Weber Avoids Suspension; Bigger Problem for the League

"In case of emergency, break glass."

As the Detroit Red Wings were desperately trying to rally to tie the first game in their playoff series with the Nashville Predators, Shea Weber attempted to do just that- break glass- with Henrik Zetterberg's face as he was trying to steal the puck from Weber behind the Nashville goal.

Here is the video of the final moments of the game from CBSSports Eye on Hockey blog:

Earlier today, the NHL announced that Weber would not be suspended for this incident, but fined the maximum amount allowed under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which is $2,500.00

Red Wings fans already had their knickers in a knot over the play, and after the announcement that Weber would not be suspended, went absolutely apoplectic.

And I don't blame them.

If the situation had been reversed, and the Wings resident thug Todd Bertuzzi had done this to one of the Predators players, I would feel the same sense of outrage and anger that Wings fans feel. And I would have been on the phone to Greg Williams to discover the finer points of a bounty system.

Yes Weber plays on the edge, and what he did certainly stepped over the line. It was a type of play that we- the Predators and the NHL- did not need. When the casual fan starts to compare the play on the ice to the WWE, at the least the game has a perception problem.

Watch the video closely. Yes Weber was cross checked, but what really set him off was the knee on knee hit from behind by Zetterberg. That is when Weber lost it and retaliated.

Understand by pointing this out, I am not excusing his behavior. But there was a match to his fuse.

The focus in the hockey world has been on the act in the heat of the moment, and what mitigated Weber's punishment is that Zetterberg is okay and will play in the next game.


Until the NHL changes the extent of injury as a criteria for punishment of players that commit egregious acts, we will continue to see those kinds of plays and continue to have the discussion about how to restore respect among the players and get those plays out of the game.

And the League is flirting with disaster.

Using the extent of an injury to determine the punishment of a player that engages in a dangerous play is ludicrous. The League runs the risk of seeing a player wheeled off on a stretcher with  a career ending and possibly life altering injury because the standard for punishing those types of plays floats with the extent of the injury. In some respects, this gives the players who "play on the edge" license to continue taking these risks.

If the League is serious about taking these types of hits out of the game- and not just the hit that Weber delivered but the head shots and dangerous boarding plays- the punishment has to be consistent and had to be delivered regardless of the extent of injury or lack thereof. Only then will the players begin to consider their actions and limit those dangerous plays.

Consistent punishment that does not take into account the extent of an injury will not completely eliminate these plays. Some occur in a split second and are unavoidable. Consistent punishment regardless of injury will help to remove the retaliatory hits and the the dangerous hits along the board. Players will hopefully get the message that even if an opponent is not injured, engaging in a dangerous hit will have consequences that are not arbitrary or related to the injury suffered.

Maybe then Brendan Shanahan will not have so many pane in the glass plays to consider.

Predators Down Detroit 3-2

The Nashville Predators defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 at the Bridgestone Arena in the first game of their quarter final series.

It wasn't easy.

The Predators committed 8 penalties and the Red Wings capitalized on 2 of their power plays. The Predators scored all their goals at even strength, and were 0-6 on their man advantage opportunities.

The Wings out shot the Predators 37-26, and Pekka Rinne made some huge saves for the Predators for the win. Jimmy Howard was in net for the Wings, and mad e some good stops as well, but not enough for the Wings to capture the win.

The Predators were the more physical team, and they punished the Wings throughout the game. Their physical play may come back to haunt them however, as Henrik Zetterberg hit Shea Weber from behind into the boards at the final horn and Weber responded by slamming Zetterberg's head into the glass. Zetterberg was not hurt on the play, but acted as if he had been shot. It remains to be seen whether Weber will face any disciplinary action.

The Predators opened the scoring at 6:59 of the first period as Paul Gaustad retrieved the puck in the corner and walked out toward the net. He threw the puck at the net and it caromed off the skate of Brad Stuart and past Howard to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.

The Wings answered at 2:29 of the second period on the power play as Rinne gave up a rebound and Henrik Zetterberg beat Nick Spaling to the puck and banged it past Rinne to tie the game at 1.

The Predators regained the lead at 12:29 of the second period as Matt Halishcuk skated in over the blue line and fired a puck toward the net. The puck was re-directed off the stick of Gabriel Bourque and over the shoulder of Howard to give the Predators a 2-1 lead.

The Predators stretched their lead to 3-1 as Patric Hornqvist battled for a puck behind the net. Hornqvist won that battle and fed the puck to Bourque who was cruising down the slot. Bourque's one timer beat Howard to give the Predators a cushion that they would need.

Once again, the Predators lack of discipline cost them as the Wings tallied their second power play goal. This score came with 2:07 remaining in the game as Tomas Holmstrom would bang home a shot to make the score 3-2.

The wings pulled Howard with 1:29 remaining for the extra attacker. The Predators made the final seconds more challenging as they committed their 8th penalty. Marty Erat was called for a weak holding call, but nevertheless the Wings were skating 6 on 4. The Predators were able kill off the power play and claimed a 1-0 lead in what will be a contentious series.

The Predators were extremely strong at even strength. In fact, I will venture to say that the Wings cannot beat the Predators at even strength. There is that matter of penalties, though.

Committing 8 penalties against the Wings is not a formula for success in this series. In is incumbent that the Predators play with more discipline and stop the march to the penalty box. The Predators were fortunate that they gave up only 2 power play goals. Sitting in the box against the Wings in the remaining games will bite the Predators.

The Predators did what they needed to do in game one, and that is get the win. The way they did it was, frankly, lucky.

They are the better team, top to bottom. But allowing the Wings the ability to play with the man advantage for much of the game will lead to problems- and losses- for the Predators over the course of a long series.

It is time for the Predators to evaluate their game and stop the unnecessary penalties. None of the penalties tonight were "good" penalties, that is, preventing a scoring opportunity. They were undisciplined penalties. Limit those, and this series is there for the Predators to capture.

The play of the third line, which I said would be pivotal, was just that tonight. Gabriel Bourque was outstanding, and played with a maturity and jump that belied his rookie status. I look for Bourque and his line mates to continue to have a positive impact in this series.

It will be important for the Predators to get their top two lines going in this series. They were for the most invisible tonight. They have too much talent not to produce quality scoring chances.

This will not be an easy series by any stretch, but it is a series that the Predators have for the taking.

It is up to the Predators to seize the opportunity.

My three stars:

1. Gabriel Bourque

2. Pekka Rinne

3. Paul Gaustad

Western Conference Playoffs and Predictions

Time to take a look at the Western Conference match ups and my fearless predictions for the battles out West.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS (1) vs LOS ANGELES KINGS (8)

The Canucks claimed the President's Trophy for the second year in a row, and their team looks solid from top to bottom. If the Canucks have a question going into the playoffs, it has to be, surprisingly, the play of Roberto Luongo in net. Luongo needs to start strong and not be looking over his shoulder at Cory Schneider, who is sitting on the bench waiting to take over the crease if Luongo falters. The Canucks may not have the services of Daniel Sedin for a part of this series as he recovers from a concussion. His return bolsters the Canucks chances. The Kings have struggled to score this season, and if they can get Jeff Carter back from an ankle injury, could improve their chances in this series. The Kings have an abundance of talent, but it has not excelled this season. If the Kings can get timely scoring and use their size, they could present some problems for the Canucks. Jonathan Quick will carry the hopes of the Kings in net, and he is capable of stealing some some games. This series presents the best chance for a first round upset, and I think the Kings will challenge the Canucks.

MY PICK: CANUCKS IN 7

St LOUIS BLUES (2) vs SAN JOSE SHARKS (7)

The Blues were in contention for the President's trophy until the last few games of the season; the Sharks had to scramble to get into the playoffs. On paper, this looks like the Blues should be able to handle the Sharks fairly easily. The game is played on the ice, however, and I think this series will be tougher for the Blues than most imagine. This year, the Blues were 4-0 against the Sharks. Look back over the past several seasons, though, and the Sharks were 18-3-3 against the Blues. The Sharks size up front will give the Blues some problems, and I expect every game in this series to be a physical contest. The Sharks wily veterans will present a challenge for the younger Blues. That being said, the Blues forwards will put immense pressure on the Sharks D, and eventually should prevail. For the Sharks to have a chance in this series, Antii Niemi is going to have to play better than he did in their regular season games, and the Sharks are going to have to do a good job of protecting him against the pressure the Blues forwards will bring. The Blues most likely will not have Brian Elliott because of an upper body injury, so they will rely on Jaroslav Halak to carry the load. He will.

MY PREDICTION: BLUES IN 6

PHOENIX COYOTES (3) vs CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (6)

This series will be a very interesting series, as the Coyotes will present match up problems for the Hawks. In my view, this series will hinge on two factors: how well the Hawks second and third D pairings play against the dangerous forwards of the Coyotes; and how well Corey Crawford plays in net for the Hawks. It is no secret that the Hawks have questions in goal, and if the Coyotes light up Crawford early, then his fragile confidence will be shattered and Ray Emery will get his chance in goal. I am not sure that either netminder inspires confidence in the skaters in front of them. Chicago is potent offensively, and it will fall to Mike Smith to continue his outstanding play in net if the Coyotes are going to capture this series. I think he will. Dave Tippett, coach of the Coyotes, will have his team ready to play, and Tippett could be the X factor in this series. Look for Tippett to have his team ready to play a tough series and handle the ups and downs that will inevitably occur.

MY PREDICTION: COYOTES IN 7

NASHVILLE PREDATORS (4) vs DETROIT RED WINGS (5)

You can read my preview of this series here.

MY PICK: NASHVILLE IN 5

Eastern Conference Playoff Preview and Predictions

The playoffs are the most glorious time of year for hockey fans, as the playoffs begin and the pursuit of Lord Stanley's Cup begins. There are compelling match ups in both the East and the West, and each series presents interesting story lines.

We will take a look at the Eastern Conference match ups. The West preview will be tomorrow.

NEW YORK RANGERS (1) vs OTTAWA SENATORS (8)

The Sens captured the season series with the Rangers 3-1, and it was a classic match up of the speed of the Senators against the power of the Rangers. Those elements will come into play once again, and I expect the speed and skill of the Senators to continue to pose a problem for the Rangers. The Rangers can counter with skill of their own, and their grit and toughness should be able to wear down the Senators in this series. The Rangers have Henrik Lundqvist in net, and he will be the difference maker in this series.

MY PICK: RANGERS IN 6

BOSTON BRUINS (2) vs WASHINGTON CAPITALS (7)

The big, bad Bruins face the enigmatic Capitals, a team with a wealth of talent that has under performed regularly this season. The Capitals have offensive superstar Alexander Ovechkin, the inconsistent Alex Semin, and they welcome back Nicklas Backstrom, who missed most of the season with an injury. This kind of firepower up front can present problems for any team, but the Bruins will counter with a defense led by Zdeno Chara that can shut down the best offensive threat. The Bruins will have Tim Thomas in net, and if he is on his game, the Bruins should be able to contain the offense of the Caps. For Washington, they open this series without Tomas Voukoun in net, and Michael neuvirth is nursing an injury. This means that Braden Holtby, the third netminder in the Caps stable of goaltenders, will likely start. This cannot be a comforting thought for Caps fans, as he will see a lot of pucks.

MY PICK: BOSTON IN 5

FLORIDA PANTHERS (3) vs NEW JERSEY DEVILS (6)

Florida backed into the playoffs and the Southeast Division championship, winning only 2 of their last 10 games. Not exactly the kind of momentum that a team wants to generate heading into the playoffs. The Panthers are making their first playoff appearance since 2000, and the excitement in Sunrise is palpable. That energy and excitement will carry the Panthers to a couple of wins in this series, but not enough to carry the series. The Devils will bring offensive firepower to the series, led by Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise. Veteran Marty Brodeur will man the pipes for the Devils, and this could be his last run at the Cup, so I expect stellar play from him. In the end, the offense of the Devils will be too much for the Panthers.

MY PICK: DEVILS IN 6

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (4) vs PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (5)

Hide the women and children for this series, because this series will be a war. These two teams don't like each other, and that animosity is going to be reflected in the play on the ice. This series will not be about who wins, but who survives. The Penguins possess all world talent up front, lead by Sydney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. There are strong supporting players in Steve Sullivan and James Neal, and they will play a critical role in this series. The Flyers are not without their talent up front, and Jaromir Jagr, Scott Hartnell, and Claude Giroux will make their presence felt. The Penguins are a bit more talented and deeper on the blue line, and this will help swing the series in their favor. Marc-Andre Fleury and Ilya Bryzgalov will tend the goals, and the edge here goes to Fleury, although Bryzgolov is capable of stealing some games. The Penguins will have to survive the physicality that the Flyers will bring to this series, but I think their talent will eventually eclipse the crashing and banging of the Flyers.

MY PICK: PENGUINS IN 7

 

Predators/Red Wings Playoff Preview

Familiar foes meet in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs as Central Division rivals Nashville and  Detroit face off in a match up of the 4 and 5 seeds. Nashville occupies the 4 seed as they finished ahead of the Red Wings for the first time in the history of the franchise.

The regular season series saw the teams finish with a 3-3 record, indicative of how evenly matched the two teams were.

Two evenly matched teams set to do battle.

How will it play out?

To get an idea of the answer to that question, let's break down the components of the two teams.

GOALTENDING

Pekka Rinne was the workhorse in net for the Predators, and he led the NHL in wins with 43. Rinne had a 2.39 GAA and a .923 save %. The Red Wings will have Jimmy Howard in net, and he finished the year with 35 wins and a 2.13 GAA and a .920 save %.

Pretty evenly matched, eh?

 Rinne faced 2,153 shots during the regular season, while Howard faced substantially less rubber, seeing 1,496 shots. That difference would be notable if the two netminders had played the same number of games, but Howard was limited due to injuries and played in 57 games to 73 for Rinne. On a per game basis, Rinne faced an average of 29.5 shots per game, while Howard faced 26.5, a negligible difference.

Rinne is athletic and uses his athletic ability to snuff out scoring chances. Howard plays much the same way. Both goalies are positionally sound players, but Rinne's athleticism gives him the ability to cover a lot of territory and recover quickly on rebound chances.

The compete level for both goalies is without question. The real question both goalies face is can they elevate their game in this series? Rinne has had more work throughout the season, and one wonders if that workload will affect his stamina. Howard has battled injuries, most recently a wonky groin. Will this affect him in this series is a question that Detroit fans are asking.

Two evenly matched goalies that carry their team. Because of his athletic ability and health, I lean toward Rinne.

EDGE: NASHVILLE

FORWARDS

The Wings bring a cast of wily and talented veterans to this match up. Henrik Zetterberg led the Wings with 69 points, closely followed by Pavel Datsyuk with 67 points and Valyteri Filppula with 66. The Wings augment that potent line with Johan Franzen (56 points); Jiri Hudler (50 points); and Todd Bertuzzi (38 points). Danny Cleary and Darren Helm, both nicked up with injuries, are dangerous and solid contributors. The Wings have gotten good contributions as well from Justin Abdelkader, Cory Emmerton, and newcomer Gustav Nyquist.

The Predators have been led by Marty Erat with 58 points; David Legwand with 53 points; and Mike Fisher with 51 points. This season, the Predators have enjoyed balanced scoring throughout the line up, with Sergei Kostitsyn and Patric Hornqvist with 43 points; Craig Smith with 36 points; Colin Wilson with 35 points; and Jordin Tootoo with 30 points. Significant scoring contributions have come from Matt Halischuk, Nick Spaling, and trade deadline acquisition Andrei Kostitsyn.

Oh yeah, there is that Radulov guy.

The Predators have the services of one of the most dynamic players in the playoffs in Radulov, and in his one game against the Wings, he has shown that he can command the attention of the opponents best defensive players and can contribute offensively in a dramatic way.

Radulov is the wild card in this series, and if he produces like he is capable, then the Wings are going to have difficulty in this series. I think he will rise to the occasion on the big stage. This is why he came back to the Predators and the NHL. This is his stage.

There is no doubt the Wings possess players up front that can be dangerous and are experienced in the pressure cooker of the playoffs. The Predators have to respect the ability of the Wings up front, and containing them will be critical for playoff success.

For the Predators, they must continue to get the balanced scoring that they have enjoyed throughout the season. It is critical that all lines contribute, and no line is going to be able to take a shift off. In this series, the Predators third line could be a difference maker. The line of Nick Spaling, Gabriel Bourque, and Patric Hornqvist have the potential to do some damage to the Wings. This line in particular has to be productive.

The Predators also have a size differential that is in their favor. In a long series, this can swing games to the Predators if they can use their size to wear down the Wings.

The Wings are certainly talented and experienced, and they are dangerous up front. The Predators have better depth and more balanced scoring.

EDGE: PREDATORS

DEFENSE

For the Predators, the defense starts with Norris trophy candidates Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. They will consistently be matched up against the Wings top forwards, and they are going to have to keep Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Filppula in check for the Predators to have success. Hal Gill provides experience, solid play, and an incredible shot blocking ability. Roman Josi has emerged as a calm, puck moving defenseman that is rarely out of position and possesses a surprisingly good shot. Kevin Klein and Francis Bouillon are solid third pairing.

The Wings defense is built around Nicklas Lidstrom and Niklas Kronwall, both excellent blueliners that bring a wealth of experience and talent to the back end for the Wings. Lidstrom is a veteran that has seen it all in the playoffs and his play steadies the Wings on the blue line. Kronwall is an immensely talented defender that is capable of delivering the the big hit that can swing momentum and slow down play through the neutral zone.

Ian White and Brad Stuart are sound, but once you get past the top four, the Wings rear guard are average if unspectacular. Trade deadline acquisition Kyle Quincey has been a healthy scratch for much of his tenure. Jakub Kindl, Cory Emmerton, and Jonathan Ericsson are serviceable but not outstanding.

It is imperative that the Predators exploit the third defensive pairing of the Wings, and that they wear down the top four defensemen. If the can do this, they can exploit the Wings blue line.By the same token, the Wings will attempt to do the same thing to the Predators. The team that wins this battle will have a decided edge in the series.

EDGE: EVEN

COACHING

The Predators Barry Trotz will match wits with Mike Babcock, and this is a contest between two of the best coaches in the NHL.Both coaches are experienced in the playoffs, and both coaches will get the best out of their players.

For Trotz, part of his task will be managing the expectations of the players. The Predators have been picked by some pundits to win the Cup, and those are lofty expectations, especially for this young team. Trotz will have to keep the youngsters on this team focused, and he will have to guide them through the inevitable rough patches that occur in a playoff series. Managing expectations and adversity will be critical.

Babcock, like many of his players, is a veteran of the playoff wars. There are very few things that he hasn't seen, and I expect Babcock to be at his best and get the best from his players. His steady, veteran leadership is a plus for the Wings.

EDGE: EVEN

INTANGIBLES

Nashville finished the regular season with the number one power play in the NHL, with a 21.6% success rate. Detroit's PK came in at 81.8%. Conversely, the Predators PK was successful 83.6% of the time, while the Wings PP connected at a 16.1%. Staying out of the box is going to be critical for the Predators, because the Wings can be deadly on the power play, and exhausting the forwards and defense in killing penalties is not a formula for success for the Predators. The Predators will benefit from drawing penalties from the Wings if they can continue to be effective on the power play.

Home ice advantage will be huge for the Predators. The Bridgestone Arena can be an intimidating place for any opponent to come into, even more so in the playoffs when the Nashville fans are in full playoff mode. Look for the home ice advantage to be a factor in this series.

EDGE: PREDATORS

There is no doubt that the series between these two teams is going to be hard fought and each contest will be tight. The Predators know they can win a playoff series- that monkey came off their back last season- and they know they can beat the Red Wings in a playoff series.

It comes down to poise and execution.

The team that plays with poise and plays their game and their system like they are capable will capture this series.

The Predators have the talent advantage.

I think they will execute and capture this series.

MY PREDICTION: PREDATORS IN 5

Predators Lock Up 4th Seed in the West, Bury the Avalanche 6-1

The Nashville Predators traveled to the Pepsi Center to take on the Colorado Avalanche in the last- and thankfully- anticlimactic- game of the regular season. Thanks to Detroit's shootout loss earlier in the day, the Predators entered the game knowing they had locked up the 4th seed in the Western Conference and home ice for the first round of the playoffs.

With that in mind, Head Coach Barry Trotz decided to rest some of his starters, giving the night off to Pekka Rinne, Mike Fisher, Marty Erat, Hal Gill, and Francis Bouillon.

Anders Lindback got the start in net, and the Avalanche went with J.S. Giguere.

Regardless of the fact they had clinched the 4th seed, the Predators still wanted to play a solid game and they knew the Avalanche, who had missed the playoffs, would want to give their home crowd something to cheer about in their last game of the season.

The Predators opened the scoring at 3:39 of the first period as Gabriel Bourque worked hard in the Avs zone on the boards and was able to control the puck in spite of the defensive pressure. He spun and found David Legwand in the slot, and Legwand's wrist shot beat Giguere to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.

The Avs tied the game at 8:09 of the first period as they swarmed the Predators net on a 3 on 2 rush. Lindback made 2 stops but Matt Duchene buried the third attempt, lifting the puck over a sprawled Lindback and under the crossbar.

The Predators had a glorious scoring chance with a 2 on 1 rush by Craig Smith and Matt Halischuk, but Smith's pass to Halsichuk was tipped away at the last second. Halsichuk did not give up on the play, and retrieved the puck in the corner and got it to Smith, who ripped a slap shot off Giguere and into the net for his 14th goal of the season. The score came at 12:10, and it is good to see the Honey Badger contributing when he is getting ice time.

The Predators stretched their lead to 3-1 when Kevin Klein took a shot from the blue line that deflected off the stick of Patric Hornqvist and past Giguere with just 1.2 seconds remaining on the clock in the first period.This was Hornqvist's 27th goal of the season.

Solid start?

Check.

The Avs out shot the Predators 14-12 in the first period, and Lindback had some big saves to thwart some good scoring chances by Colorado.

The second period saw the Avs take it to the Predators. They dominated play and fired numerous shots on the Predators net. Lindback had to make some big saves to keep the Avs from tallying a score that would have put them back in the game. The Avs dominance was such that they out shot the Predators 16-3 through the first 16 minutes of the second.

The Predators opportunistically struck at 16:09 of the second as Craig Smith found Roman Josi pinching in from his defensive position and fed a great pass to him at the side of the net. Josi made no mistake, finding the back of the net on just the Predators 4th shot of the period.

With 14 seconds to go in the period, Craig Smith saved a goal by hooking Matt Duchene, who was looking at a wide  open net off a rebound given up by Lindback.

The second period ended with the Predators being out shot 17-9, and they would be on the penalty kill to begin the third. For the Predators, it was important to come out and play a solid 20 minutes of hockey and put this game in the books.

The Predators killed off the penalty to open the third period, and as the power play ended, Lindback kicked out a long rebound that sent Brandon Yip on a breakaway. Yip was stopped by Giguere, but the Predators kept control of the puck. Patric Hornqvist battled for the puck and got it back to Yip, who banked the puck off Giguere and into the net off the wrap around to make it 5-1 Predators at 1:57 of the third period.

How sweet this goal must have been for the Yipper.

Shortly thereafter, Lindback collided with both Jack Hillen and Ryan Ellis as well as Cody McLeod of the Avs and was injured on the play. Pekka Rinne had to come into the game as Lindback was taken back to the dressing room.

Matt Halischuk stole the puck and broke in on a 2 on 1 and rather that pass (!) picked the short side over the shoulder and buried the shot to give the Predators a 6-1 lead at 6:20 of the third period. For Halischuk, this was his 15th goal of the season.

 The remainder of the period was spent playing some wide open shinny as both teams went up and down the ice, but neither could find the back of the net, and the 6-1 score was a final.

The Predators were out shot by a wide margin, 45-29, but the count that mattered was the goals scored.

For the Predators, this was a good tune up for the playoffs. More importantly, the young guys that were inserted into the line up played with jump and determination, a good sign that they have a lot of fight in them for those coveted- and limited- roster spots with the playoffs upcoming.

The Predators finish the regular season with a 48-26-8 record, good for 104 points and cleanly in 4th place in the West. Pekka Rinne had more wins than any other goaltender in the NHL.

Those accolades are great.

Now the real season starts.

My three stars:

1. Craig Smith

2. Anders Lindback

3. Roman Josi

My View

All of us have experienced despair.

Some have watched the clock tick down on our favorite sports team as they trail in a critical contest. Some are passed over for a promotion in spite of their best efforts. All of us experience life's frustrations that can cause us to despair.

Some experience despair of a more significant nature.

A child that succumbs to addictions or illness. A marriage that shatters. The loss of a job and impending financial ruin. An illness that takes away our health.

Life has a way of bringing despair to us in some form or fashion, and none of us are immune.

The lie of despair tells us there is no hope. No way out of the desperate situation that we face. And for many, that desperation becomes a grim reality. It becomes, unfairly, the reality in which many of us live.

It emphasizes to all of us that life is not fair.

And life is not fair.

The message of Easter for all of us, however, is that the despair, the desperation that we face is a lie. There is a hope for all of us.

It is true that life is not fair. Good people suffer and endure hardships not of their making. However, the dawn of the Easter morning tells us that there is a hope that transcends the pain and despair of this life.

There is something better.

On this Easter weekend, may each of us seize the hope that is promised to all of us. May we see the fact that this temporal existence, with its attendant pain, suffering, and despair, is not the end. Despair does not win.

May the hope that is renewed in the Easter message be yours throughout the coming year.