My View

Random ruminations from your resident curmudgeon...


Remember Major Nidal Hasan, the Ft. Hood Army officer turned terrorist, who shot up the base 15 months ago? Do you recall how his trial turned out? You don't? You shouldn't feel badly, because that trial hasn't happened yet. The fact that Hasan was caught on camera and numerous eye witness accounts of the attack are on file, the trial has not started. Why is that, you ask? Hasan's lawyer, John Galligan, has requested another delay in the start of the trial until later this month. According to Galligan, it is because the White House, through the Justice Department will not disclose the evidence they have so that the defense can make proper preparations for the trial. The disclosure of evidence is a normal pre-trial procedure, so to delay releasing evidence to the defense attorney is to, in effect, delay Hasan from facing justice. This action defies rational thought, and the willful delay in bringing justice to a terrorist by this administration is despicable. In effect, the Obama administration is practicing a de facto Sharia law, which does not allow any insult to Islam. Bring this murderer, this terrorist, into the justice system and let it be meted out fairly and swiftly. To do anything less desecrates the loss of life of the soldiers killed at Ft. Hood.


Marriage means commitment. So does insanity. Coincidence?


There is no secret that the wealth that all Americans hold is an obsession of the left. Well, that is, except for their own, but that's another story. We can hear the shrill mantra of the Democrats and those on the far Left saying "the rich must pay their fair share" and you know that is code for "we want to tax the hell out them". Unfortunately for all of the productively employed people in the United States, we are all becoming "the rich" and our taxes are destined to go up. Substantially. I want to do a little exercise here to get you ready for the next time Pelosi or some liberal wag screeches the tax the rich meme. According to the IRS, in 2004 (the last year for which this data was compiled) there were 2.7 million adults in the U.S. with a net worth of more than $1.5 million- a total in that group of $10.2 trillion in assets. Let's say the government decided that no one could have a net worth over the aforementioned $1.5 million, and confiscated all the wealth above that level. That would give the government a one time windfall of $6.1 trillion to be applied against our exiting debt of $14.5 trillion. You can see that taxing the rich is not going to pay off the deficit, even if the government takes everything they have. And you and I both know that the rich will not sit by and let the government just take their assets. They create intricate and legal schemes to keep their assets away from the tax man. So, in this debate, why don't we think about this? The Democrats, rather than take a position that wealth should be confiscated and redistributed, should work to create an environment where there are way more than $2.7 million people with a net worth higher than $1.5 million dollars. Create that type of environment, tax that growing number of "rich" fairly, and see what happens in the economy.


"Antique"- an old Latin word that means "second hand".


Here is the truth about the current tax situation in our country right now: the top 1% of earners pay 40% of all the taxes collected at the federal level. The bottom 50% of earners in this country pay less than 3%. Stunningly, 47% of Americans pay no tax at all. Let me say that again: 47% of Americans pay no taxes at all. This is according to the Heritage Foundation. Good people, when you get nearly 50% of Americans not paying any taxes, this country is in peril, because once that number reaches 50.1%, we are on the road to unabated taxes, spending, and redistribution of wealth. Now you see why the fight to cut spending and restructure social programs to make them financially viable is so vicious. Now you see why the rhetoric coming from the Left is so vitriolic. Those Americans that pay little or no tax are their base, and the thought of raising taxes on their supporters is anathema to the Democrats in Washington. This is the backstory to the gridlock and the inability to craft viable solutions to what is becoming a financial crisis of gargantuan proportions. As you file your tax return on Monday, think about those numbers that I just mentioned. Realize that 53% of the wage earners are footing the bill for all the operations of the federal government, and especially recall this fact when you hear a politician lie about making the "rich" pay their fair share.


If there is a camp for kids with ADHD to help them learn to pay attention, would it be called a "concentration" camp?


And that, my friends, is my view.

Predators Paste the Ducks 4-1

The Predators opened their Stanley Cup match up with the Anaheim Ducks in the hostile confines of the Honda Center. The Predators made themselves right at home in the Ducks nest with a 4-1 victory.

It was obvious that the Ducks were going to try to exert their physical will against the Predators. The Ducks finished their checks with vigor, but the Predators answered with some thunderous checks of their own. As the period wore on, the Predators gave a solid physical response to the Ducks, showing that the physical play would not back them down.

The Ducks over aggressive play led to a cross checking penalty by Matt Belesky against Kevin Klein. The Predators made the Ducks pay for their transgression with the first goal of the playoff series with a blast from Shea Weber from the point that blew past Dan Ellis at 4:13 of the first period.

Pekka Rinne was called upon to make some big saves for the Predators, and the most amazing was a right pad save on Teemu Selanne. Selanne took a cross crease pass and had an open net, but Rinne was cat quick in sliding across and getting the pad on the shot.

The Predators were determined to put pucks and traffic on the net and did that often in the first period. Dan Ellis made some good stops with an abundance of traffic in front of him.

The second period was like a heavyweight fight with both teams trading checks and probing for the others weakness. Play was intense and up and down the ice. As the period wore on, the pace slowed a bit, but the Predators kept up a strong forecheck that bottled up the Ducks offense. When the Ducks did establish their offense, Rinne was strong in net.

The Predators finally cracked the Ducks defense when Cody Franson chipped the puck off the glass to the far blue line. Steve Sullivan gathered in the puck and broke in alone on Ellis, who stopped the first shot sprawling to the ice. Sullivan did not give up on the puck and was able to get his stick on the rebound lying in the blue ice and tap it under the pads of the prone Ellis at 15:16.

The Predators kept the pressure on the Ducks and capitalized at 18:08 when Mike Fisher  took a pass from Patric Hornqvist and blistered a shot over the shoulder of Ellis from the left face off circle.

The Predators outshot the Ducks for the period 14-8 and held a 22-16 advantage through two periods. So far, the defense had done a great job of shutting down the weapons of the Ducks.

You knew the Ducks would come out flying in the third as they attempted to get back in the game. Mike Fisher thwarted that momentum and ripped the heart out of the Ducks with his second goal of the game just 56 seconds into the period off an assist from Jonathan Blum. Fisher split the defense and rifled a shot from just inside the blueline that handcuffed Ellis for a 4-1 Predators lead and Fisher's second of the game.

The fourth goal by the Predators was a Dan Ellis problem, as he was pulled and Ray Emery came into the game.

The Ducks reverted to their thuggish ways in the third and goaded the Predators into penalties.Blake Geoffrion and Luca Sbisa got coincidental roughing penalties at 9:30. David Legwand got a hooking penalty at 9:50. Kevin Klein got a double minor for roughing and Corey Perry got a minor for roughing at 10:28. With a 5 on 3 advantage, the Ducks were finally able to find the back of the net as Teemu Selanne tallied at 11:24.

Since the Ducks could not solve Rinne and could not outscore the Predators at even strength, their strategy was to try to run Rinne and get the Predators to take penalties. For the most, the Predators did a good job of keeping their emotions in check and continuing to frustrate the Ducks.Keeping those emotions in check proved to be a Herculean task as the Ducks took every opportunity to try to draw penalties, hit after the play, and run at Rinne. Kudos to the boys for keeping their composure.

The best way to deal with the goons from Anaheim? Shane O'Brien did it when he pointed at the scoreboard after a late game scrum.

The Predators closed out the Ducks by playing solid defense and staying disciplined for the remainder of the game.

This feels good, but the Predators have to remember they are playing the NHL's equivalent of the Hell's Angels. The Ducks are a dirty team- witness Corey Perry's spear of Pekka Rinne at the end of the second period- and they will attempt to goon it up in the rest of this series. The Predators are going have to be physically AND mentally tough to survive this series. They cannot let the Ducks goad them into penalties. They have to control their physical play. This series will be a war. Be ready.

Punish the Ducks for their play, but do it within the confines of the rules.

This is one. One win out of 16 that you need for the prize. Your second step toward that prize comes on Friday night.

My three stars:

1. Mike Fisher

2. Pekka Rinne

3. Steve Sullivan

Fearless First Round Playoff Predictions

It's time once again for the View to prove why he doesn't make his living as a professional gambler, as I am fearlessly launching into the first round predictions for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Without further ado- or rational thought- here they are:

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Vancouver vs Chicago

This match up of the President's Trophy winners and their demon from past seasons doesn't hold quite the same intrigue as years past. For one thing, Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo will not be facing his tormentor, the big butt of big Buff. For another, This isn't last year's Blackhawk squad that was clicking on all cylinders, but a team that backed into the playoffs courtesy of the Minnesota Wild. Still, the Hawks have some firepower up front, enough to make it interesting. They will not be able to overcome the talent and depth of the Canuckleheads, however, and Luongo will exorcise his demons against the Hawks.

Vancouver in 6


San Jose vs Los Angeles

Justin Williams is expected to return for the Kings and this will help their line up significantly if he can battle and be productive, but it's no secret the Kings aren't the same without Anze Kopitar. Nevertheless, I expect the Kings to give the Sharks quite a battle in this series, and whomever emerges victorious will not do so unscathed. The Sharks are a high powered group up front and solid on the blue line. The difference maker for the Sharks this year is Antii Niemi, fresh from a Stanley Cup season with the aforementioned Blackhawks. If the Kings can get timely scoring and stellar play from  goaltender Jonathan Quick, they could make a series out of it, but the Sharks ultimately will have too much bite.

San Jose in 7


Detroit vs Phoenix

In a reprise of last year's match up that saw the Wings take down the Desert Dogs in 7, this is another match up that will be very close. Detroit will open without Henrik Zetterberg but should have the full services of the the remainder of their roster. Phoenix will  have the services of Martin Hanzal, who returned late last week after missing 12 games. Last year, rookie Jimmy Howard out dueled Ilya Bryzgalov, and I expect the same to happen again in this series. Detroit is Detroit, and they have the ability to turn it up a notch in the playoffs. The backstory to this series is the rumor that the Coyotes are going to re-locate back to Winnipeg after their season is over. The is no substantiation to that whisper, but it can only serve as a distraction for Dave Tippet and the Coyotes.

Detroit in 7


Anaheim vs Nashville

Time for the Predators to finally shed the mantle of one and done, and this will be the year that they do so. They will need outstanding play from Pekka Rinne. They will get it. I believe that the RPG  line of Bobby Ryan, Cory Perry, and Ryan Getzlaf will get points, but not enough as they run into the Terminators, aka Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. The series will hinge on the second D pairing being able to shut down Teemu Selanne and his line mates and for the Predators to get scoring from all lines. It will happen.

Nashville in 6


EASTERN CONFERENCE


Washington vs New York Rangers

After failing to meet expectations in the playoffs the past several seasons, Head Coach Bruce Boudreau has stored up a warehouse full of expletives to motivate the team. he will be using a bunch of them, as the Rangers will be a feisty group that can be dangerous. Backstopped by "King" Henrik Lundqvist, the Blueshirts will give  the Caps a tussle. They will succumb to the superior firepower of the Caps however. The greatest area of vulnerability for the Caps is in net. If Semyon Varlamov looks shaky, things could get interesting. I don't think they will.

Washington in 5


Philadelphia vs Buffalo

The Flyboys have some horsepower and the potential to make a deep run in the playoffs, but the last 3 weeks of the season has to have shaken the confidence of the team. They won only 3 of their last 10 games and just frankly didn't look confident. Buffalo will ride the strong play of Ryan Miller, who can carry this team past the first round if he gets some offensive help. If Buffalo can get to "Bob"- Sergei Bobrovsky and rattle him, this series could be the surprise of the first round. This is my upset pick of the first round.

Buffalo in 7


Boston vs Montreal

Hide the women and children- and the cop cars if you are in Montreal. This series will be a war between two teams that loath each other. Montreal would like nothing more than to continue the trend of knocking their hated rival out of the playoffs, and Boston would like nothing more than to exact a physical toll on the Habs en route to a series win. My guess is that this series will have, by a wide margin, the greatest number of fighting majors. Physicality and bad blood aside, I think the Bruins will have too much size and firepower for the Habs to overcome. I expect Carey Price to keep them in the games, but I think the size and depth of the Bruins eventually wears down the Bleu, Blanc, et Rouge.

Boston in 6


Pittsburgh vs Tampa Bay


This should be one of the most fun match ups to watch in the first round as both teams sport some explosiveness offensively and can play good defense. Here is the shocker: look for Sidney Crosby to play in this series, beginning in game 1. The other story line is Marc-Andre Fleury against the guns of the Lightning- Stamkos, Lecavalier, and St. Louis. Tampa's netminder, Dwayne Roloson, will have to avoid tripping over his walker be on his game. I'm not certain that Mike Smith will inspire the confidence of his teammates in a heated playoff series. This one could look like pond hockey at times, and should be very fun to watch.

Tampa Bay in 7

Remember, these picks are for amusement purposes only. Picking a match up the same way the View does may be a sign of mental instability.

We will come back after the first round is over and see how the games played out.

It's A Sign!

Three years ago, the View, along with several close friends, went along with the Predators on their West coast swing. One of our stops was, of course, the Honda Center, home of the Quackers. My good friend, Tracie Short, sent to today this picture that she made as we were walking up to the arena. Notice the truck in the foreground. Notice what is on the truck?

Coincidence?

I think not.

A positive omen?

Absolutely!

The First "Hattie" of 2011

Time to hand out the first "Hattie" of 2011, and continuing the trend of reporters receiving this esteemed award, this one goes to the Orange County Registers' Jeff Miller. Miller personifies laziness and irrelevance with his Predators/Ducks preview by dragging out the terribly original moniker of "Trashville" and numerous tired cliches.

Face it, Miller can't read a map much less find Nashville on one. I'm certain that Miller has never been to Nashville, content to dwell in the land of fruits and nuts reeking of patchouli.

Good satire is... well why bother explaining it to Jeff. He would understand anyway.

Tired and flaccid writing, Jeff. Very apropos that there was an "Extenze" ad juxtaposed by your article.

And for that, you have the dubious distinction of earning 2011's first "Hattie"

The Horse's Ass Trophy, or Hattie, is awarded to those individuals or institutions that personify stupidity, laziness, and an assholistic approach to life.

Dissecting the Ducks- How the Predators Will Win

When the Nashville Predators take on the Anaheim Ducks in their Western Conference playoff matchup, much of the focus will be on the Predators ability to stop stop the Ducks scorers. Obviously, the Predators are going to have to stop Ryan, Perry, and Getzlaf, the RPG line or at least keep them contained to advance to the second round. And while this has rightfully drawn much of the focus, I want to take a look at some of the other key variables that could decide the outcome of this series.

Finish the Finn

Teemu Selanne, the ageless wonder, has the potential to be a very dangerous player, and when he gets his mojo going, he can light up an opposing team. The Predators will throw their best defensive effort at shutting down the Ducks potent top line, but for them to win this series, Selanne's line had to be shut down as well. The Predators did an excellent job of that in the regular season by being physical and taking away his room to maneuver. This will be even more important in this series.

Everybody Antes Up

During the course of the season, the Predators got timely scoring from their third and fourth lines. They will need it even more so in this series. The top two lines from each team will get their points, but if the Predators can get opportunistic scoring from their third and fourth lines, this series will swing the way of the Predators. It remains to be seen if Cal O'Reilly can contribute in this series, as it does for Steve Sullivan as they round back into shape from injury. The production of Jordin Tootoo, Blake Geoffrion, and Colin Wilson will be critical to the Predators success.

Park Your Karma

You know it's coming boys- a bad bounce of the puck, a guaranteed blown call by the officials. You have to do what you have done all season: power through that adversity and seize control of the game. This is where the leadership of Captain Shea Weber will be tested. I give him high marks in his first year as Captain. Just like play elevates in the playoffs, so must Shea's leadership. He must be the one to rally the troops when it gets tough and keep them focused in a hostile environment and in the face of adversity.

No Primates

Read that header and figured that I had lost it for sure, dijint ya? Well, I haven't, and here is what I mean. Forget the fact that this team has not won a playoff series. Forget the fact that you SHOULD have won the Chicago series. There is no looking back. You got the monkey off your back last season with your first road playoff win. Now it is time to cast off that 800 pound gorilla that you have been carrying and win a playoff series. Yes, the vets have to take their experience in prior playoff series and learn from it. They have to let the young guys know what to expect. But there can absolutely be no looking back! No "here we go again" attitude. Eyes- and hearts and minds- facing forward boys. You make your own destiny.

Remember Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of the Day

California- and Californians- are like a bowl of cereal. Once you get past all the fruits and nuts, it's a bunch of flakes. My experience is that the Honda Center can be a laid back place, and while the fans of the Ducks will be amped up to start the game, it is important that the Predators get off to a good start and take their fans out of the game. Do that, and they will once again turn their attention to tie dying t-shirts and making reservations at the latest trendy restaurant and the energy in the building will turn negative. Bummer.

It's Not Brain Surgery

Former Predator goalie Dan Ellis compared being an NHL netminder to being a brain surgeon. Uh...OK. For the Predators to win this series, they are going to have to create numerous Dan Ellis problems. How? Simple. Throw pucks at the net and crash the crease. Predator hockey personified. Make Dan's life absolutely miserable. He should by the end of the series know what kind of cologne Patric Hornqvist wears. He should have nightmares of Predators flying at his crease ready to fricassee his Duck butt. This is no time for pretty hockey. It's time to get down and dirty and foul the Duck's nest.
 
Open It Up

Boys, this was delivered to your locker room today. It's time to open it up on Anaheim.

 

Central Division Wrap-Up

The View is never one to shy away from his predictions, and at the start of the season, I predicted the following as the order of finish in the Central Division:

1. Chicago

2. Nashville

3. Detroit

4. St. Louis

5. Columbus

The actual order of finish was:

1. Detroit          104 points

2. Nashville        99 points

3. Chicago          97 points

4. St. Louis         87 points

5. Columbus       81 points


Looking at the final standings, it was apparent that Chicago missed the players that departed in the year end salary purge. The strength of the Hawks last season was the strong play of their third and fourth lines, who scored timely goals throughout last season and their push to the Stanley Cup. Obviously, the Hawks still had a lot of firepower up front with the likes of Kane, Hossa, and Toews, and they still had their two big defensemen in Seabrook and Keith, but Brian Campbell spent a chunk of the year injured and the remaining D corp could not adequately take up the slack. The question is have Seabrook and Keith exhausted themselves with the enormous number of minutes they have logged in the regular season. The Hawks backed into the playoffs, and do not appear to be as solid as last season

The surprise of the division had to be the Nashville Predators, who challenged for the division title up until the final week of the season. The Predators got outstanding play from Pekka Rinne in net and the defense, lead by Shea Weber and Ryan Suter was very solid throughout the season. Weber emerged as a legitimate Norris Trophy candidate in his first year as Captain of the Predators. Shane O'Brien was a good acquisition for the blue liners. In what had to be the shrewdest acquisition by any GM, David Poile took a gamble on Montreal outcast Sergei Kostitsyn, and he responded with 23 goals and 27 assists. February acquisition Mike Fisher has been a solid add both on the ice and in the locker room. For a team decimated with injuries, the play of the Predators has been amazing, and in part that is due to the emergence of young players like Blake Geoffrion and Jonathan Blum. Both stepped in and have been positive contributors for the team.

Detroit is Detroit, and they captured another Central Division title with their hallmark of consistent play throughout the season. Jimmy Howard followed up a great rookie season with another solid campaign in net. The Wings got solid production from their forwards, lead by Pavel Datsyuk. Detroit also faced a myriad of injuries as both Johan Franzen and Tomas Holmstrom both missed a number of games. A testament to their solid scouting and farm system is that many of their call ups, much like the Predators players, performed very well. The Wings D was lead by perennial Norris Trophy candidate Nik Lidstrom, although this season saw Lidstrom finish the year -3. Brian Rafalski, Brad Stuart, and Nilas Kronwall log big minutes for the Wings on the blue line, but their depth is suspect behind their top 4 blueliners.

There was high hopes for the Blues season with the acquisition of Jaroslav Halak  to tend goal. With a bevy of young scorers on the roster, much was expected out of this season. Once again, the Blues failed to live up to expectations, missing the playoffs in a season marked by long winless stretches. The Blues struggled with consistency in net and with their scoring, and a team that on paper looked to be a contender fell flat. This is a team that has the potential, but one wonders if Head Coach Davis Payne is the one that can bring it out of his players.

Ah, Columbus. I should say "Good-bye Columbus" as the Jackets once again were done early in the playoff race. I think Head Coach Scott Arniel is a good coach, but it remains to be seen if the Jackets can play up to their potential. Steve Mason had a very pedestrian season in net, and outside of Rick Nash, no one on the Columbus roster performed consistently. This is a team that was to rely heavily on Mason, but I wonder if he will be on their roster next season. Nash lacks a strong supporting cast, and part of this is that Columbus has made some ill-advised trades, but more importantly, has not developed players in their system like other teams in the Central. Given the roster of the Jackets, I would expect them to finish in the same position in the Central for a while.

That concludes a look back at the regular season. Both Nashville and Detroit play on as the Predators will take on the Ducks and the Red Wings take on the Coyotes. The View will have his fearless playoff prognostications forthcoming for both the Eastern and Western Conference.