On headshots, playoff push, fantasty hockey, and Letterman

The GMs are meeting in some warm secluded area right about now and all we hear about is "head shots: the top subject at the GMs meetings". Really? Like it's something now that needs to be addressed? There are two problems with discipline in the NHL. First off, the CBA only allows for a piddly player fine (I wanna say $2,500). To someone making millions of dollars, this is like cab fare (or a night in Calgary if you play in Edmonton). If fining is meant to be a deterrent, make it count. Don't just ask for a token remorse fee. Secondly, when on earth are we gonna get consistency? In international play, if you hit someone in the head, you are ejected. Granted in international play, it's generally a one game elimination situation so that has some heft. But if the NHL wants to get serious, make any shot to the head a ten game suspension. Period. No matter who you are or what line you play on. From Matt Cooke to Mike Richards to Alex Ovechkin. Make the hitter pay. While you are at it, fine the team. Maybe if teams stop playing headhunters, it will curb it. The players keep touting it's all about respect. Well until they start showing it, the league needs to come down hard. Why is this so hard to see?

Calgary one a huge game last night against the wings. Detroit just didn't seem like they wanted the two points. I still say this goes back to my Bertuzzi rule but I won't get into that here. Dare I say, Detroit needed this game and they let it slip away.

Atlanta didn't help their cause either (not to mention a Nashville win hurts Detroit that much more). For a team that was coasting along pretty well after trading their top start to the Devils, The Trash have taken a dive.

When I turned off my tv last night, Colorado was up 3-0 on the Canucks. This morning I read they blew two three goal leads en route to a 6-4 loss. I wonder if the Av just fell apart or did the Nucks realize there was a game to play.

Although it's meaningless for them, good showing of the Jackets against the Ducks. They didn't have Ricky or Juice and still puled it out. Play for pride boys.

Speaking of pride, mine is going down in flames. I've been stuck in second and third places in my fantasy teams for what seems like forever. I've pretty much given up on them but it would have been nice to finish with the top spot.

In closing, I wanna touch on the seemingly endless shit going Sidney Crosby's way for declining the top ten on Letterman. Sid owes nothing to the Letterman show. He was in town for a day game against the Rangers when they wanted him to tape it. They tape in the afternoon - was he supposed to ignore the job he's paid to do? I was talking to my hockey buddy here (who is a Pens fan) and when we talked about it, his comment was something along the lines of "The top ten is a joke. It just proves that Sid's not important enough to actually sit in the chair and have an interview. I'm glad he didn't go." Well said my friend. Well said.

Disappointment and medals

This is the face of disappointment. Andrej Sekera of the Slovak team (and also press box extraordinaire in Buffalo) sits on the ice after their game with Finland and wondered where it all went wrong. How heartbreaking it must be. To come all that way to finish 4th.

Now, mind you, he's got more athletic talent in his pinkie toe nail than I have in my whole body but 4th place in the Olympics is where you just don't want to be.

Then again, apparently neither is silver.

A friend of mine at work the other day summed it up like this: You get a bronze medal, you are grateful (you aren't the 4th place team); Gold, you are over the moon as you are world fracking champion. Silver....get you disappointment? Really?

A silver medal in the Olympics will be handed out in mens hockey today. Either Canada or the US will be disappointed by not winning the gold medal in the sport they center their lives around.

Having never been a runner up (please note, I've never been CLOSE to anything that resembles a runner up because I don't ever make it to the dance to begin with), I'm sure it's a huge bummer not having the pretty gold around your neck. But hopefully in a few days the silver medal team will be able to look back on today and realized they accomplished something only a handful of people in the world get to say they've done.

That being said, I don't know who I'm rooting for today. A part of me would LOVE to see the US team win - and really, it wouldn't be a miracle because they've been playing amazing hockey and the Cruchynater in net has been nothing short of breathtaking (And hot. No lie. Even if MSNBC can't tell him from a fake). I think, despite not being a huge fan of his, Brian Burke could use some good news away from his personal and professional life.

On the other hand, rare does the home team win gold in hockey. Bobby Lu could cement his do-no-wrong standing for LIFE if he backs his team to victory. plus I have a HUGE crush on Sidney Crosby and would sorta like to see him too

So, I'm rooting for both teams today. I want a good tight nail biting game for 60 minutes (but please no shootout - I hate the shootout). And no disappointment for silver!

The Kids Are Alright...

Who is this updating this blog? Yes, you've seen her someplace before....but where and when? It's true, I have been absent from here for too long and I'm sorry. I'm happy to be back with some stuff to say today.

So, I'm stopping by today for two reasons... the first is to welcome two new blogs on our blog roll, SportsSoundOff.net and SPORTSMONARCH.com; which are run by a real nice guy named Jason who stopped by to say hello to us. Go check them out, they're both chock full of all sorts of sports and have pictures which if you know me or my chica, we love! Thanks for the shout out Jason and welcome!

Secondly I want to be a total fangirl and squee over my baby boys aka the Everett Silvertips since I have been remiss in talking about them that much this season; which is not because they've been bad or anything, but real life has just been kinda just a little bit short of insane. But anyway, the entire roster of the Tips must have had some secret potion dumped into their New Year's Eve punch; because since the calendar turned back to January, they've been playing pretty damn well and have yet to drop a decision.

Along with the wins has been a lot of scoring from all 4 lines. Happily this is` including the group that has been dubbed the DHL line, which consists of Captain Zack Dailey, Assistant Captain Shane Harper; and the third 20 yr old Chris Langkow whose cousin Daymond plays for the Flames. The coaches had been trying to find a wing for Shane and Chris all season then someone got the bright idea to put Dails, who is a natural centerman, on the wing; and bam! Instant chemistry and it also got Zack off the schneid. He had been scoreless in over 20 games until then; and the first game that they played together, he scored two goals in the first period.

I know that this streak is not going to last forever; but after some really rough games in December, especially at home, we've been having such a good time watching the boys scoring and winning and who knows... maybe they might even have a chance to challenge Tri-Cities for the #1 spot not only in the division but the Western Conference.

One thing that has helped a lot in this winning streak is having both our #1 and 2 D-Men back from playing for Team Czech from World Juniors U-20 and Team West at the U-17s respectively; as well as our Associate coach Jay Varady also back from the World Juniors and sporting a shiny gold medal as video coach for Team USA. Several Tips have been in the tournament before and even had one boy win the gold a few years ago with Team Canada; but this one was just a little more exciting. Can I tell you how excited I was not only when John Carlson shot that final goal but they showed Jay during the medal ceremony? I love Canuckistan and lots of people who are from there; but they had had it enough and it was time for someone else to have a turn.

But anyway, that's about it for today from here in Hooterville, but I also wanted to post a picture of the victorious US squad. And if you look closely in the upper left hand corner, fourth from the left you will see a man with dark red hair, glasses and smiling like a mofo. That is our Jay who got a much deserved standing ovation his first game back. Congratulations boys and GO TIPS!

The kids and the gold

Way back in 1980, I was a 9 year old when the winter olympics took place. I was spending the night at Amy Johnston's house and her dad called us down to watch the US hockey game against Russia. It was a taped delay showing of the game that happened earlier but we didn't know (or probably would have cared). We were just two young girls seeing the home team win. We didn't know the sociatial or political ramifications of the win... we just hopped around the house cheering "USA!"

The other night I was aware that the World Junior Championship gold medal game was on but I watching a game on Center Ice. I turned it over at the start of the OT and stuck around. I fully admit that I'm not a follower of the junior boys like my counterpart here is but when it came to OT in the gold medal game, I was glued to the tv.

When the no-look shot went in for a goal and the US boys mobed each other, I felt like I was 9 again and I cheered with my dog "USA!" It was a thing to see.

Congratulations, boys. You done good.

Flu induced rambling

Had a great Christmas and then got the gift that keeps giving - the flu. I wanna cry I feel so blechy.

Is there some rule that there has to be balance in the NHL? For ever team like the Leafs for the Sabres, there has to be a team like Ottawa that they can't beat? At least the slugs took a point out of it. But then they managed to lose Derek Roy as well. Not sure it's a trade off they want to make.

Here's a team I just can't figure out: Colorado Avalanche. They are doing it with smoke and mirrors (and timely goal tending). I'm pleased they won on Adam Deadmarsh night.

Holy cow, Russia's Olympic team is downright scary. That is until you see Max A on the team.

Wow, I just checked the schedule - and there are more than two games tonight. I hate this new NHL schedule. It seems like everyone plays on Saturday leaving dud games (or worse, no games) on Sunday.

I think a lot of sports fans often wonder why sports. I mean why watch over paid people play a game for a living? But then I read something like this over on Goose's Roost and I remember. Go check it out please (there is a link in the above post); it's an excellent read.

I had more to say but it will have to wait as I need to go back to bed. Did I mention having the flu? AND I ever got a flu shot.

As promised.

Kept my eye on a few games last night, most notably the Sabres game and the Pens game.

As I watched buffalo take a nice lead on the Habs I began to wonder if Ryan Miller would get the shut out instead of just a win. The Habs ended up getting two by him but it in no way takes away from a well played overall game. Watching the slugs in the past when they would go up, you just knew a let down would come and their opponent would get back into the game and make games tight. Not great on the nerves. But now they are playing with confidence and one or two goals doesn't seem to change their game. Kudos for finally getting the dreaded system.

The Pens game was a different story. The Avalanche took an early lead and played a pretty good game until a late goal in the first sorta started the wheels coming off. Not to mention they didn't have Craig Anderson in goal (he was dinged by the Panther's Keith Ballard [who decided to take on goalies from other teams] who Adam Foote promptly beat the shit out of).

I think Sidney Crosby is on a personal mission to get his name on more trophies this year - maybe those of individual nature. If it were another player, I'd doubt his ability to keep it up but with Crosby, I don't think anything is impossible right now.

I don't think I like the new Pearl Jam tune. And the games tonight are boring. Good thing I won't be home.

"Brian Burke is everywhere"

That lovely tidbit comes from Chucker favorite Ryan Miller when asked if he was on top of his game in Toronto to make an impression. Really, does he have to perform well in Toronto to make an impression? Just look at the stats.

Plus he's a really good guy. In that game, Miller cleared the puck away and it ended up going through a hole in the glass cut out for photographers. Now this isn't a really big hole but he managed it not only get it through the hole, but smack the photographer in the cheek. OUCH!

But being the good guy that he is, he went over to see if the guy was ok at first and then at the end of the game, he gave the photographer his stick. Hey Ryan, I'll take a clearing attemtp in the face if I can get a stick out of it!

Then again, he probably felt pretty shitty for almost banging up the camera (being a photography guy himself).

I'll have more hockey stuff tomorrow because once again, the league scheduled everyone and their brother for games tonight and like no one I care about is playing tomorrow. And probably a run down of the latest rash of injuries.

Oh and if you are so inclined (and this really doesn't matter if you hate the leafs or not) but say a word for Jonas Gustavsson as he'll have more surgery for his ticker.

In a not hockey related note. Yesterday I went and was tested for bone marrow donation. It was easy to do and you know if I can maybe try to help save a life, it's worth it. But as part of my signing up, the information I got about what more can I do said I should encourage my friends to also sign up. So that's what I'm doing. Please consider becoming part of the bone marrow registry. You can get more information here at be the match.org. You never know until you try.