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NHL Playoffs: Round 3 Predictions
By Wayne Redshaw
It appears my crystal ball was out of whack, especially when it came to predicting Round 2 winners of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
In Round 1, I went 5-3 with the two favourites — Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche — getting knocked out right off the bat.
That immediately created possibility of an all-Canadian Stanley Cup final. But that disappeared in Round 2 when the Vegas Golden Knights sent the Edmonton Oilers packing in the seventh and deciding game and Toronto Maple Leafs went bye-bye in five-games with the Florida Panthers.
The Oilers and Leafs were not my only blemishes in Round 2. The New Jersey Devils added to the list when they lost out to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games.
My only winner in round two: the Dallas Stars. They won but not in five games. Instead that series with the Seattle Kraken went the limit with Dallas eking out a narrow 2-1 victory in game seven.
So after two rounds, my won-loss prediction record dropped to 6-6. Therefore, should I trade in that crystal ball for a new one as something is out of whack. Or should I continue on?
With only three series left overall I have decided to continue with the old. After all, the old crystal ball has been with me for a long, long time.
Here we go with Round 3.
Eastern Conference Final
Florida Panthers vs the Carolina Hurricanes
The Panthers are the giant killers of the playoffs so far with series upsets over Boston and Toronto. For a team just sneaking into the playoffs by one point to nail down the second wildcard in the east, then win the first two rounds that’s quite an accomplishment. And the big thing is their ability to win on the road. Three of their four victories against the Leafs were in Toronto.
I admit, they have played well in the playoffs. Is there enough fuel in the tank to make it to the Stanley Cup finals? They are getting great mileage out of Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Anthony Duclair, Carter Verhaeghe, Nick Cousins and Aleksander Barkov to name a few. And goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has played a big role in their two series conquests to date.
In fact, I think Florida has the edge between pipes with Bobrovsky and Alex Lyon over the Hurricanes’ Frederick Andersen and Antti Raanta. However, the Canes are solid on the blueline with Jaccob Slavin and veteran Brent Burns leading the way. They are sound up front with good depth too with the likes of Sebastian Aho, Jordan Martinhook and Paul Stastny. The Canes also have some excellent penalty killers.
This series also features a family act with the Panthers’ Eric and Marc Staal going up against the Canes’ Jordan Staal. Family bragging rights are on the line.
Both teams are well-coached with Paul Maurice at the controls for the Panthers and Rod Brind’Amour at the helm for Carolina. Maurice coached 11 seasons in Carolina and in 2011 had Brind’Amour as one of his assistants. However, the series will be decided on the ice.
During the regular season Carolina took two three games from Florida. Of course, the playoffs are a completely different season.
Prediction: I am going with the Hurricanes in six games.
Western Conference Final
Dallas Stars vs Vegas Golden Knights
This series could be a lengthy one too. So far solid forechecking has been a key to success for the Stars and they will need it again if they are to advance. When the teams are at even strength, the Knights have been stronger so far.
I like Stars’ goaltender Jake Oettinger over the Knights’ Adin Hill.
Dallas will need big efforts from Roope Hintz, Joel Pavelski, Jamie Benn, Jason Robertson, Tyler Seguin and Max Domi. Robertson was the Stars top sniper during the regular season with 46 goals. He has to deliver in this series.
Golden Knights’ Jack Eichel has played well in his first two rounds of the playoffs. He now knows what the playoffs are about and he has responded.
So have Jonathan Marchessault, Mark Stone, William Karlson and Chandler Stephenson.
A key for the Knights is to avoid costly penalties.
Prediction: Dallas in six games.
(Wayne Redshaw covered the NHL for over 40 seasons and was named a Life Member of the Professional Hockey Writer’s Association in 1987.)
Teaching Distillery Shines With Three International Medal Wins
Five New Student-Created Spirits Debut From Class Of 2023
Captions: Left, Distillers winning spirits: NC distillers David Dickson and Ian Bickle hold bottles of NC’s 2023 medal-winning spirits from the U.S. Open Whisky and Spirits Championship; Top right, Winning spirit bottles: School Spirits Vodka, Spirits 101 Spiced Rum and Spirits 101 Single Malt Whisky are the latest award-winning spirits from the NC Teaching Distillery; Bottom right, New spirit releases from the NC Teaching Distillery made by NC’s Artisan Distilling Class of 2023 include Tanzanite Gin, Eastern Hospitality, Fruit and Honey Fusion, Class Amigos Agave and Mediterranean Vodka./ Niagara College photos
Good spirits abound at Niagara College’s Teaching Distillery, with three new medals from an international competition, and with the debut of five new craft spirits from the College’s Artisan Distilling Class of 2023 to graduate in June.
Competition wins
The NC Teaching Distillery won two silvers and a bronze at the 2023 U.S. Open Whisky and Spirits Championship. Silver medals were awarded for Spirits 101 Single Malt Whisky (Canadian Whisky category) and Spirits 101 Spiced Rum (Rum Spiced/ Flavoured category) while School Spirits Vodka (Vodka category) won bronze.
“Winning three international awards shows that our Teaching Distillery produces some of the best craft spirits in the world,” said Steve Gill, General Manager of NC’s Learning Enterprises. “We are so proud of our NC students who are involved with the making of all of our premium spirits, with instruction and guidance from our expert distillers and faculty.”
School Spirts Vodka and Single Malt Whisky are from the Teaching Distillery’s core line of spirits, made with student involvement, while Spiced Rum launched as a student capstone project.
“It’s tremendously rewarding when student projects garner international awards,” said Maija Saari, Associate Dean of Culinary, Tourism and Beverage Studies division, which includes NC’s School of Wine, Beer and Spirits. “The outcome speaks to the remarkable creativity the students bring to the professional distillers, who help them nurture the ideas to life. It is truly a collaborative and unique learning environment.”
Head Distiller David Dickson noted that winning awards is even more impressive when considering that most students begin the one-year Artisan Distilling program with little or no distilling experience.
“It feels like a validation of what we are teaching the students in the program and the Teaching Distillery, as well as the students’ capabilities for the future, when entering the workforce,” said Dickson.
Single Malt Whisky, first released in December 2022, was distilled by the second cohort of Artisan Distilling students (Class of 2020). The recipe for this staple spirit was created by Head Distiller David Dickson and each student in the program is involved with its production.
“We are immensely proud of how this Single Malt turned out. We can get an idea of what it will be like before it goes into barrel, but we still have to wait the minimum of three years to see if we were right,” said Dickson. “This was the first of its kind for our distillery which debuted when we were so young as a program.
Spiced Rum was a student capstone project from 2020. It was first released in December 2022. The “molasses forward” base rum and its spice blend were developed by a group of students in 2020 and, after the aging process, the recipe was adjusted by College distillers – based on the change of flavours over time in the cask. The Class of 2023 assisted with the final balance of flavours.
School Spirits Vodka, another staple spirit which debuted in 2019, has been distilled, filtered and bottled by students since the first cohort of the program.
View usopenwhiskey.com for competition details.
New student spirits
The NC Teaching Distillery is rolling out five new spirits created by NC’s Artisan Distilling Class of 2023.
The new releases include Mediterranean Vodka (with fresh lemon peel, picked basil and mint, coriander seed and a touch of fennel seed), Tanzanite Gin (a gin with butterfly pea flower, giving it its purple-blue colour), Class Amigos Agave (a tequila-style spirit), Fruit and Honey Fusion (a spirit using NC-made honey from the Commercial Beekeeping program) and Eastern Hospitality (a rice-based grain spirit with inspiration from Japanese shochu).
The five new spirits were all student capstone projects which give Artisan Distilling students an opportunity to come up with ideas for new spirits for the Teaching Distillery and, once a number of projects are approved, work in small groups to produce them. The project is for two of their classes: a technical class where they produce the spirit, and a sales and marketing class.
By the time students complete the program, their capstone projects are bottled and hit the shelves available purchase while supplies last at NC’s Wine Visitor + Education Centre (located at NC’s Daniel J. Patterson Campus at 135 Taylor Rd., Niagara-on the Lake) or online at ncteachingwinery.ca. Spirits are available in addition to a variety of student-made products from NC’s Teaching Winery and Teaching Brewery.
Artisan Distilling student Disha Bhendwalis, who will graduate in June, is excited about the release of her group’s spirit, which they worked on from production to marketing, and is proud to see bottles of the product on the shelves.
“Mediterranean Vodka will always be close to my heart; we have worked really hard, and I feel so elated that it turned out to be really good. Everyone loved it; I got some really great reviews from people who tried it,” she said. “It’s a lifetime opportunity which I was lucky enough to get.”
NC’s Teaching Distillery is a 2,500-square-foot facility located at Niagara College’s Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake. It is home to NC ’s one-year Artisan Distilling graduate certificate program within NC’s School of Wine, Beer and Spirits.
Niagara College has a full-time enrolment of more than 9,500 students from over 80 countries, who study in 130 diploma, certificate and bachelor degree programs at specialized campuses in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Niagara College is also involved in educational projects and partnerships around the world and is consistently ranked among Canada’s top 10 colleges for research funding. Learn more at niagaracollege.ca.
(Attribution: Niagara College media release.)
A Ritual Of Spring: Welland’s Tulip Bulb Giveaway
WELLAND – In one of spring’s most popular horticultural events, residents of the City of Welland can pick up a bag of free tulip bulbs Friday, May 19, from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at the Quaker Road sports complex at 90 Quaker Road. The event will run rain or shine.
Parks staff will be on-site to provide residents with a bag of bulbs – one bag per vehicle while quantities last – in the parking lot of the sports complex. Vehicles are to enter on the east side of the parking lot and slowly proceed through the sectioned-off route.
“The giveaway is a great way to connect with local residents on the importance of greenery while brightening up our local neighbourhoods with colourful tulips,” said Dave Steven, acting manager of parks and open spaces. “The popularity of this event increases year-over-year, and we expect another good turnout.”
The tulip bulbs are cleared from the City’s commemorative gardens and annually distributed to the community. In the past, some 12,000 bulbs have been given away annually. However, varieties and colours cannot be guaranteed.
Attribution: City of Welland media release.
Gadabout Gardener: Japanese rose lights up my day
Story, photos by Joe Barkovich
Breaking Ground: Horticulturally, the month of May is opening night, Homecoming and Graduation Day all rolled into one. – Tam Mossman
Welcome to a new season of Gadabout Gardener.
Its been around a while, close to a dozen years. Time for some changes.
Starting with today, you’ll find two or three garden/gardening/flower-related quotes with each installment: Breaking Ground, Taking Root and In Bloom. A few paragraphs will accompany each of these sections. And of course, a photo feature! What would Gadabout Gardener be without these photos.
Taking Root: The home gardener is part scientist, part artist, part philosopher, part plowman. He modifies the climate around his home. – John R. Whiting
By way of introduction, I’m a hobby gardener. Roses are my main focus and have been for years. I attribute that to my maternal grandmother, my baba, who tended a small flower garden at the front of her house: a few roses bushes, a few peonies. Growing up, I would watch her work in her garden and she would talk to me about her much-loved flowers. That’s how the seed was planted. It was dormant for years, far too long I now realize.
In Bloom: He who plants a garden plants happiness – Chinese proverb
Today’s feature, pictured above, is Kerria japonica, or Kerria rose, Japanese rose or Easter rose.
Mine grows in a corner of the backyard where it enjoys spending most of its day in partial shade. It’s about seven feet tall. Acquired this flowering shrub one Saturday morning at the local farmers market several years ago.
I chose Japanese rose for Gadabout Gardener’s launch because it provides the only splash of colour to be found this early, other than that of a few tulips and iris.
But also because I find the flower colour – bright, bright yellow, spectacular. If you need some cheering up, cast your peepers on these gorgeous blooms!
There are many on-line resources that provide in-depth info about Japanese rose, try looking them up when you have a few minutes to spare.
If you would like to shine a spotlight on your flowers or gardens, or provide tips about others, send a note to: fromareportersnotebook@gmail.com
Hope to hear from you!
Gadabout Gardener is a recurring feature on the blog, appearing once or twice monthly.
Heritage Lives: Under The Boardwalk
By Terry Hughes
No, this is not about the hit song in 1964 by the Drifters concerning the activities of a couple under the boardwalk but instead an old technology used for sidewalks before the advent of cement. Clay was the principal covering for road and pedestrian travel here in Welland before the turn of the last century but the introduction of boardwalks for walkers was an improvement.
Basically, placing runners parallel to the road and covering them with planks from four to six feet in neighbourhoods and wider in the centre of town were the sizes of the day. It would help footwear such as high button shoes for women and boots for men from tracking soil into unwanted places. They assisted women who wore full length dresses and skirts close to the ground from unsightly dirt. Depending on the pedestrian traffic they would last several years before requiring repairs or replacement.
Believe it or not, but in the quiet of neighbourhoods, you could tell by the sounds of peoples’ feet who was approaching. The boardwalk acted like a drum echoing the footsteps of folk as they walked by. Each person had their own stride and weight in their mobility as they strolled along. While sitting on your veranda you got to know who was approaching before you could see them. Steps could reveal what kind of mood they were in or if they were in a hurry.
When placing the planks on the runners, a small space between them allowed for drainage and ventilation purposes. As time went by these gaps provided for the disappearance of small items that could include jewelry and/or coins. When replacing these plank sidewalks, the race was on between the workers and local kids to snatch up the booty. A two-bit piece, for example, could buy five beers, six cigars or a pair of tickets to a show! A sidewalk foreman could treat the crowd of onlookers with stories of a fictitious nature when items such as a piece of clothing or weapon such as a knife were discovered.
Our photo shows stores that were near the former Park Theatre and the intersection of East Main and Cross Street featuring the D. McCaw Shoe Store where Pattis Place restaurant stands today. The roads are still covered in clay but it is hard to see if cement has replaced the wooden sidewalks of old.
(Terry Hughes is a Wellander who is passionate about heritage, history and model railroading. His opinion column, Heritage Lives, appears on the blog once or twice monthly.)
Next Column: Remembering the Cross Street Swimming Pool.
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Please support/attend this outstanding community event: Concerts on the Canal
THE WAIT IS OVER! Here is the line-up for Concerts on the Canal 2023!
Concerts on the Canal is BACK for 2023! The FREE concerts will take place all summer long and will feature amazing performances from a diverse range of artists and genres. All shows will start at 7pm at the Merritt Amphitheatre in Downtown Welland.
Stay tuned to find out who will be performing our BIGGEST CONCERT OF THE SUMMER on August 25th!
Notre Dame College School Receives $500,000 From Lacavera Family For New Turf Field
WELLAND – Niagara Catholic District School Board and Notre Dame College School are grateful to the Lacavera family, who have contributed $500,000 toward the installation of a new turf field at the school.
The field will be named in honour of the late Honourable Justice Alphonse Thomas Lacavera of the Ontario Court of Justice, a graduate of Notre Dame College School. Judge Lacavera passed Sept. 8, 2020 in his 80th year.
Despite his auspicious title and distinguished career, Judge Lacavera was a favourite among neighbourhood children, who often called on him to come out to play and enjoyed a skating rink that he built and maintained in his backyard for many winters.
The Lacavera family has long held ties to Notre Dame College School. Justice Lacavera’s wife Donna is a Notre Dame graduate and retired teacher, and their two children, Anthony, and Catherine, are also alumni. The younger Lacaveras were recognized as Niagara Catholic Distinguished Alumni in 2016.
The estate of Mrs. Lacavera’s late sister Loretta Ramella Lopez, and Mrs. Lopez’s husband Anthony Lopez, also contributed to the very generous donation to the new Notre Dame turf field.
The Lacavera family said they are pleased to make the donation in Judge Lacavera’s name.
Notre Dame principal Andrew Boon said the school community is grateful for the Lacavera family’s generosity.
“It is truly an incredible act of generosity that will benefit our students and community for years to come,” he said. “On behalf of Notre Dame College School, we thank the Lacavera family and we look forward to them visiting “Lacavera Field” soon.
The new Notre Dame College School turf field will officially be put into use on September 30, during the school’s 75th Anniversary weekend with an afternoon football game.
Attribution: Niagara Catholic news release.
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