Shanny the Disciplinarian

I was pretty intrigued to hear that Brendan Shannahan was named as the League Disciplinarian for next season. Shanny seems to have done some good work for the League by being open to rule changes and was responsible for the All-Star Game format change. What he has done so far has been fairly well received. I liked that idea of picking teams for the All-Star Game; it introduced some interest that has been sorely lacking.

I think the weakest point of the NHL has been in this area. There is very little consistency for discipline. Star players are given lighter suspensions, injuring a star player resulted in a longer suspension and/or fine. Two different players could receive a different sentence for exactly the same crime.

I am hopeful that Shanny's rapport with the GM's, coaches and players throughout the league will allow him to be a firm, but fair voice.

Bruins Win the Cup

I am pretty happy for the Bruins and the city of Boston on their Stanley Cup victory. My interest was in the goaltenders, I was largely rooting against Luongo and for Thomas. I've become a Tim Thomas fan over the last few years. Very early in his career at Florida, I felt that Luongo was an unappreciated goalie. But after moving to Vancouver, I've soured on him. Part of that is his very large contract, which seemed to balloon his ego as well. His more recent desire to captain the team was the last straw for me.

I love the fact that a guy like Tim Thomas has won the Stanley Cup. The ulitmate late-bloomer, and team guy, Thomas finally got his chance and has more than proven his worth. Also, the fact that this guy uses a more unconventional style. But, to me it is an extension of his attitude, "don't ever stop trying to keep the puck out." My wife is a big Thomas fan and that's no surprise to me. She also may not be the most technical goalie, but is aggressive and battles to keep the puck out.

I saw some coverage of the Stanley Cup Victory Parade in Boston this past weekend. It just happened to be the part where they interviewed Marc Savard. I really like him as a player and it was bittersweet to see him with the team. Between Savard, Bergeron and Horton, I automatically think head injury when I think Boston Bruins. It's a shame. Hopefully, something can be done to limit the amount of head injuries in the NHL. (And if Sydney Crosby's injury can't spawn some change, nothing will)

Hockey Alley - Review

I had a much needed hockey lesson at Hockey Alley in Newbury Park. I was a bit apprehensive at first, since it was quite a commitment in both time and money. A 90 minute drive is far for me, considering there are several ice rinks within a 10-mile radius of my house. And this lesson was double the cost of the skills & drills at my local rink. The place is appropriately named, as the ice is small and clausterphobic.

I came away satisfied. My lesson involved 4 other skaters. We were a group of vastly different skill level and the instructors handled us well despite that. Our weakest skater had noticably improved in just 60 minutes. I felt that I struggled on the small sheet of ice. You have little time or room to really do anything. But that's the point. You have only a few strides to get your edges right, or not. The instructors are right on top of you.

My biggest revelation came with some shooting tips. For the first time in my life, I responded to some backhand shooting technique. That alone was worth the drive & money. But I also took away some skating excercises that I can take to the rink. Probably the biggest point that was stressed is skating in hockey. That seems obvious, but is really one of the last things I want to work on. I was inspired to be a better skater and to work on my skating. While I haven't been to any public skate sessions yet, the desire is there.

I will return to Hockey Alley, it's just a matter of when.

Kung Fu Panda 2 - Review

Saw the Kung Fu sequel featuring Jack Black as a martial arts Panda. I had mixed feelings going into this one. Ever since I learned a sequel was in the works, I was a bit anxious. My "problem" is that I am a huge fan of the original movie. It is practically the perfect mash-up of my favorite genres: martial arts and animation (Disney/Dreamworks/Pixar). I've seen it countless times and my kids love it too. Some of our favorite quotes come from the first Panda movie. So, a sequel had a lot to live up to.

I will say that I liked Kung Fu Panda 2. It was every bit the sequel. The action was turned up to 11. And some of the scenes were much larger in scale than Panda 1. It was all together bigger and faster. There was consistency with the first movie that I liked. Po's dream sequences have the same style as in Panda 1. The evolution of Po and the Furious Five working as a team was logical and evident. There were some historic nods to advance weaponry, like guns, replacing martial arts. The voice acting of the villan (Gary Oldman?) was superb.

The best part of the movie was it's lesson. It holds a special meaning to me for a couple reasons: I happen to personally know a vengeful peacock that can't let go of the past. Over the years, I have also come to realize that my family does not have to be biological; and that anyone willing to be family, is indeed family. It's basic stuff, but hits home nicely.

Some little stuff I caught, was that Jean Claude Van Damme had a minor part. And his character of Master Croc did a completely unnecessary splits move toward the finale. That's pretty cool. Also, Michelle Yeoh had an extensive part; and I loved her in Crouching Tiger. Yet to be honest, I did not recognize her voice.

I've heard many people say that they liked this movie better than the first. I'm not one of them, despite the emotional ties. That's not to say I didn't really enjoy it. I want to watch it again. But it is such a tall order to capture the magic of the original. They both have a great mix of action and humor, and a touching/meaningful ending. Maybe the first movie had better balance with the Sifu/Po/Uguay characters? I thought the music of the first movie was amazing, and it's hard to re-create that, even though the style was the same.

Probably the best part of Kung Fu Panda 2 is that they didn't ruin the first movie, but successfully built upon it. And having done that, are going to make a third installment. Bring it.