That's My World Tuesday #31: Caniac Fever

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"Signs and Symptoms I"
Raleigh, NC - May 2009 (Click to embiggen)

It doesn't happen every year, but when it does it's unmistakable. When the end of the NHL's regular season arrives, the top eight teams in each conference begin the grueling pursuit of the Stanley Cup. Four rounds of best-of-seven and the best hockey you will ever see. If one of the eight teams in the Eastern Conference Playoffs is Raleigh's Carolina Hurricanes, there will be an outbreak of Caniac Fever. Symptoms include spontaneous and thematic decorating by both the public and private sectors, and perhaps most notably periodic gatherings at RDU International Airport when the team charter returns from a road trip. The worst outbreak to date occurred in 2006 when the Canes won their 16th game of the post-season and claimed the ultimate prize. That outbreak lasted well into the following fall.

"Signs and Symptoms II"
Raleigh, NC - May 2009 (Click to embiggen)

Banners of the type pictured above are a sure sign of the condition, and pop up all over the city. Neither the private nor public sectors are immune. As the Hurricanes go deeper into the playoffs, even the state capitol building has been known to fly the team flag from its roof. But the surest and earliest warning sign is the gathering of large groups at the airport on nights when the team travels home. For the seasoned fan, relapses of this symptom occur instantly. For the recent convert or casual observer, it may take longer. But by the time the final game is played, scenes like the one below will play out multiple times. This year there could be an unusually high number of these parties since the Hurricanes will not have have home ice advantage in any round of the playoffs, and both of the first two rounds went the full seven games. The photo below was taken after the most recent of these deciding games. Estimates of crowd size vary widely, but the range seems to be between 500 and 1000. At 2:30 a.m. on a weekday. And the Eastern Conference Finals are just starting.

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It's The Playoffs Stupid - The Series That Wouldn't Die

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Starring Cam Ward, Eric Staal, Jussi Jokinen, Sergei Samsonov, Chad LaRose
with
Tuomo Ruutu, Scott Walker, Ray Whitney, Matt Cullen
Joe Corvo, Tim Gleason, Joni Pitkanen, Dennis Seidenberg
Ryan Bayda, Rod Brind'Amour, Erik Cole, Patrick Eaves
Niclas Wallin, Anton Babchuk, Frantisek Kaberle

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I gotta give the Bruins credit... I stuck a fork in 'em after Game 4 and they weren't quite done. The Series That Wouldn't Die took 7 games and almost a full overtime period to settle, but in the end one team goes on, one goes home. See you at RDU International in an hour or so. *grin*

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It's the Playoff Stupid - Time to Close This Out, Guys.

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It's The Playoffs, Stupid - Dear Boston Bruins:

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To you, to your coach, to your media I say "You got owned. Get over it."

I'm sick to death of hearing how you didn't play your best game. How you haven't executed your game plan. How you're being persecuted by the officials.

You want to know why you're facing triple match point in this series? Can you handle the truth? You've been outworked, outhustled, and outthought -- in short outplayed -- by a team you came in with too little respect for. You breezed through a series with a Canadiens team that had been trying as hard as they knew how to implode for most of the year and you expected it to be easy. Trouble is, now you're up against a team with some teeth and it's not easy anymore.

It's the playoffs, stupid. If you're not gonna bring your A-game, you don't belong here. Go home. We'll help you pack.

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It's The Playoffs, Stupid: Airport Landing Party 2009, Chapter 4

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You didn't really think I'd forget to put up the latest Caniac Landing Party photos did you? Actually I meant to shoot video instead this time, but ...heh... forgot to charge the camcorder battery. Maybe after Game 5, eh?

So what can I tell you that you don't already know? After a puzzling implosion in Game 1 that had the Hurricanes looking like the team with nine days of rust buildup, the good guys rebounded with a solid-if-not-always-pretty performance in front of a sensational 36-save outing by The Caminator. As a group, the Canes still have another level (or two) they can reach -- which is bad news for Bruins fans, but encouraging for those on the side of the angels. There were still some pretty iffy decisions with the puck in the defensive zone and far too many clearing attempts that misfired and could have been disastrous. They weren't disastrous simply because Cam Ward was completely unconscious, snuffing out anything bearing a passing resemblance to a shot on goal. The team as a whole may not have played a perfect game, but The Caminator was as perfect as a goalie can get: a playoff shutout. His fourth in his young career and second in these playoffs.

But don't get the idea that Boston will roll over and die now that they've lost for the first time in the postseason. You have to win four games to advance and the Bruins didn't get to be the top seeded team in the East 'cause they're pretty (they're not). And every hockey mind in the business is calling for a long six- or even seven-game series. Of course, many of those same great minds stuck a fork in Carolina after Game 1. So consider the sources...

Game 3 tonight at 7:30 on our ice. Forget the stats about the team winning Game 3 of a series tied 1-1 winning the series. In fact, you can take all those averages and heave them cheerfully over the side, because Carolina beat those odds in every odd-numbered game in the first round. The team winning the go-ahead game in a tied series -- whether that be a 1-1 tie or a 2-2 tie -- wins the lions share of best of sevens. Carolina lost both of those games against New Jersey, but won the one that counted when the series was tied 3-3. How huge would a win tonight be for the Canes? Consider this: Carolina has not had a series lead in the post season other than after the final game of the first round -- to win the round. So the difference between 2-1 and 1-2 would be monumental in scope. The converse of that statement, however, doesn't hold. Being down in a series is just another day at the office for these guys and I don't think a Game 3 loss will have nearly the impact on the locker room as a Game 3 win would.

The keys will be to take better care of the puck in the defensive zone, to traverse the neutral zone as quickly as possible and to get Tim Thomas moving his feet. Thomas isn't a practitioner of sound positional goaltending, he's strictly a reflexive style player. Which is much, much harder to be proficient at Dominic Hasek notwithstanding. Bad angle shots with a couple of low forwards there to cash in on the rebounds should get him moving which will expose some holes that can be exploited by snipers like Eric Staal and Ray Whitney. And considering the disappearing act of the Canes power play, they would be better served to play this game at even strength. so far their penalty kill had shut down Boston's very impressive power play unit, but that isn't a well you need to go to this often. In the two game sso far, Carolina has yielded 7 PP chances while getting only 2. And strangely enough the Canes have scored more often on the Bruins' power play than the Bruins have so far. that is not a trend that will continue if Boston continues to get the preponderance of PP chances.

But this is why they play the games. If the Stanley Cuop were won by bloggers, it wouldn't be the Stanley Cup. So look at some pitchers and keep yer fingers crossed.

Full sized version available here!

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Shutterday #26 - Theme 115: "How Have You Been?"

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"Caniac Landing Party, RDU International Airport"
Raleigh, NC - April 2009 (Click to embiggen)
Next week's theme: "New"

 Find Out More

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It's The Playoffs Stupid - Round 1 Wrapup, Round 2 Schedule

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As promised, here are the photos from this year's third RDU Landing Party. This one was more like the ones of years past. And about time too!

Full sized version available here!

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Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Results

(1) Boston Bruins       d. (8) Montreal Canadiens    4-0
(2) Washington Capitals d. (7) New York Rangers      4-3
(6) Carolina Hurricanes d. (3) New Jersey Devils     4-3
(4) Pittsburgh Penguins d. (5) Philadelphia Flyers   4-2

Western Conference Quarterfinal Results

(8) Anaheim Ducks       d. (1) San Jose Sharks       4-2
(2) Detroit Red Wings   d. (7) Columbus Blue Jackets 4-0
(3) Vancouver Canucks   d. (6) St Louis Blues        4-0
(4) Chicago Blackhawks  d. (5) Calgary Flames        4-2

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Eastern Conference Semifinals (all times Eastern)
Boston Bruins (1) v. Carolina Hurricanes (6)

1. Fri 5/1  7:30 PM @BOS     3. Wed 5/6  7:30 PM @CAR
2. Sun 5/3  7:30 PM @BOS     4. Fri 5/8  7:30 PM @CAR
5. Sun 5/10 7:30 PM @BOS*    6. Tue 5/12 7:00 PM @CAR*
7. Thu 5/15 TBD     @BOS*    * if necessary

Washington Capitals (2) v. Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

1. Sat 5/2  1:00 PM @WSH     3. Wed 5/6  7:00 PM @PIT
2. Mon 5/4  7:00 PM @WSH     4. Fri 5/8  7:00 PM @PIT
5. Sat 5/9  7:00 PM @WSH*    6. Mon 5/11 TBD  PM @PIT*
7. Wed 5/13 7:00 PM @WSH*    * if necessary

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Western Conference Semifinals (all times Eastern)
Detroit Red Wings (2) v. Anaheim Ducks (8)

1. Fri 5/1 7:00 PM  @DET     3. Tue 5/5 10:30 PM @ANA
2. Sun 5/3 2:00 PM  @DET     4. Thu 5/7 10:30 PM @ANA
5. Sun 5/10 5:00 PM @DET*    6. Tue 5/12 TBD     @ANA*
7. Thu 5/14 TBD     @DET*    * if necessary

Chicago Blackhawks (4) v. Vancouver Canucks (3)

1. Thu 4/30 9:00 PM  @VAN    3. Tue 5/5  8:00 PM  @CHI
2. Sat 5/2  9:00 PM  @VAN    4. Thu 5/7  8:00 PM  @CHI
5. Sat 5/9 10:30 PM  @VAN*   6. Mon 5/11 9:00 PM  @CHI*
7. Thu 5/14 TBD      @VAN*    * if necessary

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It's The Playoffs, Stupid - Anything Can Happen

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Nostradamus got nothin' on me.

In my last ITPS post I said, "But after tonight, one group will be moving on and the other will be teeing off. Which will be doing which won't be settled until the final horn sounds."

It literally took that long.

Game 7 was a mirror of the overall series with neither team able to gain more than a 1 goal advantage, and that was the advantage New Jersey carried into the third period. Carolina's Tuomo Ruutu opened the scoring just 62 seconds into the game and Ray Whitney pulled the Canes even at 2-2 early in the second, but after 40 minutes the Devils led 3-2 on goals by Jamie Langenbrunner, Jay Pandolfo and Brian Ralston.

The third period did not bode well for the visitors. So far in the series neither team had won back to back games. Neither team had lost when leading after two periods. And for the first 18 minutes there was no indication that either of these trends would change.

Any time a playoff series in any sport goes to a seventh game you hear the same line: "Anything can happen in a Game 7." You'll also hear: "You have to play through the final buzzer." But in reality, there usually aren't that many surprises. The trends are trends for a reason, and you can usually get comfortable with them.

Unless you're talking about a Carolina-New Jersey playoff game. Where the improbable -- sometimes nigh-impossible -- happens despite the odds. The Devils had already had a taste of it in Game 4 when Jussi Jokkinen deflected the game winner in with 0.2 seconds left. Some of the Devils were around in 2006 To witness Eric Staal answering a late goal with one of his own 3 seconds from the end of Game 2 to tie the score and send the game to overtime.

And the way this series had gone in the first six games, there really wasn't any other way for it to end than with an heroic late-game score. So it really shouldn't have surprised anybody when Jokkinen ripped a bad angle snap shot past Brodeur with 1:20 left in regulation to knot the score at 3.

But even the most reckless gambler wouldn't have placed a bet on Eric Staal putting another puck past the winningest goaltender in history just 48 seconds later to give the Hurricanes their first lead since 2:31 of the first period.

Under the circumstances, it seems safe to say that Caniacs everywhere forgot how to exhale for the next 31.7 seconds. Especially with a faceoff coming up deep in the Carolina zone and the Jersey net empty for a sixth attacker. And the Devils didn't disappoint, they unleashed a desperate forecheck for the last half-minute. Carolina was unable to clear the zone, and New Jersey managed a handful of scoring chances -- most of them right in Cam Ward's face.

But when the final horn blew and the smoke cleared Ward was still standing, and the score hadn't changed. The sellout crowd that had been buzzing for the entire third period fell into stunned silence, and the handshake lines that are a part of every series ending game took place in an eerie quiet. By the time Jussi Jokkinen did his postgame interview with analyst Tripp Tracy, the stands in the sparkling new Prudential Center were dark and empty.

And folks, this was only the first round. There are three rounds still remaining to play.

What will they do for an encore?

(PS: Were there Caniacs at RDU International? Oh my yes. Hundreds. Pictures to follow later!)

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It's The Playoffs, Stupid - "There Will Be Caniacs"

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The playoff series between Carolina and New Jersey is one that simply had to go to seven games. There's just no other way that a series this completely even could end. And it's not just that the series is tied at 3-3. It's been a dead heat in virtually every aspect. Both teams have had one game in which they pretty much laid an egg (Game 1 for Carolina, and Game 6 for New Jersey). Total goals for the series are 13-12 (favoring Carolina), total shots on goal are 208-207 (also favoring Carolina). New Jersey has been slightly more efficient (2-for-23) than the Canes (2-for-25) on the power play, but both teams have only 2 power play goals to show for the series. Even faceoff percentage -- customarily a category the Hurricanes carry a significant advantage in -- is almost even (less than a 1% difference). Both teams have won a game on the road, both goaltenders have a shutout and neither team has managed back-to-back wins to date.

In summary, Game 7 is a toss up. It will, in all probability, be decided by a bounce, a deflection, an untimely lost edge or penalty. What we've had through the first six games is a bout between two heavyweight fighters measuring each other out, knowing that to win they'll have to deliver (and avoid) a knockout.

Even stylistically the two mirror each other with the top lines virtually canceled out by the top defense pairs. Every goal -- nay, every puck -- has been contested with neither team willing to give any quarter. There hasn't been anything even close to a "soft" goal through six games -- every one of them has come hard. And even though the Devils have a guaranteed first-ballot Hall of Famer minding their goal, he's been matched virtually save-for-save by the former Conn Smythe Trophy winner at the other end.

Does it get any better than this? I submit that it does not. And even though I am very much not a Devils fan, in a way it's a shame that either team has to lose this series. But after tonight, one group will be moving on and the other will be teeing off. Which will be doing which won't be settled until the final horn sounds.

One thing -- possibly the only thing -- that is certain is that when the Hurricanes arrive at RDU International a gathering of True Believers will await them. A win will bring out a larger crowd obviously, but win or lose There Will Be Caniacs. Count on it.
How do I know this? Well I can tell you there will be at least one all-weather fan there sporting the number 11 on his white CCM replica sweater. And if I'm there by myself, so be it. But I won't be alone. Because I know Caniacs, and I've seen how they are firsthand. So grab a cuppa, and I'll tell you a little story, and then you'll see why I'm so confident about the landing party.

Only two guys still on the current roster (Rod Brind'Amour and Niclas Wallin) were playing with the Canes back in the 2001 East Quarterfinal, but I'm betting neither of them have forgotten the deciding game of that series. Neither have the other two former players (Ron Francis and Glen Wesley) still with the organization who were on the roster then. (Although Francis's memory of that day might be a little fuzzy since he'd been concussed by Scott Stevens earlier). The opponent was (who else?) New Jersey, the top seed in the East that year. The Canes were not just the 8th seed, they weren't expected to win a game in the series. And for a while it looked as though they wouldn't. They spotted the Devils a 3-0 series lead and looked like they were headed for the golf course without much of a fight. But sometime in between Games 3 and 4 somebody found the ignition switch and the good guys came roaring back with a win at home in Game 4 and a surprise win in New Jersey in Game 5. Suddenly they were right back in it -- though still facing a double match point.

The glass slipper would shatter back home in Raleigh in Game 6 though. The Devils won the game 5-1 and the series 4-2. But what happened in that decisive Game 6 was something I still can't explain, and still gives me chills any time I think about it.

With something like 5 minutes remaining in the season for the home team and a 5-1 deficit on the scoreboard, the fans got on their feet -- but it wasn't to head for the exits. Almost as if it were prearranged, a standing ovation of legendary proportion (and decibel level) began, and the chant "Let's Go Canes!" nearly lifted the roof off the building then known as the ESA. The final 5 minutes were played in an environment that would become famous the next spring. So loud that the players on the ice couldn't hear the whistle and the players on the bench couldn't hear each other. When the final seconds had ticked off and the handshake lines began, an observer that had just tuned in would have thought the home team had pulled off another miracle finish. And it wasn't until the last player left the ice that the noise level subsided. It was a phenomenon that's still mentioned in reverent tones among the Believers. And I'm not sure, but it may have been that day that the word "Caniac" was coined.

So will there be Caniacs at RDU tonight? Win or lose, you can take it to the bank.

There Will Be Caniacs.

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It's The Playoffs, Stupid - Airport Rally, Take 2

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Cam Ward allowed just one of 42 shots on goal to get by him Thursday night as the Canes took on the Devils in Game 5. One shot from the point through a screen and deflected at the last millisecond. One goal. Which was exactly one more than Marty Brodeur allowed at the other end. And now the Canes are in the unenviable position of facing elimination with the Devils up 3 games to 2 in the series.

Considering the number of first class scoring chances generated by both teams this could have very easily been a 6-5 game. Between them the two teams put 86 shots on goal (44-42 with the edge to Carolina). And the highlight reel will be an end to end progression of "He-did-what??" saves from both goaltenders.

It wasn't the outcome we expected, and certainly not the one we wanted, but a group of True Believers still gathered to pay homage as the team landed at RDU International at 12:50 a.m.. But this time -- to their credit -- the airport authority was prepared for us. And in a good way. It seems that a lot of back channel conversations took place since the last episode (recounted here) and the RDU Airport Authority decided it was easier and better for all concerned if they worked with us than trying to chase us off. (As a postscript to that... "encounter" we did get a shout out from Mike Sundheim, the team's Media Relations Manager, here.)

I give the RDU folks full marks too. They didn't stop at just letting us hang out in their airport, they opened up Park and Ride Lot #2 -- normally only open on holidays as an overflow lot -- for us to use and even put out signs along the road directing arriving fans to the lot. (Granted, the signs weren't very big and easy to miss, but they were there and that's the point.)

As a veteran of the Greensboro Days (the Hurricanes' celebrated "Black Period") I grew to hate the phrase "small but enthusiastic crowd", and I'd really hoped for a better turnout than there was. But after all, it was a weeknight and we'd just lost a tough game and yada-yada. So by the time the plane touched down there were only about 50 of us on hand.

By all reports I've heard from fans in other NHL cities, that's about 50 more than you'd see in most places though. Even in the "traditional" hockey markets it seems this isn't a common practice. Canes players who have come here from places like Montreal, Detroit, Chicago... they're always amazed by the phenomenon. Then again, I'm not sure I'd be all that keen about hanging out at the far end of O'Hare in the middle of the night. Could be hazardous to your health.

For their part the team had that grim-faced look that guys who've just lost a tough game always have. I've always wondered how they feel about it when they have to run the gauntlet of fans after a loss. Does it pick them up or would they rather pass on the festivities? I don't know about the players, but the Canes GM Jim Rutherford actually stopped his car as he made the turn onto the road and thanked the folks standing along the curb for coming out.

But perhaps the greatest quote of the night came from one of the airport police officers who's been on hand for both of this year's events. As we were leaving, he said, "Thanks for being so compliant."

I had to laugh.

Of course there are pictures!

For a full-sized slideshow (that you can slow down), go here.

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It's The Playoffs, Stupid - Could We Try It Without Digitalis Next Time?

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Every time The Hurricanes and Devils get together in the playoffs, there's at least one game where we can count on getting a cardio workout right there in front of the TV or in the stands. Last time around, Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinal, the two teams had played to a 1-1 deadlock for 59 minutes and 39 seconds. Then all of a sudden Zach Parise broke the tie with 21 seconds to play, the Devils went up 2-1 in the game and the fans started filing for the door. Not so fast fellas. After a timeout, goalie Cam Ward took a seat in favor of a sixth attacker and with just under three seconds to play Eric Staal roofed a shot that tied the score at 2 and sent the game to overtime. And those that had left -- upon hearing the goal horn -- started a stampede back into the building. Not surprisingly, the arena staffers minding the doors didn't even bother trying to stop them. Much safer that way. Anyway, on that night Nick "The Secret Weapon" Wallin deked around Martin Brodeur and dribbled a shot behind him to win it in OT. It was Wallin's third career playoff goal -- all three of which have come in sudden death.

So what do you do for an encore after a finish like that? You play Game 4 of the 2009 East Quarterfinal. Carolina looked for all the world like a team on a search and destroy mission in the first two periods. they finished checks, they tracked down loose pucks, they crashed the net, they made smart decisions with the puck and in general they dominated both ends of the rink for 40 minutes.

Then with 28 seconds left in the second period, they gave Brian Gionta a tiny opening and he cashed in beating Ward cleanly on a partial breakaway. You could almost hear the nerves set in.

And in the third period, you could see them too. Or possibly it was just the breath of life that Jersey got from the late goal in the second. Whatever it was, the Devils tied it with about 11 minutes left to play in regulation. And suddenly the Hurricanes didn't look quite as dominant.

It wasn't like they played badly though. But they couldn't break Brodeur again and the clock was winding down looking for all the world like this would be the third consecutive overtime game of the series.

Not.so.fast.

With the final two seconds ticking off the clock, Dennis Seidenberg let a shot rip from the point. It glanced off Jussi Jokkinen's left skate and came to rest in the New Jersey goal. The red light went on. the goal horn sounded. the fans blew the roof off the RBC Center. Again.

But did it count?

Hockey is a bit different from most sports in this way. A football game isn't considered over until the last play of the game is completed. Basketball players only need to release the buzzer beater before the final second ticks away. But in hockey, the entire puck must be across the goal line before time expires. In other words, you have to have scored the goal, not simply be in the act of scoring it when the final horn sounds to end a period or game in order for the goal to count.

And nobody knew initially if there was any time left on the clock when the puck crossed the line or not. So for a few brief, gut-wrenching moments, it wasn't certain if the Canes had won 4-3 in regulation or if the game would go to sudden death OT.

The video review conclusively showed the puck crossing the line completely with 0.2 seconds left on the clock. It was an official NHL record -- the latest anyone has ever scored a goal in any game. And it's a record that will probably stand for a very long time.

At least until the Hurricanes and Devils meet in the playoffs again.

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Two4Tuesday #9: "Happy/Sad"

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"The Guys in Red Are The Happy Ones"
Raleigh, NC - June 19, 2006 (Click to embiggen)
Top 4 for the week of 4.21.2009

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It's The Playoffs, Stupid - Things That Happened

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In order to understand what you're about to see, a little background is necessary first.

In 2001 a small band of Hurricanes fans (we weren't called "Caniacs" yet then, but this was part of the legend behind that nickname) managed to suss out where and when the team charter would land after Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series against New Jersey. And they came out to RDU International to meet the team when they touched down. At the time, this was probably considered a blip on the radar and probably not very well attended because nobody knew about it.

But it didn't stop there. During the miraculous -- or at least improbable -- run to the 2002 Eastern Conference Championship and the team's first ever appearance in the Stanley Cup Final, the "improvised airport rallies" became entrenched in the culture of the Caniac Nation. By the time the team brought home the Prince of Wales Trophy representing the conference title, the crowds numbered in the hundreds -- or even thousands. The team and the airport played the time and location of the team's arrival pretty close to the vest initially. Then I guess somebody figured out that it made a good media event, and the affairs became semi-legitimized.

By 2006, fans were tracking the plane by its tail number on Blackberries and wireless equipped laptops and keeping the rest of us informed of progress. The events got bigger, and the press was taking them over. The airport authority cordoned off areas for use by the media -- which they didn't use because they could pretty much go where the rest of us couldn't anyway. But being the professionals that they are, the fans got through it. (I featured a bit about the last of these rallies of 2006 in this post. That crowd was big enough that getting them all in one photo required a helicopter shot, so you can guess the scale.)

So after another extended hiatus from the postseason, the Canes are back and so are the rallies, right?

Not so fast. They threw us a curve this year. They moved and didn't tell us. They don't fly into the same place anymore. Not that the old spot was anything to write home about -- just a nondescript unmarked hangar on the ramp in General Aviation. So after Game 2 of the East Quarterfinal, the cluster of fans that arrived expecting the usual gathering in the usual place were greeted by nothing but darkness. No lights, no cars, no sign of life at all. The hangar we'd grown to love looked completely deserted. And there had been no mention of this on the team website or in the paper or on the TV...

It was a sucker punch. But clearly these people fail to comprehend the level of commitment of a Caniac. You won't be able to hide from the True Believers indefinitely. And they didn't. After wandering around in the dark for an hour or so, the gathering took to the road and some of our more devoted (and yes, female) fans noticed that the players' cars were parked at Landmark Aviation. (No, I don't know how they came to know what the players drive, I thought it best not to ask.) Eventually the gathering found its way to the Landmark hangar, and started to set up camp.

Not as great an idea as it sounds like... Apparently somebody at Landmark noticed the crowd and informed the FAA who summoned the gendarmes to go and disperse the mob. Equally apparent was the apprehension the two (count 'em, two) officers they sent to disperse the crowd felt when they realized they had roughly 100 people on their hands. But after a brief show of force (which included clapping one of the crowd in irons temporarily) they realized we weren't going to get belligerent, we were simply continuing a time-honored -- and peaceful -- tradition. But it seems that nobody in the Canes organization had filled Landmark in that this was as much a part of post-season life in Raleigh as ticket scalping and ibuprofen. (Though you'd think after the last three trips to the playoffs, everybody at RDU would realize this... but I digress.)

Were we deterred? Surely you can guess the answer to that question. One of the more diplomatic among us managed to arrive at a compromise that was agreeable to both the fans and the airport cops we outnumbered 50-to-1. We would go and park at the Observation Deck and then take up station along the roadway where the park and ride lot abutted the road the players would use to exit. So the improvised pep rally became an improvised parade. Which could actually turn out better in a way. If nothing else, the media will have their own area and can leave ours alone. But I notice none of them were there last night. Did they have so little faith in the resourcefulness of the fans that they figured there was no story to be had?

Surely that can't be it. Because if that were true, this post wouldn't exist. And since it does, there must have been a story. And the media would certainly have known that, right? Right?

Well they know now.

For a full-sized slideshow, go here.

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It's The Playoffs, Stupid

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You heard it here first. The roads to the Stanley Cup Final will lead through Newark and Detroit.

Do I mean that we'll see the Devils and Red Wings playing for the hardware? Not necessarily. But my feeling is that the teams that wind up in the Final, will either be those two or the team(s) that beat them. If you want to make it to the top, these are the teams to beat in my humble estimation.

Now why would I say this when the Bruins and Sharks have been at the top of the heap all year? Don't misunderstand; I'm not disparaging either of those teams or trying to minimize their accomplishments -- not for a minute. But take a hard look at what the Devils and Wings have done -- and the context for it. Both teams finished with 51 wins (the Sharks and Bruins finished with 53 each by comparison) and in the process won their respective divisions. Those two divisions though, account for half of the teams in the playoffs.

Detroit won another Central Division title. Ho-hum-yawn-big-deal, right? Detroit wins the Central division every year usually because the Central is a one- or at best two-horse race. Nobody other than Nashville has really challenged the Wings for supremacy in the division in years. This year, Nashville is the only Central team not in the playoffs. So the Red Wings didn't collect their 51 wins and 112 points by feasting on a weak division. And even though divisional play was (thankfully) scaled back from 8 games to 6 this year winning the Central was anything but a cakewalk for once.

Then there's New Jersey, who win the Atlantic Division almost as frequently as Detroit wins the Central. They did it again this year in a year when the Atlantic also has four representatives in the playoffs. But here's the kicker: They did it without Martin Brodeur for a large part of the year. Brodeur, who claimed the top spot in career wins by an NHL goalie this year, missed 50 games of the regular season and the Devils not only won the division, but a franchise record 51 games. When you can do that without the services of arguably the best goalie in history, I have to say you're the team to beat. But there's another wrinkle in the story. Marty Brodeur typically plays 70+ games a year. Being his backup is -- in most years -- the Maytag Repairman job of the NHL. This year, he's heading into the playoffs fresher than he's ever been because his body hasn't suffered the abuse of a 75-start regular season.

And in another statistical oddity, the Devils have played the Hurricanes in the playoffs three times since the 2000-2001 season. All three times, the winner of that series represented the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Final. And the Devils first round opponent this year? The Carolina Hurricanes. This setup excites me because Carolina won two of those three previous meetings -- in 2002 and 2006.

The schedule was still being sorted when I checked last, but here are all of the matchups for those that care.

Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Round
(1) Boston Bruins (53-19-10 116) v. (8) Montreal Canadiens (41-30-11 93)
(2) Washington Capitals (50-24-8 108) v. (7) New York Rangers (43-30-9 95)
(3) New Jersey Devils (51-27-4 106) v. (6) Carolina Hurricanes (45-30-7 97)
(4) Pittsburgh Penguins (45-28-9 99) v. (5) Philadelphia Flyers (44-27-11 99)

Western Conference Quarterfinal Round
(1) San Jose Sharks (53-18-11 117) v. (8) Anaheim Ducks (42-33-7 91)
(2) Detroit Red Wings (51-21-10 112) v. (7) Columbus Blue Jackets (41-31-10 92)
(3) Vancouver Canucks (45-27-10 100) v. (6) St Louis Blues (41-31-10 92)
(4) Chicago Blackhawks (46-24-12 104) v. (5) Calgary Flames (46-30-6 98)

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