Blogs Off The Posts

PITTSBURGH _ I had an okay first round.

Right: Chicago, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Ottawa and New York Rangers.
Wrong: San Jose, Detroit and Boston.
Better than .500 but still bad. I never ever should have taken the Leafs.
I thought the Canucks would be under the radar and win.
Brings us to Round 2

Chicago vs. Detroit: Tough test for the Hawks, but they’ve got Toews, Kane and Hossa. Plus a strong defence. Hawks in 6.

Kings vs. Sharks: Boy San Jose was impressive in the first round and the Kings got it done. I will say Sharks show they’ve got it. San Jose in 6

Rangers vs. Bruins: The Bruins sent the Leafs packing in style. They do it the hard way. Boston will win this in seven.

Penguins vs. Senators: Nobody is giving the Senators a chance. It will take great goaltending by Craig Anderson. Senators in six.

Come on gang get in here and give me your picks. Let me know how you did in the first round.

Sorry to see the Leafs go.

PITTSBURGH – First, let me say that if you happen to be heading this way for a game in this series – or any other reason – you should try the chilli at the Brown Bag Deli, which is behind the Marriott across the street from Consol Energy Center.
It’s 5 bucks and it’s the best I’ve had in a long time.
Secondly, I’d like to report that I had a word with Matt Cooke this morning. But it was brief.
This is the first time I’ve seen the Penguins winger since I wrote a column that got me a lot of nasty emails from Pittsburgh people. I’m still not sure why. I just wrote that Cooke said I have “no balls” – because I didn’t ask him to his face if he intentionally stomped on Erik Karlsson’s ankle in February. I felt I didn’t need to ask him as someone else did… but whatever. I certainly wasn’t hiding from him.
Anyway, I thought Cooke might have something to say to me today, because he had a lot to say that day, so I stayed in his scrum until everyone left. When it was just the two of us, I said hi Matt, how are you? He said: “I’m good.” And that was it.
It was probably a good decision on the part of both of us that we didn’t revisit that last conversation. There’s no need. The Karlsson thing is in the past. I think there was intent, or careless, and he says it was a “freak accident.”
The nice people at the Brown Bag believe the issue is not over, but they don’t understand why. They think it was “unintenional.” Karlsson, I firmly believe, does not.
Anyway, the decision I’m most curious about today is the one made by Penguins coach Dan Bylsma to start Tomas Vokoun in goal tonight. I know Marc-Andre Fleury was brutal in Round 1, and Vokoun saved their bacon. But Fleury is Pittsburgh’s best goalie. The Penguins are going to need him at some point. Why not start him in Game 1, while the team is at home at his team is jacked to start Round 2?
I know there’s two sides to the argument, but I think that’s what I would do if I was coach the Penguins.
Of course, that could be what the Senators coach wants too – for Fleury to be the goalie they have to beat.
Anyway, should be a very interesting game tonight. Enjoy.

Pernell Subban created a bit of a stir when he boldly told reporters in Montreal yesterday that the Habs are better than the Senators.
He might be right.
This series could just as easily be 3-1 in Montreal’s favor. Craig Anderson stole the first game for Ottawa, and the refs had a definite influence in Game 4.
Of course, I also find it funny that Mike Therrien blamed everything and everybody other than himself and his players after the Habs choked away a 2-0 lead Tuesday.
On the controversial faceoff spot, he could have got the players he wanted on the ice but, as the ref told him, he wasn’t paying attention.
Anyway, Senators players aren’t paying much attention to Subban’s claims. Anderson was told of them after this morning’s skate.
“Everybody has their opinion,” he said. “If we didn’t believe we were a better team than them, then we should just pack it up and go home now. And if they didn’t believe they were a better team, they’d pack it up and go home.
“It’s a confidence thing, and everybody has confidence in themselves. He has confidence in his team and we have confidence in our team. That’s the way sports works.”
The Senators need to end the debate as soon as possible. I can’t believe Anderson is about to lose three games in a row now, but they also don’t want to have to come back to Bell Centre again this spring.

Okay, that is a little over the top.
Just finished packing for Montreal for Game 5.
Taking the train later today. I must tell Don Brennan to make some sandwiches _ much better than anything you can get on the train.
We’re taking hall of fame writer Roy MacGregor along for the ride. I hope he has his AMEX card. We’ll give hm lunch. He can get the drinks.
Anyway, where were we?
Quite the comeback Tuesday night.
The Senators have a horseshoe in their dressing room. Yesterday they had one … Forget it.
They can smell victory now. They can smell victory because Michel Therrien hasn’t been able to figure out what to do next. They smell victory because they have scored timely goals. They smell victory because they have found ways to win.
The No. 2 seed Montreal is on the verge of elimination.
The Senators are choking the life out of the Habs but this isn’t a choke job because the Habs have had one heck of a season. Young teams learn. This will be a learning lesson if they lose this series.
This series is not over. Not by a longshot.
Lots of work for the Senators to do.

Best game I’ve seen here in awhile.
The Senators were physical. They were strong. They answered back and they took the Montreal Canadiens off their game. The Habs can’t possibly play like this or want to play like this.
That’s not to Montreal’s benefit.
The Senators can push the Habs to the brink of elimination in Game 4 Tuesday with the same kind of effort. Capitalize on the momemtum.
The Senators have always had issues with killer instinct. They’ve got to show it here. They’ve got Michel Therrien outcoaching himself and rattled.
No question.