play-off? - far-off!
I could have written this entry ages ago - but now it's really overdue.
Today the play-offs have begun. Quietly. Very quietly. The last games in the regular hockey season took place during the Easter holidays. Edmonton's last game was against Calgary. The final Battle of Alberta. 3:2 for the Oilers. What could have been the ultimate victory was in fact a worthless consolation price mercifully donated by the triumphant Flames.
Despite this victory Edmonton finished the season at the last spot of the Nothwest Division. 71 points out of 82 games. 24(!) points behind the next team, Colorado (95 points). The other four teams were only separated by 10 points. In short: a complete disaster.
Mind you the team was last years conference champion and were only one game away of winning the Stanley cup. Up to December we were more or less safe division leaders. Unthinkable there was any possibility we would not make the play-offs. Oh. How long ago do these happy times now seem.
A bad run at the end of December changed everything and the division was very, very close. Not for long, unfortunately. In January and February more defeats followed, especially against division competitors. Watching hockey became more and more frustrating. One loss. Another loss. And then a win again - and you thought "There is hope after all. If only they win the next one, then.." But they never did.
The situation looked more and more bleak. Impossible? By no means. At least not for an optimist. How do you want to achieve anything if you don't believe in your chance? As long as there's mathematical possibility there's hope. And there were still plenty of games against competitors on the schedule.
But then there was this 27 of February 2007. It should have been a day of celebration. A celebration of Wayne Gretzky team-mate and fellow hero Marc Messier. And, after the retirement of his number 11, the celebration of a win against Phoenix and of new hope.
Instead it was a day of misery. Hours before the transfer deadline the management decided to trade present day hero Ryan Smyth. He had been playing in Edmonton for 11 years and was – and maybe still is - the most respected and loved player in town - or now out of town. If I had bought a shirt with a player's name (and I was about to buy one) it would have been his.
Well, I can’t really blame anyone. If Smyth really wanted to stay he would have been satisfied with 3.5 million US Dollar a year. If the management really wanted him to stay, the could have paid him more than 3.5 million US Dollar a year. That’s professional sports. Everyday business in European soccer. However, the rapidity of how things happened still surprised and shocked me. Imagine: On Tuesday at lunchtime Smyth heard – from the media – that he was sold. The next day he left wife and child and flew to New York. The same evening he was already playing for his new team the Islanders. To me that seems quite harsh. But I guess that’s professional sports too.
Whatever - the signal of this trade couldn’t have been clearer: “The season is over guys. We’re planning for the next one.” And this signal did not remain unheard. The Oilers lost against Phoenix. And they lost the next 10 games as well. The season was definitely over.
Yes, today the play-offs have begun. But here, in Edmonton, the season is over.
Today the play-offs have begun. Quietly. Very quietly. The last games in the regular hockey season took place during the Easter holidays. Edmonton's last game was against Calgary. The final Battle of Alberta. 3:2 for the Oilers. What could have been the ultimate victory was in fact a worthless consolation price mercifully donated by the triumphant Flames.
Despite this victory Edmonton finished the season at the last spot of the Nothwest Division. 71 points out of 82 games. 24(!) points behind the next team, Colorado (95 points). The other four teams were only separated by 10 points. In short: a complete disaster.
Mind you the team was last years conference champion and were only one game away of winning the Stanley cup. Up to December we were more or less safe division leaders. Unthinkable there was any possibility we would not make the play-offs. Oh. How long ago do these happy times now seem.
A bad run at the end of December changed everything and the division was very, very close. Not for long, unfortunately. In January and February more defeats followed, especially against division competitors. Watching hockey became more and more frustrating. One loss. Another loss. And then a win again - and you thought "There is hope after all. If only they win the next one, then.." But they never did.
The situation looked more and more bleak. Impossible? By no means. At least not for an optimist. How do you want to achieve anything if you don't believe in your chance? As long as there's mathematical possibility there's hope. And there were still plenty of games against competitors on the schedule.
But then there was this 27 of February 2007. It should have been a day of celebration. A celebration of Wayne Gretzky team-mate and fellow hero Marc Messier. And, after the retirement of his number 11, the celebration of a win against Phoenix and of new hope.
Instead it was a day of misery. Hours before the transfer deadline the management decided to trade present day hero Ryan Smyth. He had been playing in Edmonton for 11 years and was – and maybe still is - the most respected and loved player in town - or now out of town. If I had bought a shirt with a player's name (and I was about to buy one) it would have been his.
Well, I can’t really blame anyone. If Smyth really wanted to stay he would have been satisfied with 3.5 million US Dollar a year. If the management really wanted him to stay, the could have paid him more than 3.5 million US Dollar a year. That’s professional sports. Everyday business in European soccer. However, the rapidity of how things happened still surprised and shocked me. Imagine: On Tuesday at lunchtime Smyth heard – from the media – that he was sold. The next day he left wife and child and flew to New York. The same evening he was already playing for his new team the Islanders. To me that seems quite harsh. But I guess that’s professional sports too.
Whatever - the signal of this trade couldn’t have been clearer: “The season is over guys. We’re planning for the next one.” And this signal did not remain unheard. The Oilers lost against Phoenix. And they lost the next 10 games as well. The season was definitely over.
Yes, today the play-offs have begun. But here, in Edmonton, the season is over.
relationes - 2007/04/13 07:54