Instead of just doing the typical game notes and predictions, in the spirit of the season, I’m going to submit you to my early Christmas wish-list.  Maybe the Red Wings can get me some of these on black-friday…

All I want for Christmas:

1. I want Ville Leino to purchase a nice cottage in northern michigan and retire there.  He obviously does not want to put out the effort Detroit fans expect form their players, and this way he’d be able to tell all the people up-north about his glory days playing for our beloved hockey team.  Maybe in 20-25 years an age group will come along that will marvel at the fact that he once wore the winged-wheel, failing to realize that he was a complete disappointment the entire time he did.  Little would they know, he only played for us because of gary’s salary cap and the obnoxious amount of injuries we’ve sustained.  I’m done with Ville…yes, I’m writing him off.  I hear Charlevoix is nice this time of year…
2. I want Todd Bertuzzi to join Ville.  Reference everything I wrote above and apply it to Bert.
3. I want Johan Franzen to stop thinking that he’s going to make it back for the olympic games.  This scares the thanksgiving stuffing out of me.  So he wants to skate in a month, then play in a couple games with the Wings, followed by a grueling 2-week single-elimination tournament.  Coming off ACL surgery, somehow this doesn’t seem like a spectacular idea to me.  The last thing the Wings need is Franzen to re-injure anything or even be hurting heading into March.  This is all considering that we may, unfortunately, be battling in the playoff race come that time of year.  We need the Mule back strong and healthy.
4. I want better Special Teams.  Namely I want better Penalty-Killing.  We’re the Red Wings, and we have “great” defensive depth and a good core of penalty-killers.  Yet somehow we can’t actually stop other teams from scoring…it baffles me.
5. I want Ken Holland to go back in time and sign Vinny Prospal to play wing rather than Bert or Williams.  Oh hindsight…
6. I want Georges Laraque to never play another NHL game.  It’s painful to watch this man play hockey, and no fan should ever have to pay to see it.  End this.  Immediately.  (I’m looking at you Bob Gainey.)
7. I want Ryan Getzlaf.  What!? I’m allowed to dream alright.  It’s Christmastime, maybe a surprise is awaiting me…
8. I want the Red Wings to sign Darren Helm for life so that I can feel confident purchasing a #43 jersey soon.
9. I want the Red Wings to have a 4-game winning streak at any point this season.
10. Finally, I want to wake up and have this nightmare be over.  I’m ready for April and for us to be a top-4 seed.  I don’t enjoy watching games like the last two.  I’m sick of hearing about different players “trying” and “working hard.”  This is the Red Wings.  To quote our favorite muppet Yoda: “Do or do not, there is no try.”  That is a mantra the Wings need to pick up and run with.  The Red Wings win.  Period.  If they aren’t then things need to get changed.  I’m tired, and I’m not enjoying the fact that we’re not even in the top 8 in the conference right now.  I’m not completely freaking out, but this is taxing as a Wings fan and I’d simply like to be reminded at Christmastime that my hockey team is still one of the premiere franchises in the league.  Let’s start with tonight.

Side note, at the pace the Red Wings are taking shots and failing to score goals, I only have one thing to tell them…You’ll shoot your eye out.

Calgary Flames vs. Detroit Red Wings

November 27th 7:00pm, Joe Louis Arena

Game Notes:

1. Eaves is back in the lineup and Brad May is the odd-man-out for the rotation tonight.  It was surprising to see Eaves sit, but I’m glad he made a quick return.  He’s played decent and deserves to be in the lineup.
2. Ozzie starts tonight due to the goaltending carousel the Red Wings have going on right now.  Howard will probably get the start tomorrow since it’s a back-to-back.
3. Jarome Iginla is really awesome.  As in 16G-7A-23Pts-28PIM awesome.  Hopefully his awesomeness is not on display tonight…
4. Mikka Kiprusoff will likely start for the Flames in goal tonight, since he plays like 95 games a season for them.  He is prone to have some great games followed by 6-7 goal duds. He’s given up 5 goals in his last 3 starts.  Hopefully this means his due for a flop.

Bold and Stupid Predictions:

1. The Red Wings score tonight. (Bold, I know…)
2. Dion Phaneuf puts a questionable hit on a Wing and we somehow are left wishing Brad May was in the lineup to respond…
3. Abdelkader puts a goal in tonight.
4. The Red Wings have the lead in the 3rd but blow it due to defensive let-downs…
5. Final Score:  Flames Win 4-3/SO.

Atlanta Thrashers vs. Detroit Red Wings

November 25th 7:30pm, Joe Louis Arena

Game Notes:

1. Khan is reporting that Patrick Eaves will be out of the lineup tonight. This is an interesting decision since Eaves has the best +/- of any Red Wing forward and is 2nd on the team to Lidstrom.  Perhaps Babcock thinks that May might have to get in a scrap tonight, otherwise I would have figured Eaves stays in.
2. On the flip-side of Eaves watching from the press-box for a night is Kirk Maltby being in the lineup and Drew Miller being bumped up to the 3rd line.  Tonight we’ll get to see what a Draper/Helm/Miller line can do.  I’m ok with this and I think rewarding Drew Miller for being one of the only Red Wings to fully show up on monday is a good thing.  It lets the whole team know where things stand and that the players that work hard are going to get the better playing time.  Congrats to Drew, maybe he’ll even work up to a scoring line if he keeps this up.  Can we all smile a bit and say once again, what a great pick up by Ken Holland as usual…
3. The Thrashers have the 2nd best Power-Play in the East.  The Wings have the 3rd worst Penalty-Kill in the league.  Special teams will be key.  C’mon Brad McCrimmon, earn your freaking paycheck.
4. Ilya Kovalchuk is ridiculously good.  I wish the Red Wings could have him on the wing of Datsyuk.  Seriously though.  14 games and 21Pts is mighty nice.  He’s also +1, so he’s not a total defensive liability.
5. Rumors continue to swirl about Atlanta being a team that could be re-located relatively soon if things do not turn around there.  Considering their play this season, if they continue to have strong outings and make a run at the playoffs, my guess is these rumors die down.  I don’t think Atlanta should necessarily have a team, but now that they are there, I think the Thrashers can have success in Georgia.  Even if the entire state probably has 2 snow-plows.
6. Jimmy Howard is back in net.  Almost time-share status with Ozzie at this point.  It’s good experience for the kid though, and for the most part right now, he’s earning the time as much as Ozzie is.

Bold and Stupid Predictions:

1. The Red Wings power-play gets back on track and they score 2 on the man-advantage.
2. Ilya Kovalchuk scores a hat-trick.  Yes.  He hasn’t scored in 2 games and he is definitely due.
3. Darren Helm is finally able to have a big night with a goal and an assist.  2 points, count it.
4. As you can tell, it will be an offensive battle-royale.  Which probably means it will be a 1-0 slug-fest.
5. Final Score Red Wings Win 6-4.

So yeah.  Apologies for being gone all weekend.  Blogging was on the backburner for a bit, but I now make my triumphant return! We resume with a belated look at tonight’s matchup:

Nashville Predators vs. Detroit Red Wings

November 23rd 7:00pm, Sommet Center

Game Notes:

1. After the highly-offensive and downright vile shift Georges Laraque took on saturday night, where he high-sticked Helm in the mouth and then took out Krons for up to 2 months, the Red Wings are a bit battered.  Helm is fine, but the Kronwall injury hurts…a lot.  We thought we’d be subject to a Derek Meech/Brett Lebda 3rd pairing, while Big-E will moved up to the 2nd pairing. However, per Khan, it appears we’ll see Big-E up with Lidstrom and all the pairings will be jumbled.  Having Brad Stuart on the 3rd pairing while Brett Lebda is on the 2nd seems comical to me, but I guess Babcock knows what he is doing.  Please come back soon Nik Jr.
2. Ozzie will be starting in goal tonight.  Considering the state of the defense we might need a big game from our goaltender.  I’m left wondering though if we’ll actually get that game.  Ozzie was good against the Preds, and I think this time-share of late with Howard has been helping him get his head on straight.  No matter what people like/dislike about Howard, the fact remains I want to see Ozzie be the goalie that can still keep the Wings in the close games. Hopefully he has returned to that form with Jimmy “giant-rebounds” Howard taking up so much playing time.
3. Nashville has won 5 in a row and Pekka Rinne has been on fire for the Preds.  He’s sporting a 9-1 record in his last 10 starts and his peripheral stats are spectacular. 1.71 GAA and .931 Sv%.  I guess all we can hope is that Z’s Red Hot power can help the wings put more than 1 goal in against the guy.
4. Darren McCarty will be doing analysis for Versus during the intermission.  This will likely be the highlight of the night.  I can’t wait to see D-Mac doing analysis.  Does he wear a suit?  Does he punch Brian Engblom in the face?  The intrigue and suspense is killing me.

Bold and Stupid Predictions:

1. Meech gets an assist on the power-play.  No this doesn’t mean he should be a stalwart on the point from now on…
2. Eaves puts one in finally.  He’s been working too hard not to.  I like the Draper/Eaves/Helm line to get a goal tonight.
3. Pekka Rinne reminds the Red Wings of the power of the Finnish Goaltender and holds the Wings to a low-scoring battle.
4. Osgood holds it down just enough, but let’s in one goal he certainly shouldn’t.
5. Red Wings Win 3-2.

by Christopher Brinckerhoff

"Sidewalks II: Reflections on Chicago" author and photographer Rick Kogan and Charles Osgood pause for a smile. Kogan will speak in Kankakee Library about the work. Later this month the library will host a discussion about another one of his books, "America's Mom: The Life, Lessons, and Legacy of Ann Landers." Photo by Chris Walker.

The Kankakee Public Library will have an unusual patron in-house this evening. And some might only be able to recognize him by his distinct voice, which floats on an octave so low it generates gentle rumbles on eardrums.

Chicago Tribune senior staff writer and WGN radio host Rick Kogan will be on-hand Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. to talk about his latest collaborative effort with former Chicago Tribune photographer Charles Osgood, “Sidewalks II: Reflections on Chicago.” This is the second collection of their well-known Sunday paper columns about intriguing people and places around the Windy City, and Kogan agreed to the engagement, in part, because he loves libraries.

Copies of the book, which will be officially released Nov. 13, will be available to purchase for the first time at the event. They will be offered at a discounted price, $30 instead of $40, and Kogan will be signing books after speaking about the work.

The Sidewalks column stories are primarily about the little things, everyday characters and peculiar locations that form the cultural textures of Chicago.

“The thing about Sidewalks is the stories are not stories that deserve front-page news,” Kogan said. “I just think that they’re stories that deserve to be told because they do address the sort of fabric of this area.”

The event is the third of six in the Kankakee Public Library’s current author and artist series. The library’s assistant director Allison Beasley said people will turn out for the event because they know Kogan and Osgood’s work, but they will be pleasantly surprised to learn how interesting and relevant the Sidewalks books are to any city in America.

“It’s certainly about Chicago and Chicago’s people, but I think it’s about human nature,” Beasley said. “It’s about the interesting kind of quirky side to people.”

Osgood, former Chicago Tribune photographer, will not attend. He said one of his favorite stories in “Sidewalks II” was “Honor Flight,” which was about an event where World War II veterans were flown from Midway Airport to Washington, DC for the day to tour monuments and other significant spots as a way to show gratitude for their service. A crowd gave them a warm reception upon their return.

“It was one of the more interesting situations I’ve been in because I had never heard of this thing before, but a lot of people have,” Osgood said. “So you have people of all ages from all walks of life that are standing cheering the Marines or the former servicemen as they get off the plane.”

“Sidewalks II” is the first offering by Sidewalks Book Company, which Kogan and Osgood formed this year. Kogan said if “Sidewalks II” is successful, their next release might be a collection of images from newspaper photographers, which he called “the most anonymous artists in contemporary America.”

The vibrant front cover of "Sidewalks II: Reflections of Chicago" by Rick Kogan and Charles Osgood is the first offering by the publishing company they began this year for the purpose, Sidewalks Book Company. Graphic courtesy of Sidewalks Book Company.

An exhibition including more than 60 large reproductions of Osgood’s Sidewalks photographs and Kogan’s stories opens Nov. 19 at the Chicago Tourism Center Gallery downtown.

The next featured author or artist at the Kankakee Public Library will be Chicago filmmaker Andrew Surprenant in January, known for his work producing the documentary “The Atom Smashers,” which aired on PBS in 2008.

Copyright 2009

This week I had two tough fantasy match-ups, so most of my time was keeping track of my players. Thus, here’s the week’s overview:

Glows-

Canuck Alex Burrows, a winger with a punch, came out of his shell with an empty netter and shorthanded assist in a convincing win over the Minnesota Wild.

The Detroit Red Wings have delivered some great wins recently, including Chris Osgood’s 50^th shutout of his career against the Boston Bruins.

Big D guy Zdeno Chara scored his first goal of the season, finally! He continued with a Gordie Howe hat-trick, an assist and 12 penalty minutes.

Minnesota Wild’s Marek Zidlicky scored his first goal of the season, incidentally the game-winning goal.

Blows-

Blues winger David Backes is back posting five for fighting despite the loss to the Calgary Flames.

Devil Clarkson took it to Islander Tim Jackman in the first 40 seconds of their match up. Clarkson took 7 PIMs for the hits.

Avalanche D guy J-M Liles is out again with a soldier injury.  I just got him off of IR.

Quite the courageous performance by the Sharks, despite losing to the Detroit Red Wings 2-1, in a shootout. It ends their six-game winning streak, but they keep in-tact their seven-game point streak. Thinking about all the adversity the Sharks face coming into this game, it’s hard to be mad at them for not pulling this one out.

Allow me to discuss some of that opposition.

Let’s start with the obvious: the Sharks are injured. It’s like Stalingrad in San Jose. Players injured consist of Ryan Vesce, Devin Setoguchi, Torrey Mitchell, Joe Pavelski and Rob Blake. None of those guys are expendable. Maybe Vesce, but remember he was scoring like crazy on the top line. Dany Heatley got hit hard in tonight’s game and all fans held their breath. He returned and looked fine, however.

The Sharks called up Derek Joslin and Joe Callahan. Yea, that creates a hell of a lot of opposition when you call up those two.

This was the second of back-to-back games.

The Sharks have been on the road seemingly the whole season. Constant travel and stinky motel rooms will do a number on you.

The Sharks never win in Detroit. This is just a weird fact of life. They have a few wins at the Joe, but San Jose always finds a way to come out with a loss there.

And this is all before opening faceoff! Yet, these guys came out, exhausted, lethargic and earned a point. Outstanding.

Logan Couture scored his first goal of his career tonight on a wrister between the legs of goalie Chris Osgood. I really wish this kid could get a better opportunity with a higher line rather than meandering around with Jody Shelley. With the injuries, he’s going to be sent back down to Worcester, so put him on the top or second line for a few shifts. See what happens.

Logan Couture celebrates his first NHL goal (From SJSHARKS.com)

OK, so let’s jump out of Optimismville and get into some criticism, shall we? Goalie Evgeni Nabokov gives me heart attacks with his puck handling. He’s been giving the puck away to opposition on a consistent basis lately. I realize he wants a quick breakout — maybe because the Sharks’ breakouts have struggled — but Nabby, don’t put your team behind by doing something you aren’t required to do.

The Sharks power play forecheck was abismal tonight. I’m sure part of it was exhaustion, but they allowed a bunch of 2-on-1s and 3-on-2s tonight, while on the man advantage. Patch that up pronto.

The shootout was ugly for the Sharks. They didn’t convert on either chance and Nabby allowed two out of 3 chances. Ryane Clowe used the same exact move he’s used in the last two shootouts. It worked the first time, but the last two chances were easy stops for the goalie. Either come up with a new move for stay on the bench.

Brad Staubitz

Bitz was a healthy scratch tonight, presumably because coach Todd McClellan was angry with his penalties against the Blue Jackets last game. He received 17 minutes worth of penalties after a fight with Jared Boll. He was eligible to return in the game, but Todd kept him benched. As a result, Couture only had Shelley as a linemate. Bitz better keep his head together. I haven’t see Todd keep anyone in a doghouse, but there’s a first for everything.

Other Notes

Hit-O-Meter: SJ 27  DET 32; Scott Nichol, Joe Thornton and Douglas Murray combined for 14 of those.

The Sharks go home for a week, and they will play three games at HP Pavillion against Pittsburgh, Nashville and Dallas, in that order. I think Thomas Greiss needs to spell Nabby for Pittsburgh on Saturday. I know it’s baptism by fire, but Nabby needs a break.

–Ray

Chris Osgood established a wall in front of the Wings’ goal with a flurry of great saves while lying on his stomach in the first period. Boston never cracked that wall despite taking 29 shots, giving Osgood his first shutout of the year and the Wings a 2-0 victory.

The Wings opened scoring in the first with a power play goal by Henrik Zetterberg only two seconds into the man advantage. Tomas Holmstrom then added his, team leading, eighth goal on a drop pass from Pavel Datsyuk only two minutes before the first intermission. Before tonight, the Bruins had been the only team Holmstrom did not have a goal against.

Boston was sluggish on defense and seemed to give the flu ravaged Red Wings their space on the ice. Detroit did not return the favor, playing the body most of the night and frustrating the Bruins in their offensive zone by blocking shots. Goalless Bruins captain Zdeno Chara could have had several chances tonight on the powerplay, but lumbered around at the blueline and never stepped into a scoring position.

In Play! Man of the Game: Chris Osgood. Osgood made 29 saves, many of them in waves and highlight reel capable, for his 50th career shutout. He was helped out by the rest of the team which blocked 20 shots before they could reach Osgood.

Great post game audio

Bilim her konuda ilk sözü söyler, ama hiçbir konuda son sözü söylemez. Victor Hugo

İnsanoğlu meraklıdır; bilim denen şeyin özü budur. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Bilim, birçok derde deva olmuş olabilir; ama en kötüsüne, insanların umursamazlığına hâlâ bir çare bulamadı. Helen Keller

Bilim adamları atom çekirdeklerine benzer; bölünmeleri birleşmelerinden daha kolaydır.  Charles Osgood

Bilimin büyük trajedisi, çok güzel bir varsayımı çok çirkin bir olguyla yok edebilmesidir. T.H. Huxley

İnsanoğlu yürüyecek bir aygıt yapmak istediğinde, bacağa hiç benzemeyen tekerleği icat etti. Guillaume Apollinaire

The Red Wings took out Los Angeles when they walked out to a second period lead. The Joe was rocking but again fans complained about the addition of an organ at the game. Everyone was on their feet to watch, and applaud, a video shown after Nick Lidstrom netted his 1000th career point on a shot-pass deflection from Zetterberg.

The Wings gave up a goal midway through the third, but Kirk Maltby slammed a goal home shortly after to return the goal margin to two goals. The Joe went crazy.

The Wings finished with a full ice, empty net goal by Brian Rafalski in the closing seconds. It was an exciting night at the Joe and the Wings looked more like the team that everyone is familiar with.

Listen in to our great post game interviews with Ozzie, Babs and Lidstrom as he describes his milestone marker!

The NHL season is just two weeks old, and most teams have played somewhere in the neighborhood of five games, which is to say that some rust among the game’s top players would be excusable—except that, there hasn’t been much outside of one Sidney Crosby, who is scoring enough goals but whose total points output has been matched by Tyler Kennedy, he of 59 career points, among others. Alex Ovechkin’s 12-point launch is impressive, and having two other teammates in the top-10 causes CTP to wonder how that only gives the Caps the third-best offense in the league so far. A short list of players, however, are near the top of the scoring chart and are more deserving of a closer look:

Dany Heatley is off to his usual quick start, ignoring San Jose’s offensive vacation last night against the hardly-vaunted Phoenix defense. Each of the last three seasons now, Heatley has started off averaging at least a point per game through the team’s sixth of the season. But surprisingly, that isn’t much of an indicator of success for his teams. Despite Heatley’s 5 goals and 5 assists, the Sharks are just 3-2-1. Last year, the pace was six points through six games; the Senators went 2-3-1, and eventually missed the postseason. In 2007-08, however, he posted seven points in that span and Ottawa won the first five tilts; that team eventually melted down and stumbled into the playoffs, only to receive the broom from Pittsburgh. Heatley scored 41 and39 goals in his last two seasons, numbers befitting of a man of Heatley’s talent, but the Sharks need him to perform even beyond those figures. He is twice a 50-goal scorer; in each of those seasons, his team had advanced to the postseason and won at least one series. But when Heatley failed to reach the 50-goal plateau, he has failed to make the playoffs each year but 07-08, a first-round exit. Additionally, Heatley’s career shooting percentage is .161, and every season except 07-08, his percentage has fallen between .150 and .170. Given those numbers and the success of Heatley’s teams when he plays like an MVP, the recipe for success is simple: The more he shoots, the more he scores, the more he wins. Sounds obvious, but a dynamic scorer does not a playoff team make (ask former teammate Ilya Kovalchuk). Heatley is just a player who tends to make the rest of the team better in addition to his production, since his line is often countered by the opponent’s best defenders. If they’re out to stop him, they aren’t out to stop another scoring line. Given San Jose’s inconsistency, the more Heatley scores and the more he establishes himself as the team’s best player, the more he’ll open up the game for the Sharks’ other talented forwards. And if that happens, San Jose will run away with the President’s Trophy and make a deep run into the playoffs this spring.

Anze Kopitar averaged a point per game through five games each of his first two seasons before a relatively pedestrian start last season, but has had by far his best  season-opening stretch with 10 points this season. Kopitar is a dynamic young forward, but his hot start (which includes four goals) is even more impressive given the relative infrequency with which he puts shots on goal. Last year, that got him into trouble: He had just two goals in 17 games on only 45 shots. His other two seasons, he scored just 5 goals in his first 15 games as a sophomore and 3 goals in that time as a rookie, a campaign which included two goals in the season opener. Kopitar is a better playmaker than a scorer, and his shot is no slouch, but the quick start—specifically in the goal column—begs one question: Has the young Kings forward finally blossomed into one of the league’s premiere forwards? He needs just one more goal to equal his best October effort, and that came during his 77-point sophomore season. The Kings have plenty of young talent and a ton of speed at the top; perhaps he is benefiting from having plenty of open ice to work with. Or maybe he was just fortunate to be a big player in L.A.’s back-to-back six-goal efforts against San Jose and Minnesota. Either way, if in fact Kopitar’s game has finally had that “eureka” moment to put him among the game’s most feared forwards, can he keep up with the likes of Heatley, Kovalchuk and Mike Richards, perennial high-scoring also-rans behind the Alex and Geno Show? If he can, the Kings will likely still miss the playoffs, but they sure will be fun to watch.

Marian Gaborik started the season with 5 goals and 9 points, much to the delight of New York Rangers fans. That start was exactly what Broadway was hoping for when they signed the dynamic yet oft-injured winger, but this start could foreshadow a very special year from Gaborik. When last he played a full season, in 07-08, he had 8 points and just one goal in all of October; that season, he posted career-highs in goals (42), points (83) and plus/minus (plus-17). He has had better starts, but all before his emergence as a bona fide superstar (when healthy). Although his pace is for a 123-point season (which, with no offense intended to Gaborik, is unlikely even for guys who happen to wear numbers 8 and 71), is it possible he could get to 100? A 100-point season not only puts the Blueshirts comfortably in the playoffs, but also has them contending for a division title. They certainly have the goaltending, but what they haven’t had is an offensive spark plug (sorry, Chris Drury). Gaborik makes this team a serious contender but the question seems to be less about whether he can keep up his torrid pace and more about whether he can stay off the trainer’s table.

THE ONLY PARADE IS THE ONE TO THE EXITS: The Toronto Maple Leafs have played so poorly through five games that the current roster of the Reading Royals, the team’s ECHL affiliate currently in training camp, might have a better chance of beating an NHL team. Being outscored 2-to-1 while allowing nearly five goals a game, IN ADDITION to boasting the league’s 29^th-best penalty kill, has a way of keeping a team out of the win column. The new-and-improved defense has only gotten as far as the “new” part at the same time the offense has sputtered to a complete halt. One wonders if Phil Kessel has begun reconsideration of the five-year deal he penned just over two weeks ago. On the goaltending front, the team’s best effort (as expected) came from Jonas Gustavsson, who is currently on the IR with a groin injury (which, as far as goalies are concerned, is an injury that never fully heals). As for Vesa Toskala, CTP has compiled a list of goaltenders that could be considered more viable options in goal at the present: Allen Bester, Don Beaupre, Marcel Cousineau, Glenn Healy, Peter Ing, Mike Palmateer, Corey Schwab, Rick Wamsley and Ken Wregget. While his defense (or lack thereof) hasn’t helped matters any, Toskala simply has not played very well; in fact, one wonders if the groin he had surgery on late last season is bothering him again. Either way, the play in goal is an area of concern for a team that had playoff hopes at the beginning of the season, hopes that are quickly fading as the team falls further behind the league’s front runners. At the time of this writing, Toronto was cruising toward another loss, which would leave them at 0-5-1 on the season. Joey MacDonald got the start in that game and struggled. When Gustavsson returns, is he handed the starting job? Or does Ron Wilson stick with Toskala while he works through his struggles? Already the season invokes memories of the 2006-07 Philadelphia Flyers, who stumbled in October and never recovered en route to the worst record in the league.

AND SPEAKING OF GOALTENDING: Chris Osgood was chased in the second period by the Buffalo Sabres, and while Osgood has been subject to frequent criticism, and while some of the rebounds he allowed in tonight’s game could best be described as  enormous, on many occasions the only question to be asked was this one: Where is the defense? Osgood got no help this evening, and unfortunately for Detroit, that is quickly becoming a trend.

WINNERS THIS WEEKEND: Chicago, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, New York Rangers, Tampa Bay

LOSERS THIS WEEKEND: Florida, Nashville, New York Islanders, Toronto, Washington

LAST WEEK’S PICK ‘EM: 2-0-1

THIS WEEK’S PICK ‘EM (WEDNESDAY, 10/14):

Los Angeles (4-1-0) at New York Rangers (5-1-0): Good start by L.A., but unlikely to last. Henrik Lundqvist will shine in this one, such that the Blueshirts may not need more scoring from Marian Gaborik. WINNER: New York.

Edmonton at Chicago (both 3-1-1): Chicago’s 5-goal comeback was impressive. On a hunch, CTP predicts a letdown at the hands of surprising Edmonton. They certainly have the goaltending advantage in one Nikolai Khabibulin. WINNER: Edmonton.

Nashville (2-2-0) at Dallas (1-0-3): Nashville came back to Earth quickly after a 2-0 start. Meanwhile, Dallas’s record looks bad, but notice that zero in the second column. A point in every game means that the team is competitive. Expect a close game again, but give the nod to Dallas based  on all-around more potent offense. WINNER: Dallas.

THURSDAY: Time to get caught up on the news from around the NHL.

An ages-old theorem of NHL hockey holds that a team can’t win the Stanley Cup in October, but it sure can lose it. But can the same be said about the opening weekend of the season? Likely not; after all, Detroit lost its first two games and is currently in the Central Division basement, a position they probably won’t occupy for long. Nor can much be learned from the opening week, which historically is chock full of sloppy hockey and frequent line shuffling while a new band of 23 men gels (or, perhaps more accurately, as 20 men gel while three others watch from a luxury suite). So in all likelihood, the games from Thursday, Friday and Saturday are poor representations of the season to come. But maybe not, so here’s what we might have learned (and a disclaimer, of course, for why it might not mean anything):

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, RAY EMERY: Philadelphia’s starting netminder could hardly have started much better. The much-maligned Emery made 52 saves and allowed just two goals while playing on consecutive nights. Not only that, he pitched a rare season-opening shutout, and against a Carolina offense that is no slouch. And not only THAT, but  before finally allowing goals to the New Jersey Devils in the third period of that contest, Emery had stopped his first 50 shots since returning from a year in Russia. Not bad for a guy whose last NHL action was as Ottawa’s backup goaltender.
DISCLAIMER: New Jersey was playing its first game of the regular season and the Flyers got ahead early; the Devils, traditionally, thrive on small leads, not playing from behind. As for Carolina, the Hurricanes were promptly dismantled the next night, by Boston to the tune of a 7-2 romp. Carolina clearly has some bugs to work out offensively, but the jury is still out on a defense that many expected to be strong in 2009-10: The Hurricanes’ blue line kept the team in the game against Philadelphia, but was, um, lacking, against Boston. If Emery keeps up his stellar play, the Flyers are instant Cup contenders, but it’s still a bit too early to determine that one way or the other.

FISHSTICKS FOR EVERYONE?: Perhaps the Penguins saved their Stanley Cup hangover for game two, marching boldly to victory on the night they raised the championship banner just 24 hours earlier. Either way, the lowly New York Islanders, led by the likely 2010 Rookie of the Year, John Tavares, took the defending champs to overtime. Might the Islanders be better than expected this season? After all, they did three things that winning teams do: 1) score on the power play (2-for-6), 2) stay aggressive on the penalty kill (3-for-3), and 3) play well in goal (Dwayne Roloson stopped 39 shots). If nothing else, it’s a positive start on the island for a team that is very much in a rebuilding year.
DISCLAIMER: Rolo’s 39 saves suggest that the Isles possess a porous defense; certainly, the goaltending bailed them out. Continued success cannot be achieved when the backstop is constantly taking rubber. While the power play’s performance is worthy of attention, that of the PK does not because the Penguins are hardly known for their prowess on the man advantage. And have I mentioned that it’s just one game? The Islanders need a string of these before they can be anointed a darkhorse.

WASHINGTON’S RED LIGHT DISTRICT: Everyone knew the Capitals could score, and everyone knew Alex Ovechkin could score. And everyone REALLY knew that if the Caps were going to drop six goals on anyone this weekend, it was going to be the Maple Leafs. But four against Tim Thomas and the Boston Bruins? Making Boston look lost in its own zone is no easy task, but Washington and Ovechkin both looked to be in midseason form, with the latter rattling off three goals and three assists to take the early league lead in points. But what’s most impressive is who’s right behind him on the scoring chart: The top-four leading scorers from the opening weekend are all from America’s capital.
DISCLAIMER: Conventional wisdom says the Caps can’t average five goals a game over an 82-game season, and the odds certainly are against them. But this team will score, often enough to overcome shoddy goaltending (Jose Theodore looked better than Semyon Varlamov; eyebrows across America should now be in the raised position). However, if Washington looks this good this early, one wonders what is standing between them and the President’s Trophy.

VANCOUVER RHYMES WITH HOOVER: Which is fitting, because through two games, the Canucks suck. They couldn’t score (shut out on Saturday by Colorado after a better effort against Calgary), they couldn’t play defense (8 goals allowed), they couldn’t find any rhythm on the PK (55.6 percent success rate) and they haven’t gotten a spirited effort from one Roberto Luongo (42 saves). Do the math, and it equals a pair of games that were never close and an 0-2 start. Most concerning is that the team’s best forwards, the Sedin twins, evidently took the weekend off (one assist each). Last year’s Canucks were a strong team; this year’s slow start raises questions about the character and work ethic in Vancouver’s locker room. Will they be answered Monday against Columbus?
DISCLAIMER: Last year’s Canucks also dropped three straight in mid-October and finished the month at 6-5-0, but what most fans remember is the 6-0 rout of Calgary on opening night. That’s a difficult standard to maintain. There is concern that the Sedin’s lackluster play may be a season-long occurrence (after all, the twins did just receive big paydays from the Vancouver front office), but the Canucks are likely just unfortunate in running into an improved Calgary squad and a Colorado team playing very inspired hockey under first-year head coach Joe Sacco. Speaking of Colorado…

BREAK UP THE COLORADO AVALANCHE: Residents of Denver have lots to cheer about: The Rockies in the NLDS, the Broncos at 4-0, and the Avalanche perfect through two games with Craig Anderson in net. Joe Sacco has his unit playing together, sparked by Anderson’s spectacular play. And the Avs are scoring in droves! Colorado dropped a five-spot on San Jose’s normally stingy defense and have been on the receiving end of a few lucky breaks (Darcy Tucker’s redirect goal on Thursday night while falling over comes to mind), but Wojtek Wolski and Paul Stastny are looking like stars, and that is good news for a young Colorado squad.
DISCLAIMER: It’s hard to say if Colorado’s offense can keep scoring at or above three goals per game, but that will be a non-issue if the defense continues to give up over 30 shots a game. Shot totals in Anderson’s two victories were 40 and 35, or a 37.5 average that is entirely too high for sustained success. CTP’s Northwest Division preview proclaimed an underrated defense as the team’s potential strength, but so far the blue line is living up to last year’s expectations while reaping the benefits of a hot goaltender.

PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE RE-SIGNED TY CONKLIN: Detroit’s goaltending started the season in a manner that makes Tim Chevaldae seem like an appealing alternative by comparison. Or maybe Bob Essensa. Either way, Chris Osgood underwhelmed behind a defense that allowed just 23 shots, and then Jimmy Howard followed suit the next day while facing nine more pucks. Detroit proved last year that a team can win without starting goaltending, but consider this: Before last season, Detroit’s highest goals against average from a regular goaltender in the past decade was a 2.76 from Osgood, and that was in 2005-06. The goaltending had always been there, and they won frequently; last year it was not, and they still won frequently. But Detroit’s 0-2 start this season is cause for wonder if maybe this season will be less fruitful than past years.
DISCLAIMER: The Red Wings were swept by the Blues in a home-and-home, and the games were hardly defensive struggles. St. Louis has a potent offense when all its members are healthy, but more importantly, Detroit didn’t exactly hit the ground running last year, either. The Red Wings were outplayed on opening night by Toronto, and didn’t score more than three goals in a game until their fifth contest. Truthfully, though, Conklin was the team’s best goaltender last year, but in the offseason, Detroit went with the unproven Howard anyway. In a fitting bit of irony, Howard was the losing goaltender on Saturday while Conklin picked up the win for his new team.

OUTHOUSE TO PENTHOUSE, AT LEAST FOR THE MOMENT: It was a good weekend for teams that struggled last season, as Buffalo, Atlanta, Nashville and Phoenix–all teams that missed the postseason–won their respective openers. Colorado, another non-playoff team, won its first two games; as did Montreal, last year’s Eastern 8th-seed that stumbled down the stretch and was swept by Boston in the first round.

OR MAYBE THE OTHER WAY AROUND: 2009 playoff participants New Jersey, Carolina, Detroit, Vancouver and Anaheim all went winless, although in fairness, the Devils and Ducks only played one game.

THIS WEEKEND’S SURPRISES: Brooks Laich (WSH), 2 goals and 3 assists; Carey Price (MTL), .951 save percentage, 1.89 goals against average.

THIS WEEKEND’S DISAPPOINTMENTS: Daniel and Henrik Sedin (VAN), 0 goals, 1 assist each; Jonathan Toews (CHI), 0 points; Vesa Toskala (TOR), .800 save percentage, 4.97 GAA.

CTP’S WEEKLY PICK ‘EM (TUESDAY, 10/6):
1) Washington at Philadelphia (both 2-0-0): Ovechkin welcomes Emery back to the NHL by scoring twice; Philly’s new goalie hangs tough, but the  Flyers offense can’t pull out the win. WINNER: Washington.
2) Montreal at Calgary (both 2-0-0): New-look Montreal looks old against Calgary. The Flames score early and the defense keeps the Habs just at arm’s length. WINNER: Calgary.
3) Anaheim at Minnesota (both 0-1-0): Surely a goaltending duel. Nicklas Backstrom, a tough-luck loser to Columbus (37 saves in a 2-1 loss), gets enough help this time as Mikka Koivu and Martin Havlat both score for the first time this season. WINNER: Minnesota.

TOMORROW: A first look at Cycling The Puck’s base model, preview- and weekend-recap-free. News, notes, brief game recaps and anything else noteworthy from around the NHL.

Taking a look at Chris Osgood’s starts the last few years reveals that the veteran netminder has not played in over 46 games a season in the last four years. Detroit seems to hope that Osgood can pull off at least 65 games this season. Which seems to be a pretty tall order, considering that  Jimmy Howard has not proven to be a solid backup. Things could get messy in Detroit should Osgood get hurt or play poorly. Detroit may end up trading for or signing a free agent goalie before the season is over. Perhaps we haven’t seen the last of Dan Cloutier in Motown after all.

JUST ANNOUNCED: 650NORTH IN NEWPORT, KY THIS FRIDAY / THANK YOU OSGOOD!

650north @ the 3rd Annual Osgood Grub Music Festival in Osgood, Indiana

What’s up, everybody?  Matt here again.

Just announced today, we’ll be making our Newport, Kentucky debut with a special performance at J. B. Fins this Friday, September 18th. Show starts at 10 PM. For more info, check out the show link below in the “Upcoming Tour Dates” section. See you at the show!

HUGE thanks to everyone who came out for the 3rd Annual Osgood Grub Music Festival—what a great night! It was awesome to perform again for our hometown, and to see so many familiar faces in the crowd (as well as lots of new ones!). Everyone in the band agrees—this is one of the best, most memorable shows we have ever played, and we owe it all to you, the fans! Thank you again, and see you at the 4th Annual Osgood Grub Music Festival next year!

Be sure to visit our Official Flick Photostream at www.flickr.com/photos/650north to see all of the latest professional photos from the road, including a new set of shots from the 3rd Annual Osgood Grub Music Festival.

And finally, we now have a Twitter account! Be sure to visit twitter.com/650northand check out all of the latest dispatches from 650north. Do you Twitter? If so, be sure to “follow” 650north, and “retweet” to help spread 650north news!

- Matt of 650north

UPCOMING TOUR DATES

September 18th in Newport, KY @ J. B. Fins

September 26th in Shelbyville, IN @ Eagles Lodge 766

October 29th in Terre Haute, IN @ The Verve

With the prospect training camp hosted by the Red Wings in Traverse City already in progress and fall descending upon us, we are reminded that hockey season is almost here!

Articles are popping up everywhere about which prospect will be somebody years from now, and which disappoint.  The “experts” are making their predictions for the season (Surprise, the Red Wings are said to be old, soft, and past their prime…again.  Hey, one of these years they’re bound to be correct…right?

In reality, the Red Wings are well poised to return to the Stanley Cup finals yet again.  Their defense is virtually identical to the one that won the Cup in ‘08 and helped the team to the finals again in ‘09.  Their offense lost Marian Hossa and a few role players (Jiri Hudler the most painful loss) but replace them with Williams (who is lazy and soft, but does score goals) and Todd Bertuzzi.  Don’t forget the possibility of break-out seasons for Valterri Filpulla and Ville Leino, and a full season of Jonathan Ericsson and Darren Helm.  Oh, and Patrick Eaves?  The kid who has amazing talent but has somehow not fulfilled his potential?  That type of player is the one the Red Wings excel at reforming.

I’ll admit, even I was worried during the summer at these signings, but let’s be realistic:  Bertuzzi, in all his “old” and “past his prime” glory, still scores lots of goals.  The only real question hanging over his head the past few seasons has been whether he will be out of shape or injured (he impressed the Red Wings with his physical and has stated he feels better than in any of the last seasons) and whether he will play hard.  In his last stint with the Wings, he played hard despite being injured.  He seems excited to be back.  I predict he’ll be the player we need, a physical offensive player who can be what Hossa wasn’t: clutch.  Bertuzzi also seems to have exorcised his demons, and with a healthy, motivated, and focused Bertuzzi the Wings have replaced most of their lost offense and gained a new element that was lacking last season: grit and motivation.

The only real potential weak point in the Wings system is in goal.  Osgood has proven himself to be among the best goalies all-time, statistically speaking.  He’s proven to be clutch in the playoffs the past few years, but the departure of Ty Conklin and the ascent of unproven Jimmy Howard puts the Wings in a tough spot.  The use of two goalies (the lauded goalie tandem strategy) has paid off well for the Wings.  Even with the disastrous goaltending in the regular season last year, they could always rely on their goalies when it counted.  Hasek-Osgood worked well, Osgood-Conklin worked well.  Will Osgood-Howard be as successful?  Maybe.  But maybe not.

As long as Howard can play decent, the Wings will make the post-season yet again, with the fire and motivation that was missing from last season’s run.  (Isn’t it scary that without fire and motivation they only lost the Cup by a single goal in a Game 7 against a young and hungry team?)  Look for them to make serious noise. Anything less than the Finals will be a disappointment this season, regardless of what the “experts” say.

Hey everybody—Matt here again.

We will be joining WARRANT for the 3rd Annual Osgood Grub Music Festival on Saturday, August 22nd in Osgood, Indiana.  More info below—see you there, and spread the word!

- Matt of 650north

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On Sale Now: 650north w/ WARRANT – August 22nd – Osgood, Indiana

BUY TICKETS

Join 650north for the 3rd Annual Osgood Grub Music Festival w/ WARRANT on Saturday, August 22nd in Osgood, Indiana. Tickets are $25 in advance and $40 the day of the show. Also performing: Stereo Deluxe, Chad Harvey, and Alex Ehler. Visit 650north.com/tickets for more information.

Want to know more about WARRANT? Visit http://www.warrantweb.net.

BUY TICKETS

 
***JUST ADDED***New Tour Dates!

Just announced, 650north will be performing a slew of shows in August, including a killer hometown show in Osgood, Indiana w/ WARRANT—check out the dates below:

UPCOMING TOUR DATES

August 8th in Louisville, KY @ Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom

August 14th in Shelbyville, IN @ Strand Theatre

August 15th in Greensburg, IN @ GROOVEFEST 2009

(BUY TICKETS) August 22nd in Osgood, IN @ OSGOOD GRUB MUSIC FESTIVAL w/ WARRANT

September 5th in Louisville, KY @ Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom

September 26th in Shelbyville, IN @ Eagles Lodge 766

October 29th in Terre Haute, IN @ The Verve

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THE MOVEMENT: 650north’s Ultimate Street Team! Sign up today at 650north.com.

A little 19th century etiquette for ya: When friends or acquaintances would visit someone’s house they would present their calling card or visiting card at the door to the servant who would bring it in to the house. If you wanted to see them you would have the servant bring them in. If not you would tell the servant to say you weren’t home. It was the original caller I.D.

Anywho, while trolling the Dolley Madison Digital Edition (which you should all check out should you be interested in her correspondences- I think they have free trials) I came across the best name ever:

Dorcas Osgood Marble Dearborn (d. 1811) She was the second wife of Henry Dearborn, secretary of War (1801-1809) under Jefferson. Apparently she wasn’t the only one to suffer from a horrible moniker: she had daughters named Mary Marble Gay, And Dorcas Marble Parker.

Anyone looking for baby names?

H

Well I have to admit all my predictions yesterday were horrible!!! I went 0 for 3 (Wings lost, Lakers lost, Yankees lost). Now I do have to defend myself to some degree, at least about my Yankee prediction. I said the Yankees only have a shot if Burnett pitched to his ability…ummmmm that obviously didn’t happen AT ALL!!! So I’ll take the hit for that prediction…but I really wasn’t wrong, vagueness can work for you sometimes (thumbs up!)…Anywho let’s dive right in to that debacle yesterday…what a despicable performance by Burnett and the Yankee batters. Side Track: Even though the Yanks only got 2 hits yesterday no one likes giving credit to how good Beckett’s performance was and it seems like people generally, me too I will admit (see above), blame the bats and never give credit to the pitcher. Beckett only gave up 1 hit in 6 innings and fanned 8 batters…he was on his “A” game and just flat out dominated the Yankee batters…so I will chalk this one up to a great pitching performance and fatigue on the Yankees part after a tough series with the Rays but they MUST show up these next two games…so what’s up with Burnett?Going into this year A.J. was 5 and 0 with a 2.57 ERA against Boston…that’s for his entire career…it is not based on home or away just against Boston in General. A.J. hasn’t faced them in Yankee Stadium yet and if he pitches them the way he has so far this year we can see his 0-1 record and 12.91 ERA against the Sox get a whole lot worse…he has to focus and step up, especially in these games…they are obviously our biggest rivals and down the stretch the team we will most likely be battling for first place…now everyone will go crazy and say skip him during the Boston series from now on but I think it really is just him pressing too much and trying to make perfect pitches in hitters counts. THAT’S NOT AN EXCUSE but at least it can be an explanation. Burnett is wayyyy to talented to be pitching like this and he will work his way out of the funk…he is simply (in my opinion) letting this rivalry get to him and trying to throw the entire game on his back…Burnett, relax, pitch your game and make the pitches you know you can make…don’t press and try to strike everyone out…ground balls win games…long balls lose them…I have faith in Burnett and know that he will pitch well against them in the next series (if he is slated to start) and once he has a game at home against Boston he will settle down and let his talent do all the work…once again…NO REASON TO FREAK OUT!!! BURNETT WILL BE FINE!!!

Side Track: It is typical that Ortiz hit only his 3rd home run of the season last night…classic.

I’m not gunna talk about the over matched bats today…like I said earlier Beckett was on fire and made a great lineup look silly…they are resilient though and will come back tonite against a pitcher who they usually dominate, Tim Wakefield…more on that to come…the only bright spot for the Yankees last night was their bullpen…hey wait…Burnett only gave up 3 earned? Not too bad!!…hahaha just kidding…I know, not funny…back to the bullpen…against a very tough offense the bullpen showed up…only giving up 2 earned over 5.1 innings and Brett Tomko showing how much of an asset he can be, he can eat up innings and be used in any long relief situation…him and Swisher might be 2 unsung signings this year…very interesting…Tomko only put 2 guys on as well…very impressive and a good sign for future games where a situation like this happens…more than that if there is a close but high scoring game he becomes even more of an asset in that he can keep the game close and keep the Yankees in the game…Jose Veras actually looked impressive for once…now I know there was really no pressure on him…the game was out of reach in the 3rd inning…but it’s still good to get his confidence up so we can get him into tight situations and he will perform…believe it or not this guy has good stuff and can be very effective…but when he is off he is flat out terrible…Now granted Robertson has only been here for a little bit, I am sold on this kid. His composure and collectiveness on the mound is amazing for a kid who is only 24 years old, he is perfoming and putting up great numbers so far. He is 1-o out of the pen and posts a 1.86 ERA over 9.2 innings pitched…and averages over a strikeout per inning with 13 so far…he is a huge contributor to the success of this bullpen and I see him being a big component as long as he is used efficiently and effectively…Side Track: I hate to showoff for the Red Sox but there bullpen is truly amazing right now…WOW!!! Yankees have to hit their starters hard!!

Tonite!! The most interesting matchup of the series in my mind…Wang vs Wakefield. This is a HUGE start for Wang and his role with the Yankees this year…and that is an understatement…with his last start behind him he has to do the same thing, forget about that start and focus on this one. I truly believe this is his biggest test…if he succeeds he gets the rotation spot if not he gets put in the pen and Hughes is back in…this is just my speculation I didn’t hear this from anyone but it seems to be going that way. Wang happens to also find himself in a good matchup due to the fact that he is facing someone the Yankees generally have great success against. Wakefield’s career ERA against the Yankees is a robust 5.03 with a well below .500 record at 10-17 over 32 starts…at home this year Wakefield has pitched great and if the weather is on his side, which right now doesn’t seem to be a factor, he can flat out dominate the Yankee hitters. Unfortunately you really can’t go on trends with a knuckleball pitcher…things change day in and day out and it really depends on how their arm feels that day and how their fingers tips are on the ball…so there is really on telling what can happen…The Yanks are hoping he is flat in the early going and can bash him and not have to try and score off their very impressive bullpen, especially if Wang is off tonite. Wang simply needs his sinker…he had it through the first 2 innings of his start against Texas but then fell apart…if the sinker is working it can be a long night for the Red Sox…Wang is also in the precarious position of having to eat up innings while working with a pitch count…The bullpen had to eat 5.1 innings last night due to Burnett’s horrific performance…I truly believe we see the resurgence of Wang with this start…the Yankees NEED to win tonite…over dramatic I know!!…so I think he will step up…I have a feeling Wakefield will be strong for the first few innings then the Yankees will handle him and eventually win the game…I hope my predictions are better than yesterday’s….LET’S GO YANKEES!!!

Other Notes:

Raul Ibanez: I was listening to Mike and Mike this morning and apparently there was a report that a blogger was accusing Raul Ibanez of using PEDs. Now I understand baseball is tainted right now, but just because a player starts to perform he’s using drugs? How about the other factors? For one the majority of his career he was on a losing ball club with no protection in the lineup. Two he also hit in a not so friendly ball club for the past 5 years, facts are facts Safeco is a very friendly pitchers ball park. Three he is hitting in a bandbox right now…Philly has been notoriously known for their very friendly hitters ball park, which elevates average and power numbers. Fourth the Phillies have a pretty damn good lineup…they can’t pitch around everyone and Ibanez is getting pitches to hit because Howard, Utley and Rollins are harder outs (well at least for their careers). And a point I can’t prove…maybe he is more comfortable and enjoys his new role…out in Seattle it was him and Ichiro, that was pretty much it, he can be more relaxed and have more fun on this team and wait WIN MORE GAMES!! Please can we stop accusing guys because they are playing better? Just because someone is having a huge year it doesn’t mean they are doing PEDs and also did anyone say that about Posada in 2007? People have great years here and again please don’t turn this into something that will hurt the game PLEASEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

Citi-Field: A ball park that is looking like it should be called death valley, due to its huge dimensions and unforgiving space, actually yielded 7 homeruns last night! I just had to comment on that because of another segment yesterday on Mike and Mike in which they asked if Citi Field would actually hurt the Mets and their power numbers…but of course that is just one game.

Ryan Howard: This is just a funny point…he ran out of the box yesterday like he didn’t know if his homerun ball would make it over the fence…it cleared it by at least 50 ft. hahaha…Just showing how much of a BEAST he really is, he didn’t think he got all of it and it hit it further than anyone last night.

Red Wings: Sloppy hockey last night…the Wings missed a lot of opportunities last night but then again so did the Penguins…game 7 is gunna be an epic battle…but I really think the Penguins are still over matched and Osgood is gunna be too good at home…I’m going Wings 3-1.

Lakers: Very weird game that made me think the Lakers would come back and win or at least get it to overtime…Kobe fumbled the ball by trying to drive the lane between 2 defenders…gotta give it up to the Magic though they held strong the last minute of the game.

Andre Either: He was on my bench last night and hit 2 homers…FML

MLB Draft: Surprise Pick at #1: Strausberg. I really think this kid is gunna be good as long as the Nationals sign him…hopefully Boras thinks about the kid before his own pocket and gets him signed and onto a pro team…Yanks opted for Slade Heathcott out of Texas HS…a speedy center-fielder who needs some polishing and work…but he is still in high school he can still be molded and all of his imperfections can be ironed out…predictions have him developing average power but being an asset more in the field because of his speed, however range and read on flyballs is something he will have to work on…hopefully he develops into something huge and we get to see him in 5 – 6 years.

Another great late inning win by the Yankees, just proving, once again, that no matter who the opponent, what the score, who’s pitching, etc. the Yanks always have a chance and are always in the game. I would like to start off congratulating Andy Pettitte on pitching a great game at home…FINALLY!!! I mean, I know I’m being a little over dramatic…over his last 3 home starts (not including yesterday) he only gave up 4 earned but he didnt look good. Last night Pettitte was there to pitch and displayed one of the NASTIEST sliders I have even seen him throw. Now I have to admit I am a little concerned about Pettitte…he seems to not be at his healthiest and is not dominating batters the way he has in the past….STOP!!! I know what your thinking…”HEY DUMMY!!! HE’S NOT 27 ANYMORE!!!” I know, I know…I just mean he is throwing meatballs at points and not using his smarts to get past batters. That 3-2 pitch to Kapler…SIDE TRACK: I truly believe that Pettitte was pissed off that he didn’t get the call on the pitch before…he threw a 2-2 curvethat, I REALLLLLY THOUGHT WAS A STRIKE, must’ve just missed the outside corner…he froze Kapler and should’ve gotten the strike out…instead he got flustered and made this mistake…was a meatball, batting practice fastball, that just sat in the middle of the zone and was ready to be hit into the stratosphere, and that’s where it ended up. He was clearly upset on the mound and didn’t calm down before he threw that horrific pitch. But he prevailed and if it wasn’t for the top of the 4th Pettitte pitched great. My only concern is that Pettitte has given up WAYYYYY to many homeruns this season so far, especially in Yankee Stadium….he doesn’t have that 90+ fastball anymore and he needs to adjust to that…the pitch to Kapler was horrible and with the Rays lineup he could’ve put the pitch inside and if he ended up walking him it wouldn’t have been that bad…especially with Reid Brignac coming up next…but, be that as it may, in the long run it didn’t matter and the Yanks still won. (Oh number freaks…for Pettitte that’s 8 homers in only 43.1 innings pitched at home…something needs to change here)

Ummmmm….is Teixeira good? Ohhh by the way all those supposed “real Yankee fans” next time check your stats and don’t overreact to everything….if you knew anything, you would know Tex is notoriously horrific in April and that he was going to be off to a slow start…hey listen I’m not preaching without sin…I got frustrated too…but you can’t boo the guy when he has that kind of track record!! Look at him now!! The guy is a flatout beast and is now leading the American League in Homers and is producing with his bat on a consistent basis and with his glove, what seems to be, EVERYDAY!!! This guy is one of the best in the game and I’m glad he’s on our team. Sorry….I had to say that.

I would like to pat myself on the back for predicting a win yesterday…now I will admit that I thought the Yanks would win by more than 2 buttttttt that’s baseball and Sonnanstine actually decided to throw a some what decent game. I also figured Sonnanstine would be out in 5 (He pitched 7+, he came out for the 8th and gave up a leadoff homer to Jeter) The bats did attack Sonnanstine though and got him for 4 homers (3 solo) and they rolled to victory thanks to the bullpen behind Pettitte…and that guy Hughes…ever heard of him? I’ll get back to that in a minute. Even with the 4 homers off Andy the Yanks could only muster 6 hits for the night, I obviously figured in for a lot more. A very weird feat…so in reality Sonnanstine really didn’t pitch that bad at all…he just made 4 really bad mistakes . I would like to see more small ball out of the Yankees at times…we aren’t stealing bases as much right now…but I guess you have to get on base to do that too. Power is fine and all but if they lose that for a period of time…which don’t go crazy people teams do slump…LOOK AT THE METS!!! who whether you want to admit it or not have a pretty good lineup…it happens! So with any power shortage the Yankees could be in trouble so I would like to see small ball once and a while…but I’m not nervous, our guys can execute on that team and they will…I just don’t want to be sooooo dependent on power that we drop a few games if they slump.

This will piss a lot of people off but…Phil Hughes looked really good and can be the answer to our 8th inning woes. I know he pitched in the 7th…calm down people…but he looked calm, collected, and very intense in his new role…and like a good young pitcher he is telling the media that he will do whatever it takes to help the team win…he’s a true Yankee. Phil came in and mowed down 3 really good batters, probably the cream of the crop for this Tampa team and did it with ease getting 2 groundouts and a very impressive strike out of Longoria. He looked good people and this might be a good role for him right now…HE WILL START AGAIN!! DON’T WORRY…but I think he should be our 8th inning guy at least until Bruney can stay healthy…another guy I like actually pitched in the 8th yesterday and that is Phil Coke…Yes, I am a Coke Bloke…as well as a co-founder of the group…he’s a good pitcher with a lot of talent who is an essential part of this bullpen…not only as a lefty but as someone who can get key outs late in the game. He has good pitches and poise and once he gets settled into being a Yankee and the pressure, he will be fine and will become a HUGE!!! Fan favorite and everyone will want to become a Coke Bloke!!! You know it’s true!!!

Tonite’s game…is it raining in Boston? Cuz it’s pouring here! GREAT MATCHUP BURNETT vs BECKETT, former teammates, good friends….probably the best one of the series!!! Although it just barely over shadows the Sabathia/Penny duel…BTW forecast not looking to good for tonite …BUMMER!!! Hey, remember 4/25? does that date ring a bell? Well that was the last time these two pitchers squared off and instead of a great pitchers duel it was a public bashing!!! Both pitchers gave up 8 earned…and didn’t even factor in the decision!!! THAT’S INSANE…worse part about it was that Burnett was spotted 6 runs before he fell apart in the 4 giving up 5 earned then again in the 5th giving up another 3!!! HORRIBLE….but hey that’s the past, let’s not dwell on that…you definitely can’t expect that two times in a row these guys are too good…and actually pitching well as of late…especially Beckett who has had 6 quality starts in a row along with a 4 and 0 record over that stretch…Burnett is working off 2 good starts off the Rangers (just happened to face them in back to back starts) and the Red Sox offense is very similar to theirs…if anything though the Sox hit more for average than power..which could hurt Burnett…sorry everyone! This matchup really intrigues me…both guys have the potential to be lights out but both have the ability to get smashed…my thought process is that this game is gunna get called tonite…the Weather isn’t supposed to be good and if it’s anything like it is here up in Boston the game will be called at 4pm…But if the game were to happen…I can’t give a good definite prediction…it depends really on which Burnett shows up…I’m hoping he has found his groove and is ready to pitch to his talent and we get to see the Burnett of last year…in his career he has dominated the Sox…which was a speculative point on why the Yanks wanted him so bad…with a 5-0 career record and posting a 3.52 ERA which I am sure is bloated a little due to the horrible start mentioned earlier. If Burnett shows up I think whoever makes the first mistake loses…I really see this being a pitchers duel…if the Yankees lefties can take advantage of Pesky’s poll they will be in good shape…the bats are hot and need to take advantage of Beckett’s few mistakes…Keys to the game are the Yankees sitting back and waiting for their pitch from a very good pitcher…if they are too overeager they will be outmatched and put a lot of pressure on Burnett…I’m looking forward to this game should be a good one…if it happens…I know it was a vague perdiction but it really is a toss up…LET’S GO YANKEES!!!

Other Notes:

Magic/Lakers: Everyone is saying the Magic will win tonite…I think it will be a close one through 3 quarters then the Lakers will dominate the paint and win by 10…low scoring game 97-87…maybe the Magic will show up and get the 3’s falling…but I just don’t see it happening…hope I’m wrong

Wings/Penguins: Crosby and Malkin have to step up…and so does the Penguins defense…Fleury can not have another bad performance like he did last game…it’s their last stand at home a must win for the Penguins but I don’t see how a Veteran team who knows how to win can lose this game…it will be a tight one this is where the big boys show up and play…but with Osgood in net with experience you have to believe the Wings will take this one…they definitely won’t lose two in a row…see ya later Penguins

MLB Draft: Still a few hours away but the web is buzzing with anticipation…we know Strausberg is going first (did I spell his name right?) with a big deal going down and probably setting a record with the money he will get…I am excited to see how this kid will perform as a pro…rumors earlier this year had him coming up in September…I HOPE SO!!

THAT’S ALL FOLKS…late!!!

DETROIT – Chris Osgood lounged on his day off, watching the Detroit Tigers, Tiger Woods and basketball when he wasn’t taking a 2 1/2-hour nap. “I’m banking some sleep here,” Detroit’s goaltender said Monday. Osgood and the Red Wings hope the much-needed break – after playing eight times in 16 days – gives them a boost to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals. Detroit defenseman Brad Stuart took advantage of Sunday, a rare day away from a rink, to catch up on laundry.

It didn’t take Stuart long to get back into the swing of things, shoving teammates such as Jiri Hudler away from Osgood and skating hard during a relatively intense workout at Joe Louis Arena. “We haven’t had a lot of practices like that the last couple months,” Stuart said before the Red Wings traveled to Pittsburgh. “It was good to get out there to make sure your body is working.” Detroit coach Mike Babcock was pleased with what he saw from Pavel Datsyuk in his first practice since making his debut in the Stanley Cup finals after missing seven games with a foot injury. “He looked really good,” Babcock said.

The MVP finalist shot a puck over Osgood’s glove and into the net, finishing a 2-on-1 rush after Henrik Zetterberg set him up with a crisp pass. “I like the way they looked together,” Babcock said. “I was really impressed with Pavel out there. The other day when he was practicing and he was going to play, I didn’t think he looked great.

“As the game went on I thought he got more confident, and it’s pretty apparent now.” Datsyuk assisted on the first goal of Game 5, had another assist and made other contributions to help Detroit beat the Penguins 5-0 to take a 3-2 lead in the series. The Red Wings have a chance to finish the series in Pittsburgh, where they hoisted the Cup last year to give the franchise its fourth title in 11 seasons.

“We’re comfortable on the road,” forward Kirk Maltby said. “A lot of times, we say we wish we could bring our road game home because a lot of times we play better on the road.” The Red Wings lost at Pittsburgh twice by 4-2 scores in Games 3 and 4. “It’s up to us to respond to play the kind of hockey we know we can play,” forward Kris Draper said.

“It’s going to be a great atmosphere. “We have to make sure we have a great start to settle down quickly.” Marian Hossa hopes to keep his emotions in check, focusing on the game and not the decision to leave Pittsburgh to chase a Cup with the Red Wings. If Detroit ends up celebrating in Pittsburgh, Maltby joked that he’s going to avoid Hossa in Mellon Arena.

I feel reverence to link: click there

Less than 24 hours.

The doubts stop here.  We all remember game five.  Check the post practice interviews today.  They remember it too.  Matt Cooke may have summed it up best with a little bit of a wry grin when he said it’s probably best that its out of their systems.  It’s best that its out of our systems too.  No more doubts.

We’ve bitched and complained.  It’s over now.  It’s time to just believe in the team that has taken all of us so far. 

I’ve never let myself watch much of last year’s Cup finals.  I’ve seen the stills of their faces, Crosby’s head bowed as he leans on his stick.  Malkin down on one knee on the ice.  The Cup in their house but not in their captain’s hands.  I’m not thinking about that now.  But I know they are.

What has happened in the Finals previous to this doesn’t matter.  This isn’t Ovechkin.  This isn’t Ward.  This is one game tomorrow night.  Friday doesn’t even exist yet. I’ve read the forecasts, the histories, the odds, the computer generated results that all predict doom as of 8pm tomorrow.  Those things don’t skate, pass, shoot or spin.  They don’t celebrate goals or try to rally broken netminders. They don’t breathe or think or talk, but those players do.  And I hope they know that it takes no more than one win in the city that loves them to erase all of that. One win to re-write what has been written and give us another chance.  That one win takes place less than 24 hours from now.  We know you can do it, boys. 

No more doubts.  There isn’t much time left. Just believe.

Okay, no more melodrama.  Let’s get some fucking facts!

What we need to win:

Fleury. Let’s hope someone gave him a long, slow, mildly inappropriate hug after The Thing. This suggests he didn’t get one until at least three hours after the game.  I’ve never had misgivings his glove, his stick , his athletic ability or his legs (because he is warming up by “doing splits and shit”, at least according to Natalie).  I’ve always had misgivings about his mental state.  Fleury can be a brick wall after defeats, using his tenacity and drive to shut the other team down; his overall record demands respect for his overtime stats which shows how he plays in the paint when under the gun. I’m confident in that for tomorrow.  He cannot be forced to carry the entire team, but he needs to either A) made a decent save % overall and just have a steady game or B) pull an Ovechkin stunner right out of the gate and shut everyone the fuck up.  He can’t give the Red Wings a glimmer of hope that he is off his game. I’m banking they’ll test him early with five hole shots (his soft spot) because of Datsyuk’s passing ability and if it goes south, well – once he’s done mentally, he’s done performanc..ily(nope, not a word). 

I know he can pull out something that will be remember for many, many years. I just hope he knows that too.  Also, someone needs to remind him he let in more goals against Washington than he has so far against Detroit.  Also, his regular season SV% is much better than Osgood’s (26 wins with a SV of .887%.  Let’s ponder on that).  Crack the Wings D early.  Osgood has to fail at some point in this series.

The GODDAMN defense.  Ugh.  I don’t even want to delve into this. I’ve got just three thing.  1) get Crosby free. I don’t need to talk anymore about this, right? 2) screen Fleury like your fucking life depended on it.  I don’t care if Pavel Datsyuk is using the fucking Hand of God to shoot the puck, they should not be able to get around all 6′7″ of Hal Gill if placed correctly 3)tire them the out.  Clear the puck, get them moving and take the body.  I know I just lambasted Orpik for making John McCain-style old man comments about the Red Wings(do it in the locker room, not on the podium you ass) , but if Game Four is any indication, he may not have been entirely wrong

The wingers.  A little was made of this during Coach Dan’s press conference this morning.  The wingers need to step up and make some plays here.  I disagree ,however, with some of what the media was inferring.  Guerin and Kunitz do not need to make goals.  Crosby needs to make the goals.  A strong passing game is completely needed, but Crosby making goals rather than sick passes gets the Pens bench going, gets the Wings on their heels.  Even more importantly, if Sid is scoring, it means that the D is doing their job. Guerin and Kunitz are getting clear lanes for great passes.  Crosby’s at the net, meaning the Wings D is not.  This would indicate (in my feeble mind) that we’re firing on all cylinders.  As for Our Geno, I would be ecstatic if Fedotenko or Talbot were putting some into the back of the net.  Malkin’s passing game is extremely underrated.  A player of Talbot’s size, skill and hands(unstoppable sex appeal doesn’t quite figure into this post, even though it always sort of does for Mad Max) shouldn’t be making plays like he often does (what is it, like, seven goals so far in the playoffs?).  Geno just knows where to put the puck, and when it’s on his winger’s stick, it’s usually headed into the net.  We need more from the team than just a few points on the board from the Wonder Twins, and Fedotenko and Talbot should be the ones to do it.

Play their game…but not too much. When I say this, I don’t mean act like a bunch of jackasses and try to draw penalties like bulls in a china shop  (I’m look at you, Evgeni). Put Scuderi on Datsyuk or Zetterberg and do it at oh, about… 17:59 in the first.  Remember Ovechkin in the last games of the Washington Series? No? Ask Scuds where he was. Forecheck like your skates were on fire.  Surround them in black and don’t let up.  Cheat juuust a little. These other guys don’t quit.  We all know this. Game Four. Make them work for it.

What we need to break my heart

Bad Habits.  Slacking on the D, lazy power plays where we don’t shoot enough, poor puck clearing in our crease, sloppy goal tending, not crashing the net to pick up easy rebounds.  Need I say more?

Not Capitalizing . Get one goal, back off for a period.  Not going to cut it. I’ve said this at the start of every game to the point where I think people are waiting to here it at the line announcements.  Don’t let the gas up.  Fight to get a two goal lead and do it early. Keep up the pressure, especially in that all too critical second period. 

Going Overboard. Everyone’s commitment and fire is what makes this team Cup caliber.  Sometimes, it can get people in over their heads, like in…well, you know.  Let’s just keep up the intensity, but not while we’re in the box.  I know taking penalties is part of the game, but if you’re doing it, do it smart.

Predicition. Pens win.  The roof of the Mellon Arena might not stay in tact, but at least the team will.  I still have my misgivings, but I think with the calm and always cool Bylsma behind the bench, the team will be back to form in their own barn.  I believe in this team. I believe in the game they play and the heart they play it with.  I know it can be done tomorrow.  I don’t have a doubt left.

Hey Lyndz? Why do you REALLY think they are going to win?

Well, everyone wants to call the Red Wings the Galactic Empire on ice.  I’ve always thought of them more of the Cobra Kai, mostly because of Babcock’s resemblance to this guy. And what did I hear on the radio today? PETER FUCKING CETERA’S GLORY OF LOVE. How the fuck is that still on the radio? And if that was not enough, who was being rumored to come back today?  PETR SYKORA.  How close are those two dudes names?  If that is not a sign, I don’t know what is.

We are so doing this.

Also. I am not going to talk about the Conn Smythe, even thought I want to.  I feel like it would be in jinx territory.  I know who I want to get it and who I think will get it, and I can talk about after the fact.