It is tournament time....

You had to know that this week's entries would all relate to college hockey. The big reminder though is that the Frozen Four is in Denver on April 10th and 12th at the Pepsi Center - here is the info link. It is rare to get to see this nostalgic of sporting events, so I hope I see you there!

The State of College Hockey?

That's right, read 'em and weep. Colorado gets all three of it's Division 1 college hockey programs into the National Tournament. And if you are scoring at home, that is more teams than from any other state - including Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, and New York!
Mike Chambers alluded to this in his Denver Post college hockey blog, and the blog to which all bloggers should aspire - "Let's Go DU" - (where I stole this picture) also links to several articles.

The Anthony Maiani goal

DU Freshman forward Anthony Maiani scored the winning goal in game 2 against Minnesota-Duluth in the first round of the WCHA tournament. He did it again in the # 2 vs. # 3 seed, semi-final game against the hated Sioux of North Dakota, on the way to DU's WCHA tournament championship.
There are also two great fundamentals on this play to think about: keep your feet moving and be aware of your defensive positioning. Honestly though, this is a pretty goal and one of the best backhands you will ever see. You can tell how great it is from the announcers laughing "That was ridiculous" commentary. Enjoy!

A Hockey cheer?

"Blood on the ice,
blood on the sticks,

Colorado College women,

throw great parties?" Yes, that is an adjustment Bizz made to the cheer. When I was in High School it involved Cherry Creek women performing a very special act. Nevertheless, as this article alleges, all of these topics can be related and some girls at Colorado College do throw great parties!

I am thinking....

.....about changing my current jersey and my number. What do you guys think?

Yes, this is an an actual picture I took. This "sniff" was at the AVS game Monday night, a 2-0 AVS win over Calgary. I wonder if his girlfriend goes to CC?

The Nathan Gerbe goal????

To get you ready for a lot of upcoming quality college hockey, I figured some highlights were in order. Take a look at this controversial penalty shot goal from Boston College junior forward Nathan Gerbe (seen here warming hearts by helping knock the Sioux out of the Frozen Four).

What do you think?

Question: Michigan....?

A. Has a bunch of annoying fans.
B. Sucks.
C. Had a very interesting ending to their High School State championship hockey game?
D. All of the above.
(Just kidding Bada Bing, we love ya'!)

The Ovechkin semi-hit on Malkin

There are many examples of previous NHL players who confirm the stereotypes about Russian players. Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Mallkin might make people reconsider.
I personally love Ovechkin's passion for the game and the exuberance he shows while playing. This run at Malkin is another example of his balls-out style.

Between them and our goal....

....are these sexy savages. This sweaty "back-end" of the Steamer led us to a recent victory. Left to right: Bada Bing, The Howitzer, Ditka, The Mesmerizer, and Chub Rock out front - looking extra sweaty!

Editorial # 13 - Mandatory protective equipment?

I recently had the staff at the Big Bear Player's Bench break my helmet as they installed a new shield. They suggested that I wear the helmet without a sheild / cage and play in our game. Huh? I returned the new shield for a new helmet with a cage.

Call me a sissy, but I play beer league hockey. The list of potential injuries and potential ending of my real, salary-earning, non-hockey career is just too daunting of a thought. At that point it dawned on me again, if NHL hockey were my career why wouldn't I protect my eyes?

I understand all the old-school, neanderthal, mainly Canadian criticisms, but they just do not make sense. I think the NHL should implement mandatory half-shield visors for new players.

Now I do not think neck guards are necessary, but the recent injury to Richard Zednik and the memory of the Clint Malarchuk injury make you wonder. Video of those injuries are here - sorry the video is in French. The equally gruesome pictures are below.