About that recap post...

I lied. Studying comes before that blog. Anyway, I'm on winter break now, so at least for the next three weeks I should be recapping every game. Bye for now! Go Pens! Go Avs!

Angry recap post later...happy fun post now.

I saw the first installment of 24/7 last night (I ordered HBO for just one month so I could see it), and I wasn't disappointed at all! The show is absolutely amazing! Being able to see the behind the scenes action and watch the players interact with each other is really something special. I've said it before and I'll say it again: the NHL really needs to market its players' personalities more. Lovejoy and Test Tube got a little face time when all of the furniture from their hotel room was moved into the hallway in Buffalo as a prank. One of my favorite moments from the show was when the team was on the plane going to Buffalo and Fleury calls Max a douche. For those who might not know, here's the (probable) reference. They showed some pictures of Ovie when he was younger...yeah, dude has looked like a douche since he was about 8 years old. Another part that amazed me was at the beginning of the show when they show Engelland getting stitches after a fight. Just the little things that you never get to see: the difference in attitudes in the locker rooms, coach going up to Ray Shero's office with a ranking of players based on their performance the last game they played, the Pens Christmas party and all of the guys' kids...I hope they release this on DVD so more people will be able to watch it. If you don't have a chance to see it, Seth from Empty Netters has pretty much the whole transcript.

On a happy Avs note: the Hannan curse is still going strong. Since he has traded to the Caps, they haven't won a game. On another note, the Avs received Tomas Fleischmann in the trade...he had his first career hat trick last night in a 4-3 win against Chicago. At first I wasn't too sure how I felt about the trade, but given Chris Stewart's broken hand, they had to do something.

And another happy note: I FINALLY got my Christmas tree put up.



And that is one of my favorite Christmas commercials of all time! Anyway, angry, hate-filled post will come later when I need a break from studying for my Human Biology final. Bye for now!

Two weeks already!?

Damn, talk about not being on the ball! While I've had time to watch the games, I haven't had much time for quality recaps. Ohio is getting blasted by snow right now, and the wind chill her right now is -4. This week is finals week for me, so expect more recaps and holiday cheer next week. What else can be said about the Pens that hasn't been said already? Sid is a beast, everyone is playing out of their minds...beautiful! Big game tomorrow. It'll be a litmus test to see exactly where the guys stand. I think the hate is a much needed thing to fuel the fire. I have a fantastic stat about the record streak, but I don't want to type it in fear of a jinx, so I'll hold off. Anyway, holiday cheer right here:



If only the Pens could do something like that. How great would it be for Malkin to dress up like an elf?

As for the Avs, I haven't been able to keep up with them very much this year so far, so I don't have anything to say there. Anyway, I hope that wherever you are, you try to stay warm, and don't go out unless you have to. Go Pens! Stay warm and safe!

Pens 3, Rangers 1

The guys did it again! Apparently the Rangers haven't taken any time whining about the loss like a bunch of Caps fans, but we'll get to that in a minute. Key points:

1. Sid extends his point streak!
2. The Pens really made the Rangers defense pay for every mistake that they made.
3. Speak of defense, now that Michalek and Martin have turned into the players that everyone expected when they were both signed in the off-season, the Pens' D is a force to be reckoned with, both offensively and defensively. (That was probably the longest run-on sentence ever)
4. What else can anyone say about Letang? If he isn't a write-in on your all-star ballot, he should be. (And while you're voting for defensemen, vote for Liles while you're at it.)
5. Why the hell hasn't Comrie been traded yet?
6. I hope that Conner stays in the line-up and doesn't go back to WBS. The third line impresses me more and more every day.
7. I just had to laugh at Steiggy and Errey's bad jokes about Avery's picture in the Rangers media guide. Apparently, he's wearing a pair of blue-tinted sunglasses in the picture, prompting the comments, "He's a spectacle" and "He's a shady character". Say what you will about them, but at least they're amusing.
8. I will never stop hating Avery.

That's it for that. As I said earlier, the Rangers are bitching about the officiating. See here....and here.

In Avs news, everyone is still injured, but somehow they still manage to kick ass. Bad news on the injury front though...now Chris Stewart is out 4-6 weeks with an injury to his hand from a fight. Great. As for tomorrow's game against Atlanta, Winnik should be able to play, Foote is doubtful, Anderson will not be playing until Friday, and Galiardi and Van Der Gulik are still out indefinitely but are skating at least. Tomorrow night's game should be interesting, and I plan on watching it, since I might actually have time to for once. On another note, this just makes me sick...or wish I lived in Colorado. (I hope the link works) In case you can't see it, the Avs are having a Cyber Monday deal going. It's a holiday pack of one ticket to each of 5 different games, a puck autographed by either Liles, Stewart, or Duchene, an Avs scarf, and priority playoff seating...all starting at...$89! Lower bowl is $376, but still...that's just obscene. Well kids, that's all I have for now. Go Pens! Go Avs!

Pens 2, Sens 1

Wow, it's been about a week and a half since my last post already? Sorry guys, I've been pretty busy lately. I've had time to watch the games, just not enough time to write recaps though. I hope you all have had a good Thanksgiving with lots of turkey, merriment, and I hope you all took part in the tradition of listening to Alice's Restaurant. Time for key points:

1. What else can be said about Sid and his determination? After the Pens' slump, he has been playing like he's possessed.
2. Where are all the Fleury haters now?
3. This game was definitely more exciting than the last one against Buffalo. As much as I love hockey, I had trouble keeping eyes open for that one. That may have just been lack of sleep though.
4. I still don't see why Bylsma split up Malkin and Asham again. Those two had some amazing chemistry going on.
5. Why do normally shitty goalies have good games against the Pens? Like Leclaire...
6. I still love the Test Tube-Kennedy-Conner line, and I love the fact that they're seeing time on the power play. Kennedy lead the game with 6 shots. I think that we'll start really seeing some production from this line soon.
7. Speaking of the power play, all of a sudden it's good again. I hope it stays that way.
8. I still hate Chris Neil. How great was it that Fleury stuck up for himself the way he did in the 3rd period? I loved it!

And that's it. Another matinee game today, but I have to work, so I'll see it when I get home. Things are getting a little less hectic, so I'll start to have more time to do my recaps again...this last week had been sheer hell. Catch ya kids later!

Pens 2, Rangers 3

Sorry about the lack of weekend recaps...I was scratched due to illness. Key points:

1. So we know Comrie can fight...if we can just get him to start scoring goals.
2. Steiggy and Errey were in rare form. The money quote was Steiggy, "Sometimes I see things that aren't even there!" Honestly, I really don't mind them. At least they're entertaining. I had the misfortune of having to watch FSN Detroit the other night when the Avs played the Wings. If I ever have to watch their broadcast again, the mute will be on the whole time.
3. The Pens played very well for most of the game. They HAD this win. Everyone was playing with confidence, the defense was clicking...and then Michalek, as Seth from Empty Netters said, "forgot how to skate".
4. How big was Lundqvist? If he would have gotten a shutout, he would have deserved it. Stupid move breaking his stick and chucking it down the ice though. The Rangers' defense also played very well.
5. I like Chris Connor more and more every game. He's fast, and he's a good pairing with Test Tube and Kennedy. I can't wait to see more of this line once Kennedy is back in the lineup.
6. I don't even get excited about the power play anymore. At least it's more organized than the Avs' penalty kill, which is probably one of the biggest disasters ever known to mankind.
7. This sums it up:


At least something went right:
Avs 6, Blues 3

I didn't have a chance to watch this game, but it looks like John-Michael Liles is still tearing it up. 2 goals and an assist! Something of note from the highlights:



Duchene's first fight!

Well, let's just focus on kicking the Canucks' asses tomorrow night! Go Pens! Go Avs!

Pens 5, Lightning 1

They finally got back to their game! I just had a feeling that this would be a great game for Fleury...now for the key points:

1. Apparently the fans at Consol had a Fleury chant going before the national anthem. That's class right there. Meloche told him not to rely on the pokecheck...thank you for voicing the opinion of every Pens fan.
2. The defense looked much better, especially Michalek. Now he looks like how I expected him to. You couldn't really blame him much for the last couple of games since he was just coming back off an injury,
3. If I had to hear Steiggy and Errey say "1-3-1" one more time, I would have had to mute my television.
4. The Conner/Test Tube/Kennedy line looked pretty good. Keep Conner and trade Comrie. (I'm sorry to say it, since I had really high hopes for Comrie in the preseason, but he's just been terrible.)
5. The turnover problem wasn't glaring in this game, but it's still something they need to work on. When Martin almost turned the puck over to Stamkos, I nearly had a heart attack.
6. At some point, Steiggy and Errey were talking about how great the lighting is at the arena. From firsthand experience, I can tell you, it's like watching a game played on the sun. I've never seen that bright of lighting in an arena.
7. The Pens finally look like they might have some chemistry going. With so many new additions this year, the lack of chemistry at the beginning of the season comes as no surprise.
8. Max, Dupuis, and Adams all looked fantastic this game.
9. Goligoski seems to be back on his game after looking like shit for the past few outings. I hope he can keep it up.
10. Fleury was just a beast. I had a good feeling about him for this game, and even though it wasn't a shutout, it was close. He made the key saves at key times, and it helped that he had defensive support. Congrats on your 150th career win!
11. There were a lot of bad penalties taken in this game, but the penalty kill came up big. It could have been WAY worse considering how well the Lightning's power play has been this season.
12. The way he was playing all game, you knew Max was going to score.
13. Can Dupuis really be considered a secondary scorer anymore?
14. Congrats Engelland on your 1st NHL goal, which surprised the hell out of everyone watching this game.

What a huge win for the guys last night! Hopefully this will be a confidence booster, especially for Fleury. Now let's just hope that the consistency issue doesn't rear its ugly head.

In Avs news, they won 5-1 against the Jackets last night, and surprisingly no one got injured. Yay!

Bad news: I'm sick as hell.
Good news: I called off work, so now I get to see the game live tonight. Hooray for raking up a ridiculous amount of sick time!

Go Pens! Go Avs!

A shutout for Fleury!

You heard it here first...crystal ball time! Go Pens!

Pens 4, Bruins 7

Typing that just makes me want to puke. The Pens completely blew the 3rd period, and I was forced to relive the same type of shit that the Avs failed at last year. Actually, now that I think about it, there are a lot of parallels between the Avs and the Pens this year. Lack of defense, shitty power plays, and lots of offense coming from the defensemen (that last one isn't bad though). Anyway, key points...

1. Good to see Lovejoy back in the lineup...sad to not see Engelland though.
2. The Pens totally had this game. The first two periods, they had good puck possession, kept the puck in the offensive zone, and actually shot the puck for once. Amazing what happens when you put shots on net.
3. Speak of shots, Dupuis and Kennedy both did a fantastic job shooting the puck.
4. The ridiculous amount of turnovers needs to stop. Make sure that when you pass the puck, there isn't a guy directly in the lane.
5. Recchi doesn't look like a 42 year old man, that's for sure.
6. Chara's slapshot scares me. I would love to go to a Pens/Bruins game and sit right behind the net, just to see how fast he shoots the puck firsthand.
7. Congrats Arron Asham on your first fight and goal as a Penguin! Asham is one tough dude. Plus, how awesome was this?



8. Engelland, I mean, the Pens, now lead the league in fighting majors. I'm kind of surprised by that, honestly.
9. Malkin keeps looking better and better, as long as Steiggy doesn't mention a meteor hitting him or something. I think we should wrap Geno in bubble wrap.
10. I blame the loss on Steiggy...Aubrey, you're right, the man truly is cursed. I'm going to sew his lips together.
11. Funny how people are just starting to realize that the Pens' problems run deeper than just Fleury.
12. On the plus side, the Pens registered the most shots in a game so far this season.
13. Rupp has been playing like a beast. He just seems more involved this year.
14. Goligoski looked like he was half-asleep.
15. Steiggy and Errey miss Staal...so do I.

And, in other shitty news, Galiardi and Van der Gulik were both injured in Tuesday's game against the Flames. I'm wrapping the rest of the healthy Avs in some bubble wrap. Good news though, the Avs have extended their affiliation contact with Lake Erie. I plan on going to my first Monsters game at some point this season with one of my co-workers and her sister...more on that once we have everything planned out. We'll be an interesting group though, one Pens/Avs fan, a Bruins fan, and a Habs fan. Could be entertaining, and kind of sounds like the beginning of a bad joke.

Well, now we have to focus...how do we stop Stamkos Friday? Interesting fact I was able to dig up on Stamkos...he only makes $875,000 a year. It'll be interesting to see how much he makes after his contact expires. Well, that's enough for this extremely disorganized post. Go Pens! Go Avs! Just remember, things could always be worse...

I throw in the towel...

Sort of. I'm finally going to admit that due to time constraints, I will be almost solely be doing Pens recaps. I haven't had the chance to watch an Avs game for almost a week and a half now, so I'm mainly going to focus on the Pens. I'll still recap Avs games when time allows, but for now, it just isn't gonna happen. If you want Avs news and such, I recommend Mile High Hockey. They're much better writers than I am anyway. Pens recaps will start again this week. Also, congrats to Test Tube!! Way to score in your first ever shootout, and win it! Well, see ya in a few kids!

Pens 2, Stars 5

Sorry for the hiatus, but I needed to get caught up on school work. The Pens just played sloppy overall in this game, and who would have thought that all of that nastiness would have gone on? And who would have thought that none of the fights involved Godard or Engelland? This game was just full of surprises I tell ya, including that surprise that the Pens lost by such a large margin. Key points:

1. Brent Johnson looked a tad shaky. He made some great saves, don't get me wrong, and the defense didn't do a great job of helping him out either.
2. If I was playing, I'm too A.D.D., and those glowing boards would throw me off...
3. How unlucky is Jordan Staal? You'd think that the Pens were the Devils with luck like that.
4. Michalek and Martin really need to step their games up. Michalek can be forgiven a little given that he's just coming back from an injury, but Martin's play has really declined.
5. Congrats Pascal Dupuis on the birth of your daughter!
6. Once again, the defense has failed us.
7. The offense wasn't that great either for the most part. Given that Dallas' defense typically blows, the Pens should have been able to generate more offense. You need to be in the offensive zone to score goals, you aren't playing against Vesa Toskala.
8. Even with the Stars' shitty penalty kill, the Pens STILL couldn't score on the power play...including a 5 on 3. I think that makes them 0/1,000,000 now, but I lost track.
9. Do the guys listen to the broadcast on the bench? I just think it's creepy how not long after Errey suggests that the Pens need to get more physical, all hell breaks loose.
10. Tyler Kennedy can be a good enforcer when he wants to be. And apparently, so can Sid. Great leadership, sticking up for Letang like that.
11. Steiggy actually made me LOL when he referred to the power play as "the power shortage".
12. Let's give credit where credit is due: Loui Eriksson is damn good.
13. Another nominee for the Douche of the Year award: congratulations Brenden Morrow...you're a dick. Now take your place alongside Wayne Simmonds, Chris Neil, and Luke Schenn, we'll announce the winner at the end of the season. The prize is Engelland's fist in your eye.
14. Not everyone sucked, Adams, Goligoski, Kennedy, and Talbot all did a good job in my opinion.
15. If Asham is going to take so many penalties at the end of the game, one of them should be for fighting.

Wow, I'm a little angry today. Hopefully the Avs can make me feel better by kicking some Canuck ass tonight. Big game guys, GO AVS!

Pens 2, Flyers 3

I had high hopes for this game until the second period rolled around. I try not to be too pessimistic in these recaps, but this loss was definitely a team failure.

1. How dangerous is Giroux? He's the Jordan Staal of Philly's penalty kill. Two shorthanded goals against the Pens so far this season...

2. This game started out with the nastiness we've all come to know and love, but it kind of fizzled out. Not to say it wasn't too physical, there was still a lot of hitting.

3. The Pens are starting to remind me of the Avs from last season. Last year, the Avs were notorious for having the lead early on, and then totally tanking in the 3rd period. It's getting aggravating.

4. Who would have thought that Bobrovsky would have as much talent as he does? He looked perfectly at home in net tonight.

5. The two positive things to this game were Letang and Fleury. Letang continues to impress with his scoring touch, and Fleury came up with some big saves. He didn't really have much help in front of him, so this loss can't really be blamed on Fleury.

6. It's surprising that Geno didn't score a goal. He had a lot of good opportunities. No word yet on his injury.

7. Is it just me, or does it seem like the Pens are still having chemistry issues? With a lot of new players this season, it's to be expected. I'm just wondering how long it will take for the guys to seem comfortable together.

8. I hate to be one of "those" people, but the power play just looked like total ass. Granted, I hate when people yell "SHOOT THE PUCK!" at the games when there obviously isn't a shooting lane at all, but all of these pretty passes won't get you shit...shots on the other hand, will.

So I'm a little bit bitter...but it was nice to see Engelland take on yet another asshole in the form of Jody Shelley. I was just lucky I was able to find an online stream of the game because of the blackout issues I talked about in a prior blog. Just in case any of you need to find the games online, I am forever grateful to Pensblog for their list here. I just need to go somewhere and calm down. I have 2 games to watch tonight: Pens/Canes, and Avs/Jackets. Go Pens! Go Avs!

And I continue to suck at life...

No recap for the last Pens game, since I was lazy. But I did wear this yesterday:



So let's not think about how awful the game was (with the exception of the underrated Craig Adams of course), and focus instead on kicking Flyer arse.



I miss Stan. Anyway, I would LOVE to see Asham kick Carcillo's ass tonight, but seeing as how he's just coming back from an injury, I don't think it will happen. Maybe later this year. Now I'm going to go try to finish watching the Avs/Flames game I started watching last night. Have a good one kids, and GO PENS!

Avs 3, Canucks 4

This was a pretty entertaining one, as I figured it would be.

1. Bad news: Anderson injured his knee during warm-ups. Only someone from the Avs would get injured warming up. Hopefully he won't be out for too long.

2. Congrats John-Michael Liles! He now has the NHL record for consecutive games from the start of the season with an assist!

3. The Canucks were sporting some nice throwback jerseys last night:


No nameplates, keeping with tradition.

4. Mike and Peter (the Avs broadcasters) are normally pretty good, but they get all starry-eyed around the twins for some reason. Yeah, they're good, we get it.

5 Both goalies were very strong for the most part. Budaj did make one bad play, playing the puck instead of letting it be icing, which resulted in a Canucks goal.

6. Winnik continues to be an amazing addition to this team. He does it all, I swear. The Avs need all the defensive help they can get, and he's a very defensive forward, but has still managed to score 3 goals so far.

7. The Avs totally dominated the second and third periods of this game. They outshot the Canucks 16-8 in the second, and 15-5 in the third. They deserved the win, but sometimes that's just how the puck bounces.

8. Liles and Stastny both about gave me a heart attack in this game. Liles got smashed into the boards, and looked like he was favoring his shoulder. Thankfully he was O.K. and finished the game. Stastny took one hell of an elbow to the face, but he's fine too. The toughness of hockey players will never cease to amaze me, regardless of how long I've been watching the sport.

9. Nice bit of robbery by Budaj late in the third:




And that's all I've got. Pens face Tampa Bay tonight. Fleury is expected to start. Hopefully he can redeem himself with a nice save on Stamkos or something. I cringe every time Stamkos takes the ice against the Pens. He's a dangerous player, and they need to make sure he's covered. Asham will be back in the lineup tonight. No more Tangradi. :-( Oh well, Arron, show us what you can do! Go Pens!

I cuss, you cuss, we all cuss for asparagus!

Neither of the teams played last night, so this will just be a silly post today. Just some fun links.

From the Rink had their greatest moments in uncensored NHL broadcasts, with lots of cuss. I have to add one of my own:



And a heart-warming story from Detroit about a long time Wings fan who recently passed away.

What a nice thing for the team to do in remembrance of him.

Scott Hartnell may not be such a bad guy after all. He cut his hair and donated it to Locks of Love.



That just looks so strange...

And by the way:



Totally looks like:



Don't ya think?

Anyway, the Avs play the Canucks tonight at 10. Looks like I'm gonna be bustin out the coffee. Recap will (hopefully) be right after the game. Have a good one! Go Avs!

*Bonus points to anyone who knows where the title of this post comes from.

Pens 0, Blues 1

I was more awake watching this game than the one against the Preds, so I got a little bit better recap out of it. Once again though, I couldn't watch the FSN Pittsburgh broadcast, and had to watch FSN Midwest. Oh well, at least I got to see more Jack in the Box commercials. :-)

1. Welcome back Orpik! Also, we see Johnson in net again. Sorry Fleury, but I think that was a good decision by Bylsma.

2. Pietrangelo is frighteningly good. He was just all over the place. Every time he took the ice, I was scared. Ditto for Oshie.

3. The Blues played a very physical game, and their defense played very well.

4. With the exception of the Adams/Crombeen "fight", the first period was like watching a game of chess. A lot of strategy, but not a lot of action.

5. Second period brought more offense, and a great save on Oshie by Johnson.

6. I honestly thought that either Mike Rupp or Max deserved a goal this game. They both worked their asses off.

7. Does anyone know if Polak is OK? I hope he is...it's always scary to see a player run off down the runway with a trainer like that.

8. FSN Midwest was having some technical difficulties, so a lot of the second period was glitchy. I'm not a fan of the thing they have called the "Dirt Cheep shot of the game." Just going out and looking for any hit, just to be able to call it that is asinine.

9. And for Aubrey, I have the WTF media award: "Johnson's knob came up big twice."


Now for the shitstorm that was:

Avs 4, Kings 6

Ok, so it wasn't really a total shitstorm. The Avs played very well, as did the Kings.

1. Hey kids, it was Bernie's 1st birthday!



I think that the cutest mascot award goes to the Islanders though:



And here I thought they would have the fish stick guy as a mascot...

2. The first goal of the game was scored by Poni...it didn't help that Andy lost his stick and had to use Radar's. Can't really blame Andy on that one.

3. After allowing the initial goal, the Avs went on an offensive tear. Great puck possession for once, and everyone was skating hard to the net.

4. Welcome back David Jones!

5. The Avs still need help when it comes to special teams. They allowed the worst power play in the game to score two goals, and also allowed yet ANOTHER short-handed. Surprisingly, they weren't the undisciplined team in this game, and Duchene managed to stay out of the box for once. At least our guys don't butt-end players in the junk (but more about that later).

6. John-Michael Liles gets his 10 millionth assist, tying the NHL record for consecutive games from the start of the season with an assist. Now all he needs is a goal. 10 assists already...the man is a beast. He also had his second NHL "fight", if you can call it that. He didn't get destroyed, and didn't break his hand...I think that's all we can ask for.

7. Hannan left the game with a head injury...just great.

8. Huge penalty kill on Hejduk's 4 minute penalty. Avs needed that.

9. And about halfway through the 3rd period, Wayne Simmonds pulls the dick move of the year, and butt-ends Galiardi in the balls with his stick. Galiardi is not one to drop easily, and I just knew when I saw him go down that it had to be something bad. Simmonds got a 5 minute major and game misconduct for it. I think this is the first time I have ever seen a butt-ending penalty called. This is what T.J. is good at though, he pisses everyone off enough so that they do something stupid. The man is a friggin tank, and came back later to finish the game. He just takes the punishment and keeps going about his business. That's one of the reasons he's my favorite Avs player, and one of my favorite players in the entire league. So, should Simmonds be suspended? I say no. He got his punishment, and it was a cheap shot, but I think for once, that the penalty fit the crime. It was a dick move though, and I'm relieved to see that Galiardi and his boys are OK.

Pens 4, Preds 3

Again, I am horribly late with this post. I'm on vacation from work this week, so hopefully that will help me stay caught up. Pens recap:

1. I honestly thought that Bylsma was going to continue starting Johnson until he lost. I was surprised to see Fleury in net.

2. Fleury looked shaky, but he hasn't played for a while, so I guess that's to be expected. Allowing a goal 53 seconds into the game was definitely not a good way to start. Kunitz was also to blame for that...he just seemed to wander away from who he was supposed to be covering.

3. I never realized how tall Pekka Rinne is. Apparently Nashville has an obsession with tall goalies, since their backup Lindbach is 6'6".

4. The penalty kill didn't look too bad, and the power play continues to thrive. The power play is just aggravating to watch...they'll seem like they're getting into a groove for a couple of games, and then just fall apart. Hopefully that doesn't happen this time around.

5. Tangradi continues to look good, and what else can be said about Test Tube? Yet another point this game. Dude is amazing!

6. Is it me, or does Sid seem like he's playing a little more aggressively this season? At the end of last season, it looked like he was beginning to, but it's becoming a little more evident this season. It's good to see.

7. Now that the Pens have Engelland, does Godard have a job? I think we'll see Godard traded at some point this year. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Godard, it's just that now we have an enforcer who is a more complete player in my opinion.

8. One thing I noticed about Fleury in this game was that he did seem a little more comfortable playing the puck. The pass he made to Sid was great!

9. How huge did Geno come up in this game? He was just on top of everything.

10. I was stuck listening to the FSN Tennessee broadcast for this game. Say what you will about Steigy and Errey, but they're way better than these guys. One good thing about watching the Tenn broadcast was this:



Jack in the Box has the best commercials. Too bad there aren't any anywhere near where I live. Or any in the state of Ohio at all for that matter.

11. Dupuis saved the day when he made that great play to clear the puck out of the crease on the one play.

Sorry for how sucky that recap was, but I was starting to fall asleep watching it. Now for the Avs:

Avs 2, Sharks 4

I was more excited to watch this game than the Pens. It ended up being a hell of a lot more entertaining.

1. Welcome back Brandon Yip!

2. Lots of back and forth action in this game. Neither team seemed to have the upper hand for too long, and both teams played very well.

3. Anderson is a beast. He looked confident for the most part in net, but then again, when doesn't he?

4. Good thing Sacco decided to dress 7 defensemen. Adam Foote left the game with a concussion. As far as I know, it is unknown when he will return to the lineup.

5. Kyle Cumiskey's skating ability never ceases to amaze me. He's a quick, strong skater. I'd even go so far as to say he skates like Pavel Bure.

6. All in all, the Avs still need a little bit of help when it comes to special teams. Taking so many penalties in the second period didn't help things.

7. The Sharks pretty much went into a defensive shell once they were up 3-1 going into the third period.

8. Congrats John-Michael Liles! He's the first Avs player to score in 7 straight games to start the season. He's also the first Avs defenseman to have a 7 game scoring streak. He played very well in the playoffs last year, and it's good to see that it carried over to this season.

9. The Avs can be irritating to watch sometimes. One minute, someone is making a beautiful, unreal pass, the next minute, a terrible turnover.

10. I call bullshit on the 4th Sharks goal. The puck clearly hit a Sharks player on the bench, and then ricocheted (that's not a fun word to spell) off of the linesman, resulting in a nasty bounce which resulted in a Sharks goal. It was a non-reviewable play. I think everything should be reviewable.

So there it is. Two games to recap again tonight. Have fun kids!

Pens 5, Sens 2

Finally the Pens look like they're in a groove. Everyone worked together for this win last night, it wasn't just the efforts of one player. Here's the key points:

1. No surprise to see Johnson in net again. He's played with confidence, and you have to go with the guy who's been giving you wins. I wouldn't be surprised to see him start Thursday against the Preds. He just had a fantastic night.
2. Max has been looking more and more like his old self. Last season he just wasn't playing to his full potential. I think the off-season shoulder surgery last year contributed to that.
3. Test Tube. It'll be interesting to see what happens when Staal and Asham come back, but he's guaranteed a spot in the lineup. He just played like his amazing sexy self. (At the risk of sounding like a puckbunny, I saw my first interview with him during the first intermission. Had no clue he was hot.)
4. Where did this power play come from? Hopefully this isn't just some fluke thing.
5. The Pens just totally owned this game. The Sens looked lost and sluggish.
6. Engelland fought his second asshole of the season, Chris Neil. It wasn't really much of a fight, but it still counts. I hate Chris Neil.
7. You gottta love how Lovejoy played. He was all over the place, and had some nice hits. I also love how he's turned into the new Dupuis, shooting the puck from anywhere he happens to be. Get the puck to the net and hope for a rebound.
8. Interesting double-minor for Johnson's accidental high-stick. I wonder who the last goalie was to get a double-minor...probably Hextall...and it probably wasn't an accident. That bastard was crazy.
9. Speaking again of Johnson, I was a little nervous seeing him take that shot right off the mask. Anytime a goalie gets hit like that, I automatically think of this:



10. Apparently Letang thought he was Shea Weber. What a friggin goal!
11. Last I checked, if you had two teeth knocked out, you'd probably bleed. (Anyone who watched the FSN Pittsburgh broadcast knows what I'm talking about)
12. All games on FSN Pittsburgh will now be broadcast exclusively with the AGH Cam. They will take 29 hours to watch. (All kidding aside, it is a cool camera).

So there ya have it. Now we get a nice little break. I have been a total failure when it comes to Avs recaps. Hopefully that won't be the case all season. Let's go Pens!

Pens 3, Isles 2

Yeah, so I'm a little bit behind on watching the recorded games. Well, at least now everyone can shut up about Consol being cursed.

1. It was kinda strange seeing Test Tube on the fourth line.
2. Also interesting to see Adams out and Godard in. Bylsma must know something that we don't.
3. Godard did have a nice fight with Gilles though, so I have to give him some credit.
4. I can't stand watching DiPietro play. First off, if I was an Isles fan, I would probably have a heart attack any time anyone came within 300 feet of him for fear he would get injured again. A fly could land on that man and he'd be out for half the season. Second, he should have been penalized for hitting Kunitz in the nuts with his stick. You can try to get someone out of the front of the crease, but that's just a low blow (literally).
5. Martin and Test Tube continue to impress me.
6. With the exception of the OT goal, the power play continues to suck ass. I think Mike Yeo is still coaching, but he's just hiding under the bench so no one can throw shit at him.
7. Mike Rupp was playing like a man possessed.
8. Tangradi finally got his first NHL goal! Yay!
9. The 2nd period was really when the Pens got a fire lit under their asses. That's more of the play we need to be seeing from them.
10. I'm not generally one to complain about the officiating, because I realize that these guys have a really tough job, but it was incredibly awful this game. Letang should have never gotten a 5 minute major and game misconduct for his hit on Comeau. It was a solid, shoulder-on-shoulder, clean hit. There were also plenty of calls that should have been made against the Isles that were just ignored.
12. By the way, after Letang was given a game misconduct, did anyone else hear the crowd chanting "bullshit", or was I just imagining things? Speaking of the crowd, how huge was their involvement? Nice to see everyone finally waking up.
13. I will openly admit that Bailey had a really nice goal.
14. Goligoski is having a really strong start. Hopefully he can keep it up. He started out well last year, but gradually fizzled out. To be honest, and I'm normally not like this, but I was ready to write him off last year.
15. Comrie really needs to start producing...we all know he has it in him.
16. See what happens when you shoot the puck...you score goals. Imagine that.

Avs 3, Devils 2

So this was just a great night overall!

1. It still feels strange watching a more offensive-minded Devils team.
2. Speaking of offense, even though they won this game, the Avs really need to start getting more shots to the net. (This sounds familiar...almost like I was just writing that about another team not too long ago)
3. The Avs defense needs to step it up a little bit. Craig Anderson is like a brick wall in net, but they need to stop relying on him quite so much. They are allowing too many shots.
4. Honestly, the Devils should have won this game. If not for the amazing play of Anderson and some luck, the Avs probably wouldn't have won. The Devils were clearly the better team.
5. And yet another game misconduct for the night. McLeod scored the Avs first goal, only to be followed shortly after by getting a 5 minute major and game misconduct for boarding. The Avs' analyst hit the nail on the head when he said that he understood why they kicked him out, but his only problem was that the NHL wasn't being consistent. Now it makes you wonder with every check whether the player is going to be sent off for it or not.
6. Killing off the McLeod penalty was a huge relief.
7. The Avs' scoring depth is absolutely amazing! This early in the season they already have goals from 10 different players.
8. Early in the game, the Avs had some real problems with puck possession. One common theme I've noticed in all of their games so far is a brutal number of turnovers, and not the yummy pastry kind. (Sorry, I'm hungry)
9. My man T.J. Galiardi scored his first goal of the season, and later got cracked with a high stick. Typical game for him.

Rant of the day:
I may have mentioned this last season, but I hate when the Pens games are shown on NHL Network. For some reason, Time Warner Cable thinks that I live in the viewing area for FSN Pittsburgh, and the game gets blacked-out. I'm about to call and bitch about that, since I missed the game last night because of it. Heard it was a good one too... Avs/Isles recap later tonight. Have a good one kids, now you can put away the matches.

I want a do-over!

For the Pens' season, and my blogging season as well. I finally got caught up on watching the games I had recorded, so I'm going to only post notes on the latest display of suck.

Pens 3, Leafs 4

When did the Leafs get good? Anyway, key points:

1. Both teams played pretty sloppy...one was just sloppier than the other.
2. Sid finally scored a goal!
3. Nice to see Engelland beat the hell out of Colton Orr...someone still needs to take out Luke Schenn.

What can I say? This game really didn't have much going for it.

I generally try to stay optimistic, and there are plenty of games left in the season, but it's still a little disheartening to see this shit fest. I was more than a little upset that Comrie was a healthy scratch, but I could understand wanting Godard in the lineup. On a lighter note, Billy G was in the building, and got a nice ovation. Seth from Empty Netters is a ray of sunshine for busting out this fact:

The only three times the Penguins lost their first three home games of the season was 1983-84, 2001-02 and 2005-06. They failed to reach the postseason in all three of those seasons.

Thanks Seth.

Injury updates:
-Michalek is out 2-4 weeks with an upper-body injury
-Asham and Staal both skated today...finally some good news.
-Orpik is still day-to-day.

If you're a Hawks fan with some money to blow, you need this.

Oh, and Johnson will be in net for the game against the Isles tomorrow. I love Fleury, and these losses are everyone's fault, not just his, but I can't say that this surprises me. The Pens have back to back games this weekend. Anyway, try to keep your chin up kids, it's only the start of the season. We still have 78 games to go.

Pens 2, Flyers 3

Shitty way to open the new arena, but what can ya do? Let me start by saying that Consol is absolutely amazing! All I could say when I walked in was, "Wow". The first thing I noticed was how open and spacious the place was. The second thing I noticed was that it didn't smell like the Igloo. Not the the Igloo smelled bad, but it had a unique odor. The seats were incredible, and the crowd noise was unbelievable. Now for pics:



This sign will take some getting used to.




The old barn.




Love this window display!



Another pic of the Igloo.



The new guy on the block.




Pregame warm-up.



The banners.



R.I.P. Barbero. They had a really nice tribute video during one of the T.V. time-outs, followed by the biggest standing ovation I have ever seen.



Matt Cooke with some clean-up duty.



Ben Lovejoy...who I didn't get to see play. :-(




Tangradi is a beast.




This was a great idea. When they melted the ice at the Igloo for the last time, they saved a bottle of the water. Lemieux christened the new arena at center ice with it. Solid.



It's always a great day for hockey in Pittsburgh!



In case you didn't know what night it was.



Almost time for the inaugural faceoff.



Blurry faceoff.



Best license plate ever! I was actually wearing my Straka jersey, and I waited in the parking garage for this person, but they never showed up, and I was getting hungry.

Anyway, key points:

1. The Pens just seemed like they were lacking the chemistry that they had in the preseason. Hopefully they'll get back into the groove soon.

2. Everyone seemed like they were trying to get too fancy with the puck. Just put it on the net.

3. Lots of shots, but they didn't have much quality.

4. Philly's goaltending situation is just bad. Who the fuck is Bobrovsky anyway?

5. How big of a game did TK and Tangradi have? Nice to see TK back to normal. I hope he can keep it up.

6. I think Craig Adams saw more ice time in this game than he's ever seen in his life.

On a better note though:

Avs 4, Hawks 3

If you have never seen these two teams play against each other, you really should. Always fast-paced and exciting to watch. Avs win in OT. My man Galiardi was all over the place. This team is going places this year. They've matured a lot from last season, and I can't wait to see how well they do this year.

That's all for now. I'll have a recap of tonight's game against the Habs as soon as I watch it. TTFN! :-)

Predictions for 2010-11

And the countdown begins. The Pens have until 3 p.m. tomorrow to cut their roster down to 23 players. It's depressing to see Craig on waivers given his impressive play at the beginning of the preseason, if he didn't injure his groin, things may have gone differently. If he clears waivers and ends up in WBS, I wouldn't be surprised to see him get called up at some point during the season. Hutchinson didn't really do much to really impress me in what little I was able to see of him. Billy G got cut by Philly, so at least I don't have to buy an industrial-sized bottle of bleach.

Prediction time! Here's my predictions for the season (mostly Pens-related):

1. Malkin will finish the season with a career high 125 points (at least).

2. Orpik will be given the "A".

3. Comrie will have a 30 goal season.

4. Sid will score 50 goals.

5. Fleury will be so great this year that anyone still doubting his talent will finally shut the fuck up.

6. Simon Despres and Lovejoy WILL be on the starting roster Thursday night (maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part).

7. New Jersey might actually be a little less boring to watch. Brodeur will be forced to face more shots, and as a result, will have the worst GAA of his life. Lots of drama will play out in their locker room.

8. The Avs will make it to the second round of the finals, but no further. (Sorry guys, I gotta give my honest opinion.)

9. Calgary will continue to be injury-prone, and will not make it to the playoffs this year.

10. Columbus, Toronto, Florida, and the Islanders will be placed on waivers by the NHL because they perpetually suck.

11. Arron Asham will beat the ever-living shit out of Carcillo. (How fucking great would that one be!?)

Part 2 of predicions: the standings:

Eastern Conference:

Atlantic:
1. Pens
2. Devils
3. Philly
4. Rangers
5. Islanders

Northeast:
1. Sabres
2. Habs
3. Bruins
4. Sens
5. Leafs (go figure)

Southeast:
1. Caps
2. Lightning
3. Canes
4. Thrashers
5. Panthers

Western Conference:

Central:
1. Wings
2. Hawks
3. Blues
4. Preds
5. Jackets

Northwest:
1. Canucks
2. Avs
3. Flames
4. Wild
5. Oilers

Pacific:
1. Sharks
2. Coyotes
3. Kings
4. Ducks
5. Stars

We'll come back to this at the end of the season for a comparison. Here's the last commercial, a fan favorite:



You knew that had to be included. Go Pens! (And by the way, happy birthday Mario!)

Mr. Mcfeely brought me some awesome!

My tickets for the season opener came in the mail today, and I must say I am impressed. Section 120 Row W. I checked out Consol's site, since they have a nifty feature where you type in where your seats are, and it shows you what your view will look like. VERY awesome seats! I'll be sure to post plenty of pics. Anyway, the undefeated streak has ended tonight...it was a good run though. Unlikely goals from Goligoski and Adams. I haven't been able to watch or even listen to most of the games, which pisses me off. Oh well. That's all I have to report for now. Have a nice weekend kids! Go Pens!

I'm throwing the damned DVR out the window.

As you will notice, there is no recap of the Pens/Jackets game played on Saturday. I didn't get a chance to watch it until yesterday. As for the Pens/Hawks game, I recorded the replay so I could watch it, but my DVR had other ideas. It ate my fuckin game! I should be watching that game right now... Anyway, one thought about the game Saturday: Simon Despres is a beast. That's all. Another commercial, to celebrate the twins' recent birthday(s?)



Enjoy, while I go all "Office Space" on my DVR.

Pens 5, Jackets 4

Note the absence of a recap from the Pens/Wings game from the other night. There was no video feed available, and I just don't feel comfortable doing a recap on a radio feed. Ditto with the Avs games. Speak of the Avs, Peter Mueller is out, once again, with another concussion. Not good news at all. When Mueller was healthy last season, he was an essential part of the team. Anyway, I was able to catch periods 2 and 3 tonight on a video feed from the Jackets website. The feed was pretty slow, but at least it was something. I don't have a lot to say about the game, other than that Comrie continues to impress me, and Kunitz looked fantastic as well. Lovejoy finally got his chance to play, paired with Paul Martin, but he wasn't really noticeable, which can be a good thing. Some other thoughts: seeing Billy G in a Flyers uniform makes me want to stab my eyes out with a fork. Another thought: Is anyone else hyped up about the upcoming 24/7 Pens/Caps show on HBO? I'm seriously contemplating getting a temporary subscription just to see it. That's all for now, so I'll leave you with another commercial:



Go Pens!

I'm baaaack!

Sorry for the long hiatus, but as I said in my prior post, school is kicking my ass. I've had a lot of writing to do for classes, which has made me a little sick of writing. Any hockey news I could talk about here is now old news. We all know about Jordan Staal's wonky foot. I PROMISE I will do a better job posting when the season starts. 30 hours of my job, plus 14 credit hours at school have not been kind. Add hockey to that, and I'm going to need to start doing coke (just kidding). On another note, I am now pretty much broke. I got a refund from my loans at school, plus holiday pay and a bonus from work, which are all now gone. The Pens have a deal going where you can purchase tickets for the home opener and tickets for the Winter Classic, and you also get 2 Framesworth commemorative plaques. It was the chance of a lifetime, and I know damn well my name won't get pulled for the Winter Classic lottery. As for the home opener, I got on Ticketbastard at exactly 10:00, sat in the online "line" for about 15 minutes, only to be told that the tickets were sold out. What people are asking for tickets on ebay and through the Ticketbastard ticket exchange is insane. Oops, almost forgot the commercial:



Pre-season is almost upon us...are you ready? Have a good weekend kids, I'll be seein ya!

Math class is ruining my life...

Which is why I haven't posted for a long time. I work 30 hours a week, plus I have 14 credit hours in school on top of it. Needless to say, the 2 hours of math homework I have EVERY night has become a little excessive. All of the other classes are manageable, this one, however, is not. If I fail this class and have to retake it, I'll cry. On an actual news note, it has been rumored that Billy G could potentially sign with Philly. I really hope that this won't happen. Also, in case you haven't heard, Mike Comrie (known in non-hockey circles as "Hillary Duff's husband" is officially a Penguin. I think he'll make a good fit, and it will be interesting to see which line he ends up on. Also, it's time for another commercial. This one isn't hockey related, but I saw it when I was watching one of the Avs games, and thought it was great:



Anyway, more hockey commercials will be on their way, and it will be interesting to see how I'll be able to cram watching the games this season into my schedule. Don't worry...I'll figure something out. Have a good one kiddies!

Hockey commercials: installment #2

Here's a good one:



I really miss the Mckenzie brothers. I can't stand Molson though...I'll stick to my Labatt, thank you very much. Also, apparently the Pens are still talking with Billy G. We'll find out how that goes in the next few days with any luck. I hope he can sign on for another year. I would really hate to see him go. That's it for now. Take off, eh!

Hockey commercials: the first installment.

So with the serious lack of hockey news in any way, shape, or form, I have decided to start a random feature: hockey television commercials. Thanks to Aubrey and her Bud Ice dooby dooby doo penguin for giving me the idea. So one commercial at least every week is my goal. Installment #1:



That takes ya back, huh? Say what you will about ESPN, but at least they aren't Versus. Rob Ray seriously needed to beat the hell out of Pierre.



I've posted this before, but it just never gets old...or less creepy.

You know it's August when...

I post something like this. I was playing Mortal Kombat Trilogy on the N64 when I found this eerie similarity:

Jeremy Roenick



Looks like Stryker:



Weird. You also know I just had my wisdom teeth removed and am hopped up on Vicodin when I think to post something silly like this. That is all.

Mike Modano is a traitor

So the rumor is now official: Mike Modano has signed with the Wings for one year for the price of 1.25 million. Is anyone else as pissed about this as I am? I mean, here you have a true veteran, one who has played for the same team that drafted him for his entire career (which is sadly becoming more and more of a rarity), who says he is going to retire, and then decides on one more year...with another team. If I was a Stars fan, I would feel pretty betrayed. I know that some of you may think I'm a hypocrite because of what happened with Ray Bourque, but that was a different scenario. Modano has already been able to lift the Cup. Bourque didn't lead everyone on by saying he was going to retire, and then change his mind at the last second. I'll say it before and I'll say it again: if he would have went to Minnesota, I wouldn't be that pissed. Think about it (if you're a Pens fan): What if Mario had a longer career in Pittsburgh, only to do the same thing that Modano has done? While I would be happy that he was still playing, I would still be pissed that he moved to a different team.

Speak of pissed off fans, this is a good read, especially the comments that follow the article. Caps fans and their sense of entitlement, I tell ya.

On a happy note, Marty Turco has signed with the Hawks. I'm glad to see him given a chance, and with the departure of Niemi, I think he might have a chance to redeem himself. Stars fans gave him a hard time, not thinking that maybe, just maybe, their shit defense might be part of the problem. I think that a change of scenery is what Turco needs, and getting rid of that pointless and horrible thing known as "The trapezoid" wouldn't hurt things either, but that's a rant for another day.

By the way, has anyone heard anything about Billy G's fate? Last I knew, he has talking with the Isles and the Pens, but that was a few weeks ago.

Have a good one kids, and stay cool, that global warming has been a killer this summer.

Give me a fuckin break.

To anyone who hasn't seen this atrocity, I only recommend it if you're some kind of masochist. If you had to study all night to be able to answer the question of what 3 years the Pens won the Stanley Cup, you have no business even being within 20 miles of Consol. Most horrible quote: “My hockey question was to name my favorite player,” Corteal said. “I said (Marc-Andre) Fleury because who doesn’t love Fleury? He’s like the best goaltender ever. I just love his accent.” Like, oh my god, gag me with a spoon. Oh my god, I thought the shovel I would have to carry would weigh more than 5 pounds and I would break a nail having to carry it. This is why I don't like most of the women I meet. Man up, cupcake. So there you have your rant of the week. I hope you've enjoyed it. Now for some music...

R.I.P. John Barbero

In case you don't know who John Barbero was, he used to be the P.A. announcer at the Pens games. His booming voice was fantastic...loud, yet not brash. We will all miss you Mr. Barbero.



On another note, this is horribly disgusting:

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/news/story?id=5408587

Most cases of food poisoning go undetected, with most people thinking that they just got a bad "stomach flu" (Sorry, I'm a Public Health major in college, and this story caught my attention). Damn stadium food is too expensive anyway. As long as the beer is O.K., I'm good.

No major news going on in the hockey world, unless you're into the whole Kovalchuk thing. I really don't care about that money-hungry bastard, and I'm getting sick of hearing about it on every hockey blog I follow. So that is my rant of the day.

What exactly is the red guy doing, anyway?

I'll openly admit that I kinda like silly bandz, but I think some of them are trying too hard. It's kind of like what happens when you're laying down, looking at the clouds in the sky. "That one looks kinda like a puppy, if you drop some acid and squint REALLY hard."

I'm not dead yet.

Anything I can report here you have already probably heard. Sorry I've been so lazy with the blog, but I've been busy reading the 8 million books I've accumulated. On another note, I get to go to the oral surgeon for a consultation about my wisdom teeth that I probably should have had yanked a few years ago, but decided to put off. I want to get this done before I go back to school in the fall, plus the things are starting to piss me off. Thankfully I only have 2 of them instead of 4, so I guess there's something to be happy about. I'll try to keep up on the blog...promise.

The first day of free agency

Lots of surprises during the first day of free agency. Here are some notables:

1. Gonch signs with Ottawa. This was surprising in a few ways. First of all, I didn't think that the Sens needed a player like Gonch. Second, I'm surprised by the length of the contract. I think a 3 year contact is a little risky with a player his age.

2. Niittymaki signs with San Jose. We all know that Nabokov's time with the Sharks has ended, but I, like a lot of people, expected them to sign Turco. Now the mystery is where Nabi and Marty are going to end up. Turco is a great goalie in my opinion, he just needs a change of scenery and a better defense in front of him.

3. Ray Whitney has signed with Phoenix. Good move by the Coyotes.

4. Colby Armstrong signed with the Leafs. This one wasn't a huge surprise, but I has still clutching to the small possibility that he would come back to Pittsburgh. Thanks for crushing my dreams, Brian Burke.

5. Hamhuis is pawned off on yet another team. This one wasn't too much of a surprise, but it would have been nice to see him in a Pens uniform.

6. The Pens signed Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek. Good move getting some afforable defensemen who can get the job done. Bad move because now I'll need to spell Zybnek correctly in this blog...

7. I'm a little pissed that Shero didn't re-sign Leopold. With the two additions above, it's understandable, but I think Leopold is an amazing player who fit in well with the Pens. He's fantastic at moving the puck up the ice, and could have been a key piece of the power play in the absence of Gonch. Oh well...

8. What is Billy G's fate? I really don't want to see him go, and with the Pens' lack of wingers, it would make sense to keep him for one more year to play along Sid.

So there ya have it. A pretty interesting Day 1 in my opinion. Another note: since Modano won't be with the Stars again next season, I think he should just retire. That would be like Stevie Y playing one more year for a team other than Detroit...it wouldn't be right.

You will notice that I haven't posted anything on the draft. I'm not much of a draft person. Two words: Milan Kraft. Nuff' said.

Also, please disregard the previous post. Sometimes my predictions blow.

Just a quick thought...

I'll have a much longer post in the coming days, but I wanted to get this idea out of my head before the possibility of it actually happening. If the Pens don't sign Gonch, I believe the Avs will sign him. Even though they want to build the team from the ground up, they need an experienced D-man. Just remember, you heard it here first.

But does it make toast?

The answer is "Why yes. Yes it does." I finally got this in the mail:



Oh yeah! Now to see if it works. We'll take two slices of bread:



Pop em' in the toaster, and wait impatiently:



And we have awesome, yummy toast!



And then we sing a song:



I feel kind of bad for putting Country Crock and blueberry jam on it. Oh well, it was tasty. Now I'm probably going to end up eating toast every day until I die.

Awards show...

So the awards show was pretty much as I and a lot of other people expected...a lame bit of fluff as always. I only got through about half of it before I shut it off. The presenters, for the most part, were horrible and not funny at all (I'm looking at you Jay Mohr). Here's an idea: get REAL celebrity hockey fans (Denis Leary, Kevin Smith, Vince Vaughn), and some women who know at least SOMETHING about the game to present the awards. I think it would be fun to have a contest for the fans where the winner gets to present an award (and not the Lady Byng...I'm talkin a real award here). The only good part about the ceremony was the skit with Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan.



Funny shit right there.

In other news, the Hawks have begun their Stanley Cup winning liquidation. Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Sopel, and Ben Eager are the first casualties, being traded to Atlanta for Marty Reasoner, prospect Jeremy Morin, the New Jersey Devils' first-round pick (No. 24 overall) and the Devils' second-round pick (No. 54 overall). Honestly, I think this was a win-win situation for both teams. The Hawks got a lot from the deal without having to dole out a lot of money, and have a little bit of wiggle room in the salary cap now. Atlanta got some solid, proven players, and everyone knows they could use it. What's left to be seen is if the Thrashers will trade their new acquisitions for a bag of pucks and a jock strap. Have a good one, and try to stay cool...it's been hot as hell here.

What a happy day!

So I had a particularly horrid day at work, and hopped on the computer, and what do I see? Ben Lovejoy has signed a 3 year contract, and Matt Cooke has signed a 3 year contract as well! What great news to perk up an otherwise shitty day! I hope this means that Lovejoy will be in the starting lineup next season. Now we have to wait and see if Gonch re-signs. Also, in Avs news, Jocelyn Thibault will not be returning as the goaltending coach next year. Someone get Patrick Roy on the phone...wouldn't that be awesome? Anyway, sorry about the short post, I have celebratory beer to consume.

Let the games begin

In the first of what may be many surprises this summer, Halak has been dealt to the Blues. St. Louis is the clear winner of this deal, having only given up two prospects. Even a member of Canada's Parliament wasn't too happy with the deal. (Thanks to EN for the link) In my opinion, he has done WAY more for the Habs than Carey Price.

Old news here, but Mike Yeo is no longer going to be screwing up...er, coaching the Pens power play. I'm just curious about who they are planning on hiring to replace him. Maybe Gonch can play and coach at the same time. Crazier things have happened (see above).

On another note, the Hawks may march in a gay pride parade. I'm personally straight as an arrow, but I'm all for gay rights, and this would be a great thing for everyone involved. Seeing as how Fraser, Versteeg, Ladd, and Brouwer made an appearance at the taping of an Ellen Degeneres special, I could see them showing up at the parade.

It's free agency time!

Now that the season has ended, everyone's minds turn to free agency. Here are my suggestions on what the Pens should do...although they probably won't listen to me.

1. Billy G- Although he started the season strong, he seemed a little worse for wear towards the end of the season. I think that after next year, he won't have anything left in the tank. Should the Pens keep him? I think so, but pay him no more than 1 million, and only sign him for one more year.

2. Fedostanko- Let him walk. He doesn't add anything to the team, and his numbers this year were awful. Some people may argue that he steps it up in the playoffs, but that was more of an argument last year. This year he had no points and was a -3 in 6 games. Absolutely not worth the 1.8 million he got this year. Dump him.

3. Matt Cooke- Re-sign him for 1 million per year for 2 years. The team needs a good agitator, and he is one of the best in the league.

4. Ponikarovsky- Get rid of him. So far, he's been one of the worst trades Ray Shero has made. I can't believe that they traded the Mob Boss (Luca Caputi) for his worthless ass. A 2.5 million dollar contract last year!? You have got to be kidding me.

5. Gonch- This one has been debated the most of all. While, like Billy G, he ran out of steam by the end of the season, there is no arguing that he brought a lot to the power play this year, and the power play needs as much help as it can get. He carries a hefty price tag though, and with his age, might tank out this season. So is he worth the risk? I say no.

6. Mark Eaton- I believe he is one of the most underrated players on the team, along with Craig Adams (one of my favorites). There are simply no statistics that will show how much of a difference his defensive play makes. Is he worth the 2 million per year that he has been getting? To be honest, I'm on the fence about the salary. I am not on the fence, however, on what he brings to the team. Re-sign him, but I'm not sure for how much.

7. Jay McKee- He brings size to the lineup, but I think the Pens would be better off bringing someone up from the minors than re-signing him.

8. Jordan Leopold- I've liked what I've seen from him this year, and I think he's a good fit for the team. Re-sign him for 1.5 million per year for 3 years.

9. Ben Lovejoy- He's an unrestricted free agent IV (as I mentioned in a previous post, I'm not quite sure what that means, and I haven't been able to find any more info on it). Please, please, please re-sign him and bring him up this year. I think he is a fantastic defenseman (which the Pens need badly), and I believe this could be his breakout season. I have high hopes for him. Give him half a million for one year, and if he does a good job (which I'm sure he will), resign him to a longer contract worth more money.

So there you have it. But I'm not a GM, so we'll have to wait and see how things pan out before July 1st.

* All salary information can be found at NHL Numbers.