Oh... also, I just gotta say.
Blues Finals roster - 18 Canadians
Bruins Finals roster - 4 Canadians (and 12 Americans)
Maple Leafs Finals Roster?
Oops!
Thoughts on the game:
- the ice was terrible. The first 10-12 minutes the puck was flipping and flopping all over the place. It didn't improve much, but it was REALLY bad in the 1st.
- Pasta.... Da fuq was with him? The pressure? The ice? He fanned on 5 - FIVE - really good opportunities. Outright whiffed on the puck.
- Refs were on point. Though to be fair, there were only a few instances where a penalty could've even been considered, and they let the the game decide itself.
Chad, I totally agree with all points. The ice was brutal. The Bruins couldn't handle a pass.
Pasta absolutely blew. He scored a nice goal in Game 6, but you're dead on. He whiffed big time on a number of opportunities.
No issues with the refs.
I have a few thoughts regarding the series..
* This was Ryan O'Reilly's coming out party. He was from a good player to superstar status. Good for him. He's solid AF. The Selke is his this year too.
* Craig Berube is a great coach. You can see how he inspires his team.
* I never bought the Cinderella bullshit. BUT, what the Blues did in the second half was incredible. I chalk it up to playing to potential after tanking to get their coach fired in the first half. People way smarter than me were quick to dismiss the Blues. I saw the Blues coming a mile away.
* I knew the Bruins were toast as soon as that sick girl made the trip. The world is cruel, but that kid was not going to be disappointed.
* I'm a closet Blues fan. The Blues games are the games I look forward to the most when the Bruins schedule comes out. In fact, we considered going to St. Louis for the Bruins game this year. David Backes, when he was with the Blues, was my favorite non Bruin player in the NHL.
* I've always been lukewarm on Alex Pietrangelo. But he was fucking awesome in this series.
* Oskar Sundvist can play on my team any day. That guy is beastly.
Finally, I'm glad Gary could enjoy the moment with his boys. In the end, that's what it's all about. It's a moment that'll last a lifetime.
I told Gary offline that I would trade all 6 Super Bowl wins for another Cup. I'm dead serious. There's nothing like winning the Cup. Nothing.
That said, I still had like a dozen championship t shirts to choose from this morning!
Bummed about the B's for sure, but this was a great year. I can't believe there's no more hockey to watch.
Till the draft...cheers!