Anaheim, Hockey Town

Well last night certainly sucked. It seems the Ottawa Senators from the last four years of playoff hockey decided to show up instead of the other team that was using their jerseys this year.

The one bright spot was hearing the fans in Anaheim boo commissioner Gary Bettman. At least they know something about hockey, albeit he did allow a team to be called The Mighty Ducks. They were one pronoun too ridiculous for the Stanley Cup. They removed Mighty and suddenly they’re hoisting it in celebration.

Now I have to run and get a flight to Anaheim so I can slip a picture of Fidel Castro into Wade Redden’s passport in the hopes he’ll be delayed at the border for the next hockey season.

There is one thing I really hope I don’t hear today – criticism of Chris Phillips. Yes it was a horrible mistake but it was just that, a mistake. He is still one of the best players on the ice for Ottawa and brought his best game to these playoffs unlike that other defenseman who gets paid the most. Redden decided to simply not play hockey – heck the Timbits that play at half-time could have deked him out and fallen down less - so let’s look at the real problem, which wasn’t one gaff by an otherwise solid player. It was the players who simply didn’t show up, not the ones who were shut down by a superior team.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Ottawa played as if they had something to lose while Anaheim played as if they had something to win. I know the Senators are a better team than this, I just wish they knew it.

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