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No Fluke: CFL’s Two Best Teams Meet in the Grey Cup

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Scott Taylor| 1 Comment

At 3 p.m. on Monday afternoon, the B.C. Lions were installed as 7-point favorites. By 6 p.m., the Lions were favored by 7.5.

Travis Lulay1 300x226 No Fluke: CFL’s Two Best Teams Meet in the Grey Cup

Travis Lulay

The Canadian Football League must feel like it won a lottery this season. Not only will it have a hometown team in its 99th Grey Cup game but even the visitor is the right visitor.

It will be the Eastern Conference champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers against the Western Conference champion B.C. Lions in the 2011 Grey Cup game this coming Sunday night at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver.

This past Sunday, in front of 30,000 spectators at the final game ever played at Canad Inns Stadium, Bombers runningback Chris Garrett rushed for 190 yards and a touchdown while the Swaggerville defense shut down Kevin Glenn and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as the Bombers whipped the Ticats 19-3 in the Eastern final. Winnipeg will play in its third Grey Cup game since 2001.

Meanwhile, out on the West Coast Travis Lulay threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a 61-yard major as the B.C. Lions drilled the Edmonton Eskimos 40-23. Geroy Simon caught six passes for 106 yards and a touchdown as the Lions will get to play at home in next Sunday’s Grey Cup game. The big game goes at 5:30 CST live on TSN.

That’s the news. Here’s the story: The two best teams without argument will meet in the biggest game of the year. This will not be the 1981 Grey Cup when the 5-11 Ottawa Rough Riders won the East. This will not be the 1988 Grey Cup when the 9-9 Bombers beat the 10-8 Lions in a battle of third-place teams. This will not be the 2001 Grey Cup when an 8-10 Calgary Stampeders team beat the 14-4 Winnipeg Blue Bombers because Marcus Crandell suddenly figured out how to play football on the same day that Khari Jones forgot (Does anyone remember the Most Outstanding Canadian in the Cup that year? I don’t think Aldi Henry’s family remember either.)

This year the first place team in the East will meet the first-place team in the West in a battle that will absolutely determine the champion of the Canadian Football League.

There was no fluke on Sunday. The Bombers earned first place in the East by beating Montreal and Hamilton in the regular season and by fighting off injuries and a 3-7 slump down the stretch. They turned to the best defence in the CFL and got the job done in one of the most complete games the Bombers played all year against a quarterback who is, arguably, the most inconsistent starting QB in CFL history. Nobody has ever been more “.500” than Kevin Glenn. You can look it up. His epitaph will read: “9-9.”

Meanwhile, out west, the greatest coaching job in CFL history was rewarded when the Lions drilled the Edmonton Eskimos on Sunday. This was a team that started 0-5 and didn’t look like it could beat the Sisters of the Poor. Then, because of Wally Buono’s loyalty to Travis Lulay, got its act together and blew away all challengers, going 11-2 down the stretch: Twelve and two if you count Sunday’s thrashing of the overmatched Eskimos.

So now it’s Grey Cup Week and here’s a quick look at how these two “best teams,” stack up head-to-head.

The 2011 Record: If you’d put money down on the Lions and Bombers on a futures bet in Vegas back in the spring, you’d have been setting up a college trust fund for your kids. The Lions were +825 to win the Cup while the Bombers were +1700. The Bombers were +1200 to make the playoffs. While the odds for Sunday’s game have yet to be set, it’s likely B.C. will be a heavy favorite, even though Winnipeg won the season series. The Bombers beat the Lions 25-20 in Winnipeg on July 28 as Alex Brink came off the bench and led the Bombers to a late game-winning touchdown. Then, Winnipeg went into B.C. and beat the Lions 30-17 on Aug. 13. However, that changed the Lions completely. B.C. went on to rip off eight consecutive victories while, the Bombers seemingly fell apart after that game, going 3-7 down the stretch and finishing the year 3-5 against the West. 11-8 Winnipeg was 5-4 on the road while 12-7 B.C. was 7-3 at home (counting Sunday’s games). Oh, and here’s one thing to remember: It’s very difficult to beat an evenly matched opponent three times in one season.

Buck Pierce 2 200x300 No Fluke: CFL’s Two Best Teams Meet in the Grey Cup

Buck Pierce (Photo by Shawn Coates)

Offense: B.C. ‘s Travis Lulay was the No. 2 quarterback in the league with 4,815 passing yards. Geroy Simon was the No. 2 receiver with 1,350 yards. Buck Pierce, meanwhile, was seventh with 3,348 and Alex Brink was 11th with 1,023. Winnipeg’s leading receiver, Terrence Edwards was seventh with 1,124. B.C. won’t run the football much, but Winnipeg got a real boost from runningback Chris Garrett who carried for 190 yards against Hamilton on Sunday. He’ll be hard to stop. B.C. scored 551 points counting Sunday’s playoff game while Winnipeg scored 451 counting Sunday’s game – afull 100 points fewer. This Grey Cup game will be about Winnipeg’s defense and B.C.’s offense and you know what they say about defense and winning championships. Advantage: B.C.

Jovon Johnson 21 200x300 No Fluke: CFL’s Two Best Teams Meet in the Grey Cup

Jovon Johnson (Photo by Shawn Coates)

Defense: The Lions’ led the CFL by allowing the fewest points (21.4 per game), touchdowns (32) and touchdown passes (20). Meanwhile, they were second overall in sacks (54), in rushing yards allowed (95.9), in passing yards allowed (249.1) and in total yards allowed (318 per game). On Sunday, B.C. forced four turnovers (three interceptions and one fumble) and its offence converted that good fortune into 21 points. Solomon Elimimian was probably the best all-around defensive player in the CFL. However, in fairness, he Bombers were just as good this season. Winnipeg finished the regular season leading the CFL in fewest yards allowed (301.1 per game), most interceptions (25), fewest completions (320) and most sacks (55). Bombers corner Jovon Johnson, perhaps the best all-around football player in the Canadian game, is a finalist for the league’s top defensive player after recording  a CFL-leading eight interceptions, returning two for TDs. Defense should be a toss-up, but somehow, I’d rather have Swaggerville on my side than a Lions defense that gave up 23 points to the Eskimos on Sunday. Advantage: Winnipeg.

lions No Fluke: CFL’s Two Best Teams Meet in the Grey Cup

Solomon Elimimian

Special Teams: B.C.’s defensive star is Andrew Bighill, who was fourth in the CFL with 21 special teams tackles. Rookie Henoc Muamba is the man to watch for the Bombers. He had 15 tackles. B.C.’s Tim Brown had 1,569 return yards this year. Kicker Paul McCallum scored 203 kicking points and averaged 42.1 yards punting this season. For Winnipeg, Jovon Johnson had 795 return yards while punter Jamie Boreham averaged 40.7 yards per punt. Three Bonber kickers combined for 174 kicking points this season. Advantage: B.C.

Doug Brown 2 200x300 No Fluke: CFL’s Two Best Teams Meet in the Grey Cup

Doug Brown (Photo by Shawn Coates)

Intangibles: The last time these two teams met in the Grey Cup, in 1988, Winnipeg’s defense won the game almost singlehandedly, 22-21. Veteran defensive star Doug Brown will be playing his last game for the Bombers and that should be significant considering he’s never won a Grey Cup while Lions star Brent Johnson will also be playing his final game. The Lions will try to become the the first CFL team to win the Grey Cup in their own ballyard since they did it at B.C. Place in 1994, beating Baltimore 26-23 on Lui Passaglia’s last-second field goal. The Bombers haven’t won a Grey Cup in 21 years. B.C. tailback Andrew Harris is a Winnipegger. Buck Pierce returns to B.C. where he started his CFL career in 2005. However, the Lions are at home and that’s huge. I like the Lions intangibles better than the Bombers intangibles. Advantage: B.C.

Coaching: With the exception of Bombers defensive coordinator Tim Burke, I’d take the Lions staff over the Bombers staff any day. The Lions got better as the season went along while the Bombers got worse. And offensively, Paul LaPolice and Jamie Barresi aren’t even in the same league as Wally Buono and Jacques Chapdelaine. Advantage: B.C.

Outcome: The Lions win 28-23

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Swaggerville Makes LaPolice Nervous Heading to B.C.

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Paul LaPolice looks a little skittish. That’s not surprising for the head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers considering what has taken place in his past here in a town that is now calling itself “Swaggerville.”

LaPolice knows his team is 5-1, but he was told on Tuesday that these 5-1 Bombers are also point and a half Vegas underdogs on Saturday night when they meet the 1-5. B.C. Lions. Granted, the line on the game is B.C. minus-one which really doesn’t mean much at all, but it does suggest that not everyone is convinced that this first-place team is destined to remain in first place very long.

The Bombers are good, but not great, is what he’s being told and, for now at least, he rather likes that assessment.

“We must remain a humble football team,” when asked about the Swaggerville nonsense. “I’ve talked to the players about this and we all understand that we are a blue collar team that has to work hard in practice and then go out an play hard once a week. I told them we aren’t going to be arrogant. Our job is to play hard enough to win.”

LaPolice is a quiet, unassuming guy who doesn’t spend a lot of time celebrating victories. It’s nice for the fans and certainly the players to have five wins after six games considering they had four wins after 18 games last season. LaPolice knows he’s lucky to have this job. He has it, not because he was some superman coach in 2010, but because he quieted the waters after the turbulent Mike Kelly season of 2009. Until now, however, it could easily be argued that Kelly, the media’s villain, got better results than the guy who took his job.

And LaPolice also remembers that he was sacked once before by the Winnipeg Football Club. In 2003, he was the team’s defensive coordinator and after the Bombers lost 37-21 to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Western final (gee, it wasn’t so long ago that the Bombers were in the West), LaPolice took the fall for Dave Ritchie’s anemic, predictable offence. Granted, the Bombers were in the bottom half of the league in defensive statistics, but it was hardly his fault that the offence sputtered in the biggest game of the year at home.

So, considering he’s already been fired once in Winnipeg and considering he’s already been 4-14 as a head coach, this whole 5-1-first-place-Swaggerville thing does not help him sleep soundly at night.

Now, for those who aren’t yet aware, Winnipeg is evidently,  “Swaggerville.” It is a term coined by Bombers defensive back Jovon Johnson, a dude who has never been short of his own swagger.

Johnson and his buddies on defense have been selling T-shirts at $25 a pop to anyone who wants to be a member of Swaggerville and apparently there are plenty in this town who desire citizenship (the T-shirts sold out). The first six games of the 2011 Bomber season have belonged to the defense. It leads the league in fewest points allowed (18.8 per game), fewest yards allowed (289.5 per game), most sacks, most interceptions (10) and most turnovers created and it is primarily responsible for the team’s 5-1 record. There are those who would suggest a little “swagger” never hurt anybody.

But LaPolice isn’t so sure. He knows, for a fact, the entire Swaggerville thing is going to end up on the bulletin board of this week’s opponent, the B.C. Lions, and probably on bulletin boards all over the league. He also knows that the second a team gets caught up in its own press clippings, bad things happen.

He has been pushing the humility angle on his charges like an English teacher pushes grammar on her students. He just hopes they’re getting the message.

“People I talk to say we play hard and we go after the football,” LaPolice said, hoping his words are being in the locker room. “We’re a focused football team right now.

“This week, we face a very tough opponent. Before the season started, I said the B.C. Lions were good enough to win the Western Conference and despite their slow start, I still believe that.

“What I’ve been trying to impart on the guys, especially the defensive backs, is that if you get beat, and you probably will, just forget about it and move on. Don’t even think about the previous play. Just move on. It’s a long game and how you respond to the little individual failures that everyone makes during a long football game is very important.”

LaPolice is not unaware of what’s going on around him. In five games this season, his team equaled last year’s total number of victories. Fans jumped on the bandwagon and the bandwagon has since become very crowded. His concern is simple. He’d prefer that his players were following the bandwagon, not leading it. That’s why the whole Swaggerville thing makes him nervous.

After all, most of the players on this team, were around last year when the Bombers went 4-14. And they went 4-14 because they lost nine games by four points or less. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers and losing are divided by a very fine line. It’s great to have fun when you’re winning, but don’t allow your head to get bigger than your helmet.

“Other than the football related things we talk about every day, the most important thing I want my players to remember is to be humble,” he said. “We’re a good team, but this league is full of good teams. In fact, I don’t care what a team’s record is, I know that every team in this league is a good team that can beat another team at any time. That’s what we have to be mindful of. We’re a blue collar team that has to play hard, blue-collar football in order to be successful.”

As opposed, of course, to a swaggering collection of swelled heads who suddenly think that they’re as good as the bandwagon bloviators say they are.

And yes, that is what makes Paul LaPolice skittish.

 

 

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Dr. Football and The Coach Deal Out Their 2011 CFL Predictions

Posted on June 30, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

WINNIPEG — Vegas oddsmakers have made the Calgary Stampeders, at 11-4, the favorites to win the 2011 Grey Cup. No doubt Calgary has a good team, but are they better than Montreal? Are they even better than Hamilton?

Montreal is next on the Futures line at Vegas at 3-1. Saskatchewan is third at 11-2 followed by B.C. at 6-1, Edmonton and Hamilton at 7-1, Toronto at 8-1 and Winnipeg at 10-1.

The 2011 Canadian Football League season is upon us and it’s time to look into our crystal balls to see who will still be standing when the Grey Cup game kicks off in Vancouver on Nov. 27. My pal Dr. Football will pick first (he’s so confident, he even offers up the records of each team) and then I’ll take my shot.

DR. FOOTBALL

THE EAST

Montreal Alouettes 11-7: With a strong offensive line and a talented group of receivers, Anthony Calvillo should once again lead his team to first place in the East.

Toronto Argonauts 10-8: Expect the Argos to slightly improve from last year’s 9-9 under Jim Barker. There was less turmoil in the off season and stability in the coaching staff; something the team hasn’t seen since Pinball Clemons stepped down as head coach. Expect sophomore QB Cleo Lemon to continue to develop and the defense which gave up 25.1 points a game last season to be better.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats 9-9: Don’t expect to see anything from the Ti-Cats offence with Khari Jones calling the shots. Another mediocre season awaits in 2011. This team has the talent to win, but with the questionable coaching staff I can’t seeing anything but a .500 season and another quick exit from the playoffs. Close your eyes Angelo Mosca.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers 7-11:  A healthy Buck Pierce can make a difference in that, but when was the last time he was healthy for more than a few games? He has only been able to complete 17 out of his 27 starts in the CFL. The big void left by the departure of Phillip Hunt will hurt the most. When does hockey season start?

THE WEST

British Columbia Lions 11-7: The Lions are the team to watch in the West. BC began the 2010 season with a 1-7 record before figuring it out and posting a 7-3 mark over their last 10 games. QB Travis Lulay (2,602 yards, 9 TD’s) became the starting quarterback after the horrible start, and showed why he is the new face of the franchise.

Calgary Stampeders 11-7: Smiling Hank is getting long in the tooth. Opening the season with two rookies on the offensive line is not going to make it easier on him either.

Saskatchewan Roughriders 8-10: The Riders have gone from having the best Canadian receiving corps in the league to a very average one. Replacing Andy Fantuz and Rob Bagg won’t be easy. We will also find out why Greg Marshall has been constantly passed over for a head coaching job too.

Edmonton Eskimos 5-13: Kavis Reed? See Paul LaPolice 2010. It’s not gonna be a fun year in Edmonton.

THE GREY CUP: Montreal vs B.C.

THE COACH

THE EAST

1. Montreal Alouettes: Take a close look at the Montreal Alouettes and the first thing you notice are the players who are gone – Ben Cahoon, Avon Cobourne, Mathieu Proulx and Damon Duval. Then, you realize quarterback Anthony Calvillo and head coach Marc Trestman are still there and that means the Alouettes are still a threat to win every game. The two-time defending Grey Cup champions are favored to win the East and with players such as runningbacks Kerry Carter, Dahrran Diedrick and Emmanuel Marc and wideouts Dallas Baker, Brandon London and Brian Bratton, Calvillo has plenty of talent at his side. His offensive line is pretty good, too. If Calvillo dishes for 4,221 passing yards he’ll pass Damon Allen’s unpassable passing record. It’s possible.

2. Hamilton Tiger-Cats: If there is a team capable of unseating the Alouettes at the top of the CFL, it’s Kevin Glenn and the Ticats. Glenn has an array of talented players to throw to: Arland Bruce III, Maurice Mann, Aaron Kelly and Dave Stala. He also has a couple of great backs – Terry Grant and Avon Cobourne (who really wants to kick Montreal’s butt – and an improving offensive line. If Hamilton’s defense can hold the opposition to 25 points or less, the Ticats will win a lot of games.

3. Toronto Argonauts: Cleo Lemon will be just fine as quarterback until Steven Jyles’ shoulder heals. Then again, Lemon just might keep the job after Jyles comes back. The former NFLer is much improved over last year and he looks like he’s ready to be a star in the CFL. Meanwhile, the Argos might have unearthed the CFL’s next superstar runningback in Chad Kackert. The 5-foot-8, 200-pound speedster from New Hampshire made quite an impression in Toronto’s final pre-season game and if he gets the ball on a regular basis, look out. With receivers such as D.J. Boldin, Brandon Rideau and Djems Kouame, the Argos could be a very interesting team.

4. Winnipeg Blue Bombers: This deal is simple. If quarterback Buck Pierce stays healthy and plays 14-15 games, the Bombers can be 9-9 and in the playoffs. If he gets hurt again (and history says he’ll get hurt), the Bombers could easily suffer through another 4-14 season. Although, in fairness, give backup QB Joey Elliott some credit. He played at Purdue, he looks comfortable under centre (at least, during his limited snaps, he’s looked comfortable) and he has a great arm. He also has Greg Carr (when he’s healthy), Terrence Jeffers-Harris and Terrence Edwards to throw to. The league’s leading rusher in 2010, Fred Reid is back and if the offensive line can get the job done, Reid could have another great year. If the defense does anything at all, the Bombers will be good enough to compete this season, but it’s going to be tough.

THE WEST

1. Calgary Stampeders: Smilin’ Hank Burris gives the Stamps the best signal caller in the Western Conference. Three years removed from his finest season as a pro and only an off-season following his Most Outstanding Player Award, Burris is still the best QB in the West, but his team still doesn’t have what they believe is a legitimate backup. Raw Canadian Brad Sinopoli is No. 2 with Drew Tate injured, and they’re deciding whether or not to sign veteran Michael Bishop (who doesn’t have a valid passport right now), but right now, the Stamps are no different than the Blue Bombers – if No. 1 goes down, they’ll have stress. However, if Burris remains upright, this is a great offensive team. With Joffrey Reynolds carrying the mail and four great receivers, it’s a team that averaged 34 points a game, the most in the CFL, last year. There really isn’t a weak spot on the Stamps – on offense or defense.

2. B.C. Lions: Travis Lulay will get an entire season at quarterback and we’ll learn quite quickly if he’s as good as Wally Buono believes he is. It doesn’t hurt that Jarious Jackson is the backup. He’s still a very good quarterback. With Geroy Simon to throw to and with veteran talent such as Brent Johnson, Korey Banks, Davis Sanchez and two-time all-star Ben Archibald, the Lions will be a real threat in the West. Fact is, this team could have the best collection of young talent in the CFL.

3. Saskatchewan Roughriders: One always has to remember, “Pre-season is just practice.” If it wasn’t just practice, the Saskatchewan Roughriders would be horrible. They were absolutely awful in a 34-6 loss to the Lions in the final “practice” game. However, with Greg Marshall getting his first shot as a head coach in the CFL, it’s hard to imagine this will be a bad team. With receivers Andy Fantuz (off to the NFL) and Rob Bagg (injured) gone, the question will be, can Darian Durant be as effective? My answer is no, but the Riders can always surprise.

4. Edmonton Eskimos: It’s hard to imagine that a team with Ricky Ray at quarterback could be so horrendous, but ladies and gentlemen, meet the Edmonton Eskimos. Former Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive co-ordinator Kavis Reed is the team’s new head coach and he’s really got his work cut out for him. However, this once-lousy defence should improve. Back in 2007, Reed and his new defensive co-ordinator this year, former Argos head coach Rich Stubler, worked together in Toronto and turned an average defense into a great defense (from 27.1 points per game to 15.8 points per game). If they can do that again this year, the Eskimos will no longer be horrible.

THE GREY CUP: Montreal vs. Calgary

 

 

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There Was a Time When the Crossover Was A Reward…

Posted on October 17, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

When the Canadian Football League moved Winnipeg back to the East and created the crossover playoff structure, the crossover was a reward.

It was created to honor a good team stuck in a great Conference. For instance, if the East had a 13-5 team and  12-6 teams and your favorite team was 10-8, your favorite team would make the playoffs because the West probably had a 12-6 champ and, ay, three teams that were about 4-14. A 10-8 team deserves to be in the playoffs.

This year, however, a team that is 6-12 could conceivably reach the post-season in the crossover because the B.C. Lions and Edmonton Eskimos are so bad, they’re both embarrassments to the CFL.

Yesterday, the Montreal Alouettes defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 22-19 because when it really counted, the Bombers offence couldn’t make a play. It’s been the same sad story all year for Winnipeg. When they play on the road, they stink. They’re 0-8 away from Canad Inns this season and with a 4-3 record at home, the Bombers are now 4-11.

And still, because Edmonton beat B.C. 31-28 in overtime on Saturday night, the 4-11 Bombers still have a legitimate chance to make the playoffs. Not only are Edmonton and B.C. both 5-10, there is no reason to believe either team will win another game this season.

Edmonton finishes the season at home to Saskatchewan, at home to Winnipeg and on the road at Saskatchewan. They could easily go 0-3 down the stretch. B.C. goes to Calgary, plays at home to Saskatchewan and goes to Hamilton. They could easily go 0-3 down the stretch. Winnipeg has Toronto at home this week, goes to Edmonton and plays host to Calgary. They could easily go 2-1 or even 3-0 down the stretch.

While the Canadian Press wanted to make it clear in their national game story yesterday that the Bombers were dead, nothing could be further from the truth. CP wrote, “The loss further dims the unlikely playoff hopes for the Blue Bombers,” when in fact, it doesn’t dim them much at all. After what happened on the weekend, the Bombers are officially two games back of Edmonton and B.C. (they must finish ahead of the Lions and Eskimos to claim the crossover) with three games to play and they have a relatively easy schedule to finish the year. The Lions and Eskimos have extremely difficult schedules. Winnipeg could make the playoffs with a 1-8 or even an 0-9 road record (if they win their two home games and B.C. and Edmonton lose out).

Look, the Bombers are a lousy football team, but they aren’t so lousy, they won’t make the playoffs.

And that, in itself, is as embarrassing to the CFL as the absolute dreadfulness of the three bottom teams in the league this year.


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Does LaPolice Owe Jyles An Apology? Or More?

Posted on October 12, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

You have to figure Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice owes Steven Jyles something. An apology maybe? His career, perhaps?

Thanksgiving Monday afternoon at Canad Inns Stadium, Jyles came off the bench with the Bombers trailing 32-11 in the fourth quarter and led the team back to a 32-32 tie by the end of regulation and then a 47-35 overtime victory.

It was an incredible finish, after starting quarterback Alex Brink did almost nothing – 4-for-18 for 61 yards. Whose stupid idea was that?

To his credit, LaPolice finally decided to go with Jyles and the guy who’d been benched bailed out his boss. The Bombers are now 4-10 and still alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race and in the crossover playoff race. Who woulda thunk it?

So now, in hindsight — not ours, but the head coach’s – something clearly suggests that Alex Brink wasn’t  a very good idea. In fact, with the Bombers still in the playoff hunt, it was about as dumb a move as a coach could make. Brink was awful and he was awful for a long time. It wasn’t like he started strinly and got awful, he was awful from the get-go. Four-for-18? For 61 yards and no touchdowns? C’mon man.

In the end, Jyles, the jilted lover, rallied the Bombers to a remarkable come-from-behind victory making his coach look like genius, and a bonehead, all at the same time.

Considering that it was a great Thanksgiving weekend for the CFL’s Eastern Conference, the Bombers are still very much in the hunt for a crossover playoff spot. Because all four Eastern teams won — Hamilton beat Edmonton 36-11, Toronto upset Saskatchewan 24-19 and Montreal blasted Calgary 46-19 in the other three games in Week 15 — the Bombers are now 4-10, Edmonton is 4-10 and B.C. is 5-9 with four weeks left in the season. Perhaps a playoff spot isn’t such a longshot for Winnipeg.

Bomber fans should thank the Lord that their head coach, Paul LaPolice, noticed that Steven Jyles was still standing on the sideline yesterday or their head coach might have found himself responsible for one of the most boneheaded decisions in Blue Bomber history.

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Counting Down to Hawks-Flyers?

Posted on May 19, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

I understand the Hawks part. For months it’s been clear that the hockey team Dale Tallon built has had the necessary speed, skill and grit to reach the Stanley Cup finals. Must admit, I didn’t think they had the goaltending, but Antti Niemi has proven smarter people than me to be wrong.

Of course, it hasn’t hurt the Hawks that they’ve won a record seven straight road games in the playoffs and now lead the San Jose Sharks 2-0 heading back to Chicago. The Western Conference final could be a lot shorter than anyone would have guessed.

The part that remains confusing for me is the Philadelphia Flyers part. I was at the Flyers-Rangers game, the final game of the regular season, when Philadelphia was lucky to dispose of New York and grab that final available playoff spot (the seventh seed in the East). I had no clue from that Sunday afternoon that Philadelphia would be able to take out both New Jersey and Boston and not only be around for the Eastern Final, but leading 2-0 in the series.

And the two wins have not been flukes. Philly massacred Montreal 6-0 in the opener and then whupped the Habs 3-0 in Game 2. A Montreal team that had been scoring at will during the playoffs had just been shut out in back-to-back games while their “unbeatable” goaltender now had an embarrassing 4.50 GAA in just 120 minutes of Eastern championship series play.

Over in Chicago, Jonathan Toews, the Winnipeg kid who went to UND, has been the clear choice as Conn Smythe Trophy winner this year. He leads the playoffs in scoring and tallied the winner in a 4-2 victory over San Jose on Tuesday night. It’s amazing to think that for most of the lead-up to the 2010 Olympics, the Eastern pundits didn’t think Toews should be on Canada’s Olympic team. After proving he was the best player in that tournament, he’s proving now that he’s the best player in the world. Playing on a line with big Dustin Byfuglien and little Patrick Kane, he’s made the Hawks an offensive force. And this, starting with a guy who claims he doesn’t even worry about scoring goals.

“I don’t even really think about scoring,” he told reporters after his team’s Game 1 victory. “I want to kill penalties and I want to play with as much energy as I can and then create as much as I can in the offensive zone when that’s my role. I’ve gone into these games focused on working hard. A lot of offense has just happened as a result of hard work.”

Two hard-working teams have the upper hand heading into Games 3 of the Eastern and Western championships. One suspects the Sharks are done and if the Habs don’t snap out of it at home on Thursday, the Stanley Cup final could probably start this weekend.

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Vancouver and Pittsburgh Are Both Gone. It’s on to Plan B

Posted on May 16, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

FARGO, N.D. — When we predicted, confidently, that the Vancouver Canucks would meet the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup final we forgot to consider a handful of very bad things:

1) We did not believe Jaroslav Halak would do to the Penguins almost exactly what he did to the Washington Capitals.

2) We did not believe Sidney Crosby would fail to score in the final four games of a series… any series.

3) We did not believe Roberto Luongo would be as weak as he was against Chicago — again.

4) We did not believe the Sedin Twins would completely disappear.

5) We did not believe Montreal could be as good as they were against Washington and Pittsburgh and we did not believe Vancouver could be as bad as they were against Chicago.

So it’s on to the NHL’s Stanley Cup Conference finals. No Pittsburgh. No Vancouver. But we are armed with a Plan B. After going 1-3 in the semi-finals, we’re now 7-5 this spring.

Here’s our look at the Conference championship series…

Western Conference

San Jose Sharks (1) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (2)

The Hawks proved against Vancouver that they simply skate too well. The Hawks are fast, skilled and gritty. They have everything a Stanley Cup champion needs, especially leadership. If Antti Niemi gives them any goaltending at all, they should win a game in San Jose and cruise at  home and that’s all they’ll need. The Sharks are shedding the “choke” label, but losing to a No. 2 seed is not choking. The Hawks are the best No. 2 seed we’ve seen in a long, long time. If Chicago does win, they won because they were, as we suspect, the better team.

Chicago Blackhawks in six

Eastern Conference

Philadelphia Flyers (7) versus Montreal Canadiens (8)

It just seems as if the Habs are this year’s team of destiny. With great goaltending from Jaroslav Halak and a load of scoring from their little guys, Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta and Mike Cammalleri, who leads all scorers in the playoffs with 12 goals, the Habs have ousted first-place Washington and No. 4 Pittsburgh. No small feat. However, while the Flyers look like a pushover for a team that has been so emotional and so dedicated, they deserve a lot of credit themselves. The Flyers checking lines have tied the opposition in knots and Mike Richards and Simon Gagne always seem to be around when they’re needed most. I like the Flyers, but I’m taking…

Montreal Canadiens in six


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Ready to Call a Vancouver-Pittsburgh Stanley Cup Final

Posted on April 29, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

The first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs told us three things: (1) Henrik Sedin IS the most valuable player in the National Hockey League this season, (2) the Pittsburgh Penguins appear ready to defend their Stanley Cup crown and (3) nothing beats a great goaltender.

How ’bout that Jaroslav Halak? He made 53 saves in Game 6 and 41 saves in Game 7 as he led the Montreal Canadiens to the biggest upset of this playoff year. The Habs were down 3-1 in the series when Halak decided to win it himself, stopping 131 of the final 134 shots he faced to give the Canadiens a 4-3 series win over President’s Trophy champion Washington Capitals. So much for Alex Ovechkin in this year’s post-season.

It was the fourth time in eight years, the No. 8-seed had beaten the No. 1-seed in a first-round series, and it means we went 6-2 with our picks in the opening round.

Let’s take a look at the second round:

Western Conference

San Jose Sharks (1) vs. Detroit Red Wings (5)

The Sharks looked good in round one against Colorado and appeared to get rid of the playoff jitters. The aging Wings, who just don’t play very well at home these days, looked great on the road against Phoenix. This will be a great series, but I think it’s the Sharks in a close one.

San Jose Sharks in seven

Chicago Blackhawks (2) vs. Vancouver Canucks (3)

The Canucks finished strong against L.A., scoring 17 goals in the final three games. The Hawks were lucky to get past Nashville. The Canucks gain some revenge from last year.

Vancouver Canucks in six

Eastern Conference

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) versus Montreal Canadiens (8)

In a year of upsets, I don’t see one here. Sidney Crosby is on a mission and the tiny Canadiens will tire, Jaroslav Halak or not.

Pittsburgh Penguins in six

Boston Bruins (6) versus Philadelphia Flyers (7)

Tuukka Rask is a better goaltender than we think and Boston gets Marc Savard back. This one is still a toss up. The Flyers will win if Brian Boucher matches his first round heroics.

Boston Bruins is seven

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Big Week for Pennsylvania Hockey. Canucks Look Like Real Contenders.

Posted on April 26, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Sunday night, the Vancouver Canucks eliminated the Los Angeles Kings in six games in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

That’s not a surprise by any stretch, but the way in which the Canucks eventually woke up and drilled the Kings was quite telling. The Kings took a 2-1 lead in the series after winning 5-3 in Los Angeles in Game 3 and then, it would appear, Vancouver got pissed.

The Canucks went on to win 6-4, 7-2 and 4-2 as Henrik Sedin, who really should be the NHL’s most valuable player this season, had a goal and four assists in the final three games of the series. When a team puts up 17 goals in three games in a Stanley Cup playoff series, that team is really on its game.

Now look, we picked the Canucks to win in six and so did a lot of other generally misguided pundits, but I think we all believed Roberto Luongo’s goaltending would be the difference. That wasn’t the case. In this series, it was the Canucks offence that made the difference and quite frankly, if that keeps up, it will make the Canucks a legitimate contender for the Stanley Cup.

Meanwhile, it was a big week for the two Pennsylvania teams. The Philadelphia Flyers, who were 5-1 against the New Jersey Devils during the regular season, continued to take it to the Devils and ousted favoured New Jersey in five games. We picked Jersey in seven, but we did not believe that Philly would put a blanket on the Devils the way they did. We also didn’t expect goaltender Brian Boucher to be as good he was (1.59 goals against average and a .940 save percentage) and yet he was clearly the pleasant surprise of the series.

It was a little tougher for the Pittsburgh Penguins who needed six games to take out the Ottawa Senators. The Sens were feisty in this one and despite a serious stomach problem, Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson did everything he could to keep the Sens alive. Unfortunately for Ottawa fans, it wasn’t enough against a Sidney Crosby-led Pens team that really looked like the defending Stanley Cup champions when it counted. Crosby finished the six game series with 14 points and appears to be on the way to a Conn Smythe Trophy.

The San Jose Sharks took out Colorado in six games and I’m surprised it went six. The San Jose players finally got rid of the knots in their collective stomach and won a playoff round with ease. It’s about time.

Before the week ends, Boston, Washington, Chicago and, yes I still believe Detroit, should wrap up the remaining four series. That will leave us at 7-1 in the opening round and ready to predict a Vancouver-Pittsburgh Stanley Cup final.

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Things to Consider With Three Weeks to Go.

Posted on March 19, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

ST. PAUL, Minn. — While the general managers and the league’s other tall foreheads try to come to terms with illegal checks to the head (sorry, boys, but the rulebook is full of rules that would get headshots out of the game), the rest of the NHL is just playing hockey.

So with about three weeks to play before the Stanley Cup playoffs are upon us, let’s take a look at the league from a Winnipeg perspective:

1) Although he says he has not completely made up his mind, it appears that after 18 seasons, former Winnipeg Jets captain Keith Tkachuk is nearing the end of his brilliant career.

Saying his future in St. Louis is now, Tkachuk wouldn’t admit whether or not he was retiring at the end of the season, but he did say, “I often think about this being the end.” No doubt, the Hall of Fame awaits.

2) Remember when the San Jose Sharks had a very comfortable 12-point lead in the Pacific Division? Well, not anymore. That’s because the Phoenix Coyotes have won seven straight and have moved to within three points (at the beginning of the weekend) of the heavily favored and quite talented division leaders.

The 44-22-5 Coyotes have all but assured themselves of a spot in the post-season for the first time since 2002. Now, however, they are closing in on home ice advantage in the West. This should be a great finish.

3) By now, it has to be official. There is no better coach in the NHL than Dauphin’s Barry Trotz (OK, maybe Dave Tippett in Phoenix, but nobody else). Trotz, the only coach the Nashville Predators have ever had, has the no-name, star-less Predators in seventh place five points ahead up on eight-place Detroit (at the start of the weekend).

That shouldn’t happen. The Preds just don’t have the personnel. But Trotz has made them a playoff contender – they beat L.A. on the road this week and have won four straight — and that says more about his brilliance than anything else.

4) Calling it “a retaliatory hit to the head,” the National Hockey League suspended Anaheim Ducks defenseman James Wisniewski for eight games without pay for that terrible hit to the face and head of Brent Seabrook on Wednesday night.

Wisniewski definitely gave Seabrook a cheap shot, but an eight-game suspension after giving Alexander Ovechkin only two? The NHL justice department is completely nonsensical.

5) The Montreal Canadiens have looked very good at times this season. They’ve had two four-game winning streaks. But not until the Olympic break, have the Habs put together so many outstanding games in succession. In fact, with six straight wins heading into the weekend, Montreal has moved into the playoff driver’s seat in the East.

After Tuesday night’s game, a 3-1 win over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden, the Habs moved past Philly and into sixth place in the Eastern Conference (later in the week they fell back into seventh). The Bruins are eighth with 74 points, four points back, while ninth-place Atlanta and the Rangers are seven points back. With only 12 to play, the red-hot Habs are in control of their own playoff destiny.

6) Perhaps no one has noticed, but Winnipeg’s Travis Zajac is having a season to remember. Zajac, the 24-year-old rightwinger out of the University of North Dakota has moved into the Top 35 in NHL scoring with 21 goals and 38 assists.

Perhaps more importantly, the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder, is a terrific plus-14. By the time the next Olympics roll around, he’ll be one of the best players in the game, if he isn’t already.

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