It’s my Parting Shot for my Monday Musings…..

What my Winnipeg Jets and the L-A Kings are telling themselves is that they aren’t really in trouble in their respective opening round Stanley Cup playoff series – until they lose at home! Many would disagree that those two teams aren’t in trouble after jumping out to 2-0 leads at home in their respective sets with St. Louis and Edmonton, only to have the Blue and Oilers hold serve in front of partisan crowds. Here’s the thing, momentum doesn’t carry over from game-to-game – it has to be created in the next game by either team! Yesterday, the Jets fell apart after allowing a late first period goal by St. Louis to tie the score and L-A couldn’t hold off Edmonton once they reduced the margin to one goal in the third period!

What is surprising, and is a major reversal of form from the usual way things go at this time of year – road teams are having more success in the N-B-A than they are in the N-H-L! So far!! Going into tonight, in the N-H-L post-season, the home team has won 21 of 31 games, a nearly 68 per cent winning percentage. So far in the N-B-A playoffs, the home team has won only 16 of 29 games – or just over 55 per cent! Home ice really is a big deal – again, so far!!

Kudos to the Saskatoon Stars for their effort at the Esso Cup National Female Under-18 Hockey Championship in Lloydminster. They battled through the round-robin, winning when they had to in order to reach the final before they lost to the Edmonton Junior Oilers. Congratulations to the Regina Pat-Canadians for winning the Telus Cup National Male Under-18 event in Chilliwack, B-C. Anyone who doubted the ability of young phenom Maddox Schultz needs to put that aside – at least for now! Schultz scored the overtime winning goal in last night’s final and was named the M-V-P after recording 20 points, including nine goals, in nine games. Here’s the catch, he’s only 14…doing that against kids three years older than him! He didn’t apply for exceptional player status, but by being a 14-year-old who played full-time in the Under-18 Saskatchewan Male League this season, Schultz is eligible to play 34 games for the W-H-L team that drafts him next season. That, in all likelihood, will be his home-town Pats!!

That’s my Parting Shot. I’m Les Lazaruk…and it turned out nice again!