The Hockey Stop

Today, Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas put himself in front of his team, league and country by making a self-righteous political statement instead of attending a White House ceremony to honor the Bruins' Stanley Cup victory last season. In boycotting this event he selfishly stole the attention away from his teammates and the entire Bruins organization on a day that should have been a diplomatic, nonpartisan celebration of an amazing achievement in professional sports.

Championship sports teams have been honored in Washington by countless administrations over the years. It doesn't matter if there is a Democrat or Republican in the Oval Office, political disagreements have never entered the picture. That is until now. This is not about President Barack Obama, but respecting the Office of the President of the United States of America. Tim Thomas may have exercised his right as a "Free Citizen," as he posted on his Facebook page, but that does not excuse his actions. He represents an organization that is paying him millions of dollars. He represents the National Hockey League that is trying to broaden its appeal into minority communities. And as one of only two Americans on the team, he represents this country (players from Canada, Slovakia, Finland and other nations were honored to be at the White House with President Obama).

There is a time and place for political protests. This was not one of them. Sports are supposed to be an escape from everything that divides us. It is supposed to be a safe place free of partisan politics. Today, Tim Thomas broke that sacred trust and it will take a long time for those wounds to heal.

Here is video of President Obama honoring the Bruins at the White House.

When the puck drops between Canada and Russia you just never know what will happen. At Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta tonight another magnificent chapter was written between these two hockey-loving nations and intense rivals. In the World Junior Hockey Championship semi-finals the Russians dominated the Canadians 6-1 into the third period until the Canucks mounted a furious comeback attempt to cut the lead to 6-5 with just under five minutes remaining to send the sold-out, red-clad partisan crowd into a frenzy.

The fifth goal lead to a netminder change and with less than a minute to go Ryan Strome hit the post and Russia hung on for the victory despite being outshot in the game 56-24. They will face Sweden in the Gold Medal game while Canada will play Finland for the Bronze.

Washington Capitals prospect and Russian captain Yevgeni Kuznetsov scored a hat trick and 2012 NHL Draft projected number one pick Nail Yakupov had four assists.

Even though these are the junior teams, the epic nature of the game still adds to the storied rivalry between the two nations. It seems only appropriate that this dramatic match took place only a day after Versus relaunched its brand as NBC Sports Network by airing the documentary "Cold War on Ice: Summit Series '72" celebrating the 40th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series between Canada and Russia. Of course that series was all the more dramatic because it took place at the height of the Cold War and political tensions added to the heated action on the ice.

Ten years ago I visited the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto with my father and we were treated to the 1972 Summit Series 30th Anniversary festivities. At a press conference we got to see Phil and Tony Esposito and other Team Canada legends speak about the dramatic series. That moment really crystallized for me how much hockey means to these two countries. In Canada they say hockey is religion and the mystical bond between a nation and a sport is really seen at the National Cathedral in Toronto, otherwise known as the Hockey Hall of Fame's Great Hall, where the domed ceiling features stained glass windows reminiscent of old European churches and Canadians file past the Holy Grail -- Lord Stanley's Cup. Even in French the building at the corner of Front and Yonge Streets has religious connotations, as it is called Temple de la renommée du hockey.

For the citizens of Russia and Canada tonight the almost miracle comeback (another religious reference) was another glorious chapter in this storied rivalry. For the rest of us it was simply one of the most entertaining games of the year. And it builds anticipation for the next time Russia and Canada battle on the ice.

The concussion crisis in professional ice hockey continued today with the sobering news that Nashville Predators star forward Shea Weber is out indefinitely with a concussion.

The news regarding Weber is the latest blow to the NHL and its efforts at limiting hits to the head and promoting the sport to a wider audience. Sidney Crosby, Claude Giroux, Mike Richards, Jeff Skinner, Joni Pitkanen, Kris Letang, Chris Pronger, Zbynek Michalek, Marc Staal, Robert Bortuzzo, Jay Beagle, Milan Michalek, Brayden Schenn, Radek Martinek, Marek Zidlicky, Nathan Gerbe, Nino Niederreiter, Peter Mueller, Marc Savard, Ian Laperriere and Mike Green. These are some of the victims but the list is even longer. One of these players with concussion symptoms is unacceptable. This many is a crisis that must be dealt with.

Some analysts say the increased speed of the game following new rules implemented after the lockout are to blame for the increase. Did removing the red line cause more neutral zone crashes between opposing players? Perhaps. Others argue that the increase in concussions is a result of improved detection and treatment by the league. Would a bigger ice surface help avoid collisions? Would stronger helmets with more padding protect the players from head injuries in the event of a collision? Maybe.

There are many possible reasons behind the increase in concussions and many possible solutions. They should all be on the table and should be the number one topic of discussion in the NHL until there is a noticeable decrease in head injuries.

Otherwise, there is the very real possibility NHL players could take legal action similar to what 21 former NFL players recently did in suing the NFL over "severe and permanent brain damage they say is linked to concussions suffered on the job." According to the USA Today story, the lawsuit "accuses the NFL of deliberately omitting or concealing years of evidence linking concussions to long-term neurological problems."

Yes, football and hockey are violent sports. But that doesn't mean the leagues, players and fans should accept concussions as part of the job risks these athletes signed up for. If legal action is the only avenue players have to protect their precious noggins than more power to them.

As I write this review of HBO's debut episode of "24/7 Flyers-Rangers: Road to the NHL Winter Classic," I'm riding on an Amtrak train through central Philadelphia en route to New York City's Penn Station. As we speed past the rundown rowhouses and abandoned warehouses of this gritty, greasy city, I can't help but think how Season 2 (Caps-Pens last year) of this Emmy Award-winning reality series is as much a tale of two cities as it is about two fierce rivals on the ice.

But the real story is that the two teams and the cities they represent have much in common.

Philly and NYC, despite the popular imagination of big bankers on Wall Street and UPenn rowers on the Schuylkill River, are actually deep down two blue collar cities with many similarities that are brilliantly captured by the HBO cameras. These two rusted out titans of the 20th century are attempting to reinvent themselves to stay on top in the 21st century with the same can-do, blue collar work ethic that made these magnificent metropolisis the economic engines of a bygone era in America. The same can be said of their hard working professional ice hockey teams.

The opening montage sets up the blue collar theme of the show as Rangers players get to Madison Square Garden by cab, subway and even walking. Rangers forward Ryan Callahan is from hardscrabble Rochester, New York, and the cameras show him meeting his family after playing a game against the Sabres in nearby Buffalo. In perhaps the most touching moment of the hour-long episode we see wheelchair-bound 95-year-old Grandma Callahan beaming with pride as she greets Ryan.

In Philly, the cameras follow Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds as he heads to the opening of an ice rink dedicated to helping inner city youth. Simmonds, who is Afro-Canadian, is joined by Flyers owner Ed Snider at the event.

Episode two airs tonight at 10 p.m. and this fan of the show is looking forward to seeing the urban backdrops of the Big Apple and City of Brotherly Love as much as the Rangers and Flyers.

In case you missed it, here is episode one.

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin today followed Wayne Gretzky as the second NHL hockey player ever to be immortalized in wax. The unveiling took place this afternoon at Madame Tussauds in downtown Washington, D.C. as a swarm of media from as far away as Canada and Russia captured the moment from every possible camera angle.

The atmosphere in the room was electric in anticipation of seeing the Great Eight pose next to his wax likeness. Finally the wall slid open and there was Ovechkin posing beside Ovechkin. A surreal and hilarious scene indeed. Ovie was asked if there was anything missing from the wax figure, and he joked that the cut on his forehead from this morning's practice was not there.

Ovechkin was joined by children from the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey club. The kids sported blacked-out-tooth smiles in front of Ovie's real gap tooth. Many of these inner city children come from troubled homes and the Fort Dupont Ice Rink in Southeast D.C. provides them a positive place that teaches respect, discipline and self-esteem and the importance of academic success.

Also joining Ovie on stage was his father Mikhail, who was a former professional soccer player in Russia.

And the most important question of the day was of course what Ovechkin was going to dress up as for Halloween. "Dumb and Dumber with Nicholas Backstrom" was the reply. "We look like them," said Ovechkin to lots of laughs.

Here is video of today's unveiling.



And here are more photos.

Hoquei sobre gel means ice hockey in Catalan. I recently visited the hockey hotbed of Barcelona in northeastern Spain and was surprised to see that the most popular football club in the world (that would be FC Barcelona and their fearless leader Lionel Messi) does not just dominate the game of soccer like no other club in history, but that other sports -- from basketball to hockey -- have teams bearing the FCB crest as well.

A trip to Camp Nou this summer, the storied home field of Barca since 1957, revealed a sporting empire. Next door to the nearly 100,000 seat stadium, the largest in Europe, sits Palau Blaugrana, an indoor arena that is home to the FC Barcelona basketball, handball, roller hockey and futsal (indoor soccer) teams. They all wear Barca's famous blue and red uniforms.

But it was the Pista de Gel (Ice Rink in Catalan) that was the most interesting, simply because Barcelona seems like one of the unlikeliest places for professional ice hockey to flourish. But there it is. Since 1972 the FC Barcelona ice hockey team has been playing its home games at Pista de Gel in the shadow of Camp Nou. They play in the Spanish league and the roster is made up of mostly Spanish players. They have won five Spanish League championships, four Spanish ice hockey cups and most recently were the European champions in 2009-2010.

Compared to the renovated basketball arena and soccer stadium and the bustling FC Barcelona team mega store, the ice rink is a bit run down with a very small seating capacity. But the mere fact that there actually is an ice hockey team with the name FC Barcelona and that they have been in operation for nearly forty years, is simply amazing.

Mes que un club. More than a club. That is Barca's motto. It generally refers to the football team as a symbol for Catalan culture and the independence movement of Catalonia. But it could also apply to all the other sports teams under the FC Barcelona banner.

Here are more photos from Camp Nou and Pista de Gel.

It's been 37 years since the Washington Capitals and Kansas City Scouts joined the National Hockey League. The Scouts became the Colorado Rockies and then the New Jersey Devils. The Caps are still going strong in the nation's capital, but the team has only been to the Stanley Cup finals once -- in 1998 Washington was swept in four games by the Detroit Red Wings.

Is this the year the Caps capture the Cup?

That question will be definitely answered next spring. But the hopes were high and the energy was positive at the third annual Caps Convention last Saturday, which took place for the second straight year downtown at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center (the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation was holding their annual gathering there at the same time, so it was an interesting assortment of well-dressed men and women and red-clad Caps fans in Ovechkin and Backstrom jerseys).

New additions in the offseason have brought optimism to a beaten down fan base that has been disappointed by heartbreaking early playoff exits the past three years. The hope is that the new teammates will push the core group of Caps over the edge when it counts in the postseason. Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Alex Semin and Mike Green are now in the prime of their careers and have been through the battles and crushing defeats and are learning how to win the big games. Now they have help from former Caps Captain and Potomac, Maryland native center Jeff Halpern, Stanley Cup winner with the Chicago Blackhawks right wing Troy Brouwer, veteran defenseman Roman Hamrlik, gritty right wing Joel Ward and veteran goaltender Tomas Vokoun.

Have the Caps learned how to win? Will a Cup winner like Brouwer stand up in the locker room the next time the Caps face adversity and the "here we go again" negativity creeps in? Will he tell his teammates that "no, it doesn't have to be like this. We can do this!"? Did General Manager George McPhee make the right moves? Will Head Coach Bruce Boudreau prove his critics wrong?

Many questions. Few answers. But it is a new season and the Caps and 29 other teams all have a shot at glory.

There were some interesting panel discussions at the Caps Convention, including "20 Questions with Ted," with former Washington Redskins linebacker and current local TV and radio personality LaVar Arrington interviewing Capitals Majority Owner Ted Leonsis, pictured below left, about subjects ranging from changing the name of the Wizards back to the Bullets ("I don't comment on NBA matters") to offseason speculation about Ovechkin's weight ("pinch his stomach at the autograph session").

At the panel discussion "Embracing Your New Teammates," new Caps Halpern, pictured below left, and Brouwer talked about the difficult transition of changing teams and cities, especially when there is family involved. Brouwer was asked if there are any hard feelings with new teammates because of past experiences as the opponent. He said not with a team like Washington that Chicago only plays once a year, but that it would have been difficult if he went to a divisional rival like the Vancouver Canucks.

Perhaps the most anticipated and interesting discussion took place on the main stage. "24/7 Behind the Scenes" took a look back at what it was like filming the highly acclaimed Emmy-nominated HBO reality series "24/7 Caps-Pens: Road to the Winter Classic." Ovechkin, Boudreau and WashingtonCaps.com Senior Writer and panel moderator Mike Vogel were joined on the stage by HBO Producers Scott Boggins and Michael Oliver (pictured below left to right).

Boudreau said he was looking forward to watching the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers on this season's "24/7," which will culminate in the Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park in Philly.

Here are more photos from the Caps Convention.

It seems like a decade ago Tim Thomas and the Boston Bruins raised the Stanley Cup after winning Game 7 against the Canucks in Vancouver. The off-season has been tragic. The headlines have been filled with one untimely death after another. So this season comes with more anticipation than most because of the simply awful summer hockey fans had to endure.

So as I play the newly unwrapped EA Sports NHL 12 for Xbox 360 and watch the Toronto Maple Leafs play the Ottawa Senators in the second preseason game of the year on NHL Network (the Predators beat the Panthers earlier today), it feels different than past seasons. It feels great.

Tuesday night the Washington Capitals face off against Nashville in the inaugural Baltimore Hockey Classic at 1st Mariner Arena. The Caps have a lot of fans in Balmore so it is nice to see owner Ted Leonsis and the team paying respect to their fan base in Charm City with this preseason game. Plus, the Preds are a potential new Southeast Division rival next season because the former Atlanta Thrashers and now Winnipeg Jets will likely be moved to the Central Division in 2012-2013, leaving a spot open in the Southeast. And geographically and culturally Nashville makes the most sense to replace Atlanta/Winnipeg in the division, although the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings are two other teams that could switch from the Central to the Southeast.

There is so much parity in the National Hockey League that any team can beat any other team on any night. That is what makes professional ice hockey in North America so exciting.

There are also new rules in place thanks to NHL Senior Vice President of Player Safety and Hockey Operations Brendan Shanahan and NHLPA Special Advisor Mathieu Schneider. The two biggest rule changes concern Rule 48 -- illegal checks to the head and Rule 41 - boarding. Also, spring-loaded curved glass will be in place next to the team benches instead of the padded stanchions that were in place during Zdeno Chara's hit on Max Pacioretty last season. Other minor changes include testing shallower nets in preseason games and implementing a new policy on social media outlets like Twitter. Here is the video explanation of the rules changes:



Here's to a great season no matter what team you are rooting for.

Game on!

In a summer already tainted by the untimely deaths of professional hockey players Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien and Wade Belak, comes the tragic news today that nearly the entire Kontinental Hockey League team Lokomotiv -- 43 people in all -- were killed in a plane crash near the city of Yaroslavl in Central Russia.

A team spokesman confirmed that the entire main roster plus four players on the youth team were among the victims. There were two survivors in critical condition, including Russian forward Alexander Galimov.

It will take a long time to figure out why the Soviet era Yakovlev Yak-42 passenger jet crashed shortly after liftoff. It will take even longer for the world hockey community to heal from this unspeakable loss.

For now, while the pain is still fresh, here are the victims whose lives were cut way too short. Pray for their families and friends. May they rest in peace and may their memories be a blessing.

While the official list of victims has not been released, here is the most recent Lokomotiv Yaroslavl roster. There are many familiar names to hockey fans.

57 Anikeyenko, Vitaly D 01.02.1987 Russia

39 Balandin, Mikhail D 07.27.1980 Russia

18 Vasyunov, Alexander D 04.22.1988 Russia

63 Vasicek Josef F 09.12.1980 Czech Republic

35 Vyukhin, Alexander F 01.09.1973 Russia

11 Galimov, Alexander F 05.02.1985 Russia

38 Demitra, Pavol 11.29.1974 Slovakia

20 Ditrih, Robert F 07.25.1986 Russia

74 Kalimulin, Marat D 08.12.1988 Russia

28 Kalyanin Alexander F 09.24.1987 Russia

83 Kiryukhin Andrei F 08.04.1987 Russia

23 Klyukin Nikita F 11.10.1989 Russia

1 Liv, Stefan G 12.21.1980 Sweden

15 Marek, Jan F 12.31.1979 Czech Republic

32 Ostapchuk, Sergei F 03.19.1990 Russia

4 Rachunek Karel D 08.27.1979 Czech Republic

24 Salei, Ruslan D 11.02.1974 Russia

37 Skrastins, Karlis D 07.09.1974 Russia

69 Snurnitsyn, Pavel D 01.10.1992 Russia

13 Sobchenko, Daniil F 04.13.1991 Russia

17 Tkachenko, Ivan F 11.09.1979 Russia

3 Trakhanov, Pavel F 03.21.1978 Russia

21 Churilov, Gennady F 05.05.1987 Russia

52 Shuvalov, Maksim F 04.23.1993 Russia

72 Yarchuk, Artyom F 05.03.1990 Russia

81 Urychev, Yury D 04.03.1991 Russia

Head coach: Brad McCrimmon

The clouds parted and the angelic face of baseball took the mound for the first time since Stephen Strasburg underwent Tommy John surgery and rehabbed his way back to the big leagues.

It was straight out of a Hollywood movie -- The Phenom had waited over a year to pitch a Major League Baseball game again and it looked like he might have to wait another day because the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee were washing the Washington area in rain. The forecast was a 90% chance of wet weather at the 7:05 p.m. start of the ball game. A lot of the 29,092 fans who bought tickets stayed home, but maybe half that number who braved the conditions, including myself, were witness to something special as the break in the rain lasted just long enough for Strasburg to pitch five scoreless innings, strike out four batters and hurl high heat in the upper 90s.

The game didn't have the same atmosphere the packed house at Nationals Park did when Strasburg made his Major League debut by fanning fourteen Pittsburgh Pirates on a sunny summer afternoon in June of 2010. It was way more low key but it was no less dramatic.

As I walked into Nats Park there was a swarm of fans around the bullpen snapping pictures of Strasburg warming up and analyzing his every move. The real special moment of the night was of course when Stras trotted to the mound from the bullpen for the first time since tearing his ulnar collateral ligament at Citizens Bank Park against the Phillies 382 days ago. He received a standing ovation. In fact, he received a lot of standing o's -- when he took the mound, pitched his first strike, got his first strike out, got a hit because of an errant throw to first base, got all the way around the bases and scored a run.

But let's be honest, Nats fans were just happy to have Stras wearing the red curly W hat again. That his stuff was as electric as before his surgery was a bonus and a relief. His five scoreless innings were an absolute pleasure to watch from thirty rows up along the first base line. The two hits he allowed barely made it out of the infield so he easily could have had a no hitter going when he reached the maximum pitch count of around 60 after five innings of work. That the Nats lost to the Dodgers 7-3 in a meaningless mid-September game between two non-contending teams was irrelevant.

This night was about one man and that was Stephen Strasburg. There was no guarantee Strasburg would be able to come back from Tommy John surgery. There was also no guarantee he would be back to his old form when he did come back. After seeing him in person tonight, I can say that Stephen Strasburg is even better than he was a year ago. He is physically stronger and mentally more mature. It's OK to get excited again about the most electric pitcher in Major League Baseball.

Here are more photos from this special night in the Nation's Capital:

If you have followed The Hockey Stop blog the past couple of years, it is no secret my admiration for Washington Capitals and Wizards owner Ted Leonsis. He will be the first to admit the playoff disappointment the Caps and their loyal fans have faced in what has turned into a difficult rebuild in the team's quest for that elusive Stanley Cup. That's why Leonsis and General Manager George McPhee committed to a major overhaul of the roster this off-season after being swept by the Tampa Bay Lightning in round 2 of the playoffs.

But listening to Leonsis speak Wednesday at a luncheon at the National Press Club in downtown Washington, D.C. (and munching on yummy cupcakes, see below), I got the sense that he has felt the pain of three straight years of early playoff exits more than anyone. Leonsis is a big Greek man from Brooklyn who has made millions as an Internet pioneer at AOL and later a venture capital investor and founder of such companies as social media website SnagFilms. But under that tough exterior lies a sensitive kid at heart who, as he explained, cried recently when he saw video footage of the New York Jets Super Bowl III victory over the Baltimore Colts in 1969, which Leonsis attended as a child with his late father.

He went on to say that as the owner of two major sports teams, he is in the business of "making grown men cry." He has said before that if the Caps ever win the Stanley Cup that he will cry like a baby. Well, he won't be the only one raining tears. Count me in and thousand of others with ties to Washington's hockey franchise.

It might not happen next year, or the year after that, or even the year after that. Leonsis has been humbled by three straight years of playoff failure and the tough realization that there are no guarantees in the postseason -- even for a team like the Caps that has been so successful in the regular season. But Leonsis said the window is wide open for the Caps, and that he expects the team will make the playoffs for the next 10-15 years, and if you make the playoffs then anything can happen.

Leonsis is a man who knows and respects history. And the most touching part of the speech was when he paid homage to the late Abe Pollin, who, as owner of the Capitals and Wizards/Bullets, brought the two teams to the heart of Washington, D.C. by financing the building of the Verizon Center with $200 million of his own money. The arena became the catalyst for the revitalization of the entire downtown area of our Nation's Capital. Leonsis said that Pollin deserves a monument for what he did for the city.

Jay Mohr did another bang-up job hosting the NHL Awards in Las Vegas tonight. The highlight of the night was his hilarious parody of HBO's "NHL 24/7 Caps-Pens."

In case you missed the opening segment here it is.



In all seriousness, here are the real winners from tonight's ceremony.

Norris (Outstanding Defenseman): Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings

Art Ross (Regular-Season Scoring Leader): Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks

Mark Messier Leadership Award: Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins

Selke (Outstanding Defensive Forward): Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canucks

Jack Adams (Coach of the Year): Dan Bylsma, Pittsburgh Penguins

Calder (Top Rookie): Jeff Skinner, Carolina Hurricanes

Jennings (Fewest Goals Allowed): Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider, Vancouver Canucks

General Manager: Mike Gillis, Vancouver Canucks

Rocket Richard (Most Regular-Season Goals): Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks

Ted Lindsay (MVP as Voted by Players): Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks

Masterton (Perseverance and Dedication to Hockey): Ian Laperriere, Philadelphia Flyers

King Clancy (Leadership and Humanitarian Contributions): Doug Weight, New York Islanders

Lady Byng (Skillful and Gentlemanly Play): Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning

Vezina (Top Goaltender): Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins

Hart (MVP): Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks

The Boston Bruins have won the Stanley Cup in stunning fashion over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 at Rogers Arena by a final score of 4-0. Many in hockey circles didn't give the Bruins a chance against the super-skilled Canucks, especially after having gone down 2-0 in the series.

But the Bruins dominated the Canucks in Boston, and lost by only one goal in all three games in Vancouver. So perhaps it was inevitable that Boston would dominate this Game 7 in Vancouver. They had simply out-willed the Canucks and played a more physical game that wore down Vancouver's skill players. The injury to defenseman Dan Hamhuis in Game 1 and the suspension of defenseman Aaron Rome after a devastating hit on Nathan Horton in Game 3 did not help Vancouver's cause. That hit to Horton also became a motivational factor for Boston and the series seems to have swung in Boston's favor after that hit.

The story now is the gritty Boston Bruins. What a season for Conn Smythe winner Tim Thomas. What a way to go out in style by 43-year-old Mark Recchi. What a stone wall on defense by Captain Zdeno Chara. What an amazing effort in Game 7 by two-goal scorer Brad Marchand. What a coaching performance by Claude Julien. And the list goes on and on.

Bottom line is congratulations to the Boston Bruins on winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in 39 years.

The Canucks flag flies in front of the B.C. Legislature.

An epic Stanley Cup Final series between the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins will come to a fitting conclusion on Wednesday night with Game 7 at Rogers Arena.

The Canucks have the edge because they are simply a better team at home.

I've never seen a more Jekyll and Hyde team and goaltender then the Canucks and Roberto Luongo in this series. At home in beautiful British Columbia they play with more energy and passion and get the clutch goal and timely save to secure victory. But on the road in Boston they are just atrocious and have been dominated by the Bruins.

So which team will show up Wednesday night? Will it be the good 'Nucks or the bad 'Nucks?

My money is on the team that ran circles around the rest of the league during the regular season on their way to a Presidents' Trophy. The team that battled the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks to a first-round Game 7 victory. The team that put away the pesky Preds and ferocious Sharks. And the team that is now facing their toughest challenge yet in a tough-as-nails Boston Bruins team.

But this is not 1994, when the New York Rangers defeated Vancouver in Game 7 at Madison Square Garden in NYC. In that heartbreaking loss, the Canucks had to watch Mark Messier jump up and down like a little kid after scoring the winning goal to give the Rangers their first Stanley Cup in 54 years.

That won't happen this year. It is why you play during the regular season for home ice advantage throughout the playoffs. For moments like this. There will be 18,000 excited and anxious fans cheering on the Canucks inside Rogers Arena; thousands more gathered in public areas around the city of Vancouver; and millions more across Canada cheering on the Canucks to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history and the first Cup in Canada since Montreal won it in '93.

Regardless of who wins, these two teams have blessed us fans with an amazing series. It's been one for the ages and it's a shame someone has to lose.

Last night in Dallas it was the amazing disappearing act of LeBron James. Tonight in Boston it was the Sedin twins, Henrik and Daniel, who vanished when their team needed them the most (Many in Vancouver will blame goalie Roberto Luongo for the two losses, but that would let the guys in front of him off the hook).

In order for the two teams that on paper are supposed to win the NBA and NHL championships -- that being the Miami Heat and Vancouver Canucks -- to actually get it done, then their stars must be stars. And the stars have not played to their potential, which is why it is 2-2 in both series.

That is not to take anything away from the Mavericks and Bruins. They are both hard-working, talented teams that each deserve to be where they are at this point in the season. But, they both should have met their matches in the Heat and Canucks. And curiously they have not so far.

Game 5 is obviously critical in both series. And the most important player on the hardwood in Dallas will be James. If he doesn't play his best game of the season then Miami will be on the verge of losing a series that they should have won. And if the super Swedes Henrik and Daniel don't find their game and start scoring goals, then good luck going back to Beantown down 3-2 and surviving to see another day.

Will the stars shine for Miami and Vancouver in Game 5? If you are a fan of the Heat or Canucks, you better hope they do.