The National Hockey Playoff Race: Round 1 Match-Ups

The National Hockey League playoffs have begun. As usual, the Western and Eastern Conference teams raced to earn a spot late in the regular season. Divisional games took a #2 ranked team and moved them lower in the standings. Technical playoff qualifications came into play:  a team was automatically in the post-season due to outside circumstances (winning a season series, more regulation wins, games- in-hand).

Playoff Round 1: The match-ups are based on the top 8 hockey teams of both the Western and Eastern Conference. For each team in the NHL, the 2 points for winning is important as the 1 point for an overtime or shoot out loss leads to 3-point games and can decide who makes the post-season. The prior 82 games (48 in this lockout shortened year) played either lead to the hunt for the Stanley Cup or a reassessment of rosters.  For those lucky 16, Round 1 ranks as follows:

#1 versus #8: The President’s trophy winner (most overall points) will reside in one of the number one slots; the other top seed will have the highest amount of points for their conference and a division title. Their opposition will be the 8th place team that either had a hard time hanging on to their playoff spot, got on a winning streak late in the year, or was mathematically (technically) eligible for their ranking:*West: President’s trophy recipient and Central Division champion Chicago Blackhawks v.s Minnesota Wild and* East: Atlantic Division champs Pittsburgh Penguins v.s New York Islanders.

#2 versus #7: Division champions for their conference face an opponent from the lower half of the playoff picture. The #2 seed is not considered secured until the end of the regular season due to the division rankings:*West: Pacific Division winners Anaheim Ducks v.s Detroit Redwings and *East: Northeast Division Champs Montreal Canadiens v.s Ottawa Senators

#3 versus #6: The #3 seed is another top spot for a divisional champion that is any teams’ for the winning up until the regular season ends. The 6^th placed finisher has worked hard to qualify as all teams have done and has earned the chance to face the 3^rd seed in the conference:*West: Northwestern Division -leading Vancouver Canucks v.s San Jose Sharks and *East: Southeast Division Champs Washington Capitals v.s New York Rangers.

#4 versus #5: The middle of the conference pack plays one another. This playoff series is the second most exciting to watch since the teams are on level ground as they are not division champs or a team that snuck into the playoff picture. Those in this match-up could be displaced division leaders by virtue of points or tie-breakers, which makes them all the more focused:*West: St. Louis Blues v.s L.A Kings and *East: Boston Bruins v.s Toronto Maple Leafs.

 Simple Statistics: The above describes the facts and teams involved in the 2012-2013 Stanley Cup race. There are other elements to consider when mentioning the sport’s post-season.There are the fans at the games ecstatic to see their team in the playoffs-It has been a while in Toronto’s case. Those that qualified have individual stars and rivalries that can elevate the level of play and generate some interesting banter between the benches. Above all, it is about the trophy that has been handled by every NHL champion and is paraded around by the team and its organization all summer long: The Stanley Cup.

*I consider NHL.com my source for 2012-2013 playoff and conference information.

An Afternoon at the AHL: Bridgeport Soundtigers v.s. Portland Pirates

April 21^st, 2013-Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut hosted an American Hockey League (AHL) regular season finale as the Bridgeport Soundtigers faced off against the Portland Pirates. The two teams have a recent history as Portland took Bridgeport out of playoff contention when they played earlier in the week.

Fan Appreciation Day was the theme of the day as the home team thanked the crowd for their support by playing well. The goaltending match-up for the game: Anders Nilsson (#45) for Bridgeport v.s. Mike Lee (#31) for Portland.  Jon McIsaac was the referee for the day.

First Period: Matt Clackson of Portland started off the game aggressively when he issued a mid-level hit to Sean Backman of Bridgeport which caused a fight to break out at the 2:39 minute mark. Portland would also strike first on the scoreboard when a shot from the left side of the point went past Anders Nilsson and into the net at the 3:50 mark. With the score 1-0 Pirates, Bridgeport would have to take advantage of the fact that their opponents were playing recklessly.  Kirill Kabanov of the Soundtigers scored a goal from the point of his own with the assistance of Aaron Ness and Matt Donovan to tie the game at 1. Bridgeport was able to continue working hard in front of the net for the two goals that would put them up 3-1 to end the first: Riley Wetmore would get his first professional hockey goal on an assist from Scott Campbell at 17:35 and Scott Campbell would score one of his own at 18:50 with the assists going to Brandon DeFazio and Aaron Ness.

Second Period: Portland Pirates remove Mike Lee from net and put in Christopher Rawlings (#37) in hopes of stopping the momentum the Bridgeport Soundtigers created at the end of the first. This period of the game can be summed up in its good goaltending, and competitive nature. Anders Nilsson did his part to protect the lead as Rawlings worked hard to keep the Soundtigers off the scoreboard. Both teams delivered hard hits to each other, igniting at least four confrontations-3 of which resulted in fights: 1. as Bridgeport’s Ryan Strome skated to the bench after serving his hooking penalty, Andrey Pedan-Strome's teammate-dropped the gloves and squared off against Portland’s Brett Hextall at 11:52; 2. Matt Clackson of Portland traded fists with Bridgeport’s Jason Clark over a minute later; 3. A hit between the teams’ benches led to another as Soundtiger Blair Riley stood up to Darian Dziurzynski on the opposing team.

Third Period: After the combative second, the teams focused on trying to win the game. Both goaltenders were able to stop quality scoring chances during the first half of the third. The forwards and defensemen kept playing tough to guard their opposition from even getting to the offensive zone. Eventually, goalie Rawlings would let Brock Nelson’s shot through his grasps at the 16:13 mark. This third period goal was Nelson’s 25^th of the season assisted by Matt Donovan and Ryan Strome, making Nelson the all-time team leader for goals by a rookie for Bridgeport.

Final Score: Bridgeport Soundtigers win 4-1

The Three Stars of the Game: 3^rd Star: Bridgeport forward Riley Wetmore; 2^nd Star: Bridgeport goalie Anders Nilsson; 1^st Star:  Bridgeport forward Scott Campbell.

 Appreciation for the Home Team: Thank You, Bridgeport Soundtigers, on a great season that provided fans with competitive hockey during the NHL lockout as well as provided the New York Islanders (Bridgeport’s NHL affiliate) with talent that got them into the NHL playoff picture. I’m looking forward to the 2013-2014 season at Webster Bank Arena.

*Acknowledged resources for blog: Bridgeport Soundtigers-Portland Pirates GameSheet from the AHL.com, recap of the game from the Bridgeport Soundtiger’s website, Game Notes, and the public address announcer at Webster Bank Arena*

The USA Network’s Successful Original Programs

The USA Network has had an amazing run of innovative programs that continue to draw viewers. Here are just a few:*I want to acknowledge IMDB.com as a source in this article*

Monk: This show about a detective with obsessive-compulsive issues had heart and comedic moments. The title character Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) had a compelling backstory as a man driven to figure out who killed his wife. With the help of the police, he closed their cases while piecing together the solution to his own personal mission. Lasting 8 seasons, it wrapped up all the loose ends and left the viewer and Monk with a sense of peace.

Psych: Rejected by NBC, USA first aired this comedy/drama in 2006 and has since developed a decent following. In this show, buddies Shawn Spencer (James Roday) and Burton “Gus” Guster (Dule Hill) assist the Santa Barbara Police Department in solving cases-usually with humorous results. It is now in its 7^th season and has the creative team behind it that develops a product that will keep fans watching through at least an already planned 8^th season.

Necessary Roughness: A slightly newer entrant to the USA line-up, this show is just starting to gain notice. Callie Thorne is Dani Santino, a psychotherapist who is reevaluating her life after a divorce. She becomes famous  for her work  after agreeing to assist the local football team, the New York Hawks, rehabilitate the psyche of their star player-Terrence King(Mehcad Brooks). Along the way, she takes on the responsibilities that come with the job along with dealing with the team staff-which includes Matt Donnally (Marc Lucas) and Nico Careles (Scott Cohen).

Royal Pains:  Added to the line-up in recent years, Royal Pains is a dramedy (drama/comedy) that blends a great story and an excellent cast. After a medical misstep causes him his high profile position, Dr. Hank Lawson (Mark Feurstein) is persuaded by his brother Evan (Paulo Costanzo) to go the Hamptons. There, he becomes a doctor to Long Island’s rich and vacationing population. Along with other members of his medical team-HankMed, he keeps up with his work and his attempt at a personal life. 

White Collar:  This show is another reason USA network has an overall devoted audience. The case-solving pair of FBI agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay) and reformed “con man” Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer) have memorable scenes that come across so well on television. Other members of the amazing cast are Neal’s confidante Mozzie (Willie Garson) and Peter’s wife Elizabeth Burke (Tiffani Thiessen). This show is essentially about Neal helping the FBI solve their white collar cases while trying to not revert back to his old tricks.

These are just a few shows that have done well. There are numerous others: Suits, Covert Affairs, In Plain Sight, Burn Notice, and the upcoming new series Graceland. I just wanted to give a sampling of what makes USA Network quality television.

WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2013

Keeping with the Wrestlemania theme, this blog is about the WWE Hall of Fame.

History: the WWE Hall of Fame was created when the late Andre the Giant was inducted in 1993. This tradition continued up to 1996-honoring legends such as: “Classy” Freddy Blassie, George “the Animal” Steele, and Captain Lou Albano.

For eight years, there were no Hall of Fame entrants. In 2004, the tradition returned the night before Wrestlemania 20 at the Hilton Hotel. Ever since, a new class of Hall of Famers is inducted every year to celebrate those who paved the way for today’s WWE stars.

Class of 2013: On April 6^th, 2013, Madison Square Garden hosted the Hall of Fame Ceremony. I was there to watch the 6 inductees receive this honor.

Mick Foley (inducted by wrestling legend Terry Funk): Mick Foley ‘s interesting journey into sports entertainment started when he saw Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka fly off the top of a steel cage. Trained by Dominic DeNucci, he gained fame overseas for performing in matches that were memorable for their brutal and competitive nature. In the 1990s, Mick joined the (then) World Wrestling Federation as Mankind, a mentally unhinged combatant. Later on, Foley’s other personas emerged: the serene Dude Love and the dangerous Cactus Jack.  Through these 3 characters, Mick Foley had memorable career moments, including a 1998 “Hell in a Cell” Match against the Undertaker.  In his speech, Mick Foley thanked the “thousands and thousands” who supported his career as well as conveying the honor he felt being “right here in Madison Square Garden”.

Trish Stratus (inducted by Stephanie McMahon): In 2000, a fitness model arrived in the WWE to manage Test and Albert and achieved success. Trish Stratus transitioned to a career in the WWE’s women’s division. Part of the “Golden Age” of the Women’s division, her feuds with Lita and Mickie James along with her numerous Women’s Title reigns created the Hall of Famer she became.  

Booker T (inducted by brother and tag team partner Stevie Ray): Booker T had a rough road to professional wrestling. Getting himself into trouble early on, his brother, Stevie Ray, saw the sport as a way to give his brother a job and look after him at the same time.  The two brothers trained and found the right people to guide their careers. Stevie Ray and Booker T formed the 10-time tag team champions Harlem Heat in World Championship Wrestling (WCW).  When Harlem Heat disbanded, Booker T had a solo career and transitioned his “5-Time WCW Champion” success to the WWE.  He created moments like the comedic “Stone Cold Steve Austin-Booker T Grocery Store” segment, and the monarch character named “King Booker”. After April 6^th, 2013, Booker T will be known as a Hall of Famer.

Bob Backlund (inducted by good friend/fan Maria Menunos): According to Bob Backlund, he was hired to be the “All-American Boy”. He was the Heavyweight champion for several years and would do so as a good guy. According to inductor Maria Menunos, Backlund believed in himself and would never “squash (easily defeat) an opponent” for the sake of that person’s morale.  However, his career would have to be “reinvented” in the new “Attitude Era”; he reintroduced himself to the fans as the bad guy -“Mr. Backlund- in the 1990s.  Now in 2013, he claims his spot in the WWE Hall of Fame.

Donald Trump (inducted by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon): This celebrity entrant is an author and the host of “the Apprentice”. His empire includes an Atlantic City casino that hosted Wrestlemanias  4 and 5. Trump also challenged Vince McMahon to a “Battle of the Billionaires” match that had two athletes fighting for each mogul. Donald Trump has accomplished much in his life –now he’s a WWE Hall of Famer.  

Bruno Sammartino (inducted by bodybuilder/actor Arnold Schwarzenegger): This Hall of Fame inductee took some convincing to accept his rightful place in WWE’s Hall of Fame. According to the WWE, he sold out Madison Square Garden 187 times (188 if you count April 6^th, 2013). Bruno came to America from Italy. Gaining a reputation as a talented athlete, his world championship reign spanned numerous years and garnered him international attention.  After listening to his story, it was an honor to see him inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2013.

Televised Ceremony: the ceremony will be televised April 9^th, 2013 at 10pm on the USA Network.

Welcome to Wrestlemania 29 Week

In this blog, I want to provide my opinion on various topics or events.  This entry is about Wrestlemania.

History: In the 1980s, Vince McMahon took over the family wrestling business. He started to grow it by creating a roster that could draw a crowd. With this new roster, he went on to create Wrestlemania .

 Fast-Forward 29 years later: Wrestlemania has turned into WWE’s “Showcase of the Immortals”. From April 4^th-April 7^th of 2013, the New York/New Jersey area hosted the event.  On Thursday, New York’s Radio City Music Hall hosted a press conference promoting the commerce of the event as well as its competitors. From Thursday night to Sunday afternoon, Wrestlemania Fan Axxess at New Jersey’s IZOD Center gave fans a chance to interact with current WWE superstars and legends as well as see live wrestling matches. Saturday night’s Hall of Fame Ceremony at Madison Square Garden and Sunday Night’s Wrestlemania 29 pay-per-view at Metlife Stadium wrapped up what made for a great week.

Wrestlemania 29 By the Numbers: There really is no way to put into words the scale of this event, but the numbers might tell the story.  According to MSN sports, the event generated at least 12.3 million dollars. The attendance at MetLife Stadium that night was 80,676. One of the top stars in the company, The Undertaker, attained a record of 21 wins and 0 losses at Wrestlemania 29. Fandango, one of its newest stars, won his first match.

Future Destination: Wrestlemania 30 is going to be held in New Orleans, Louisiana. The promo video for it that aired April 7^th, 2013 puts the future of the WWE and Wrestlemania best: Let the good times roll.