tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925399255219520082024-03-12T23:24:37.805-04:00Toe DragAfter years of debate among the five of us, we've decided to take it public to see what everyone else thinks. Why the name "Toe Drag"? Because it's the nastiest move in hockey and we expect the debates on here to be just as nasty.Toe Draghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07827365648469421707noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292539925521952008.post-9776777858286652852008-11-19T15:44:00.003-05:002008-11-19T15:52:55.477-05:00How to get into salary cap troubleHere is my analysis on how NHL teams can get into salary cap trouble under the new CBA:<br /><br />1. Sign a second line center to first line center dollars for long years<br />2. Sign another second line center to first line center dollars for long years<br />3. Sign an aged past-his-prime defenseman to elite defenseman dollars for long years<br />4. Trade for an RFA scoring forward that you won't be able to afford if he produces as desired (and if he doesn't produce, you can afford him, but why sign him?)<br />5. Rely on that RFA and another RFA second line center as your second line, practically ensuring that both will put up numbers in their RFA season<br />6. Assume that the economy and the Canadian dollar will keep going up and up and up and up and that you'll be able to sign additional players to big dollars<br />7. Be forced to make a stupid move to make up for the losses that you brought upon yourselfUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292539925521952008.post-24885999222373331682008-10-02T12:06:00.002-04:002008-10-02T12:20:11.896-04:00Habs beat up on BruinsLast night's game wasn't televised but from what I read the Bruins couldn't skate with the Canadiens. As a Habs fan this is nothing new. Ever since I could remember, Montreal has always had Boston's number. It's something one just can't explain but, no matter who is playing, they seem to be a team we've have little trouble beating, especially when it counts.<br /><br />It's got me thinking, what is a team that your club has historically had a lot of success with?<br /><br />If there are any Devil's followers there's no need to reply. Habs just can't ever seem to be able to figure out Brodeur. It's like he has an aura about him which turns the Habs sticks into pieces of wet cardboard.Jacques Strappehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02222664377142183233noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292539925521952008.post-90106160076202066192008-10-01T14:01:00.003-04:002008-10-01T14:11:26.346-04:00Today's lineup for the Rangers<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Naslund</span>/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Gomer</span>/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Drury</span><br />Dawes/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Dubie</span>/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Zherdev</span><br />Callahan/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Korp</span>/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Prucha</span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Riss</span>/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Betts</span>/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Fritsche</span><br /><br />Orr, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Sjostrom</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Voros</span> out for the Rangers. Given that this is their last tune-up for the first games this weekend, I think it is a pretty clear indication that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Sjostrom</span> is done and that Orr will be a healthy scratch against skill teams. Given <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Voros's</span> physical style, they might have just wanted <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">to</span> give him a day off, but I'm not sure. I think this is a last chance for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Prucha</span> to prove he can get it done. He's not great defensively, so it doesn't really make sense to keep him if he is not making the top two lines. Maybe they are giving him one last chance to prove he can play both ends in a 3rd line role. Saturday, I think you will see Voros on the 2nd line, Dawes back to the 3rd line and Prucha out. You heard it here first. <br /><br />PS: Looks like the Rangers are going to be down 2-0 after the first.Ogie Oglethorpehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314449013170460528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292539925521952008.post-55329336376227732172008-10-01T12:05:00.003-04:002008-10-01T12:22:53.841-04:00Habs lineupHere's the Habs line up as I see it that will beat up on the Sabres opening night...<br /><br />A. Kostityn - Pleckanec - "Sexy" Alexei Kovalev<br /><br />Tanguay - Koivu - Higgins<br /><br />Pacioretty - Lang - S. Kostityn<br /><br />Laraque - Chipchura - Begin<br /><br /><br />Markov - Komisarek<br /><br />Hamrlik - Georges<br /><br />Brisebois - Boullion<br /><br />O'Byrne<br /><br />Price<br /><br />Latendresse might start on the 3rd based solely on his tenure with the club while Lapierre could center the 4th on opening night at the Bell center.Jacques Strappehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02222664377142183233noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292539925521952008.post-4557812996397913112008-10-01T09:57:00.001-04:002008-10-01T11:09:19.305-04:00Sabres LineupFollowing on Ogie's post, here' s my proposed opening day lineup for the playoff bound Buffalo Sabres:<br /><br />Vanek - Roy - Stafford<br />Pominville - Hecht - Paille<br />Afinogenov - Connolly - Kotalik<br />Kaleta - Mair - Macarthur<br />Peters - Mancari - (Gaustad is out 4-6 weeks)<br /><br />Rivet - Lydman<br />Spacek - Sekera<br />Numminen - Tallinder<br />Paetsch<br /><br />Miller<br />Lalime<br /><br />That first line scored 84 goals last year, even though Stafford was limited to 64 games and played hurt in most of the games he actually appeared in. Stafford is the Sabres equivalent to Dubinsky. Young, big, strong, skilled, tough. He was a force down the stretch 2 years ago but just could not stay healthy last year. <br /><br />The second line scored 68 goals last year, including Paille's 19 in fairly limited time. He is going to be a consistent two-way forward for Buffalo for a long time.<br /><br />The key for the third line will be staying healthy. All 3 players are in contract years, and will be motivated to play. I've said this before, but in 05-06 Afinogenov, Connolly and Kotalik were all in contract years. They played together as a line and finished 1/3/5 in scoring on an absolutely loaded offensive team with Briere, Drury, Dumont, Vanek, Roy, Pominville, Hecht, Campbell. If all 3 can stay healthy this year, they could each approach a point a game.<br /><br />The fourth line will be an energy line with some skill. Mair has decent hands and can make plays, and Macarthur is a proven scorer in the minors that has all the tools to score in the NHL. When Gaustad returns from injury, he'll play center and allow them to play a shut down role as well. <br /><br />IMO, the Sabres have 3 #2 pairings. That can be a good thing and a bad thing. The minutes will be evently distributed (with Numminen getting a little extra rest I'm sure), which will help down the stretch. But there will be no "shut-down" pair. <br /><br />The biggest wildcard is Sekera, who spent the last few months of last season in Buffalo after starting in Rochester. For about the last 15 games, he was Buffalo's best defenseman - period. Sekera is a smooth skater that can handle the puck, play the PP, and is pretty good in his defensive zone. He is quite similar to Campbell, and actually fit in very nicely in Buffalo after Campbell was sent to San Jose. Like Campbell, he was the defenseman of the year in the OHL. But at 22, he is MUCH further along than Campbell was at that age, and he is ready to be an everyday NHLer.<br /><br />As for the goalies, who the hell knows what you are going to get out of Miller. The biggest thing Buffalo learned last year was that Miller CANNOT play 75 games. I firmly believe that Buffalo threw the season away by not playing Thibeault more. Granted, his play didn't instill much confidence, but that is to be expected when you get a start every 6 weeks. Lindy Ruff recently announced that Lalime (who had a good year last year) will play between 20 and 30 games. 30 sounds high, but if Lalime can play 20 games of 500 hockey, Miller will have the rest he needs to return to All-Star form.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292539925521952008.post-13153139246335044642008-10-01T08:39:00.003-04:002008-10-01T09:29:29.943-04:00Opening Night Rangers Roster and LineupSo, Renney and Co. have a few decisions to make. Here is the roster and line combos as I see them:<br /><br />Naslund/Gomer/Drury<br />Voros/Dubie/Zherdev<br />Dawes/Korpikoski/Callahan<br />Riss/Betts/Fritsche<br />Sjostrom/Orr<br /><br />Staal/Rozy<br />Redden/Girardi<br />Mara/Kalinin<br /><br />First off, yesterday's game against that Swiss team was a complete waste of time. They are about as good as an average US college team. If I was the GM of an NHL franchise I would put up a big stink about playing a team like that instead of playing another NHL team in the preseason. They've got to revisit that for next year and make sure the competition is better. I'm guessing the Russian team the Rangers play today will be a lot more competitive. <br /><br />That being said, Drury and Gomer looked awesome together yesterday. Naslund will fit in great with that line. It's too bad they won't be playing on an international ice surface all year. The question for that line will be how they get the puck on their sticks in the first place. Once they do, they'll be fun to watch. <br /><br />I guess the surprise of my second line is Voros, but I have been very impressed by him so far. He doesn't have good hands, but he plays really hard and goes to the net. He'll create lots of havoc and will give Dubie and Zherdev a lot of space. Watching Zherdev play yesterday was like watching J Dubbs in Men's league. It was a guy trying to make ridiculous pond hockey moves getting stuffed by shitty players and then giving up once he lost the puck. I am so on the fence about how Zherdev is going to shake out this year. He could score 45 goals or get booed every time he touches the puck and put up 15 goals. He is the Rangers' Kovalev of 2008. No wonder why he reminds me of J Dubbs--Not surprisingly, Kovalev was J Dubbs's favorite Ranger.<br /><br />I am loving the 3rd line of Dawes, Korp, and Callahan. Talk about a young energy line. Dawes and Callahan have speed, grit and a scoring touch. Korp seems to be a step slower but plays a solid game and seems to put himself in a position to score. Moving Voros up to the second line and putting Dawes on the 3rd line not only gives the second line some grit, it also gives the 3rd line a chance to put up some points and be really quick throughout. <br /><br />With this 4th line of Riss, Betts and Fritsche, we actually have a 4th line that can be put out in defensive situations to shut down the opponent's top line. Renney tried to do this last year, but the combination of Betts, Hollweg and Orr scared me to death every time every time I saw them out there in a critical situation.<br /><br />So who are the odd men out? Who makes the roster but gets scratched?<br /><br />I think Sjostrom and Fahey will be cut. Sjostrom has just done nothing to impress this preseason. He can fly but he has no hands. Frosty, Mags, and Swivel, remind you of any 1997 HC hockey grad? Fahey is a serviceable backup, but I think Potter deserves a shot. He has some grit that is pretty absent on the Rangers' blueline. As far as who else makes the roster on a regular basis, I think it will be Orr and Potter. However, in order to avoid getting nothing for Prucha this week by putting him on waivers, I think they will keep Prucha on the roster and send Potter down to the minors. This leaves the Rangers at a slight risk because they will have no extra d-man on the roster for the second game in Prague in the event that one d-man gets hurt in the first game in Prague, but I think that is a risk they are willing to take. I think Orr will be splitting some time with Fritsche, who has been pretty unimpressive this preseason also. <br /><br />Two weeks into the season, Prucha will not be with the Rangers. All preseason long, he has been given every opportunity to make this team. He has played with the best players on the ice and has had no results. He just cannot finish anymore. Yesterday was just another example of that. He played with Gomer and Drury and should ave had at least 2 goals in the first period alone. I would be more productive with those guys than he is. Hopefully they will get something in return. If not, at least they free up $1.6M in cap space. Maybe he will find his scoring touch with another team. Who knows? It's just not working out in NY. I don't mind the guy. I think he works hard and throws his Peter Kim-esque frame around. It just wasn't meant to be. <br /><br />So what does everyone else think? Not that it matters because I know I am right...even if Renney and Sather mess up and do something different.Ogie Oglethorpehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314449013170460528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292539925521952008.post-18956108221539638262008-10-01T06:00:00.002-04:002008-10-01T06:12:04.532-04:00Why the Leafs will never win the cup...--Sources tell <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">TSN</span> the Toronto Maple Leafs made a strong pitch to acquire 21-year-old forward <a href="http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?id=4985">Bobby Ryan</a> and 39-year-old <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">defenceman</span> <a href="http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?id=990"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Mathieu</span> Schneider</a> from the Anaheim Ducks.<br />The Leafs offered a conditional first round draft pick in 2009 along with two prospects.--<br /><br />Aren't the Leafs supposed to be in rebuilding mode? These type of deals are what got them into the mess they're currently in.<br /><br />As an aside, watched the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Canadiens</span> / Red Wings <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">pre</span>-season game in Montreal. You'd never have guessed it was the regular season. Two fast, great passing teams showed up which led to a fantastic game. Also, both goalies were stellar. My prediction for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Habs</span>, Max <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Pacioretty</span> and Kyle <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Chipchura</span> make the team while <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Dandenault</span> & <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Latendresse</span> get cut (or put on waivers).Jacques Strappehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02222664377142183233noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292539925521952008.post-55844222272745305152008-09-30T14:18:00.002-04:002008-09-30T14:23:29.232-04:00Gonchar Joins Whitney on the ShelfI feel bad for anyone who picked Sergei Gonchar in their fantasy league. What was initially described as a short term injury has turned into a 4-6 month stint on the IR.<br /><br />I don't feel as bad for the Penguins, who are now seeing the down-side to karma after winning the Crosby lottery. Pittsburgh better hope that Fleury and Orpik are ready to live up to their big contracts. <br /><br />Here's the link to TSN's article on Gonchar's condition. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=251217&lid=sublink05&lpos=headlines_nhl">http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=251217&lid=sublink05&lpos=headlines_nhl</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292539925521952008.post-8342958071116097222008-09-17T11:12:00.003-04:002008-09-17T11:18:02.774-04:001st Day of Rangers CampSteve <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Zipay</span> at <a href="http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/hockey/rangers/blog/2008/09/the_firsts_camp_lines_dpairs.html">Blue Notes</a> has line combinations and defensive pairings for today's practice...<br /><br />WHITE (which will open in Ottawa, possibly with some tweaking, on Saturday)<br />G---<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Valiquette</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Wiikman</span><br />D---<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Rozsival</span>/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Staal</span>, Potter/Mara, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Denisov</span>/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Kondratiev</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">DelZotto</span>/Murray.<br />F---Dawes-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Drury</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Prucha</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Voros</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Nedved</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Rissmiller</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Sjostrom</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Anisimov</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Parenteau</span>, Byers-Moore-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Jessiman</span><br />BLUE (home opener vs. Ottawa Monday and NJ)<br />G---<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Lundqvist</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Lafleur</span>, Mike <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">BrodeurD</span>---Redden/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Girardi</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Kalinin</span>/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Fahey</span>, Pock/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Sanguinetti</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Busto</span>.<br />F---<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Naslund</span>-Gomez-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Zherdev</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Fritsche</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Dubinsky</span>-Callahan, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">Korpikoski</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Betts</span>-Orr, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">Dupont</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">Pyatt</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">Jamtim</span><br /><br />My thoughts: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">Naslund</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">Gomer</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">Zherdev</span> could be nasty. I also like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">Fritsche</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">Dubie</span>-Cal as an energy line. Hate <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">Prucha</span> on the second line. Would prefer <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40">Shanny</span> there but don’t see him on the list. I think that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_41">Riss</span> might wind up with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_42">Voros</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_43">Sjostrom</span> in the regular season.<br /><br />They have so many forwards. Time to start making some moves. Maybe (hopefully) they are trying to showcase <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_44">Prucha</span>. I think <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_45">Rozy</span>/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_46">Staal</span> and Redden/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_47">Girardi</span> are probably a lock for the top two d pairs. Schneider anyone?<br /><br />Thoughts?Ogie Oglethorpehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314449013170460528noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292539925521952008.post-28788237095949328422008-09-15T11:58:00.001-04:002008-09-15T12:04:26.750-04:00Radulov back to NHL?So now the rumors are that Radulov wants to leave Russia and come back to play in the NHL. Just when you thought this situation could not get more ridiculous, it does. The link has some crazy Paul Kelly quotes about this circus. I would really have to think hard if I was Poile (Nashville GM) about taking Radulov back. <br /><br /><a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/NHLPA-director-Radulov-wants-to-leave-KHL-rejo;_ylt=Atpl6f0qhopYghwFuqfrLvd7vLYF?urn=nhl,107077">//sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/NHLPA-director-Radulov-wants-to-leave-KHL-rejo;_ylt=Atpl6f0qhopYghwFuqfrLvd7vLYF?urn=nhl,107077</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292539925521952008.post-20122638130689980052008-09-13T14:28:00.003-04:002008-09-13T15:23:23.857-04:00Lang to Montreal - Gainey's Plan BIt seems that Gainey had finally finished waiting for Sundin to make up his mind on whether he was "mentally prepared" to play the 2008-09 season and made a move for additional depth with his remaining cap space. I'll have to say that, if anything, Sundin helped to keep my interest in hockey this past off season as I was checking the rumor blogs daily in hopes of learning that he had done the impossible and signed with the Habs.<br />Mats would certainly have put the up Canadiens over the top and would have solidified their position as a contender for the East as well as for the Cup. Not to take anything away from guys like Koivu and Plekanec, but in watching the Habs over the last few seasons it was very obvious that there was a real need for them to acquire a physically dominant, top line center. <br />What Montreal has is a fast team that rolls 4 lines pretty much equally and who have one of the most underrated defensive corps in the game. They are a group of guys who demonstrated several times last season that they refuse to give up (you Ranger fans can attest to that...) and towards the end of the season they started to play like a team with a lot of confidence.<br />So what does Robert Lang bring to the Canadiens? From what I know of him he's a big body and an experienced centerman. When I watched him play it always seemed to me that he was a slick passer who was extremely difficult to knock off the puck. Looking at his stats he seems to have put up decent numbers (8+ consecutive 50+ point seasons) and and has been a + player during that time. If I had to guess at what Carbonneau will do when it comes to the lineups I believe Lang will play on the 3rd line centering Higgins and Sergei Kostityn. Pending a positive rating in the faceoff circle, he should also be able to secure his role on the #1 PP unit.<br />At 37 this upcoming campaign may be Lang's last season in NHL. Regardless of how he performs I believe this will give Montreal some serious depth at the center position and will create some healthy competition amongst the younger guys like Lapierre and Chipchura, who are still trying to secure their full time spot on the team.<br />October 10th is the big day. Habs open vs. Buffalo. Seeing as it will be the Canadiens 100th season, I was finally able to convince the wife that we needed to acknowledge this momentous occasion by purchasing a widescreen plasma. Here's hoping that Lang will look good with the Habs in HD.<br />Go Habs Go!Jacques Strappehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02222664377142183233noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292539925521952008.post-63577411412626581242008-09-11T11:22:00.004-04:002008-09-11T12:21:51.899-04:00What kind of NHL player/personality would you be?As a former college teammate of the Toe Drag crew joins the Rangers and embarks on the next phase of his NHL career, I've been thinking about this more and more. Our buddy is very low key and claims that he's not planning to be a part of the whole glamorous professional athlete in NYC thing. Whether or not that holds true is a different story. Either way, it got me thinking about what kind of NHL player I'd be. Would I be well-liked by the fans? Would I be vocal in the media? Would I be a presence in the social scene? Then it got me thinking about what type of NHL player the rest of the guys on this blog would be. I'll start it off and let the discussion go from here:<br /><br />J Dubbs: Sean Avery...without the fashion sense.Ogie Oglethorpehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314449013170460528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292539925521952008.post-58984821652968673832008-09-10T10:19:00.005-04:002008-09-10T10:37:11.880-04:00Chris Chelios is a God (with a capital G)The Red Wings officially announced yesterday afternoon that Chris Chelios will be back for his 25th NHL season. Believe it or not, Chelios was drafted the same year as Dale Hawerchuk, Bobby Carpenter, Ron Francis, Grant Fuhr, Al McInnis, Bruce Driver, Gerard Gallant, and John Vanbiesbrouck (in what was a pretty sick draft). The linked Hockey News article tracks some of the events that have occurred in Chelios's career, and is a pretty cool read. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/17766-Top-Shelf-The-Chris-Chelios-timeline.html">http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/17766-Top-Shelf-The-Chris-Chelios-timeline.html</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292539925521952008.post-80946144699118363842008-09-09T16:35:00.004-04:002008-09-09T16:48:48.124-04:00These Girls Really Bul-ow<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Bul</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">garia's</span> women's team lost to the Slovakian women's team 82-0 in an <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Olympic</span> qualifying game. 82-0!! The Slovaks <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">outshot</span> them 139-0. Now, I normally have no interest in watching women's hockey (sorry ladies..and Swivel who used to coach chicks as a college coach), but that would be a game I'd consider watching. How did they average 1.37 goals per minute? I'm hoping someone finds a few clips on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">youtube</span>. I think we finally found a team that Frosty can make at his age.<br /><br />At least we know they're good at one thing: Sucking!<br /><br /><a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/more/09/09/bulgaria.hockey.ap/index.html?cnn=yes">http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/more/09/09/bulgaria.hockey.ap/index.html?cnn=yes</a>Ogie Oglethorpehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314449013170460528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292539925521952008.post-63941238462417085992008-09-03T16:05:00.002-04:002008-09-03T16:08:29.904-04:0032 Days...Until the season starts. Starting the get <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">psyched</span>.<br /><br />What will the Rangers do about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Shanny</span>? Are they waiting on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Sundin</span>? What are the odds <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Prucha</span> is on the opening day roster? 5-1 is probably a fair guess. <br /><br />How many goals will <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Rissmiller</span> score this season? Anyone think he can put up double digits?Ogie Oglethorpehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314449013170460528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292539925521952008.post-62149949911836976162008-09-02T19:00:00.001-04:002008-09-02T19:03:35.098-04:00This blog sucksNuff said.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292539925521952008.post-57901877314662688822008-09-02T11:54:00.002-04:002008-09-02T12:11:00.384-04:002010 Team RussiaContinuing the discussion (or lack thereof) from a few weeks ago on the Vancouver Olympics, my Team Russia is below. Once you get past the obvious, this is not an easy team to select because so many of the best Russian players are home and we never get to see them. (Surprising fact of the day - last season, only 28 Russian players (excluding goalies) suited up in the NHL. I was surprised at how few. There were 47 Swedes, 30 Finns, 55 Czechs, and 21 Slovaks. ) These forwards are sick. The D aren't so hot, but they won't need to be.<br /><br />Ovechkin Malkin Semin<br />Kovalchuk Datsyuk Kovalev<br />Radulov Kozlov Morozov<br />Zaripov Frolov Mozyakin<br /><br /><br />Volchenkov Zubov<br />Gonchar Markov<br />Tyutin [insert Russian league defenseman]<br /><br />Nabokov<br />KhabibulinUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292539925521952008.post-57172514557796203192008-08-30T09:31:00.002-04:002008-08-30T09:48:32.914-04:0090-91 Penguins Were AWESOMEI just caught a bit of the NHL Network Classic Series show on the 91 Devils/Penguins series. It has been a while since I thought about the Penguins teams from the early 90s, and I forgot how awesome they were, especially up front. <br /><br />Lemieux, Jagr, Stevens, Recchi, Francis, Mullen, Trottier, Errey, Scott Young, Coffey, Murphy, Samuellson, Barasso. <br /><br />They were loaded.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292539925521952008.post-53083245855756306142008-08-26T16:07:00.002-04:002008-08-26T16:19:35.628-04:00Vinny to be named captain<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eM5EeiQQtnQ/SLRkNuheNHI/AAAAAAAAACA/tVgHtKJut0Y/s1600-h/vinny"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238922453528228978" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eM5EeiQQtnQ/SLRkNuheNHI/AAAAAAAAACA/tVgHtKJut0Y/s320/vinny%27s+wife.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>...and he has a hot girlfriend. </div><br /><div></div><div></div>Mags threw out the question a few posts as to why Vinny wasn't the captain of the Bolts. Your wish is granted. Well...part of your wish is granted. The other part about you and him being on a deserted island together without clothes has not been granted...yet. Keep the dream alive, Mags. <br /><div><a href="http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/17636-THNcom-Blog-Lightning-to-anoint-Vincent-Lecavalier-as-captain.html">http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/17636-THNcom-Blog-Lightning-to-anoint-Vincent-Lecavalier-as-captain.html</a></div>Ogie Oglethorpehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314449013170460528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292539925521952008.post-18010454634286827912008-08-21T11:16:00.004-04:002008-08-21T12:07:34.060-04:00Biggest Scumbag in the NHLWho comes to mind? I think the guys on this site probably thought of Avery right away. Now, we know that he is a d!ck. But is he really a scumbag? Has he ever done anything so dirty as to injure another player or put a guy's life in jeopardy? No. He is a jackass and a d!ck, but not a total scumbag. <br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Bertuzzi</span>, on the other hand, is a total scumbag. If there was a white trash hockey player, it would be him. His hit on Moore was one of the worst things I've ever seen anybody do on the ice (along with Simon's two <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">hander</span> across <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Hollweg's</span> neck and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">McSorley's</span> swing at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Brashear</span>...am I missing anything as bad as these three?). However, those other guys have shown some remorse, whereas <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Bertuzzi</span> has shown none. <br /><br />Now he is trying to blame Crawford. Now, all of us who write on this blog and most of you who read this blog (Are there any people in the second group who aren't also in the first group? ha)have played hockey. We all know that coaches may encourage players to seek some retribution on an opposing player after a dirty hit. But no one would ever <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">encourage</span> someone to do what <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Bertuzzi</span> did. It was a play that would be viewed as totally unacceptable by anyone who has ever played hockey. Anyone. Even Avery. Even Simon. Even <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">McSorley</span>. Anyone. <br /><br />Now we have an inside source among the NHL players who tells us that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Bertuzzi</span> continues to threaten other players on the ice. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Inevitably</span>, I'm sure guy<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">s who</span> trash talk <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Bertuzzi</span> on the ice remind him of the horrible thing he did. We know of at least one time where this has happened. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Bertuzzi's</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">response</span>? Something to the effect of "You're next." Total scumbag. I hope that Moore gets everything he is asking for and that every penny comes out of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Bertuzzi's</span> pocket. <br /><br />Here's the article that led to my rant:<br /><a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=3543306">http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=3543306</a>Ogie Oglethorpehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314449013170460528noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292539925521952008.post-53741731503557365522008-08-21T08:25:00.002-04:002008-08-21T08:29:08.967-04:00Legein Quits Hockey??Stefan Legein, a 19 year old Canadian who was the 2007 second round pick by Columbus, has announced that he's quitting hockey. Here's the link to the TSN story.<br /><br /><a href="http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=246953&lid=headline&lpos=secStory_nhl">http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=246953&lid=headline&lpos=secStory_nhl</a><br /><br />I have seen this kid play a handful of times. He is an energy guy that can score and hit. He played on Team Canada at the World Juniors. <br /><br />I just don't get it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292539925521952008.post-32488313636047391852008-08-15T08:37:00.004-04:002008-08-15T08:43:46.515-04:00Inspired by PhelpsYesterday we started discussing Team Canada for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. But after seeing the greatest American Olympian ever win his 6th Gold of the Beijing Games (2 more to go) and his 12th Gold overall, I am inspired to talk Team USA for the 2010 Games. <br /><br />The American team could go any number of ways. They could go with an extremely young lineup to give them experience for future international play. They could go with an older lineup full of experience. Or they might end up somewhere in between. But there are less shoe-ins for the Americans than the Canadians or Russians, so everyone's team will probably look different. Let's see some comments.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292539925521952008.post-47306170638184767202008-08-13T16:28:00.002-04:002008-08-13T16:59:03.241-04:00Miracle on Ice Part Deux?Okay...so being the only smart one who writes for this blog, I came up with the topic for what will be our best debate yet. After staring at girls <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gcN2wklvJHk/SJskQFK7kzI/AAAAAAAAAPE/PknjshkSPO4/s1600-h/jenniefinch.jpg">playing with balls</a> and <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gcN2wklvJHk/SJskAq7nuxI/AAAAAAAAAO0/VjBooz1_SqY/s1600-h/jenny-adams.jpg">spreading legs over stuff</a> over the past week, I got to thinking about the next Olympics...and then I got to thinking about hockey. I swear it was in that order. <br /><br />Anyway, the 2010 Olympics could be the last Olympics in which the NHL participates (if <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Bettman</span> wants to make the biggest mistake in the history of the NHL). With that in mind, I thought we'd open up a debate about who is going to be on the podium at the end of that hockey tournament. Before we do that, I think we should take a look at each of the teams that has a shot at a medal and see what we think their lineup will look like in a year and a half.<br /><br />I'll give you a topic. Discuss amongst yourselves. Team Canada.Ogie Oglethorpehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314449013170460528noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292539925521952008.post-42406156666088469532008-08-13T13:03:00.002-04:002008-08-13T13:19:32.858-04:00Move it or Lose ItGood column posted yesterday on The Hockey News website. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/17526-THNcom-Blog-Time-to-move-it-or-lose-it.html">http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/17526-THNcom-Blog-Time-to-move-it-or-lose-it.html</a><br /><br />It highlights 9 teams that have to put up or shut up this year. 6 of those 9 teams need to start getting more support or they are in trouble (the other 3 are not). They are the same 6 teams that I said I would eliminate in my NHL. <br /><br />I also agree with what they say about Buffalo, Chicago, and Colorado.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292539925521952008.post-8118739266421906392008-08-12T12:30:00.003-04:002008-08-12T14:11:05.454-04:00Chicagoans like young boys<a href="http://www.suntimes.com/sports/hockey/blackhawks/1102583,CST-SPT-hawk12.article">http://www.suntimes.com/sports/hockey/blackhawks/1102583,CST-SPT-hawk12.article</a><br /><br />Chicagoans? Is that what people from Chicago are called? Anyway...The Blackhawks have sold over 500,000 tickets for next year, which is 300 times more tickets than at this point last year...and that doesn't include the outdoor game. Pretty impressive. They must really like <a href="http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20080423/cal1_64056.jpg">young boys</a>. <br /><br />I, for one, am psyched that hockey is back in a big way in Chicago. Chicago is such a great sports town and it is great for the NHL that hockey is on the radar once again...possibly for the first time since Jeremy Roenick took the hockey video game world by storm in <a href="http://nhl94.com/">NHL 94</a>. <br /><br />I think it will be most interesting to see where the Lightning finish this year, but Chicago will also be pretty intriguing to watch. Even if they aren't towards the top of the standings, both teams will be getting lots of time on my CenterIce package. <br /><br />What does everyone think about the Campbell signing by Chicago?Ogie Oglethorpehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314449013170460528noreply@blogger.com4