Miscellany

Just some quick-hit blathering hockey thoughts on an all-too-hot Georgia afternoon:

I Love Stan Fischler. Seriously, you should really check out his Twitter feed. Some examples:

- Don't know all the details on Al Kovalev's failure to please the Habs. But he still has the goods. I'd take him for the right price.

- Here's an interesting candidate for comeback g.m. of the year. How about my buddy, Don Waddell. He's en route to securing Ilya Kovalchuk.

- Why the fuss over Dan (sic) Brashear (to the Rangers? All's fair in love and war and we all know the NHL is a war game on ice.

- I LOVE when John Tortorella tells his Rangers that they should appreciate the comfortable manner in which they're treated. Torts gets it!

It doesn't really hurt that this is how I hear it in my head:

Speaking of Kovy: Andy Strickland reports negotiations have begun.


Self-Promotionblog: I made the papers. Sorta.


Pronger to Flyers? Yea, this'll end well. They're gonna be more watched than the series finale of LOST.

Yes, I have been waiting to use that one. No, it may not have been worth it.


Grudge Match Outside the Aud! A Sabres fan named Vance takes Scott Burnside to task on some crap he wrote. Not that I have anything against Burnsie, just a fun read. Hey, someone should give ye olde internete smackdown to someone in Columbus. Maybe someone who's name rhymes with Aaron Portzline. Oh, wait.



It's just too friggin hot.

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.

Miscellany

Sureality In amongst the gmail this morning, I found something just a little surreal:

If Brian Burke has taught us anything, it's that REAL NHL HCs/GMs don't post on Twitter. But for just a split second, my pre-coffee brain went "Tortawhaaa?"

Personal Milestone Watch I believe this is post #98 for the ol Outsider. Upon post number 100, expect a heartwarming ceremony where I cut the cords off of the computer, and skate around the ice with it raised high above my head. Or, where one of my co-workers looks at me and goes "Um, are we to expect any work from you today?" And then coffee.

They're Back Bogo, Ron & Kovy were all on the ice in Duluth this morning - leading me to believe all three will go tomorrow against the Wings.

From The "Let's Get A Better Start" Dept Sucks that we can't just toss the whole first half of this season; we'd have a playoff spot.

NHL Records: Second-Half of Season (Through March 18)
TEAM	GP	W	L	OTL	PTS	PTS %
New Jersey Devils	29	22	7	0	44	.759
Detroit Red Wings	30	18	8	4	40	.667
St. Louis Blues	29	16	7	6	38	.655
Pittsburgh Penguins	31	18	9	4	40	.645
Vancouver Canucks	28	16	8	4	36	.643
Columbus Blue Jackets	30	18	10	2	38	.633
Ottawa Senators	28	15	9	4	34	.607
Washington Capitals	31	17	11	3	37	.597
San Jose Sharks	28	14	9	5	33	.589
Calgary Flames	29	16	11	2	34	.586
Florida Panthers	29	15	10	4	34	.586
Nashville Predators	30	16	11	3	35	.583
Boston Bruins	30	15	10	5	35	.583
Edmonton Oilers	28	13	9	6	32	.571
Philadelphia Flyers	28	15	12	1	31	.554
Atlanta Thrashers	30	16	13	1	33	.550
Toronto Maple Leafs	30	13	10	7	33	.550
Carolina Hurricanes	31	16	13	2	34	.548
Minnesota Wild	29	13	11	5	31	.534
Dallas Stars	30	15	13	2	32	.533
Chicago Blackhawks	28	13	12	3	29	.518
New York Rangers	30	13	12	5	31	.517
Buffalo Sabres	29	13	13	3	29	.500
Los Angeles Kings	28	12	12	4	28	.500
New York Islanders	29	12	13	4	28	.483
Tampa Bay Lightning	29	11	13	5	27	.466
Montreal Canadiens	29	11	15	3	25	.431
Anaheim Ducks	29	12	16	1	25	.431
Phoenix Coyotes	29	10	18	1	21	.362
Colorado Avalanche	30	10	19	1	21	.350

From Pierre LeBrun, over at the WWL.

O Kiptin, My Kiptin Do yourself a favor and check out the interview with Ilya. (Via the Chronicle, via Mirtle, via Japer's Rink/Tuvan Hillbilly, from Sport Express) Some favorite quotes:

"Crosby is Crosby and Kovalchuk is Kovalchuk. He got penalized, I made a goal and I was showing him 'Look, I made a goal'. That was all."

"You can't be an amoeba when you play hockey -- you have to be an emotional player."

"Krikunov says a lot of things. In Quebec he said that the Canadian National Team was guzzling through the entire championship. People talk about those things they are most familiar with."

That is why I'll take Kovy over Sid (or anyone else) any day of the week.