2010-2011 NHL season ends tonight

Tonight the Hockey God's will be in attendance as Gary Bettman and the NHLPA crown a new Stanley Cup Champion tonight, but who will win?

Each team is exhausted. It has been a long and hard road. Many are starting to figure out both goalies. For example, to beat Thomas you need to get him to move east to west, and with Luongo you need to go glove hand. He has a slow glove and tries to time everything just right. In Game 6, he was beat glove side high, so the next shot he tried to stay high a little longer and time going low but could not squeeze the pads and let in a second of three goals before getting the yank.

Boston his definitely in Vancouver's head. Boston took out another player as Raymond was sent into the boards awkwardly and had to be taken to the hospital where it was found he has a broken vertebrae. The rest of the game Vancouver looked taken aback and never established a rhythm.

Boston has been the better of two teams in this finals, outscoring Vancouver as well as outplaying them for the puck everytime. Having watched the last game, whenever the puck was dumped into the boards I saw three Vancouver players and only one Boston player yet Boston got control of the puck.

Vancouver needs to get back to the basics and find their game plan. During the San Jose series, Vancouver had a track record of letting them back into the game. It is no different in the Finals, but to overcome this I have noticed a few things they could change.

Vancouver has stepped it up and decreased odd man rushes that plagued them in the San Jose series but they have fallen back in aggressiveness. In past series Vancouver was aggressive to the puck and flew down the ice at every opportunity. I saw maybe one or two dump and chase attempts from them in Game 6 which is not their style, the fast legs of Sedin brothers and Burrows should give them the edge in that department.

Speaking of Sedin's, where have they been? If it wasn't for the fact the two of them are on the ice almost 30 min. a game you would never think they were in the series. Henrik had a goal in Game 6 which should that maybe he can start leading the team in Game 7 but I wonder how much he has left in the tank.

Vancouver needs to have a talk with Luongo. I think a good thing is the fact that Game 7 is in Vancouver tonight but the crowd will still attempt to get into his head. He has been shaky most of this series and needs to get his confidence back. For goalies, its not just simply looking at the next day and practicing harder it has to do with mental abilities too. I think a big thing is Vancouver needs to play better in front him and get that first goal (key factor). The team with the first goal has won each game in this finals series.

Keys to victory for Vancouver: Go hard to the crease. Get into Thomas' grill, cause penalties and establish your ground in front of the net. Again to beat Thomas you need to get him going left or right. Continue to pass around get the play set up. If the puck is at the top bring it around the glass or into the corner, you can get the battles and then that will open up the middle or sides to get Thomas moving.

Keys to victory for Boston: Get into Luongo's head quick. Fast transitions are key, use your speed and quick hands. If Vancouver doesn't show physical play, then start it. Keep getting young guys involved in the play, Paille and Seguin are having a great series and can continue. I would say keep out of the penalty box but Boston has done well a man short. Not only have they scored short handed, they were able to control the puck for over half the penalty not once but twice in Game 6.

At this point it is hard for me to figure out who will win. Vancouver has bounced back every time they have been down and Boston makes mistakes too. This has been a great series. I was a little disappointed when I saw San Jose get knocked out but I do think this goes down as one of the best Finals series in 5 years. Tonight will go down in history!

I will post up after game thoughts and recap the game. Also follow me on Twitter @WillWodka2133

And then there was a Game 7

Tonight was the night Vancouver could have won their franchise first Stanley Cup, but nostagla of the moment changed everything.

Vancouver looked great in the first couple minutes of the game but the team soon would fall apart. Giving up 4 goals in just over 4 minutes of the first period, goaltender Roberto Luongo was pulled and the bleeding continued.

I mentioned in my last post that the physical presence of the playoffs have hurt Vancouver. Tonight was no different as the team lost another winger and with that lost the flow of their game that they had in the last two games.

Vancouver looked lost all night, having no energy and kept scrambling around. During the time that Boston was inside the Vancouver zone, Vancouver kept bunching in the corner, and leaving two Boston players in front of the net.

When it came to the second period, Vancouver looked like they were trying to get a jumpstart but could never get anything going. Boston was just too physical and with turnovers plaguing Vancouver the one upside they did not let in a goal during the second period.

The third period started off well for Vancouver as they scored a quick powerplay goal in the first minute of the period. This momentum swing was short lived as Vancouver continued to take bad penalties.

Once again the Sedin brothers were not a factor in the game and Kesler who was obviously not 100% did not play well after missing most of the series with an injury.

Boston definitely was the better team in this game and played well under pressure in desperation situations. Boston was able to kill off penalties and really took control of the puck inside the zone.

Vancouver looked to send a message late as the Crowd stood up chanting "We want the cup."

Wednesday's game 7 will definitely be a big game. Expect Vancouver's house to be rocking as Luongo looks to get back between the pipes and lead the team with help from the Sedin twins to get Vancouver its first franchise Stanley Cup.

For more on Stanley Cup coverage be sure to keep checking this blog as well as follow me on twitter @WillWodka2133

A champion could be crowned tonight

Last night America saw the NBA champion crowned a winner. The Mavericks won the championship for the first time in Franchise history against Miami and tonight the Canucks are looking to do just that against the Bruins.

In their 41 year history dating all the way back to the 70's the Canucks have tried to achieve glory twice but ultimately falling victim to a champion. This year is different, the team finds themselves one win away from hoisting up the cup, but do they have what it takes to defeat the historic original six team?

To look at the stats one must think that the series is lopsided but how is it possible the other team is leading the series. Boston has looked great every game. Their strongest period has been the second and have dominated the boards as well as keeping Vancouver in check.

For the most part the Sedin twins have not been much of a factor in this series. Guys like Burrows have stepped up and helped carry the team. Magnificant stops by Thomas have kept the Bruins in it. Thats the scary part that Vancouver faces. The man behind the mask Tim Thomas has been able to stop everything. Like the old saying goes Vancouver "has thrown everything at him except for the kitchen sink." Thomas has found a way to pick things up and make unbelievable saves.

Physicalness might have worn Vancouver down a bit. Every series for them has been a hard fought series. Take for example Kesler. Yes he was able to score the tying goal against the San Jose Sharks in Game 6 of the Western Conference Series but that did not come without a price. In Game 5 he recieved a crushing hit and has yet to come back 100% though he says that he will play tonight and feels a lot better. Analysts noticed at the optional skate on Monday that he has gotten his stride back.

The key to victory for Vancouver tonight is to continue crashing the net. In Games one and tw Vancouver was able to cycle the puck around and get the Sedin twins in the mix. Boston has been known to block a lot of shots, big blasts from the twins could prove to damage the Bruins. Bruins will bring their A game, they have been physical all game and have found ways to score short handed and on odd manrushes. One thing is, Boston has to watch out for rebounds and bad angle shots. Most of Vancouver's goals have come as a result of one of those two.

I expect a long hard fought game with no decision after regulation. I think Vancouver will prevail and bring the cup home.

As hockey fans wait for the puck drop tonight, others are happy to see a team come back.

In a season that has been chalk full of highlights and news, the playoffs are taking a back seat for some GMs. 
A couple weeks ago NHL commissioner Gary Bettman along with members from the Atlanta Thrashers made an announcement that the team will be moving to Winnipeg.

This boasted many fans not just in the Winnipeg area. Winnipeg had a team years ago but the Jets could never establish much and the team and with the majority owners deciding to not renew the contract and keep the team in Winnipeg, they moved to Pheonix 1996.

With all of the reports following the Pheonix Coyotes in recent years some fans found a renewed optimistic look at possibly moving the team back to Winnipeg or the Canadian area. Pheonix has had plenty of offers but so far the city of Pheonix along with Gary Bettman has made it their promise to keep the team there.

So far it has worked for the team as well, getting to the first round of this year's playoffs but ultimately falling to the Detroit Red Wings.

In a time where everyone thought the Coyotes were going to be a team to move, a surprise decision was made within weeks of hearing the Atlanta Thrashers were looking to sell the team. Truth North Sports and Entertainment came in and within weeks made every Winnipeg fan's dream of seeing an NHL team back again, a reality.

The company also owns the Manitoba Moose an AHL team affiliated to the Vancover Canucks and rumors swirled of the Moose dissolving and becoming the Winnipeg team. This was untrue and word of both teams staying became the norm.

This was of course until today when AHL President and CEO David Andrews announced the Manitoba Moose will move to St. John's N.L. in Canada. Andrews also said the team will be the AHL affiliate to the new Winnipeg team come fall.  In BREAKING NEWS the when the team moves to St. John's they will no longer be the Moose. There have been some incidents where people have been getting injured from Moose and Danny Williams would not like that to affect the team. So the team will have a new name as well as a new home come fall.

This is a time where hockey tradition seems to be coming back. For years Bettman has been trying to expand the league to areas where hockey was never really heard of before or were new to it. Ideas have been thrown around for another team in California and more out West. But in recent months we have seen teams move back to its roots. Not saying it is a great idea for all teams to go back into Canada. I love having hockey in the United States but is it possible that we could see a time where the league re-evaluates itself and sees that it will take time to introduce the sport to places like Utah. For now in a time where the league and sport can bank on other sports downfalls (NFL, NBA, MLS) it is safe to say the sport and leagues are gaining popularity and revenue and I expect to see more moves and changes to the leagues.

Until then only time will tell when everything will be a success, but until then we have a Stanley Cup Champion to crown.

Monsters look to get closer to playoffs as the Avs look to get better

The Avalanche have been sub par of late, Tuesday they won just their first game in eleven games. A new look in net for the Avs may spark some excitement for the team. The Avs announced on Wednesday they traded Craig Anderson for Brian Elliot who will back up Peter Budaj for now. The goalie position may not have been a spot you would expect them to trade for. The Avs are stacked with goalies and have a couple of upcoming stars in the minors right now, but this move was necessary to spark something in this team and to get rid of an Anderson who has not showed his true potential since getting picked up by the Avs.

As we move towards the trade deadline the team should start looking at their defenseman. The first two lines look stacked and just need to work together more to produce more. But defense is key for this team to survive in the western conference. Not sure if the season is lost for the Avs yet but times are rough and a quick bounce back is need fast for them to have a shot to play past April.

For the Monsters the team looks solid. I plan on going to the game tonight at the Quicken Loans Arena, if I do I will have more on how the team looks in upcoming days.

Lake Erie looks to get into the playoffs

With about 20 games left in the 2010-2011 season the Monsters find themselves in a good spot. They currently sit tied for first in the North Division and tied for seventh in the Western Conference standings with 66 points.

The team looks to work their way into the playoffs for the first time in team history. Last season the team looked good towards the homestretch but a couple of close losses late in the season faltered any chance of the team making the playoffs.

Look for the Monsters who have been getting better throughout the season get a chance to play for the ultimate AHL prize.

He will forever be known as one of the best of his time

Peter Forsberg recently came back to the Colorado Avalanche after taking a four year hiatus to work out his bad ankle. He had a couple of surgeries and tried to play for a team in the Swedish league but still could not overcome the injury. Recently he thought about a come back to the NHL where if he could play he would sign with the Avalanche one more time. He spent a week practicing making sure he could come back and last Sunday he made a final decision to come back and play. But just a week into his surprise return to the Avs we are left watching Forsberg hang up the skates for the last time.

It is a sad day for everyone including me. I have always been a Forsberg fan, he was like my Gretzkey or Howe or Hull. I watched everything about him. As a kid playing street hockey whether it was practicing or playing a pick up game with my friends I would always play as Forsberg. His intensity and knowledge of the game was amazing. When Quebec moved to Colorado in 1995 I watched and rooted for the team. They had some of the greats on that team including Roy, Sakic, Heduk, Foote, Deadmarsh, the list goes on. Forsberg and Sakic were unstoppable and I was excited to see them raise the cup back then.

Before I would watch the Olympics and root for just U.S.A and Canada. Being from the U.S. I always wanted to see them win but seeing Canada dominate their sport was another thing to watch for. Then came Forsberg. When I first started following him, I looked into the swedish leagues and began watching and rooting for the Swedish team during the Olympics. Another fond memory that I have is watching as Forsberg helped the Swedes win an Olympic gold medal.

Another memory I had was watching the 2001 Stanley Cup finals. My dad is a big New Jersey Devils fan and that year Forsberg and the Avalanche played the Devils for the ultimate prize. I remember game seven very vividly. I was 10 years old just coming back from a field trip to an amusement park. Got home for the third period where the Avs started the period being down then came back with two quick goals to get the lead. I was thrilled not just to see my team win, and not just cause I saw Ray Bourque get his first and only stanley cup, but I got to watch The Peter the Great skate around with the cup. I would not have thought that would be the last I would see him do that.

Forsberg went on to play for the Flyers and Predators before his days in the NHL were over. He never really looked the same until last week when he was finally able to put that sweater with the A on and skate with his teammates including those who are still there from the Stanley Cup days.

A man whose career was cut a little too short due to injury made a hell of a career out of it, and was able to inspire many like myself. Peter The Great's moments in hockey will forever be remembered, just look up to the rafters at the Pepsi Center and you will remember those days when the high flying Swede came down the ice to score so many of his great goals.

So on the day that he will formally announce his retirement, I thank you Peter Forsberg for the memories and god speed where ever life will take you. Hopefully it is to the Broadcast booth for his home team of Colorado, or if and when Quebec gets another team Forsberg will go to coaching.