GO Bruins!

Wow, the Bruins are doing really well. Its very early in the season, however, the Bruins finally look like the team they have wanted to be. To get there, they needed some maturation from their young players, a solid goalie and a real captain. I really like Zdeno Chara, however, he was not ready to be anyones captain after he left the Sens. He had too many leaders around him with Alfie and others, that he was only leader by example. With the young squad the Bruins had when he took over, that kind of leadership was just not going to fly. So, go BRuuuuins! I'm really happy to see them do well. Not against the Rangers, but you know. In general! =D

OOps

Its getting a little ridic how little I've been updating. Its hockey season after all!! I've been updating my live journal more than this for some reason. I need to get my priorities straight! Although , I have been pretty much incapacitated for the last week and working like crazy the week before!

So here are my hockey observations in the last few weeks:

--I was fortunate enough to go to Bruins Opening Night at the Garden a week ago and had a blast!! The Bruins for the first time in a looooong time, looked hungry and seem to be a bit more centered. Peter Schaffer was a great pick up and Lucic and Krejci are great looking Rookies. Lucic to me looks like he will need some time but hes the big name, unlike Krejci who was the smaller name but I think will be a good, solid player. Like a Chris Neill or a Mike Fisher.

-- My dear sweet Rangers. Sigh. October. Lundqvist has actually been less heart attack inducing than usual, however, Drury and Gomez...? HELLO?! Have you been distracted by the piles of money and beautiful ladies that are probably on those piles of money? Because, lets get with the program, loves. In watching the Rangers/Devils game today, the power play was Drury, Shanahan, Rosival and Gomez. Thats an amazing combination. Did it work? NO. I may be starting to contemplate if its Tom Renny thats the real problem here.

-- The Wild went undeafeated until yesterday. WTF.

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5i_oghS3bGCt37RmfVd72YYp6ddAQ

More on this later...

RANGERS WIN!

Ohhhh hell ya! What a way to begin the season boys! Rangers were tied, in the third, with about 11 mins remaining, and CHRIS FREAKING DRURY gets up and bangs Jagrs' rebound into the net. Sweet sweet victory, you say? Yes it was. What was sweeter was that 3 goals were scored in 4 minutes in the third and that the Rangers were as inconsistent as ever! The NHL.com article was pretty much like wow. The Rangers sucked. Until the Panthers sucked more. Ahhh, nothing like the sweet smell of an opening season game victory because some other team had a nuclear meltdown. I love being a Rangers fan. :-*

Id also like to note that Petr Prucha scored. Should he keep up this trend, he may not be traded. FINGERS CROSSED!

Season Starting!!

My months and months of foot tapping, channel surfing, incessant complaining and restlessness are now gone. ITS HOCKEY SEASON! Yes, it officially started on Saturday, but it was in friggen England, which is known for its cool, snow filled winters and its common practice for children to learn to skate at the age of 2 --- obvi. Apparently the NHL did this to expand its viewership in Europe which is funny because last time I checked, the NHL does not a team called the Valleys of Southern France but maybe I havent been looking hard enough. The Kings lost and the Ducks lost and now there are more games to be played. Rangers start against the Panthers which should be a blowout if our top off season aquisitions have anything to say about it. BTW, the new NHL website is very pretty and much more user friendly now -- I am proud of them for the old website sucked tremendously. With work going the way its going (which is -- not good) and life (which is in general fanstasic -- recent events could be better), I can say with certainty that the NHL has picked a fabulous time to start its new season. I never really did get around to making my list of people who make me drool out on the ice but next was to be Dany Heatly, who scares me a little when he has the puck. I will not elborate more, or make jokes but hes amazing and hockey is amazing and IT STARTS TODAY!

The Onion

God, I love this website:

http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/nhl_giving_it_another_try

God, I love Dany Heatley. Man, Im really cranky at work and need some NHL now.

A Baseball Post

Nick Swisher was suspended 3 games last night for charging the mound. Hes. So. Freaking. Awesome. And to Vincente Padilla -- Swisher works out in the offseason by pushing farm trailers up and down hills. Please do not fuck with him again.

I cant believe my oakland a's this season. What a fall from grace. To say the least! But there are positives. For example, we can see Rich Harden one last time. Hopefully he wont get injured. Umm, AGAIN. But, the a's are doing something pretty cool. This is something they usually do but with the crappiness of this season, its like giving visual hope to their fans. They have been playing all the big name prospies that are chillin in Sacremento just waiting to be called up for real. Beane needs to figure out what hes doing with all these people. Why he didnt make a deal for someone with another someone this season isnt too beyond me, but he has all these big name guys, seasoned veterans, who are constantly getting injured or, in Eric Chavez's case not performing up to potential and he has to figure out some way to move them. He usually does the huge collasall trade of a huge name (ahemmmm Mark Mulder, Time Hudson) but I dont think he can do it this time around. Hudson and Mulder were not yet on their big name/money contracts so the Braves/Cards didnt mind so much taking the chance. The chance worked out more favorably for the Braves obvi but thats a whole other post. Mulder will still be my favorite of the big three, no matter how friggen crappy his numbers get. Althouhg, I for sure know, that I will be sitting around watching TV in October and there wont even be a flash of green and gold. ::sadness:: Doesnt mean I'm not going to wear my oakland a's hat to breakfast on saturday.

Oh and to Marc Staal -- I know you're a Ranger and as a result, I have to like (you too stupid silly hateyouuu Scott Gomez) but you are still a Staal. And it will take me a season to figure out what will triumph over the other but for now...holy crap. You are damn good. <3 Priya.

King Henrik

Player number 4:

Henrik Lundqvist. Dreamy, Swedish, plays for the Rangers, has impeccable hair and spits at women! Who doesnt want to see him play?! Oh yeah, and he is the best goalie the Rangers have had since Mike Richter. Granted, that wasnt too far away, however, with bombs such as Kevin Weekes (::shudder::) Henrik is a godsend to Rangers fans. He has some amazing angels on the puck. He doesnt have the reflexes that Brodeur does or the abilty to move laterally like a Fluery but he has solid fundamentals and solid ability. There really isnt one thing about Lundqvist that stands out, other than his numbers. When you watch him play, there is a bit 0f surprise that one feels when they see his GAA. He isnt one for the spectacular save, most of the time (HA Buffalo 2006 semi finals) but he has a quick glove hand so it always looks damn cool.

CAMPS OPEN IN 2 DAYS! = D


And, in all seriousness. Never forget. 9.11.01.

Pi-zzz-art Three

DION PHANEUF!

The man of how the F(%*#K do you say his name! The NHL did an ad with all these cool things about hockey and one of the was Dion wearing his jersey backwards and he goes, all tough and hot, "Its pronounced F-NUF." And, that is exactly how that man plays defense. I usually do not get excited about defenseman. Its one of those positions to me, that if its played well, you dont notice it -- you just pay attention to plays that are allowed to happen. Not, however, with Dion. He is a wall. A brick wall. On ice! If he goes mano-a-mano with any guy in that league, that man is down. And out. He plays so hard out there and is so quick for the huge guy that he is. He also plays incredibly smart defense for a dude whose a year younger than I am! I think Jarome Iginla's days as captain are pretty numbered with Phaneuf on the team. He is just a stong presence with such good numbers. The main reason that the Flames dropped it was Dion's failed plays. I think he got a bit excited out there and struggled. He was -3 in the last game against the Ducks and was a bit inconsistent throughout the playoffs so it contributed to the Flames loss as a whole. But, he is the best man on man defenseman in the whole freaking league. And if I can be a girl for one second, hes freaking hot. Although, I would end up pissing him off by calling him Celine Dion. Or Phaneuf-a-nutter. Mmm...fluff-a-nutters. I'm getting food.

Playa #2

My second player in my continuing series of hockey players that I love isssssssssss

JASON SPEZZA!

Im in an extremely happy mood since its the Friday before a long weekend and I get to leave at 2 and I have awesome plans for tonight and so Jason Spezza became choice two for these reasons. The reason I love Jason Spezza is his smile! He is so so smiley and it makes me smile. And then his passing/playmaking ability makes me swoon and fall to my knees. Spezza has a really soft pass but has a great hard shot to the net and is an extremely unselfish player out there. Working with Heatley and Alfie, he realyl has no choice; those players are more talented than he is. But, he has an amazing eye and the ability to make sure those passes go through. During the Stanely Cup Finals, he, more than anyone else out there, was the person to defend. If he had the puck, you know the puck was going to be moving around and to all the right people. The only criticsm I have for Spetz is that he is not very good defensively. Um, not at all really. He tends to just focus on the play in the offensive zone and doesnt even think to hold back for a bit and take care of people behind him, allowing for smarter defenseman to go to the front of the net as an extra defender. And THAT BLOWS JASON. Dont freaking do that! If you want to be a complete player, learn your fundamentals. That being said, I heart you Jason Spezza. You make me smile because you are so smiley. And an amazing hockey player. Few more years, ya got Alfie beat.

Alot More Random Crap

I am really starting to run out of topics to talk about here -- the preseason seriously needs to begin. For one, watching sports is my biggest stress reliever (esp with friends), however, the Oakland Athletics decided to try and give me a hernia at the age of 22 instead of actually play baseball and stay healthy this season, so I need my hockey more than ever. I will never forget the NHL lockout in 2003 because I was living in Canada at the time (just my luck right? I get to see Bertuzzi and Naslund and then no freaking hockey) and because my friend Matty( who I'm going to see over Columbus Day!! Nina, Pinta and the Santa Maria stand no chance) said to me after I bitched for a good 35 minutes about the bad day I was having, "Wow. So you become a girl when you have to use tools and when the NHL has a lockout. May hockey come back for the good of us all." And its true friends. May hockey come back for it is the equivalent of sunshine and roses for me. Or actually, I more compare it to the scene in the Wizard of Oz where Dorothy falls asleep in the poppies and is awakened by fresh snow. Replace the poppies here with lots of rubber pucks and happy dreams of the Stanely Cup and the snow with giant Canadian/Eastern European men who have clearly some disdain for the dentist and a razor blade. Mmm, toothless, hairy men. Um, in hockey uniforms. Or something.

So, I will not talk about how much I hate Sidney Crosby today although his clothing line with hot pink T-shirts is reaffirming every theory I have about him, nor will I address the growing Staal problem. Although, the Staal problem, with two of the brothers getting arrested in Minnesota, is a comedy forum just taunting me "Priya, go for it! Make fun of them! Go on! Its all right here! Run like the wind!" But I wont. With the impending arrival of Marc Staal to my Rangers, I have to be nice. Well that and Mommy Staal has the family I forsee myself having: 4 boys all who have gone to the NHL. With a little good luck and a decently attractive husband, they will hopefully not be as ugly or mentally retarded but you know, things happen.

What I will talk about is the an article similar to Paul Kukkla's on NHL.com. Its the players I cannot wait to see play. Some of my picks may be the same as Paul's but lets be honest: These guys should be almost everyones top pick. So here we are in no particular order:

1. Pavel Datsyuk
What to say about Pavel Datsyuk --- more like what not to say about Pavel Datsyuk! That mans hands are the softest yet powerful hands that exist in the NHL today. He can handle the puck like an egg and then bang that egg 90mph into the upper right hand corner of the net no matter whose there to try and stop it. He looks so funny out there, with his slumped shoulders and kinda hunched back but then he kicks it into gear and its explosive. He is so fun to watch out on the ice because hes like a secret. Everyone knows what a great rookie season he had but he did have a downturn (very slight but a downturn nonetheless) a few seasons after. After alot of growing up and maturing as a player in his technique and defensive play, he was a force in the Red Wings playoff games and scored key goals for them. Alot of critics say he cant be a big game player but I think thats because he plays for the freaking Red Wings! Have you seen their roster?! If their team has one more "leader" they will become the Yankees. He has not had the chance to lead his team in any capacity but why should he when he plays with the likes of Nick Lindstrum and Dominick Hasek? Plus, I think I would be a bit twitchy if I played for the Red wings, with people throwing octupi at me all the time. Creepy. But yes. Go Pavel!

-- Crap, my hour for lunch is over but I will continue this at home later tonight.

Jersey Talk

I am having a rather awful Saturday so I need to bitch about it for just one second. Apparently, the D line, has changed their shuttle buses. Rather than there being a Fenway shuttle bus, like there has been for the last months, you now have to take the Fenway bus at Reservoir. I did not know this. I also did not know that there is now a bus that goes outbound to Riverside. So, I wake up at the crack of friggen dawn today to run some errands early so I could have breakfast with friends and then a quiet day at home which has not happened in a long time. I go to Reservoir and because of it being early and I havent finished my coffee yet, I get on the Riverside bus. I finally just get off at Woodland and get back on the bus to Reservoir. I have already missed breakfast at this point because it takes 45 minutes to get to woodland (who knew?). I get back to Reservoir on the Kenmore bus and decide to get off since I could just take the Fenway express shuttle. The MBTA woman said I just got off the Fenway shuttle but I am convinced that there has always been a bus that says green line shuttle to Fenway. So, this bus finally shows up with the header of Fenway so I make sure it goes to Fenway and I get on and sit down. Nope. Its going to Riverside. I say hey bus driver, doesnt this go to Fenway? He said no it changed since you asked me. 2 MINUTES AGO. I had to wait til I got to NEWTON to get off and take the 60 to Kenmore. At this point its about 11:30 when I left my house at 8:45. And then my back pack broke at Trader Joes. And then my Trader Joes bag broke on the way back to Brighton. All with groceries held tightly inside them. And then I came home to find that my cat had clawed her way through the brand new 10lb bag of food I just bought her and there was cat food all over my just cleaned room. Then I ordered a sausage, pepper and onion sub at Bluestone. They made me a sausage pepper and onion pizza. Luckily for myself, I have MLB extra innings so I sat and watched the Oakland a's game (which they lost. to the Devil Rays.) and slept. until now. And now Im complaining. And now Im stopping but bear with me; Im unnecessarily cranky not only because of my day but sometimes being a girl sucks. But so much for quiet days.

Apparently the A's have a player named Furmaniak (literally pronounced Fur - maniac) who is their new shortstop while the injuries continue to plague them. And the Devils Rays Mascot had a birthday today so all the masocts around the MLB and surrounding teams were at the game. So Rays announcers went on and on about how Furmaniak is the leader of all mascots and he would be their speaker at the next convention. So, Rays announcers must have a lot of time on their hands since their team has been in last place ever since their sad existence started. And they are rather amusing. I kind of wonder if Furmaniak knew that they were talking about him like that cuz thats kinda messed up.

Anyway, hockey. The title of the post is jersey talk. As you all may or may not know the NHL has had a deal with Reebok to not only parade around Sydney Crosbys sexually questionable ass but also to design aerodynamic jerseys. So they have apparently designed a new jersey that according the website "enhances skill". Right. Or its just a giant marketing ploy to get NHL fans to buy new jerseys. NHL fans are the most loyal around because once you love hockey you never stop loving hockey and people are not about to stop supporting their teams. I am pretty lucky to be a fan of a first six team, its been a while since the Rangers did anything drastic. They really only introduced the third jersey and not much else has changed. But other fans have not been so lucky. For example, the Ducks used to be the Mighty Ducks. And their uniforms were purple. Then they were the mighty ducks and had green. Then they became the Ducks and went orange. And then there is the capitals. They changed their jersey last season. And now they have another change. Oh, and the buffalo sabres. Oh and the Canucks. Those are pretty big fan bases. And the Reebok jersey is changing logos as well as materials. The NHL sweater is one of the few sports traditions. They are still made out of wool (granted a wool blend) and are just big blankets of comfy nhl sweater. Now, they are tighter fitting to the body (apparently to accentuate the players size -- why this important I have no idea. NHL players will soon be allowed to jump out of cakes and sing seductively) but allow for more speed. I kind of like them but will miss wool sweaters so so much. They are just so classic. But I hopefully think that it will be like baseball socks. When I see guys who pull up their socks (like my beloved Barry Zito) its such a throwback and I love it. Maybe guys will be allowed to wear the old school sweaters but i think that may wishful thinking. Considering how many logos have changed it doesnt seem like it. The Rangers one seems a bit odd -- like off center but I dont know. I liked them at the all star game but they seemed like a novelty at that point. It will seem so odd to the first day of preseason and everyone in different jerseys. But its not going to do the one thing that the NHL needs most. MORE FANS! If someone doesnt watch the sport in the first place no one is gonna give a flying fuck that the jerseys changed. So how about new fans before we design jerseys that are nicer than the shit NASA gives out to astronauts.

Sorry about the bitchy post. Stupid MBTA.

Updating! FINALLY!

So, now that I have constant internet access, I can actually start updating this beast again. Plus since I'm in training and have NOTHING to do for work yet, I can look like I'm being productive instead of laughing at the gmail list (WOOOORD UP kids). So, the offseason. Holy Hell huh?! Daniel Briere turned in Daniel Greedy-Air, Chris Drury is a Ranger and Scott Gomez is a Ranger. Now, Scotty Gomez was the most shocking news for me since, as you all know, I hate the god damn mother f^&%&^*(%^&$% ing NJ devils and now one of the most precious Devils has now joined in on the longest lasting love relationship in my life. However, despite Scott Gomez being from Alaska, I'm really excited. He is EVERYTHING the Rangers need. Chris Drury too, however, Scotty Gomez has proved himself in the Eastern Division (even though he only had like 13 goals last year). Signing both of them is the smartest move a Rangers GM has made since Gretzky. Gomez costed roughly the worth of my entire life (including future spouse/millions of cats) but he has no pressure on him. Hes not the go to guy at all. The Rangers have Drury to fall back on who actually had a good season last year. Gomez worries me a bit because he gets moody out on the ice but he is generally solid. I am worried that this signing will hurt my dear Petr Prucha's future but alas. Apparently the new catchphrase in the NHL is "If it doesnt work out try TRY the Blue Jackets!" Think about it -- every guy who has been forcasted to have a sick career has ended up there -- Manny Malhotra etc. At least Rick Nash was home grown talent -- although notably him and Gilbert Brule are following same career pattern of lets be super huge for a second, get injured for like 2 years and come back and kick ass again. And I sae Gilbert Brule play in Vancouver and guy will totally kick ass. He reminds me of a young Paul Kariya (how the hell did he end up on the blues?!).

Speaking of Van-City, WE HAVE TREVOR LINDEN! HESSSS BACK! and so so old! But hes like the Chris Chelios of the Canucks! Its siiiiick. Maybe they will take away the C from Naslund and let Linden have it for his last year. Speaking of last years, TEEMU Selanne make up yor damn Finnish heartthrob mind. When I saw him cry in the finals in june, I mustve cried out a liter of turpentine ( I dont cry real tears). Alas, I have cut myself on my chair rather deeply and now need to go find a band aid. I will continue this at some point this weekend. Peace and go to Maine.

Lack of Postin

I apologize for my lack of postage as of late. As excited as I am about the finals, I was also moving the last few days and working 2 jobs and rather busy. I did not get to see the game on Wednesday because the cable company screwed up (BOO) but have heard that Anahiem won. Which is positive. Hahaha, no I have no idea. This post will be useless considering that I have not even watched that game, cannot watch the one tonight and am all rather pissed about the situation but I will, in my crazy, listen to it online (thank person I'm stealing internet from!) and write all I can about it. I hear the Ducks D is killing Ottawas offense which makes me feel tingly inside. I did want Ottawa to win at some point but then my bitterness as a Sabres fan took its roots and I rebeled. Besides, I grew up with the Mighty Ducks movies! They are as much as my hometown team as the Rangers! So Go Ducks! And GO USELESS POSTS! :-D

Spezza is a fine defenseman....

...NOT!!!!!!! Ooohh, I love cheap shots first thing in the morning! The first ten minutes of the game put me into slight cardiac arrest because the Sens were dominating the Ducks which led to the Mike Comrie/Fisher goal. But, then the Ducks got into gear and WHAM! Victory! Its not that the Sens didnt play well, I thought they did. In general, they stayed away from taking stupid penalities, played awesome defense against the Getzlaf line, but in the end, the Ducks were too much.

The top line was absolutely shut down by Pronger and Scotty N! Spezza/Alfie/Heatly had some great chances due to their quickness and Spezza's amazing passing ability but the defense was too quick, too strong and played too well. I really liked how the Ducks coach approched the SPH line. More of a man on man kinda thing, making sure the puck didnt even touch one of the big three's sticks as opposed to playing a zone defense so Ottawa could move the puck around. Letting Ottawa play around with that puck is dangerous for any team. Just ask the final goal they scored against Buffalo! Three Sabres guarding and a goal still scored (Sorry, Me = Bitter). The top line not only looked like they had 8 days off but also looked like they had 8 days to believe all the hype. DAMNNN BOYS! What were you thinking on some of those plays?! When Moen scored that goal, it was shocking to see such a lapse in Ottawa's defensive judgment. I do not think Spezza is any good defensively, depsite all of NHL.com's articles to make me believe so, but Heatley and Alfie are top notch all around players. To let the forechecking line score in such a crucial game at such a crucial time, with Spezza right there (!!), shows that Spezza is not a complete player. And that the Ducks were too much for Ottawa. I do really respect the play making ability of Spezza. And I have nothing but the utmost of adoration for Wade Redden who I firmly believe is the most underated defenseman in the entire league. But both really need to evaluate the defensvie approach they have been taking because its really not successful.

I love how the Ducks have gone through the playoffs without one star. Everyone will obviously look to Giggy because goalies always deserve the credit, but the Niedermayers, Proger, Getzlaf, Moen etc have all contributed to the Ducks success. Scotty N looks like a guy half his age out there. And kinda like the hockey version of Viggo Mortenson. Less attractive though. He is really ageless. I remember watching him play on the Devils where he was obviously overshadowed by Scott Stevens but he was secretly always one of my favorites growing up. He is a lead by example kind of guy who all those young defensemen should look up to and emulate. He may not be the presence that Pronger is, or execute the Volchenkov/Vermette style hits but like Redden and Lydman, he is just a good player who focuses on teamwork and the basics. More hockey players should be like him.

Pre-Game 1

YAY!! So, the race for the most coveted and respected trophy in sports is oooooooon at 8pm tonight! FINALLY. I think if there was anymore time between the conference finals and the cup finals, people would've forgotten hockey altogether. Well, no one here knows hockey exists anyway. I had full proof of this when I wore my Jason Pominville shirt to my law school property final and some kid goes "Wow, thats a cool banana on your shirt! Is Pominville a kind of banana?" I shit you not. First of all kid, bananas dont have faces with red eyes. Nor horns. But, then I thought to myself, I dont know this kid, maybe he eats crazy things. I mean, lets face it, kiwis can look kinda strange. And Pominville could be like the cooler sounding chiquita (bear with me through this) and I bet Pominville likes bananas as maybe all the Sabres do so it could be that the kid was on to something. And then my final was over, and I returned to mental normalcy and went back to thinking that the kid was an absolute idiot.

Anyway, general stupidity aside, I will get back to hockey stupidity. As Scott Burnside was so quick to point out, the fight for the Stanley Cup is two very very different markets. Now, while I agree that hockey is a religion in Canada, I know having lived there during the lockout of all times, it is also because the hockey coverage is all over the place. Granted, there are intangibles involved with the cold weather etc etc but I'm only talking about coverage here. Hockey Night in Canada is the most watched and beloved TV programming in Canada -- a different take than sayyy oohhh, American Idol(which is GENIUS!)? Not to mention, that they have several sports stations up there so they are not limited by what one major station gives them no choice but to view (COUGH ESPN COUGH). I'm not going to get into this debate about versus again, but Mr. Burnside, let me inform you and your ignorant about Canadian sports self, that Canada actually does have other sports teams that they watch and love so conflicting coverage is in all markets NOT just Anaheim. Hockey is just Canada's pastime so of course the entire country is behind it. If any American baseball team was playing the Blue Jays in the World Series, I bet Americans would be all about it too.

My hockey hero John Buccigross himself went for Ottawa to win this series for the same reasons I mentioned that Anaheim would win. Both teams are creepily similar to each other but I honestly do think that Anaheim has more depth that the Sens. But, so did the Sabres. But, the Sabres were a struggling team when they played Ottawa, never looking at all like their regular season, President's Cup winning self in every respect other than goaltending. Anaheim has been sharp throughout the series with the Red Wings and beat the best defenseman in the league today. Hell, maybe ever.

Anaheim's goaltending is also a step above the Sens. Emery is -- well, hes Emery. The media obviously loves him for something I call the "Barry Zito Complex" or BZC. BZC is defined as excessive media attention just because one does not fit the mold that one should while playing professional sports. Few athletes fit into this mold and have therefore been overestimated talent wise because they have so much coverage about their personalities, it subconsciously makes others, people and GM's alike, that these people have playing talent as well as personality. With no offensive to the uniqueness of Ray Emery, I know plenty of people who have tattoos and wear all kinds of crazy crap. Me included. But then again, I dont play professional sports. But Emery does. So as a result, the media has found something they can market and take talent that is granted better than most but not the best and try to convince people that he is the best to ever play. They did this is Barry Zito, hence the name of said complex, and made him out to be some crazy who did yoga (ZOMGZ!) but woooooahhh look at his curveball!! This gave him a contract worth more than my entire life including but not limited to the person I will eventually marry (or all of my crazy cats, you know wherever fate takes me), subsequent children and grandchildren. Now, I remember distinctly, because it was THAT long ago, the last time the Ducks were in the finals and JS Giggy was everywhere. Maybe because he had THE most fantastic playoff beard of all time (unless some hockey player with BZC decides to groom a fu man chu for the finals --C'mon emery! Make yourself useful!) but also because he was personable and extremely talented. In following the Ducks this season, I was kind of shocked to see Giggy struggling and the media calling Giggy and Bryzgalof a team. Bryzgalof (aside from having a very annoying name to type) is just a backup compared to Giggy. Giggy is a clutch, big time performing goalie who does not crack under pressure. In this case, the Ducks will have him to thank for their first Stanley Cup victory.

My Little Heart is Touched

This link will touch your heart like it did mine. Yes, I love the Sabres but this story is making me root for the Senators. ::TEAR:: And, for a personal note! I got accepted for my cat adoption application!!!!!!!!! Now, what name do you like better? Bertuzzi or Spezza? The kitty is giant(SERIOUSLY GIANT -- when I picked her up her tail hit my knees!) maine coone with black and white coloring and big green eyes. So, help me out friends who have not been bored to death with my hockey ramblings :)

Match Up Set!!!

WOOOOT!! So, here it is--the Stanley Cup Finals are set to start on Monday and its between the Anaheim Ducks and the Ottawa Senators. (SNOOOOREEEE) Ohhh, excuse me! No, no, jk jk. I'm actually personally very excited about this match up. Anaheims defense is so strong and they could finally be the one team to stop the Alfredsson, Heatley, Spezza line. One quick side note if I may-- I dislike when people call Jason Spezza, Jason SPE-SSA when its Jason Spetz-za. I mean, do these people order piszz-a for dinner or peetza? YEAH. Thats what I thought too. And its right in the NHL pronunciation guide! If Doc Emerich can pronounce Afinogenov or Phaneuf, Spezza should be a breeze. One more side note from the current side note, I LOVE Dion Phaneuf. If he was my best friend, I'd call him Dion Phaneuf-a-nutter everyday of his life. Until he throws me out of a window that is. Okay, Okay, back on track.

Watching Anaheim last night (after my four drive from Rhode Island to NY -- arr) I couldnt help think how solid their D is. Pronger and the brothers Niedermayer arent the only ones. Getzlaf and MacDonald are incredibly impressive. They fit the new NHL mode perfectly. Offensive minded defenseman. Perfect. Detroit just kept getting shut down -- if it wasnt Zetteburg in front of the net and Datsyuk's speed and ability (drool -- such. good. hands.) , the goals they scored wouldnt have even happened.

I could talk on for days about this, but since I'm at home, my computer is rather slow. Hence, its a dinosaur and it takes 2 minutes for my typing to show up on the screen. So, I'm gonna cut this one a bit short. But, my expert (HA!) prediction is that the Ducks D will shut down Ottawa's big line. And Giguere will goaltend circles around Emery. But, I do think it will be a hard fought battle--so Ducks in 7.

No Hockey Yesterday

Sadness Factor. I know its the end of the season and these kinds of days will come more frequently but still. I watched the Red Sox /Yanks game instead and I tend to forget how hard it is for me to transition back into baseball. Baseball, as much as I love it, is honestly just plain slow. And theres no contact, no real physical play and rarely are there moments that make my heart stop. But, I did grow up in America after all, and after a few days of having hockey off, I'll be in the swing of baseball things.

I will miss my hockey though -- even though I dont really have a lot of people around in my little life who love hockey with the same passion I do, it still does become such a huge part of my winter months. I'm worse than a stay at home mom and Passions. Hockey players may be walking masses of boring and low IQ but not all. Watch one interview with Jason Spezza (NOT DANY HEATLEY -- he is boring as sin) or even dare I say ittttt JR and like all sports, not every athlete is the mold they are put in. Jason Spezza has one of the best personalities in the game and can be a real spokesman for it but because he plays for a Canadian team, he never will be.

The NHL (and Gary Bettman, who looks like the Count from Sesame Street) is looking for Sydney Crosby-esque stories. A small boy with more talent that he knows what to do with who is single handedly saving a franchise that, without him, would go under SUPER SYDNEY! Syd, as great of a player as he is, is not Wayne Gretzky. Every sport has their one major representative and sometimes that rep just lives in the past. You think Babe Ruth still isnt the face of MLB? You think people look at Allen Iverson or Steve Nash like they look at Michael Jordan? Prob Not. So lets face it NHL, shoving pre-pubescent Crosby in my face every five minutes makes me want to buy him a REAL jock strap and not hockey tickets. Discount tickets, give people the opportunity to see real hockey.

My personal love for the game has always there but truly took its monster/love of my life form when I went to see my college hockey team play every weekend. If you can make a good 3000 students love hockey while watching it in a cramped cold area with sub-par players who only play against the kind of talent that will go to the NHL while under the influence of copious amounts of alcohol, an NHL stadium will be a breeze. So, while the NHL closes down on a side stage as opposed to front and center, I hope, for its sake, it is gaining the fans it so desperately needs.

P.S. -- To Gary Bettman who will never read this but whatever -- please hurt yourself on something for not putting your tail between you legs and crawling back to ESPN. Then maybe people would not have seen an infomercial instead of one of the longest games in playoff history, or the overtime of a Conference Final in which the team that has given your league their highest national ratings get eliminated. Just a suggestion. You D bag.

Stupid Pierre Mcguire

I cannot even express my hatred for Pierre McGuire. Who does this guy seriously think he is? He acts like hes the freshman in high school equipment manager hanging out with the quarterback of the football team. Ugh, watching him conduct interviews with the players is like watching an awkward dude flirting with a girl whose obviously too pretty for him.

But, Pierre aside, The Ducks - Wings series is so much fun to watch. They are such evenly matched teams with incredible speedy fowards. AND THE GOALTENDING! JS Gigeure (sp? Im no good with French) and Hasek have turned even the best turnover turned breakaways into the best looking save. They have kept their teams in it when their defense has played sloppy or when one team has simply outskated the other. This series is seriously hockey at its finest. Both teams are playing with heart and skill. Unlike, ahem, some otherrr series that just ended in OT -- names not included.

Even with their defensive mistakes, Detroit has the best playoff beards this season. I hope they make into the finals just to see how impressive those beards can really get. Coupled with Ottawa's few impressive beards (Mike Fisher, here is the only props I will ever give you!) the finals will end up looking like Disney presents Yettis on Ice, with the new hit, I Live Isolated on a Mountain with No Razors. Yup, I went there and made that joke.

Canada's Cup?

Ahh, a brilliant rainy saturday afternoon watching some hockey. First of all, WHY THE HELL was the CONFERENCE FINAL on saturday AFTERNOON?! I pretty much refuse to believe that hockey has become so unpopular that we are reduced to the same time as sports such as PGA Bowling and Bass Fishing.
But, the random Gary Bettman/Versus frustration aside, the game today was brilliance. Well, not really considering I was rooting for Buffalo all the way, but at times, it actually felt like the Sabres had showed up for the series. So thanks Buffalo! Too bad the series started 4 games ago! Buffalo this post season has been wildly inconsistent but in all honesty, i dont know how people didnt see this "collapse" coming. Buffalo's penalty kill was never strong during the season and everyone knows that the key to winning playoff games, esp this far into the playoffs, you need your special teams to operate on all cylinders. To get to any team this late, you can only really attack when they are a man down and Buffalo just didnt get it done. They lacked any sort of heart until game 4. Briere was slumping, Pominville slumping and Kalinin was napping on his skates most of the game. All this and Ottawa just outplayed them. Pure and simple. Their special teams took advantage of their opportunities and their defense played well. The media seems to think Ray Emery is all that and a bag o chips, but I highly disagree. The reason Ottawa's D plays so well in front of Emery is because THEY HAVE TO. He gives away rebounds that extend farther than the great wall of china (whatever that means). If the D wasnt there, he would look quite the fool.
Spezza, on the other hand, deserves all the credit he gets and more. That man passes like a dream come true; there was rarely a pass that did not go straight to the intended's tape. To quote the horrible announcers that Versus employs, he is a "conductor" out there. And, just to mention, Heatly scares the crap outta me. I clearly can make an excellently timed pun right now but I will refrain; after all we are just beginning. When he has the puck, I always cringe a little for the opposition. More than likely, they will look quite the fool. An April Fool as it were (Simpsons -- get used to these). So, since the sens beat the sabres, I will become a student of "if you can beat em....join em". So, heres hoping for the Senators!! I guess...

The First Post

So, many may consider this to be bad timing in terms of starting a hockey blog, but, a hockey fan knows no boundaries in my opinion. So ONWARD! This will try (maybe succeed sometimes) in trying to speak about the NHL with something resembling humor. I am, as a dear friend says, a hockey polygamist. I cant get enough of the sport and have been watching it since I was a little kid growing up in NYC. Who wouldnt watching Gretzky, Messier, Richter and Graves anyway?! Only crazies wouldnt. Only crazies. So, in a way my fandom is largely Ranger based ( I really despise the NJ Devils. Like kinda really), but over the years, I have grown certain attachments to certain players and as a result have followed them and their teams and have become a fan of hockey as a whole. So, I hope you enjoy! And thanks for stopping by :)