More Hump Day Hockey Thoughts

This frozen Wednesday morning, I'm sipping my coffee and ruminating on several hockey topics...

First, another Game-Winning Save update: At our last update, the score was Posts 5, Teams 0. Well, score one for the Teams: Tuesday, 24 NOV, Columbus @ Montreal. Blue Jackets lead, 3-2, going into the 3rd. At 2:18 of the 3rd, Roman Hamrlik beats Mathieu Garon with a slap shot from the top of the slot but rings it off the crossbar. Garon can't find the puck, and Glen Metropolit saunters in and pokes home the rebound to tie the game. Montreal goes on to win, 5-3, and the Game-Winning Save theory fails to hold up for the first time (thanks for that, Columbus...I'll deal with you in tomorrow's post).

On the flip side, Saturday, 5 DEC, Chicago @ Pittsburgh. With the Blackhawks leading, 1-0, Mark Letestu takes aim at the post 5:45 into the 3rd period. The post passes the test-u, and the Penguins' fate is sealed. Though Jordan Staal scores late in the period to force overtime, Kris Versteeg wins it for the 'Hawks. With that, the score is now Game-Winning Save Theory 6, Post-Hitting Teams 1. As always, stay tuned for updates...

Anyone else stay up late to watch Dallas @ Anaheim last night? Through two periods, the Stars absolutely dominated the Ducks. Thanks to a late-2nd period breakway goal by Joffrey Lupul, Anaheim only faced a 3-1 deficit to start the 3rd. For reasons which shall forever remain a mystery, Dallas entered the final frame determined to...let Anaheim do whatever the hell they wanted to do with the puck. Only after Dan Sexton scored his second goal of the period (at 18:58 of the 3rd) to tie the game did Dallas decide that, perhaps, they should consider attempting to wrest momentum away from the Anaheim steamroller. Of course, it was far too late to push that snowball back up the hill, and Saku Koivu delivered the coup de grace at 4:13 of OT, handing the Stars a much-deserved loss. Shots on Goal in the 3rd period and OT combined: Anaheim 21, Dallas 4. I can honestly say that I've never seen such a rotten 3rd period performance from a team which had been OUTSTANDING through the first two periods. Truly, it was like watching Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on ice. In the 3rd period, Dallas - from the coach to the goalie, and everyone in between - was fatally stupid. Darwin Award-candidate stupid. I don't know any other way to describe it. I wasn't even at the game, but as a Stars Season Ticket Holder, I want my money back.

Last, but not least...Check out the boxscore of last night's Flyers-Islanders game. The goals were scored by (in order): Richards, Richards, Carter, Carter, Tavares, Tavares, Giroux, Giroux. No, there's no typo - I checked. Has that ever happened before? I'm just asking, because I really don't know. I know I haven't seen that in the almost 30 years I've been watching hockey.

And with that, my coffee is gone and so am I. Tune in tomorrow for a look at the Columbus Blue Jackets at Game 30.

Take me back to On Goal Analysis.