Michael Landsberg on depression and Wade Belak’s death. Another heartbreaking read, but so beautifully written. Brought tears to my eyes.
Does the NHL have the shortest off-season of any major sport?
Curious.
Saw yesterday where the Penguins had players personally deliver season tickets to selected fans. Must be nice to open the door and see Crosby there with your tickets. All I have from the Caps is a UPS tracking number. :smack:
It is hard for me to take anyone seriously if their main point is a “clever” variation on someone’s name: “Cindy”, “Crysby”, “Ovie-choking”, “Ovie-chicken”, etc.
One more week!!!
Yeah, the Pens do that every year. The first year Sid was captain he did that the woman said, “They told me one of the Penguins would be coming – they didn’t tell me it would be Sidney Crosby!” And he was just, “Well, I’m a Penguin.” Heheh.
I think it’s on YouTube.
Then last year this one kid asked Sid if he had a sister, and how old she was. Heheh.
Well, there I have to disagree. Trash talk is one thing. It’s all part of the fun. Saying things like “Crysby” or the “Crapitals” – that doesn’t bother me. My friends and I all do things like that.
No, what I’m talking about are comments like “Cindy”, or “Chrissy Pronger”, or “the Sedin Sisters”. Insulting players by implying that they’re women. THAT’S what pisses me off – sexist remarks like that. Or people who call the players fags, or whatever. That’s not trash talking, that’s just being a dick.
(Although I DID see a pretty decent photoshop of Sid with Cindy Brady hair. It was pretty funny)
Let me clarify that I was mostly thinking of comments on TSN.CA where the ONLY real point is the clever name (I said main point originally). If in a discussion with friends the clever name is part of a bigger discussion that is a different situation.
Comments on TSN.ca should be ignored at all costs. My god, what a bunch of sad-sack losers (often with Leaf or Roughrider usernames) who can’t bear the thought that other teams might actually have some players with talent or might actually win a game. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an intelligent comment on there.
Dallas@Habs preseason game on RDS tonight. I can’t wait to see some of the prospects (and returning players) in action. This will be my first glimpse of Tinordi and Yemelin, and it will be interesting to see how Erik Cole plays in a Habs jersey. Habs play 8 pre-season games, including 7 in six nights, all but one (Habs@Sens) will be aired on TV. Can’t wait! “Real” hockey is back!
Ah, okay then.
ONE more day. I am soooo antsy! (Oh, and happy belated birthday to coach Dan Bylsma!)
Ooooh yeah. How about them Stars?
Earlier this week, Carey Price told the media not to expect much better than last year’s first preseason game (where he allowed 4 goals on 12? shots) because he’s just not there yet and it’s just the way he approaches the preseason.
It was still frustrating to watch, but based on last year, I’ll just “chill out” and wait for the real season to start! 
So happy Cole got the first goal of the “year” - welcome to Montreal!
Also, loved the minute and a half where Andrei Kostitsyn decided to play. Running around like a bull, knocking into players to get to the puck and then - boom - simple wrist shot for a perfect goal. Can he please do that every night?
Some of the kids looked alright, but most need another year or two before seriously being considered. Loved the check by Yemelin near the end of the game.
Stars weren’t bad, though- I’ll give them preseason credit! Ribero and Ryder make for dangerous players.
It’s a great day for (Penguins!) hockey! -Badger Bob Johnson
I’m looking forward to see how the new enforcer, Steve MacIntyre does.
And by all accounts, Sid seems to be feeling good in practice. No idea when he’ll resume full contact, though.
(But Malkin’ll be back on the ice tonight!)
What, only play for a minute per game?
I see that Mike Modano has decided to retire. A great player and a great career that lasted one season too long.
I am lucky that I got to see him play a lot during his best years. He was always talented but it wasn’t until Hitchcock came around that Mo reached his full potential. I’ll miss his hard drive to the net where he’d make a move on the goalie at the top of the crease - so hard to stop. He is a good guy who will probably be offered a front office job with the Stars before too long.
Enjoy your retirement Mike!
Modano a sure bet for the Hall of Fame? I’m thinking so.
I’d be surprised if he had to wait any longer than the standard waiting period.
If it was a guaranteed goal? I’d go for it! Kostitsyn is one of those frustrating players that seems like he doesn’t care for long stretches of time and then rattles off 2G 1A for 3 games in a row then disappears again. So much talent, so little…brains? motivation? vodka? I don’t know, but there must be a fix!
Habs lost 3-1 (final goal an empty netter) against a Buffalo team that was majority NHL players, and held their own with Jr and AHL destined players. Loving…loving, loving, LOVING Brendan Gallagher and Nathan Beaulieu (what a steal in this year’s draft! Third star of the night tonight!). So much promise in those two!
Pacioretty is a beast, but seems to be missing a bit of the finesse he had before getting hurt… that’s what the preseason’s for. And Josh Gorges looked pretty good on a new knee (I love his commentary about how his knee is now more stable and doesn’t wobble anymore…gee, you think those 7 years without an ACL might have messed up his sense of what’s normal in a knee?!)
Fun game!
Wow, Shanny throws down and gives Jody Shelley 10 games for his bush league hit. If he keeps it up, he may just be able to clean up the crap.
Here is the story and video. The most disappoint aspect of the whole thing is that some people are making excuses for the hit. Hockey will really have turned the corner when those excuses go away for good.
I think it’s a good start for Shanahan. It is, in effect, a 5 game suspension standard for the regular season, which is harsh until you remember that Shelley is dumb enough to be a repeat offender. I think it establishes a baseline of, say, 1 game for the boarding (based on Letourneau-Leblanc’s regular season penalty), 2 more for the injury and 2 more for the repeat offender status. At least, I hope that’s what we are going to see. We’ll have to wait and see what happens if a Stamkos or an Ovechkin or Chara level player fucks up.
What I like is that Shanahan appears to be bright enough to realize that there are objective standards to this stuff. Late hit? Injury? Vulnerable player? In many cases, those things are objectively clear, and the “intent” of the player doing the hit is entirely irrelevant. If you are expected to have control of the end of your hockey stick - which, you’ll notice, is controlled by arms and shoulders - then you need to have control of your fucking arms and shoulders, and you need to know and understand when a player is vulnerable to a hit. “It’s a fast game” isn’t an excuse for bringing your elbows up, or jumping into a hit, or deliberately taking a run at someone.
Ron Wilson is an idiot.
Speaking of idiots…I really hope the fucking moron in London ONT is outed and given the public ridicule they so richly deserve.
I love that he’s doing it by video and explaining his rationale clearly and thoroughly. If that’s the way supsensions are handled through the season, I’m impressed.