The Blackhawks are good at hockey

The Blackhawks are playing really well, perhaps the best of any team.

In the first game, the Blues needed a late goal to force OT.
In the second game, the Blues had a five-minute power play and needed a late goal to force OT.
Down 0-2, the Blackhawks reeled off four straight wins including all three at home.
Two more went to OT, two more were solid wins.

I'm not even sure how to describe their brand of hockey.

They're playing physical and fast and smart. They have good scoring and good goalkeeping.

About the only thing that gives me heart facing them (if the Avs get there) is the Avalanche were 4-1 against them this year. And Colorado would have home ice. And the altitude. And Duchene looks to be back. And why not us?

Was Miller an Upgrade?

The St. Louis Blues acquired goalie Ryan Miller on March 1. At the time, they were 2nd in the league.

They were in position to face the eventual wild-card winner which turned out to be the Minnesota Wild. They were on pace to finish with 117 points, while the Avalanche were on pace to finish with 111.

Over the next six weeks, with Ryan Miller, the Blues lost ground.

The Blues actually finished with 111 points, the Avalanche with 112. Not winning the division meant the Blues were now set to face the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks.

- - -

In 40 games with the Sabres, Miller had a save percentage of .923
In 19 regular season games with the Blues, he had a save percentage of .903
In 6 playoff games with the Blues, he had a save percentage of .897

This year there are 45 goalies who played enough games to have qualified stats according to ESPN. (This throws out the outliers of the backup Ottawa goalie that faced 11 shots all year but didn't allow any goals.) The following are how these save percentages rank among those 45 goalies.

.923 ranks tied for 8th
.903 ranks tied for 40th
.897 ranks 44th

- - -

This year, Brian Elliot had a .922 save percentage, tied for 11th in the league.
Jaroslav Halak had a .921 save percentage, ranking 13th in the league.
Counting only the regular season, Miller had a .918 save percentage, ranking 19th.

When they traded for him, Miller was a hair better than the goalies on their roster. In the six weeks that followed, Miller played like one of the worst goalies in the league (40th out of 45) and finished the regular season slightly worse than the original Blues roster goalies.

Avs Radio Calls

Game 5

P Mothertrucking A Parenteau

Nathan MacKinnon!

Game 1

Score!

First Grilling of 2014

This was inspired by a Curious George episode where they're camping George cooks hot dogs over a fire pit. I went to Trader Joe's and got some all-beef hot dogs. Good snap to 'em.

Balls on the Table

A day before Friday's game, Roy said about game 5: "We need to put our balls on the table."

#BallsontheTable is trending on Twitter in Denver.

Before the game, I asked Brittany several times who was going to win. She said the Avalanche every time.

- - -

Entering the 3rd period, the Avs were up 2-1.

Their first goal, shorthanded. Second, 4 on 4. Hard to score with 5 Avalanche skaters apparently.

And then with two goals two minutes apart, the Wild were winning 3-2 with 13 minutes to play.

With 4:30 to go, our captain gets a 2-minute penalty for giving the Wild goalie a snow shower. Really? Playoffs and the end of the game. I've seen this not get called all regular season.

The Avs kill the penalty and pull Varlamov with 2:15 to play.

With 1:28 the Wild clear the zone and have the start of a 2-on-1 headed toward an empty net...well let's just watch:



Holy shit. They did it again. I believe the Avs had 5 goals this year with the extra attacker. They've gotten two this series.

And it's from Parenteau. Here's what the Avs reporter has thought of him this series:


Parenteau careless passing continues
RT Parenteau turning the puck over every time he touches it doesn't help that line either.
Parenteau been absolutely dreadful so far this series for Avs
Parenteau-O'Reilly-McGinn line doing zero offensively


Good time to step up.

- - -

Of course it doesn't mean anything if you lose in overtime. Let's go to OT:



Who gets it? The youngest player to score a OT playoff goal since the 40's. Your postseason leader in points with 10. (Stastny still in 2nd place with 8.)

So now the Avs are up 3-2. Two of the three wins have been miracle comebacks. This could very easily be Wild in 5. Now we've got Monday in Minnesota. Odds are we'll be back in Denver on Wednesday.

Game 5 tonight

I've been a fan of the Avalanche for three full seasons. Tonight is the biggest game I'll have ever seen. And yet, the odds are very likely that we'll be back here for a game 7 on Wednesday and then that will be the biggest game to date.

If the Avs lose tonight, I think it's a 90% chance the Wild take it in 6.
Even with an Avs win, I think there's a 90% chance the Wild force a game 7.

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That was me clearing Grant's drool off the keyboard. Anyways.

The first game Minnesota was ahead and the Avs got the miracle late win.
The second game Colorado was in control the whole time.
The third and fourth games Minnesota dominated. Shots for game 3 were 46-22. Shots for game 4 were 32-12.

Over a 120-minute sample size in Minnesota, the Wild outshot the Avs by 229%. That is not good. It's tough to win a game when you take 12 shots.

This is far worse than the regular season advanced stats would have suggested. If the Avs could have only been outshot by say 140% they might have picked up a game in Minnesota.

And after all that, game 3 went to overtime and game 4 was a 1 goal game as well.

Currently home teams in the west are 16-2. Let's keep it going.

5 of the 8 NHL playoff series are currently tied 2-2. Nice.

Another conversation with the wife about NHL Futures

Previously.


Me: So who do you think is going to win the Stanley Cup?
Wife: (looking off into space) Is there a team with a Mighty Ducks logo?
Me: Oh my God.
Wife: What?
Me: Yes. Anaheim.
Wife: They look like the best.
Me: What happened to Pittsburgh?
Wife: Hmmm. It seems like they have a star player that's not going to play as well as they need him to.
Me: Crosby. What about the Avalanche?
Wife: Eh, they won't get past the 2nd round.

Notes on Game 3

Minnesota dominated Game 3.

In shots, 46 to 22.
In hits, 33 to 27.
I tried to find time on attack, but apparently NHL doesn't keep that stat anymore. Regardless, in every facet of the game, the Wild were better.

They scored a nifty goal in overtime to break the 0-0 tie and take game 3.

- - -

What stings is not the loss, but the dirty play by Matt Cooke. His deliberate knee-on-knee hit has ended the season of the person I described as "the most clutch player on the Avalanche," Tyson Barrie. It's being reported as an MCL injury that will sideline Barrie for 4-6 weeks. In the seconds after the hit, Barrie said "I'm done" and went directly to the locker room.

Cooke will be suspended. But I don't care. They can suspend him for a game or a year, it doesn't bring Barrie back for the playoffs.

If you want to read the bitter Avs reporter talk about Matt Cooke's history you can do that here. 
If you want to read the Wild reporter call Cooke a cheap shot artist in 2013 you can do that here. 

- - -

I recognize this could be a turning point. If you believe in momentum, the Wild could build on last night and take the series in 6. Or the Avs can fight back and take it in 5.

I'm optimistic that Roy is fired up and will get his team ready to win and end the season for the entire Minnesota Wild team, the old-fashioned way.

Unwritten Rule

For years, the NBA had an unwritten rule and now technology is ruining it.

Here's the situation: The ball goes out of bounds. Sometimes it's a rebound, sometimes it's what happens to Chris Paul on Saturday. The reason the ball went out is because there was contact. So even though the non-contact player may have touched it last, they award the ball to them. Basically it's a play-on.

This is the way it's been for a long time.

A couple years, ago I had a beef with this. But I've grown to embrace it. It's not a ton of contact that really warrants free throws. But it was that guys fault that the ball went out, even if it last touched Paul. So giving the possession to the Clippers, in this case, seems like a fair deal.

But now, the replay rules have broken this system. The refs were required to review who last touched the ball, but they aren't allowed to call the foul. They had to give the ball to the Warriors.

So now refs have to be retrained. They have to call ticky-tack fouls like that in the moment. This is an instance where the spirit of "getting it right" results in a worse product.

Avs Grab 2-0 Series Lead

These are two of the prettiest goals you'll see. Watch #46 in white. Yikes.



All four goals were created by the 18-year-old MacKinnon. In basically every game, Duchene has always been the fastest player on the ice. Well, I think MacKinnon is faster.

Here he creates a 2 on 1.



Four goals for the Avs. All from the same line. MacKinnon, Stastny, Landeskog.

- - -

There was a dicey moment at the end. First the refs miss a high-sticking penalty against the wild. It drew blood so should have been called a double minor.

Then Parenteau gets the empty netter to make it 4-1, but they say he was offsides. He wasn't.

Then the Wild score in the next 10 seconds to make it 3-2. Luckily that was as far as it went.

- - -

So now Stastny and MacKinnon both have 7 points in 2 games, leading all playoff performers. Next closest is Seabrook with 4.

What have you done to the Alma Mater?

This is the Alma Mater that I know and love:

That is how I've always seen it. That's how it looks in everyone's graduation photo.

After nearly two years off campus for restoration...here's what returned to the corner of Green and Wright.

I hate it. To me, and this might not make sense to others, the Alma Mater is a green statue. That's the way it should be. Clean it. Repair holes. But keep it green.

I'm aware it's a bronze statue. But there's a precedent here. The following is taken from Wikipedia.

Originally, the statue was a dull copper color, but shortly after 1900 a green patina, also called verdigris, caused by the oxidation of the copper skin, began to spread. As early as 1902 it was mentioned in the press; by 1906 it had entirely covered the statue. Accepting a view that the patina was evidence of corrosion, Congress authorized $62,800 for various repairs, and to paint the statue both inside and out. There was considerable public protest against the proposed exterior painting.The Army Corps of Engineers studied the patina for any ill effects to the statue and concluded that it protected the skin, "softened the outlines of the Statue and made it beautiful.

The statue in question? The Statue of Liberty.

I suppose I have no choice but to grow to love the new Alma Mater. Or at least accept it.

But to me it's a green statue. The patina gave it character and made it beautiful. Maybe decades from now, I'll return to Illinois and find that years of air and moisture have returned it to it's proper form.

Game of the Year

I could have stayed home to watch a mediocre feed on my computer. Instead I went to Buffalo Wild Wings as soon as the kids were asleep for good.

When I left, it was 2-1 Wild. When I got there it was 3-2 Wild, and it's only a 4 minute drive. And then the Wild scored again. And then it was the 2nd intermission.

So my food order is in and I've got 20 minutes of playoff hockey in front of me. Avs down 2.

It wasn't that I knew the Avs were going to win, but I wasn't that worried. Because they've done this so many times before. Specifically coming back from a two-goal deficit with 20 minutes to play.

One of the nice things about watching at Buffalo Wild Wings is that they also had the Blue-Blackhawks game going. And they had SportsCenter on. SC did a update on the Wild-Avs game and their header said "Wild In Control."

And it's true. To this point, the Avs were playing a bit sloppy. The action always seemed to be in the Avs own zone.

5 minutes into the 3rd, Minnesota gets called for a penalty. Big power play opportunity. And no goal.

But 9 seconds after their guy gets out of the box, the Avs slide in a rebound. Down just 1 with almost 13 minutes to play.

With 11 minutes to play, we've got 2 minutes of 4x4. Which is great for the Avalanche in general with all their speed, and especially when they're down and pressing and Minnesota is trying to lock it down. And yet no goal.

The Wild were sustaining pressure. From 5:30 left to about 4:30 left, the puck was in the Avs zone the whole time.

Down one, with 3:01 to go, Roy pulls the goalie. Have you ever seen someone do that, that early, in a one-goal playoff game?

Immediately, the chances started coming. Minnesota couldn't clear. Avs were moving the puck like it was a power play.

With 1:30 to play, Minnesota finally gets a high clear, that looks like it's going to go into the net. It's bouncing and rolling, and Avs D-Man Erik Johnson is giving chase. Well let's just watch...



Also key...that he knocked the net off the moorings. That prevented an easy putback and got a faceoff.

So now there's 25 seconds left. MacKinnon has the puck behind the net, he passes it out to Johnson. Who shoots and...there's a moment where nobody is sure where the puck is. Because it's stuck in the goddamn net. 4-4. Tie game. We're going to overtime. Free hockey.

Overtime was back and forth. Lots of dump-ins and short shifts. Like that's all that happened for the first 5 minutes of OT.

And then this happened.



I've watched this 20 times and I still don't know how the puck goes in.

Stastny becomes the first player ever in the playoffs to tie the game with under 15 seconds to go, and then win the game in OT.

And that's the first playoff game I've ever seen one of my teams win. Granted it's just game 1 in a series, but it's a good way to start. The title of this is Game of the Year, but it's the best Avs game I've seen in the three years I've been here.

The best game of any kind I've ever seen would have to be Illinois over Arizona in the Elite Eight. But this might be in 2nd.

I want to wear these

I couldn't help myself. I'm annoyed that I don't have access to the Nike Fighting Illini font, so I'm having to make do with crappy screenshots. But you get the idea. 

Nike presents new look for Fighting Illini

Last night at Krannert, Nike and the University of Illinois unveiled the new branding scheme for Illini athletics.

Photo galleries are here and here.

For a emotional take on what this represents, head to IlliniBoard.

To evaluate these, I think you need to start with the colors.

I'm very pleased with the orange, blue, white and grey. The orange and blue feels like what we've always had in a good way. And yet it feels a bit stronger, modern, when you have the textures and new fonts and other touches. Very happy they didn't bastardize the orange and turn in into a neon, like Nike has done with other schools.

As for the font and logos...I'm moderately pleased.

I'll start with the logos. I'm really happy that the block I we know and love is still the main logo. And the "Victory Shield" is a strong addition as a secondary logo. It fits nicely on the football collar and basketball belt.

The font...I'm happy that it's a custom font. It's something we own now. I don't mind the two-tone as long as it's on a white background. I don't mind the serifs that make the I's look like 1s. The font may not be exactly what I would have picked, but it's pretty good. I'm less impressed with the numbers. But it is what it is.

It's a decent base to work from. At least it's ownable.

So let's look at the basketball uniforms.

Those look pretty sharp. I like all four. The grey is a different look, but it's a good one. First observation...they all say Illinois. No mention of Illini or Fighting Illini. There was a lot of buzz about how Fighting Illini was going to be a big deal. So far, no. Someone on the message boards said that a Fighting Illini jersey of some sort will be coming in the next year.

Well that about sums it up for basketball, moving on–

What the fuck is that!? So yeah, there's a giant zig zag on the sides. Not really featured in the official photos or presentation. Just sort of there. This is really the only piece that makes me pause. Initial reaction is that it seems very 90's. But I'll reserve judgement until I see it in action. But...wow.

Anyways, moving on to football.

No complaints. Love the helmets, mettalic, matte, stripes. Love the shield on the collar.

They have some subtle vertical striping as a nod to Red Grange era uniforms. You can really only see it well on the blue one. We'll have to see how it looks on the field.

You can see other sports in the photo galleries.

- - -

Because I couldn't help it. I wanted to see what the basketball jerseys would look like with Fighting Illini on them. The following are fake mockups, not real in any way.

I'm just saying.