It's purt'near hockey season again.
My kid hits the ice tomorrow for 3-on-3, and he has a training camp next week as well.
I've been talking to my current manager about what our team is looking forward to (our regular game plan is to be pummelled by 18-year olds) this season, and I agreed to join a 50+ team.
In other hockey news, the Leafs couldn't trade the Hi-De-Ho defenseur, Kab Kaberle.
I went to the first Sea Dogs exhibion game saturday night with our 8 year old. 4-1 for the Dogs.
In other hockey news, the habs kep the wrong goalie.
All my soccer playing buds are gearing up for hockey season too. It's a cryin' shame, abandoning a perfectly good pitch for an oversized bag of gear and heading indoors to artificial frozen ponds. I wouldn't mind so much if hockey season didn't so deplete the stock of otherwise perfectly affable footie chaps.
AlQ jr. is a goalie, if i remeber correctly?
In other hockey news: i hope the 20 goal scoring raffe torres shows up for the canucks.
I guess it's too early yet, but soon it will be interesting for me at least to take a look at the east and see who has made moves to improve and who hasn't.
I expect the Leafs to be in the hunt with about six other teams for that final playoff spot.
Kaberle might be dealt yet. His dad was talking to the media, and it seems Tomas and coach Wilson have a difference of philosophy, so Kaberle might waive the no trade clause, his father suggested.
Kaberle probably would have been dealt if the Kovalchuk contract hadn't been nixed by the league-- apparently, Kaberle figured in some cascade of moves that teams would make to fill in this gap or that. I'm not sure how it was all supposed to work.
I think last season's preformance by Kaberle wasn't bad, but it wasn't good for Kaberle, and that may have devalued him in everyone else's eyes except for Burke, hence the difficulty in making a deal. There's no denying he would improve any team in the leagues blue line. I think a few teams might assess themselves after training camp or ten or so games into the season, and then Kaberle's value will go up. For some contending teams, someone with Kaberle's abilities could concievably put them in reach of the cup.
I think the Leaf's played .500 hockey after the Phanuef deal, but that still puts you anywhere from six to ten points out of the playoffs. And, with the additions forthcomming, they will be just about at that level, I expect. A few games over .500.
Teams that got better during the summer:
Vancouver
St Louis
Pittsburgh
Detroit
Tampa Bay
Boston
Edmonton
Teams that got worse:
Chicago
Montreal
Nashville
Ottawa
Pfft. Montreal has been getting worse each summer for years--and last spring we made it to the conference finals. Getting better is overrated.
It's the pictures that got small.
AlQ jr. is a goalie, if i remeber correctly?
Yeah, he used to be, but a couple of years ago he switched to forward. Last season I regaled babblers with some of his scoring exploits. He's entering the Bantam division this year.
Chris Chelios announced his retirement as a player on Tuesday and rejoined the Detroit Red Wings, in a front office capacity.
Chelios, 48, played games in 26 NHL seasons. He had hinted at such a move in early August.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2010/08/31/sp-chelios-future.html#ixzz0yIoUNQL0
One of my favourite Chelios memories is from the 1994 playoffs, seeing him wobble to the bench, holding onto the boards for support, after being hit in the breadbasket by Wendel Clark's shoulder.
Another is the time Bryan Hextall speared him in the '89 playoffs, for injuring Brian Propp. The ensuing brawl was funny, as Mme. Qa'bong had never seen a hockey fight before - she didn't even know they existed. I'll never forget her shocked, "What are they doing?"
Pfft. Montreal has been getting worse each summer for years--and last spring we made it to the conference finals. Getting better is overrated.
I disagree.
Last summer, Montreal made a lot of moves, not all good but I definitely didn't think they got worse at the time. Cammalari was a sweet pick-up and I think everyone was interested to see how the new Montreal would perform. They looked interesting to say the least. This summer you traded away the guy who almost single-handedly got you to those conference finals to rely on a perpetually underperforming talked up prospect with 'promise' who has consistantly choked during clutch time. I don't think Halak was a one hit wonder, he's one of those rare players who makes his team better and I expect St. Louis to be a rising star in the Western conference this year.
Chicago, Philadelphia, LA and San Jose were all teams who got noticeably better last summer and they looked it.
You are obviously not a Habs fan. True Habs fans know the team is always getting worse.
The University of Calgary women's hockey team is expected to announce Thursday that Hayley Wickenheiser will play for the team this season.
Wickenheiser, captain of the Olympic team and Canada's all-time leading scorer, has enrolled in classes at the university, according to a source.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2010/09/15/sp-wickenheiser-dinos.html#ixzz0zh0UXRWj
Parti Québécois Leader Pauline Marois says she would like to see more francophone players on the Montreal Canadiens.
Marois told reporters that the hockey team does not reflect the reality in the province, and the lack of a Quebec identity on the Habs ends up serving the federalist cause.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/09/16/pauline-marois-habs.html#ixzz0zhWSrB5P
Another is the time Bryan Hextall speared him in the '89 playoffs, for injuring Brian Propp. The ensuing brawl was funny, as Mme. Qa'bong had never seen a hockey fight before - she didn't even know they existed. I'll never forget her shocked, "What are they doing?"
Ha. On TSN tonight this brawl was picked as the #1 freak show in a "Goalies Gone Wild" special.
I tried linking to Leafs Lunch just now and found it has been cancelled. Holy Mackinaw.
They're replacing Dreger and Watters with one of those repulsive hate radio guys - Charles Adler or Mike Stafford.
Booo. Hiss.
Hm, Darcy Tucker retired from the NHL today. He was my favourite Leaf for a while. I don't know how many times I'd see him get clobbered, then get right up and keep going as if nothing happened. He could put the puck in the net, too.
Only a Leafs fan knows how good Darcy Tucker really is. I'm a Habs fan, however.
I have a Swedish friend who currently lives in Berlin, and he's fanatical about the Leafs. He once tried to make a documentary about Sundin's last year. Currently, he's supporting Eisbären Berlin who apparently get 18000 fans a game. I'm meeting him over Skype for the Toronto-Montreal game next week. We'll drink beer. My time: 4:00pm His Time: 12:00am. It will be awesome.
Hm, Darcy Tucker retired from the NHL today. He was my favourite Leaf for a while. I don't know how many times I'd see him get clobbered, then get right up and keep going as if nothing happened. He could put the puck in the net, too.
Tucker was an emblem of everything that was wrong with the Leafs. I really disliked him, and thought he was bad chemistry. Though it is true he could take punishment.
Tucker was an emblem of everything that was wrong with the Leafs. I really disliked him, and thought he was bad chemistry.
What? You're crazy. I tell ya, you'd better keep your head up next time you roll through town.
Wait; on second thought, you're entirely correct...and way bigger than me.
We just had some gallows humour going on between the Leaf fans and Habs fans at work.
"Yeah, your goalie's heart is questionable...but our goalie's heart could stop at any time."
Rah rah rah.
As this may be the last opportunity we Leaf fans have to gloat for a whole year...
"We're number one!"
I was watching that game, eating Singapore jerky and drinking beer. The year just got better.
(Except for the loss, of course.)
Mr. Ripple came home early from work. My four-year-old saw the car pull up out front and said, "Is it hockey season again?"
Did you see that (er, those) move(s) Jordan Eberle made on his shorthanded goal? Those kids on the Edmonton Oilers are scary. They're good now; what will they be like in five years?
The homeowners at the centre of a street hockey controversy in Nova Scotia say vandals have flattened their tires and egged their house.
Ray Warren and Donna Beeler said they believe the vandalism is retaliation over their complaints about the hockey.
"It's the neighbourhood from hell. That's what it turns out to be. And that's not right," Beeler said Monday.
Beeler called the RCMP a couple of weeks ago to complain about the ball hockey games encroaching on their yard in Prospect, a small community 20 kilometres southwest of Halifax
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2010/10/12/ns-vandalism-hockey.html#ixzz129JCVtzJ
Don't look now, but have you seen the NHL standings?
I know it's only been three games, and there's plenty of time in the next 79 for the Leaves to fall, but they have a perfect record right now, and are statistically the best team in the league.
OK, jokes and derision may commence.....NOW!
As a Habs fan I know there is a Price to pay for hubris, Al-Q.
Hubris? I said right out that the Leafs have lots of opportunity to FALL.
How is Price to blame for anything, by the way? It isn't as if he expresses a lot of arrogance, nor is it his fault that the fans' favourite goalie was traded.
Don't look now, but have you seen the NHL standings?
I know it's only been three games, and there's plenty of time in the next 79 for the Leaves to fall, but they have a perfect record right now, and are statistically the best team in the league.
OK, jokes and derision may commence.....NOW!
When's the parade? Will it take place on the usual route? Who does Phaneuf hand the Cup to first?
Go, Leafs, Go!!
When's the parade? Will it take place on the usual route? Who does Phaneuf hand the Cup to first?
Aw, cut us some slack; we haven't had anything to cheer for since about two seconds before Tie Domi elbowed Scott Niedermayer in the 2001 playoffs.
I was referring to Habs fand hubris each season, Al-Q and anticipating the hubris some Leafs fans may have if they keep playing well. The Price pun was simply irresistable. So far he is playing better than I expected. Now if he could just get some help from his defensive corps.
I wouldn't worry about hubris from Leafs Nation. The last 40+ years have taught us some humbility.
I could rub my autographed picture of goride drillon if you thought it would bring you luck. A former barber of mine used to cut Drillon's hair and gave the picture to me when he retired over 20 years ago.
When's the parade? Will it take place on the usual route? Who does Phaneuf hand the Cup to first?
Apparently it's been all figured out:
...
From here, the parade will slow down drastically. Upon leaving Barrie we can actually travel along Yonge Street instead of just Highway 11. The Cup will travel down Yonge with a stop at the hallowed Maple Leaf Gardens to honour the history of the Leafs and the past winners. After an appropriate time here, where we finally see Dave Keon makes up with MLSE and hoists the cup again, as the Conn Smythe Trophy winner from 1967, and then hands it off to the newest Conn Smythe winner, Luke Schenn.
http://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/2010/10/14/1750420/parade-planned
Urf.
So I spent the night I've been looking forward to all week flipping between the Riders getting smoked by the Eskimos and the Leafs being creamed by the Flyers.
How are my Expos doing these days?
Carey Price just had his second shutout in four games. Looks like he's coming along nicely.
Leafs break 8 game losing street. Stanley Cup parade is on again.
Don Cherry just cautioned us to "Never take the Lord's name in vain" on HNIC and sternly reminded us that "December 25th is the Lord Baby Jesus's birthday." Ms. CF squirmed in embarassment for the poor old man.
Call me an old guy, but I thought that was a good thing for Grapes to say.
Another thing that that segment of "Coach's Corner" got me thinking about is how Cherry doesn't really say much about why we're in Afghanistan (which is just as well), but who the hell else says anything about the privates and corporals being killed and wounded over there? The cause for which they are sacrificing themselves may be meaningless, but theirs not to reason why...
Why are we there in Afghanistan? Good question. We are there for the same reason the German army had no alternative but to attack and invade Poland in 1939. It is for defensive and even humanitarian reasons, and so we don't have to fight the army of darkness here on our own soil. Don Cherry knows full well why we are there in the Stan.
Which thing, the bit about the "Lord baby Jesus's birthday"? Or the hilariously curmudgeonly and outdated "don't take the Lord's name in vain"? I suppose the sentiments are fine, but if I was an eleven year-old, I'd be thinking "F*ck off, Grapes."
I actually like Cherry when he's talking about hockey. When he drifts into hysteria, however, I find him less useful.
The Canadian team in the World Juniors has an interesting lineup this year. There's a large contingent from the Dub, and two (three, if you count Jared Cowan, from Allan, but who played with the Saskatoon Contacts Midget AAA team) are from Saskatoon. Curtis Hamilton, from BC, plays for the Blades, Cody Eakin, from Manitoba, plays for Swift Current, Quinton Howden, also from Manitoba, plays for Moose Jaw, and Jaden Schwartz, who plays US college hockey, is from the home of the Hounds, Wilcox, SK.
The Russian juniors have a guy named Zaitsev. Good thing he plays D and isn't a sniper up front.
First hockey game I saw was at the Montreal Forum in 1976 against the Hawks.
A who's who of Hall of Famers (I think that was the year Orr played for Chicago but if he was,he wasn't playing that night)
So yeah...I was pretty spoiled for a long long time.
Things are so lame in Montreal that I read a thread last year where people were musing with the idea of retiring Koivu's #11 (!!!!????)
But to all the people in the delusional state that the game is better now than it was then,smoke another banana peel.
There's 30 teams in 2010,about twice the teams from the 70's.
Hence,there is a ton of players who are nothing but fluff...The less teams means only the cream of the crop played.
And btw...Some of those guys were quite large humans too...Players LOOK bigger now because they where FOOTBALL equipment now.
I remember meeting Pierre Bouchard some years back and I shook the guy's hand it his mits were like 2 canned hams.
End of rant.
But to all the people in the delusional state that the game is better now than it was then,smoke another banana peel.
They showed the "Classic" 1979 Boston-Montreal final on CBC one playoff. It was like watching a beer league game. The players were slow, out of shape, and unskilled. I was surprised they weren't actually smoking on the bench. They had no system, just chase the puck around, and every 24 seconds the puck would be either shot over the 16" glass, iced, or "held for a faceoff" for no reason whatsoever. It was practically unwatchable. The 2009 Edmonton Oilers would have come out of that season undefeated against the "Hall of Famers" who wheezed and coughed on the bench after a grueling shift of icing the puck or standing around the blue line.
Don Cherry was a coach then. 'Nuff said.
They had no system, just chase the puck around, and every 24 seconds the puck would be either shot over the 16" glass...
Yeesh, even the boards were inadequate!
But to all the people in the delusional state that the game is better now than it was then,smoke another banana peel.They showed the "Classic" 1979 Boston-Montreal final on CBC one playoff. It was like watching a beer league game. The players were slow, out of shape, and unskilled. I was surprised they weren't actually smoking on the bench. They had no system, just chase the puck around, and every 24 seconds the puck would be either shot over the 16" glass, iced, or "held for a faceoff" for no reason whatsoever. It was practically unwatchable. The 2009 Edmonton Oilers would have come out of that season undefeated against the "Hall of Famers" who wheezed and coughed on the bench after a grueling shift of icing the puck or standing around the blue line.
Don Cherry was a coach then. 'Nuff said.
Whatever...First of all the game was far more entertaining and secondly,I'd love to see the 2009 Oilers playing the 1976 Habs OR Flyers or The Atlanta Freakin Flames.
You can have today's game...Which is crap.
I've got the famous New Year's Eve game between the Habs and Central Red Army on VHS tape. It's not HD, and basically sucks technically, but I think I might watch it for the hell of it.
I'm liking the Canucks this year and I would like to see them administer a thrashing to the Flyers in Vancouver tonight. However, the Flyers haven't lost in Vancouver in ... 20 years.
I have January 11 circled on the calendar, as this is when Brayden Schenn comes home to play with the Wheaties against Curtis Hamilton and the Blades.
