On Thursday January 5, 2011 HBO aired its final installment of the 24/7 Road to the Winter Classic series. We all saw how the Winter Classic ended with the Rangers winning big after 3 big come-back goals (two from former Penguins Mike Rupp!). I was really hoping Rupp would have gotten a hatty that would have been so awesome and a Winter Classic first! Instead this year’s Winter Classic first was a penalty shot for the Flyers. I feel that Rupp was bit caught in the moment with his Jagr Salute to the crowd after his first goal. I don’t think he was trying to be insulting, but what do I know? Just my assumptions.
I honestly have to say that I feel bad for Sean Avery. This has not been his season, being on and off waivers twice now! I do understand Coach Tortorella’s point though of him not being a good fit for the team this season. I just hope that somewhere down the line whether it be with the Rangers or another team that Avery gets his shot and gets to keep playing in the big league where he belongs.
Henrik Lundqvist showed why he is a top goalie by completely stoning Danny Briere on the Penalty shot. I know there was this huge controversy with the refs and Tortorella and how things seem rigged. What did everyone else think of his comments? Should he have been fined? I think pointing out how he felt was fine but the constant blaming and pity he seemed to be trying to get from the league for the Rangers. I think he is lucky that is was just a fine of $30,000.
Congratulations to Marc Staal on his return from a concussion. Coming back on the day of the Winter Classic just like his younger brother Jordan did last year in Pittsburgh. The only difference is that Marc’s team won.
Was so intense to see/re-see the game between the Flyers and the Penguins. After living in Pittsburgh for 5 years I know how incredibly strong that rivalry is, and how awesome both cities glow with their team’s colors on game night! Brought tears to my eyes to see that Max Talbot (one of my all time favorite players) had such a nice reception back in Pittsburgh and that they made that very nice tribute to him. I like how he honored them by raising his hand and stick to them, classy guy! After scoring that empty netter at the end though probably won’t give him such a warm welcome next time he is in Pittsburgh, but that is the way of the game. He made the best choice for his career and after Pitt publicly said they had no interest in resigning him who could really stay mad at him? Did everyone in Pittsburgh just expect him to hang up his skates because he couldn’t stay in Pitt? Look at him know scoring goals and doing such good things for the Flyers. Any true fan of his when he was a Penguin knows his heart is still in Pittsburgh and I have a feeling when it does get time for those skates to be hung he will probably be skating in Pittsburgh’s black and gold again! One can only hope (I still have my Talbot shirt and jersey don’t go busting my bubble!!).
Jagr silenced his critic by also scoring on his former team…Well maybe not silenced got louder boos!
The only down side for Max is that he has now lost 2 of the Winter Classics he has played in. The one last year in Pittsburgh against the Capitals and the one this year with the Rangers. He would have played in the 2008 game but him and goal tender Marc-Andre Fleury where both out with injuries. Good second choice career with acting on HBO 24/7 though, also his season year!
Talbot isn’t the only one to have lost two Winter Classics, The Flyers; his new team has lost two as well. The first in 2010 against Boston, and this year.
I got a bit of a kick out of Wayne Simmonds and his “finger hole”. He, to me at least, was acting like a 5 year old! “How big of a hole!?” And then hiding his face in his jersey while the medical staff drilled the hole. I probably would have done the same thing! Glad to see it didn’t keep him out of the game but I guess he will be steering clear of Claude Giroux’s shot from now!
Speaking of Claude Giroux, how about his chirps at Lundqvist, during the game? “Come on just one goal?” How great and Lundqvist didn’t let it bother him at all, just a tap of the stick to say shut up and he was good.
So yes, HBO again did a fantastic job! I hope that next season will be as good, if not better. Props to the crew for what they do, and props to guys on the teams for putting up with camera’s and strangers following them around. I don’t understand how reality stars can do it day in and day out, so yes, GOOD JOB! Please put season two on DVD faster than you did the Penguins Capitals one, fans need it!
Thanks to Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy for the final F-bomb count of the final episode 67 (unofficial)
“Never get caught telling a hockey player it’s just a game.”
Yes, the orange juice is unlimited
Here is the Talbot tribute video : http://www.961kiss.com/pages/morningfreakshow.html?an=Pens-lose-to-Flyers-4-2-Jagr-Talbot-score-goals
No comments:
Post a Comment