Leonard and his travels west

Now as many of you know, my friends and I recently attempted to climb the Andes during winter to prove our manhoods. That failed miserably and I lay dormant and injured in a remote hospice just east of Chile recuperating for much of the early spring. All I had were financial statements and a tv showing the NHL playoffs which were lovely. I found solace in actor Vincent Vaughn's excitement and court side seating at game 5 when Betty Bolland scored. His name is Betty isn't it? Oh and the song Kyrie echoed loudly in the hill tops every morning. I began writing one day. Chenz went top shelf and we went from there. A little boy at the local blacksmith's laying the framework for a sword. My cat hairs on edge.

As my strength returned I contacted Camille and we met atop the summit to imbibe Cutty Sark.

He told me of the hardships that many faced in a double dip the chip recession. He told me of Scott Hartnell's hair and the effort he put forth during the finals. He told me of the last airbenders and how air can be bent in the fortesque. He warned me of Kobeee and Lebron. He explained Jonathan Toews muttontown chops on his face. He compared them to a frightened turtle and George Jason Lexington Lewis Costanza. Stop me when I've reached the actor Barry Pepper and the wheels have completely fallen off your comprehension of my discourse.

My fall in the Andes that left me in bed for 6 months can best be described by this picture.

I was climbing with Dandenault, Leschyshyn, and McMichaels and we got to the cloud level and it felt like I was falling for two days maybe. They counted on their way down...I....Leonard Thomas the Cat fell about 4 stories into a dewey underhang that broke my fall however I cracked every vertabrae in my body left virtually immobile and like an idiot continue to have limited use of my legs. You know...a lot goes thru your mind as you plummet four stories...maybe these pictures can summarize my thoughts on the way down.

Currently as I fully recover I am writing a short story. It will be called the Life and Times of Broadway Tony Ess. A schematic essay set in the time of Tony right around the time of the last airbenders. It will speak of Surfing Briere, Joe Sakics mid stride toey, J.R.'s awesome hair, the opposite of Pierre Maguire and Eddzo and everything terrible about those two. It will touch upon the blublocker cam on Pronger before the game last night, the way Kane was the only person to know he'd scored the most important goal of his career, John Liles and the aftermath of WWII.

I don't always drink Beer, but when I do....

Well you know the rest

Have a soak my friends,

Leonard the Cat

What you missed last night because you got head faked.

Like I said on twitter last night, everyone at the bar was either a Flyers fan (unlikely) or rooting for a game 7 (more likely). Nemmy said that when the Flyers tied it up there was no way the Hawks would win the game. He didn't count on Kane's mullet shake distracting Kimo and giving him enough space to beat Leighton.




Soft goal? Maybe. Its a quick shot thats probably harder to stop. Ask Ryan Miller.


Some final thoughts on game 7 and the series in general:

• Did Pronger get dirtier or did the refereeing become stricter as the series went on?
• Briere and Hartnell were the only Flyers to show up after game 4
• Matt Carle got walked by Hossa with like 2 minutes left in the 3rd. Leighton got his chest in the way of the puck.
• Does Niemi catch pucks in the weirdest way possible?

I wish this went to game 7. Now I have to go to a karaoke birthday party on Friday. Thanks a lot Kane!

Weekend Wrap Up OR Q just used a video game to change his lines

So I was in Philly Friday night to watch game 4. Did you follow along on twitter?

Heres a picture of me with John Bucigross:He's a really friendly guy and we talked about how sick of a pass Timonen made on this play:


I also met Pierre Maguire and one of the blondes from Versus.

It was crazy to read the next day how out of the series everyone assumed Chicago was (seems even crazier now), but Philly just capitalized on mistakes while Chicago dominated but didn't score. Richards' goal might be my favorite of the play-offs:




Anyway, we all know what happened last night. Joe Quenville put together a sniper, grinder, and passer on each of the top 3 lines. Surprise Surprise it worked. The real surprise was how much it destroyed ex-Conn Smythe candidate, Chris Pronger.
There weren't many pretty goals, unless you count Timonen just barely decapitating Harntell, until this PP goal



I know we all loved this hit, but thats interference, right?



Tell me what I missed

bress

2 Things

Brad May scored last night by the way. I can't even believe....I can't BELIEVE they did not call that a goal. Now obviously I'm a little salty because I started Howard last night in one league but looking through the lens of truth at what happened it was totally a goal. May throws a whimmy back-hand at the net in case you missed it...in live play you didn't see anything and than the whistle blows and one of the wings throws his hands up. We watch the replay several times with the announcers with sound so you could clearly see the puck in the net..1..2..3..4..5 secs pass and than the whistle blows. The ref initially says no goal so you need evidence to overturn which if it went up to Toronto there would be. The ref wants to continue play and TORONTO not the ref TORONTO which I have never seen actually calls for it to go up-stairs for review. They wave it off. What the hell did you want another look for than. It went in...five seconds later the whistle blows. I'm missing the point totally I guess.

Secondly...James Van Riemsdyk is 16 million right now. Lets look at his game-log as of late because he has done something that in fantasy I have NEVER ever seen adn you probably won't see for a very long time.

First off, 6 goals, 11 assists in 15 games. Yes! American born...6'3" 205lbs. From Old Bridge, New Jersey...scored my first ever away travel goal against that team...the Old Bridge Wings. Making a case for an olympic spot. He'll most likely have to wait four years but 1000.

3 games without a point in his rookie campaign. But most impressive...truly unbelievable is in the last 5 games, he has 4 goals...ALL of which are the GWG. Carrying fantasy teams right now...just carrying them. 2 out of the 4 games were big wins so it was by chance obviously however the last 2 games were 3-2 wins...yes!!!! I like Philly...i really do...I did last year...they need to just validate me and make it far this year. Ton of upside on that squad. Carter, Richards, Gagne, Briere, Hartnell, Pronger, Coburn, Van Riemsdyk, Giroux, Emery, Boucher backing up. Good stuff there.



I don't know why I find this funny but this is me and Nemmy in our minds all day everyday...yours truly at the 2man.


- Claude Giroux

Post Merica weekend and into the summer swelter

Can someone tell me what a welter weight is?

There has been some crazy movement since the draft, my goodness!

2/3rds of the egg line will be back in play up in Montreal. Gomer and Gionta and I assume that at the start Cammaleri would be a good fit until proven wrong because he is quick and so is Gomer and Gio. This line could be sneaky spicy this season. Knuble to DC...grab him next season...he WILL be playing with OVY and Backstrom. 1000! on that line as well. Hossa - 12 years! Jeez. They lost Havlat but picked up Hoss. More positive than negative but not THAT much more positive. Injury prone Havlat so maybe HUGE positive in that respects.

The Rangers grabbing Gaborik is sick for them. Obviously the injury prone disaster that he is...but what if he isn't for 3 seasons...HIGHLY unlikely but what if he averages high 60 low 70 game seasons. He is a one man show and he gives the Rangers something that they haven't had in a long time. A one man goal scoring I don't need a center crazy person. Believe me it will help if he has a center but 100% does NOT need one to get 40 on the board this year. Huge pick up for them.
Pronger PIMS to dirty gritty Philly. With him back there the Islanders aren't even gonna come close to beating them this season. All jokes aside, thats a big move for them...they gave up a decent amount for him but I think that it works more than it doesn't. Look for the coming of the Power "I" Mike Richards at the coming of the fourth light with Gandolf the White, Philly will be stark and staunch as usual.

J Black Bouwmeest moving to the northwest. Going to be a different type of landscape for him but I think he will fit in just fine. That powerplay point with Bowmeest and Phaneuf is goign to be very cement like...very intimidating and very Olympic starting D-pair-like for Canadia.

Ryan Smyth to the Kings - pulled pork sandwich without the pork - whatever.

Havlat to the wild - he's probably never gonna play there anyway so whatever again.

Keva Rosenberg from Robocop - an unemployed person depciting the dregs and poverty in Detroit of the future from RoboCop - amazing. Amazing before this morning when it became 10,000 when Weinbrom found out that it was Eddie Van Halen playing this role. Can anyone speculate as to how he got this bit-part. Did he say yes to some producer wasted at an afterparty or something. Best part of July so far.



And this quick one line scene at the end of the movie with Cop and the CEO of the company just gives me the chills...I don't know why. The music fades in...the leg holster...his walk out.

And off RoboCop until maybe Friday and onto this past Thursday night out on the island. Me and my boyz (non-2man affiliates) but very much in the nuclear family headed to this new bar/club/sheaky spot nearing black out points throughout the evening. Chateau Briand, a nice place. We get there and no joke there is at least 150-200 people waiting outside the doors. It's a complete joke until Aaron leads us in thru the side where we walk in, without being ID'd and stopped or questioned. Right up to the main bar and into 1000. Before we approached the main bar Jeff Tambellini looks up and spots me and I the same. A nice embrace of familiarity and onto some drinks. After some chat about his summer plans and me trying to convince him to buy a house (Why, I don't know) Oh I know the shot girl in the short white skirt that was killing us all night long! Weinbrom asked Jeff what he thought of Tavares and such and he seemed very serious about his potential. High hopes and aspirations and long and strong into this upsetting Monday back from a long lengthy awesome weekend. So think of Keva Rosenberg and getting Tan. Think of a glass of Jack and a chicken qusadilla. Think of Thursday and Friday night. They will be here soon. I went to court this morning to get points off a ticket and need someone to guide me from here becuase I'm lost.

- Barbonite

Late Weekend Wrap Up OR Its not a Free Agent Preview

Thank goodness the Islanders took John Tavares. I would have been happy with Victor Hedman, and I probably could have sold myself on Matt Duchene. But, it had to be Tavares. I'll call his stat line for next year right now:

32-41-73


I d0n't have much other insight into any other draft picks. It was fun to watch Burke being so pissed when the Kings took the younger Schenn. I was surprised that he (Burke) took Kadri, who's small and had a less than stellar year.

I really really wanted the Islanders to take Ray Ferraro's son in the second round, but they went with a goalkeeper, which I guess make sense.

The Pronger deal was the best hockey trade in a long time. Pronger is perfect for Philly and the Ducks just restocked for another run. Imagine what they'll get for Giguere. I think they are a sneaky pick for Western Conference champs.



Free agency opens tomorrow and I'm excited to see where players go, but have no high expectations for any of the tri-state teams.
I could make wild predictions, but I won't.

Who do you want your team to sign?


-Bress

What you missed last night while you were making some last minute changes to your bracket

Flames beat the Stars, 2-1: After pretty much sucking on their long-ass road trip, the Flames returned home with a win. Eric Nystrom had the GWG. The goal was a nice wrist shot, but the play to keep the puck alive and onsides was awesome. With one hand, Dustin Boyd swept the puck to Nystrom who beat Turco.

BJs win over the Hawks in OT, 4-3: Currently, the Blue Jackets sit 6th in the west, meaning if the play-offs started today, they would face Calgary. I don't want the BJs to be a one(series)-and-done team, so I don't like that match up. Anyway in last nights game all the young kids scored. Patrick Kane off a great feed. Toews out-battled the BJ defender in front. And Nash scored a silly goal, that was equally silly and impressive (watch the overhead replay). Antoine Vermette scored the game winner when he outraced Brian Campbell and got to a pass and beat Huet in the 7-hole.

Hurricanes beat the Devils, 4-2: Sports Illustrated talks about how Erik Cole really changed or made the same again the dynamic in Carolina. Granted the Devils were coming off an emotional home game, but the Hurricanes have a lot of jump and now depth.

Ducks beat the Predators, in OT, 4-3: Bobby Ryan had a great power play goal - he found the rebound and then a sneaky little drag to get room to roof the puck. Selanne had the game winner in OT, when he deflected, on his backhand, the pass-shot from Pronger