Weekend Wrap Up OR if the wind blows over the goalie, who gets the interference penalty

The Sharks are up 2-0 in their series against the Wings. I did not see this coming. And it can all be blamed on the one piece stick:



Here is an apt description of the Penguins power play Friday night: Touch pass, pass, touch pass, one-timer, goal.

http://penguins.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?catid=1

Not so much yesterday though, when Halak was 1st round Halak and Cammallarie does this:



I think he's the only guy in the league who can hit the puck above his shoulders, but its still below the cross bar.


Chicago didn't show up and got spanked.

And welcome back Savy!:



Great celebration!

-What did I miss?

Weekend Wrap Up OR "Wheeling it" means trying to take a girl home

The Oilers cannot catch a break. Friday night, Sam Gagner ties it up with a little over a minuter remaining. And fans start thinking, maybe, just maybe, this will get the Oil some much needed confidence. Nope. Because James Neal won the game for the Stars. In regulation.



The Rangers got shut out. Again. On Saturday. There were some nice goals from Canadiens. Cammalleri score 2, high glove. But my favorites are this tip from Poulet



And this sill backhand from Plekanic:




Daniel Carcillo, showing flashes of offense against the Hurricanes:


Tim Thomas always gives full effort, but sometimes, he looks patently ridiculous:



Maybe he should have just covered that puck up.

What did I miss?

-Bress

What you missed last night when you were attacked by a rabid racoon in central park

Devils shut-out the Sabres, 3-0: Marty ties Sawchuk. Impressive, but I'm sure someone somewhere is trying to argue that most of his shut-outs are the result of "trap hockey." Whoever that is... shut up.

Canadiens beat the Flyers, 3-1: Braydon Coburn made a very unorthodox play on a 2-on-1 that led to the eventual game winner. As Maxim Lapierre was skating down the right wing with the puck, Coburn dove at him at the top of the circle. Lapierre simply, toe dragged around the flying d-man and then fed a pass to Cammalleri who easily scored. Usually the d-man dive might occur lower in the zone, when the forward with the puck has run out of space, but Coburn decided to try something new for his new coach and it failed, spectacurlarly.

Oilers beat the Panthers in the shoot-out, 3-2: As I watched this game, I saw all the empty seats in Florida and really tried to think about how you would sell this game (this particular game) to Floridians. Do they even know where Edmonton is? Is there even anyone on the Oilers you could sell this game around?

Kings beat the Flames, 2-1: Jonathon Quick made some stellar saves and the Kings won an old-school game last night. Scott Parse (who?) scored a high-light reel goal on Kipper when he cut in from the left and some how found the space to tuck a backhand in on the far side.

Maple Leafs beat the Thrashers, 5-2: I have no idea if the Leafs are good now or improving or if Toskala just got repeatedly lucky.

Coyotes shut-out the Wild, 2-0: Something about watching Coyotes home games is depressing. I think its the bad lighting in their arena.

Avalanche shut-out the Blues, 4-0: Peter Budaj is a great backup, but seemingly cannot play more than 3 games in a row.

Capitals shut-out the Lightning, 3-0: Ovy's back and scores 2. Thanks for the rest, NHL. Is he still on pace for 50 in 50?

Hurricanes beat the Penguins, 3-2: Why wasn't Tim Gleason ready for the fight will Bill Guerin? They were lined up next to each other and off the draw Billy drops the mitts, but Gleason plays the puck and its embarrassing and then Billy kind of got beat up a bit.

Crib Notes - Calgary Flames

Calgary Flames
Finished 2nd in the Northwest. Lost to Chicago in 6 games in first round of the playoffs.
Traded Jordan Leopold and change for Jay Bouwmeester
Acquired former Ranger forwards Nigel Dawes and Freddy Sjostrom
Lost Mike Cammalleri and Tito Bertuzzi to free agency
Let Adrian Aucoin fly to Phoenix

Questions going into 2009-2010:
Remember when Mikka Kiprusoff was a monster?
Can Kiprusoff get back on track and dominate?
Will the addition of Jay Bouw on D make up for losing Mike Cammalleri's goal scoring?
How successful will Brent Sutter be in his first season?
Which Canadien athlete will Elisha Cuthbert shack up with next?

Players who need to step up now that Mike Cammalleri is a Canadien:
Olli Jokinen and Jarome Iginla

Watch this guy have a resurgence out of nowhere just because:
Craig Conroy. Who knows.

If you had to buy one Calgary sweater:
I have a red Dougie Gilmour in my closet somewhere. It's as bright as the new throwback 3rds the team will be wearing this season.

Sneaky fantasy LW:
Rene Bourque when healthy was great value

Old guys:
Craig Conroy is 38

Young guys:
John Armstrong is the youngest guy on the roster at 21

Tough guys:
Phaneuf already KO'd Kyle Okposo. (KOed Kyle Okposo, ladies and gentleman. I'm so talented.)
Brian McGrattan is the heavyweight and Brandon Prust is going for the middleweight title.

Favorite old Flamer:
(Tie) Joel Otto and Charles Nelson Reilly

Nostalgia:
Theo Fluery was invited to training camp. He was recently released from the team.

A rare miss:



Goaltending coach:
Jamie McLennan is an assistant so I assume he's coaching the tenders.

Best thing about watching Flames games on tv:
The Saddledome has (in my opinion) the best camera angles on tv and the best collection of talent in the stands. There's always really hot chicks in cowboy hats and red sweaters.

Interesting?:
I see that they have an application to be a part of the Big Country Ice Crew on the team website. I think that's new because the ice girls were called the Fire and Ice chicks or something like that.

NHL 94 players:
Theoren Fleury, Gary Roberts and Joe Nieuwendyk up front.
Gary Suter and Al MacInnis on D with Mike Vernon in net.
Gary Suter was ranked higher than Al MacInnis thart season.

Prediction?:
I don't know if there's enough secondary scoring for this team to really make noise. There's a big drop off after the second line.

YouTube:
You've seen this before and don't even try to watch this again because the song will get stuck in your head for week.


- Nemmy

Crib Notes - Montreal Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens
Last season - Finished 2nd in the Northeast, Swept in round 1 of the playoffs by Boston
Lost hard-nosed D Mike Komisarek to Toronto via free agency
Lost sick W Alex Kovalev to Ottawa via free agency
Lost captain Saku Koivu to Anaheim via free agency
Lost Tom Kostopoulos to Carolina vie free agency
Lost grizzled D Matt Schneider to Vancouver via free agency
Lost W Alex Tanguay to Tampa Bay via free agency
Signed Diarrhea as a free agent
Signed D Jaroslav Spacek and Paul Mara as free agents
Signed Mike Cammalleri Brian Gionta and Travis Moen.
Signed 3rd string G Curtis Sanford
Traded Chris Higgins and change for Scott Gomez in a multi player deal
Resigned Kyle Chipchura, Guillaume Latendresse, Tom Plekanec and Gregory Stewart

Questions going into 2009-2010:
Does Gionta, Cammalleri, Moen and Gomez = Kovalev, Koivu, Lang and Tanguay?
Does Mara, Spacek and Diarrhea = Komisarek and Schneider?
Can Carey Price stay focused for a full season?
Is it a concern that the top talent is relatively undersized?
How can Matt Dandenault, Patrice Brisebois and Francis Bouillon NOT be on the roster this season?
Isn't it written in Patrice Brisebois's birth certificate that he has to be a Montreal Canadien?
Will this team regret not landing Vinny Lecavalier?
How will all the moving parts affect team chemistry?

Poised for a breakout season:
Matt D'Agostini. I don't know why but I feel like this kid could start playing big dog hockey this season.

If you had to buy one Canadiens sweater:
I think a Kirk Muller jersey would fit. Might be too early to get your P.K. Subban sweater.

Player whose game you sneaky like:
No one.

Most annoying thing about the team:
Other than the disproportionate amount of Cups and the way the home crowd boos our national anthem? How about the ridiculous media in Montreal that wants the team to have more French Canadians on the roster and flies off the handle when Shane Doan does anything.

Old guys:
Roman Hamrlik is 35
Glen Metropolit is 35
Jaro Spacek is 35
Diarrhea is 34

Young guys:
Latendresse, Price, Sergei Kostitsyn and Matt D'Agostini are 22

Tough guys:
Is Laraque is still on the roster? Scariest fighter in the league.

Something that you already know but need to read again to confirm:
Scott Gomez makes $8MM this season. More than David Wright and all but 9 NHLers.

Goaltending coach:
Pierre Groulx replaces Rollie Melanson this season.


Nostalgia:
Last season was the big 100-year anniversary. It was still no excuse for this garbage:

Interesting?:
Patrice Brisebois is now racing cars in NASCAR Canada.

NHL 94 players:
Kirk Muller, Brian Bellows and Vincent Damphousse up front.
Eric Desjardins and Mathieu Schneider on D. Pat Roy in net.
Rob Ramage was rated a 52 - close to his blood alcohol level when he killed Keith Magnuson.

YouTube:
A compilation of the greatest Pat Roy moments in French. We've been through this argument 1,000 times but I still say that right now he was the greatest goalie to play the game.


- Nemmy

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

What you missed last night while you were packing your bags and catching a flight to where ever your new team is playing

Three of the four teams playing last night did not make a move on deadline day. NHL conspiracy or coincidence?

Team that won in the deadline yesterday: Phoenix - got rid of some guys, but collected big time on picks and speed.
Team that lost the deadline: Rangers/Philly - The Philly deals made no sense and the Rangers gave up a lot for not much.
Surprise team that didn't make a move: Washington/Colorado - I thought the Caps would at least look to get a more capable back up behind Theodore and 5-6 D-man. How did the the Avalanche not move one of there older UFAs?
Non-surprise team that didn't make a move: Red Wings - no reason to mess with that and there was no goalie on the market to blow them away.
Surprise team that made moves: San Jose - Even if Grier is out, I don't think Travis Moen really fills that role.
Non Surprise team that made moves: Calgary - With Cammaleri on his way out, Sutter knew this was the year to make another run.

Onto last nights games:


Sabres beat the Canadiens, 5-1: The Canadiens should also be a surprise team for not making any moves. They are kind of slow (or Buffalo is just that fast). Lalime stepped up his game (no Tellqvist!).

Red Wings beat the Avalanche, 3-2: And now Detroit is the top team in the league. Where did that come from? Wow.

What a game to fall asleep to in a snowstorm

Kiprusoff took the night off last night and gave up at the very least a game that should have been an overtime point. Got my fantasy team some much needed (Negative) points. Thanks Miika! Ahh ya can't get salty, he's put up an impressive '09 campaign thus far. Iginla with 5 points, recchi with 5 assists, Mikey Camma with a bunch along with Vinny and Marty St. Aggrippa chewin' up the line as well. You could just feel that game building with offensive energy as it went along.

When I see a box score like that one and you have most of the stars in one league or another from both teams involved, it's simply marvelloso. I see this when I see a box score like that one.

So the Dow Jones broke 7,000 and upside looks like me after a bottle of Cutty Sark so what we will do is take it slow out there because its wet and snowy here in NYC. So go home, get a quick pump in, crul up by the fire and watch the one game on tonight-bottom racing.com, Isles vs Avs and sip some hot cocoa.


Ahh...those were the days.
Great video find from 2man consultant Feign.

- Narnia