Thursday, April 24, 2008

Isn't It Ironic?

OK Sean I'm begging you, no more!

I found it to be pretty ironic the other night when Neil Smith (and play-by-play man Dave Strader) were handling the broadcasting duties for the game 7 matchup between the Calgary Flames and the San Jose Sharks. Why? Well, the Head Coach of the Flames just happens to be Mike Keenan.

"Iron Mike" is no stranger to his teams playing in game sevens, however, Smith said "he only remembered two of them." Those of course would be the game sevens the Rangers played while Smith was G.M. and Keenan was the coach against New Jersey and Vancouver en route to New York winning the 1994 Stanley Cup.

I wonder if Smith took any glee in Calgary falling to San Jose 5-3. There is certainly no love lost between "Big Deal Neil" and Mike Keenan. Ironic also that an old favorite of Mike Keenan's in Chicago, Jeremy Roenick, scored two goals and assisted on two others for the victorious Sharks.

By the way, Smith and Strader always seem to be doing the late game on Versus which is a shame because the two have excellent on-air chemistry and both know hockey extremely well. Smith can explain the intricacies of the sport without coming across as pompous. He also doesn't go overboard with stats.

Selfishly I'd like to see the pair calling any game the Rangers play on Versus. It makes up for having to listen to former Flyer Bill Clement. I just hate bullies!

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