My View

Random ruminations from your resident curmudgeon...

To lower the unemployment rate, the United States needs to create approximately 185,000 new jobs per month. The July employment report was released this morning and it showed that our net new job creation for the previous month was 163,000 jobs, and nominal unemployment continues to hover at 7.4% (real unemployment, the Bureau of Labor Statistics U-6 measure, remains over 14%). So far, in 2013, the U.S. economy has created 953,000 jobs through the end of July, a monthly average of 136,143. Here is the interesting aspect of that total jobs number: 77%, or 731,000 of these new jobs are part-time. This does not bode well for a long term economic recovery led by companies hiring full time workers and providing competitive salaries and benefits. The quality of jobs being created in 2013 is lower, i.e., more entry level and temp positions. Another aspect of this dismal picture that cannot be ignored is that many companies are moving some of their work force to "part time" status to avoid paying benefits or having to cover them under the provisions of Obamacare. Regardless of the motivations of employers, the fact remains that part time jobs provide no benefits and pay less. Until this troubling trend is reversed in the type of jobs our economy is creating, our country will continue to struggle to lower the unemployment rate and get the economy moving forward.

A friend of mine was on vacation out west when he ran into a bear with his car. Witnesses said it was a grizzly accident.

Speaking of Obamacare... If you do not have "affordable" employer sponsored insurance and your household income is between $31,800 and $94,200 for a family of four, then you qualify for an insurance subsidy to purchase coverage on an exchange under Obamacare. And when you apply for that subsidy, you have to declare your income on your application form. And we all know that  the Gestapo IRS has enforcement powers for the provisions of Obamacare. But guess what? The IRS will not be verifying the stated income level on the applications. You can immediately see how this would make the subsidy provision of the socialized healthcare program rife for fraud. Say you have a family of four and their household income is $90,000. Under the program, this family would be eligible for an insurance subsidy of $2,997. But say that family puts down their income as $35,000. Then their subsidy from the taxpayers (read: you and me) is $10,175. Think this will not be exploited? Especially since the IRS is not going to verify income levels. Oh yeah... in my hypothetical example, even if that family is caught, due to the wording of this section of Obamacare, their maximum penalty is only $2,500. Friends, all any honest person can say about this healthcare debacle is that it was a blatant power grab by the federal government that has been ill conceived and will be riddled with fraud.

When I was in college, I thought I wanted to sell computers, but I lost my drive.

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia issued a dire warning to his countrymen and fellow oil producers in the mid-East on Wednesday. He said that Saudi Arabia is under "threat". From a foreign invader? Marauding pestilence? No, but instead from the U.S. and oil and natural gas discoveries inside of our own borders. The Prince wrote to the Saudi Oil Minister and warned that the demand for oil from OPEC, of which Saudi Arabia is the largest producer, is in serious decline and that his country must diversify their economy. More than 90% of all of Saudi Arabia's revenues come from oil sales. Why is he so worried? According to the latest World Energy Outlook report prepared by the International Energy Authority, the United States is predicted to pass Saudi Arabia as the largest oil producing nation in the world, eventually becoming a net exporter by 2030. How has this amazing event transpired? The innovation of new extraction technologies- in particular, fracking- have unlocked major finds of oil and clean burning natural gas inside our borders. The Bakkan Shale in North Dakota alone is projected to provide enough recoverable oil to meet U.S. needs for the next 200 years. And there are other larger finds that have been made in this country. Additionally, there has been an amazing amount of natural gas that has been discovered, and it is becoming so plentiful that many large trucking companies and corporate owned fleets are converting their semi trucks to run on natural gas. Wal-Mart is just the latest to announce they were doing this. Now environmentalists will continue to have their knickers in a knot about fracking, but the reality is that this technology has opened the door to energy independence for our country. And that is a game changer, both economically and politically.

When people with big egos fight, it is an I for an I.

And that, my friends, is my view.

My View

Random ruminations from your resident curmudgeon...

We all know about the law of unintended consequences- where one action has a surprisingly unexpected reaction, most often in the negative. Congress is a case study of the law of unintended consequences, and  one of the most glaring and painful examples of unintended consequences has been the reaction of small businesses to Obamacare. Ostensibly, this program of socialized medicine was designed to provide healthcare coverage to all Americans (it didn't in its original design or its final version) and one of the ways to do that was to require small businesses to cover their full time employees. Seems simple enough- small business have to have employees to keep their doors open so make them provide healthcare coverage. Obamacare rules state that any employee that works more than 30 hours weekly (instead of the nationally accepted 40 hours) is considered a full time employee. So small businesses have reacted to this massive expense that has been thrust on them by doing what is necessary to survive. And what is necessary is to reduce the number of full time (over 30 hour per week) employees. According to a survey by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 74% of small businesses (by definition, a company that employs up to a maximum of 50 workers) plan to either cut their full time work force; move more employees to part time status; or will freeze hiring. Now you and I both know that this is not what the administration wanted as a response to Obamacare. It is that dreaded unintended consequence that is having a dramatically negative impact on the creation of jobs and is reducing wages and hours for the existing work force. What looks good on paper or in the halls of Congress often does not translate well to the real world. Now that Washington is seeing the negative effects of the unintended consequences of this horrific law, it is time to undo and re-think how we provide health care coverage using real world experience and perspectives. Maybe then we would not be experiencing such negative unintended consequences.

The furniture store keeps calling me to come back and buy more furniture, but really all I wanted was a one night stand.

How about this for unintended consequences? We all know the Federal Reserve has been printing money and pursuing a zero interest rate policy in a vain attempt to stimulate the economy. While those extremely low rates have benefitted individuals that are buying or refinancing a home, there are some seriously negative effects to those low rates. In June, the Social Security Administration saw $94 billion in bonds mature with an average yield of 5.25%. Those bonds were replaced with Treasury bonds that had an average yield of 1.75%, which costs the SSA $3.3 billion per year in lower interest income. Now consider this: more bonds will be maturing in the near future as the SSA has varying maturities of bonds. Those higher yielding Treasuries will be replaced with significantly lower yielding bonds, costing the SSA even more in annual income. It is estimated that by the time the SSA re-prices their bond portfolio (going from the redeemed higher interest rate bonds to lower interest rate bonds), the annual loss of income will be over $300 billion from current levels. Also consider that the SSA is facing a massive demographic group- the baby boomers- who are beginning to move into the "pay me" years where they are no longer paying into the system but will be drawing out of the system their benefits. The unintended consequence of the lowest interest rates in the history of our nation is the hastening of the cash shortfall for the Social Security trust fund. And the longer we wait to fix the problem, the more difficult it becomes.

I have a good friend who is an optometrist. Unfortunately, he fell into his lens grinder and made a spectacle of himself.

Of all the scandals that plague the Obama Administration, the one that should worry every American the most irrespective of their political leanings is the use of the IRS to target individuals and groups that have a differing view from the administration in power. As we are finding out, the IRS was directed by higher ups in Washington to make life difficult for conservative groups through an unduly rigorous application and now we are finding out that private files have been accessed and security breached. Christine O'Donnell, who won the Republican primary for a Senate seat for the state of Delaware, was informed that her records were accessed on the very day that she planned to run for the Senate seat. If we have a government agency that has the capability of making life miserable for anyone in this country, who has access to our most private financial information, and which is being used by incumbents to punish their political opponents or perceived enemies, then we have made a giant stride toward becoming a more totalitarian nation. This bears watching by every citizen, and justice must be sought in this situation.

I asked my wife why she spends so much money on food. She said, "Well, you and the kids won't eat anything else." She has a point.

And that, my friends, is my view.

My View

Random ruminations from your resident curmudgeon...

Last Friday, the non-farm payroll report was released by the Labor Department, and there were hosannas from the talking heads and various government types when the report showed the economy created 195,000 new jobs in June. Recall that it takes 150,000 new jobs per month to keep the unemployment rate from going up. This is great news, right? Well, as you know, I am here to cut through the spin and present reality to you. While the initial number for new jobs created was good, a closer look reveals some disturbing trends. The UNDER-employment rate jumped 3.6% to 14.3% in June. This number tracks the people that have quit looking for jobs or are working part time jobs even though they want to work on a full time basis. The Gallup Organization now reports that 17.2% of the Americans that have jobs are underemployed. The jobs being produced by the economy now are jobs that are part-time or entry level, and those that have experience and skills that take those jobs join the ranks of the under-employed. The Labor Department also reported that the number of those working part time jobs for economic reasons grew to 29.3% of the work force and the number of discouraged workers that have stopped seeking employment grew by 25% on a year over year basis to 1.027 million people. While the headline numbers get a lot of attention, it is instructive to look into the numbers, and when one does, you see a labor market that is far from healthy and is producing lower wage jobs. The long term effect of this trend is a lower standard of living for those that are working and more people that rely on government assistance. Neither trend is good for our nation.

Cannibals like to meat people.

Digging into the employment numbers provides some even more troubling data. The unemployment rate for African Americans is 23.7%; for Hispanics, it is 13.2%; and 11.6% for women. These numbers point to a growing underclass of unemployed and to the societal divide that it creates. Those that are chronically unemployed have a dependence on the government for their survival. Those that are struggling to make ends meet and working several jobs feel a growing resentment toward the government and those that receive federal assistance. This fracture in our societal structure makes long term solutions more difficult to craft and walls off segments of our society from each other. It is time that we realize that if we as a nation cannot continue on this path. We have saddled future generations with unsustainable levels of debt and poor employment opportunities. Honest discussion about these problems must be conducted. Throwing more money at the problem will not solve it. Until we address the underlying structural issues that have made the job market so weak (and there are many) and our citizens unable to compete effectively in a global marketplace, we will continue to see horrific numbers like these.

I have a friend that is a dentist. He married a manicurist. It wasn't a happy marriage. They fought tooth and nail.

Taxes are skyrocketing and the government wants more. Our national deficits are getting bigger. We cannot control runaway entitlement spending. Underlying these problems is a mindset in government that the supply of money is unlimited and that the leaders in Washington know best how to spend our money. There is a disconnect to fiscal reality in Washington. Don't believe me? Here are some examples from the Federal Register, presented without comment:

U.S. Agency for International Development- $27 million for Moroccan pottery classes

NASA- $947,000 to study what food astronauts could eat on Mars

Department of Energy- $15 million to help the Russian Weapons Institute recruit new scientists

State Department- $402 million to train Iraqi policemen with no formal program/objectives in place

Department of Transportation- 35.6 million to build a street car line in St. Louis that duplicates  existing light rail service

Internal Revenue Service- Medicaid providers have unpaid taxes totaling $330 million, yet are allowed to keep their full Medicaid reimbursement from Washington.

And the list goes on and on. And on. Spending other peoples money (read: OUR money) is fun. You can buy a lot of fun things and votes. Our fiscal situation in this country is bad and getting worse, and it is time that we at taxpayers and citizens demand accountability and fiscal restraint from our elected officials. The frivolous spending at the national level is symptomatic of the lack of restraint and appreciation of financial reality by our elected leaders.

I thought I wanted to be a computer salesman, but I lost my drive.

And that, my friends, is my view.

Predators Add Five in Free Agency and What It Means For the Team

The Nashville Predators have not usually been active in free agency, but they broke their pattern at the start of the 2013 free agency frenzy, signing five players that will change the look of this team.

The Predators signed Viktor Stalberg from the Chicago Blackhawks to a 4 year, $12 million contract that will pay Stalberg $2.5 million in each of the first two years and $3.5 million in years three and four.

Matt Cullen was signed to a two year, $7 million contract that pays $3 million in the first year and $4 million in the second year. Cullen played with the  Minnesota Wild last year.

Matt Hendricks was signed to a 4 year, $7.4 million contract that pays $1.85 million each year. Hendricks was originally drafted by the Predators in the 2000 Entry Draft in the 5th round and was on the Washington Capitals roster last season.

Eric Nystrom was signed to a 4 year, $10 million contract that will pay him $2 million in each of the first two years and $3 million in the last two years. Nystrom was with the Dallas Stars last year.

With the Predators not re-signing Chris Mason, the team was in need of a back up goaltender. They signed Carter Hutton from the Chicago Blackhawks system to a one year, two way contract that pays him $550,000 at the NHL level and $100,000 at the AHL level. Hutton appeared in one game for the Blackhawks last season, and posted a 26-22-1 record for the Hawks AHL affiliate in Rockford. Hutton had a .908 save % and a 2.72 GAA last year for the Icehogs.

So what are we to make of these signings?

When the Predators parted ways with Marty Erat, they lost their leading scorer, a talented and somewhat enigmatic winger who was a streaky scorer. There was no doubt that the team needed to replace and hopefully improve upon his scoring and talent.

In Stalberg, the Predators get... a talented and somewhat enigmatic winger that has shown flashes of potential but lacked consistency with the Hawks. Stalberg brings speed, which the Predators love and that a player has to have to play for this team, and the potential for offensive upside. Stalberg at times seemed to get lost in the shuffle with the talent of the Hawks, and saw the ice only 14 minutes a game on average. If he plays the same minutes that Erat played (nearly 19 minutes a game), one would have to believe that his production would increase. Stalberg brings an explosiveness to the forwards that the Predators have lacked for the most. Channeling that explosiveness and talent will be a challenge for Stalberg and for the coaching staff.

The Predators will give Stalberg every opportunity to settle into a top six role on the wing, and hopefully Stalberg will seize upon the chance to play a much bigger role with this team. If- and the jury is still out- Stalberg plays to his skill set and the potential that he has shown, this can be a significant add for the Predators. It will be interesting to see how he meshes with the other players on the Predators roster and the coaches. The adaptation to the Predators system should not be much of a challenge as the Blackhawks play a similar system to the Predators.

With the addition of Cullen, the Predators added a player that immediately becomes the most veteran player on the roster. Cullen has played in 1,073 regular season games in his career. Cullen adds a veteran presence to a squad that has a number of young forwards, and that experience will be good both on and off the ice. Cullen is good in the face off dot, winning 53% of his draws, a while he will not score a number of goals, he will add a solid presence in the offensive and defensive zone. Cullen provides experienced depth at center, something that the Predators need.

Matt Hendricks returns to the team that originally drafted him, and is another depth addition to the Predators roster. Hendricks has not been a prolific scorer but has surprisingly shown himself to be adept at shootouts, something the Predators need. Hendricks adds some size and grit to the Predators roster of forwards and is another player that is solid in all zones. Hendricks is durable, steady, and tough to play against.

Eric Nystrom brings grit and toughness to the forward corps of the Predators. Outside of Rich Clune this past season, this was something the Predators sorely lacked. Nystrom is certainly not going to add scoring, but he has been signed to be an agitator and a disruptor, roles that he can fill very well.

Carter Hutton is a project for Mitch Korn, the Predators goaltending coach. Hutton has the tools and potential to be good, and it will be up to Korn to develop him into a quality NHL goaltender. I have faith that Korn can do this, and the addition of Hutton gives the Predators the luxury of being patient with Magnus Hellberg, their netminder in Milwaukee. The Predators are high on Hellberg, but don't want to rush him into the backup role. The addition of Hutton sets up some serious competition for the role of backup to Pekka Rinne, and it will be interesting to see which of these young netminders can and will rise to the occasion.

So, the question still remains.

What are we to make of these signings?

Three things come to mind.

Potential, personality, and physicality.

The addition of Stalberg gives the Predators a potentially explosive an game changing top 6 forward. This is a change- a dramatic change- from the current composition of the forwards on the team. With the exception of Colin Wilson and the wildly erratic Craig Smith, the Predators have lacked the talented forward that can skate AND score. The question for the Predators and for Stalberg is can he fulfill that potential. if he can blossom into the player that can consistently be an offensive threat, then both sides win. This is the opportunity for Stalberg to be the offensive star on a team that desperately needs offensive stars.

Additionally, these free agent acquisitions set up the potential for additional roster moves. The Predators have already begun to re-shape their roster by releasing Brandon Yip and Mat Halischuk from the group of forwards that were on last season's roster. Jonathan Blum is gone from the blue line. With the addition of this depth, and with several talented youngsters waiting in the wings, there could be some additional roster moves via trade. It would not be surprising to see the Predators make trades to bolster the roster. These additions insure that there will be serious competition for roster spots, and that will be good for the team.

The personality of this team has also changed. The veteran presence of these additions will be a benefit to the locker room and especially to some of the younger players. The existing veteran leadership core will be augmented by proven veterans that are now on the roster. That experience in other programs will provide a fresh perspective and the proven voices of players that have been successful in the League. This is not only good for the players, but the coaches as well.

There was no doubt that the Predators needed to get tougher. The addition of Hendricks and especially Nystrom provide an element of physicality that makes the Predators a tougher team to play against. Adding the size and grit is a plus for a team that lacked both elements with their forwards last season.

The Predators did not pull off a mega trade, but they quietly made some very good additions to the roster that will change the face and character of this team.

And it will be for the better.

Predators Steal Seth Jones With the 4th Pick at the NHL Entry Draft

The Nashville Predators are a team that has been built by the draft. Draft solid players, be patient with their development, and at the right time, bring them up to the NHL.

And they have had some success with that model. Shea Weber, Pekka Rinne, and Kevin Klein are some examples.

The Predators have shown proficiency with drafting and developing goaltenders and defensemen. That has been a strength of the scouting staff and the coaches at all levels.

While the team has enjoyed some success developing their young players, there is no doubt that the team has been average at best in drafting and developing forwards. This fact is confirmed by the Predators scoring struggles last season and for most of their history.

Take a look at the forwards on the roster last season. The leading goal scorer for the team had 11 goals, and there was no forward that was a consistent scoring threat. There was no forward that was a scary offensive threat to the opposing team. There was no forward that could dominate a shift, much less a game.

The 2013 Entry Draft offered the Predators the opportunity to add a player that could change that dynamic. Picking fourth, the Predators were expected to have a choice of an impact forward if the draft played out as many pundits thought it would.

About those expectations...

Seth Jones, the putative number one pick, was expected to go to the Colorado Avalanche, who desperately needed help on the blue line. Instead, the Avalanche selected a forward, Nathan MacKinnon. Florida selected the player many thought would fall to the Predators, Alexander Barkov. Tampa Bay selected Jonathan Drouin, another dynamic forward.

Surprisingly, the projected number one pick fell to the Predators at the fourth pick.

And Seth Jones is now a Predator.

Jones brings to the Predators a smooth skating, solid presence on the blue line. He has good hockey sense and will continue to grow into his frame. His physical edge is a plus, and having the opportunity to be coached by Phil Housley, who was recently added to the Predators staff, will be a critical and positive for his development. And having Shea Weber to mentor him will only elevate his game.

There is no doubt that Jones was the best player available when the Predators went on the clock. And Predators General manager had said there would be no hesitation to draft Jones should he fall to the fourth pick.

With the Predators desperately needing scoring, there are some that will be disappointed with the selection of Jones. However, the addition of Jones gives the Predators some options. If he is not NHL ready this season, he soon will be. I believe that Jones will be on the opening day roster. If so, the Predators blue liners will be Weber, Roman Josi, Kevin Klein, Victor Bartley, Hal Gill, Jones, and either Ryan Ellis or Mattias Ekholm.

Jones will bring competition for a roster spot and playing time to the Predators defenders. The Predators have not extended Jonathan Blum, a blue liner that just never panned out. Hal Gill is in the twilight of his career and is playing limited minutes. Ekholm has an opportunity to show that he belongs on the roster. And Ryan Ellis should be concerned. The undersized defenseman could possibly be trade bait to get the Predators some offensive help.

Jones will not supplant Roman Josi as Weber's partner on the blue line. This pair showed good chemistry and their game is very complimentary. Both Jones and the Predators have the opportunity and luxury of easing him into the lineup. I would expect to see Jones in a third pairing to get him introduced to the NHL game.

The Predator philosophy has always been to build the team from the net out. Integral to the success of the team has been a corps of defenders that can shut down the opponents scoring. For the most, the Predators have been successful in adding and developing the players that can play outstanding defense.

With the addition of Seth Jones, the Predators have added another building block for their success.

My View

Random ruminations from your resident curmudgeon...

We are all rightly shocked and offended at the invasion of our privacy by our government through the data collection efforts of the National Security Agency. Done in secret, your on-line activity and cell phone information, including location, have been surreptitiously gathered by the National Security Agency. Here is another agency that you should know about: the Federal Data Services Hub. Haven't heard of them? Not many people have. The FDSH is an integral part of Obamacare, and is a new agency established under the socialized healthcare program. The ostensible purpose of the FDSH is to coordinate information flow between insurance exchanges to determine eligibility for benefits, exemptions from the socialized healthcare mandate, and qualifications for federal subsidies. What sort of personal information is collected? Social security numbers, family size, household income, citizenship and immigration status, and arrest records, to name a few. And this information doesn't just stay under the auspices of the Department of Health and Human Services to manage Obamacare. Health and Human Services has said that it will "share" this information with the IRS, the Social Security Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, and even the Peace Corps (?). What we are witnessing is the largest consolidation of personal data in history by the federal government on its citizens. Of course, the Obama administration has said not to worry, that we can trust then government and the collected data will not be stored. A February regulatory filing by the Obama administration says differently. The filing describes a new system of records that will store names, Social Security numbers, taxpayers status, gender, ethnicity, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and more personal information. The data collection on individual citizens is unprecedented and we should be aware of the increasing encroachment on our personal lives by an overreaching federal government.

Is it my imagination, or do Buffalo wings taste like chicken?

Of course, our government needs copious amounts of your income to pay for all the federal largesse that it re-distributes throughout the economy. One program, the "Lifeline" free cell phones, or "Obamaphones" is designed to give those that are at the poverty level a cell phone to use as a contact for job interviews and for emergency contact. To qualify for an Obamaphone, most recipients must show the Electronic Benefits Transfer card and ID to prove they are on welfare; or they must bring tax statements to a cell phone provider. In 2012, this program cost taxpayers $2.19 billion. The leading seller of these types of phones is TracFone, owned by Mexican multibillionaire Carlos Slim Helu, who is the second richest man in the world according to Forbes magazine. TracFone received $440 million under the program in 2012 for the phones it provided. I'm sure that you can begin to see the problem. The Lifeline program actually began in 1984 and was used to put land lines in homes. In 2008, cell phones were added to the program and quickly the number of participants in the program- and the associated cost to taxpayers- exploded. Unfortunately, so did the fraud, as numerous providers have been caught providing more than one phone to individuals. Those individuals quickly pawn those phones for cash and return for another. And you and I pay for it. Check your cell phone bill and notice a Federal Universal Service Charge. That is what subsidizes this program. The FCC found over 1 million duplicate subscribers- people that had received more than the one allotted cell phone. If the federal government cannot effectively run a program to hand out cell phones, do you believe they are going to effectively run healthcare?

A friend of mine just got divorced, and he and his ex-wife split the house. He got the outside.

President Obama has decided to tackle our most pressing problem. No, not a violation of your privacy by an over-intrusive federal government. No, not out of control government spending that threatens our currency and ultimately our way of life. No, Obama is going to tackle global warming. Even though climatologists cannot explain why the Earth's surface air temperature has been flat for the past 15 years. Irrespective of that inconvenient truth, Obama has directed the Environmental Protection Agency to create new carbon standards for new an existing U.S. power plants. And this is going to painful and costly to every person and business in the United States. White House Climate Advisor and Harvard professor Daniel Shrag said what was needed from this administration was a "war on coal" to change the environment. Here is the reality: U.S. emission of greenhouse gases are about 18% of total global emissions, and they are steadily declining. The International Panel on Climate Change estimates that at present levels, the U.S. will contribute about .5 degree (that's ONE-HALF) to overall climate change by the year 2100. If we reduce our emissions of green house gases by half, the effect on temperature would be approximately .25 degrees. And that one quarter degree change would come about with massive economic dislocations. It would raise the average Americans electric bill and it would be a job killer. All for miniscule change. When it comes to the sham of global warming, I have always told you to follow the money. And this is just another scheme to siphon off more of your income in the name of  spurious science.

Marriage is when a man and a woman decide to become one. The trouble starts when they try to decide which one.

And that, my friends, is my view.

Stanley Cup Review

Congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks, winners of the 2013 Stanley Cup. The finals was a series of glorious, heroic, and hard fought hockey games played by athletes that epitomize the term "warrior".

My prediction was that the Bruins would win the series in 7 games. Instead, the Blackhawks prevailed in 6 games, showing resilience and the ability to counter the physical game of the Bruins with speed, talent, and scoring that came from all four lines.

To win the Cup, the Bruins needed balanced scoring from all their lines. That didn't happen. The Blackhawks were able to thwart the offensive efforts of Tyler Seguin, Nathan Horton, Jaromir Jagr, and Brad Marchand, among others. In the run up to the finals, the Bruins had been getting timely scoring from all their lines. The Hawks did a very good job of limiting those chances and shutting down the Bruins secondary scoring.

The Bruins will most likely look back on this series and say they let it slip away. There is some validity to that argument. The Bruins lost a 2 goal lead in game one, allowing the Hawks to score 2 third period goals and win in overtime. The Bruins captured the next 2 games in the series before dropping 3 straight, and missed opportunities and defensive lapses were the hallmark of those losses.

The Bruins had some uncharacteristic defensive breakdowns that cost them dearly. How much of that was the talent of the Hawks and how much was the Bruins defenders being gassed trying to counter the Hawks speed can be debated, but as the series wore on, the talented Hawks forwards were able to exploit the Bruins defense and create numerous quality scoring chances.

Early in the series, Chicago netminder Corey Crawford came under criticism for his play, and his glove hand had to be the most scrutinized glove hand in hockey. Yet at critical moments, Crawford made some big saves to keep the Hawks in the game. Crawford was a quiet virtuoso in net and his play and confidence fed his team.

Tuuka Rask was very solid if not spectacular in net for the Bruins, and kept them in every game in face of the offensive onslaught of the Hawks. Rask was coolly confident, moved well, and was in control in net. Unfortunately for the Bruins, the defense in front of Rask faded as the series wore on, and he was overwhelmed by the Hawks talent.

For Chicago, their stars were their stars, and they rose to the occasion. Patrick Kane had an outstanding series, and although Jonathan Toews didn't often find the back of the net, his leadership and play in all zones was solid. leadership doesn't always manifest itself in goals, and Toews was the consummate leader.

The Blackhawks also benefitted from timely scoring from players like Dave Bolland, who scored the game winning goal in games 6. The Hawks balance and ability to roll 4 lines that were productive was the difference in the series. The Bruins needed scoring from all their lines, and they didn't get it.

Now that the finals are over, we are learning the extent of the injuries that some players had to contend with. Warrior doesn't adequately describe the heart that these athletes bring to the rink, and that heart is what makes hockey the greatest game in the world. Broken wrists, punctured lungs, separated shoulders, and severely sprained MCL's are just the beginning of a laundry list of injuries that beset players from both teams.

Even though the season was shortened by a lockout, the hockey was superb and the playoffs were excellent. The finals were  well played and demonstrated why the Stanley Cup is the greatest trophy in all of sports.

And the most difficult to win.