Chara, take notes

Listen, I love Chara, he's a great defenseman. As I've eluded to in previous posts, he isn't HOF-great (see: Pronger, Chris), but he's still a bona-fide a number 1 defenseman (he did win the Norris Trophy for a reason). But what in the world did I do to deserve this type of punishment? The punishment...watching Hal Gill play like Chara should have this playoffs. Yes, I'm suffering through this Habs-Flyers game 4 right now, and it sucks. It took me ten minutes to notice two things, and I had previously noticed both before. Number one, Chris Pronger is a monster. The guy is the best and meanest defenseman in the NHL right now (sorry, Drew Doughty). Something about the guy says that he just won't take no for an answer in the playoffs. Secondly, I'm watching Hal Gill shut down the Flyers' dynamic offense (it's fully healthy now, and has a ton of talent). Where Chara couldn't shut down Mike Richards in the first round, Hal Gill is absolutely giving him fits. Now, back to my question...What did I do to deserve the punishment of watching Hal Gill succeed where Zdeno Chara could not? I'm gonna have to figure out what I'm doing wrong and correct it before next April.

Now, having said all of that and ranting like a drunk drama-queen, I still don't see the Habs making a comeback and ousting the Flyers. Philly, when fully healthy, is talent-wise the second best team in the Eastern Conference. Add that to the fact that Michael Leighton is playing great between the pipes and you've got a formula for playoff success (don't forget about that Pronger guy, either). I didn't think the Habs could knock off the Caps and Pens, and I still have my doubts...but they've proven me wrong before.


PS. I am just now noticing that Ian Laperriere is back in Philly's lineup. That guy is the toughest motherfucker in sports. Takes a 90 mph slapshot to the face, suffers a skull fracture, and has swelling in his brain and he shakes it off within 3 weeks. I said get Dustin Byfuglien on the Bruins...lets follow that up with inking Ian Laperriere!