The dust has finally settled with the 2014/2015 NHL season coming to an end, and the NHL Blackhawks (formerly Chicago because let's face it, they are the leagues precious team) are the Stanley Cup champions for the third time in six seasons. As for the Anaheim Ducks, we all know the disappointing result of the Western Conference Final which was all too familiar. I was planning to go into a little bit of detail, but after talking to my fellow Ducks buddy, Albert, I'm just going to sum it up into one sentence:
"Game 7: Ugh. That sucked...again."
From last two game 7's against the Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings, one would have hoped that the third time (or in this case, third game 7) could have been the charm. However, that was not the case. Game 7 ended yet in another team embarrassment - one in which was personally harder to swallow than the results of those other games from the prior two seasons. Some said that last years game 7 disappointment was worse due to the fact of Anaheim's lack for showing up to the fan rivaled LA Kings...
But not for me.
This one was harder because I felt Anaheim were the better team with not only skill, but physically and offensively. Yes, the Hawks are one offensive power and Duncan Keith is powered by the Force which can be measure as strong as a small pony, but the Ducks loss to themselves, and they were one win away from facing off against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the SCF after taking game 5 in dramatic OT fashion and going 3-2 against Chicago then failing to win games 6 & 7. Had Anaheim gone to the Cup final, I feel they would have taken the title, but I digress. Anaheim's effort towards the end was pathetic (which is why it's taken a while for me to write about it) and the pain was just too real.
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| [sad shaves are sad] |
So, what happens now? This post season showed that the team are still in need of a number 1 caliber defenseman. It also showed that Beauchemin is on the end of his career, and the WCF put the spotlight on his number of defensive break downs. Leadership is also a question. Yes, it was announce that Getzy had a sports hernia that doesn't require surgery, but most of the team didn't show up as well as Andersen giving up bad goals at the wrong time. The bright spots were players like Kesbae (who showed more leadership than the hairless cap'n himself), Cogs, Silvfy, and Thompson. Hell, even Stoner played better than Beauch! With the NHL Draft and Free Agent Frenzy quickly approaching, it will be interesting to see what the team does to fix their minor issues. It was announced Tuesday that Matty B wants to be a greedy-not-so-proven player by "immediately rejecting" what sources reported an over-paying 4-yr/$16MM contract. With that, Beleskey will test free-agency, and I'm hoping GM Barstool Bob will work a trade before July 1. There's not much that the team need to fix beside said 1D and possibly a forward. Barstool is not one to shell out a lot of money for just a name, so we will have to wait and see.
I just hope the next 100+ days go by rather quickly, and I know I'm not the only one. Either way, I'll still be posting during the summer when news hits...cuz I gots no life.
Go Ducks!
