Random Thoughts

We'll get to the sports talk in a bit, but first I just want everyone to stop for a moment and think about the 13 innocent victims that lost their lives a decade ago. It was on this day, back in 1999, that two teen gunmen entered Columbine High School and terrorized hundreds of teaches, students and staff members. A day that shattered our very innocence, as school was no longer that "safe place" where we could all have fun and learn and leave the outside world behind.

April 20, 1999 - a day we'll never forget.

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By now I'm sure you've heard about Susan Boyle, the 47-year old who stole the hearts of millions of people after a stunning performance in "Britain's Got Talent". It's not so much that she sings great, but that she's living proof that you can't judge a book by its cover.

The second she walked on stage, you could hear people starting to laugh and bracing themselves for a comedy of errors in her performance. She's far from beautiful (in a superficial way), had unique mannerisms and admitted that she had never been kissed before in her life - a lethal combination that led to everyone's first thought... she's a nerd.

But once those first notes came out of her mouth, you just knew you were watching something special... something magical. It's sad that thanks to pop culture and various forms of media, we're programmed to believe that if you're not beautiful, you're not talented.

It works that way in relationships too. Some people place too much of an emphasis on looks rather than what's on the inside - which sometimes leads to unhappiness. Maybe we should all use Susan Boyle's rise to fame as a guide to view life just a little different from how we normally look at it.

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NHL Playoffs in full swing and already there's a lot to talk about...

- NBC began its playoff coverage with Game Two of the Eastern Conference Quarter Final between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers. During the pre-game show, Darren Pang interviewed Alexander Ovechkin near the bench and asked quite possibly one of the dumbest questions I've heard in a long time. Pang looked at Ovechkin and asked something along the lines of "just how big is game two". Well considering it's a best of seven series, the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the fact that Washington entered the game trailing 1-0, I'm pretty sure that Game Two is a "big" game. In fact, all games in the playoffs are "big" games.

I realize he was trying to get him to open up about the importance of not leaving Washington down two games, but maybe word the question along the lines of "Still early in the series, but down 1-0 do you guys now shift to desperation hockey or do you stick to the same game plan while addressing some of the mistakes made in Game One".

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- Milan Lucic has quickly become one of my favorite players. His intensity, enthusiasm, fearlessness, skill and ruthless aggression is a welcome sight in the NHL. He's a big part of the Boston Bruins organization and there's no doubt he'll have a long and successful career. Reminds me a lot of Cam Neely.

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- The Montréal Canadiens are done. I'm not just saying that because they're down 2-0 in their series with the Bruins but you can just see it in the way they play. I was stunned while watching them go through the motions on Saturday Night. There was no sense of urgency and it seemed like no one cared enough about the game to put in an effort.

You've gotta dig deep and use up every last bit of energy in order to make that run towards Lord Stanley's Cup and quite frankly, the Habs are running on empty.

Want proof? Game Two, second period and under ten seconds to go. Michael Ryder with the puck and Mathieu Schneider seems to stop skating, assuming that Ryder won't get off a chance as the seconds tick down towards the intermission. Instead, Ryder takes advantage of Schneider's mental lapse and beats Carey Price to put the Bruins up 5-1. Inexcusable on Schneider's part and a perfect example of why the Habs just don't "want" it.

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- A few days into the post season and already we're seeing some goaltending controversy. In Montréal it's a no brainer - Carey Price has struggled so Bob Gainey has no choice but to put in Jaroslav Halak. By the way, Bob Gainey may be a good guy and decent General Manager but he made a HUGE mistake last year in trading away Cristobal Huet and thrusting Carey Price into the spotlight and starting position with the Habs. Goalies are unique in that they tend to have fragile confidence. You shatter that and you can really hurt their careers.

In Washington, Jose Theodore struggled in Game One and was promptly benched for Game Two. His replacement? 20-year old Simeon Varlamov - a rookie who had made only FIVE NHL Starts prior to Game Two. Now Varlamov played very well and I suspect he'll start again tonight, but that takes a lot of guts to pull off a move like that. Either way, I think we've seen the last of Jose Theodore in Washington.

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- The Chicago Blackhawks have got to be the "feel good story" of this year's NHL Playoffs. A once proud "Original Six" franchise that has struggled from the mid-90's until now. They've got a great crop of young players, a renewed sense of pride, their fans have returned and are showing why Chicago was once a scary place to play, and seem to have the right mix to be Stanley Cup contenders during the next five years.

The Hawks have the longest Stanley Cup drought in the NHL - they haven't won since 1961 - but their window of opportunity is now wide open. With the likes of Toews, Sharp, and Kane you can basically call this team the "Pittsburgh Penguins" of the West. Here's hoping they can end their drought sooner rather than later. They deserve it.

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- And finally, is there anything better in the playoffs than Kate Smith?