Rite of Spring '15: exhume our idols! bury our friends!

[2001mark]

Tampa Bay-New York has been a beautiful car wreck.

Hopefully the Final can entertain us.

[Sport]

Almost time for the annual updating of my "wait, this was started by Eric f****** Lindros?" graphic.

I'm pretty sure this info is correct, but let me know if you see any errors.

EDIT: In the 9 matchups where one team left it on the table and the other chose to touch, pick it up, or celebrate with the trophy, the team that ignored the trophy is 3-6. Lately we can't get anybody to touch it, the whole team stands around it for muted photo opportunities, which is an equally annoying practice that was started by the 2006 Carolina Hurricanes because of course it was them who started that.

[Still MIGHTY]

I know it's just become a stupid hockey thing because stupid hockey thing, like you pointed out.

But if the first four teams to not touch it (97 Flyers, 99 Sabres, 01 Devils, 03 Mighty Ducks) all LOST then why did it ever become a thing?

After the Lightning became the first team to not touch the Conference Trophy to win the Stanley Cup, it looks like EVERYONE started to do it coming out of the lockout, except the Senators (who got smashed ), Penguins (only because it didn't work the first time) and Flyers (who lost).

So, idk if you actually blame Lindros on this one. Yeah, he was the first of the "modern era" to do it, but it doesn't look like it was a true "thing" until after the Lightning won and the lockout. So, I'd either blame the lockout or the Lightning. Which is weird because when the Mighty Ducks won the West in 2003, I do remember it being a point of discussion. So it wasn't a thing... but it was a thing... I don't know. Hockey.

[Sport]

I blame Lindros because it's fun to blame Lindros and because someone had to be first and it was him (I'm pretty sure it was him. Research on this is somewhat tricky). If he hadn't done it would Michael Peca have done it in 99? I don't know, maybe, but you have to start from somewhere so I'm going with the first guy.

I remember that 2003 being the first time I took notice of it too because by then it was still a "will he? won't he?" proposition (as opposed to now when nobody knows you're allowed to party with it if you want to) and Scott Stevens had flip-flopped for some reason in 2001 and it didn't work so 2003 might've been the first year where it became sort of something people paid attention. And then in 2004 the story was very much about how anti-superstitious Iginla is so he skated off with it while Andreychuk chose not to touch it. So in 03 and 04 there was back to back years when you had two teams with opposing approaches to the conference championship trophies. People can't remember longer than 2 years earlier so in that short amount of time it became a thing that you do and a practice that falsely believed had been a tradition older than it actually is. It was even further compounded by the lockout, like you said.

I guess my contention has always been the "ooh ahh look at this long standing tradition what will he do?" and that's horse$h!t. It's less than 20 years old and it all began with Lindros. If it keeps going and I have no doubt that it will then I'll concede that it's a long standing tradition when it's actually, ya know, long standing, but as of now it's still a relatively new idea.

Case in point: guys in the early 90's living it up

and in 98 the Capitals skated the thing around like it was the cup. Bonus points for those awesome unis and poor Buffalo getting eliminated on lame game 6 overtime goals at home in deep playoff series in back to back years.

I guess I also miss the days when making the finals was a moment to actually celebrate.

[Still MIGHTY]

I blame Lindros because it's fun to blame Lindros and because someone had to be first and it was him (I'm pretty sure it was him. Research on this is somewhat tricky). If he hadn't done it would Michael Peca have done it in 99? I don't know, maybe, but you have to start from somewhere so I'm going with the first guy.

I remember that 2003 being the first time I took notice of it too because by then it was still a "will he? won't he?" proposition (as opposed to now when nobody knows you're allowed to party with it if you want to) and Scott Stevens had flip-flopped for some reason in 2001 and it didn't work so 2003 might've been the first year where it became sort of something people paid attention.

Well the first part is another question. Lindros did it and lost, so why did Michael Peca even do it? Lindros and Peca lost, so why did Stevens do it? Lindos, Peca, and Stevens lost, so why did Paul Kariya do it?

And since the Mighty Ducks swept and New Jersey went 7 in the conference finals, Kariya actually did it before Stevens and I remember it being a question when he went to accept it too. He didn't even get near the thing. Hell, he didn't even smile for the picture. And it was on home ice for God's sake. But like I said, if two people intentionally did it before Kariya and they both lost disproving whatever the meaning behind the superstition was, why was it something to even ask about?

People can't remember longer than 2 years earlier so in that short amount of time it became a thing that you do and a practice that falsely believed had been a tradition older than it actually is. It was even further compounded by the lockout, like you said.

I guess my contention has always been the "ooh ahh look at this long standing tradition what will he do?" and that's horse$h!t. It's less than 20 years old and it all began with Lindros. If it keeps going and I have no doubt that it will then I'll concede that it's a long standing tradition when it's actually, ya know, long standing, but as of now it's still a relatively new idea.

Yeah, I agree with all that. I mean when I saw Kariya do it, I'm pretty sure it was the first time I even paid attention to the conference trophy ceremony. I was barely 13, the Mighty Ducks had never even sniffed getting that far before. I mean I had watched the Cup Final because it was the Stanley Cup, but how was I to know? So I just accepted that it was some long tradition.

Of course, getting deeper into hockey history and knowing what we all know now, you see that as a "time honored hockey tradition" it only goes back so far. The other problem is, we're so far down the rabbit hole on it that everyone does it, and if someone does grab it and loses in the Final, then people will make a big deal. We're also so far down the road of "Oh yeah, just gotta work hard and get pucks in deep" hockey player personas that the "It's not the trophy we want" sentiment is deep in their heads.

and in 98 the Capitals skated the thing around like it was the cup. Bonus points for those awesome unis and poor Buffalo getting eliminated on lame game 6 overtime goals at home in deep playoff series in back to back years.

I just wanted to point out a that a guy named "Eagles" wore those Washington Capitals jerseys. Awesome.

I guess I also miss the days when making the finals was a moment to actually celebrate.

You think that it was because fans/players/the trophies themselves still had close enough ties to the actual Campbell/Wales Conferences at that point? That it wasn't just an arbitrary geographical division? I know when we went to change the divisions again there were a lot of people with the hard-on to go back to the Smythe division or the Patrick division. That sentiment of winning the Campbell/Wales Conference versus just West/East seems to me like it would be part of that.

[CubsFanBudMan]

OITGDNHL does a tradition that started in 1997 but doesn't actually work until 2004 (and has a less than 50 percent success rate when both choices are made) become a legendary superstition of the game.

[The_Admiral]

You think that it was because fans/players/the trophies themselves still had close enough ties to the actual Campbell/Wales Conferences at that point? That it wasn't just an arbitrary geographical division? I know when we went to change the divisions again there were a lot of people with the hard-on to go back to the Smythe division or the Patrick division. That sentiment of winning the Campbell/Wales Conference versus just West/East seems to me like it would be part of that.

Meh, the people divisions were geographic in nature by 1981, it's just that having Detroit and Toronto in the Norris (the way it should be) and Winnipeg with Pacific coast cities made the conferences the East and the Not So East.

[Sport]

Yeah if I was a Capitals fan the ONLY jersey I'd have would be a rusty blue Mike Eagles jersey. It's the only one you ever need.

I posted that graphic to get a jump on how the current captains will approach the conference championship trophies (I don't know why this fascinates me so much. Maybe it's a mini study in psychology, history, group think? IDK).

Toews - we already know what he's going to do. He didn't get near it in 10 or 13 and the hawks didn't circle around it like a Carolina hobo barrel fire. That worked out well for them both times and I doubt he strays from this.

Getzlaf - my guess is he'll follow what Niedermayer did in 2007 and not touch it. The Ducks seem like the kind of team who won't be happy with just making the finals OR will feel the need to show people they have "unfinished business!".

Stamkos - Stamkos is still young and has a ton of that "good Canadian kid" in him. My bet is he doesn't touch it, but the Lightning will hobo barrel fire for a lame photo opp.

McDonagh - this guy might be our best hope. Last year the Rangers didn't have a captain so they didn't have anybody leading the way and the team gave the PoW Trophy the Carolina HBF treatment and that didn't work out for them in the finals. McDonagh touched the President's Trophy in April and maybe he decides to pull a 2008-2009 Crosby-esque reversal.

at this point, though, it feels like it'll take a veteran with as much aplomb as Lindros had to grab the trophy just to swing things back again.

[NJTank]

The Eastern Conference Finals have been the opposite of what you think every game.

1. Rangers win 2-1 ok maybe that was expteced

2. Tampa puts six past Lundswiss

3. Tampa puts six past Lundswiss again win in OT. Hard to believe two bad games by Lundswiss in a row

4. Tampa lays an egg with a chance to go up 3-1

5. Rangers lay a goose egg with a chance to take series lead

6. Tampa implodes in the third

Logic says Rags win Game 7, this series has been antilogic so Tampa Wins 6-1

[JasonFromMiami]

Lundswiss..LMFAO !

[IceCap]

OITGDNHL does a tradition that started in 1997 but doesn't actually work until 2004 (and has a less than 50 percent success rate when both choices are made) become a legendary superstition of the game.

That's another aspect of hockey culture I can't stand. Hockey, and the NHL, have their fair share of traditions and superstitions. They tend to make them seem more important then they are though, to the point that Eric Lindros' nonsense gets turned into Certified NHL Lore just because it seems to fit the pre-existing mould.

[Sport]

EDIT: I'm afraid I may have led some astray. My Stars fan friend just told me to rewatch Derian Hatcher in 1999 and 2000. In 1999 Hatcher ever so slightly touches the trophy, but leaves it on the table and skates away, but the intent is the same. Then in 2000 Hatcher leaves it on the table without touching it. I'll have to update the graphic later when I'm at home.

Looks like 99 was the first year when it became a real "thing".

[Alex Houston]

Yup. Nice pair of Game 7s in store this weekend to end this conference final craziness.

[The_Admiral]

I'm keeping an eye on you if this goes sideways, Mephistopheles.

[monkeypower]

Clayton Stoner scored as many goals in the playoffs as he did in the season.

[DDR]

This is one of those 3-2 leads that I have no confidence in holding up.

[Alex Houston]

I'm keeping an eye on you if this goes sideways, Mephistopheles.

If it does, I'll leave you a dollar by the UC, free of charge. How's that sound?

[infrared41]

I'm keeping an eye on you if this goes sideways, Mephistopheles.

Barring another 3 Ducks goals in some ridiculously short amount of time, the kid got it right and set the apocalypse in motion in the process.

[CS85]

I am still soaking in despair and doubt, as I am wont to do, but that was a fun win. Blackhawks are ever out to make look like a sunken-faced dolt, which is absolutely fine by me. Friday and Saturday will be interesting days in hockey.

[monkeypower]

This will be a crazy weekend to say the least.