Rumor has it there’s a pretty big matchup tonight in Boston. I thought I’d join in the fun and bring the live-blogging. These two teams, are, you know, pretty good. San Jose has lost 3 straight which should kick up the intensity a notch tonight. The Sharks currently sit 6 points back from the Bruins in the overall league standings, but they have 4 games in hand on the B’s. Should be a great game.
Not to steal the fine folks at Barry Melrose Rocks thunder, but tonight’s matchup could also make a fine drinking game!
Take a drink:
-For every mention of Joe Thorton’s departure from Boston
-For every discussion of how tall Zdeno Chara is (twice if his name and the Norris Trophy are mentioned in the same sentence)
-Every time someone talks about these two teams being “the top two seeds in their conferences” (twice if some boneheaded Versus announcer goes on endlessly about this being a preview of the Stanley Cup finals)
-Twice any time someone talks about Sean Avery.
And that’s just off the top of my head. I’ll keep a tally throughout the game. Feel free to suggest other things. See you at the opening faceoff!
7:01 PM: The game hasn’t even started yet and you already have to drink multiple times. Thanks, Versus guys. And Bob Hartwood is even interviewing Thornton! Memo to Versus: Thornton’s been back to Boston once already since the trade. No one cares any more.
7:10 PM: Evgeni Nabokov and Tim Thomas’ numbers are intimidatingly good. Both will probably be Vezina contenders.
7:11 PM: “Number 1 in the West versus number 1 in the East.” There’s another one. It’s a good thing I’m not actually drinking, or I’d probably have to stop blogging before the period ended.
7:12 PM: My dad is worse than the boneheaded announcers on Versus, and if I were drinking, I’d have to drink for him suggesting this was a Stanley Cup Final preview. He has been thoroughly reprimanded for suggesting such things.
7:14 PM: HOLY CRAP ITS CLAUDE LEMIEUX. I’m totally having a 1995 flashback. It’s a good feeling for a Devils fan. Flashback interrupted by a great save by Evgeni Nabakov.
7:15 PM: Nabakov makes another great save, but the rebound ends up on Milan Lucic’s stick and quickly in the back of the net to make it 1-0 Bruins. San Jose’s defensemen got caught standing around watching on that play.
7:17 PM: An interview with Marc Savard, where he is kind enough to inform us that his team knows this is a faceoff between the two top teams in the NHL. Thanks a bunch, Marc. And now we’re hearing all about Joe Thornton. Oof.
7:18 PM: Patrice Bergeron takes a hooking call, San Jose gets a power play attempt.
7:20 PM: San Jose’s power play is really, really good. Point shot from Rob Blake deflected off of Dennis Wideman, possibly another Shark player, and in. 1-1 game.
7:23 PM: Previously unidentified San Jose player now identified as Joe Pavelski. And the Versus announcers mention the Sharks and Bruins stellar NHL-leading records for the billionth time.
7:29 PM: Pavelski and Michalek just had a fantastic shift for the Sharks, though not much to show for it. Great work on the forecheck by the whole line.
7:34 PM: Lucic bangs home another rebound (this time off a wrist shot from Petteri Nokelainen) to make it 2-1 Bruins. Note to San Jose: Kid’s got skills. Play defense accordingly.
7:38 PM: I hate Versus. Blink and you’ll miss it. Boston’s up a man. I’m just going to assume Claude Lemieux stabbed a baby. Also, drink twice — once for yet ANOTHER mention of the top-of-the-conference, and once for a good old fashioned “big Zdeno Chara”.
7:41 PM: Unknown penalty is over. One minute left in the period.
7:43 PM: Petteri Nokelainen takes a stick to the face. That cut looked AWFULLY close to his eye. All the best, Petteri.
7:45 PM: Somehow no penalty was called on the play. I have no idea how that happened. Period comes to a close, I’ll be back for the second.
7:59 PM: Oh boy, Gary Bettman’s going to join us for the second period. Now I wish I really was drinking.
8:02 PM: The first thing Gary says (well, almost) is “top two teams in both conferences”. Thanks, Commisioner. Really.
8:03 PM: My dad is threatening bodily harm to Gary Bettman. I think it’s hilarious and I wish I could put up an audio file of it. Shortly following the puck drop we get a goalie interference call on Devin Setoguchi — I don’t like the call much, looks to me like he got pulled down on his way in.
8:05 PM: I sure do like listening to Gary Bettman talk instead of hearing play by play of the power play. Versus gets a clue just in time for San Jose to go down two men, Dan Boyle headed to the box.
8:07 PM: Credit for San Jose’s goal was just changed from Joe Pavelski to Rob Blake. I guess it didn’t actually hit Pavelski in front?
8:10 PM: San Jose has killed off the 5-on-3. Gary Bettman’s too busy talking about fighting for anyone to notice, and ironically enough a pushing match ensues on the following stoppage.
8:11 PM: Every time I hear the name Byron Bitz I giggle like a 5 year old.
8:13 PM: Devin Setogutchi muscles his way through 2 Bruins defenders and comes away with a great shot but is stonewalled by Tim Thomas. Fantastic play.
8:22 PM: After a couple solid minutes of back and forth, Boston gets a solid chance but can’t stuff it home as Nabakov makes a sprawling save on Marc Savard. WOW.
8:24 PM: Things are getting a little…..violent….out there. Great pace to this game so far.
8:28 PM: Another great shift for the Pavelski/Michalek/Clowe line. They had a solid minute of offensive pressure and a couple good scoring chances before Boston was able to clear the zone.
8:31 PM: About 4 Sharks fell in rapid succession, leading to yet another good scoring chance for the B’s, but Nabakov turns them away again. He has looked absolutely fantastic tonight.
8:32 PM: Our first play stoppage in what feels like hours. This period has had an amazing flow and been really entertaining to watch.
8:34 PM: Mark Stuart gets hit in the face with — a puck? a stick? I don’t know, Versus decides to show me highlights of Milan Lucic’s hat trick from earlier this year instead of what happened. He seemed to be okay as he skated off, and play continues without any penalties called.
8:36 PM: If you’re playing along with the drinking game, take a nice long chug for that little speech about the race to the President’s Trophy and the “long reach” of Zdeno Chara. Curse you, Versus. That’ll do it for the second period, see you for the third!
8:54 PM: Third period is underway. Hopefully the great pace of the second keeps up.
8:56 PM: Tim Thomas is playing in his 200th NHL game tonight. Congrats, Tim.
8:59 PM: Big shot from the point is deflected past Tim Thomas by Patrick Marleau to knot the game at 2-2. I love me some tied game action in a match like this.
9:01 PM: San Jose’s buzzing a bit now. A couple of good shifts in a row since the goal. Great save by Thomas on Joe Thornton to cap off the latest of the rushes, but still no play stoppage.
9:07 PM: So, I had a severe need to put my laundry in the dryer, and as I left the room at the commercial break I informed my family that as soon as I left someone would score. As I was putting my clothes in the dryer, I heard yells of WHAT A SHOT! and 3-2 SHARKS! I hate it when I’m right. Apparently Milan Michalek did something awesome. Figures.
9:10 PM: Joe Thornton deflects a shot off his leg and past Tim Thomas. They’re going to call upstairs to rule out a “distinct kicking motion.” I think the goal will stand — Thornton was skating by and the puck just happened to hit him mid-stride. Although, this is the War Room we’re talking about.
9:12 PM: As expected, the goal stands. 4-2 Sharks. Apparently all I had to do was leave the room for a minute for all hell to break loose.
9:16 PM: Boston’s up a man. I missed the call. This time, I’m just going to assume Christian Erhoff crosschecked Marc Savard’s in the back of the head.
9:20 PM: Kessel finds himself with the puck on his stick at point-blank range after a Sharks turnover but can’t convert. Good stop by Nabakov.
9:22 PM: Blake Wheeler is pulled down on a breakaway attempt. No penalty shot, but someone’s spending some time in the sin bin after the commercial break. It’s now or never for the Bruins.
9:25 PM: Couple of good attempts by the Bruins on the power play but none have lit the lamp yet, Nabakov continues to be excellent. 40 seconds to go on the man advantage, 3 minutes to go in the game.
9:27 PM: That’ll do it for the power play. Under two minutes to go, should be interesting to see when/if Tim Thomas makes a beeline for the bench for the extra attacker. Annnnnnd there he goes.
9:29 PM: Bruins haven’t lost in regulation in 9 games. Nabakov makes two huge stops, the Sharks turn around and go the other way, and Mike Grier nets the quick empty netter to seal the deal. This one’s going to end 5-2 Sharks. That was a fun one, thanks for checking in!
In the category of “things that shocked me tonight”, I can’t believe Versus didn’t mention Sean Avery once all game. I’m so proud of them.
February 10th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Hearing anyone talk about Sean Avery makes me want to drink a lot more than twice.