When Coaches Get Outta the Way

Apparently unsatisfied with producing the best game of these playoffs in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final, the Blackhawks and Bruins decided to deliver one even better on Wednesday night.

How much fun was that?

Even those who inexplicably want to defend the NHL's pointless trend towards a dull, low-scoring, low-chances brand of hockey would have to acknowledge the 6-5 Chicago triumph in Game 4 was a magnificent thriller from start to finish.

No lead was safe, the goals came in many different varieties from both teams and the winner was set up by the grit of Jonathan Toews standing in front of Tuukka Rask simply refusing to let Zdeno Chara move him.

Drama, skill and guts.

After two pedestrian contests in Games 2 and 3 that were mostly just about guts, this was what the Cup final needed to get the blood flowing again, not another tactical chess match, not another grind-a-thon.

The fact that neither head coach, Claude Julien nor Joel Quenneville, was particularly happy with their team after Game 4 tells you all you needed to know to understand this was a wonderful night for the players and the fans.

When the coaches are happy, you see, it's usually because the life is being choked out of the sport.

They couldn't do it on Wednesday, so they were sour. Instead, the players delivered a crowd pleaser that could have gone either way.

Nobody who loves the game could have found fault with that.

So the Hawks have won two high-scoring affairs, the Bruins have taken two that were essentially taffy pulls, with the series now shifting back to Chicago.

Boston is trying to win this year's Cup in much the same way L.A. won last year - brute force.

Chicago, on the other hand, took a gamble by going with speed and skill this season rather than the grinding approach that worked for the Kings. When the games in this final have been predominantly about those elements, the Hawks have been better than the Bruins.

So we'll see what awaits us after two days off.

More games like Games 1 and 4, however, and they're going to have to start building bigger arenas. If the NHL ever decides to make entertainment a priority, let the most talented players play and get away from the lowest common denominator wins philosophy, they'll truly have a product they can put up against any other sport.

 

 

Start At The Back

The short-circuit in the Chicago offence isn't at the front end.

So while folks can endlessly speculate as to why Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane aren't skating together, or suggest Joel Quenneville is getting outcoached (laughable) by Claude Julien, those who do so are really looking at the wrong part of the problem.

Sure Toews and Kane need to score, power play or otherwise.

But more than anything, Duncan Keith is going to need to find his "A" game if the Chicago Blackhawks are going to win the Stanley Cup.

The problem is at the backend right now for the Hawks.

Remember Boston's first round series with the Maple Leafs? One element that significantly altered that series and made it a dogfight was the insertion of mobile blueliner Jake Gardiner into the Toronto lineup after he started the series as a healthy scratch.

Gardiner, seemingly gaining confidence with every shift, gave the Leafs a weapon the Bruins struggled to control with his skating, puck movement and ability to join the rush.

Those are things we've yet to see from Keith in this Cup final, at least not to the extend of which he's capable.

Maybe playing almost 49 minutes in Game 1 tuckered him out. But he has yet to register a point - not surprising with the Hawks having basically scored two goals in three games - and hasn't yet be able to capitalize on open ice when it has opened up for him.

For the most part, Keith has been like a quarterback who can't find his receivers. That has left the likes of Toews and Kane either unable to get the puck with a good head of steam, or trying to make individual forays through the teeth of the Bruins defence.

Nick Leddy is the only other Chicago blueline who can in any way, shape or form mimick Keith's skating ability, but he doesn't have the same vision and is minus-7 in the post-season.

Otherwise, its up to Keith to open up the ice, not an easy task against the structured Bruins, and the absence of Marian Hossa as an option off the rush in Game 3 didn't make it any simpler.

If Keith can find his game and open up ice in Game 4 tonight, you'll see the Chicago offence start to click again.

 

Bits and pieces from Game 1

CHICAGO--A few bits and pieces got lost along the way.

Such is usually the case in triple overtime hockey games.

The winning goal by Andrew Shaw in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final was the most important moment, of course, but there were a lot of elements that due to the late hour and tight deadlines escaped publication, including:

--There were 117 shots in all, 63 by the hometown Hawks. Only four players didn't have one including Nathan Horton and Chris Kelly for the Bruins, and Marcus Kruger and Michal Rozsival for the Hawks. It was Rozsival's shot, of course, that was deflected by David Bolland and then Shaw for the winner.

--In 112 minutes and 8 seconds of play there were 120 hits, 61 for Chicago. Andrew Ference led both teams with 10 hits, while three Hawks - Bryan Bickell, Michal Frolik and Shaw - had nine each.

--After dominating for three rounds in the faceoff circle, the Bruins won just 51 per cent of the draws in Game 1. Patrice Bergeron was still dominant, taking 41 draws and winning 27 of them.

--There were 63 blocked shots, 40 by Boston, including nine by Dennis Seidenberg in his 48:38 of playing time.

--Duncan Keith led all players in ice time with two seconds more than Seidenberg and an average shift length of 55 seconds. Boston's Shawn Thornton brought up the rear with just 9:55 of ice time. Shaw was the most efficient player with two points, a plus-2, three shots, nine hits and two faceoffs taken (both lost) in 24:03.

When it was over, it was the Bruins left to do most of the thinking as they trail in a playoff series for the first time this spring and may have some decisions to make.

Horton left the game in the first overtime and did not return with what appeared to be a shoulder injury and was officially described as an "upper body" woe.

If he can't play in Game 2, Claude Julien would likely choose between veteran checker Jay Pandalfo, Swedish newcomer Carl Soderberg or youngster Jordan Caron.

 As well, Torey Krug struggled at times in his 32 shifts, although he had a great chance to win it in the second OT. If Julien decides to make a change there, he would have Wade Redden, Dougie Hamilton and Matt Bartkowski to choose from, although the health of Redden isn't clear.

After getting all the bounces against the Penguins and Rangers, the Bruins saw them go Chicago's way in the opener. Johnny Oduya's shot banked in off the skate of Ference in the third to tie the game, Zdeno Chara's shot late in the seocond OT glanced off the post and just before Shaw's winner, Kaspars Daugavins had Corey Crawford down and out but fell over his feet at the same time a desperate Oduya dive helped break up the play.

A Masked Initiative

The door is shutting on puckstoppers from Europe.

Within four years or less, there will be no more European goalies playing major junior hockey in Canada and the U.S. after the CHL officially moved to make goaltenders ineligible to be selected in the league's import draft starting next year.

As reported 10 days ago by The Star, the three junior leagues - OHL, QMJHL and WHL - were considering the drastic move amidst concerns that Canadian goalies simply are being squeezed out of opportunities in major junior and the country is developing fewer and fewer elite netminders.

After a consultation with Hockey Canada last week, the change was officially announced Monday night at the OHL's "Protect the Net" symposium, a gathering designed to address the "crisis" in Canadian goaltending, specifically in Ontario.

For the 2013 CHL import draft, import goalies can be selected by any of the 60 teams only in the first round, and those goalies plus others currently playing in the league can play out their full junior eligibility.

Starting in 2014, import goalies will be banned from the draft, and will have no other way to become eligible to play in the CHL. The current limit of two imports per CHL team won't change, but ultimately those roster spots will belong to only forwards or defencemen.

The concern about Canadian goaltenders exists at all levels. All three finalists for the NHL's Vezina Trophy this season are Europeans, while a Canadian hasn't been the first goalie selected in the NHL draft in five years. Of the four Memorial Cup finalists, only Halifax, the eventual champion, started a Canadian goalie, and Russia's Andrei Makarov of the Saskatoon Blades was the tournament's outstanding goalie.

The top goalie in the CHL this season, meanwhile, was from the Czech Republic.

“For me, it’s all about opportunity,” Ron Tugnutt, a former NHL goalie and Hockey Canada consultant, told The Star on May 30. “There’s nothing wrong with goalies in our country and there’s nothing wrong with how we’re developing them. They’re just not getting a chance to step up to the plate.”

The OHL goalie symposium continues Tuesday and is expected to make other recommendations aimed at boosting the development of goalies in the province.

 

 

 

 

Of Nets, Nets and Nets. None From Brooklyn.

There's going to be a lot of people watching.

For sure in Chicago and Boston, and certainly throughout Canada, and beyond, well, we'll see. In the world of the Bettman administration, this Stanley Cup final would only be better if all seven games were scheduled for Wrigley and Fenway.

Otherwise, two great American sports cities, and two terrific hockey towns, suggest this is some kind of peculiar reward from the hockey gods to the NHL owners and players after the grinding 113-day lockout that produced something for both side and nothing for the fans.

But the fact that a lot of people will be watching also means is that if the NHL were of such a mind, a correction right now would be most helpful.

That is, after allowing the rulebook to be stretched, perverted and torn to shreds over three rounds, now would be a good time to re-establish a little structure.

Hell, if they can change the standard halfway through the season and then again the playoffs, they can change it back again.

And let's face it, things have become rather ridiculous. Sure, the spirit of "letting them play" has merit within the sometimes dubious history of the game, but beyond that, allowing blatant fouls to go uncalled at key points of hockey games has turned these playoffs into a bit of a joke.

The arguments over black-and-white rules like delay of game calls for flipping the puck over the glass and icing seem to have produced a reaction in which anything that is marginal or a judgement call is let go. Bizarrely, the same people who campaign constantly for no-touch icing and common sense are often the same who don't mind it when no rules are called at all.

Strange, but true. At some point, probably this off-season, it would be worth having the players step forward and tell us if this is really the style of competition they want.

Then again, after finally agreeing to a visor rule, the NHLPA is probably exhausted and needs a little rest.

Anyway, North American and the world will be watching starting Wednesday. If the NHL wishes to let its rules and elastic rulebook define what people see and think, it will be to its own detriment.

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The world of tennis produced some interesting information if you're into the debate over the best male and female players ever to play the game.

On the men's side, Rafael Nadal's eighth French Open - a romp over countryman David Ferrer - makes him the greatest clay player of all time, of that there is no doubt. That said, clay comprises a relatively small portion of the tennis season, and Nadal's ability to stay healthy for grass and then the hard court season has often been a very large problem.

Even when he plays, he's not necessarily healthy, as was the case last year at Wimbledon when he lost in the second round to Lukas Rosol. So Wimbledon this year - it starts in 14 days - will be a measure of where Nadal is off the clay.

And the greatest of all-time argument? He's still five major titles short of Roger Federer, and two behind Pete Sampras. If he can pass Sampras and win at least two more majors off the dirt, Roger vs. Rafa becomes a very compelling argument once more.

On the women's side, Serena Williams handled Maria Sharapova with relative ease, winning the French for her 16th major title. She's the oldest woman to win at Roland Garros, and has now won three of the last four Grand Slam events and gold at the London Olympics.

And she may be in her prime, albeit at a time when the women's game is weak and lacks other major stars.

That said, you could make a case that she is the greatest female player ever on the basis of her titles (despite prolonged absences due to injury) and the fact she is, without question, the greatest server in the history of the women's game.

Surpassing the shared mark of Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova for 18 Grand Slam singles titles now seems almost a certainty, and Williams could tie those two greats by the end of this year.

Williams would then be taking dead aim at Steffi Graf (22 singles titles) and Margaret Court (24). Given that she appears capable of at least two more top-quality seasons after this one, Williams would need nine titles in three seasons.

Seems unlikely. But she may not have to catch Graf and Court to be crowned the greatest of all time. Many already call her that.

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Saturday at High Park was my first experience with Canada's new soccer development philosophy; smaller fields, smaller nets, five-on-five with no official count of the score.

I thought it was amazing.

It does give one pause as to what exactly one is cheering for, or should cheer for, when there is no game to win or lose, no standings, no championship to try to win. Fun? Effort? Excellence? Beyond that, it seemed clear that there were a lot fewer noisy parents exhorting their team on, which was a very good thing, plus more games going on and more touches per 7- and 8-year-old child.

Sounds good to me. In fact, after previously having two older daughters learn at that age on the massive expanse of a regulation field, often doing cartwheels and picking dandelions while the play was down at the other end for extended periods, what was really eye-catching was how involved all the children were at all times in the five-on-five scenario, and how the smaller field seemed to produce more attempts at skilful play rather than just long boots down the field. In these "jamborees," individual teams can have more than one entrant, so instead of having a half-dozen or more substitutes watching, most games had only one or two children on the sidelines waiting to be subbed in.

Lots of kids playing a lot and touching the ball a lot. Common sense, right?

I'm no soccer expert. But I am, with this my fourth child in youth soccer, an authority on being a soccer parent.

This won't please those parents who live vicariously through the athletic achievements of their children.

But this look very, very promising to me.

 

The Stanley Cup Limbo

Even with the NHL stuck in the throes of Dead Puck Era II and gummed up by an officiating standard that can best be described as bad for one's health, it appears the Los Angeles Kings are proving there is a bare minimum.

That, is, you have to be able to score just a little bit to win a Cup, it would appear.

The Kings tested that maxim last season when they averaged 2.85 goals per post-season match and still won it all, with Jonathan Quick providing miserly goaltending.

That L.A. team was the first champion in five years to capture the Stanley Cup averaging less than three goals per game. Not since Anaheim (2.76) in 2007 had it been done.

Having pulled that off, Darryl Sutter's group tried to go lower, like doing the limbo.

In 17 games this spring, they've come up with only 34 scores, an average of just two per match. And on the basis of Thursday's Game 4 loss to Chicago by a 3-2 score, it may finally have caught up with the Kings as they lost at home for the first time in these playoffs.

There is, even in this soul-crushing era of defence and more defence, a bare minimum, and L.A. has hit it.

Even Quick can't be that good. The disappearance of Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown from the scoresheet is at the root of the problem. Last spring, they combined for 16 goals in 20 games. This year, they have five between them.

What remains to be seen is whether the Kings have established a new model. Chicago, poised to advance to the Cup final, is scoring only 2.69 goals per game, a far cry from the 3.54 gpg it averaged in winning the championship in 2010.

Set the bar low enough in this sport, and somebody will hit it.

 

A Great Moment, But. . .

Another wonderful NHL moment tainted.

See, the lone conversation points this morning after a fabulous Game 3 joust between the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins should be the following:

--The great story of Patrice Bergeron, who scored the OT winner for the Bruins, a player who was one of the very early major concussion stories in the NHL and nearly had his career ended several years ago. Instead, Bergeron perservered, and right now is the leading candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

--The gutsy story of Gregory Campbell, who had his fibula fractured by an opponent's shot but was stuck out on the ice penalty-killing and had to keep playing. He was clearly in agony and could barely stand, but stayed out there for 30 seconds or more until he was finally able to get to the bench. Like Nathan Horton's injury in the 2011 Stanley Cup final, Campbell's courage will almost certainly become a rallying cry for the Bruins.

--The way in which the Bruins, so close to early playoff death in the dying minutes of Game 7 against the Maple Leafs in the first round, are now poised to go to their second Stanley Cup final in three years with a roster that has remarkably little turnover.

--The stunning demise of the Penguins, who loaded up with veteran talent like Jarome Iginla, Brenden Morrow and Douglas Murray before the trade deadline, and now are set for another disappointing spring after their 2009 Cup victory seemed to set the stage for a string of championships.

All these things are true and interesting. But. . .and with the NHL, sadly, there's always a but. . . .

Bergeron's winning goal was initiated by a obvious hook by Jaromir Jagr (of all people) on Evgeni Malkin. Malkin is one of the great skill players in the sport, and Jagr was, and as Malkin headed up ice with the puck to lauch an attack on the Boston net Jagr used his stick to haul in the Russian and nearly lift him right off his feet.

It was the kind of play that was commonplace in the NHL about 20 years ago. So illegal, and so obvious. Heck, the way the game is supposed to be called now, Jagr should have been called just for putting his stick horizontally across Malkin's body.

But with Gary Bettman's administration having already embarrassed itself with the way in which the rules have been called both during the regular season and even moreso in these playoffs, both referees simply waved play on in the "let the players decide it" philosophy.

When will they understand that when they let the players decide it, usually the players will decide it by breaking the very rules the league is supposed to enforce? When will they understand that Malkin could only be stopped on that play by a blatantly illegal play, and that it's vital to the integrity of the sport to make that call?

When will they understand that when that call isn't made, but Daniel Sedin is called for a critical penalty in the first round, that it only encourages Vancouver Canucks fans to believe there's a conspiracy against their team?

It's embarrassing for the NHL. And inexplicable.

Fans, players, owners and executives of the Penguins have a right to be enraged this morning, but really, we're all just a little exhausted by being outraged every night while watching this circus, while watching talented players fouled at every turn in a league that simply cannot bring itself to enforce the rule book and so creates mayhem.

It's just sad. We should just be talking about Bergeron and Campbell this morning, and yes, I'm prepared for the usual accusations of being "negative" while pointing out the obvious truth in this case.

Craig Simpson, the Hockey Night in Canada commentator, had the stones and integrity to comment immediately after Bergeron's goal that it was Jagr's uncalled hook that created the opportunity. Good for Craig. He and I have gone back and forth a bit this spring in person and on Twitter over our interpretations of what's been going on in this post-season, but in this instance he got it exactly right while knowing the NHL, you can be sure, would have preferred that he simply accentuate the positive and talk about Bergeron's score.

It really is stunning how Bettman, who backed efforts to fix the badly broken game in 2004, has simply sat back and let the same thing happen all over again.

All it does is taint great moments. This administration just never learns.

 

 

 

 

 

The L.A. Way

For the Los Angeles Kings, it's really just about holding serve and letting others worry about entertaining the fans.

Just win at home, the reigning Stanley Cup champs figure, and you're never out of a playoff series.

That formula worked in the first round of the playoffs when the Kings lost the first two games to the St. Louis Blues but roared back to win three straight at home and one in Missouri to advance.

Against the San Jose Sharks in the second round, the Kings didn't win a game up north but got four victories at the Staples Centre to move on to the Western Conference final.

That straightforward approach clicked again Tuesday night when, after dropping Games 1 and 2 in Chicago, the Kings returned home and ground out a 3-1 triumph in typical L.A. style.

Darryl Sutter's crew will worry about trying to win one in the Windy City later on. Right now, it's just about holding serve at home, and they're halfway to doing that after Wednesday.

As has usually been the case with the low-scoring Kings of late, it wasn't a thing of beauty, Anze Kopitar was again less than dangerous and an empty-netter was needed to seal the deal.

But the Kings outhustled the Hawks for most of the opening two periods, got a glorious save from Jonathan Quick on Chicago's playoff ace Bryan Bickell in the third and held on for the victory.

The Kings love their games to be as uneventful as possible, other than the usual miracle saves from Quick, and in this case they almost got it. Chicago's Duncan Keith, however, will get some scrutiny from league officials for his one-handed swat with this stick to the face of L.A.'s Jeff Carter during the second period.

A suspension? Who knows under the Brendan Shanahan watch. Given the throw-the-rulebook-out-the-window approach to NHL officiating in the post-season, it's probably surprising there was even a penalty.

Given that Keith did receive a double-minor, and given that Carter was relatively unhurt, a suspension seems unlikely. Then again, Keith has been called on the carpet before, and that might work against him.

As it was, Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville will undoubtedly be furious with the veteran defenceman for the dumb, selfish penalty, which could have made the ultimate result a foregone conclusion in the second period had the Kings scored.

Fortunately, there was no record of Keith being interviewed by any female reporters afterwards, so at least he dodged that minefield this time.

Justin Williams scored the most important goal of the game - the first - while the Hawks have to be getting a little worried about Patrick Kane, who hasn't scored in seven games and has only two goals in the post-season so far.

Bickell has come up with important goals, and Patrick Sharp has been excellent with eight goals in the post-season. But with captain Jonathan Toews still struggling with only one goal in the playoffs, the Hawks are likely going to need some big-time offence from Kane to fuel this spring's Cup drive.

The Presidents Trophy winners are still in control of this series, and the list of clubs that have won conference finals after trailing 2-0 is small indeed. But Wednesday's game brought the L.A. formula back into play, and while the Kings can't outscore anyone, they know how to do what they did in Game 3 better than anybody.

One more Kings' win and we're into a two-out-of-three scenario. L.A. wouldn't mind that one bit. They think they can squeeze any opponent into submission.

 

 

The Unwilling Bruin

We know how badly it went for Marian Hossa when he tried to pick which team looked more likely to be a champion.

Well, it's going even worse for Jarome Iginla.

Those who viewed his trade to Pittsburgh from Calgary as a wonderful story that would end up with the same happy ending as Raymond Bourque's move to Colorado 13 years ago are going to be, it would appear, rather disappointed.

You surely can't blame Iginla for the way in which the Penguins were demolished 6-1 by the Boston Bruins in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final on Tuesday night, a nastier beating than the Bruins were able to lay on the Maple Leafs in the first round or the Rangers in the second.

Of course, you can't blame Iginla mostly because it was hard to see he was even a participant in the game at all.

He was not in any way, shape or form the impact-type performer the Pens believed they were getting when they acquired him at the trade deadline, not an offensive or physical presence against the marauding Bruins.

Boston, you'll remember, was the team that Iginla not only spurned but embarrassed on deadline day. The Bruins believed they'd made a deal with the Flames, but over the course of a ridiculous number of hours, they came to find that Iginla preferred the chance to join Sidney Crosby in Pennsylvania.

Implicit in that decision, quite obviously, was a belief by Iginla that the Penguins represented his best opportunity to win that elusive Stanley Cup ring.

Maybe they still do. The Penguins, after all, were the last team to fight back from an 0-2 deficit in a conference final.

Unfortunately, that was 1991, so its relevance to this series is questionable at best.

The main story out of Game 2, of course, will be the sieve-like performance delivered by the two Pittsburgh goalies, Tomas Vokoun and Marc-Andre Fleury, giving head coach Dan Bylsma few options heading to Boston for Game 3.

The Pens have just one goal in two games, and both Crosby and Evgeny Malkin have been found wanting.

Iginla, meanwhile, was picked up before the deadline along with Brenden Morrow and Douglas Murray to supposedly set up Pittsburgh for a Cup run.

Morrow has had some decent moments, and Murray has been physical on the Penguin blueline.

Iginla, however, was supposed to be the difference maker, at least for those who believed it was possible to wind the clock back to 2004. He would be rejuvenated in Pittsburgh, the fairy tale went, and would again be the wonderful power forward he was for so many years in Alberta.

In the opening round against the Islanders, he was able to put up some numbers. Since then, however, in five games against Ottawa and two against Boston, he has been held without a goal in six of the seven matches.

On Monday, he looked slow and old, just as Mats Sundin did when he gave it one last try as a Vancouver Canuck.

Iginla is so beloved across the country for his honest style of play, his approachability for media folks and his contributions as an Olympian that few want to actually spell out just how out of place he has looked so far against the Bruins.

He might be able to fill a third- or fourth-line role for Pittsburgh at this point, but it seems unlikely he can give Crosby or Malkin the type of player they can collaborate with against a hard-checking opponent.

It's not Iginla's fault. He seemed reluctant to leave Calgary. But once he did decide to leave, and once he chose to manipulate the process to land with Pittsburgh after first saying he'd go to any one of four teams, he opened himself up to negative scrutiny if he was found unable to find his legs in the post-season.

That's where he is now. He's still got time to finish the fairy tale in style, but he and his Pittsburgh teammates have lost control of the series narrative.

 

 

 

Of Dead Pucks, History and Tears

With all due respect to the world's best hockey player, if Sidney Crosby is really surprised about the leeway allowed by game officials to the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final, he hasn't been watching these playoffs or the NHL very closely.

This is how the Bruins play, and how they've played in the post-season (at least when they've been most successful) for the past three seasons, and this is the style of hockey that is most blessed by NHL authorities these days.

The drop in the standard of rule-calling in recent seasons has contributed to the drop in goal-scoring, producing Dead Puck Era II with the usual excuse-makers and apologists making the same excuses and apologies as was the case prior to 2004. If one suggests an endless procession of 2-1 games isn't particularly enthralling, one is told to like it or watch something else, and the conversation gets only dumber from there.

The NHL game isn't designed for the Crosbys, David Krejcis etc. It has once again fallen into the hands of the lowest common denominator as a failure to take care of the game has again shown itself to be the Achilles heel of Gary Bettman and his long tenure as czar of the NHL.

It's up to the great players to wade through the muck and try to produce the odd moment of creativity and skill. They are treated as interlopers, rather than as the unique talents they are.

It won't change anytime soon, not with the NHL in denial once more. The players can do something about it if they like through the competition committee or they, including Crosby, just have to accept it.

Interestingly, so far in the post-season the only team that has had any real success playing through Boston's tough, uncompromising brand of hockey has been the Maple Leafs, who came up with three wins and another 58 minutes of winning hockey before falling apart in the final 90 seconds of Game 7.

What Phil Kessel was able to do against Zdeno Chara, Crosby and other Penguins might have to learn how to do. Crosby must've seen Milan Lucic illegally hurl Carl Gunnerson into the boards in the dying moments of that Game 7 victory without a penalty call, so he knows NHL authorities have essentially abandoned the players to their own devices.

But those who mocked the Leafs for being unwilling or unable to physically confront Chara and Lucic might want to answer this question; what Ranger or Penguin has been able to accomplish either task since?

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In the wake of winning the Stanley Cup in 2010, the Blackhawks had to dump a number of bodies for salary cap reasons, the most significant of which was the unique Dustin Byfuglien.

Byfuglien, of course, was then a forward and an unmovable force on the front lines. The only real comparable these days would be Lucic, who like Byfuglien, occasionally has to be coaxed to playing at his highest possible level.

Not surprisingly, the Hawks couldn't replace Byfuglien, who is now a defenceman in Winnipeg, and with that as a contributing factor, couldn't win the Cup in the two succeeding springs.

Bryan Bickell isn't Byfuglien. But he's doing a pretty good impression of the big fellow, and that's a key reason why the Hawks, who teetered on the edge of elimination last round, are in great shape today to make it to the Cup final.

The 6-foot-4, 230 pound Bowmanville product is in range of matching his regular season goals output with his playoff output. At 29 years of age, Bickell is having the springtime of his career, and earning every bit of it with his battles in front of enemy goalies.

Interestingly, like Byfuglien, there's a pretty good chance Bickell could be moving on even if the Hawks with the Cup. After making $541,000 this season he's UFA this summer and you can absolutely bet that some team - we all know the usual suspects - will give him outrageous dollars this season on the free agent market even with the cap going down next season.

Good for him. But if that happens, the Hawks will be on the search for another big body.

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Can't really imagine why anyone would object to Masai Ujiri cleaning house with the Raptors. Indeed, with the foolish decision to keep Bryan Colangelo around peering over the new GM's shoulder, it's probably the strongest statement that Ujiri could make that he's in charge and considers nothing built or acquired by Colangelo to have any sacred value.

Ujiri has a unique opportunity to take this thing down to wood and rebuild it, which might not be music to the ears of Raptor fans who are hoping for a playoff berth next season.

A step back may be needed to construct a new foundation. Fewer wins next season may be necessary to open the possibility of success later, a choice that would not have been open to Colangelo.

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Don't really care who won the "friendly" at BMO Field on Sunday. What mattered was all those people paying all that money to watch a women's soccer game in Canada, something that would have been unthinkable even two or three years ago.

It was an event, it was a spectacle, at least by Canadian soccer standards. Too often people deride women's sports by saying they'll never been as big as men's sports, and certainly that's the case for the foreseeable future.

But people who don't invest in history never learn the lesson that its always a mistake to assume the way things are now are the way they will always be. Sunday was a day to imagine a time when women's sports, soccer in this case, might occupy an entirely different places in our sporting universe.

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Sunday showed the emotional highs and the lows, and the tears for very different reasons, of two veteran athletes.

Early in the day, 31-year-old Tommy Robredo became the first man in almost 90 years of tennis to win a third straight match after trailing two sets to none when he knocked off Spanish countryman Nicolas Almagro.

Robredo, back as an elite player after sinking to No. 470 in the world last year after a difficult series of injuries, sank to the Roland Garros dirt after his remarkable win over the 11th seeded Almagro and burst into tears. As the crowd cheered him on, he couldn't stop the flow, undoubtedly the product of years of trying to get back to the highest levels of the game as it roared on without him.

For 40-year-old pitcher Ramon Ortiz of the Blue Jays, the tears flowed for a very different reason.

Ortiz appeared to blow out his elbow in the third inning against San Diego on Sunday, and couldn't control his emotions on the mound as the Jays training staff attended to him. He's had a hard enough time just sticking with the Jays this season despite all of their injury problems, and undoubtedly the thought of having to go through surgery and then rehab and then hope a team will take a chance on him again was too much for Ortiz to handle.

It was sad to watch, the final hopes of an athlete seemingly destroyed with one fateful throw.