Everything You Need to Know About Last Night's Game

Angry Russian, indeed.

Miscellany & Post 100!

Abel to Yzerman gives us the skinny on negotiations between Hossa & the Wings (if that doesn't sound like a mid-80's pop/rock group, I don't know what does). He's got a couple of quotes.

“To be able to stay as a Red Wing, I am prepared to take less money, but a fair deal, so both sides are happy. That’s what I’m looking for. I know if I go somewhere else, I could have more, but I’m willing to take less to stay here. Hopefully things work out.”

“I could be somewhere else, you know, but I came here because I like everything and I want to be a part of it,” Hossa said. “And that’s why I want to still be a Red Wing and stay here.”

Translation: "I really like it here, and would be happy to stay, as long as you pay me what I think I'm worth." Quotes could be out of context, etc, but I think in a little over 3 months we will be saying to Ken Holland

Worst. Shop. Ever.

Scott Cullen @ TSN ranks the top 100 rookies in the league. Who's the only 18 year old on the list? I'm looking at you, Big Zach!

Some joke from Toronto takes Chipper Jones to task, and calls Atlanta "just about the worst major city in America, where no one lives downtown except the homeless". I'd be offended, but the guy writes for a Toronto paper. Who's ever gonna hear about it?

Big up to the Lovely Ladies of Puckhuffers for mentioning the Outsider. It really is an honor to be endorsed by another blog, espcially when you spend a good portion of your time trying to find ways to 'shop the face of their teams' captain onto barnyard animals & small children (note to self...). An even bigger honor? We got mention right after Brooks Orpik. Here at the outsider, there's nothing we love more than some free candy.

Best. Shop. Ever.

Mike Knobler has some statistical hope for us pollyanna-isn't-it-a-glorious-sunshiny-day hopeful types. I'd be completely thrilled if we ruined Montreal's centennial "OMGZ look at us, w'ere teh awsum!" season. What's the French word for "fail"? And hey, a 9 game win streak isn't so hard. Is it?

This is post 100. Didn't think I'd make it his far. Being as it's a Thrasher blog, I give you Jean-Claude Van Damme. Dancing.

Yes.

I mean, honestly. Who throws a shoe?

So, last night, as I was falling asleep, I was forming in my head the post I was going to do this morning about how the Pens (and other teams) get away with so much crap against the Thrashers. It was going to be epic, guys... srsly... from Ruutu to Vetch to Cooke. But Rawhide Bill beat me to it.

On second thought, it is my blog.... so let's just add a little to Mr. Bill's thoughts.

Take a look at this little ditty from the Caps game on Monday (lower left, first two seconds):



Whadddaya know... Ovechkin. Leaving his feet. Hmm. Oh yea, and the Thrash/Pens game, 11.20.08. I seem to remember Kris Letang boarding Todd White, causing the Todd to head to the locker room for a considerable amount of time.



Speaking of video, check out the video at the Puck Daddy post about last night's Bogo hit.



Lots of Pens fans are calling this a clean hit. Lets take a look at another extremely hard, but clean, hit on a Thrasher.



Awww, look at Boris spreading a little Christmas cheer. I think he may be getting Chris Neil some kind of funk record or something, right? Lots. Of funk. Do you see the difference? Neil led with his shoulder, Cooke led with his knee. Even from the FSN/Pitt angle, this inarguable. Cooke knows better than that. At least, you'd think a 10 year NHL vet would know better than that.
Oh yea, just for Rawhide, video of last year's Ruutu hit:




Good lord, I need a mood booster. LoL time!

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Part.... Something.

Just 'cause I can't stand leaving things unfinished, the short, short version of SISOSIG?


The Greek God Line

(Jim Slater/Chris Thorburn/Eric Boulton)

I'm gonna review these guys as a unit, because they've been together since what seems like the Carter administration.

Interesting stat:
07-08 Point Total: 40
08-09 Point Total (Thus Far): 34

That's exciting.

Excluding his fighting majors, Boults has racked up about 32 min in minors - That number could stand to come down. Slates & Thor are both big bodies with decent hands, and all three seem to be taking pretty well to head coach Johnny A's system.

Verdict: Stay.

The D

Ron Hainsey - Love him. Solid human being. Stay.

Nic Havelid - UFA this summer; getting older; lost a step or two; PIMs starting to climb; Toby seems to be doing pretty well, let him Go. The Isles always like picking up our slop.... wait, nevermind.

Mathieu Schnieder - No one is a bigger Schnieder fan than me (a good hockey-playing jewish boy from New York, what's not to love?). But, man, those PIMs are killing us. I'd like to keep him around to assist Hainsey at the kid's table, but his real value is in what he can fetch us at the deadline from a desparate bubble team. Go. Sad face.

Tobias Enstrom - AKA "The Future, Chpt. 1". Stay.

Zach Bogosian - "The Future, Chpt. 2" Stay.

As a matter of fact, the only other D-man that really needs to go....

Garnet Exelby. Yes, he's fun. Yes, ladies love him. Yes, he's an all-around fan favorite. But he hasn't been the same since the concussions. And his positioning... um, less than stellar. We need to ship him while he's got some value.


There. That's the end of that. I learned a bunch. Another shutdown D-man would be nice. Should Pev's not be the answer long-term, Andy McDonald is a UFA. Let's throw some of that unused Campbell money at him....

Then again, ask me next week, and this all could change.


I love hockey.