A rather late update on hockey due to me being in Vegas, probably a welcome respite for my regular readers and friends. However, the ugly truth is that Las Vegas is really the sports capital of the US and Canada. For the gambling? Somewhat. In my opinion it’s the best place to watch the game, celebrate and really get all the straight dope on the outcome of the event. Vegas wasn’t built on wild guesses. Hunches maybe (see Bugsy Siegel) but lately it’s information, research and expertise.
As for my Flyers, they had quite a Thanksgiving weekend. Traditionally, they play the day before and after Thanksgiving with the Black Friday game in Philly because the turnout is solid. Ottawa spanking them on last Wednesday was expected. The Senators may also be struggling this season yet they suck less. There was a chance to win and then the Flyers’ energy evaporated, giving the former Canadian hopefuls a morale boost. Things improved after Turkey Day. Two consecutive victories finally! The first had to be a gimme, the Columbus Blue Jackets, the last of the recent expansion teams which has never seriously improved and will beat the Washington Capitals’ sorry record of being the franchise that took the longest to make the first round of the playoffs. They are also the worst team in the NHL, giving Phoenix, Philly, St. Louis, Chicago and LA comfort. To add insult to injury to Ken Hitchcok, it was his first game as their third (or is it fourth) head coach. There were rumors circulating about the Ottawa gig being open soon while Columbus was interviewing Hitch and Andy Murray. I think he should’ve waited. The Blue Jackets will never be a good team this decade. They will just be known as the team where one of their fans got killed.
Back to the Broad Street Bums. The victory over Columbus was expected. The win over the Montreal Canadiens in the Bell Centre was a surprise. They’re still in last place so playoff celebrations remain on hold. When I arrived in Vegas, they wouldn’t be playing again until Wednesday which meant no sportsbook visit until then. One major thing I love about Vegas is its time zone. All the eastern time games start at 4 pm here. You can catch the entire game and then take in a great meal, a show or clean up for an evening of hitting the clubs. I knowingly put my twenty bucks on the Flyers against the Predators predicting they’d lose. Hard to imagine Nashville giving Detroit fits for the last couple of seasons too. Due to Treasure Island’s sportsbook being at the mercy of the Mirage’s TV feeds, I had to hoof it over to the house that Seigfried & Roy built. I had missed the first ten minutes but the Flyers were up 1-0. I was actually excited, “I may win thirty bucks on these jackasses!” raced through my brain, they just need to capitalize on Knuble’s goal with two more. Nope, they blew their lead as the Preds were up 2-1 into the third period. I mainly blame Niitymaki’s butterfly goalie style. Give me stand-up goalies any day, they’re out of position less often. Umberger scored to tie it up only to have hope dashed again several minutes later. Despite the loss, I figured I would still show my “patriotism” by wagering another $20 on them. The Islanders may have been favored but they’re barely doing better in the Atlantic Division. I would’ve predicted the odds being even on ‘em. I never made it to the sportsbook in time (see Las Vegas Day Three: a Piece of the Action). I figured it was for the best. They’d lose again and I’ll just go with the Coyotes over the Kings later. While I was getting ready for Cirque du Soleil, the ticker on ESPN showed them ahead 2-0. After my stream of profanity ended all I could think about is how my Flyers can’t do anything right this season, especially when they win. I know, the real fault lies with me not betting. The greater sting was forgetting Phoenix shifting back to mountain time and missing the betting deadline again! I agreed with them being favored due to LA’s injuries and struggles([much lower pay off, but still positive). The ‘Yotes won 7-4. I kept this scream in my mind to prevent scaring the hell out of all the exiting Cirque patrons. Contrary to a guy I used to work with who was also an annoying Avs fan, being a patriot (or what he called a homer) for your favorite team does pay! I may even put down a minimum wager for the Flyers to turn it around and win the Cup because 50-1 on five bucks would be sweet.
In other hockey news which is hard to catch up on with the limited Internet access and poor ESPN coverage despite it being on numerous televisions all over the Strip, I saw the Pittsburgh Penguins put John LeClair on waivers. Johnny Vermont may no longer be the 50-goal-a-season guy he was in Philly but I suspect he is being dumped to make room for the younger guys they intentionally lost for three seasons to acquire. He only had this season left on his contract. At least I know he won’t take it personally from an interview he gave back in his Flyers days when they were trying to unload his outrageous $9 million/year contract. Leclair said (paraphrased), the NHL is a business first and judgments must be made on such principles. Besides, the Flyers bought him out for a few million bucks, he’s a smart guy, he won’t be starving. Now if Philly could bring him back to be captain to fill the leadership gap Peter the Not-so-Great and Leadfoot Hatcher can’t fill from Keith Primeau’s place. The other trade I saw was unusual. Phoenix traded Tyson Nash (still playing in San Antonio I think) to Toronto. He’s a decent player, he should’ve been with the ‘Yotes because he has grit on my PS2 game. I hope Paul Maurice will give Tyson more ice time.