings on the blue line. Doughty and Jack Johnsen are overrated and overpaid. Give me Spurgeon and Prosser any day.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Good Things Come in Threes
The Minnesota Wild are currently in 2nd place in the Western Conference. I got an extra Spicy Chilito in my bag from Zantigo on Monday. And now today I found out I can watch classic episodes of Good Times online at TVland.com. Dynomite!
Tuesday, November 08, 2011
Letters to the Editor
With the Wild in Calgary tonight (I'll be watching the game from the Chipotle Basement) I thought this would be the perfect time to another edition of "Fake Letters to the Editor".
*****
Dear WPB,
In your estimation, which Sunday comic strip character most closely looks like Wild winger Pierre-Marc Bouchard?
-C. Schultz, St. Paul.
DEAR C: I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS A LOT LATELY, AND HE IS THE SPITTING IMAGE OF THE ADULT VERSION OF P.J. FROM THE FAMILY CIRCUS.
*****
Dear WPB,
I've got a hankering for a blog about life in Coon Rapids, Minnesota. Any ideas?
-A. Cooper, NY.
DEAR A: TAKE A GANDER AT "LIFE IN THE CR"...IT SHOWS A LOT OF PROMISE.
*****
Dear WPB,
Any thoughts about Josh Harding's good play of late? Should a highly-compensated Finnish goaltender be concerned about his future with the team?
-N. Backstrom, St. Paul.
DEAR N: I LOVE HARDING'S PLAY LATELY; HE'S SHOWING HE CAN BE A #1 NETMINDER IN THE NHL. I SAY PLAY HIM AND BACKSTROM EQUALLY UNTIL FEBRUARY, TRADE BACKSTROM FOR A TOUGH DEFENSEMAN AND SIGN HARDS TO AN AFFORDABLE EXTENSION.
Dear WPB,
In your estimation, which Sunday comic strip character most closely looks like Wild winger Pierre-Marc Bouchard?
-C. Schultz, St. Paul.
DEAR C: I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS A LOT LATELY, AND HE IS THE SPITTING IMAGE OF THE ADULT VERSION OF P.J. FROM THE FAMILY CIRCUS.
*****
Dear WPB,
I've got a hankering for a blog about life in Coon Rapids, Minnesota. Any ideas?
-A. Cooper, NY.
DEAR A: TAKE A GANDER AT "LIFE IN THE CR"...IT SHOWS A LOT OF PROMISE.
*****
Dear WPB,
Any thoughts about Josh Harding's good play of late? Should a highly-compensated Finnish goaltender be concerned about his future with the team?
-N. Backstrom, St. Paul.
DEAR N: I LOVE HARDING'S PLAY LATELY; HE'S SHOWING HE CAN BE A #1 NETMINDER IN THE NHL. I SAY PLAY HIM AND BACKSTROM EQUALLY UNTIL FEBRUARY, TRADE BACKSTROM FOR A TOUGH DEFENSEMAN AND SIGN HARDS TO AN AFFORDABLE EXTENSION.
Sunday, November 06, 2011
Last Canucks Post
Remember back when the Vancouver Canucks used to have a Stanley Cup contending team? Last year they finished first in the Western Conference, made it to the Cup Final and came within a few goals of hoisting the trophy on home ice. But then the unthinkable happened...they choked away a Game 7 on home ice, something nearly impossible to do.
"There's always next year" said some of their fans before lighting some dumpsters on fire and inciting mayhem in the streets. After all, almost all of the players were coming back, so why shouldn't they succeed again?
Fast-forward to today. Vancouver sits in 11th place in the West with an underwhelming 6-7-1 record. Their team leaders are faltering miserably and the great Vancouver fans are (gasp) booing the home team. Luongo's been average at best and even the Sedins have forgotten who's who.
Meanwhile, here in Minny things are looking up. Thanks to a new, fresh-thinking coach and an infusion of talent, the Wild are in 4th place in the West and riding a 4 game winning streak with convincing wins over said Canucks and the ancient Red Wings. It's a good day to be a Wild fan.
In fact, the Canucks have become such a non-factor that I refuse to spend any more time with my whole "Vancouver Sucks" montra. Going forward, I won't be spending any more space on the team from BC. If you're looking for me I'll be on the high road.
"There's always next year" said some of their fans before lighting some dumpsters on fire and inciting mayhem in the streets. After all, almost all of the players were coming back, so why shouldn't they succeed again?
Fast-forward to today. Vancouver sits in 11th place in the West with an underwhelming 6-7-1 record. Their team leaders are faltering miserably and the great Vancouver fans are (gasp) booing the home team. Luongo's been average at best and even the Sedins have forgotten who's who.
Meanwhile, here in Minny things are looking up. Thanks to a new, fresh-thinking coach and an infusion of talent, the Wild are in 4th place in the West and riding a 4 game winning streak with convincing wins over said Canucks and the ancient Red Wings. It's a good day to be a Wild fan.
In fact, the Canucks have become such a non-factor that I refuse to spend any more time with my whole "Vancouver Sucks" montra. Going forward, I won't be spending any more space on the team from BC. If you're looking for me I'll be on the high road.
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