I should be feeling upset right now since the Avs lost in OT to MINNESOTA!!! (Why did they play Salo? WHY?!?!) I mean, the Canucks are playing against ANAHEIM, so there's a really high chance that the Avs have blown their division title. ARGH!!!
On the plus side, Forsberg seem to be back in action, with a goal and an assist, and Selanne scored again!!! Good for him! Let's hope he can keep the production up! And Liles showed once again how deserving he is of my admiration!! The Avs were down 4-3 with around 2 minutes left when Blake took a penalty for cross-checking. I figured it was over, but somehow Liles managed to score to get the Avs the point!!! My hero!!! Too bad they couldn't take it in OT though. Dang. Why didn't they play Aebischer?
But anyway, the reason I'm having a hard time being upset is because I just checked, and Seneca is indeed offering the Hockey Hal of Fame Presents class this summer!!!! YES!!!!!!!!! I was all set to totally rearrange my class schedule for next year to accomodate it, but, assuming I can get in, now I won't have to!!! Too cool!! The system is down for maintenance right now, so I can't register, but first thing tomorrow morning, I'm going to sign up!!! I'm SO excited!!!
It shows how much faith I have in my team, that with five one minute left to go, the Avs up 2-1, all I could think was "don't blow it, don't blow it!" And they didn't, thank goodness! One game down, three left to go!! The Avs MUST win their last three games!! The Canucks look well on their way to beating Phoenix, so the Avs still only have one point on them for the division lead.
*Phew* Thank goodness they won, thank goodness. And the gamewinner? Selanne from Kariya--haven't heard that in a while, huh? Hopefully this is a sign of things to come!! I wonder if he (Selanne) is still using "Foote's" stick? =P
He had a very solid effort against Ottawa (highlighted by his game-saving save when Belfour was way out of the net!), and tonight Kaberle was the game's second star! It's really too bad I didn't get a chance to watch the game though, because it's not like he scored, so none of his hard work is on the highlights!! =( *sigh* Ah well. I'm very happy with the win for Toronto, and I'm glad that Kaberle's game seems to be picking up too!!
Now if only the Avs would WIN!!! Dang it!! The Canucks are playing PHOENIX!!! If the Avs don't win, they're going to be playing catch up for the division title AND home-ice advantage (not that it's been an advantage for the Avs this year anyway) for the playoffs. Dang, dang dang!!! Someone needs to light a fire under their behinds!
Well, I read that Steve Moore would be holding a press conference at 6:15pm EST on the ticker of the Score. so I rushed home after picking up my parents at the Go train station to watch it.
...
After the press conference ended, the Score had a kind of discussion thing with three guys, Pierre something from Canadian Press, Mike Brophy from the Hockey News, and some other guy (^^;;). Anyway, I basically agree with that Pierre guy that I was disappointed that Steve Moore didn't respond in some way to Bertuzzi's apology, to, as he (Pierre of unremembered last name) put it, "offer an olive branch". I mean, it's understandable that he would rather focus on his recovery, and his comment that his priority is to get in touch with the friends and family he hasn't been able to talk to yet made a lot of sense, but at the same time...
It also bothered me a bit that he said he hadn't seen the apology at all. I mean, he's seen hits of the clip a couple of times, and I don't think that could possibly do anything to help him recover. If he's trying to stay positive though, I guess it makes sense if he'd rather not think about Bertuzzi at all. But still, I think that in terms of his emotional/mental recovery, he's going to have to resolve things one way or the other. And I hope that he won't let his physical recovery turn into an excuse to avoid the issue of whether or not he's going to forgive Bertuzzi.
And I was really quite bothered by the comments that the third (completely forgot everything about him) made. He was saying how Moore doesn't know if he's going to be able to play hockey again, so since he might want to file a lawsuit later on, it's better that he doesn't extend any sort of olive branch. To me, that's totally wrong. It's one thing to not want to think about Bertuzzi for the sake of your own recovery, but if he's avoiding the issue for such calculated reasons, I'd be really disappointed. Let's say the worst case scenario comes true and he can't resume his NHL career, what is a lawsuit really going to do? It won't get his hockey career back, and is it really going to serve as some sort of deterrent for future incidents? I don't think so.
I hate this lawsuit culture that's emerged. People sue for everything and anything. In my opinion, the purpose of lawsuits is to make a wrong known, and to get compensation for it in the hopes that the knowledge of such financial consequences will deter others from acting in a similar manner. In our culture today I don't think lawsuits are about justice anymore, they're just about trying to get money out of people. Not that I'm saying that's what it would be for Moore, but I really get the sense that all these people in the media who keep bringing up the potential lawsuit are just thinking about money and/or retribution, not justice or prevention.
Another thing that the Pierre guy said that I agree with is that the hockey world is going to be at something of a standstill until Moore and Bertuzzi have resolved things. This may be selfish, but, quite apart from the personal good I think it would do him, I hope that Moore will be able to forgive Bertuzzi for the sake of hockey. The hockey world needs closure to this "incident" just as much as Moore and Bertuzzi do.
Anyway, the positive thing about the conference was seeing Moore smiling and laughing before everything began. He seems to be doing a pretty good job at maintaining a positive attitude, and that's great to see because I think it'll really go a long way in helping him in his recovery. And the way that he emphasized the fan support from "Canada, the US, and the world" was a nice gesture too. It's really a tough situation. I don't know if I'd be able to be so postive (forget forgiving, as much as I'd hope I would be) in such a situation. Plus he was pretty careful in his word choice--calling it an "incident" and not an "attack"--and comments, so even if he didn't resolve things, at least he didn't add any fuel to the fire.
*sigh* So yes, I guess that's what I've got to say on this subject. Oh, except I'm sure people are going to be coming here from google, looking for clips of Moore's statement, so here's a link to the TSN article, which has a link to a video clip, and a link to 9 News coverage, although, right now, it doesn't yet have the video up (but it will).
Wow, that was an AWESOME game!! Lots of action, thrills, and quality scoring chances. Oh, and what do you know? NO FIGHTS!!!! THAT was the way hockey should be played--with both heart and mind.
So yes, of course I must talk about Kaberle. Yes, he definitely goofed on that second goal, when he covered the guy going behind the net (who scores from there?!) instead of Philips, who was in front, be he more than made up for it with his amazing defensive play when Belfour was way out of the net in...was it the third or OT? Anyway, the puck definitely would've gone in if Kaberle hadn't been there to deflect it off his leg!!! Atta boy!!! He's been playing a lot more confidently of late, so I'm very pleased.
Speaking of Kaberles, Frantisek came back a while ago from his leg injury (I forgot to mention it ^^;;) and he got an assist tonight against Florida!! Yay Frantisek!!
Ah, but back to "my" Kaberle, I'm quite pleased with my card collection. Right now I've got about 80 cards, 8 of which are jersey cards!! It's very exciting. Plus I just won a (Kaberle) Norris Trophy candidate jersey card! The print run for those was listed as 30 in Beckett's. The card that I really want, though, is that blasted Parkhurst Triple Teammates jersey card with Joseph, Sundin, and Kaberle. I had a really great chance to get one with a Buy-It-Now, but I got the email just a bit late, so some idiot bid on it for very little when there was still like 3 days left to go. xP I really hate it when people make low bids early because they don't have a decent shot at winning the auction, and are just jacking up the price for serious bidders. But I digress.
Anyway, I did actually get to watch the last 10 minutes of the Avs game (even though stupid ABC started off with the Flyers-Rangers game--who cares about that?!), but it was really sad. I just don't understand why they're being so sucky right now!! ARGH!!! And my ploy didn't work at all. I played Legace in the girls' pool hoping Murphy's law would kick in and he'd get shelled and the Avs would win, but no, he gets a shut out. ^^;; I guess it was good for me in the pool (my SV% is really pathetic, AND Aebischer didn't play anyway), but I would rather have had the Avs win. =(
You know, I never thought I'd say this, but I hope the Stars beat the Canucks tonight, because if the Canucks win, the Avs are going to be even harder pressed than they currently are to keep the division title. ^^;; I still can't believe how crappy they've been since the All-Star break. They're just lucky Vancouver's been in a funk too. *sigh* C'mon Avs!!!
1) they're very Kaberle-centric. ^_^ I have TONS of Avs pictures, so I figured I should take advantage of the rare opportunity to get pictures of him. Thankfully I didn't get any pictures of him making a turnover or a giveaway. =P
2) I didn't take a lot of pictures during the game--because I was too caught up in the action!!
Random note: My friend bought tickets to the Leafs' first playoffs game. GOLD TICKETS!!! >$500 for the pair!!!! That's INSANE!!!! Still, it's too bad there's no way I could justify three over >$200 games this year, or I'd be tempted. ^^;; I need to restart my hockey savings fund--after the Visa bill's paid off, though. ^^;;
Dang it, dang it, DANG IT!!!!!! It's bad when the Avs lose because of poor play, but it's a lot worse when they lose and they did everything possible to win!!!!! Legace, it was all Legace. Okay, so the Wings were also really strong on the forecheck and backcheck, but man, the Avs had SO many chances, and quality ones, but NOTHING! And remember, I was only watching for the end of the second and the third, so they must've had a lot more!
Man, I KNEW I should've played Legace tonight--then the Avs probably would've won, just because. =P GAH.
Anyway, onto my notes from the games! (Yes, I'm such a nerd, I take notes while I'm watching games so I can remember what to blog about!)
Okie, I'll start with the Leafs' game. I really really REALLY hope the Leafs can maintain the type of poise and commitment to defense that they demonstrated tonight. Again, I could only watch the end of the second and the third, but I was most pleased with what I saw. Ponikarovsky was amazing. He made two really great sprawling moves. One was on the PK when he went down, but still managed to clear the puck wth a desparate swing at it from the ice. Later he made this awesome shot on goal after being hauled down. I've seen a lot of good play from Ponikarovsky this year, but definitely, tonight was his most standout performance for me. A very well-deserved second star.
Kaberle was solid tonight too. Okay, so he made one silly giveaway that would've been a disaster if not for Belfour, but he also made this great pass up to center when he was surrounded by like four Bruins. Oh, and for the Leafs' last powerplay, how DID he manage to get up the ice that fast after such a long shift? Or maybe I missed something and he actually had a break somewhere before then? Anyway, he carried it all the way from the Leafs' zone into the Bruins, and he looked really good on that rush. ^_^
What else? Ah, the empty net goal. I don't know where I was, but I was watching the goal and didn't even realize Raycroft had been pulled! I would've sworn he was in net when Antropov shot! LOL. Well, at least it's understandable since one of the defencemen (Boynton?) was in the net, and I guess you see what you expect to see.
Ah, and how could I forget? Ronnie Francis' first goal as a Leaf!!! Sweet! I only saw it on the replays, and it wasn't exactly a highlight reel goal (a fairly weak shot that somehow dribbled past Raycroft), but hey, a goal's a goal! ^_^ Very exciting! And a much needed two points to keep them one point up on Ottawa, who, unfortunately, beat the Habs. =(
Now, after that feelgood stuff, some malicious pleasure: Turco's been suspended for 4 games for high-sticking Smyth!!!! ^______^ You KNOW I'm happy about that! Still...I didn't see the play, but a 4-game suspension for a high stick doesn't sit quite comfortably with me...I've got to wonder if this is the league overreacting, y'know, backlash from the "Bertuzzi incident." But hey, Turco's out, and I'll take it. =P I'm not that fair of a person. =P
Too bad the Stars have already clinched a playoff berth. It would've been nice if L.A. AND Edmonton AND Nashville could make it. Between L.A. and Nashville, I really don't know who I'm rooting for. I mean, it'd be Nashville's first time, which is cool, but L.A.'s battled through SO much adversity. Plus I still have a soft spot for them for beating Vancouver in the last game of last season to secure the divison title for Colorado. ^_~
Anyway, you know I love goalies, so how about Wade Dubielewicz? Isn't that just a great story? His NHL debut and he gets a win AND the first star? How cool is that!! Good for him!!!
But yes, back to my poor Avs. There were some interesting comments about Selanne and sticks during the game. Apparently he's been trying EVERYONE's sticks, poor guy. LOL. So yeah, apparently in practice he tried out Foote's stick and loved it, so he appropriated it, and neither he nor Foote had a backup stick for the game. Well, of course Selanne could go back to his own sticks in a pinch, and I'm sure the Avs have more than enough sticks for Foote too, but still, I was most amused to hear that little anecdote. ^_^
One last minor detail, I was rather shocked to see Kariya make a check that actually took a guy down!!! Heh. I mean, I'm sure it's happened before, but I'm more used to seeing him on the receiving end. He's so little!
I saw a guy on the TTC this morning who looked a lot like Ryan Smyth!! His hairstyle, face shape, eyes, and height (just a taller than the TTC doors!) were all a pretty good match! Now I don't usually pay much attention to peoples' looks, but I gotta admit, I snuck more than a couple of peeks at the guy! ^_~
Thank goodness Forsberg is back!!! This is good news for both the Avs and my hockey pools! =P Colorado plays Detroit tonight, and then again on Saturday! Man, would I love to be there! I hope the Avs can sweep them--they really need the points!
I hope Kaberle doesn't get himself scratched again. He and Berg were on the ice for 3 goals in eight first period shifts. @_@ On the other hand, maybe this will convince Quinn to bench Berg? Anyway, the Leafs really really really have to win this one, and win it convincingly after their spanking at the hands of Tampa.
Happy Birthday Andrei Nikolishin!! Here's wishing for a speedy recovery! The Avs have really missed his presence! (Thanks to Al for her monthly player birthday listing--I wouldn't have known otherwise! Guess I'm not that hardcore a fan! =P )
Okay, end of random thoughts for now. I might add more after the game(s). ^_^
I know I've used this title before, but I couldn't resist! So yes, here's the good from Saturday's Avs @ Leafs game:
- The seats were AWESOME!! We were in section 105A, row 16, seats 7,8, and 9. When I checked out the seats at the ACC site I was kind of "iffy" about them since they weren't in the center but on the side, basically in a corner; I thought the view might not be the best. As it turned out though, we could see everything no problem, so it was great.
- Kaberle, Kaberle, Kaberle!!! So many Kaberle related things! First of all, I got TONS of pictures of him during the pre-game warm-up, as well as during the game. I was basically "stalking" him with my camera all night (when I remembered to take pictures, that is, most of the time I was too absorbed with watching to take pictures). Secondly, I heard the guy sitting next to us call him "ka-BEAR-luh", instead of "Ka-ber-lay", which was really cool for me. Thirdly, he played really well! No horrible giveaways or turnovers, and lots of scoring chances. Finally, he got an assist on the last goal!!! *sigh* Yes, it really was a great Kaberle night.
- The Avs' goals were scored by my favourites: Sakic and Liles!!! ^_____^ That was very exciting! I got a couple of pictures of Sakic too, and maybe one of Liles (although that was coincidence, and not planned).
Onto the bad:
- The Avs didn't get a single point from their Eastern Canada road trip. ^^;; Even though they probably played worse in Toronto, in my mind, losing to Ottawa was the worst thing.
- I don't know why, but the Avs were really slow in the first period! It was SO frustrating! I've never seen them play like that before! Thankfully they picked things up in the second and third, but of course they killed themselves in the first, so that's little consolation.
- Did you know the Nordiques drafted Belak [in the first round]? Sheesh, when I read that I couldn't help thinking: "no wonder they sucked so much before."
The UGLY:
- Aebischer letting in that third goal. The other ones weren't too bad (the Sundin one was amazing--there wasn't much he could do about it), but that third one was really weak. ^^;; It was especially bad because I was trying to justify why the Avs didn't pick up another goalie for the playoffs to my friend, and I was using the argument that he's a really good goalie. Which he is, don't get me wrong, but he didn't really show it that game. ^^;;
- Belak's hit on Vaananen. Yeah, maybe he was a bit off balance, but even if he was, that doesn't justify the amount of force he put behind the swing. It was totally ridiculous and stupid. The funny thing is I think the League is actually doing the Leafs a favour by suspending him for eight games, i.e., his absence will help the team more than harm it! For the life of me I don't understand why Quinn would play him as a forward and bench Matt Stajan. Anyway, maybe Belak's stupidity has made my dream for the Leafs--getting rid of Belak and Berg--that much closer to coming true. =P
- Toronto fans. You know, I never knew what jerks Toronto fans could be until I went to that game in my Avs jersey. Most of the comments were teasing/joking, which was fine by me, but I heard a lot of people making downright rude and mean comments about my friend Ivy, just because she was wearing her Kariya jersey (I had my jacket on, so they couldn't tell). Granted, it wasn't everyone, but I don't remember hearing people in Denver making such comments about Steph's Canucks' jersey when we were there. There were a couple stupid comments (like how Naslund sucks because he's Swedish--well what did the guy think Forsberg was?), but none of them were personal, or directed right at Steph, unlike on Saturday in Toronto. So yes, I'm now rather disenchanted with Toronto fans, which is sad because up until then I'd only ever had good experiences with Leafs fans.
Anyway, to end on a more positive note, here's the Forecheck Four for this week!
1. What team were you not expecting to see in the playoffs that is in?
- San Jose. It's funny because I've been watching the standings all season, but I didn't even realize until tonight, when Steph made a comment about it, that the Sharks have third seed! I knew Dallas wasn't at the top of the division, but for some reason it never clicked with me who was. =P I'm also surprised that St. Louis uis currently in playoff position. I was hoping that they had dug too big a hole for them to be able to get back into things. Not that I dislike them, I'd just rather see LA or Edmonton get their spot--especially since they fired Quenneville. Slightly illogical, I know, but that's what I feel.
2. What team were you expecting to see in the playoffs that isn't in?
- Well, currently it's Los Angeles. A week or two ago I really thought they would manage to stay in, but now it's getting more difficult--especially since they haven't won in the past three or four games.
3. Do you feel there will be an Anaheim story this year, and if so, who?
- No, not really. Nashville might be the closest thing, but they're not the eighth seed, so it wouldn't be nearly as dramatic as the way the Ducks knocked out two of the top Western powerhouses.
4. How do you think Colorado will do with all the star power they have? (Will they live up to the hype caused this summer?)
- Well, you know I love the Avs, but honestly I don't know if they'll be able to make it all that far in the playoffs this year. I know they've had injuries, but it doesn't say much about their character if they haven't been able to win just because they've lost some "star power". Everybody needs to step up--the way they did earlier in the season--if they're going to go anywhere in the playoffs, and so far I don't see too many signs of them exhibiting that type of character. Anyway, the experience'll be good for Aebischer. I think he's a great goalie, but I don't know if he'll be able to carry a team playing as poorly as the Avs are playing right now--it'd be tough for any goalie, I think.
Heh. So much for ending on a more "positive" note! =P
[Edit: Favourite Avs fan? Jello, you're such a sweetheart!! <3 ]
Just thought I'd plug some fellow hockey bloggers with newish layouts!
Sallz has an AMAZING Théodore layout! The coolest part is that she used photos she took herself!!! ^_^
Ivy's new layout covers the entire Canucks team! When you check it out, ask yourself, "which player did I notice first?" For me, I noticed Mo--which leads me to wonder if I have a thing for "pretty boys". =P Then again, I "like" Kaberle, so I guess not.
Okay, so Jello doesn't have a new layout yet (she's got one ready for the playoffs, though--I can't wait!) but she blogged TWICE this week, which is pretty noteworthy. ^_~ Besides, she was the first person to join my Swedish Hockey FL AND she pointed me to two articles (one on Ron Francis and one where Mogilny joked about being the first Asian to score 1000 points), so she deserves the love! <3
And, of course, what "pluggage post" would be complete without mentioning Lisa, the current leader of our girl's hockey pool, and hostess extraordinaire for hockey fanlistings! ^______^
Well, the Avs lost 2-0, and by all accounts, they weren't playing their best either. ^^;; Ah well, I doubt (re: hope) that the Avs would lost three games in a row, so hopefully this means they'll win against Toronto! It helps that Huston's going too--the Leafs have lost every game he's attended (except for the Canucks @ Leafs one).
And as if the Avs losing wasn't bad enough, Kaberle was a healthy scratch!!!! (ToT) How could they do that to him? I mean, I know he's had a couple of off games, but really, Marchment and Berg have been guilty of even more giveaways and such, so why?!? Maybe it's because it was the Flyers, and they're more physical? All I know is, if Kaberle is a healthy scratch on Saturday again, I'm going to CRY!!!!
Anyway, onto the good news! =P Interestingly enough, I've had some interest in my crews recently! Jowelle joined the Blueliners Crew as Sheldon Souray (who might be back this weekend!), and Audrey joined the Team Canada Crew as Simon Gagne. ^_^
If you look at my sidebar, you'll also notice that I've added some recommendations (for other hockey blogs).
Last, but not least, I've finally completed my Swedish Hockey Fanlisting!!!!! So yes, if you're a fan of Swedish hockey teams, players, or just Swedish hockey in general, please do join!!! ^_^ Oh, just a warning though, the layout is kind of sucky. ^^;; I just wanted to get it finished, so I didn't spend as much time hunting out good photos as I should have. Maybe I'll fix it after exams (April). As always, it's hosted by the lovely Lisa. Thanks so much! <3
C'mon AVS!!!! They're playing against the Sens at the Corel Centre tonight, so they'd better kick some serious butt!!!!
Oh, and I'm sure this will sound totally weird after what I just said, but Happy Birthday Zdeno Chara!! ^_^ I like him, even though he's a Sen.
Heh. I forgot to mention it yesterday, but in my night class, during the break we started talking about hockey, and some of the conversations were pretty amusing, so I'm going to share. =) One of my classmates is a Leafs' fan, but she's going out with a Habs fan. She was talking to him on the phone the other night, and he asked: "So, if the Habs and Leafs played each other in the playoffs, would you break up with me?" Apparently she paused for a whole minute. "Oh my gosh, you would, wouldn't you?" Her answer: "Well, only if you beat us." LOL. THAT's dedication!
Even my prof joined into the talk. She was saying how she's not really a hockey fan, but her 18mo old son is. Some friends gave her a Leafs cutlerly set since he's a boy, and apparently he only eats with those utensils! He just sits there and says "hockey? hockey?" and won't start eating until he has them! When the game is on, he puts on a little helment and runs to the television to watch. He has Leafs pajamas too, and my prof was saying how devastated he looks every morning when he has to take them off, because he would just wear them all day if he could. SO cute!! I know I've always said I don't want kids, but if I did have any, I'd want them to love hockey (and the Avs/Leafs) that much too!!! ^_^
When I first heard about the "ban" last night I was pretty irritated, I mean, don't Ottawa's public servants have better things to do than to ban Leaf jerseys from the Corel Center? Besides, if they're tired of seeing all that blue and white, why don't they just convince their own fans to wear Sens jerseys?
But now that I know the whole story, I'm pretty amused, and I actually think it's a good idea. I mean, if people have the money to go to hockey games, they certainly have the wherewithal to make a donation to the foodbank, right? And, if Leafs fans are as contrary as I think they are, the ban'll probably encourage more people to wear jerseys than might otherwise. Heck, I know I'd borrow a jersey to wear to the Corel Center if I didn't have one and was planning on going to the game, just to spite them. =P
=P Yes, I said I'd try to end off my comments about the whole "Bertuzzi Incident" last week, but I don't want to just skip a question from the Forecheck Four, so...
1. First of all, after letting all the embarrassmen and shock settle, how do you view the Bertuzzi hit on [Moore]? Is your current point of view any different to your initial reaction?
- In brief, I think that the hit is totally indefensible and was quite reprehensible, BUT I don't think this means that Bertuzzi is an evil or vicious person. He's got a bad temper, and he made a very bad decision, but that doesn't make him a "thug" or "back-alley mugger". It shows that professional athletes, yes, even NHL players, are just as subject to the "human condition" of making mistakes and wrong decisions as the rest of us. As for how my view has changed, I think in the beginning I was more of a "Free Bert" than a "Ban Bert" kind of person, but after realizing that I was allowing my personal sympathies to diminish the severity of his actions, I've kind of caught myself and have come to as balanced a position as I can--that is, sympathetic to how difficult difficult things are for Bertuzzi without trying to justify or mitigate his wrong out of that sympathy.
2. What do you think about his public apology?
- It irritates me that people are mocking it--"crocodile tears" etc.--because I think it was completely sincere. Okay, so maybe his wording could've been more accurate, but that's not the point. ("I had no intention of hurting you" should probably have been "I had no intention of hurting you that seriously," because it's pretty improbable that anyone could punch a guy in the face without hurting him, and he's got to know that. But I think the heart of the matter is probably that the punch was meant to get his attention so they could fight and clear the air that way, and not to get revenge directly through that punch, if you know what I mean.) Even if he wasn't sincere, and was actually faking the tears, I think it still requires a lot of humility to come out and break down and cry in public that way. Not exactly the most macho, "boys don't cry" picture, right? At least that message of remorse can and should go towards reparations. If not for the Moores, than for the fans, the kids; his apology shows them the emotional consequences of acting so unwisely in anger. And that's got to mean something, the result, even if you mistrust the motives.
3. The suspension: too much? too little? just right?
- I think it was just right. (You can look at my post from last Thursday for a fuller explanation.)
4. Now should the police be involved in your opinion?
- Hmm...That's a tough one. Just because it's hockey doesn't make it less wrong, but for personal reasons I wish that the police wouldn't get involved.
Anyway, The Sabres won today and the Islander lost!!! Yay Luongo!! Now all the Islanders need to do is start choking so the Sabres can make the playoffs!!! It's going to be tough for Buffalo though, with Drury concussed and Briere leaving the game tonight...
Woohoo! According to the MOJO 640 guys, the first period of tonight's game was probably Kaberle's "best period all season". ^____^ They were highly complimentary of his ability to jump into the play, and it paid off tonight too! An assist and a game-winning goal!!! Woohoo!
Of course, as luck would have it, his solid play and important goal are going to be overshawdowed once again (I think last year I mentioned something about a controversial hit taking all the coverage away from Kaberle or something?). Ah well, it's Mogilny's 1000th point, so it's okay. =P
All in all, a very good game--except hockey pool wise, since I played Biron tonight. ^^;; I should have known all I'd have to do to get the Leafs to beat Buffalo was to play Biron against them in the pool. *sigh* There goes the save percentage.
Okay, I will try to make this my final post on the subject. Where to begin? Bob MacKenzie's suggestion on TSN last night that the Bertuzzi should be suspended for the rest of the season and the first round of playoffs, with a re-evaluation coming after that (first round) was the idea I supported. Suspending him from the entire playoffs straight off the bat seemed like a lot to me, at first, but the more I've thought about it, the more I realize that was my bias speaking rather than a sense of what's right. See, I like the Canucks, and I thought and still think that it's going to be a hard Cup run for them without Bertuzzi. Before the decision came, I was thinking, why not wait until the first round of playoffs, and see how Moore is doing then make the decision.
But that's pretty flawed thinking. I mean, how fast Moore heals doesn't really have any bearing on the severity of the act itself, so why should it impact determining the consequences. Let's say, by some miracle Moore had escaped with only a concussion and some lacerations, would that make the fact that Bertuzzi hit him from behind any less reprehensible? So yes, I think that Campbell made the right decision in suspending Bertuzzi for the rest of the season AND the playoffs right off the bat.
What I disagree with is the rhetoric that's going around that if Moore doesn't play again, neither should Bertuzzi. As I've quoted before, "an eye for an eye makes the world blind." And, of course, such a suggestion follows the same flawed logic that punishment should be decided by the consequences of an action rather than by the intent and severity of the action itself. I mean, let's say a thief breaks in and steals an old tv of yours that you were planning on throwing out anyway, does that mean that it was okay for the person to steal from you in the first place? I mean, of course you have to take into consideration the progress of Moore's recovery, but it can't be the only factor in the decision-making process, which is what that argument seems to be saying.
Now, I know I said I wasn't going to explain the quotes I posted earlier, but I've since realized that I do need to contextualize my selection somewhat. I wasn't suggesting that Bertuzzi should receive a more lenient ruling simply because he's remorseful. In fact, I wasn't trying to say anything about the NHL's decision at all. The quotes were aimed more to inform our own personal opinions of Bertuzzi and the entire "incident" than anything else--kind of a corollary to my discussion about sympathy and forgiveness. Sympathy for Bertuzzi should not diminish or preclude sympathy for Moore, but neither should it mitigate or diminish one's judgement of the severity of the wrong.
There it is, my opinion. Thinking through everything I've come to the conclusion that I would make a really pathetic disciplinarian; I'd be the type to "spare the rod and spoil the child." Colin Campbell had a hard decision to make, and I admire him for the fairness of his ruling.
I'm sitting here in front of the computer at school, waiting for the press release. I brought my walkman in the hopes I could listen to it on the radio, but for some reason, AM stations don't really come through downtown (I've experienced this in res, and at work, as well as just around campus).
Maybe it's the curse of an English student, but a lot of quotes were coming into my head while I was thinking about everything, so I'm going to just post them here, no explanation (from Giga Quotes):
The quality of mercy is not strained;
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
- William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice (Portia at IV, i)
Being all fashioned of the self-same dust,
Let us be merciful as well as just.
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Tales of a Wayside Inn (pt. III), The Student's Tale, Emma and Eginhard, l. 177
He, who has committed a fault, is to be corrected both by advice and by force, kindly and harshly, and to be made better for himself as well as for another, not without chastisement, but without passion.
[Lat., Corrigendus est, qui peccet, et admonitione et vi, et molliter et aspere, meliorque tam sibi quam alii faciendus, non sine castigatione, sed sine ira.]
- Seneca (Lucius Annaeus Seneca), De Ira (I, 14)
The severest punishment a man can receive who has injured another, is to have committed the injury; and no man is more severely punished than he who is subject to the whip of his own repentance.
[Lat., Maxima est factae injuriae paena, fecisse: nec quisquam gravius adficitur, quam qui ad supplicium poenitentiae traditur.]
- Seneca (Lucius Annaeus Seneca), De Ira (III, 26)
The object of punishment is, prevention from evil; it never can be made impulsive to good.
- Horace Mann, Lectures and Reports on Education (lecture VII)
Let those who have deserved their punishment, bear it patiently.
[Lat., Aequo animo poenam, qui meruere, ferant.]
- Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso), Amorum (II, 7, 12)
TORONTO - The NHL has extended the suspension of Vancouver Canuck Todd Bertuzzi for at least the rest of the season, including the playoffs, for his on-ice attack that left Colorado player Steve Moore with a fractured neck.
The league said Commissioner Gary Bettman will review Bertuzzi's status for next season before the start of training camp. His eligibility to play next year will be based in part on Moore's physical condition at that time.
"No final determination on the total duration of Mr. Bertuzzi's suspension has yet been made," Colin Campbell, the NHL's executive vice-president and director of hockey operations, said in a statement.
There are 12 games left in the regular season, and the Canucks were widely expected to extend their season into the playoffs, partly because of Bertuzzi's playing ability.
Bertuzzi forfeits a little over $500,000 U.S. in salary. The Canucks will instead pay that amount into the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.
The Vancouver Canucks were also fined $250,000 US, with that money going to the NHL Foundation in support of various charities.
"Mr. Bertuzzi pursued Mr. Moore on the ice, attempting to engage him in a confrontation," Campbell said.
"When Mr. Moore declined to engage Mr. Bertuzzi, Mr. Bertuzzi responded by delivering a gloved punch from behind to the side of Mr. Moore's head, rendering him unconscious. Upon falling to the ice, Mr. Moore suffered additional serious injuries.
"We want to make clear that this type of conduct will not be tolerated in the NHL."
"While we are satisfied that the Vancouver organization did nothing to affirmatively encourage Mr. Bertuzzi's actions, and that it in no way condones what transpired, it must nonetheless accept some responsibility for what took place," Mr. Campbell said. "In light of numerous player comments about Mr. Moore following the Vancouver-Colorado game of February 16, we believe the Vancouver organization ultimately bears some responsibility for monitoring and, to the extent necessary, attempting to moderate the focus of its team. While the League provided appropriate advance warnings to both organizations, and while some steps were apparently taken by the Vancouver organization to ensure a proper focus by the players on the game itself, we believe that more could have and should have been done."]
[Edit: Read about and watch Bertuzzi's apology at 9 News.com. Watching it just really hit it home to me what a heartbreaking situation this is for everyone involved.]
There's a lot of interest in and anger about the Bertuzzi hit. I got ~200 hits both yesterday and today, mostly from people doing a Google search for "Moore Bertuzzi Hit Clip" or some variation of that (after the first hundred or so, I edited the post and pointed people to TSN.ca and/or 9News.com to view the clip(s) they have there). The incident made the front page of almost every paper here in Toronto--Star, National Post, even the Metro--the most notable exception being the Sun, which featured Ron Francis.
Apart from completely idiotic comments about how Moore somehow deserved the hit because he "wasn't man enough to fight Bertuzzi when he was challenged" or because he made that questionable hit on Naslund, what disturbs me about this whole thing is the vilification of Bertuzzi--one article I read basically called him a thug, and compared him to a back-alley mugger.
Yes, the hit was reprehensible, but that doesn't make Bertuzzi a reprehensible person. As I said of Moore when all that hullabaloo about his hit was going around, he's not a dirty player. It's not like Bertuzzi has a history of doing things to injure other players *cough*Havlat*cough* and I wish people would remember that. (And no, the coming off the bench to fight instance is NOT an example of "dirty" play. It shows emotion and temper, yes, but not malice or vindictiveness as some have suggested.) He's suffering too. The consequences of his bad judgement, temper, loss of control--whatever reason you want to ascribe to the hit--are probably going to stick with him forever.
The Toronto Sun today ran an article about a similar hit on Beukeboom by Matt Johnson. Beukeboom's comments capture my feelings about the situation fairly well:
"It's just a shame about Todd. I'm sure he's remorseful.
Unfortunately in my situation (Johnson) didn't even apologize and he has been suspended again this year (five games for slashing Vancouver's Matt Cooke). When he did apologize to me, it was forced, because we were both stuck in a van at an NHLPA meeting.
But I don't hold a grudge. Life goes on. I'm sure Todd had apologized 100 times over. But the NHL won't take it lightly."
Johnson didn't apologize, and apparently he's up to old tricks again. Bertuzzi tried to get in contact with Moore and the Avs' trainers right away, and seems to be very genuine in his remorse. Quite a difference. I'm not saying that his remorse somehow makes his actions less serious than they were, but it says a lot about his character, and how he will react to and deal with everything that's happening.
I, for one, would like to see him resume his career as a shining example of a player who can play a hard, physical and clean game. I'd also like to see him get involved with school programs like Peace by Peace. Just think of what an impact he could make speaking to kids about choice and consequences.
And I hope the Moore's can find it in their hearts to forgive Bertuzzi too, for his sake and their own. What are all those clichés? An eye for an eye makes the world blind; hate only begets more hate.
Oh, and one last item for thought: before they realized how serious it was, Vancouver fans were cheering when Bertuzzi took Moore down. Maybe it's stretching the point a bit, but before we start bewailing the violence in hockey, perhaps we should look into a mirror and ask ourselves what means that the people called the Senators-Flyers slugfest "good old time hockey" and 71% of fans would like the instigator rule dropped. Again, it doesn't mitigate the seriousness of Bertuzzi's actions, but to be fair, if we're looking at the issue of violence in hockey, we can't just single him or the other "notorious incidents" out, we need to go beyond the obvious and look at the longstanding traditions and deep-seated attitudes within the game itself.
[Edit 2: Just watched TSN 2FYI or whatever, and the guy (not Glenn Healey) was saying something along the lines of: "I'm afraid people are going to watch Bertuzzi's apology and see him crying and feel sorry for the guy. Don't be sorry for Bertuzzi, feel sorry for Moore." What I want to know is, does it have to be either or? Can a person not feel sorry for both of them, sorry about the entire situation? Does sympathy for Bertuzzi somehow necessarily diminish or preclude sympathy for Moore? Are our hearts that small, our minds so narrow?]
SALO IS AN AV?!?!?!?! What the heck were they thinking? They might as well have stuck with Sauve as Aebischer's backup for the playoffs? EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!! This is NOT what'd I'd call a blockbuster. Lacroix must be insane.
Oh, and poor Morris. =*( He goes from the Avs to Phoenix? I know he's been underachieving compared to last year, but, really! It's not like Gratton or Vaananen are more productive than him--Gratton only has one more point than Morris. Geez, I mean, I know the Avs have some serious offensive holes thanks to injuries (old and recent), but....!
*sigh* I guess I'm upset because I have Morris in my pool, so I'd grown to quite like him. =( Bye Morris! Hope you do well for the Coyotes.
[Edit: More trade stuff!
Okay, J.F. Jr. is back in my good graces since he managed to get RON FRANCIS for a 2005 fourth round pick!!! Ron Francis!!! I'm SO excited! I'm going to get to see him in a Leafs uniform in 11 days!!! Woohoo!!!
^____________^
But dang, I can't believe the Sens got De Vries!!! That's so frustrating! I like De Vries (former Av), and he's only going to help the Sens, so yeah, that really sucks. Oh well. If the Sens keep second seed so they play Montreal, ideally, Montreal will knock them out!!! =P]
3 goals in 51 sec to take a 4-0 lead--if the Avs blow this....!!! More will be posted as the game progresses. ^_^
5-0?!?! HOLY COW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And Moore scored, no less. ^^;; Hopefully this won't get the Canucks started.
4 fights too--May and Worrell twice. @_@ This is INSANE! Why is Sportsnet Pacific blacked out in the Ontario region! No FAIR!!!!
Darn, I was hoping Aebby would get a shutout! Ah well, good for May. He's gotten into two fights and scored! AND the assist came from Linden!!!! He's finally passed Smyl as the Canuck's leading scorer!! Good for him!! If the Canucks had to score, I'm glad Linden was in on both goals. ^_^
ARGH! Okay, I take back whatever nice thing I said about May. He's being an ASS to Aebischer. XP Ha! A well deserved penalty to May.
C'mon Avs!!! 5-2?! They'd better capitalize on the powerplay! SCORE SCORE SCORE!!!!!
I've gotta say, I'm impressed with the Avs' composure *knock on wood* considering how hard Vancouver seems to be trying to get them mad--Aebischer especially.
But man, I can't believe all the penalties the Canucks are getting. Since I'm not actually watching I can't tell if the refs are awful or if the Canucks are just being undisciplined.
On a totally random note, Irbe won against Columbus tonight!! ^_^ Yay! I know it's just Columbus, but...
*steaming* Moore is injured, and pretty badly from the sounds of it. They had to bring a stretcher out for him. Bertuzzi "sucker punched him from behind" (according to the KKFN announcers, so kind of biased, I guess). ARGH!!!!!!! I don't have the expression of the phrase to express how disgusted I am by this!!! I mean, they talk about how "dirty" the Moore hit was, but this? The game was already basically over. They've been on Moore's case all night--this can't be anything but vindictive.
This can't be happening.
"An eye for an eye makes the world blind." - Gandhi
You want to get revenge? Get revenge by playing clean and winning. I'm glad I couldn't watch this.
The Avs had better keep their cool too--like the way Aebsicher refused to fight Hedburg. That was smart--I have even more respect for him than ever. But if the Avs do start retaliating I'm going to be equally disgusted with them. This is NOT what the game is about.
Stupid fan (note the use of the singular--I'm only talking about that one fan), throwing something on Worrell, and stupid Worrell for trying to get at the fan. *fumes* I may sound fairly calm, but really, I am absolutely livid. I hate this, a perfectly good rivalry gone bad. Disgusting.
[Edit: I watched the replays, and you know I try to be objective, but I'm sorry, that hit can't be anything but dirty. Bertuzzi grabbed the back of Moore's jersey, hit him on the head from behind, and smashed him into the ice with his full body weight. He's going to get the book thrown at him, which is definitely going to hurt the Canucks. And for what? The game was already over. I just can't understand what the hell he was thinking. But I guess that was the problem, wasn't it? He wasn't thinking. This is a dark day in hockey history. I'd rather have seen the Avs lose than see this.]
[Edit 2: Oh, and Barnaby is now an Av. Whoop dee doo dah. Somehow I can't bring myself to care in light of today's events.]
[Edit 3: For anyone visiting this site looking for clips of Bertuzzi's hit on Moore, why don't you try TSN.ca? The Hockey Insider, Canucks Report and Canucks/Avalanche clips all show the hit. I believe the Hockey Insider and Canucks Report also show Moore's hit on Naslund. You do have to "join" TSN.ca, but it's free and they don't spam you excessively, so go for it. Oh, and if the high speed clip doesn't work, try it on 56k. There's also a link to the 9 News.com clip of the hit on the Denver Post website.]
I just realized that I forgot to do the F4 last week! =P Ah well, I'm on the ball for this week, anyway:
1. Any comments on the 5-3 Flyers/Sens game Friday night?
- That game looked really crazy! It's funny because Friday night people were over and we ended up watching highlights for all the other games, but we didn't see anything on the Sens game, just the score. I was wondering if there were any fights because of Havlat and all, then Sat. morning I woke up to the radio talking about how they broke the record for most PIMs in a single game! Crazy! Caught the highlights too. Sheer madness! The funniest thing was the interview with Esche afterwards, and he was saying how he really respected Lalime because he saw his team fighting at the other end and came over to support them, or something like that. I never really liked fights before, but for some reason, big brawls are starting to amuse me now. =P
2. What about Colorado's recent "slump"? (if you even call it a slump, since they're still at the top of their division)
- ARGH!!! It's SOOOOOOO frustrating! I wish the Avs would show some heart and buck up and do whatever it takes to win! I mean, yeah, they went through a bunch of injuries, but that's no excuse--look at Los Angeles and Detroit! I love the Avs, but they're really peeving me off right now. They're really lucky Vancouver went on a mini-slump after the All-Star break as well, or they wouldn't still have the division lead. The way they're playing right now, they're not giong to keep the division title--they wouldn't deserve to. They need to buckle down, play some solid defense and get some garbage goals. AND they MUST MUST MUST MUST MUST win against Vancouver on Monday. A ties is NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
3. Is the biggest trade over? Or is there more to come? Who's left anyways?
- I'd say the biggest stuff is over, unless there's someone on the market that no one knows about. I'm still hoping Lacroix (who apparently can't go past a "for sale" sign on a house without wanting to stop to make an offer) will do something interesting, but yeah, I don't know if there's anyone worth pulling a blockbuster deal over now.
4. Have you see Miracle? ;) (just out of curiosity)
- Yup. First day it came out. ^_^ I want to watch it again, but no one has time to watch it with me! And I probably shouldn't have time either, considering that my two weeks in school hell are coming up REAL fast. @_@
I said that I'd be satisfied with a tie against Vancouver, but dang it, the Avs kept giving up the lead last night!!! They were up 2-0, got up to 4-2, then 5-3, and the final score? 5-5. ARGH!!!!! They have GOT to start WINNING!!!!
*phew* Glad to get that out. In other news, I'm sure Damien Cox must be feeling very satisfied right now, since the Leafs have traded for Brian Leetch (whom Cox has been pushing over Gonchar for the past little while). I think the Leafs gave up too much for him though, I mean, Kondratiev, Immonen, 2004 first round pick and a 2005 second round pick for Leetch and a conditional pick? One prospect and two picks, or two prospects and one pick would've made more sense, in my opinion. I mean, Leetch is good, yes, but he's 36. Ah well. I guess I'm just a bit upset because I like BOTH Kondratiev and Immonen. I know Steen is supposed to be a "true blue-chip youngster," but since I've never had a chance to like him, I would've preferred to see him go. Well, anyway, we'll see how things work out.
This Northeast Division race is going to be really interesting. I almost wish Boston would win the division so that the Leafs and Ottawa could meet in the first round. Can you imagine how crazy that'd be? Actually, I take that back, I'd rather the Leafs and Ottawa meet in the Conference Finals--THAT would be intense. @_@
Happy 26th Birthday to Tomas Kaberle!!! ^_______^ You know I wouldn't forget! And if that makes me a "scary" fan, so be it. =P Hope the Leafs' win tonight, and Kaberle gets a point--preferably a pretty goal. ^_^
More later, hopefully. I'm off to do homework--no, seriously--so I can watch the game guilt-free tonight!
[Edit: First intermision:
Woohoo!!! I successfully completed my homework before 7:30pm (can you believe it?) so now I'm watching the game guilt free!! And what a game! So much speed and flow. I almost can't believe this is the Leafs playing, they're so strong on the puck, so skilled and controlled. AND, the two giveaways in the first period were from McCabe and Pilar, not Kaberle, so I'm extremely happy. ^_^ Plus Kaberle made a nifty backhand (?) pass up to Mogilny to create a really good scoring chance, so I'm very pleased. =D The Leafs have outshot the Bruins 18-5 this period, and it's really only Raycroft (and the posts) that have kept the score at 1-0. Good for him! Definitely a solid Calder candidate. ^_^ Wah, can't wait for the next period to start!]
[Edit: Second Intermisison:
You'd think a hockey player would have good hand-eye coordination, but Mogilny managed to miss both sticks handed to him after he lost his! =P As the commentator said, he's off the Leafs' relay team this summer. Anyway, I'm going to be fast this time since I missed the beginning of the second period, along with the goal last time I came up to post. So yeah, Kaberle got his point, but I watched the replay of the goal, and it wasn't an impressive point, like a nifty pass or anything, so I'm not satisfied yet. I want him to SCORE or make a really nice play that leads to a goal in the third! Go Kaberle! Oh, and McCabe really sucks at fighting this year. In his "fight" with Chara, he got thrown around like a rag doll. and against Thornton tonight, he was clearly the loser. *tsk* If you're going to fight, at least do it well! =P]
[Edit: Post-game
Well, I didn't get my second point, but at least the Boston goals weren't his fault! I almost cried when Lapointe got the first Bruins' goal and there was Kaberle, right in front of the net! Thankfully it was Belfour, and not Kaberle who deflected it in--well, not thankfully that it went in, but since it did, thankfully it wasn't MY guy. =P The more I watch him, the more impressed I am with Sundin. He's such a clutch player; ten gamewinners for the Leafs this season. Heh, remember how I missed the second goal? Well, shortly after the Bruins tied things up, I decided to go fold my laundry in the laundry in the hopes that the Leafs would score while I was away. And guess what? I come back just in time to see the replay on Sundin's goal (and a beaute it was too). ^___^ Anyway, I'm going to keep a good memory of this game even though the Leafs really let up defensively in the beginning of the third (and hence the almost-tie or even loss instead of another shutout for Belfour), because their play in the last few minutes was amazing. Raycroft never had a chance to leave the net. Way to go Leafs! Now, if only my Avs could WIN a game!!! Especially one against the Canucks who have basically caught up with them in the division-title race. COME ON AVS!!!!]
[Edit: Last one, I promise!
*snorts* So, I decided I should update the Kaberle Fanlisting on his birthday, and in the comment section of the application, this girl has written: "engaged to [Tomas]". ROFL. I wonder what Ilona would have to say about that? =P]
