Happy Spring!

I’ve been a little down over the last couple of weeks. Our political arena gets crazier by the day and I’ve spoken about it both here and in my conversations with friends and acquaintances. It’s past due that we have some “good news”! It’s spring!!!

The NHL Hockey season is half over and there have been a few surprises. Most notably admirable has been the attention to Covid and its impact on the schedule. Yes, there have been games rescheduled (including several this week) but the NHL and the NHLPA are to be commended for cooperatively keeping the season going.

As for the competition, my heart is with the Blackhawks who after shocking the league with a great run against weak teams, are now finding the going much rougher. After castigating Blackhawk management, specifically GM and now VP Stan Bowman and Coach Colliton, I have to eat crow. Stan has found nuggets of gold in players and now finds his team with 3 legitimate Calder Trophy nominations; Suter, Kurushev and Lankinen. Colliton has the youngest lineup in the league and is using the larger roster to not only keep the players active but also for significant evaluation for the future. It helps that we found a goalie that has helped forget we let Corey Crawford go.

Around the league, Toronto has a cake walk to the playoffs while Buffalo is imploding. The re-alignment has depleted my understanding of the underpinnings of what is behind these and most the rest of the league. Still, because I see the Central and Eastern teams the most, and watch the standings, it looks like Tampa Bay and Boston are still the teams to beat. A nod to Coach Q for what he has done to resurrect the Florida franchise and importantly, his goalie, Bobrovsky. I have him and Colliton as favorites for the Jack Adams, coach of the year award.

Lots can happen in this last half but as is the case in the “regular” seasons, the lot has likely been cast. If you’re in the playoffs as of today, you’re likely to make it in. The 3-point system has proven to make it difficult to make up ground.

With vaccinations going well, it is my sincere desire that a healthy calm fall over our country and we Americans look at each other as just that, fellow Americans. I yearn to see smiles on peoples’ faces and wish you well this spring and beyond.