Kings Krowned

The LA Kings won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history last week, and the city went...? Well, I saw a few people celebrating. At least Jonathan Quick, the Conn Smyth winner as playoff MVP, spiced things up with an R rated speech at the celebration. He was deservedly the winner of this award and while the team in front of him played solid defense and finally was able to score some goals, he was always there should the need arise. The kings work ethic and constant effort was a deciding factor in the series as they generated more opportunities and won more battles than the Devils. New Jersey's Martin Brodeur showed he still has what it takes to lead a team but in the end he wasn't given enough support by the guys paid to put the puck in the other net as New Jersey just could not find a way to generate enough offense. The Kings look poised to be a solid team for years too with a young core of players locked up for a number of years, they have a legitimate shot at a repeat. Though in today's NHL there are no guarantees they will even make the playoffs in the ultra competitive western conference.

Dean Lombardi the GM and architect of this team took some risks in the off season bringing in guys like Simon Gagner, Mike Richards and eventually Jeff Carter before the trade deadline, but these moves proved to be key to their success and I think it's safe to say paid off. The emergence of their young defencemen like Voynov and Martinez along with their solid core of veterans back there was a huge difference throughout the playoffs. Dustin Brown, who was almost dealt at the deadline, lead this team and was determined to show what they had the ability to do. Darryl Sutter and his group now have an off season to enjoy before getting back to business but they will certainly be a threat again come October....that is if the NHL starts on time.

Habs go Back to the Future

With the hiring of Michel Therrien on Tuesday the Montreal Canadiens are going back to the future and bringing back an old head coach to try and turn around their fortunes. Therrien had a .500 record in his seasons with the Habs, one of only three men to coach them and not have a winning record, but with the lack of French speaking candidates the market is slim at best and so he's back. Now he did have success in Pittsburgh guiding them to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2008 when they lost to the Red Wings, but was replaced the next season by Dan Bylsma who lead them to a Stanley Cup victory over those same wings. Therrien is described as a no nonsense coach who demands respects and obedience from his players and can be short with the media. He is a good coach but many Habs fans are uncertain about how far he can bring this team. Mard Crawford was another strong candidate along with Bob Hartley, but Hartley signed in Calgary, catching many by surprise, and Crawford remains looking for an NHL gig. Both of these men won Stanley Cups as the coach of the Colorado Avalanche and this had many in Montreal wishing they could bring in a proven winner. In the end the Habs got their man, or at least one that speaks their language, and now have to live with it. They are a solid young team who had an off year for numerous reasons, but with the core talent that is there and a good coach like Therrien, the Habs should make a serious push for a playoff spot this year. Though in Montreal the bar is not set at simply making the playoffs.