Non-hockey season is sooooooooo boring.

I wish I was able to come up with things to post about but I can't. Ilya Kovalchuk still has not signed with any team and at this point, I don't think anyone really cares anymore. In fact, if he signed with an NHL team, that team's fans might not even give a flying bleepity bleep. I use to respect the guy as a hockey player too because I think he has immense talent (or maybe that was just Atlanta making him look like a superstar)? Unfortunately this stupid waiting game has cost him my respect so whatever Ilya, go do what you want to do. Go to the KHL for all I care.

The Sabres summer has quickly gone from boring, to exciting, to boring again. I need news on anything. I will TAKE news on anything. The last thing they did was sign a forward for Portland, Tim Conboy, and I read he destroyed little Nate during a game here at HSBC? DISLIKE. Welcome to Buffalo/Portland Tim, etc. etc. Just don't kill any of your teammates now. I'm sure Nate is just THRILLED about this.

About a month left until some of the boys will show up at the Amherst Center to warm up for training camp, thank God. I need some hockey in my life. I hope that I'll be able to go out there for a few of them if work doesn't happen to tie me up. If not, then I'll just go the days that I can.

ALSO, the most important news of the day that's actually old news: Ryan Kesler has a Twitter. Have fun kids.

This series isn't going to be easy.

With the Buffalo Sabres being out of the playoff picture, the only team I have left that I am truly rooting for is the Vancouver Canucks. I've had people ask me before why I decide to root for a Canadian team over an American one after the Sabres get out, but I don't have a real answer for that. I don't even know how I began to like Vancouver to tell you the truth. It was not because of Ryan Kesler. The love for the team came before the love for the man. I want them to win the Cup but then the Sabres would be the only team inducted in 1970 that would have not won a Cup yet. It's such a struggle in my brain.

Last night, the Canucks spanked the Hawks by a score of 5-1. All four lines contributed offensively which was different from the first round against the Kings. Also, the Hawks only managed to score on one of their power plays and they had quite a few of them. It's nice to see the penalty kill become progressively better as opposed to what it looked like in the first round. Michael Grabner scored his first ever playoff goal and I was pumped as hell. Watching him play this year made me realize how fantastic of a skater he is. He's the complete opposite of Thomas except they both drive to the net. That's how he scored his goal. Damn, I love these Austrians.

I'm expecting the Hawks to come out flying the next game. Last year, Vancouver won the first game of the series too...I want to see if they will be able to steal two on the road. Then I think I'll feel a little better about this series. I really hope it's different from last season.

Ryan Kesler: Selke Finalist

The NHL today announced their finalists for the Selke Trophy, or the most defensive forward in the league. Yesterday they announced the Vezina Trophy finalists so congratulations to the Sabres own Ryan Miller for getting the nod as one. I personally think that he will either win the Vezina or the Hart but not both. That's my own opinion though.

The other two finalists for the Selke are Pavel Datsyuk (of course) and Jordan Staal. Datsyuk has gotten the award a thousand times in a row it feels, and I don't know if he deserves it as much now with Detroit not playing too well this year. It shouldn't matter team wise and I never watch the way he plays...though he'll end up winning again, I'm sure. Jordan is Jordan and has always been defensively minded. Ryan has a good chance of winning it but I'm not sure if his defensive skills are going to be looked at so much simply because he had career numbers in the offensive categories. I would absolutely love to see this man get an award but I know that the shiny Cup is a better award than the Selke. The Sabres have to win it first Ryan, sorry.

Speaking of the Sabres...I didn't pay very much attention to last night's game only because it bored me. I had known this was going to be a very defensive series but considering we've only scored six goals in the past three games...Yeah, I'm kind of concerned. Thomas is not the only offensive guy on this team and I want to know where the balanced scoring had disappeared to since the beginning of the season. I believe in this team and I know they have it in them. I just wonder if they believe in themselves.

Ryan Kesler, where have you been all my life?

Seriously, I don't know what to say about this picture. Wow.

I'm not going to do playoff predictions because I'm not that bold. Anything can happen at any time. The eighth seed could clobber the first seed, regardless of what happened during the regular season. I will not look into the future and predict.

Though my teams for this playoff season are Anaheim, Pittsburgh, and Vancouver. Woooo!

Okay I've been paying particular attention to Ryan Kesler these past few days. The commentators on Versus said that he's an overall good hockey player and I would have to agree. He hits, he gets points, he'll fight if he needs to. He's the type of player everyone needs on the team. Besides, I decided that I love a European and I love a Canadian, but I don't give an American as much attention as I need to. Hellllo Ryan Kesler.

Ironically, I looked up his entry on Wikipedia yesterday and learned that the guy is 205 lbs and 6'2". Three pounds off and the same height as Thomas Vanek. Oh, coincidences. I like big men, as you can tell.

...Get your head out of the gutter!