[ Spoilers at the end, with blank lines before 'em ]
 
Well, the first day of the championships has drawn to a close, and
all I'll say about the games was that they both were surprising.
I didn't expect Michigan to keep Maine in check so well, and I did
expect the second game to be a more evenly matched affair.  One other
thought: it seemed to me that there was alot of stuff going on
away from the play; clutching & grabbing, holding, tripping,
etc.  A good portion of it was not called, or matched up.  I
don't seem to recall seeing that much of this sort of stuff in
WCHA games I've watched this year ( 1/2 :-) ), but then again,
these teams are playing in a life-or-death competition where
the loser gets to go home.  I'd guess I'd be "intense" too...
 
Several hockey-l folks were keeping good notes during the games
(though Matt Evans couldn't find his after we ate supper), and
summaries of the games will be forthcoming, I'm sure.
 
I was mightily impressed with Paul Kariya.  At one point near the
end of regulation, he drove down the slot from the blue line,
*almost* splitting the defensemen.  They both combined to check
him to his knees.  After sliding for a few feet on his knees with
the puck sliding along with him, he regained his skates (now behind
both defensmen) and got off a quality shot that was barely turned
away.
 
I think that everyone who was supposed to be in town from the
list made it OK.  At least, I heard no mention of any missing
persons.  Mark Grassl did make the trip, and Carol White and her
friend made the drive down from MSP, although they did take a detour
into the ditch on the way down.  (The roads around here were *very*
bad for a while.  Lotsa ice.)
 
Those who haven't been to a hockey-l gathering always post something
like this next statement, so let me be the first this year:  It was
really great to meet some of the people on the list and I'm glad that
I can now put some faces with the names that I've read for the past
few years.
 
There do seem to be a number tickets available from scalpers and
the like near the Bradley Center (law requires that they stay 500
ft.  away), so I'd guess that someone ought to be able to get tickets
for Saturday's game if they don't have them already.  Probably at a
reasonable price too (close to face value, if not better).
 
I'll leave comments about the Bradley Center itself and our
get-together to the others.
 
[Spoilers ahead]
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Hockey is a game of poetry in motion and, as I said to John H. with
something of a smirk on my face, the Maine-Michican game was
poetic justice (for Badger fans anyway).  Michigan, leading 3-2
late in the 3rd, gives up the tying goal with around the 3 or 4
minutes left.  The game winner for Maine is scored 1:36 into O.T.
for a final of 4-3 Maine.  This sequence is virtually identical to
the Wolverines win over the Badgers last Saturday, where Mich
scored the game-winner 1:35 into O.T.
 
The game winner was actually a flukey sort of goal.  A Maine
attacker was cruising at 1/2 speed down the slot, pulled up and let
the puck continue to slide down the slot.  The puck, apparantly,
deflected off of the stick of another Maine player who had been
checked to the ice and was laying prone in front of the goal.
Somehow this minor redirection was enough to allow the puck to
slide gracefully into the net.  At the time of the goal, everyone
was waiting for the whistle to blow, as it seemed certain that the
easy save would be made.  Shields was crestfallen after the goal,
and stood, staring over the net, for several minutes after the
game ended.
 
As for the LSSU-BU game, BU seemed somewhat out of control, playing
too physically and drawing numerous penalties.  How valid the calls
themselves were I'll leave to others to discuss.  They ended up in a
deep hole and couldn't get out.  Final: 6-1 LSSU.
 
Another Wisconsin fan at the hockey-l dinner tonight stated that he
hoped LSSU would win so that they could get scr*wed over by Buzzy
Christiansen the way Wisconsin got scr*wed last year by Tim McConaghey
(or whatever).  This got a good laugh from everyone, particularly
the WCHA contingent, I think. :-)
 
Saturday: Maine-LSSU.  (Personally, I think that the Maine-Michigan
game determined the National Champion already...)
 
--
Steve Manning         Milwaukee, WI           [log in to unmask]