Crunch Time

Not feeling too good about this one.  

Crunchsite:

Not feeling too good about this one

 Me neither. It almost looks like they have hit a wall. Perhaps the toll of having to push so hard in the late part of the season to make the playoffs (granted they had a long unbeaten streak, but they needed to be almost perfect just to get in to the playoffs) and a grueling first round with all of the OT's has taken it's toll.

  I guess hope for the best and expect the worst. And what about Ling, how many points does he have now against us in the last 3 or 4 games ?

YATES MUST GO !!!!!!!!!!!

I have had an hour to calm down and I am truly hoping the boys can pull off one more miracle. 

I give up. I just don't have it in me to do this anymore. I can't let this team's ups and downs consume me so totally. I keep telling myself that in the grand scheme of things, none of this really matters -- it's just a diversion from my own diminished reality. Yet there I am, working myself into a frenzy until I feel that all too familiar tightness in my chest while the building grows louder and louder. I just can't do it anymore. I'm out...it's going to kill me if I stay in any longer. In the end, it's not going to be worth the inevitable letdown.

Until next year, everyone. It was one hell of a ride. 

The Crunch had some great chances to put it away, but they couldn't finish tonight. As long as the chances are there some of them will go in the net.

They better go Monday.

 And Lord, please let someone find Ling and Newberry with their heads down...Amen.

Game 7 - time to show what you're worth as a team and as players.  I think:

• Where's Joakim, it's almost like that book "Where's Waldo". You see him once awhile, so much talent.  Joakie shouldn't put his head down when things don't go his way, it's a 60+ minute game, think about the next shift, get the head up, make smart quicker moves on the ice. The only thing preventing Joakim's success is Joakim.
• Brule-Picard-Frischmon - keep it up and bury those chances, best line for the Crunch Saturday.
• Mackenzie-Brassard-DiCasmirro - looked a little flat Saturday night, maybe Toronto is starting to focus on them, time to make them pay.
• Pineault - looked good for the 1st 2 periods, but he never showed up in the 3rd that I saw. If he plays with that sort of intensity he needs to be on the ice.
• I guess Battaglia and Ling are sitting in the weeds, time for Zenon to get the herbicide to kill the weeds to find the bugs.  While you're at it time to frustrate Mr. Newbury again, Crunch keep your cool and get Newbury to lose his.
• Karl has to play with confidence, the consensus is this guy is not NHL material, maybe time for him to show he has a big heart and it doesn't matter your size, it's just see the puck stop the puck, and obviously the Crunch wouldn't be where they are now without him.
• The Crunch have to stop the odd-man rush, our forwards seem to be getting caught in the zone too much. The D-Men have to remain persistent and smart in the defensive zone.  

I hate to bring this up because I am a die hard Yankee fan but after seeing the Red Sox success in recent years, nothing is written in stone.  The 3rd round is right there, GRAB IT.  Go Crunch!!!

Per Kramers blog:

 Syracuse Crunch captain Zenon Konopka has no problem envisioning what's going to happen in Game 7 of his team's North Division finals series against Toronto on Monday.  Before the team bus left on Sunday, he told me what it is. "I'll play better on Monday. I'll score tomorrow,'' he said. "We'll win tomorrow. There's no way I'll let us lose to these guys.''

I guess that says it all. 

Yes, that is what he said this morning.  5 of us made the trek downtown to wish the team well on Game 7. 

On a side note: I played Deal or No Deal online this morning, and I picked 21.  It had 1,000,000 in it.  Translation=Picard with the game winner tomorrow night!  It's a sign! You heard it here 1st.

Tim 

I honestly think we have played better in Toronto the entire series.  There is absolutely no home ice advantage other than the goal judges and instant replay personnel.  Anyone hear who has been assigned to screw us tomorrow night.  If Banfield is assigned I think we can all concur that the AHL wants Toronto to move on.

Lets hope the boys come out and play hard nosed/disciplined hockey. 

The final score will be 3-1 Crunch with an open net goal by "Z" so his prediction comes true (goal and a win).

Slapshot:

Before the team bus left on Sunday, he told me what it is. "I'll play better on Monday. I'll score tomorrow,'' he said. "We'll win tomorrow. There's no way I'll let us lose to these guys.''

  What did we expect him to say ? "I'm not going to play any better on Monday" "I won't try to score" "We're going to lose tomorrow" ????  It's time for all the "feel good story" talking to end, it's time to take action. Talking about it is NOT going to get it done tomorrow. Whining about the officials is not going to get it done tomorrow night. Bottom line is they have to bury the puck in the back of the net enough times to make it that Toronto and the officials don't have a chance to be a factor in the game or they can just set their tee times for Tuesday morning and fade off as a team that had a 3-1 series lead and blew it.

YATES MUST GO !!!!!!!!!!!!

Wolves forced a game seven as well, winning 4-3 sunday

 I finally realized that all the game day rituals are not working so tomorrow I won't be doing any of them.  All I know is our team will be ready and get it done so we can get the train back on the tracks!!  hockey is definetly a game of breaks and we haven't got them the past couple of games so I know we are do some justice for all the hard work that our guys do.  They are a true TEAM in every sense of the word!!!  GO CRUNCH

No I didn't expect him to say we were going to lose but the majority of professional athletes make politically correct statements and don't guarantee a wins like "Z" did today!!

I think our biggest concern is between the pipes.  We need the Karl Goehring from game 1 back.  The third goal last night (wrist shot from inside the blue line) should have been an easy save instead it was the nail in the coffin.  I'm hoping Karl comes up big in the biggest game of his pro career.

By the way if Yates goes "Z" said he won't be back in Syracuse and without "Z" we will be back to being a bottom feeder in the AHL.

I think this is good for the team. After the game Saturday  I felt very bad about playing a game 7 but this team needs to experience this rather they win or loose. A good core of thesee guys will be back and it will only make them stronger. Totonto has been playing very good because their backs were against the wall and we have been playing almost as not to loose. Now all the pressuse is on the Crunch and their backs are against the wall. This is a character game and we will see what this team is made of. Win or loose this has been one hell of a series and also year. I have not lost faith yet and am starting to get excited for the game already.