Fresh eyes, fresh mind

Friends:

I wanted to drop a quick note to say that I am taking a break from posting on this blog. I'm not stepping away from the online community, rather looking at new avenues to participate in it.

Thank you to everyone who has helped support The Chadder Box!

Chad

Keenan having fun?

If I didn't see it, I wouldn't believe it. This article says it all. Keenan has mellowed!

Calgary Flames red hot

Nice to see my Calgary Flames are on a tear with their sixth straight win. They started the season slow, but seem to be picking it up now. Here's hoping it doesn't slow anytime soon!

Kiprusoff locked up with Flames

Great news for all Flames fans out there! - CP

FLAMES SIGN KIPRUSOFF TO A MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION

Calgary, AB - Calgary Flames General Manager Darryl Sutter announced today the signing of Miikka Kiprusoff to a multi-year contract extension. As per club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"The Calgary Flames ownership group has made a huge commitment to Miikka and we expect him to be a major contributor to the success of our organization for years to come," said Flames General Manager Darryl Sutter. "With today's announcement, we have some key players under long term contracts and we look forward to that group leading us to the next level."

Playing in his 4th season with Calgary, Miikka is the franchise leader in shutouts (21) and is approaching his 200th regular season game which ranks him 5th highest in franchise history.

"I would like to thank the Calgary Flames owners for making this long term commitment to me and my family so we can remain in this city and be part of this organization," said Kiprusoff. "I look forward to the responsibility and challenge that comes with this contract. Calgary is a loyal hockey community that expects and deserves the very best from its home team."

If they're all like this...

What a great start to the NHL season. While my Calgary Flames went down to defeat in overtime tonight, it sure was a heck of a game against the Vancouver Canucks. If the season is all like this, it should be fun to watch!

Here's hoping the odds even out and they win the next one!

Bonds does it, hopefully not for long

The moment almost every baseball fan has dreaded for the past few seasons has come to pass. Barry Bonds has tied the illustrious all-time homerun record held by Hammering Hank Arron.

For those of you who have followed my blog for a while, you will know I am by no means a fan of Barry Bonds. I said it when he hit his 715th homerun to pass Babe Ruth, and now I am going to say it again. The man is more than likely a cheater who will always have a dark cloud over his record and his career.

Bonds has been accused of having an attitude problem, and rightfully so given some of the comments he's made over the years. The media loathe him, and with good reason, he does in kind as well.

I can live with that - it doesn't effect the way he swings a bat or the records he sets.

What I can't accept are his blatant attempts to get around the rules. Although Bonds has been widely accused of taking steroids, he refuses to talk about it. His long-time trainer won't talk about it either.

Talk or not, the change is pretty stark. Look at the picture accompanying this post showing Barry Bonds when he broke in to the league, and Bonds today. It speaks for itself.

Bonds is not the only one who has been accused of taking steroids, but he is currently the most visible in that role. He's the poster boy for steroid use, the same way Hank Aaron was for hard work, dedication and sportsmanship.

In my books, and in the books of many other baseball fans, his record won't be worth the paper it's printed on. But it will stand nonetheless.

I can only hope one of the homerun machines like Ken Griffey Jr or Alex Rodriguez catches Bonds one day.

Someone with a little bit of integrity deserves to have that record, and Bonds isn't that player by a long shot.

So close for Sergio, but he'll get his one day

He's got it in the bag. That's was my feeling for Sergio Garcia going in to the final round of the British Open Championship. He had a three shot lead, his putting woes had not surfaced, but most of all, I felt his time had come.

I was wrong.

I didn't take in to account the phenomenal final round performance by Open winner Padraig Harrington. Harrington went in to the day six shots off the lead, with nobody giving him a chance to be the eventual winner. What a difference a 5-under par 67 can make.

Harrington actually went on to the 18th hole at Carnoustie with a one stroke lead, only to hit two balls in to the infamous Barry Burn. That left Sergio back in the driver's seat.

Garcia, who led for almost the entire week, needed a par on the finishing hole to win his first major championship. After a few tricky shots, Garcia had a ten foot putt to win it all. As has been the pattern in his young career, his putter let him down.

In the playoff Harrington made amends for his double-bogey on the 72-hole, erasing any mention of his name with Jean Van de Velde who could not recover from his disaster eight years earlier.

Golf rarely gives anyone second chances. As a golfer myself, I can certainly attest to that fact. Harrington got his, and he made good on it. As much as my heart was cheering for Sergio, I still felt pride for Harrington's feat.

Sergio will learn from this experience. I feel he's the kind of player who will win a major tournament one day, and then he won't stop there. I figure once he gets the first win under his belt, he'll get a few more. It's just a matter of getting that first one out of the way. At 27-years of age, he's got a lot more chances ahead to do it.

The British Open - Back at Carnoustie

Sergio Garcia leads the British Open after the first round at Carnoustie in Scotland.

The old course houses a lot of memories, none less memorable than the complete and utter collapse of French golfer Jean Van de Velde eight years ago (wow - has it really been that long!?). If you're unfamiliar with Van de Velde's story, check out my previous posting.

While the course is still playing difficult, it's not what it was during the 1999 tournament. That's good news for the world's best players.

Who will rise to, and remain on top, come Sunday? I would love to see Garcia do it, he's certainly paid his dues, but I have a feeling, and I'm going out on a limb here, that Retief Goosen will capture the historic Claret Jug. He can keep the ball in the fairway and he has the consistency to make it happen.

In any case, it will be fun to watch.

Big shake up in Flames town

Wow, you take a few weeks out of the blogosphere and your favorite hockey team completely shakes things up. And I mean COMPLETELY.

Here's my take on the recent deals of my Calgary Flames.

MIKE KEENAN

I will be the first to admit, I was not a big fan of former coach Jim Playfair behind the Flames bench. When the team was near the top of the league on home ice, and then near the bottom on the road, it's not hard to see that the coaching was not what it needed to be. In saying that, I had no idea that the man replacing Playfair would be none other than Iron Mike Keenan.

Years ago, I was a backer of Mike Keenan. I thought he did a phenomenal job in Philadelphia, Chicago, and New York. As time went by, he seemed to lose a bit of his balance for toughness and touch. His time in St. Louis, Boston, Vancouver and Florida were not anything to write home about, and were in fact, down right awful.

Which Mike Keenan we'll see in Calgary is unknown. I will not judge him just yet, I'll wait to see results. In saying that, the Flames lacked discipline last year and Keenan will bring that in spades. I only hope that's enough to make this a smooth transition.
I'm just glad Keenan's only the coach and not the General Manager. His strength has always been coaching, that's where he should be.

NEW SIGNINGS, ACQUISITIONS

I've been very impressed at how active Calgary's been in the free agent market. While some teams, like my home town Canucks, have been sitting on the sidelines, the Flames have stepped up with big commitments and big dollars. Here's my take on the major names.

• D Cory Sarich (5-year, $18 million) - This is a great pick-up from Tampa Bay. Sarich has been a solid all around player, exactly what the Flames need on the blue line. He has lots of playoff experience and is set to make an immediate difference.


• LW Owen Nolan (Coyotes, 1-year) - I've always been a big fan of Owen Nolan, ever since he was selected first overall by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1990 Entry Draft. Although he's aged over the years, he's still a goal scorer who can hold his own on the ice. Great pick-up.


• D Adrian Aucoin (Via trade from Blackhawks) - This is the one deal I'm a little unsure about. There is no doubt about Aucoin's talent, it's his health that's the question mark. Aucoin has had a string of injuries the past couple years and that certainly hurts, especially given his big salary. If he ends up playing 70+ games, great pick-up. If he's injured early, it could be tough slugging.
  

SIGNIFICANT RE SIGNINGS

It looks like both Jerome Iginla and Robyn Regehr will be locked up, and for long term. These are perhaps the biggest deals of them all. Iginla and Regehr are the backbones of this team and I'm ecstatic the Flames have stepped up to keep them.

OVERALL OUTLOOK

In the end, I'm excited about what this new Flames team has to offer. If anything, it's nice to see them step up to try and get back to the next level. Status-quo was not an option.

Who would have thought - Ducks rock

As much as people have liked to make fun of their name over the years, you can laugh no more because the Anaheim Ducks are Stanley Cup Champions.

NHL Playoffs - The Stanley Cup

After going 10 for 12 in Round 1 and 2, I missed the mark in the Conference Finals going 0 for 2. Here's my chance for redemption, the Stanley Cup.

Anaheim Ducks vs. Ottawa Senators

Thoughts: The Ducks and the Senators have rolled all the way through the playoffs. This pick is going to be more of a gut feeling than of statistical breakdowns. The Cup's coming back to Canada.
Pick: Senators in 6-games.

NHL Playoffs - Conference Finals

I went 3 for 4 with my Round 2 predictions for the NHL Playoffs. After going 7 for 8 in Round 1, my overall record has risen to 10 for 12. Not too bad at all.

Here are my predictions for the Conference Finals...

The Western Conference:

(1) Detroit Red Wings vs (2) Anaheim Ducks
Thoughts: Some people wonder if age will be an issue in this epic battle. After all, the Red Wings roster has the oldest average age in the NHL. Yes, age will be an issue - but not in the way that you think. The Red Wings to take advantage of the Duck's youth and inexperience.
Pick: Red Wings in 6-games.

The Eastern Conference:

(1) Buffalo Sabres vs (4) Ottawa Senators
Thoughts: The Sabres have had the most wins in the NHL the last two years. That has to count for something.
Pick: Sabres in 7-games.

Killer squirrel?

I played my first round of the golf season this weekend at Vancouver's Fraserview Golf Club. It was an up and down day, but I was fairly pleased with my play.

I recently purchased a new R5 Taylor Made driver and it really agreed with my swing. There's a little rust still to wipe off in my game, but it was a great start to the year.

As for the killer squirrel...

As I prepared to tee off on the 8th hole a squirrel came down from a tree and ran towards me. Within moments, it was only a few feet away from me on the other side of my golf bag. I looked at him, he looked at me. After a few seconds had passed I jokingly asked him "what's up?". At that moment he went up on his hind legs and gave me the look you see in this posting. He even held it long enough for me to grab my camera and take this shot. Either he was challenging me to a fight or he was trying to intimidate me. Either way, it makes for a good photo.

Thanks to my friend Woosang for joining me on the course. Lots of fun, we'll do it again.

NHL Playoffs - Round Two Predictions

I went 7 for 8 with my Round 1 predictions in the NHL playoffs. So, let's see if my luck will continue in Round 2.

The Western Conference:

(1) Detroit Red Wings vs (5) San Jose Sharks
Thoughts: Year after year people pick the Sharks to go to the Cup and they disappoint. This will be no exception.
Pick: Red Wings in 6-games.

(2) Anaheim Ducks vs (3) Vancouver Canucks
Thoughts: The Ducks looked very good against the Wild. They are fast, strong, and have some scoring punch. The Canucks have Luongo - that will only go so far without some goals to accompany his play.
Pick: Ducks in 6-games.

The Eastern Conference:

(1) Buffalo Sabres vs (6) NY Rangers
Thoughts: The Rangers looked good against the Thrashers. The Sabres are no Thrashers.
Pick: Sabres in 5-games.

(2) New Jersey Devils vs (4) Ottawa Senators
Thoughts: This is the series to watch. Both teams are going strong, but the Devils usually find a way to come out on top and the Senators always find a way to fall short. It will be close...
Pick: Devils in 7-games.

Linden is money

Congratulations to the Vancouver Canucks on their hard fought 4-1 win in Game 7 tonight against the Dallas Stars. The Canucks were full value for their win, and Trevor Linden, Mr. Clutch himself, stepped up with the game winner.

On to round 2 - my picks will follow soon. Go Canucks Go!

It's over - "there's always next year"

My Calgary Flames went down in defeat tonight in double overtime to the Detroit Red Wings. It was an up and down year and to exit this early in the playoffs, with so much potential, is sad to say the least. I guess we're down to that old saying, "there's always next year".

Now it's "Go Canucks Go". As part of my bet with Proud BCer, here's my tribute to the Canucks. Let's hope they take it to the Stars tomorrow night!

Jekyll and Hyde

My Calgary Flames continued their Jekyll and Hyde routine today by losing 5-1 to the Detroit Red Wings.

The Flames, who looked so good on home ice the last two games, looked awful on the road today. They started off the first period well, but it was all down hill from there. The only good news, the game tomorrow is at home.

It's a new series!

My Calgary Flames made their playoff series a best of 3 tonight with a 3-2 win over the Detriot Red Wings. I only hope the Flames team that appeared at home these last two games can actually reappear on the road the same way in Motown...

That's more like it!

After two lackluster performances by my Calgary Flames in Game 1 and 2 of their series with the Detroit Red Wings, they finally looked like they should tonight winning 3-2 at home. Let's hope this is a sign of things to come...fingers crossed!

As for you Canucks fans out there, nice win against Dallas tonight. Looks like you're in good shape to take that series in five or six games.

NHL Playoffs - Round One Predictions

We've entered that exciting annual time in every Canadian's life, playoff hockey! Here are my predictions for the first round...

The Western Conference:

(1) Detroit Red Wings vs (8) Calgary Flames
Thoughts: The Flames always play well against the Wings and should prove more than a match for the Western Conference #1. My Flames will grind those Wings down in a hard fought series.
Pick: Flames in 6-games.

(2) Anaheim Ducks vs (7) Minnesota Wild
Thoughts: Minnesota does well in 4-on-4 overtime and in shootouts. Neither apply in the playoffs.
Pick: Ducks in 5-games.

(3) Vancouver Canucks vs (6) Dallas Stars
Thoughts: Marty Turco's playoff ghosts come back, Luongo is up to the challenge.
Pick: Canucks in 6-games.

(4) Nashville Predators vs (5) San Jose Sharks
Thoughts: Evenly matched teams, but Nashville might have peaked too early.
Pick: Sharks in 7-games.

The Eastern Conference:

(1) Buffalo Sabres vs (8) NY Islanders
Thoughts: The Islanders have been up and down all year. This series will be more down than up.
Pick: Sabres in 5-games.

(2) New Jersey Devils vs (7)Tampa Bay Lightning
Thoughts: Brodeur has another good run in him, Tampa can't keep the puck out of their own net. Bad combination.
Pick: Devils in 5-games.

(3) Atlanta Thrashers vs (6) NY Rangers
Thoughts: Two teams that would probably not be in the playoffs had they been in the Western Conference. The Rangers might just win a playoff series.
Pick: Rangers in 6-games.

(4) Ottawa Senators vs (5) Pittsburgh Penguins
Thoughts: After a long playoff absence, Pittsburgh and Crosby are "just happy to be here".
Pick: Senators in 5-games.