box scores, trade madeness, boo boos

Wow, five games last night ended up 1-2 (three in shoot outs, one in OT). I wonder if that is some sort of record.

As you may know, there is this thing out there called Twitter. All three of the writers here have accounts - but as I told one of my cohorts who found glee in jobbing me when I showed up on the 28th, I have my twitter for two days: Trade deadline day and Opening day of Free Agent hunting season (every now and again, I look around and find a gem.... green gun, green knife, green something. [don't worry if that doesn't make sense, Nutmeg and I are cracking up]). So when I logged on to Twitter Monday, I was there with a purpose.

One of the bloggers I follow in Tweetville is Down Goes Brown - if you don't read it, really you are only hurting yourself. It's brilliant. But when he posted about having everyone tweet about a player being moved, he was up front about it and made it very clear it was not a hard and fast fact. The problem was that once it started, certain websites picked it up as the truth. Then the talking heads got duped (that and fake twitter accounts). Then DGB got lumped in with all the parodies. Which was too bad. If you want a more detailed account of the madness, please check out ChuckAPucker favorite, Puck Daddy

Look, I get it that we as a society have this almost desperate need to know everything first. Breaking news and first alerts are jammed down our throats but look. There is this thing called fact checking. Reporters used to do that (well aside from that whole "Dewey beats Truman" thing) but now, any hint of a rumor is splattered as fact. And that should be more disappointing.

Both the Pens and Sabres were quiet on deadline day which I'm ok with. The Slugs in essence, replaced Craig Rivet with Brad Boyes (I'll take that anyday); I wished they could have gotten Connely's salary off the payroll but that day is coming. And with the new owner in place? Maybe July 1 will be a happy day in the Queen City.

The Guins took a different approach and went proactive. Picking up Alex Kovalev for peanuts was a great move. He's showed his worth already. Then trading Goose for James Neal and Matt Niskanen (who shares my birthday) who are both under contract was a smart move. Nicely done GMRS.

From the Pens site on Yahoo:

Brooks Orpik Feb 24, 2011 Injured Reserve Broken finger
Nick Johnson Feb 18, 2011 Injured Reserve Concussions
Eric Tangradi Feb 12, 2011 Injured Reserve Concussion
Chris Kunitz Feb 8, 2011 Injured Reserve Lower-body injury
Evgeni Malkin Feb 5, 2011 Injured Reserve Torn right ACL, MCL
Arron Asham Feb 2, 2011 Injured Reserve Concussion
Sidney Crosby Jan 6, 2011 Injured Reserve Mild concussion
Mike Comrie Nov 26, 2010 Injured Reserve Hip surgery

Riddle me this: at what point does Sidney Crosby lose the "mild" in front of his concussion tag? He's not played a game in two months for something that was supposed to keep him out a week or two.

So on that note, I'm going to go eat my mild breakfast.

Double You Tee Eff!?

Okay... I would like to know what in the world is going on in Pittsburgh? Yet another member of the black and Vegas gold was added to the M*A*S*H unit last night when Brooks Orpik got hit in the hand with a puck during the 2nd period. So, with that, I think that just about every member of the Pens has now been hurt save Disco Dan, Katie O'Malley and Iceburgh. I know that teams sometimes go through rashes of injuries... it's normal in an 82 game season, that also includes a few weeks of preseason games, things are going to happen. You will have bumps and bruises, a torn ACL, and even a concussion or two; but honestly, I have never seen it as bad as it is for this team. Even the situation with the Canucks defense pales in comparison to this bullshit.

With this, I have several thoughts on the situation: What in the hell pissed the hockey gods off so much that they would drop their reign of terror over one team? Were they mad that the Pens looked really good on 24/7 and showed what a shit show the Craps are? Was it Gretzky playing with voodoo dolls because Sid was starting to pull away from the rest of the league and would break some of his records? Did Bettman get a little too into his Ouija board and brought up Fruma Sarah and she is a Flyers fan? In all seriousness, it could be as simple as with Jordan Staal out, others tried to pick up the slack and that was like a rock chip in the windshield. Comrie's hip goes, then Malkin's knee got banged up the first time, which was followed by Bing's head getting pounded not once but twice; and we get a domino effect. All I can say is that I'm glad that they have a GM like Lord Rejean who can wheel and deal and has a plethora of good talent in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Wheeling.

Speaking of Wheeling, I love how GMRS dealt with an unhappy situation. A couple of weeks ago, it seems that one of their prospects, Casey Pierro-Zabotel who used to play for the Vancouver Giants, has a wife and she was unhappy with the way she perceived the Nailers were treating her husband. So she voiced this displeasure all over Twitter, including calling the Pens a "shit organization", until a Pens fan who I follow nailed her on it. Of course, she tried to back track and say it wasn't about Casey or the team; but less than two days later, her account was gone and so was her husband to Cincinnati on a loan. Don't fuck with the bull son... you'll get the horns!

But anyway... the Penguins have made two trades in the past week: one with Dallas for Neal and Niskanen and just this morning Alexei Kovalev was brought back from the Sens. These additions will be helpful to a team that somehow is still in 2nd place in the division and 4th in the conference; but hopefully we can see some of the other boys come back soon or even with these guys, it's going to be a very short playoff run.

WTF is happening here?!

It all started yesterday with the goalie swap.

I understand that Craig Anderson wasn't performing the sort of Superman heroics this season as he did last season. But does that mean he's not a number one goaltender? No, it doesn't. I maintain that there were a few factors in Anderson's less than stellar season. The first are the knee and groin injuries he had early on in the season. I just don't think he fully regained his timing after coming back. The other thing that I think most people forget is that we have a new goaltending coach this season. Not that I know much about Kirk McLean, but I don't think it's coincidence that we change goaltending coaches and both of our goalies go to hell. I also think that coaching decisions overall played a hand in the turn around. Last year, Sacco would let Anderson work himself out of those situations and Anderson was better for it. This year, Sacco just didn't seem to trust that Anderson could do it.

Not that Peter Budaj is a terrible goaltender, and I don't know enough about Brian Elliot, because the Senators are admittedly a team that I don't follow and truthfully don't care to follow (part of it goes to being a Leafs fan), to know whether or not he's an adequate replacement for Craig Anderson. What I do know is that the last time the Avalanche relied on Peter Budaj to be the number one goaltender, we drafted Matt Duchene 3rd overall and went out and found Craig Anderson. And I still don't care what Joe Sacco says - Peter Budaj is not a number one goaltender and he DOES NOT give that team the best chance to win on any given night. Despite his struggles, Craig Anderson was at least able to make clutch saves when he needed to to either keep the Avalanche in the game or allow them to keep a lead.

As for the Chris Stewart, Kevin Shattenkirk trade ... I'm still trying to decide what I think of this. I understand you have to give up something of value to get something of value, but I'm just not sure that Erik Johnson and Jay McLement are worth a former number 1 draft pick in Stewart and a promising defenseman in Shattenkirk. Although, I suppose the conditional first rounder in either 2011 or 2012 is a good toss in.

It wasn't a surprise that one of Liles, Cumiskey, Hunwick, or Shattenkirk was going to be moved. Cumiskey, by sheer virtue of being injured is guaranteed to stick around through the end of the year. Hunwick hasn't done anything since coming over from Boston that would endear teams to wanting to give anything up for him. And Liles, with his salary and partial no trade clause, makes Shatty sort of the odd man out on that. It sucks to lose both Shatty and Colby Cohen to trade this year, but we do still have a decent crop of defensemen coming up in the system. It's also still possible that another one of our defenseman is moved before the trade deadline. Personally, I think I'm about ready to put John-Michael Liles on lock down.

Needless to say, the next couple of months are going to be long here in Denver, and it's going to be an even longer summer. I'm just hoping that the management, led by yet another accountant turned GM, figure out what they're doing, because right now, it doesn't seem as though they have a plan at all, and if they do, it seems they are grossly over estimating how much guys they are interested in are worth.

My Bloody Valentine

I think next year, the Avalanche is going to skip Valentine's Day.

First, Forsberg retires. Then, about ten seconds into the game Calgary scores from the point. Matt Duchene goes down with a hand injury at the end of the 2nd, then in the 3rd, rookie defenseman Cameron Gaunce takes a puck off the foot (depleting an already depleted defense corps). And, oh yeah, while all this is going on, Craig Anderson replaces Budaj, who replaces Craig Anderson, who replaces Budaj and the Flames just keep scoring.

9-1. For their 8th straight loss. And while Iginla helps my fantasy team, he could have picked another game to be his usual awesome self.

There are a lot of perks to having such a young and inexperienced team. That 'why not us?' attitude that they had earlier in the year was one of them. But somewhere over the last couple of months, they went from a pretty cohesive unit with a why not us mentality to a group of 20 individual guys who are so damn afraid to make mistakes that mistakes are all they make.

I will say this, though (and I can't believe I'm going to). Watching the post-game tonight, and seeing Paul Stastny interviewed (which I gotta give him and JM Liles props for; I can't imagine they actually wanted to talk to anyone, let alone a guy with a mic and a camera in their face), I was shocked at just how honest he was. These were exact phrases he used: Unacceptable, embarrasing, every guy who put on that jersey ...

This from the guy who never sounds as though someone ran over his dog in interviews following losses (that is usually JM Liles and Matt Duchene). That doesn't mean I like the guy now, he has to be better, and if he wants to be the cornerstone of this team like he's been made to be, he has to start putting the team on his shoulders, saying screw it, and getting things done on his own. He doesn't do that on the ice. But for him to step up and call each and every one of those guys out, himself included, earned him some kudos.

Hopefully, though, tomorrow comes with a 'reset' button. For everyone.

Goodbye, it's the saddest thing to say

Peter Forsberg officially announced his retirement this morning.

I know that when he first announced that he was going to skate with the Avalanche to determine if a comeback was possible, I was a bit harsh in my feelings, and those feelings haven't gone away. But despite Forsberg not being my favorite Avalanche player (that honor, admittedly, goes to Joe Sakic), I would be remiss to not appreciate his career with the Avalanche.

I don't know the numbers off the top of my head, but I do know that having Forsberg in the lineup almost guaranteed you a win, and more often than not, if he had a point, the Avalanche did win. And before groin, abdominal, and ankle injuries derailed his career, Forsberg was a force to be reckoned with.

He could split an opponent's defense at will, and he wasn't afraid to hit and be hit, and his hockey sense was unequaled by almost anyone but Joe Sakic. Which is perhaps why Sakic and Forsberg made not only a terrific duo at center, but as a tandem no opponent wanted to play against when they did pair up on the same line. I remember one play in particular in the 2004 playoffs. It was game five against San Jose, in overtime, and Forsberg dug the puck out of the corner and made a blind pass behind him that landed perfectly on Sakic's tape for the OT game winner. It was a beautiful play.

Two Olympic gold medals, two Stanley Cups, a Calder, Hart, and Art Ross trophy to his name ... that is what Forsberg's legacy should be. It should be those plays where Forsberg just knew where the puck needed to go. It should be that shootout goal that earned him the honor of being immortalized on a Swedish postage stamp.

I can't say that know exactly how Forsberg felt when he announced his retirement, but after repeated attempts to make a comeback, I can imagine how hard it had to be for Peter to finally admit defeat. That will to win, that will to battle made him the player that he was.

Now all that is left is for the Avalanche to set the date for Peter's number to be retired. And while he wasn't my favorite, and he could frustrate the absolute hell out of me, you can bet that I'll be there.

Peter will be missed. But Avs fans, even this one, will always have plenty of memories of a player who had so many gifts and who brought so much to this game.

What in the world is going on?

So Matt Cooke will have a disciplinary hearing today with the NHL brass from a hit in the game last night against the Jackets. I did not see the game so I can't comment on the hit but I'm thinking something along the lines of this - it's a reputation call. Granted this is not some shocking revelation but I'm just laying it out there. Now here is what gets me.... where on earth is the consistency? Fine call him for charging but how about the league's precious Rule 48? Personally I'd like to see that called a hell of a lot more.

Down Goes Brown is just about one of the best places to go for a hockey laugh and they deliver EVERY. TIME. Reading it today, I see a lovely comparison to the Super Bowl and a regular season NHL game and I see this:

The Super Bowl: Expect to hear plenty of references to ex-Packer Brett Favre, the former superstar who embarrassed himself with one too many comeback attempts and eventually became a running joke in the sports world.

Regular season hockey: Thankfully, it's been years since Peter Forsberg… wait, he's what? You're kidding. Good lord, please say you're kidding.

Yes he's back. And singed to a year contact. With a no trade clause. Because that makes a whole lot of sense. I'm sure teams will be knocking on that door. Good luck on that one boys. I'm sure he's totally the same player he was 12 years ago.

Old Milwaukee and cheese versus Primanti's and Iron City!

Good day my friends! It's that time of year again... it's Super Bowl Sunday; and for most hockey fans, hopefully you watched the games that were on this morning because there ain't none on tonight. I, however, do like football a lot and will be watching the game. Not sure who I want to win though, because I'm still pissed about the Seahawks having their rings stolen five years ago against the Steeler; but the Packers are not only in the NFC, but they had Brett 'SwampThing' Farve for a million years. So, I'm sure I'll be watching mostly for Troy Polomalu and his glorious hair and that's about it. :)

In the spirit of Super Bowl XL and the two teams involved, I have two candidates for Boy of the Day, one from each state: David Steckel out of Milwaukee, WI and George Parros from Washington, PA.

Dave Steckel, drafted by the LA Kings as the 30th overall pick in 2001, played one season with the Team USA Developmental team and the US National team before heading to Ohio State University. Four years later, Dave joined the Manchester Monarchs where he spent one season. The next season, he signed with the Washington Capitals where he played a few games spent the rest of the season in Hershey. The next season, he made the big club and he's been centering the third line along with being a top member of their penalty kill.





George is a boy who combines brawn as well as brains as a forward for the Anaheim Ducks. Also drafted by the Kings as the 222nd overall pick in 1999, he graduated from Princeton University with a degree in economics and was voted 4th smartest professional athlete. He's also very involved with charities including growing his hair each season to be donated to Locks of Love; and his teammates love him so much, the Ducks petitioned to have his name added to the Cup in 2007 even though he hadn't met the game criteria.

Everybody clap yo hands!

Thank the baby Jebus that it's finally Friday! Why is it the weeks that you only work 4 days seem longer than the 5 day ones? I don't know... maybe it's because my life outside of work has been pretty busy lately. This is another reason I have been remiss in posting; but hopefully the weekend and next week will look up.

And speaking of looking up, two former Silvertips have had some press this week. First is Peter Mueller of the Avalanche. He's finally begun light skating again after being on the shelf since September when a hit in a preseason game put him back on LTIR. This was the second time in his pro career with the first being the time last April when Rob Blake tried to end his life. This time, the concussion symptoms were so bad that he even went to see Marc Savard's doctor. So, hopefully it won't be long before Pete is back to not only full contact; but back in the game he loves.

Also having some press is Zach Hamill. Zach is a prospect of the Bruins and has spent most of his three years as a pro playing down in Providence; but yesterday he was called up for his second cup of coffee with the big club. Also being bitten by the injury bug, especially in his first season, it's been a long but hopefully valuable experience for Z. I'm sending lots of good vibes his way that will hopefully help our pal get his first NHL goal. When he was called up in April, he got his first point with an assist on a Michael Ryder goal and got to be part of the Bruins Black Aces group during the playoffs.

And of course, there are my present day baby boys too. They're on a four game winning streak and have moved back into playoff contention. Tonight they're back home to play the Seattle Thunderbirds for the 245th Friday in a row as the first game of a five game homestand. Actually those five are half of the remaining games at home. After playing the first eight games of this year at home, the WHL has them on the road for almost the whole month of March. So, watch this space for more news on hockey here in Hooterville.

Since this is an actual post, Boy of the Day not really BotD... it's going to be just a random picture I chose. I hope you've enjoyed the BotD posts so far; and if you have questions, concerns or comments about this or anything else, please let us know. Have a great weekend everyone!

It's a lot shorter now, but I love the look on Bing's face when he's getting his do did for a photo shoot.

All Star postmortem

Way back when, I didn't realize there was this game called hockey. WKBD used to show all the red wing games but they for the most part, were meaningless to me. No my game was baseball. Every summer, Dad and I would head down to Detroit to the ol' ball park (aka Tiger Stadium) and watch the Tiggers play a couple times in person. And if those games were before a certain date in the summer, it meant only one thing - all star voting. I'd grab a stack of punch ballots and in between scoring the game (something I still know how to do, thank you very much), I'd plunk for Alan Trammel and Looooooooou Whitaker because, even if they weren't having all star seasons, it was who I wanted to see at the all star game. You'd see people with nails being driven through three inch stacks of ballots.

Then my eyes were opened to hockey and baseball was pretty much replaced as my sporting boyfriend. I'd still plunk for my Red Wings because, again, it's who I wanted to see at the all star game. And I'm a firm believer that if you don't vote, you don't get to bitch about who makes it in. If The Russian Five weren't all stars, well at least I tried.

The ballot nail changed when when fan voting moved to the internet. Ok, things got a wee bit suspect about the players voted in but looking back on it, it was still the beauty of FAN voting. If fans wanted Rory wearing an all star sweater, so be it.

The 2011 NHL all star game took that all away. Sure fans could vote for 6 players (though even that seemed to go for naught because it was meaningless in the big picture). Sure Sidney Crosby got the most votes, but the voting was down significantly. I think it was due, in large part, to fan apathy after Brendan "the NHL savior" Shanahan decided it was time to tweak the format. OOOOH let's have a DRAFT! (and full disclosure, I didn't see any of the draft festivities)

Now by all accounts, the players liked the draft format (except, I'm not above pointing fingers and laughing at Paul Stastny. Sure he's an all star but he's lower than Mr. Irrevelant; at least Mr. Irrevelant got a car out of the deal). Sure they are all all stars so what does it matter when they were picked?

But to me it does matter. All but 6 were not picked by the fans. It's always been a popularity contest, I'm not even going to sit here and say that it was. However, it goes back to a league that has proven more than once that the fans really are not all that vital to the game in any aspect. The fans have lost their voice in something so unimportant as a an all star game - which was the last bastion of fan participation. And I think if you ask a fan of the game, they can point out (with stats to back up their beliefs) that there player left off due to their lack of league popularity. *cough John Liles cough*

Will it be this way next year? Probably considering everyone was talking about how great the format was and how exciting it was (though I gotta think people who sold sweaters had to hate it not having pre-games sales). And I for one am sad about that.

Best day ever

It's just starting to snow here in the midwest and fantastic news just came in on the wire. We're closed tomorrow. Snow day for everyone!

Tomorrow I'll even write about hockey.

Boy of the Day - 1/28/11

Okay... I realize that it's now Saturday in most parts of the world and this country, but I happen to be in the Pacific time zone and Mickey says that I have a bit longer to slip this in. I would have had it up sooner, but I was roped into coding for about 4 hours today at work; then I was at the arena watching my baby boys destroy Calvin Pickard and the Seattle Thunderbirds 7-0. Comcast Arena is always filled to the rafters when Seattle is in town since it's just down the I-5 from Hooterville, and tonight's game was especially sweet. There were a bunch of fights, St. Calvin got pulled 4 and a half minutes into the third and there were cowbells up the yin yang. In fact my ears are still ringing and I've been home about 90 minutes.

Anyway, I digress... actually though, fighting is something that today's boy does and usually does well. Kevin Bieksa of the Vancouver Canucks is not only a really good defenseman, but he can also take care of himself. Our boy comes to us from Grimsby Ontario, which is on Lake Ontario near Niagra; and his father, Big Al who looks like a biker, works in the Ontario Federation of Labour. He is married to a lovely girl named Katie; and they have two adorable babies named Cole who is 3, and little Reese who is 1.

After playing in the Ontario Junior Hockey League, he went to Bowling Green University where he not only played all four years, but he graduated with his BA in Business and was an Academic All American twice. He was drafted by the Canucks with the 151st pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft; but he went back to school then signed an amateur tryout contract with the Moose in '04. After playing with the Moose for 107 games, he was finally called up by the big club and he's been there ever since. Right now, he serves as an alternate captain for away games, and there was a rumor or two that he was going to be named captain before Luongo was given the C. I am sure that with his leadership and drive, he would be a good captain someday in Vancouver.

So, without further adieu, some numminess from KevB...

Chillin' with Kes while he was rehabbing an injury...


With a Fin puppet for the Canucks Reading program...


I have never wanted to be a roll of tape more...


On the road with Keith Ballard...


I just... yeah....

a puzzler

So you are an NHL GM of a team that has some dandy players on it. So you say hey nifty player A, we're going to sign you to an EXTENSION! Hats and Party horns! Wooot! But wait, it's only for one year.

Player A has been somewhat hampered by injuries but he's been well, less than stellar. Is this a way of saying you've got one more year on this team to prove himself before he's cut free? A way of motivating him to carry this team to the playoffs and you know, show up?

Here is hoping for the Caps fans, McPhee knows what he's doing.

The bang bang dance

Luckily I don't have this on my computer or it would be uploaded so we'll have to rely on the interwebs and youtube:

The bang bang dance



which is apparently from the show "How I met your mother"




(it only slightly resembles what I play with Max)

Boy of the Day - 1/27/11

Here we are with the new and improved BotD! Today's boy is Matt Duchene of the Colorado Avalanche. He is a big favorite of Chucker Megan and I have to admit that I have taken quite a liking to the boy.

Matt is a young Canadian lad who hails from Haliburton, Ontario; which also happens to be the hometown of Canucks prospect Cody Hodgson as well as retired players Ron Stackhouse and Bernie Nicholls.

After playing two seasons with the Brampton Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League, he was drafted third in the 2009 draft by the Avs. It was a dream come true for our boy because despite growing up in a Ontario tourist town, Matt was a Avs fanboy from the word go, especially for his idol Joe Sakic.

It didn't take long before the powers that be in Denver decided to keep him on the roster for the 2009-10 season after scoring an assist and a goal in his first month with the team. And since then, he's been a steady force centering his line; and last night, he scored his 100th career point which made him the youngest 100 point scorer in franchise history.

Anyway, I think Matty is going to have a wonderful career and I'll be watching him this weekend in the All-Star game.

And here are a few shots of the BotD...

A screencap from a post-draft interview showing his bedroom, and the clip of that interview. The bedroom shot is about the 5:00 mark...





Posing in his sweater from the CHL Top Prospects Game...



Draft night photoshoot where he's trying so hard to control the squee...



A funny shot from pre-game warm ups...



and all dressed up at the NHL Awards...

Well look who finally showed up!

Good afternoon campers. In case you are new to the blog or just plum forgot, I am Amy. I am also known as the NW Chica as I am up here in the NW corner of the country. You know... the place where nothing is ever live except the Superbowl and the Oscars. ;)

So what's going on out here in Hooterville? Well, my beloved baby boys have had a very rough season; and as of last week, it got even rougher. The Tips started the season 4-0 and then for some unknown reason, they just went Sybil. Some nights they could beat the world, then others seemed like no one gave a shit and they were just killing time until the party that night. So, here we are in the last week of January with an 18-22-3-4 record, which is good for 43 points and last in the Western Conference. Add to that our second leading scorer along with one of the top 4 D-men were traded a few weeks ago as well as our head coach was out for most of the season after having to have open heart surgery. Oh, and in case that wasn't enough, our captain Landon Ferraro, aka Parm Junior and a Wang prospect, has a sports hernia and will be out until the beginning of March at the earliest. Yay! *sighs*

Anyway... I hope that the All Star Break gives everyone a good rest because my pro teams are doing pretty well, especially the boys to the north. I am pleasantly surprised but cautiously optimistic about the way that the Canucks have played this season. This is because I've been a fan for over 20 years and have seen them have delusions of grandeur then get kicked in the nards when they either implode the last two weeks of the season or get destroyed in the 1st or 2nd round. I wasn't around for the 1st Cup run in '82, but I was for '94; and this year's team has shades of that one which has me excited and guarded at the same time.

So, since this has turned out shorter than expected since I seem to have gone into brain freeze, I will leave you. However, tomorrow, I'm hoping to get started a feature that I wanted to do before, but it never really came to fruition on a regular basis. It's called Boy of the Day and this will be something that I hope to post every day. It's not only to get to know more of the lesser known employees of the National Hockey League, but to show our appreciation of the male form. I know we might have some male readers; but hey... this page is run by three women. We're gonna look at the players that play this game too. ;9 If you have some suggestions on who YOU would like to see, please leave a comment.

Have a great day everyone, and happy hockey!

Here we go again, the brain, the all stars, and Dmen in the box scores

It's not that I dislike the guy but when is Marc Savard going to call it quits. Yes, the Bruins have experience with a guy coming back after a lengthy absence with concussions then getting another one and not being out nearly as long (Hi there Mr. Bergeron). But really, this is getting sad. I watched two Bruin games (not by choice, they were playing teams I wanted to see) and saw Savard go down in both of them, awkwardly against the boards. Now, even the AWAY announcers audibly winced. When you hear a guy like Sidney Crosby who is experiencing his first concussion having trouble watching tv... multiple concussions can't be a good thing. Lets face it, we don't know a lot about the brain. Why is Marc Savard pushing it?

Crosby has pulled out of the all star weekend. Good on him I say. Sure in Montreal, he showed up injured but it was a knee injury. You can't tell me that the all star weekend festivities are anywhere to recover from a concussion. It won't be quiet, it won't be soft, it won't be calm. I'm glad he (or someone who handles him) is taking the smart road here.... I generously offer my place for him to rest the weekend away. When the dog isn't barking, it's damn near bucolic. And if the dog does bark, he's afraid of the squirt bottle.

I will not be watching the all star game this weekend. No, not just because I don't have tv but I'm highly disappointed in it. Look, I get that the league is trying to show the world there are other players in the league but to not have a single player who the FANS voted in be in the captain/alternate capacity is, to me, a slap in the face. I understand Lidstrom and E. Staal but to name a guy like "Twenty Cent" Kane over Towes doesn't make any sense. Not only is Toews statistically a better player on the Hawks, the fans voted him as a 'starter'. God I can't believe I'm defending a blackhawk. I blame Megan. Totally blame her.

I've decided I need to watch the Avs v Blues game last night. Three of my favorite D men got in on the scoring. And you know how I love it when the D score.

Also, Kevin? Thanks for the words of encouragement yesterday. It really meant a lot.

The Epic Saga

No, not Twilight. It's the Peter Forsberg saga, and it's not over.

Earlier today, Terry Frei of The Denver Post tweeted that the Avalanche would be making an announcement about Peter Forsberg. So, silly me, I think that Forsberg is announcing that he is finally hanging 'em up.

I should know better, I really should.

The headline, from The Denver Post: Forsberg to skate with Avs, mulls possible comeback

I realize that I'm at risk of losing my Avaholic card over what I'm about to say, but ... really?

Over the last few years, we've seen a two-time Stanley Cup champion, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Calder, Hart, and Art Ross trophy winner go from being one of the elite, most sought after players in the NHL, to a guy riddled with the same foot injury that has either crippled a comeback or made a comeback impractical. He hasn't played at all for MODO in the Swedish Elite League at all this year, but he wants to measure where he is physically against the likes of professional NHL players, not only much younger than he is, but who are also at their prime.

As an Avalanche fan, these repeated, failed comeback attempts sadden me. They really do. It's a shame that when Peter does finally hang up his skates, he won't necessarily be known for his shootout winner in the 1994 Lillehammer games, or for how he made splitting an opponent's defense look effortless, or how when he had a point, the Avalanche were almost guaranteed a win.

But as an Avalanche fan, who has been with the team through the best and the worst of times, I don't want to keep looking to the past for answers. While Adam Foote is the current link to the past, present, and future of the Avalanche, the glory days from the mid 90s to the early 2000s are gone, and in their place we have a young, exciting, upstart team with a "Why not us" mentality, and I just don't see where Peter Forsberg fits into that.

I can't imagine being in Forsberg's place, where your heart says yes and your body says no. It can't be easy for any athlete. But others, like Joe Sakic and Steve Yzerman, made that difficult decision because they could no longer physically play at the level they expected.

I wish Peter the best, I do, and if it works out, it works out. But I have to be a realist when I say that Forsberg doesn't have it in him to skate with and compete with this younger, faster NHL. Not with his injury history.

News and Notes

The all star captains have been named: Lidstrom and E. Staal. While I'm ok with the nod to Lidstrom based on oh I don't know his whole career, but Staal? Had this event been anywhere else, Staal isn't even in the running.

Which sort of leads nicely into this next bit of news. There is a story going around that Sid Crosby will sit out of the all star game in protest of the head shots. Look, I love Sid but he's vanilla. He's not going to sit out. Period. He'll go and if he can't play, he'll make nice just like he did in Montreal. He's the NHL corporate boy. He knows his role (plus he was voted in. He's bright enough to know that fans want to see him there; he will not disappoint). However I wonder if that rumor had anything to do with Crosby not being named one of the captains.

Or is the league *gasp* trying to expose other players? Say it's not so! What will all the haters do when Sid and Ovie are not "shoved down their throats"?

The Panthers coasted to a 2-0 lead over Atlanta only to watch the Thrash score two goals in the last two minutes of the game to push it to a shootout. Atlanta won. Florida is finding new and creative ways to lose games. If there is a case study in contraction, may I give you exhibit A.

Finally there are game on TV tonight that I actually care about. Granted I won't be able to see two of them (the wings play the pens so that will be blacked out and the Buffalo v Montreal game is on Versus) so that leaves me Colorado and Vancouver. Starting at 9 my time. Stupid time zones. My dog Max is a patient sort of guy but he won't wait that long for an end of the game potty break.

Good news, and bad news

So we have good news and bad news.

The good news: Ryan O'Reilly will only be out a couple of weeks for the Avs, with his shoulder injury not requiring surgery. (Mike Chambers' article can be found at the Denver Post's website here.)

The bad news: Ryan O'Reilly will be out a couple of weeks for the Avs.

Why is this bad? Because O'Reilly is staple on the Avalanche penalty kill, and I shudder to think how bad it can get without O'Reilly. It's already not the greatest.

More good news - Jonathan Toews scored career goal number 100 tonight against the Preds. 100 goals in 266 career NHL games ain't too shabby. Congrats Captain Serious.

Two more things

1. I buried Megan's post about the Avs...please read it.
2. Good on Columbus for getting their general shit together and pulling out a shootout after their fans pledged over 5 grand for charity if they won. The jackets will match. The team put it on their white board last night as incentive/motivation.



There is a bit more information and details on how this all got started here

Maybe the jackets need to be bribed to win games? Ron Wilson approves.

Here is what I just don't get

Toronto's Mike Brown was suspended for hitting Jovo in a game against Phoenix. Why? A blind side hit. In the play, there are a few players going for the puck (this is important actually). Brown comes in and delivers a wicked hit to Jovo in a way of getting in his way. Ok, the hit wasn't clean, fine. There was no penalty called although I'm thinking a case for at least interference could have been made. But no call was made and ok we go from there. But, to me, the key is, they were going for the puck. There was a reason for the contact

Lets jump into our way back machine and travel to January 1st. Sidney Crosby is behind the play when he was clocked by Dave Steckel. The puck was no where near him at the time of the hit.

Rule 48.1 reads as follows:

Illegal Check to the Head - A lateral or blind side hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principle point of contact is not permitted.

There was no reason for the Steckel hit. I'm not going to say he is dirty because I think it's far from that. However, it wasn't like two guys coming together for the puck. Stecks delivered a "lateral or blind side hit" to an opponent whose head was "the principle point of contact". I youtubed the clip again to make sure I wasn't talking fangirl shit. You can see it here. Please go take a look and tell me Sid's head didn't take the brunt of the contact.

Now, would league discipline have prevented Sid from getting hurt? No, but still. Maybe this is just a rant from someone who is tired of seeing # 87 out of the line up. Again.

Ouchie

Wow, scary second period for the Avs in Minny tonight when Ryan O'Reilly lost an edge and went awkwardly into the boards, head and neck first. He was taken off on a stretcher and then to the hospital for precautionary reasons, and he's moving his extremities, so very, very good news from the Avs' camp.

And I'm throwing this out there because, well, it's true. The Avalanche were stupid to let Andrew Brunette walk away. He kills penalties, works down low, and has been a general thorn in the Avalanche's side since he went back to Minnesota. There have been a lot of guys come and go, either by free agency or trade, but Andrew Brunette is the one I wish was still in the burgundy and blue. (And as I wrote this, Brunette scored to make it 3-1 Avalanche in the third, further proving my point).

Let's talk about sights for sore eyes: both Chris Stewart and Cody McLeod returned to the Avs' lineup tonight, and man, have they made a difference. They've given the Avalanche what they have been seriously lacking over the past few weeks - energy. The Avalanche are young and exciting, yes. But it's those times where the game just sort of plateaus where Stewie and Cody Mac can liven things up.

Alright, I need a little fantasy help: I have one roster spot open for tomorrow, my utility spot. So who do I play? Grabovski or Tanguay?

It's Friday.....ooh and a three day weekend

You know, I work as a government lackey and while there are not many perks in my line of work, Federal holidays are. WOOOT.

I am an avid reader of Puck Daddy over at yahoo and there are days when I find gems. The Jersey Fouls can easily go into my top ten favorite reads of a week. Not just for the photos but for the words that describe them.

Total, unmitigated, without-a-second-thought PASS. If only because we're pretty sure this guy is going to die with his sneakers on, in a room of other cult followers while a comet passes overhead one day ...

That was said about some oddball Kings Poncho style....thing. I laughed out loud.

I feel like hockey tonight:

Vancouver v Washington - ugh, can't they both lose?

Detroit v Columbus - fans have put "money on the boards" for their favorite charities if Columbus gets a win tonight. Good luck on that.

New Jersey v Tampa Bay - most. boring. game. of. the. night.

Philadelphia v Atlanta - rumor has it Pronger is back. Hide the children.

Calgary v Ottawa - I'd watch but that would involve watching Ottawa.

Colorado v Minnesota - I'll catch this one when I get home (lets hear it for the gamecenter dvr feature!). If Minny plays Colorado like they played the Pens the other night, I might have to make this the most boring game of the night instead.

Speaking of Columbus (No, really, I did, up there).... there has been some general bitching about why Rick Nash doesn't call more penalties. Nash, who personally I wish could be moved to a better team, is a big dude. I've seen him in person and you really don't get the impression he's that big on the ice (which I can't explain because on ice he should look BIGGER). He's also a big dude with gobs of talent and decent speed. So why isn't he getting the calls? Because he's Rick Nash that's why. He's quiet and doesn't bitch much to the refs... not that I condone it but I gotta think it makes a difference. The old adage of squeaky wheel gets the grease and all. Maybe the squeak/cranky player gets the calls? For what ever reason, Ricky will still take the abuse and not get the calls. That is, until he's out of Ohio.

Also on Columbus: I can't put a rational meaning behind this but it tickles me to no end that Mike Commordore has cleared waivers and is in the AHL. I used to really like him but it seems that he's been a problem for Columbus from damn near day one. The GM was quoted as saying something about [very paraphrased] they look at the whole player, how he is on the ice and off the ice and in the room and we made our decision based on that. To me that screams a diplomatic way of saying Commie was a cancer type in the room. So be it.

Holy cow! The sabres won! Ok, that's not nice but you know what? I blame a certain goaltender's recent announcement for ALL OF IT. Derek Roy has nothing to do with their downfall (ok, missing your leading scorer and having to depend on the likes of Tim Connley will not get you wins but still). Crunchy, you know what I mean.

Introductions and other things

I should be at work, but instead I'm sitting in the waiting area of a hospital as I wait for a co-worker/friend to finish having an ultrasound. She didn't have a car today, so I brought her to the appointment. If you wouldn't mind sending some good thoughts out Erin's way, I'd appreciate it.

Anywho, being the new writer on the block, allow me to introduce myself. Lisa affectionately refers to me as Nutmeg, hockey and the Colorado Avalanche are my life, and that's pretty much me in a nutshell.

So, to hockey related matters. Look, I get that the Avs played a terrible game last night against the Blackhawks, but color me baffled if that surprised you.

The Avs embarrassed the defending champs in the first two games of the series with comeback wins; one in OT and the other in the final minutes of what was a crazy, fun, exciting game. And then, in the third game, the Avs dominated. Tell me you expected the Hawks to come out and let it happen again. The Hawks came out prepared last night and completely took away the Avalanche's game.

Here's what bugs me though. I'm reading the Denver Post's website today and one of the footnotes in one of the articles was that John-Michael Liles was a -3 on the night. (Full disclosure, I like Liles and I think he's ridiculously underrated.)

I'll have to go back and look, but I am pretty damn sure that not one single player on that roster for the Avs last night was even. And if Liles was a -3, my logic says that Ryan O'Byrne was at a -3 as well.

Here's what I also didn't see. Where is the article that asks where Paul Stastny is? While no one was effective last night, I shouldn't have to ask whether or not the Avs' $6 million man ever touched the ice. The guy making that much money should be a little more influential in a game like that. Because, while I like guys like Galiardi, it's sad when I notice them more than #26.

And brilliant move to start Budaj again, Sacco. My memory is a bit fuzzy, but that would bring the number of consecutive games in which Budaj has given up at least 4 to how many again?

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The Guardian Project

What bastard was on drugs for this? I get that Stan Lee is a comic icon but not only is the idea terrible but the guardians are rehash of crap I've seen (and trust me, I'm not that big of a comic reader). The Olier? Spewing oil at bad guys? The Saber? He can manipulate water.... and is a "product of a hydroelectric experiment gone awry." I can't tell what offends me the most - that the NHL thinks this will draw in fans (regardless of how the oh, I don't know CURRENT fans think this blows) or that they paid Stan Lee a crap ton of money to be a laughing stock of the professional leagues. Personally, I like these guardians better.


It makes me sorta sad that it's come to this. And don't even get me started on the new all star format.

Oh yeah, there was hockey last night too. Pens won (their first without Captain Sid; and Flower is a rock star; pose all you want buddy after a win like that); Avalanche sucked against the Hawks; the Craps lost (always a good day); And St. Loo continues their free fall as they travel the west coast.

Ok here is where I say "Holy Crap, it's been a while." Thanks Kevin for pointing that out. But Puck a Chuck is back. Yep.

And we dragged a new writer along with us. You'll see her work soon - wickedly smart about our game and a snifty writer too. Welcome aboard, Nutmeg. :)

In the next few days, I'll come out from the pile of work on my desk and have a proper post.