The Ionic Mayor Mumbles

Last year he called the Winter Classic the "World Classic" when the NHL announced that the outdoor hockey game between the Bruins and the Flyers would take place at Fenway Park. Well, just as you thought it was safe to say that he wouldn't comment on the Beantown sports scene, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino (aka Mayor Mumbles) proved once again that preparing for a speech is "overrated".

The scene took place yesterday afternoon when the statue of Bobby Orr's Game-Winning Goal from the 1970 Stanley Cup finals was revealed outside the TD Garden entrance. The speech was the only ionic event on Monday, especially after the lackluster performance by the Black and Gold in Game 5, and no that is not an understatement either.

Check out the clip from CSNNE via YouTube:



Of course many of you will note that he had another blunder when Mumbles noted that Jason Varitek "split the uprights". This is in reference to the Patriots two Super Bowl wins in which Adam Vinatieri kicked the game-winning field goal.

But maybe Mumbles can make up for it down the road. Maybe he can note that Vinatieri caught four no-hitters or that he was instrumental in the Red Sox comeback against the Yankees in the ALCS in 2004.

As far as the Bruins, well they might be in danger of blowing a 3-0 lead themselves against the Flyers. I won't jump to conclusions right now, but they need to show a better performance right off the bat in Game 6 tomorrow night. Otherwise, Bruins fans might have to relive an "ionic" Flyers moment for a foreseeable future.

"Great Moments" in Bell Centre History: A fitting ending to a Centennial Drama

We all know that the Montreal Canadiens were a complete mess during their Centennial Season in 2008-09. Actually if you think about it, the Habs have been celebrating their 100th season since 1993, when Patrick Roy and company led the to their last Stanley Cup victory. I'm sure we'll get into the "Curse of Patrick Roy" but we should with this segment now. First a word from our "sponsor"...



The Date: April 22, 2009. The Scene: Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal against the Boston Bruins, with their heated rivals carrying a 3-0 series lead.

"A history" lesson in "Great Moments" in Bell Centre History

We all know -- at least in the state of Massachusetts -- that Patriots Day is a tradition every third Monday in April. We also know that school children get that day off -- at the K-12 level the whole week -- while the Red Sox always have a game in the late morning and of course, who can forget about the annual Boston Marathon.

Well, the last few years the Bruins have played on Patriots Day as well. Is it a co-incidence? I won't go into that, but you can make that judgement for yourself.

Back by popular Demand: 2010 Rosie Awards

Back by popular demand, the 2010 Rosie Awards will showcase the best of the hockey world for the third straight year.

Full details will come in a separate preview of the show, but I thought I'd get started with a simple question: What do you want to see in this year's Rosie's? Should I give another lifetime achievement award like I did with Al Strachan last year? Should that anonymous character who posts rumors and innuendos 24/7 be involved somehow? Would you like to see a performance?

I'm no expert, but I'm just telling it like it is

Before I go on and share my thoughts on Andy Sutton's postgame comments from Game 2 of the Penguins-Senators series, let's review what took place near the end of the first period. I don't know how the  refs missed this call, but there is no place for this type of goonery in hockey, as seen in the Matt Cooke cheap shot on Marc Savard -- in the same building -- nearly a month ago.

Here's another view on the Sutton hit on Pens defenseman Jordan Leopold:



Now Sutton should get suspended for the hit, but because of the consistently inconsistent business known as the National Hockey League, Sutton will probably get a slap on the wrist.

First Round Playoff Picks: West

After picking the first round for the East, it is now time to pick the first round in the Western Conference. Click here to view my Eastern Conference picks.

San Jose vs. Colorado

This series is a little similar to the 1-8 matchup in the East. One team was expected to be atop the conference, while one team wasn't really supposed to be in the playoffs. The youthful Avs have a bright future under head coach Joe Sacco, but the Sharks will make quick work of them this year.

Prediction: Sharks in Five

First Round Playoff Picks: East

Well, the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs are about four and a half hours away from puck drop as the Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins open things up at 7:00. That being said, now is a good time to share my first round picks for the Eastern Conference...


Washington vs. Montreal:

Getting to the playoffs even is an accomplishment for the Canadiens this year after a disastrous Centennial season. That being said, the Capitals are that much better and have more depth up front. Defensively, not so much, but they will advance and end the Habs 101st season.

Prediction: Caps in Four

Rosie's Rebounds: Hall vs. Seguin

With the first pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, the Edmonton Oilers select…

Okay, we won’t know quite yet whom the Oilers will select with the first pick, but we do know that it will either be Taylor Hall (Windsor Spitfires) or Tyler Seguin (Plymouth Whalers) from the Ontario Hockey League. So why can’t the speculation begin now?

This should be the most intriguing choice since 1987 (from a Canadian Hockey perspective) when the Buffalo Sabres took Pierre Turgeon of the Granby Bisons of the QMJHL as the No. 1 overall pick over Brendan Shanahan (London Knights, OHL), who was picked second by the New Jersey Devils.

Both players went on to have a long and successful career. Turgeon scored 515 goals and tallied 1327 points in his 19-year NHL career with the Sabres, Islanders, Canadiens, Blues, Stars and Avalanche, while Shanahan scored 656 goals and gathered 1,354 points in his 21 seasons with the Devils, Blues, Red Wings, Rangers and the old Hartford Whalers.

The major difference between the two, however, is the playoff success. Turgeon never made an appearance in the Stanley Cup during his career and only played in the conference finals once in 2001 with the Blues (he could have played in two conference finals if it wasn’t for Dale Hunter’s cheap shot in 1993 in the Patrick Division Finals, see video below). Meanwhile, Shanahan won three Cups with the Red Wings.

Inside Hockey's NCAA Video Previews

I had the privilege to be joined by a fellow colleague at Inside Hockey - also known as Kevin Edelson - for our video previews for IH of the NCAA Tournament.

Northeast Regional



Both Kevin and I agreed that BC would come out of this region against North Dakota. East Coast Bias perhaps?

East Regional



Kevin and I agreed that Cornell is coming out of this region. Is this another case of East Coast Bias?

West Regional



Ok, I went with Wisconsin in this regional and Kevin went with St. Cloud State for our WCHA representatives in the Frozen Four. Perhaps East Coast Bias is dead right?

Midwest Regional



In this regional we both picked a representative from the CCHA as I picked Miami and Kevin picked Michigan.

Frozen Four Picks



Kevin going against Michigan in their own state at Ford Field? You don't say? Well, at the end of the day"East Coast Bias" is now in effect with Kevin with BC coming out as this year's National Champion Cornell. Hey, his Frozen Four predictions are bold I will say that.

And since your's truly is confident that Miami will beat Cornell in the National Championship, I decided to add a signature to my bracket and put it up on Ebay at a later date.

Enjoy the Tournament!

Rosie's Rebounds: NCAA Tournament Edition

Mascot Shenanigans at TD Garden

It been said before by sports journalists that, “95% of sports writers are sports writers because of the free food served before games.” While I cannot
confirm nor deny that statement, I can, however, confirm that this creature decided to crash the party, uninvited.

Take a look at the evidence here with this picture as seen during the first intermission of the Boston College – Vermont game on Level 3 at the TD Garden Friday afternoon.



Photo taken from my Blackberry.

The Call: BC’s beloved mascot Baldwin gets two minutes for mooching.

I cannot confirm nor deny what he had to eat, but an investigation is currently taking place with the mascot police.

We’ll try to keep you up to date on the latest surroundings of this situation, but until then, we must attend a briefing on this situation…



…Get Ready for another edition of Rosie's Rebounds

Colin Campbell on Ovechkin Suspension

Colin Campbell, the NHL's Disciplinary, was on NHL Live today talking about the decision to suspend Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin after his hit on Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell, who is now out for the rest of the year with a broken collarbone and broken ribs. Here's what he had to say.

...Look if there's no injury on the play, we probably wouldn't do anything.

Fair enough under normal circumstances, right?

Join the Rosie's Rebounds page on Facebook

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten to post my blog entries here at Rosie's Hockey. With my busy schedule the past few months at Inside Hockey, which included the Winter Classic, Frozen Fenway, the Beanpot and several Bruins and college games, I had opted to take time off for awhile in posting blog entries here until my schedule was a bit lighter. I will be able to post here now on a more consistent basis.

In the meantime, a Facebook fan page has been created for Rosie's Rebounds. Click here to become a fan.

Rosie's Rebounds: Future of the Winter Classic

From the awe of the actual atmosphere at Fenway Park, to Marco Sturm’s game winning goal in overtime, the 2010 Winter Classic between the Bruins and Flyers was everything that a hockey fan could possibly dream of.

From the hype that began in July with the official announcement, to the first skate at Fenway, to the days leading up to the event and to January 1, all the anticipation for the event was well worth the wait.