HABS DEAL RIBEIRO TO STARS FOR NIINIMAA

As Charles Teljour might put it, the Spineless Hab Weasel (Ribeiro Fakus Maximus) and a 6th round pick in '08 has been dealt to Dallas for (Can I buy a vowel?) Janne Niinimaa and a 5th round pick in '07.
Ribeiro and Niinimaa had disappointing seasons last year. Ribeiro was not impressing the Canadiens' coaching staff and during this preseason. Niinimaa was being benched by the Stars late last year. So it really is more of a change of scenery for both that may help them, with the Habs absorbing $600,000 more cap spenditure on Niinimaa, who is worth $2.508 million.....ouch. For that price he had better not be, as Temujin would say, a s**t-at-home-type defenceman!
The Stars really didn't need any more D anyways,especially with the additions of Darryl Sydor and Jaroslav Modry in the offseason. So Ribero will give them even better depth at center.

CANUCKS 3 FLAMES 2

He shoots he.....loses control of the puck!

Jan Bulis scored the winning goal 4:50 into the 3rd period, and the Canucks held on for the win. The Nucks had every regular in the lineup except for Lukas Krajicek, who sat out with the flu. The Flames rested defencemen Robyn Regehr and Dion Phaneuf for this one.
The Canucks also got goals from Ryan Kesler and Josh Green. Luongo allowed 2 goals on 10 shots through 2 periods, but then stopped all 13 Flames shots in the 3rd to solidify the win.
From what I saw on the highlight reels, Bulis was playing on the top line. I believe he may play there for a while this coming season.

WANNA PLAY ATARI AND NINTENDO GAMES ON YOUR PC?

Well the people at Console Classix have a damn good thing going on. If you download this program, you can play most Atari and Nintendo games free. It's damn cool! I played Contra, Super Mario 1, Mike Tyson's Punchout, Blades of Steel, and of course, Yar's Revenge tonight and man, it was nostalgic!
So if you are interested follow the link. It seems pretty safe, as none of my 2 computers have crashed yet! Check it out!

CAPTION CONTEST: GRETZKY

Amen! It's Friday again, so here is another Caption Contest with the Great One for anyone interested. If you aren't interested, then...get with the damn program! It's almost the weekend! Amuse yourself! (Whoa, not like that, buddy...)
The winner of last week's CC with the Thrashers wearing their hats backwards was WFS's very own Hodge! No..I'm serious! He actually had 2 captions that whooped everybody. But the best one was:

Greg DeVries: "It's working, Pronger's asking Rucchin how he learned to skate so fast backwards!"
Not bad H, not bad at all.


Have fun with this week's CC! And have a great weekend!

This post was actually composed by Zanstorm with Hodge supplying the picture.
I believe #12 in this picture is Mike Leclerc, unless someone proves me wrong. Leclerc is no longer with the Coyotes.

CANES DEAL JACK JOHNSON / KONOWALCHUK RETIRES

Wow, the Hurricanes have traded the rights to D Jack Johnson and D Oleg Tverdovsky to the Los Angeles Kings for D Tim Gleason and C Eric Belanger. I guess their patience ran out on the young Johnson after he decided to return to the University of Michigan rather than join the Hurricanes, who needed immediate help on their blueline with the injury to Kaberle, and the loss of Aaron Ward to the NYR.
Gleason and Belanger are good players, with the latter still being expected to score more at the NHL level. But they will effectively fill the holes left by Kaberle and Stillman in the meantime, and then provide great depth for the Canes when the injured players return.
The jury is also out on Tverdovsky. He won't be a go- to defenceman in LA with Rob Blake and Visnovsky there. Johnson is a decent pickup for the Kings as they are definitely not going to rush him.
............
Avalanche forward Steve Konowalchuk has decided to retire today after extended medical tests have confirmed that he has an abnormal heartbeat. It is a genetic disease called Long QT Syndrome.
Konowalchuk is on 33 years old, and has played 13 seasons. This is a blow to the Avs, as Konowalchuk was playing so well when he was healthy.

BOB MCKENZIE is GOOD

TSN held a fantasy draft amongst a few of the hockey panelists, and Jeremy Roenick, who cried because he wasn't initially invited in, and I gotta say, Mckenzie's team is the one I would have picked. He picked Kovalchuk, Crosby, and Heatley as his forwards, Gonchar and Phaneuf as his defence, Vokoun in goal, Dustin Penner as his rookie, and Bill Guerin as his sleeper pick.
Not bad at all. His forwards are a no-brainer, Gonchar looks to reach 80 points, Vokoun and the Predators should absolutely kick ass this year. Dustin Pennner is a future elite power forward, IMO, and you know that I think Bill Guerin is going to be the most improved player this year. Of course you need to see who the others picked to form your own opinion. Roenick was left with the scraps, by the way. Look at the Canucks he picked...Naslund and Luongo....what a schmuck! hyuk yuk!
So why did I post this? Besides the fact that pools rule, I hear alot of people slam Mckenzie for all different reasons, but I always defend him as one of the best hockey minds on Canadian television. Now that I see who he picked, it just reinforces my opinion!

ROBBINS AND THE CIRCUS MIDGET

What a hilarious picture of superb actor Tim Robbins and Commish Gary Bettman taken this past Wednesday at an NHL/FHM gala event for the beginning of the NHL season.
I'm not sure what to think. Is Robbins that tall? Or is Bettman the size of Frodo Baggins?
Either way, hope you get as much of a kick out of it as I did!
If you want to read about the party, it is on NHL.com. The photo is from Getty Images.

LARAQUE SAYS: DAMN, THAT FELT NICE!

Judging by the smile on Laraque's mug, there is some sort of feeling that poetic justice has been served. Laraque tipped a Keith Ballard shot past Jussi Markkanen with only 3:56 remaining in the 3rd period, giving the Coyotes a 3-2 win over the Oilers in preseason play. Good timing Georges.
I'm not even an Oiler fan, but still, I am not used to seeing Laraque in a Desert Dogs jersey yet. The same goes for Todd Bertuzzi and Ed Belfour in Florida.

ANDREYCHUK STILL WITH LIGHTNING

Dave Andreychuk will stay with the Lightning organization as a Community Representative. He was let go by the Lightning this past season because he was not fast enough for the new NHL, and of course because he is about 43 years old.
The Lightning will also honor Andreychuk before a game against the Sabres (the team he started his career with in 1982) on December 5th.
Andreychuk had 40 and 41 goal seasons with the Sabres during his 10 1/2 - year tenure in Buffalo. But his best season came in his first full year in Toronto during the 93/94 season. He scored 53 goals, had 46 assists on a line with Doug Gilmour. That season, the Leafs went to the Western Conference Finals, but lost to the Canucks in 5 games. The series winning goal was scored by Greg Adams, partially because of poor defensive play by Super Dave. I never forgave him for that!

Nevertheless, Andreychuk had about a 22-year career in the NHL, and was a class act all the way through. He finished his career playing a whopping 1639 games, scored 640 goals, and tallied 698 assists for 1338 points.
Andreychuk was a role player and leader with the Tampa Bay Lightning when they won the Cup, and deserved a Stanley Cup ring at the end of his career.
Good luck Dave, I forgive ya!

RON MACLEAN WILL REF SABRES/PENS FRIDAY NIGHT

"Yeah, it sure beats doing Coach's Corner with that ass Don Cherry!"

According to TSN, CBC personality Ron MacLean will be a referee during the second period of tomorrow night's game between the Sabres and Penguins. MacLean, best known for appearing with Don Cherry on Coach's Corner on HNIC, already is a level 5 referee with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. He will be joined by former referee and current vice president and Director of Officiating Stephen Walkom.
Why is MacLean getting this opportunity? Because Colin Campbell offered it to him recently to 'take his opinions to the ice' after MacLean really tore into Campbell on HNIC during the Finals this past spring. MacLean was miffed at some of the calls and the the lack of calls during last season's playoffs.
I'm not sure if it will be televised, but I'd really like to watch this. I bet Don Cherry would really like to see MacLean get hit with an errant puck, or I would really like to see him try to break up a fight!

CLARKE SCOPING TOSKALA

According to Sun Sports:
It didn't take Philadelphia Flyers' GM Bob Clarke long to go looking for a goaltender.

Less than 24 hours after the Flyers lost Antero Nittymaki for an extended period with a hip injury, there was talk Clarke made a call to San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson. League sources say the Flyers are interested in Vesa Toskala, who is scheduled to make $1.375 million this season and is battling Evgeni Nabokov for San Jose's No. 1 job.

While initial reports indicate Nittymaki could be gone for two months, there are whispers it could be even longer and it's believed the Flyers want to make sure they have help for starter Robert Esche.

But acquiring Toskala would come at a steep price. The talk is the Sharks want a roster player, a prospect and top draft pick.

Good, Doug Wilson SHOULD ask a hell of a lot for Toskala. But for some reason, I just don't see this deal happening. Toskala is not expenive, and the Sharks have a good thing going with their 2 goalies battling for the #1 job.
Another interesting story out of the Sun stated that Clarke may also be interested in Leaf backup Mikael Tellqvist, who apparently has lost the backup role to J.S. Aubin.
I could see that as the Leafs have alot of depth in the goaltending department, with Justin Pogge as the third goalie. JFJ could ask for a 2nd round pick at least, and Clarke could keep his current roster intact.

KESLER ON THIRD LINE? / CUT CANUCKS

According to the Vancouver Sun, Ryan Kesler will play on the Canucks third line this season with Alex Burrows, as Alain Vigneault really likes how they play together.
"Those two guys seem to be clicking well together," Vigneault said. "Now we need to find another forward to complement them. Those two tonight were as close as the Sedins have been." (referring to last night's game in Edmonton.
The third forward on that line is unknown. Any guesses? It may not be Marc Chouinard, as coach Vigneault is not pleased with him.
"I thought he was marginally better, but he is going to have to be a lot more effective," Vigneault said. "I haven't seen him in the past, but what people are telling me is he is a much better player than what he has shown so far."
This is why it's a good thing that there are so may preseason games, especially for the Canucks, who still have to make alot of lineup decisions.
Kesler playing on the third line is a bit of a suprise considering the $1.9 million he will make this season. Many, including myself, thought he would play a larger offensive role at those dollar figures. This could mean that Matt Cooke could play on the second line, and Jan Bulis will play on the first line with Morrison and Naslund.
...........
The Canucks have made more cuts. Right wingers Tyler Bouk, Mike Brown, Lee Goren, Michael Grabner and Jesse Schultz, as well as center Brandon Reid, and defencemen Alexander Edler, Norm McIver, Yannik Tremblay, and goalie Drew McIntyre. The most unfortunate cuts are Grabner and Schultz who almost look ready to make the jump to the NHL. But Vigneault isn't impressed with Schultz.
"In Schultz's case, I don't know what happened," Vigneault said. "I thought he had a chance and he just didn't play well enough. I know he is a much better player than what he has shown so far."
Who Vigneault really does like is kid defenseman Patrick Coulombe.
"I'm really liking that Coulombe kid," Vigneault said. "He's competing hard and making the right plays with the puck. He's really good on the power play."

ANAHEIM DUCK HUNTER

This picture is worth more words than I could ever use to describe. It's pretty much summed up into...Be afraid Anaheim, be very afraid!

ZHERDEV TO REMAIN A BLUE JACKET

Unless he decides to defect back to Russia, which is just a skip, hop, and a jump away. He has been signed to a three year, $7.5 million contract. He's excited to remain in Columbus, and had this to say, ''I am very happy to remain a Blue Jacket and want to thank the organization for their commitment and support, I am excited about our team and look forward to joining my teammates in Columbus as soon as possible.''

The almost 22 year old right winger has yet to play a full season in his 2 year career. Him, and newly acquired to take his spot Anson Carter, will probably be vying to play on the top line, which is to consist of Rick Nash and Sergei Fedorov, who remains injured.

He's probably a good pick in most regular hockey pools, as long as you don't count +/- in the mix. Hell, I even went and picked him up before reporting this story. Columbus has got game this year!!!!

DOMI CARTOON

Found this on Leafs Chat. It was the sig of one 'Wellwood's Girl.'
Funny stuff.

PRESEASON SCORING STATS

Preseason or not, I still enjoy stats, and I don't mind analyzing them to some degree, keeping in mind varying factors.
One intriguing stat is that there are 7 Duck players in the top 30 scoring leaders. The Ducks collectively have scored alot of goals so far. I like seeing Dustin Penner that high up, because he could turn into a terrific power forward in the NHL. I think that 70 points for him is realistic this year.
As long as Teemu Selanne is playing, Andy McDonald will have over 80 points in a season as they will have top line duty obviously.
I like how Martin St. Louis has 6 points in 3 games, and could very well improve over last year's disappointing 61 points in 80 games. He already looks like he is going to put that behind him, which is good because I have him in my pool!
The other glaring stat to me is Bill Guerin, who has 5 points in 2 games. Guerin is out of Dallas, where he was unmotivated, and he really didn't want to be there. He now plays with fellow Americans Doug Weight and Keith Tkachuk on the Blues top line. I've said it before, I think Guerin (barring any injuries) will have one of the biggest point increases this season compared to last year, even given his age. He has played with Weight before, as Edmonton fans can attest to.

Other than that, please excuse my lousy layout of the stats as I am not good at the concept yet!

2022 LEAFS DRAFT PICK

Now THIS is how to properly raise your children! A dude named Hussain posted this in Google Video. He teaches his son to say his first ever sentence. This kid will turn out good I'm sure.

CONTRACT FIT FOR A KING

It appears the Kings will depend on Dan Cloutier to be their number one goaltender for the next 3 years. The would have been free agent next year has signed a 2 year, 6.2 million dollar contract extension. While despised by many Vancouver fans, the ex Canuck is the first goalie in their history to post three consecutive 30-win seasons.

Drafted in the 1st round, he started his career with the Rangers in the 1997-1998 season, and was eventually sent to Tampa Bay, where he posted less than stellar numbers with them. In his first year with the Lightning, he played 52 games and won a whopping 9, while losing 30. He played 24 games the following year, winning only 3, before being sent North to Vancouver. It was in his second year with them that something must have clicked, winning 31 games. Last year, he played 13 games, winning 8 of them before going out with an injury.

I'm sure he'll be fine in LA, having Marc Crawford to keep him company. Maybe Earl Sleek over at Battle of California can go out and give him our best wishes, because who needs Dan Cloutier when you have (bingo bango bongo....his name is....) Roberto Luongo!

HO HUM PRESEASON GAME...AGAIN

Up and coming defensive star Luc Bourdon running over Sharks Mark Smith couldn't even get a rise out of the home team crowd it seems in this photo (courtesy of Yahoo).

Other than Roberto Luongo coming up huge on a several occasions during the game, it wasn't worth watching or in my case, listening to on the radio.

Exerpt from TSN.ca
Even for an exhibition, the game lacked emotion and energy. There seemed to be a lot of professional courtesy extended as few hits were dished out.

With the Canucks roster still to be determined, I'm suprised with the lack of intensity from the players still on the bubble and more importantly, players like Cooke and Kesler who are supposed to be fighting for a spot on the top two lines. Are they avoiding the possibility of an injury before the season starts or trying to get traded with lackluster performances??

I'm hoping we see an over all better showing against the Oilers, otherwise my spider senses tell me the naysayers might me on to something.

LUONGO IS GOOD, BUT NUCKS NEED OFFENCE

Yeah yeah, I know it's only preseason, but the Canucks' loss to the Sharks tonight (2-0) does raise an interesting question that has been brought up alot this offseason. How many goals will the Canucks score? Will it be enough? I think we are already getting glimpses into how the early part of the season (at least) will go for them already. And that is that Roberto Luongo will not disappoint, but unfortunately, he is stuck with some of the problems that he had in Florida, which is GOALS SCORED. Now....who do you envision being on the top line this season?
Should it be Naslund-Morrison-Bulis, and Sedin-Sedin-Kesler on the second line? I can feel that.
But the truth is, Jan Bulis is nothing but a pipe dream to score 60 points even. Kesler is the same, unless he suprises. So what the Canucks are probably going to have to do is play better defensive hockey, and get scoring from all FOUR lines. If that isn't the case now, then they will have to aim for that in the near future. Naslund will be gonzo next season, unless he puts out more than 75 points, as his $6 million salary dictates. And we will wait and see what players like Marc Chouinard and Taylor Pyatt have to offer offensively as well.
The bottom line Canuck fans, is that it is a roll-of-the-dice season, so I hope you have alot of money in your booze account because you just may need it.

NIITTYMAKI MAY MISS 2 MONTHS BECAUSE OF HIP

Wow, Robert Esche's pool value just skyrocketed. Antero Niittymaki tore the labrum in his hip during practice this morning. Now, I am not a doctor, but the labrum is a ring of fibrous cartilage around the edge of the 'joint' surface of a bone, (thanks google.) I'm sure he felt pain and a burning sensation!(heheh)
The Flyers goaltender may miss 6-8 weeks if surgery is required. The Flyers have called up goalie Martin Houle from the AHL Philly Phantoms as a replacement. Last season with the phantoms, Houle played 40 games, had 18 wins, 18 losses, 2 shutouts, a 2.54 GAA, and a .914 save percentage.

WHO WILL CENTER KOVALCHUK?!

Wow, it really is a slow news day for this idea to be the hot topic. But hey, we all know the answer....right? With Marc Savard being shipped off to Boston, and Niko Kapanen and Steve Rucchin being brought in....which of those 2 will have the priveledge? My opinion is Kapanen. He's young, fast, and has great hands. I really don't see Rucchin as a top line center anymore.
Wow, Atlanta is kind of thin at center though, aren't they?

CANUCKS FIRST PRESEASON CASUALTY

Canucks' Rick Rypien has become the first notable casualty of Vancouver's pre-season. Rypien, who is trying to make the club as a fourth-line energy player, sprained his right thumb in a fight Friday night in Anaheim and will likely miss the remainder of the exhibition campaign that concludes Saturday. - Vancouver Sun

Rypien has been one of Alain Vigneault's favorite during training camp and has all but guaranteed a spot to start the season. He made his NHL debut for the Canucks against the Edmonton Oilers in December last year and scored his first NHL goal on his first shot in the first period.

ISLANDER CREDIT

The Islanders are such an easy bunch to pick on and throw insults at this year. With the bogus Dipietro signing, the ongoing Yashin contract, a guy named Satan, the backup goalie/GM, Mike 'Fricking' Milbury, and the WangNut who owns them, this is potentially a joke team...right?
Well beyond the madness, there lies a decent team on paper. A team who nobody is picking to go anywhere this year. But after watching the Islanders/Rangers preseason game tonight, I snapped back into reality a touch. The Isles boast a good nucleus of youth. Chris Campoli, Jason Blake, and Shawn Bates especially were everywhere tonight. They boast soft hands to go with their speed. The new NHL is bringing out the best in them.
I don't know if Viktor Kozlov and Tom Poti are going to cause grey hairs on Long Island, but the acquisitions of veterans Mike Sillinger, Brendan Witt, Sean Hill, and Chris Simon should provide some leadership for the young guys, as well as chip in considerably.
Ted Nolan, as scarred as his reputation may be, is a coach who can get the most out of his players. I wonder how Yashin and Satan will perform under his coaching. Don't forget, Ted Nolan turned the Sabres into a somebody during the 1999 playoffs, and they went right to the Stanley Cup Finals.
I saw something interesting after the Islanders schooled the Rangers tonight. Alexei Yashin turned around and shook Ted Nolan and the rest of the coaching staff's hands. That means he cares at least, and was a nice gesture.
Don't get me wrong, I am not an Islanders fan. But the last thing I want is for their legacy to be tarnished by madness. Hopefully they can at least be competitive in the tough Atlantic division and not disgrace themselves. On paper, this team should AT LEAST be competent of that!

CANUCKS DUMP GOON

Actually, its Calgary Flames Marcus Nilson dumping Gordie Dwyer in preseason action, but the Canucks cut the career goon/enforcer today, along with six others today. Five players are heading to the Moose and Vladimir Kutny joins Dwyer in the welfare line.

So, I guess that means, no high penalty minute/low talent enforcer for the Canucks this year. Looking at the current roster, it seems as if Matt Cooke and his famous "turtle" move, might be all we bring to the table this year. Willie Mitchell is ok tough but would like to see him on the ice instead of the sin bin, personally. Who else do we have...Kevin Bieksa. He got punched out in Anaheim by Travis Moen and had trouble killing a stool behind the bench afterwards.

For the record: Gordie Dwyer had 42 fighting majors in his 105 NHL games, five goals and a total of 394 penalty minutes. In the preseason with the Canucks, he had 32 penalty minutes, no majors,two misconducts and not even a sniff of the puck.

Photo courtesy of Sportsnet.ca

STEVE YZERMAN GETS A 'PROMOTION'

Yzerman's 1984-85 OpeeChee Rookie Card

According to Sportsnet, Steve Yzerman has found a job that will be alot easier on his knees (unless Detroit management carry hockey sticks.) The team has confirmed today that Stevie Y is the new Vice President of the Red Wings. Yzerman will work with the management team of senior VP Jim Devellano, general manager Ken Holland and assistant general manager Jim Nill.
Owner Mike Illitch said today:
"After retiring as the longest serving captain in NHL history and the on-ice leader of our franchise for 23 years, it is only fitting that he join our management team in a meaningful position. I'm confident Steve will bring the same passion and dedication he displayed on the ice to our management team and help us make the Detroit Red Wings the best we can be."
Yeah, no shit. Stevie Y is a class act to have in their organization.

DAVE KING FIRED BY METALLBURG

And this after only 8 games into the season. King coached the Magnitogorsk team to a regular season title last season. But after back to back losses this weekend for his team, they dropped to 3-4-1. I smell shades of anymosity or conflict of interest somehow over the Malkin incident. No one is more shocked than King himself. He told the Globe and Mail:
"I was caught completely off guard this morning because, geez, it was only eight games. I was playing the young kids the way they wanted me to. But this is Russia and everything over here is just so volatile. A lot of people would like to come over because financially, it's such a great pay day, but you really earn your money. It can be there and it can be gone so quickly." Don't worry Dave, you're a great coach. You'll be working again soon!

MALKIN UPDATE / BURKE ON WAIVERS

Thankfully, injured rookie Evgeni Malkin will not need surgery on his shoulder, and will miss about 6 weeks of action. This could add up to about 10 or 11 games. Hopefully he doesn't play on John Leclair's line when he returns!


Sean Burke has been put on waivers by the Tampa Bay Lightning, according to TSN. The 39-year old has about run out of options to play in the NHL unless there is a serious injury to another team's goaltender sometime during the season. He had a subpar season last year posting a 2.80 goals against average, and a .895 save percentage. All this at a $1.6 million price tag. So in my opinion, count on Burke retiring from the NHL soon.
Did you know that the Lightning was the 9th team that Burke has played for in the NHL? His best season was in 2001-02 with the Phoenix Coyotes. He played 60 games, had 33 wins, 26 losses, 5 shutouts, a .920 save percentage, and a 2.29 goals against average.

CLARKE WATCHING LAMORIELLO

Satan?

Bobby Clarke is watching Lou Lamoriello very closely. Lamoriello is just over a week away from crunch time as far as his cap issues go. He has already stated that Mogilny will be out longterm with his arthritic hip, and it is his belief that Mogilny's salary won't count against the Devils' cap.

But that has not been ok'd by the League yet. As Spector's Trade Rumors puts it, Lou will probably get his wish because Almo has had this problem for a long time, and it is NHL-related.
What Clarke is saying is that it will be 'fair play' if that is what happens, obviously insinuating that Lou is being a trendsetter here. Clarke can say that all he wants, and that is fine, because he is saying what every other GM is thinking. But what is Lou going to do with Vladimir Malakhov? There probably aren't that many takers on a big, slow defenceman at a $3.5 million salary. If Malakhov can't be traded anywhere, Lou may need to move someone else to make room to sign Brian Gionta, who is still in limbo. It should be a very interesting 9 days from here in Devils Land.

CANUCKS GET FIRST WIN

Though it took a shootout to finally decide the outcome, the Canucks prevailed with Roberto Luongo stopping Anaheim Duck shooter Bobby Ryan to get the win and end the drama.

The Canucks did have the better team on the ice and should have won easily, but Ilya Bryzgalov kept the Ducks in the game countless times.

The Canucks had Naslund playing with the Sedins, which worked well and Morrison lined up between Pyatt and Bulis. Both lines seemed to work and I'm expecting this might be what we get to open the season with.

There wasn't one fighting major assessed in this game, unlike the Canucks last game, which had WHL quality penalty stats. It may just be the first game of the entire NHL preseason that wasn't fight filled.

The Yahoo sports recap is linked here if you want to read it.

Senators 3 Leafs 2

The Senators erased a 2-0 Leaf lead to bury the Buds in Halifax. Jeff O'Neil and Pope John Pohl scored for T.O. in the first period, where the Leafs outshot the Sens 19-6! But then Leafs got into penalty trouble in the third period and the Senators took advantage with goals from Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley. The Leafs did not have many regulars in the lineup. The defence was all up and comers, and the only regular forwards in the lineup were O'Neil, Alex Steen, Alexei Ponikarovsky, and Matt Stajan. So a good showing by the Leafs prospects nevertheless. J.S. Aubin was in net for the Leaf's loss.

NEW LOOK CLOUTIER

Ex Canuck goalie Dan Cloutier is wearing an actual mask this year, instead of that ugly assed helmut/cage combo he's worn since his junior hockey days.

Based on the fact it only has a couple stickers on a plain black mask, this may only be a preseason test. Cloutier gave up 2 goals on 19 shots in his debut against the Sharks...both right thru the five hole, I'm sure.

Yahoo sports has a few pics of Cloutier playing a little too deep in his net, courtesy of Andrew Brunette last night, against the Avs.

LEAFS BEAT HABS AGAIN!

Stajan scores!

The Leafs have defeated the Canadiens once again in the preseason 4-3, this time without the likes of Sundin, Tucker, McCabe and Kaberle. The Canadiens actually dressed a decent lineup tonight to try stop their losing skid (now 0-4). But Matt Stajan scored the winning goal with 6:07 left to play on a pass from wonderkid Aleksander Suglobov. Suglobov, Jeremy Williams, and Kyle Wellwood also scored for the Leafs while Saku Koivu, Mark Streit and Michael Ryder replied for the Habs.
Good news for Leaf fans: Andrew Raycroft was in the net for the entire game for his first win as a Leaf. He stopped 32 of 35 shots.

BRUINS JUST FINE

Joe who??

The Bruins improved their preseason record to 4-0 today, beating the Islanders 3-2. The Bruins had whooped the Isles 5-1 last night as well to sweep them in their games on Canada's east coast. Hannu Toivonen was sharp for the B's in this one stopping 23 of 25 shots. The Bruins got goals from Tyler Redenbach, Glenn Murray, and Jonathan Sigalet. Islander goals came from....it doesn't matter where the Islander goals came from!
I was always a complete supporter of the Thornton trade last season because I thought it worked for both teams. It looks as though we will see that even more in Boston this year, as Marco Sturm, Brad Stuart, and Wayne Primeau will pay huge dividends.
The best part of the deal for Boston is how the top line of Bergeron, Sturm and Boyes is clicking so well and looks to become a dominant force this year. Wayne Primeau is a gutsy checker who can chip in, and Brad Stuart will be a steady force on D and quarterback the powerplay as well.
Expect the Bruins to leave the top line intact, and the second line will be occupied by Glenn Murray, Marc Savard and perhaps Phil Kessel or PJ Axelsson.
For the first time in a while, the Bruins have a team with depth, and could very well make Bruin fans forget about Joe Thornton. At least for now.

RUUTU OUT AGAIN

"My back's fine! Oh dammit! My knee!"

Tuomo Ruutu, brother of the Penguins' Jarko Ruutu will miss a month or more due to a grade 2 sprain to his left knee, suffered in a 5-2 win over Columbus last night. It was apparently a dirty knee-on-knee hit from Jackets defenceman Rotti Klesla, and a tape has been sent to NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell.
Immediately after the hit Hawk Duncan Keith stepped in and roughed up Klesla to defend his teammate, which drew praise from coach Trent Yawney.
Poor Ruutu has so much promise to become a star, but just can't seem to avoid injury. Last season it was a back injury that kept him out most of the season. We've seen him dominate skillfully and physically at an international level, but we will have to wait at least another month to see him with the Hawks. The last thing the Hawks need is another Eric Daze-type. Could you imagine a Handzus-Havlat-Ruutu line? I like the sound of that.
On a separate note, it appears that new Hawk Bryan Smolinski is fitting in just fine, according to Coach Yawney, and he may return to his old form.. scoring-wise in an increased offensive role in Chicago.

PRE-SEASON INJURIES PILING UP

We're only a week into the pre-season, with the regular season being almost 2 weeks away, key injuries continue to pile up, with the latest being Ottawa D-man, Joe Corvo. Corvo broke his right foot in the closing minutes of the Senators loss to Buffalo on Friday. He is expected to fill the gaping void Zdeno Chara left when he headed for Boston. He blocked a shot late in the third and left the ice immediatley. He will be out indefintely. This is a huge blow to Tapeleg of Jersey's and Hockey Love, who has Corvo as well as Zdeno Chara, who may be healthy enough to return to the Bruins line-up when the regular season begins. Chara, who took a puck off the foot, only ended up with a bad bruise.
This brings me to Jaromir Jagr, who had surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder four months ago. For precautionary measures, he has not been cleared by doctors and is doubtful for the regular season opener.
Then there is Malkin, and anybody who is anybody seen what happened to him. Let's hope his dislocated shoulder is less of a problem than Jagr's. He is listed as day to day, and probably won't make his season opener either.
Todd Bertuzzi has bruised ribs but is expected to return soon. Like we care!
Paul Kariya has a hamstring injury, but it isn't deemed serious, as he's been skating in practice.
To Hodge's relief, Daniel Briere's minor hip injury is just that. He was expected to return to practice yesterday.
Tomas Kaberle, Kim Johnsson, and Daniel Alfredsson are both nursing minor groin injuries.
Rhett Warrener, Calgary top D-man, was sidelined again yesterday with a knee injury. He will have an MRI and likely will miss the season opener.
Danny Markov suffered a strained left MCL and will have an MRI today. The team is optimistic this is just a slight injury.
Jay McKee is likely to miss the season opener due to a strained MCL.

UPDATE: Chicago Blackhawks forward Tuomo Ruutu will be sidelined at least four weeks after suffering a grade II sprain of his left knee Friday night against Columbus. He was sidelined most of last year with back problems.

CANUCKS STINK UP CALIFORNIA

Ouch, the second lopsided loss in as many nights for the Canucks. The Ducks showed up for the contest obviously ready to play with a decent number of their star calibre players. The Canucks, on the other hand, brought parts of their top line, none of their second, and two lines of Manitoba Moose hopefuls.

There were enough penalties and fights to make a junior hockey game look tame. It gave a whole new meaning to "fighting for a spot on the team."

Highlights included: 2006 entry draft pick Michael Grabner getting his first big league goal and Kevin Bieksa thrashing some Duck property after getting his ass handed to him by Anaheim's Travis Moen.
Lowlights included: Luongo getting beat 23 seconds into the game on his first shot on net and Ducks out shooting the Canucks 28-8 in the first two periods.

I can just hope the Canucks can ice a half assed resemblance of their complete lineup on Sunday for the rematch against the Ducks, and Anaheim decides to bring their 18 and under squad. I know the preseason is being used by head coach Alain Vigneault to sort out a number of roster spots but have to ask if losing all their preseason games can do anything positive.

I can already hear Zanstorm, with his shitty "I told you so's" but as a die hard Nuk fan, it's nothing I haven't heard before.

LEAFS BEAT HABS / AUBIN MAKES STATEMENT

The Leafs continue to cruise through the preseason with a 5-1 victory over the rival Canadiens. Mats Sundin, Darcy Tucker, Aleksander Suglobov, Alexei Ponikarovsky, and John Pohl tallied for the Buds. Suglobov scored an absolute beauty, deking goalie Yan Danis out of his space boots and roofing the puck quickly. (Pope) John Pohl had a strong game for the Leafs and continues to impress.
But the big story was Leaf goaltender J.S. Aubin who stopped 22 shots and really had a hell of a game. Aubin continues to make it tough on the Leaf brass to decide who will back up Andrew Raycroft. Then again, the Leafs lost their only game with Raycroft in net, while Aubin and Mikael Tellqvist have had stellar outings. To that I say...GOOD! Maybe the Leafs won't have goalie woes after all, as they have options.
Aubin played so well at the end of last season when Belfour was out and the Leafs made a late season dash for the playoffs. He doesn't seem to be letting up.

Hey, what was the score of the Canucks game tonight? Anyone know? Was it close? Didn't think so!

RICK IN RUINS, LOSING TO THE BRUINS

I know it's only pre-season, and it's only one game, but suddenly, that 15 year contract doesn't look like it was such a bright idea after all. Not only did the star goalie give up 3 goals on a measley 14 shots in 33 minutes of play, but he also tallied 6 minutes of pentalties in their 5-1 loss to Boston. Dipietro was replaced by veteran goaltender, Mike Dunham after allowing the 3rd goal.

His excuse when talking to reporters after the game? ''This game doesn't count - the big game is Oct. 5 when the season starts, we just have to make sure we're ready for that night.'' I thought all games were suppose to be taken seriously, but maybe that's just me being naive.

Of course, head coach, Ted Nolan also put in his 2 cents, defending Dipietro, saying ''He hasn't played in five months, there's probably a little rust there, we'll probably have to play a lot in exhibition to help him shake off that rust.'' So I guess we should be forgiving for a few goals, but their is no excuse for the penalties, one of which was called for unsportsmanlike conduct after arguing a call.

I'm thinking Dick Pound should focus his drug testing escapade on owner, Charles Wang; the guy has dug himself a hell of a hole, and he's dragging the team down with him. Good job Charles, maybe you should let Dipietro be the GM and demote Garth Snow back to goaltending.

THIS WEEKS CAPTION CONTEST

Last weeks prize was...first pick in the WFS hockey pool draft. Beaner picked first, so I guess she's the winner, without posting a caption.

I apologize for the horrible picture choice last week and hoped I've redeemed myself with this odd picture out of Atlanta.

I have no idea why the backwards helmuts, but hope the picture can foster some decent captions.

This weeks winner will receive a copy of Chris Pronger's new book "Skating Backwards for Dummies".

LIE OF THE DAY

From TSN: "When I got to Buffalo one of the first things people were suggesting I should do is take away the 'C' from Pat LaFontaine, to have a fresh start. And there's a lot of similarities here, in terms of people maybe wanting to take away the 'C' from Yashin. But I think in order to be a good captain you need a good supporting cast. Yashin is a good man, he's got a good heart for the game, he wants to succeed."

Yeah, OK. Comparing Yashin to LaFontaine is a joke, in all forms of the word. Yashin does not have a good heart for the game. And how much more of a supporting cast did/does he need? No excuses for Yashin. He better get his shit together NOW.

WEAK TEAM - STRONG DIVISION

The face of the NHL landscape keeps changing, and the cap era is levelling out the playing field. This year looks to prove that fact even more. Unfortunately there are some teams that really aren't keeping pace. Others are feeling the cap sting and are being forced to downgrade. Here is a quick overview of what I'm talking about.

CENTRAL DIVISION
Chicago, Columbus, Detroit, Nashville, St. Louis

This is one of the weakest divisions in the NHL. Chicago is tanking, and the Blue Jackets could follow suit. At least the Blues made moves to make themselves competitive again, and they are due to achieve the biggest point increase of any team this year, IMO. This division almost guarantees Detroit and Nashville making the playoffs, and that is unforunate.

NORTHWEST DIVISION
Calgary, Edmonton, Colorado, Minnesota, Vancouver

I really like this division. It has competitive written all over it. At the same time, you can almost see why I predict the Canucks to miss the playoffs. The Flames, Oilers, Avalanche, and Wild are better teams on paper hands down, with maybe the Avs being a question mark. But look out for Minnesota this year.

PACIFIC DIVISION
Anaheim, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Jose, Phoenix

This division will give the Battle of California a good time this year. But it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Phoenix and Los Angeles will miss the playoffs. The Sharks, Ducks, and Stars are going to tear them apart all year. Kudos to L.A. for taking the right rebuilding steps though.

NORTHEAST DIVISION
Boston, Buffalo, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto

It also doesn't take a brainiac to figure out that this is the best division in the NHL. This is why I pick the Leafs to miss the playoffs, and that their goaltending would need to save them. I just don't see it. Every other team in this division is taking the next step..the right step...while the Leafs continue their cluster fuck ways.

SOUTHEAST DIVISION
Atlanta, Carolina, Florida, Tampa Bay, Washington

This is a weak sauce division, and technically the Hurricanes should get a free ride this year (even if they have a Cup hangover). Bold prediction? The Lightning will miss the playoffs. Don't believe me? Look at their defence. It's depleted. They have only gotten worse since their Cup win, on ice and on paper. The Thrashers took a step back as well in the offseason. Gone is Kovalchuk's set up guy Marc Savard. He was replaced by Steve Rucchin or Niko Kapanen..enough said. If you think Richard Zednik will be enough to get the Capitals into the playoffs, you need to lay of the crack pipe. All of this adds up to..you guessed it...the Panthers making the playoffs this year, as they are the most improved team on paper. Don't argue with me, I'm fucking right!

ATLANTIC DIVISION
New Jersey, Islanders, Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh

Once again, this should be no problemo for the Devils, Rangers and Flyers to make the playoffs. The Devils need to sign the rest of their D soon though. The Islanders are screwed until Yashin either dies, or retires..and the Penguins are a few years away yet. How good will the Rangers be this year? Shanahan is a nice fit there, as is Matt Cullen and Aaron Ward. The Rangers could take over the East.

NHL NEWS

*Carlo Colaiacovo has been cleared to play by a neurologist. The Leafs defenceman was seeing stars last week during practice, and there was a possibilty that he would miss time due to his concussion that he sustained last season. The Leafs will not rush him back into the lineup at this time.
*After a second opinion it has been confirmed that Alex Mogilny has has an arthritic hip and will be placed on the Devils' long term injured reserve. This in turn will save Lou Lamoriello $3.5 million on cap spending. Look for Brian Gionta to sign a contract very soon.
*Predators Steve Sullivan and Jason Arnott have tight groins will be out of action for an undisclosed amount of time.

SEDINS SHINE IN PRESEASON LOSS

After going down by three goals to the Sharks, who featured their new top line of Bell, Thornton and Cheechoo, the Canucks rallied back and tied the game aound the mid way point of the third. Milan Michalek got his third of the night, late in the third to nab the win.

The Sedins started the game with prospect Jesse Shultz and ended with Ryan Kesler as their other winger in the game. The sedins were dangerous with the puck all night, with only the play of Evgeni Nabokov keeping them off the score board in the first half of the game. The twins were up to their tricks again displaying their patented slap pass, as well as some nice passing between the two of them that finally ended in two quick goals in the third period.
Check the link for the complete game breakdown. Highlights included: Kesler winning 75% of his first period faceoffs, twelve shots on goal by the twins and local Wade Flaherty standing on his head in net. Lowlights included: Roberto Luongo giving up his first shot on net in a Canuck uniform and star defensive prospect Luc Bourdon getting burned bad one on one by Milan Michelak, resulting in the Sharks first goal.

All in all not too bad for a preseason game.

Malkin Injury Footage

In case you haven't seen it yet, here is the footage of Malkin's first NHL injury.
Doesn't it look like Leclair was trying to give him a backflip a la WWE? The Hulkster would be proud.

SAVAGE RETIREMENT/DRINKING AND DRIVING

Brian Savage has officially thrown in the white towel today on an injury-riddled career. He is 35 years old. In the 13 years he played, he managed 674 games and 359 points. The closest thing to a complete season he ever played was in 1996-97 with the Canadiens (81 games). He showed alot of promise with the Habs, but as soon as they traded him in 2002, he progressively got worse and worse, and worse and worse, etc. You get my drift. His lanky frame wasn't made for hockey. He needs a desk job, or whatever prevents him from running into something or even moving a muscle.

Nice. Two NHL players in the news for drinking/drunk driving on the same day: Jay Bouwmeester and former Hab Serge Savard. Wanna know how drunk they were? Wanna know all the dirty details? I don't, and neither should you. For TSN and whoever to even bring this up is TABLOID JOURNALISM and it really is pathetic. Hey, let's tarnish Serge Savard's name before the Habs retire his jersey this season...fuck off!!!! There is ZERO class in even reporting on this shit. Save it for the National Enquirer because we don't need to know it. I really hate it when hockey journalism goes this route. It's their personal lives. Let's just stick to hockey.
It's not like Bob McKenzie and Pierre MacGuire don't sit in the back room, drink scotch and look at porno before driving home! They just haven't been caught yet! (haha!)
Journalists have the right to report, but they should also look into their moral fabric once in a while before seriously reporting this kind of stuff.
That is why I like blogging. I am free to say something like "ah shit too bad they got caught" or "I guess Savard's wife is driving him to the ceremony for the jersey retirement." I joke it off. But the real truth is...I would rather not even know about any of this in the first place.

WFS - ROUNDS 4 -6

Round 4
1.	P. Datsyuk	Hodge
2.	J. Cheechoo	Tapeleg's Tools
3.	S. Gagne	arspa
4.	H. Zetterberg	Zanstorm
5.	T. Selanne	Sleek and De...
6.	W. Redden	Drumheller M...
7.	H. Lundqvist	Charlestown ...
8.	O. Jokinen	Beaner

Round 5
1.	B. McCabe	Beaner
2.	S. Gomez	Charlestown ...
3.	P. Marleau	Drumheller M...
4.	M. Naslund	Sleek and De...
5.	S. Sullivan	Zanstorm
6.	T. Vokoun	arspa
7.	M. Gaborik	Tapeleg's Tools
8.	A. Hemsky	Hodge

Round 6
1.	S. Zubov	Hodge
2.	Z. Chara	Tapeleg's Tools
3.	R. Blake	arspa
4.	C. Ward	Zanstorm
5.	S. Gonchar	Sleek and De...
6.	E. Malkin	Drumheller M...
7.	D. Phaneuf	Charlestown ...
8.	C. Armstrong	Beaner

Round 4 winner = Everyone except the loser (all choices make sense, except the loser of course)
Round 4 loser = Doogie (Dman too high still...and not even one of the better available)

Round 5 winner = Some good choices but nudge to Arspa (Vokoun is worth 100 points and one the best starters left at this point)
Round 5 loser = Zanstorm (leads losers list at this point(2)... Sullivan ahead of Sakic, Kariya or
Briere is wack and he knows it...wouldn't admit it, but knows it none the less.

Round 6 winner = Zandstorm redeems himself with a nice goalie pick (as long as he doesn't tank this year)
Round 6 loser = Tough one, but gotta go with TL (43 point Dman last year on one of the best PP units in the league. Should have went with heart and took Liles)

Potential Sleeper pick of the draft at this point = Beaner with Colby Armstrong. This kid could have a cheechoo year.

DALLAS WILL SEE MORE OF MORROW

For 6 more years to be precise. The 27 year old left-winger has scored a 4.1 million dollar a year contract extension beginning with the 2007-2008 season. Morrow, who has played his entire career with the Stars had this to say "I wanted to stay in Dallas all along and now I can concentrate completely on the ice for this upcoming season, I couldn't be happier and am extremely excited about continuing my career with the Stars for many years."

Morrow has been a consistant 20 goal scorer for the past few years, and is the only player in the NHL to do so and serve more than 125 penalty minutes. Morrow is a reliable team player and is a pretty safe middle round pick if you are entering a hockey pool. He has yet to record a minus rating in a season.

With faces like Marty Turco, Mike Modano, Sergei Zubov, Jussi Jokinen, and Eric Lindros, just to name a few, the Stars have a decent chance at making the playoffs yet again this year in my opinion.

HAMHUIS CAN REST EASY

As reported by TSN, the Nashville Predators and Danny Hamhuis, have agreed to a 4 year, $8 million contract. The Smithers, BC native, as WFS has reported many times, failed to file for arbitration in the off season, prompting him to return home and keep his fingers crossed for something to happen. The 23 year old, 1st round draft pick (12 overall) scored 7 goals and 31 assists in 82 games last season.

He was one of two Preds to play in all 82 games last year, with Paul Kariya being the other.
He led the team in takeaways, with 50, ranked second in hits with 114, and blocked 100 shots.
Of his 7 goals, 5 of them were tallied in the final 18 games of last season.


Local residents had hopes of being able to watch the star play along with our local hockey team, the Smithers Steelheads, as a few reported seeing him skating with them only last week. It's also been reported that he stuck out like a sore thumb, a player of his caliber easily making even the best players doubt their own ability.

LUONGO DEBUT TONIGHT

Roberto Luongo will make his highly anticipated debut against San Jose tonight. The Sharks got spanked by the Ducks last night, and I'm guessing they may not want to lose two preseason games in a row.

I haven't been able to find the official Canucks starting lineup, but I know Naslund and the Sedins will be playing. Rumours have the Canucks contemplating Naslund playing with the Sedins on the top line this year. I'd be a little concerned with that idea, as it leaves gaps in the second line you could drive a truck thru.


In the line up for the Sharks will be Thornton, Marleau and Cheechoo, so it should be a good test on Luongo and Wade Flaherty, who's coming off a 1/2 game shutout in Calgary.

DEATH TO THE BUFFASLUG

Ah yes, even more mockery of the pathetic new Sabres logo! If you haven't already, go to Ingmar's site and check out the slew of photoshop images like these. 100% satisfaction, folks!










Origin of these Photoshop images is still unknown.

ROUND BY ROUND ANALYSIS - WFS POOL

Round 1
1.	M. Kiprusoff	Beaner
2.	J. Thornton	Charlestown ...
3.	A. Ovechkin	Drumheller M...
4.	J. Spezza	Sleek and De...
5.	S. Crosby	Zanstorm
6.	D. Alfredsson	arspa
7.	N. Lidstrom	Tapeleg's Tools
8.	D. Heatley	Hodge

Round 2
1.	R. Luongo	Hodge
2.	M. Brodeur	Tapeleg's Tools
3.	E. Staal	arspa
4.	P. Elias	Zanstorm
5.	S. Niedermayer	Sleek and De...
6.	J. Jagr	Drumheller M...
7.	A. Tanguay	Charlestown ...
8.	I. Kovalchuk	Beaner

Round 3
1.	C. Pronger	Beaner
2.	R. Nash	Charlestown ...
3.	R. Miller	Drumheller M...
4.	M. Hossa	Sleek and De...
5.	P. Forsberg	Zanstorm
6.	M. Turco	arspa
7.	J. Iginla	Tapeleg's Tools
8.	B. Richards	Hodge

Round 1 winner = Everyone except Tapeleg
Round 1 loser = Tapeleg (way too early for a Dman, even if is Lidstrom)

Round 2 winner = Everyone except Sleek
Round 2 loser = Sleek (same mistake as TL)

Round 3 winner = Arspa (Turco is worth the most points if he can repeat last years numbers)
Round 3 loser = Zanstorm (Forsberg will be injured for most of this season too)

Stay tuned, I'll be posting three rounds at a time. The winners and losers become more and more obvious as the rounds progress.

MAPLE LEAFS 3 SENATORS 1

Brad Brown scored early in the third period to help the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Ottawa Senators 3-1 in exhibition play Wednesday night.

Bates Battaglia and Andy Wozniewski also scored for the Maple Leafs, coming off a 4-0 loss to Buffalo on Monday night in their preseason opener. Mikael Tellqvist made 33 saves for Toronto, and free-agent newcomer Michael Peca had a pair of assists.

Mike Fisher scored for Ottawa, and Martin Gerber and Jeff Glass combined to make 27 saves for the Senators (1-1).

Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson left in the second period for precautionary reasons after suffering a slight groin pull. Toronto defenseman Pavel Kubina, an offseason signing from Tampa Bay, also left early in the second because of a mild hip-flexor injury.

From the Associated Press.

Leaf goalie Mikael Tellqvist had a stellar game, stopping 33 shots.
For his part, Sens goalie Martin Gerber did not allow a single Leaf goal. I took Gerber in our pool this year, and expect great things from him!

Photo courtesy of TSN.

MALKIN'S FIRST NHL GAME VS THE FLYERS PERIOD 1, 2. OH NO! MALKIN INJURED!

Lucky residents of Moncton, New Brunswick get to watch this one. Just before the opening ceremony, Malkin crosses himself. Is he Catholic? Probably Orthodox, says my Russian wife.
Malkin is playing on the Penguins 2nd line with Recchi and whoever else they put on there.
Hey ! Ken Hitckcock shaved off his moustache! Looks younger.
On the Pens' 1st man advantage, Malkin quarterbacks the very effectively. Sergei Gonchar blows a shot past Robert Esche. Assist from Micky Dumot(?) and MALKIN!
Flyers take themselves out of it early taking 3 penalties in a row.
At the 13 minute mark, Ryan Malone scores another powerplay goal. The Flyers haven't even showed up yet, and then Pens look fast. For the record, there is no Gagne or Forsberg or any star in the Flyer's lineup. But Mike Richards and Jeff Carter are.
With a few minutes left, Carter breaks in on his off wing, and fires a beauty wristshot over Jocelyn Thibeault's left shoulder.
Score at the end of Period 1: Penguins 2 Flyers 1
Malkin was used sparingly. But Therrien is rolling 4 lines.
Malkin can really rush the puck up ice starting from his own zone, and the Pens are set-playing that. He goes through and around alot of players on his way up ice.
Other notes: Dominic Moore looks FAST and hustles better than any Pen so far.
Colby Armstrong is the real deal methinks
Alright, Period 2 is starting now!

BLOODY HELL!!! MALKIN IS HURT! 1 minute into the 2nd period, he flipped right over top of John Leclair behind the Flyer's net and landed on his face and chest..OUCH. He was escorted off the ice. My guess is a back injury, because he folded over in a way that a player's back shouldn't bend. Dang, maybe my Malkin party is over....

CLOUDY FORECAST IN SUNRISE, FLORIDA?

With all the controversy surrounding power forward, Todd Bertuzzi, all the back problems haunting former #1 goalie, Eddie Belfour, and the pressure on mediocre starter, Alex Auld, can the Panthers, written off before the season has even begun, make the playoffs?

It seems they will be relying on their captain, Olli Jokinen, after leading the team in goals, assists, points, and power-play goals, to lead the team of youngsters, such as Nathan Horton, Stephen Weiss and Anthony Stewart, as well as veterans Martin Gelinas, Jozef Stumpel and Joe Nieuwendyk, to do this impossible task.

The only other bright spot on this team is Jay Bouwmeester, with his skating ability. The young defenseman led his team's defense with 46 points in 82 games, tallying 5 goals and 41 assists. At 6-4, 218 pounds, he should be able to use his size as an advantage, even though he has yet to do so. This kid will be someone to keep your eye on this year; with his potential, he could be the real deal in the future.

Like many others, I have also already counted the Panthers out of the playoffs and have even betted against them a couple of times. I think the Luongo trade may come back to bite them in the behind, as the Canucks were clear winners settling their goaltending issues and clearing the air of the Bertuzzi baggage (somewhat). I guess only time will tell......

-Courtesy to SportingNews.com in helping with my first post.

PRONGER SPEAKS / OTHER NEWS

Duck Chris Pronger is tired of all the chatter about why he left the Oilers. So he spoke in an Edmonton newspaper.
"I've heard all the nasty stuff, about all my girlfriends...that I've got more kids than I started with. I must have six kids out there.
It started off with I slept with so-and-so, and I'm having kids, then it moved to my wife sleeping with some of my teammates. I was supposed to be having a kid with a reporter, then she said, 'I don't know what they're talking about.' Then it went from story to story.
The fans have every right to feel how they feel. Some understand, some don't care. Others, I'm sure, want to tell me to screw off.
Fans are fickle...it's the nature of the beast. You're an idol when you're on their team. They love to hate you, hate to love you. Now, they'll be back hating me. They always did when I was on other teams."
Oh yes they will hate you. You will be boo'd so loud in Edmonton that even Todd Bertuzzi will feel good about himself!
***
Sergei Federov will be out of the Blue Jackets lineup for about 4-6 weeks after apparently seperating his shoulder last night during a preseason game. Not really what the Jackets needed to start their season.