On Kovalchuk

Yes, it has been quite some time since my last post. I don't know how often I will post in the future but if the summer continues as is I will try to keep writing as much as possible depending on how much hockey news is available and how badly I'm jonesing for an outlet for my hockey habit.

Ok, now that we've all had time to sit down and piece together what exactly happened with the whole Ilya Kovalchuk thing, here are my thoughts about it altogether. From the start, there seemed to be no better fit for the Russian sniper than the LA Kings. Thats where I was hoping he would land at least (as far away from Buffalo as possible). They are a young team on its way up after a few years of mediocre teams. They drafted well and managed to hold onto their key players. They have a nice balance of talented forwards and a strong defensive corps with a young, promising goaltender. The only place their depth chart is a little shallow is in the left wing department. Hmm, see where this is going? Yea, Kovy undoubtedly wants to be part of a winning team and this team has talent, a good mix of youth and veteran leadership and plays in a market where media pressure is manageable at worst. Was Kovy scared of being treated like the next Wayne Gretzky, the savior of hockey in LA, bringer of the Cup? I doubt it but there is that possibility I suppose. I don't meant to insinuate in any way that the Devils are not going to be a winning team, I mean hell, they do have Arnott, Volchenkov, Tallinder, Parise, Elais, Langenbrunner, Zajac, Rolston and the ever-present Brodeur. There was talks that Kovy's friendly rivalry with countryman Alexander Ovechkin was playing into his contract demands but I think even Kovalchuk himself knows that he is no Ovi and to expect similar pay is just plain silly.

The New Jersey signing represents a departure from the Devils I have known since I first started paying any real attention to hockey and yet, at the same time, it is a microcosm of the organization and Lamoriello as a whole. On one side, its a huge financial investment by a notoriously frugal (read: cheap) team. Its also a signing of a major free agent, not just a free agent but THE free agent. Oh yeah, he's also a forward and not exactly known for his spectacular two way play or hard-nosed battling. Lets not forget, he is a Euro after all. On the other hand, the contract, in and of itself, is a sneaky, backhanded way of circumventing the CBA and, while not entirely original, it was certainly the most aggressive attempt to lower cap hit and still give the player the absurd quantities of money he wants. This isn't the first time Lamoriello has done something underhanded and not entirely kosher in the interest of saving money (burying players in the A is not cool, Lou). Surprisingly enough, Mr. Lamoriello had a few interesting remarks regarding these lifetime contracts that are in vogue right now, none of which were overly in favor of the idea. Check out Puck Daddy if you're unfamiliar with his take on things.

The fact that the NHL rejected this ridiculous contract is, for lack of a better word, outstanding. The league had undoubtedly been waiting for the right moment to put its foot down on contracts like this. Unfortunately for Kovalchuk and the Devils, they happened to cross the "t"s and dot the "i"s right in the middle of a perfect storm. Consider:

-Kovalchuk is the biggest name in this years UFA class.

-He took what was widely regarded as far too long to sign with a team (In my opinion, this was a breath of fresh air compared to past free agents who signed their careers away mere hours into free agency. You tell me if there is tampering in NHL contract negotiations…).

-Signing in Jersey was a pretty big surprise.

-There is really nothing else going on around the NHL so it was guaranteed to make headlines.

-Kovalchuk's own President/CEO/GM-to-be has publicly stated that he is against this type of contract, at the press conference for it nonetheless.

-The NHL had to put its foot down eventually and it works far better for them to establish a precedent now, before the CBA is reopened, and have a place to dig its heels in the ground so to speak when it comes time to negotiate.

-The NHLPA is currently leaderless. As the League sees things, now is a good time to try to impose their will as the players union will likely be disorganized and distracted. I understand this is probably an overly-cynical view but you'll have to excuse my lack of faith in Commissioner Bettman and his goals for the league as a whole at this point.

So now it comes down to how things will pan out. There are a million possible outcomes to this ranging from the likely (the two parties restructure the deal, perhaps for less cash and years and it gets approved) to the ideal (they give up on the whole thing and Kovy signs in LA for $80 million over 10 years with yearly salaries that are reasonable and a contract that will take him to the reasonable age of 37 at which point he would probably retire) to the bizarre (The Islanders make good on their offer and Kovy joins Tavares and company). At the end of the day I really have no idea what will happen but I hope it gets resolved soon because I'm almost as sick of hearing about this guy as I was LeBron James (really, who decided it was ok to let someone spell their name like that. The double capitalization is seriously dumb, especially considering "Bron" doesn't mean anything in French) and I actually like the sport of hockey. I'll leave you all pondering on my thoughts about basketball. Don't hurt yourselves thinking too hard.

Until next time, keep two hands on your stick.

Oh yeah, almost forgot:

He Is The Strongest Man I Know

This is Pete, pictured here with a dapper young version of myself. Pete is from a modest upbringing in a Polish neighborhood outside of Buffalo. He is married with two kids and a dog (but no boat or pool). He is the embodiment of an approachable person and cant even go to the gas station without running into someone he knows. He treats all people with the respect they deserve and expects to be treated the same. In the time I have known him I have never heard him shy away from saying what he is thinking or pulled a punch except where it would be constructive. He calls it like it is, no bullshit.

He has raised a family (with the help of his wife, of course) of two successful and healthy children and an even more successful dog. He has practically rebuilt the entire interior of his home. He is a gentleman. He is a barrel-chested man who would gladly hold the weight of the world for a friend. He taught me to find the fun and humor in every situation. He taught me "No means No" and "Measure twice, cut once" and that attitude is the determining factor in everything you do. He has taught me more than a lifetime of schooling ever could. He is the strongest man I know, in more ways than one.

He is emotional and yet is everything a man should be. He is not macho and does not need to be. He is smart though he would never admit it. He is goofy. He knows what is right and what is wrong. He is an excellent judge of character.

He is meticulous. He is a finisher. He has a mean streak that can still make me shake. He is stubborn at times. He drinks cheap wine out of cups. He never sits on the couch. He talks to the dog and wishes desperately she would respond. He listens. He makes his own entertainment. He sleeps on the floor. He can shake the house with his snoring. He is patient. He is perfectly happy being the life of the party yet can still have a good time standing in the corner with a friend. He will wear out, not rust away. When he does something he does it completely and learns as much about it as he can. He is a man of character.

He loves hockey and plays the game with everything he has. He makes no excuses. It is the only aspect of his life where the score counts. He is old-school. He loves competition. He thrives under pressure.

He is what I aspire to be.

Happy Father's Day Dad

First Round Impressions

Player I was most impressed with: This one is a tie between Brent Seabrook and Kris Versteeg. Seabrook averaged more than 26 minutes of ice time in the 6 game series and was incredibly smart with the puck. Seabrook had 1G and 5A in 6 games, was a +1 with 2 PIM. I hope all this time doesn't burn him out if the Hawks make a deep run. Versteeg, a rookie, has 2G and 5A for 7 Pts in his first playoff series.

Player I was most disappointed with: Carey Price. Price was just awful in his teams quick exit, so much so that his fans mocked him for making an easy save on a dump-in late in a game that was over in the second period.

Stat I had never heard before: Brian Campbell has played in the playoffs in every season that he played more than 60 games. He has played 53 (and counting) playoff games and has 5G and 19A for 24 Pts is a -2 and has 30 PIM (2 of those cost the Sabres a shot at the cup, stupid puck over the glass rule). Not bad for a 29 year old.

Series Upset: This one is pretty obvious, the Sharks usually wait another round before rolling over but all it took this year was 6 games.

"Where did that guy come from?": Simeon Varlamov. Wow was this dude huge for the Caps. The 20-year old allowed just 7 goals in 6 games including 2 shutouts and a .962 save percentage. Oh yeah, his six playoff games doubled his total of NHL games played to a whopping 12.

Caps, Hawks, Canes and Ducks Win

I'm kind of glad the Sharks are out so I never have to see this guy again (other than in my nightmares)

The Anaheim Ducks finished their unlikely series victory over the Sharks last night. The Sharks simply could not get anything going and any time they did Jonas Hiller was there with an answer. Joe Thornton (I refuse to call him Big Joe, you dont call Martin St. Louis Small Marty, do you?No) attempted to inspire his team by dropping the gloves 1 second into the game and fighting Ryan Getzlaf. It did not work unless he was trying to ensure that Getzlaf got a playoff Gordie Howe Hat trick. This leaves some big questions for the Sharks. Do they try again as is? Do they ditch the GM or coach? Do they dismantle their veterans like Marelau, Cheechoo and Thornton and start fresh? Its hard to say they should do any of those things especially considering they were the leagues best team and just failed to put it together in the second season. It certainly is not Nabokov's fault, though he did let in a few softies. The scoring just was not there. Should they have been more active at the deadline? Probably not, that room has enough leaders and guys that have playoff experience and were cruising along at that point. So where should the team go from here? Its not a question I have the answer to and I certainly do not envy the decisions Sharks president Greg Jamison has to make in the coming months (as great as Marleau would look in a Sabres sweater). The Shark's defeat leaves the Bruins with home-ice advantage for the rest of the playoffs.

Seeing the Saddledome entirely in red sweaters is one of the coolest things in the game

Another team searching for answers is the Calgary Flames. They were handily beaten by the Blackhawks in game 6 and earned a first-round postseason exit for the fourth time in a row. Head coach Mike Keenan should probably be packing his bags at this very moment. The Flames retooled well at the deadline picking up Olli Jokinen and looked to be a force in the West but Jokinen fell flat after a hot few games and the team looked uninterested after taking two games at home to tie the series. With Dion Phaneuf out with an undisclosed injury and Miikka Kiprusoff not looking his best, the Hawks easily took control of the game and took the series 4-2. They now face a formidable opponent in the form of the Vancouver Canucks. Look for another physical series here.

Ouch

I'm beginning to feel bad for the Devils/Hurricanes series. Tonight was an easy choice in terms of games to watch between the best player in the world and a tight but relatively uninteresting matchup. Both games turned out to be interesting but I'm glad I watched the Caps game. The Hurricanes scored twice in the last 2:00 minutes of regulation to tie and eventually beat the Devils. Thank whatever god you pray to that we wont have to hear "Doc" Emrick and Pierre "Cue Ball" McGuire chatter nonstop about a Staal vs Staal battle that could have happened if the Canes faced the Rangers. That would have been awful. Now we have to leave them to their favorite talking point of who is the better player, Donald Brashear or Hal Gill... kidding.

I imagine this is how Lundqvist feels right about now

I got my wish in the East, the Capitals beat the Rangers despite managing only 3 shots in the first period, their worst showing in a single period all season. They got a lucky bounce and veteran Sergei Federov scored on a rocket of a wrister with 5 minutes left in regulation to give the Caps the win. They advance to the second round for the first time in over 10 years. Its unfortunate that the whole John Tortorella being a 12-year old thing had to be the major talking point of the series and not the stellar play of Simeon Varlamov. Perhaps that is a good thing now that I really consider it. As Don Cherry always says, all the pressure is on the goalies in the playoffs. Tortorella's inability to control himself in a hostile environment along with the whining of Glen Sather kept much of the attention off the 20-year old goaltender. If we handed out the Conn Smythe award today, I would give it to him. Lets see how he handles the challenge of facing Bing Crosby and Malkin as well as probably more media attention. The league is likely to promote this matchup at off-the-charts levels so it will be interesting to watch the young tender deal with the added pressure.

*Note* The last image is from the Nashunal Hocky League O' Laffs. A very funny site, check it out of you have not yet done so.

Weekend Wrap-Up: Western Conference

Hiller doesn't have much to look at

The Sharks won a must-win game 5 at home on Saturday and must keep that going Monday night in Anaheim. They gave up a 2 goal lead only to win in OT on a lucky goal that Patrick Marleau basically pushed into the net, taking

Hiller with him. The Sharks still have a tough climb ahead of them but they battled all season long to have home-ice advantage, a place where they had the best record in the league.

Heads Up

The Blue Jackets kind of got the short straw when it comes to first-round match-ups. The Red Wings were not the team they wanted to face in the club's first ever playoff appearance. They were swept with the final loss coming Thursday night in a thrilling 6-5 game. The Jackets, like the Blues, will be back in post-season contention again next year.

St. Louis/Vancouver: This ones all ova

Great flow

The home team has won every game between the Blackhawks and Flames. Interestingly enough, Saturday's game was the first in the series that the team that scored first actually won. The Hawks dismantled a sloppy and careless Flames team to take a series lead of 3-2. This one will probably go 7 games an we, as hockey fans, should feel lucky for that. This has been the best of the Western Conference series. Every game has been a very entertaining affair with plenty of trash-talking, big hits and pretty plays. If you watch one of these games you will swear that Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Dion Phaneuf never leave the ice as all three are averaging over 24 minutes of ice time in the series

Next Round's Dream Matchups:

(1) San Jose vs. (4) Chicago

(2) Detroit vs. (3) Vancouver

The San Jose/Chicago series would be a fast-paced battle between two teams whose style of play compliment each other well. No body wants to play either Detroit or Vancouver right now so we might as well eliminate one of them.

A Very Carrie Moment

Four months and no outlet for my borderline unhealthy Carrie Milbank obsession. Here we go:

My Ice Princess at the Winter Classic.

Oh sweet jesus you cant do this to me.

In an interview Carrie was asked what her favorite beer was. Her response?

Wells Banana Bread…it’s like dessert only you actually get better looking the more you consume, or at least the more others consume around you

What an answer.

There is a Cup touching joke to be made here somewhere...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Eastern Conference

Savard gives Chara a wet one on the cheek

Some very big games have been played since my last post. I'll start with the sweep. The Montreal Canadiens can polish off their golf clubs after a disappointing end to their centennial season. The Bruins balanced attack and tight defensive play as well as stellar goaltending from Tim Thomas was just too much for the streaky Canadiens club. Like I said earlier, its kind of a shame to see them go out this way on such a momentous occasion for the team as well as the city of Montreal but the team certainly did not offer the hockey gods much in terms of humility and good behavior. In hockey, as in life, that will come back to bite you. The Bs now sit and wait to find out who they will play next. I would love to see another Original 6 matchup but that would mean the Rangers would have to beat out the Caps, something I do not want to see happen.

Check out the guy in the blue shirt behind Ovie. Go watch the WNBA dude.

Speaking of the Caps/Rangers series, each team has taken one game since my last post putting the series at 3-2 Blueshirts. NBC must be

thrilled to be televising this afternoon's game. The Rangers took game 4 at home with another 1 goal victory. Just when things looked bleak, Ochovechkin scored this absolute beauty to cap off a 4-0 Caps win at home. This video is awesome by the way. I love the roar of the crowd when Ovie goes between Derek Morris' legs. The Caps should have a slightly easier time in MSG today as Jn Tortorella has been suspended by the league for throwing a water bottle at a fan. I hope that doesn't mar a potentially amazing comeback by the Capitals.

Not this year, Brian.

The Devils and Hurricanes series continues to hold the least interest for me despite it being the closest of all the Eastern Conference series. The Devils have a 3-2 edge over the Canes with game 6 set to be played in Carolina tonight. I have honestly barely seen any of this series partially because of a dislike for both teams, partially because there are usually more interesting games to be watched. That being said, there could be a silver lining in the Devils winning the Cup in the form of the possible retirement of Marty Brodeur. It might almost be worth it.

Too much, too soon.

The picture pretty much sums up this series. These two teams really do not like each other. In the end the Flyers just could not hold off the Penguins marquee players. Some timely saves by M-A Fleury and a few lucky bounces helped the Penguins advance once again. Game 6 was a bit like a microcosm of the Penguins season, they started off weak then a spark spurred a turnaround (the Talbot/Carcillo fight and the reaplacement of Michele Therienne respectively) and now the Pens look tough to beat. While I am on the topic of Carcillo, I would like to apologize for bashing him so badly in my last post. His fight with Max Talbot proved to be the turning point for the Penguins, despite Carcillo winning the fight handily. Carcillo had no reason to fight whatsoever with his team up 3-0 and controlling the tempo of the game. It was an undisciplined move by one of the few classless players in the NHL and it arguably cost his team the game. So thanks, Dan.

Next Round's Dream Matchups:

With series wins by the Hurricanes and Capitals (both down 3-2 at present) things could shake down like this:

(1) Boston vs (6) Carolina

(2) Washington vs (4) Pittsburgh

Someone in the NHL's marketing department just wet themselves with excitement. The Bruins/Canes matchup would be a fast-paced, hard-hitting affair and I don't even have to mention why the other series would be ideal.

*Editor's note: My formatting got all screwy for some reason, sorry about that.

Crashing The Net, 4 Month Catch-Up Edition

Yikes, somehow I managed to let life get in the way of my hockey addiction and, therefore, have not posted in quite some time. Thats about to change. I'm unfortunately going to have to completely pass over everything that happened in the remainder of the regular season. I will, on the other hand, give you my take on what has happened thus far in the playoffs. Without further ado, here we go.

My Thoughts:

Eastern Conference

• Bruins vs Canadiens. To be honest, I was hoping for a little bit more out of this series. It currently stands at 3-0 Bruins and looks to be over tonight in Montreal. The Bruins just have too much depth for the Habs and Thomas has looked good when needed. Its hard not to root, at least a little bit, for the Canadiens, this being their Centennial season and all. However, living in New England has turned me into a bit of a Bruins fan and how can you not like a guy like Marc Savard. The Bs are going to be very tough to stop.

• Capitals vs Rangers. The Rangers have a 2-1 series lead after taking both games at the Verizon Center. Ochovechkin (my name for Alex Ovechkin following his 50th goal celebration) has been held without a goal in this series but has still been a force, most notably in game 3 at MSG. His strong defensive play and great backchecking on a short handed bid by the Rangers could have been a game-changing effort. I fully expect him to solve Lundqvist tonight and he may need to because I doubt the Caps' young goalie Simeon Varlamov can continue to stand on his head the way he has the last two games. If the Caps win tonight, look for this series to get heated as it heads back to DC for game 5.

• Devils vs Hurricanes. I'll admit it, I have barely watched this series. Not because I'm not interested but because I've have hated watching the Devils play for so long that its kind of a force of habit. What I do know is that the series is tied at two a piece with both teams splitting games at home. This one might go 7 games.

• Penguins vs Flyers. I hate the Flyers, I really do. They have a few players I admire as hockey players (read: Mike Richards) but I really despise them as a team, especially after they acquired cement-head Dan Carcillo at the trade deadline. As such, I could not be more pleased with the Pens having a 3-1 series lead as they head home for the potential last game of the series tomorrow. Biron is not a Stanley Cup-worthy goaltender. I'm sorry, its just fact. I loved the guy during his time in Buffalo and was sad to see him go, especially now that we dont have an NHL-calibre backup, but he is not the guy to lead a team to the Cup. Both Crosby and Malkin have been playing well for the Pens and Bill Guerin seems to have found new life after being dealt at the deadline. M-A Fleury stole the crucial fourth game for them and may be asked to do so more often as the Pens move forward. For this to really be considered the rivalry it is hyped up to be, the Flyers should start winning some games... Nevermind, forget I mentioned it. I could very easily see a Penguins vs Bruins Easter Conference Final.

Western Conference

• Sharks vs Ducks. Wow. That is pretty much all I can say at this point. For the Ducks to take both games in San Jose, a place the sharks played astonishingly well all season long, is absolutely out of this world as far as I'm concerned. It looked like the Ducks were selling off a lot of their talent at the deadline and were ready to start rebuilding but the veteran core pulled them into a playoff spot and now has the President's Trophy winners on their heels. The Sharks pulled out a lucky win yesterday on a night when Evgeni Nabokov did not look his best. Are the Sharks destined for post-season failure once again? I sure hope not and if they can win another at the Honda Center to pull even headed back to the Tank as well as get the power play back together I don't honestly see it happening. Yet.

• Red Wings vs Blue Jackets. This one was over before it even started. I had hoped the Jackets would at least win one hame game, and they still technically have a chance to, but the Red Wings are just too good and this was a mismatch from the start. I almost feel bad for the Columbus fans... Almost.

• Canucks vs Blues. Bummer. I was really pulling for the Cinderella story Blues to at least make a series of it. No dice however as the Canucks stifled the Blues' power play and Luongo outshined Mason. The Blues will be back in the playoffs sometime soon and I think the extended time off will actually hurt the Canucks despite the fact that they are a tad banged up, missing Sundin (a trade deadline acquisition) and Sammi Salo (how is this guy still in the league?)

• Blackhawks vs Flames. Whhooo baby does this series have all the makings of a classic. Until two days ago, the Flames had not won a game against the Hawks in over a year. With the series at 2-1 Hawks and game four set for tonight in Calgary, its anybodies game. Things got quite chippy in game three and look for things to stay that way for the remainder of the series. Chicago gets a boost as Pat Kane returns tonight after fighting off the flu but after the tongue-lashing Jarome Iginla took last time, I would not want to go up against this team.

Conspiracy Theories Pt. 2

7-16-9. That is the record of the Tampa Bay Lightning as of right now. The Bolts have been anything but discreet about their problems both in the front office and on the bench. They have been run so poorly this and last season in fact, that it is hard to believe they are a professional sports franchise and not some fantasy video game team run by a 12 year old in Guatemala. This stat says it all: The Lightning have lost 17 of their last 19 and are the only team in the league without double digits in the win column. The Sharks, Red Wings and Blackhawks all have less losses in regulation than the Lightning have wins. Quite frankly, that is an embarrassment to the league, let alone the owners and GM. 

Look at the talent they have. Vinny Lecavalier, Martin

 St. Louis and Steven Stamkos should be some of the best players in the league. I'll concede the point that Stamkos is still obviously young and probably not quite strong enough for the bigs but his speed, hands and vision are all NHL-calibre. They also signed Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts away from the Penguins last summer and, though Roberts has been hurt all season and will likely retire, Malo

ne has been underachieving relative to his massive contract. That is enough quality forwards for two solid lines with scoring help also coming from guys like Jussi Jokinen and Mark Recchi. That scoring could also be augmented by the services of Radim Vrbata has he not bolted for the Czech leagues after a frustrating start to his season scoring 3 goals plus 3 assists in 18 games coming off of a season that saw him score 27 goals plus 29 helpers. Admittedly, their blueline could use some work but everyone knew that going into the season.

Then there is the whole Barry Melrose mess. I considered the move a publicity stunt from the start. Melrose is the second most recognizable person in hockey behind Don Cherry and it was a great plan to put people in the seats. That plan barely succeeded on that front, forget the whole "coaching and managing players" aspect of the job. I found that when Melrose was on ESPN I rarely agreed with what he said. He was no more in touch with the current NHL in his short time behind the bench either. He was also pretty lousy at that player management thing too, ask Lecavalier.

Could all this show really be a front to hide the fact that they are intentionally tanking the season in order to pick up either John Tavares or Victor Hedman? To be frank, the Bolts don't really need any more forwards but Tavares is a hard guy to pass up and doing so has the potential to be looked back on as one of the biggest draft misses in the history of the game if all the hype is to be believed. Not to mention the possibility of two top lines featuring Lecavalier, St. Louis, Stamkos and Tavares. Hedman, however, would be a welcome addition to a defensive corps that gives up the third most shots per game in the league that also lacks both speed and size.

If things play out the way they look right now, the Lightning will have a legitimate shot at drafting either one of these guys depending on the lottery results. It might actually work out better for them to have the second pick so that the choice is made for them.  Regardless I dont envy the choices Len Barry and Oren Koules have ahead of them.

I Was Going to Take a Break but...

Its getting close to finals week and I needed a healthy form of procrastination. Not to mention, there has been some really awesome stuff happening lately. Im abandoning my usual format for a bit in favor of quickness.

1. Nate Gerbe got called up and was a +2 in 15 mins of ice time. He is a little small if you have yet to notice.
2. Jaime Sifers will play in his first NHL game tonight for the Leafs after Luke Schenn goes down with an injury for at least two weeks. Sifers played for UVM until the year before I graduated and was a captain for three of his four years here. I am irrationally excited about this mainly because I work for his sister.
3. Radim Vrbata, one of the Lightning's many free-agent forward acquisitions over the summer has requested to be put on waivers so he may return home to find his game. Ouch, Mr. Koules... ouch.
4. Down Goes Brown has discovered a book that should be read by every child in every nation ever.
5. Who has more class, Sean Avery or Rangers fans who chant "sloppy seconds" after a Phaneuf assist is announced in Madison Square Garden? God, I really do hate New Yorkers.
6. Apparently people like Sidney Crosby because he has somehow managed to invade the starting lineup for the all-star game after Canadiens fans wrote scripts that auto voted for their players resulting in Alex Tanguay almost ending up as a starter. What an age we live in.
7. This fight may be my favorite all time hockey fight due in large part to the outstanding third, fourth and fifth man in that occurs around the 20 second mark. See Puck Daddy for more on the penalties and such.
8. Iceman Bloggeth brings up a good point about the Thrashers trading Kovalchuk. What about Don Waddell's past gives Thrashers fans any hope for the Thrashers getting something worthwhile for the sniper? My guess: He goes to the Lightning for Meszaros. They have D-men to spare and are light on forwards, right?
9. Question: How big of an embarrassment is Scott Hartnell? Answer: So much so that his own farm team has designed a promotion around his latest indiscretion. Per the Phantoms Website: "Phantoms will stage the Scott Hartnell Glove And Mitten Toss. Hartnell will be on hand as he and the Phantoms collect new gloves and mittens for those in need this holiday season. All fans are asked to bring a new pair of gloves or mittens, with the tags still attached, to the game on December 14." Awesome. If you missed the act being referred to, here it is:
10. Puck Daddy continues to be my favorite blog due in large part to headlines like this "Martin Brodeur on Sean Avery's suspension: "The NHL should punish him with a suspension because he doesn't act professionally." Thanks, Fatso."
11. The Boston Bruins are really good. So are the San Jose Sharks.
12. The KHL's All-Star game will be outdoors. Sounds like a plan to me. In Mother Russia, Internet votes for you.
13. Some dude fell 25 feet from the upper deck at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa while carrying two beers. Party foul.
14. The NHL marketing gurus almost made a commercial for the Winter Classic 2 that would have went something like this: "One of the concepts we had initially was to film the Blackhawks against the Red Wings on Oct. 25 [in Chicago] and through special effects we'd have this ability to take the roof off the United Center; all of a sudden, people would start to disappear in the stands and they'd be replaced by lines of evergreens and snow banks." Is that two solid ideas in one season? No way. If you have yet to see the masterpiece that is the commercial they ended up choosing check it out:

Finally, for some fun, heres another picture of the lovely Carrie Milbank. Think I could take Henrik Lundqvist?