Good Finish Before the Break

MN is down to 60, and this is the best case scenario we could have hoped for following the major slump.

The refs seemed blinded by the Montreal beauties that they missed two high sticks and two goalie interferences (not two goalie interferences because there was no interference on the “incient” which lead to the second goal IMO). Furthermore Briere’s goal was clearly deflected in with his skate. On the replay it looks tight but one can see that it was his skate that did it from the goal camera. Also if he really did use his stick, why would he move his skate all the way across and back…in a motion that strangely resembles pushing a puck in a certain direction?

Lindy Ruff’s tactician must have come over from Italy following the World Cup, because in each game we have played there has been several high calibre dives that even fooled me during real time, only to be exposed as the cheap actions of a limp bastard. I would like to hope that someone from head office sees these blatant unsportsmanlike behaviour and fines then suspends them after a second incident. Unfortunately I know this doesn’t happen, because I’ve seen players like Briere and Iginla dive with the grace of Alexandre Despatits (is that how you spell his name?), on more than one occasion and not get suspended.

With that off my chest, looking at things in a very short sighted way, everything is great. We won two games in a row, our confidence (although not back all the way apparently) is regenerating, and the All-Star break can only help rest our tired troops.

In the long term however, our melt-down and giving the Sabres three un-answered goals shows that we still have a ways to go to become the cup contenders we would hope to be. With 30+ games remaining I’d like to think the coach has a lot of time to work on this prior to the post season. However I cannot help but get worried when I think back and realise that this issue…this mental and motivation issue we’re talking about has been our downfall since the beginning of the season, and with more than half of the season gone by we \are still no closer to resolving it than we are following the first game of the season.

This will be my last post till after the All-Star break. Enjoy your week everybody and I look forward to seeing Huet shut out the West, and Souray pot at least one in the game, and win the slap-shot competition.