Thursday, October 30, 2008

A Horrifying Halloween Nightmare.

WARNING!

NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.

This sends a deadly chill down my spine every time I see it.



TERRIFYING!

As a Bruins fan, the only thing that makes it kind of OK is that Michael Ryder is involved. (He hasn't scored 3 for the Bruins yet, to be sure, but it's a little early to pile on.)

Friday, October 24, 2008

Palin booed again at St. Louis Blues opener

-I just watched this on the hockey package, and yep, she got booed, even though the local affliliate actually didn't televise her introduction, merely coming back from commercial as the chorus of boos blended in with loud, generic crowd noise.

My guess is the official party line will be "The fans in St Louis liked her fine, but were just expressing their loves for the Bluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuues!"

UPDATE:

After Palin dropped the puck at the St. Louis opener, Philadelphia finally won it's first game, beating the New Jersey Devils 6-3.

As though that wasn't bad enough, Manny Legace, the Blues starting goalie, slipped on the carpet laid out for Palin and her family, and appeared to reinjure his knee. After giving up two goals in the first period, Legace was replaced by rookie Ben Bishop, who has given up two more goals on 16 shots in his NHL debut.

With less than three minutes left in the third period, the Blues are now losing 4-0.

We've all seen what Sarah Palin has done to John McCain's presidential campaign, and the Philadelphia Flyers.

It would take comeback akin to, well, what it would take for John McCain to come back, for the Blues to win this game.

Could the curse of Sarah Palin have been passed to the St. Louis Blues?

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Several Questions not asked of Jordan Staal after his teams' shootout victory over the Boston Bruins

OK- so the Bruins dropped another shootout last night, this time to the hated Penguins.

I'm getting tired of this. They played well, they just couldn't find the net after multiple powerplays. It's a problem, but it's also a young season. When Bergeron breaks through, they'll start winning.

Still, the B's looked good against the Pens, and dodged a real bullet in overtime when Bergeron broke his stick, leaving the Bruins effectively trying to kill a 3 on 2 powerplay.

Scary.

Oh, and how did they get into a 3-on-3 situation, not to mention the 3-on-2 that was caused by the broken stick?

The Associated Press report of the game provides the most succinct description:

The teams played 3-on-3 for the final 1:35 of the extra period after Savard was whistled for hooking and Jordan Staal was sent off for slashing 17 seconds later.


I've checked a few different papers, and all of them tend to say the same thing, that Jordan Staal was penalized for slashing. Not one of these news organizations mentioned exactly WHERE Dennis Wideman was slashed, and I'm still looking for a YouTube clip. The official NHL Video link doesn't include it.

Still, because the area in which Mr. Staal applied the lumber was not disclosed, I'll go ahead and assume that there were several questions which were not asked of Jordan Staal after the game.

I'll go ahead and ask them here, and you can write your local NHL affiliate, and demand that in the future, I be given press access after all the games so that the truly important questions do not remain unasked:



-So, Jordan- what's up with slashing Dennis Wideman in the balls?

-Seriously, the coin-purse? Right through his legs? Do you think that's OK behavior?

-You have two brothers in the NHL. How did it happen that you didn't learn that sticking somebody in the fruitstand isn't cool?

-Don Cherry used to rave about how much he liked you. You know what Don Cherry also likes? His Grapes. For real now, what's your goddamn problem?

-Oh, hey- Jordan, remember that play when you slashed Dennis Wideman square in the danglers? If someone had done that to your father back in the day, the NHL would have two less honorable players, and one less guy who likes to slash dudes in the biscuits. Do you think it's worth eliminating two good things to accomplish just one? OK- that came out wrong, because in your case, you clearly felt that slashing both of Wideman's nuts was worth well, I dunno, what was that worth?

-Seriously. Jordan. Why his nuts?

-What the hell is the matter with you?

UPDATE:

I found a clip of the incident.



OK, not the actual incident, but a similar one.


As always, I await answers.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

B's/Habs wrapup-

Well, it was a good game.

The Bruins got a little lucky with the bounce off the back boards, but on the home opener of the centennial season of the Montreal Canadiens, the fact that the home team doesn't get that bounce?

I think it bodes well for the B's.

Ultimately, I'll say that once again, I'm disappointed in the shootout.

It continues to not only water down the thrill of the penalty shot, but provided the Habs with a win that didn't feel like much, and left the Bruins with a loss that felt like they stole a point.

When a win doesn't feel like a win, and a loss feels like a minor victory, there is something wrong with the game.

I hate to tell you, but that game was a tie, and there is nothing wrong with a tie in the regular season, especially between these two magnificent franchises, with the entire season in front of them.

A win in the shootout is like kissing your sister.

Am I alone here?

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Round One, 2008-2009



Puck drops at 7:30

Who's excited?

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Hey, McCain Campaign!

How'd that whole "pander to Hockey Moms with your VP candidate" thing go?

from today's Washington Post:

Obama holds double-digit margins over McCain in Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin and carries a nine-point advantage over his Republican rival in Colorado, according to polling conducted by Quinnipiac University for washingtonpost.com and the Wall Street Journal.


Yeah, that's about what I thought.

And now- for some in depth, well thought out hockey analysis:

Hey- how 'bout those Bruins?

Seriously, they look good out there.

And, yeah, I know about Manny Fernandez. He hasn't played hockey for a year.

But they look good.

Not "HolyfuckingshittheRangersarefiveandO" good, but good.

Trust me, they look good.

Friday, October 10, 2008

"A crisis of confidence"

That's how I heard the global financial meltdown described on NPR this morning. They called it "a crisis of confidence."I don't claim to understand all the details of this mess, but I have been willing to say that putting the logo of the goddamn Montreal Canadiens on money helps no one.

And, for the record, neither will this:




Wow!

Yeah, nothing restores confidence like Gary Bettman and the New York Islanders.

Really?

What- I guess the Grim Reaper and the Ghost of Hitler were busy that day? You couldn't get former FEMA chief Michael Brown, along with the remaining three survivors of the Titanic disaster? Oh, I know- how about Ziggy? Yes, the cartoon character Ziggy, complete with cartoon raincloud pouring rain over his head. Wait, Ziggy- and Patient Zero. That might be slightly worse for consumer confidence.

Jesus, Christ.

Is there a bigger metaphor for "everything he touches turns to shit" than that?

Gary Bettman ringing the bell of the New York Stock Exchange.

Nice work, buddy.

OK- It's been quite a week. Sorry I didn't comment on more of the sideshow that's been running around the NHL, but I was busy, um- watching hockey.

And there is a lot of awful stuff going on around the NHL.

Seriously, as though losing Reggie Dunlop wasn't enough, the next thing you know, Def Leppard is allowed to run around with the Stanley Cup, Gary Bettman is ringing the stock exchange bell, and Sarah Palin is dropping the puck in Philly.

Wow.

Good on Larry Brooks for calling bullshit on that last one there, even if the idiots in the comments section don't back him up.

Seriously- Is that the way the NHL wants to sell itself? With the New York Stock Exchange, Def Leppard and Sarah Palin?

Well, lucky for hockey, the NHL still has two things even the marketing idiots at the NHL can't fuck up: The game itself, and the great fans who love it, despite the idiocy they throw at us.

Check out this Youtube clip, shot by fan, of the classy, wonderful banner raising ceremony out at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.



That's how you do it, Gary.

You'll note they didn't raise the banner upside down.

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Def Leppard?

Really?

Def Leppard?

(sigh)

UPDATE: Holy Shit.



This is utterly disrespectful.

Someone at the NHL should be fired for this.

Can someone explain to me why exactly people at the NHL think that things other than the game of hockey will somehow encourage Americans to watch hockey?

New Rule: No one from fucking Def Leppard is allowed to touch the Stanley Cup.

They can read it if they want.

As a side note, how about those Bruins?