Well, I've gone and entered the Leafs' 7th Man contest, so wish me luck! ^^;; These are the judging criteria for entries:
1. How the nominee best exemplifies the attributes of an NHL fan through his or her dedication, passion and loyalty to the NHL and their favorite team. (40%)
2. The extent to which the nominee incorporates "fandom" into his or her everyday life and that of his or her family and friends. (30%)
3. The extent of the nominee's use of his or her favorite team colors and logo. (30%)
And, after extensive editing--250 words is SO LITTLE--here's my entry:
My hockey passion is contagious. Church, work, school, and family people all know my obsession. I keep a scrapbook of newspaper articles and sleep with a Leafs’ pillow, blanket and bear. Since I got into hockey (Conference Finals 2002) I’ve attended six games. Game days I wear my Kaberle jersey and blue cords, and tune into the game. Anyone around can tell the score by my yelling.
Everyone adds to my merchandise collection—my Senators’ fan friend bought me a Leafs folding chair for my birthday! I also always buy hockey stuff for my friends—three jerseys, a book, and other NHL paraphernalia for Christmas this year. My parents and friends, even those who don’t know much about hockey, inform me whenever there are NHL-related promotions (McDonald’s mini jerseys, Toronto Sun NHL stickers, etc.). I usually know about them, and have already planned to get them.
I’ll attend any hockey-related event. So far I’ve met Ellis, Esposito, and Dryden at book signings, and Sittler, Clark and Stajan at ACC signings. At such events, talking to fellow fans is awesome! I love the fan community and bringing others into it!
By inviting people over for Hockey Night in Canada “fun and NHL Jello” I have made two hockey “converts”. A friend started a hockey pool among church friends for me. Along with that pool, I’m in a pool I started for fellow hockey-blogging girls. Besides my weblog (http://hockeyfangirl.blogspot.com), I run four NHL-related fanlistings, including ones for Mogilny (http://mogilny.obliviousmind.net) and Kaberle (http://kaberle.obliviousmind.net).
*sigh* There was SO much more I could've talked about! My framed black and white Kaberle picture, my Kaberle photo and card collection. My interest in hockey history--all the books and dvds I've bought, and my plans to take the Seneca HHOF course next year. Man, if I was more creative, maybe I should've tried to write a poem--that would've eliminate a lot of filler/coherence/flow words and left more space for content! =P
Ah well, I don't really think I have much of a hope of winning, but at least I tried, right?
Two assists for Kaberle tonight! And two minutes for...roughing?!? LOL. That was an exaggeration if I ever heard one--like Kaberle would ever be that rough on someone--just not his style! Ah well, it certainly didn't hurt the Leafs. ^_^ 3-0 against the Devils! Let's hope this is the start of a torrid winning streak! They're going to need it to get back atop their division! Thanks to both Ottawa and Boston winning tonight, Toronto is third in the division and fifth in the conference!! @_@ They've really shot themselves in the foot by playing so poorly since their crazy winning streak. Ah well, they won tonight, so I'll stop complaining. ^_^
Argh! I'm feeling so incredibly frustrated!! They take so little for Lang, but are asking for a first round draft pick, Colaiacovo/Steen AND Antropov/Stajan?!? And if the Leafs go for the deal they're stupid too. *sigh* As tough of a situation as it was with Quinn as GM, I'd much prefer him to Ferguson: Quinn would never have treated Gilmour as poorly as Ferguson did, and I would never worry about him sacrificing so much of the Leafs' future.
True, I'm just a bit bitter because BOTH of my teams are sucking right now, meanwhile Bondra and Lang both went to rivals of my teams. And Lacroix's "blockbuster" deals so far have gotten the Avs Bob Boughner (now injured), Kurt Sauer, and the latest...Darby Hendrickson. @_@ Definitely not inspiring. But beyond that, salary dumps just peeve me off--and no, I don't buy for a minute that their future will be bright with all the prospects/draft picks they're acquiring. I predict the Capitals next season will be as bad as or worse than the Penguins this season. ARGH.
*takes a deep breath*
On the lighter side, man, the National Post really seems to have it in for Kaberle! =P In yesterday's Tampa game preview, they wrote:
THE TEMPERATURE
[. . .]
WHO'S NOT (HOT)? A Toronto newspaper reported yesterday that defenceman Tomas Kaberle is still suffering from a shoulder injury sustained earlier this season. The ailment has not prevented him from giving the puck away in his own end.
Ouch. It hurts because it's probably quite accurate (due to other small group, tutoring, etc., I haven't been able to watch as many games as I would like recently, so I can't say for certain how true it is). Let it never be said that my admiration for my favourite players is blind. LOL. Poor Kaberle. I know he's going to get back on his game soon though. I mean, his production has been pretty good, but I want to see him making more of those simple and smart defensive decisions. Did you see the way he got trapped way deep in the Lightning's zone last night (near the end of the second, or in the third period)? Nieuwendyk saved his bacon by getting back to prevent the Lightning from getting a breakway. ^^;; Ah well, he's still one of my favourites anyway! ^_^
[Edit: Some more reasons why Ferguson would be stupid to deal for Gonchar (thank you Bob McKenzie). After this season, Gonchar will be a restricted free agent, and there's no way he would accept the 3.6M qualifying offer when arbitration would probably get him 5M-6M. And even that 5M-6M would only be good for one year, the one year when there's a high probability of a lockout. After that he'd be an unrestricted free agent. Of course a team looking to pick Gonchar up could make arrangements for a long-term contract, but apparently Gonchar's agent hasn't been approachd by Caps about that, so, as McKenzie suggested, Gonchar probably isn't going to be dealt as soon as people have been predicting.]
Woohoo, read this article in the Denver Post today:
Liles plays role in seven-defenseman plan
By Mike Chambers
Denver Post Sports Writer
Rookie defenseman John-Michael Liles, one of three Avalanche players to participate in every game this season, should not worry. Despite having the shortest NHL résumé among Colorado's crowded blue-line corps and not being accustomed to playing more than 45 games a season, the former Michigan State star is imbedded in the club's playoff plans, according to coach Tony Granato.
"Johnny's been very solid from Day One," Granato said Wednesday, a day after he used Liles and six other defensemen in the Avs' 2-0 loss to Calgary. "He's shown what he brings to the table and has been very consistent. He's a big part of our team, a big part of our lineup."
Granato said he plans to keep seven defensemen in the lineup. Last week's acquisitions of burly defensemen Bob Boughner and Kurt Sauer, plus the return of Adam Foote and Rob Blake off the injury list, give Granato more freedom to put his best 18 skaters in the lineup.
"I like having the luxury of having an extra 'D' on the bench, and there's a couple guys that, if we need, can move up front," Granato said. "Bobby (Boughner) played a couple shifts up there (Tuesday). Johnny-Michael Liles is capable of moving up and playing a little wing. We probably will do that in the future. We'll have seven 'D' dressed."
Liles, one of the NCAA's top-scoring defensemen last season, played sparingly on the wing this season. Until then, he hadn't played up front since junior-A.
"But if they want me to play forward, I'll play forward," he said. "I'll do whatever."
Good for him! And I like his attitude too, which shouldn't be surprising considering I was already impressed with his play before I went to Colorado, and after meeting him, I became a total supporter. ^_^ Even if he gets traded somewhere, I'm still going to follow him!
Anyway, the Avs really MUST win tonight. I mean, have they even won at home since the All-Star break? It's pathetic. C'mon Avs, I know you can do better!! I almost wish Blake and Foote hadn't returned yet, because I'd like to see the Avs show some character and win without them. But of course I'm still happy that they're back. Hopefully they'll stay healthy too. *sigh* If I didn't want them to get their 10th straight division title so badly, I'd almost say it'd be better for the Avs to NOT have home-ice "advantage" for the playoffs, considering how well they play on the road, and how poorly they do at home.
Oh, and I read this letter to the editor in the Hockey News from some Hurricanes fan who's saying he's not going to get season tickets again next year (he's been a season ticket holder for four years) because of the rising prices and decreased level of play. In the spirit of Owen Nolan: boo hoo, cry me a river. Your season tickets are $4000. $4000!!! You want to talk about rising prices? How about standing room only tickets for around $40? Che. So yeah, I realize that I'm kind of missing the point here, but seriously, do you expect your team to be great all the time?
Heh, I actually discussed this a bit on Thurs. Feb. 12th, but my opinions have changed a bit, and I'll probably add more, so here's this week's Forecheck Four:
1. NHL goaltenders are forbidden to handle the puck behind the goal
line.
- I was opposed to this before, but now I'm more neutral. One of the analysts (TSN or NHL Network, can't remember which) made the point that with the nets being moved back three feet, the goalies will still have quite a lot of room to play the puck in front of the goal line. However, said analyst also suggested that if they adopt this rule, they should also instate no-touch icing, which makes sense to me. I don't know how valid their comments are, but a lot of defensemen have suggested that this change would cause more injuries for them behind the net; if it's true, then one-touch icing would at least help to address that issue somewhat. But again, with all the wonderful goaltender gaffes playing the puck behind the net that we've seen, especially post-All-Star break, I still say that for 80% of the goaltenders, being allowed to play the puck creates more scoring chances. Didn't someone once say, "it's hard enough to stop the puck in front of the net, but it's impossible to stop it behind the net", so something along those lines? I know my heart rate always increases whenever I see goalies other than Turco and maybe Belfour (think Sauve) going out to play the puck.
2. The tag-up offside rule is reinstated.
- I wholeheartedly agree with this one: less stoppages means improved "flow" to the game.
3. Nets and blue lines move three feet closer to the end boards.
- Umm...I don't recall hearing anything about the blue lines being moved closer to the end boards, but I agree with moving the nets back. Cycling the puck is not that interesting (apologies to the Sedins =P), and how many people can score from behind the net?
4. Any other proposed changes you want to commet on?
(Tie games are decided by a shootout, reduce goalie pads to 10 inches
wide, center and bluelines expanded to 24 inches, 3 point regulation
wins... etc)
- Shootouts are the one thing I really don't want to see in the League. The whole point of the game is that it's won by TEAMS. Besides, I personally think that won't provide any more incentive to play exciting hockey during regulation time, and I don't think a couple of minutes of tension in the shootout could make up for 60minutes of boredom. And you KNOW that teams with more skill players would probably rather take their chances on the shootout than risk giving up the extra point(s) during regulation. Not only that, but I think that the shootout has the potential to even further give an advantage to richer teams--teams that can afford lots of skill players. Sure, some of it is luck, but you can't tell me that a team like Colorado with players like Sakic, Forsberg, and Kariya wouldn't have a better chance of winning a shootout than a team like Chicago or Pittsburgh.
Anyway, I could probably go on ad nauseum about the proposed rules changes, but I'll save your eyes and stop here. Just one last thing, I would like to reiterate the point I made in my previous post about the rule changes, to quote myself: "I think that looking to increase scoring is rather missing the point. It's not the score that makes an exciting game, it's the way the game is played, the energy and the flow." Oh, and I'd like to add the fact that calling the game by the book would go a long way too. I know I'm biased, but look at the whole thing with the interference call on Marchment on Monday's game against Carolina, or even the Feb. 16th Canucks @ Avalanche game--inconsistent refereeing and all the non-calls are a HUGE problem.
*groans* Okay, okay, sorry about the bad pun for the title. =P Anyway, on Sunday I went to the Roadrunners game against the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks with my mom, brother, and his friend because my mom got tickets from her work. It wa cool because their company has a suite, so when we were there, there was a hostess (who also goes to U of T and is in Innis for Environmental Studies) who took our coats, offered us drinks, food, etc. Very cushy. We had popcorn, chips, nachos, pizza, pop, juice, coffee, tea, and ice cream bars!! Not a bad setup at all.
As cool as it was, though, I think I'd rather have seats closer to the action. Not that it was bad or anything--apparently the Ricoh Coliseum suites are the closest to the ice out of all the GTA arena suites, or so their advertising says.
But about the game, it wasn't nearly as good as NHL hockey, of course, but it wasn't bad. Everyone was pretty feisty and a couple of fights broke out--which is to be expected considering they had already played each other the previous game. I gotta say, though, if that game was any indication, the Ducks should be a bit worried about their future. ^^;; Ilya Bryzgalov, their goaltender let in two extremely weak goals. It looked like he had them, but they just trickled under his pads. Very not impressive. It was funny, though, because some of the fans started chanting "Illllllllyaaaaaa", "Illlllyaaaaa"--so I guessed that they were probably quite "experienced" fans, if you know what I mean. Heh. The chanting reminded me of Vancouver, and all the fun I had mocking Salo.
Hmm...What else? Oh yes, Forecheck Four questions from last week. These're all about the World Cup of Hockey:
1. Name some players (skaters) that you expect to be picked to be on the roster?
(sent in by Ivy)
-Doan, Sakic, Foote, Blake, St. Louis, Luongo, um...maybe Draper, Maltby (Friday I watched the pregame stuff on TSN and found out the two have been playing on the same line for SEVEN years--how cool is that?). You can tell I haven't really thought too much about this, huh?
2. Who do you think [should] be the three goalies on the team?
(sent in by Sallz)
- The French connection sounds good to me--and it worked well for the All-Star game too: Brodeur, Luongo, Theodore.
3. What do you think of the coach named for your country's team?
- Quinn's a good choice--like Gretzky said, it worked for the Olympics, so why try to fix it if it ain't broke? =P
Egad, how could I forget? I got the Kaberle mini-puck from the Toronto Star today!!!! ^_______^ Oh, and the Sundin one yesterday as well. I'm glad I decided NOT to try to collect the entire set, because it would cost a small fortune ($2.99 + tax and the cost of the paper x 24 pucks in total) and they're only the diameter of a toonie!!! I can't believe someone's trying to sell them on eBay starting from $5 US. It really peeves me off when people do stuff like that. I mean, it's different if people bid as high as that, but for goodness sakes, at least have the starting price reasonable!
Speaking of Kaberle, Frantisek has been out for a bit with a sprained knee or something. =( I don't have him in any of my pools, but I like him, so I was sad to hear it. Hope he gets well soon!
Oh, and Montreal had better beat Ottawa!!! After the Leafs lost to Carolina *sigh* last night, the Sens could take a pretty big lead on the Leafs if they win tonight. Go Habs go!! Plus I like the Habs better than Ottawa anyway. =P
Okay, my pictures are finally up!! ^_^ As usual, you can view them at http://www.imagestation.com/members/Presea, provided you are an ImageStation member (joining is free). You can tell we went kind of nuts, since there are 142 pictures from the game itself, plus some pre-game and post-game pictures. The special ones, of course, are the post-game pictures--Aebischer and Liles!!!! They were so nice, I can't get over it.
Anyway, in other hockey news, I can't believe the Oilers slaughtered the Avs like that. They're just lucky that the Canucks were also whupped by the Wild, or they'd be in even bigger trouble in terms of winning the division. *sigh* They absolutely MUST win tonight against the Stars. They must they must they must.
The only good thing about that game was the thing TSN did on the 1994 Olympic shootout during the second intermission. It was really cute; since it was the 10th anniversary, they had Forsberg and Kariya watch footage of their shots together. Then they had a "rematch" and Forsberg used Kariya's move and Kariya used Forsberg's. Ah, it's hard to describe. The game was replayed on the NHL network the next afternoon, so I taped the little segment. ^_^ Very cute. Ah, and maybe I heard wrong, but while the two were having their "rematch", I thought I heard Kariya call Forsberg "Faux Pas", which would be a pretty clever play on "Foppa", is that was indeed what Kariya said.
AHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was SOOOOOOO amazing!!! I can't even begin to describe how great it was!! Once I'm earning my own money, this is going to be an annual thing, for sure!!! Where to start? From the beginning. Okay. Oh, and it's a huge post again, so here're some internal links:
The flight was smooth, the bus was on time (unlike when I went to Virginia for my friend's wedding), and our hotel was the best! It was so convenient! It was on the main shopping street which had this free mallride bus going up and down! So yes, when we entered the Courtyard Marriott we were greeted by three young guys =P and they were very helpful and nice. Checking in early was no problem too.
After that we went for lunch and to watch the game at the Rock Bottom Brewery--which is awesome, by the way, the menu selection is really varied and the prices are reasonable, so if you're ever in downtown Denver, definitely go there! We didn't eat slow enough to watch a lot of the game, just the end of the first and part of the second, but it was cool anyway. Oh yeah, and Steph changed into her Canucks' jersey before we went out, so when we were leaving the hotel, one of the guys came by and was like: "sorry, we only allow Avalanche fans here. Since you're wearing that jersey, we're going to have to kick you out." LOL. Again, they were SO nice! Oh yeah, and it was warm enough to go walking around outside in our jerseys, without jackets!!
Anyway, after lunch we just went walking along the street. We were going to check out a collectible store, but based on the address, it seemed pretty far away, so we just stuck to 16th (the one with the free mallride). We both wanted to buy postcards and souvenirs for people, so we went into a lot of souvenir shops. It was kind of disturbing, actually, 6/6 souvenir stores that we went into were owned/operated by Chinese/Asian people!! I mean, really, what on earth? But yeah, that was just about the only downside to our trip.
So after about an hour of walking, we went down to the Pepsi Center to stake out our spot to wait for the players pre-game. Man, the building is so much nicer than the ACC! Lots of glass and just very nice to look at. After that we went back to the hotel, watched some tv and then went out for dinner. Actually, I think we did a little more shopping afterwards...maybe we went to the Pepsi Center first, shopping/wandering afterwards? I think that must be it, because we were leaving Barnes and Noble when this girl asked for directions to the Pepsi Center. Steph was more than happy to give directions (luckily we had just been there) since she loves giving directions and maps and stuff like that. Total opposite of me, by the way, constantly getting lost. =P
But back to dinner and whatnot. Man, there was this place called the Cheesecake Factory which looked totally bling bling, and since it was Valentine's Day, it was jam packed! There must've been like 200 people in the restaurant and another 100 waiting outside (by Steph's estimates)! Needless to say, we didn't go there. We went to this seafood place instead, which probably wasn't the best idea considering we weren't looking to spend too much, and it WAS a seafood restaurant! So yeah, we both ended up just having soup--I had oyster stew and Steph lobster bisque--but it was pretty filling and good, so it was pretty worthwhile. Then we went back to the hotel, watched some tv and turned in early.
We didn't set our alarms our anything, just woke up when we felt like it. For me, that was around 8:30am, for Steph, around 10:30-11:00am, which is amazing considering we slept at about 10:00pm (local time). =P So yeah, while Steph was sleeping I showered, did devos and even a bit of Japanese homework!
Once Steph was ready we set out for a collectible's store we had looked up in the phonebook. The address was six thousand something, almost seven thousand Broadway, and Broadway and 16th (our street, remember) was around the one thousand block, so it was pretty far. So we walked and walked and walked, for forever, well into the middle of nowhere. Finally we stopped at this Conoco gas station because Broadway had somehow turned into Brighton!! So we went into the gas station, got the number for a taxi company and called a cab to take us to a different collectible store, this one hopefully closer, as it was in the two thousand block range, on South Broadway. =P Oh, and apparently Broadway had turned left at one point, but we had kept going straight, which explained the change to Brighton. ^^;;
So yeah, we took a cab to Bill's Collectibles, and the fare ended up being around $15 (including tip) but it was worth it! The store was HUGE and they had everything! It's unfortunate that I'm not a big Kariya or Selanne fan though, since their jerseys were on sale for only $99 and the tax there is WAY less than here (2.4% vs 15%) and we ended up buying so much stuff the guy cut us a deal anyway. I got lots of Avs' pictures. Sakic and Forsberg in their Nordiques days (so young!!! so cute!!), and a couple of nice Roys. Steph got some Nazzy and Bert photos too. We both got a bunch of single cards, and we split a box of Private Stock Reserve Hobby! The guy gave it to us for only $110, which is really good considering it's $150 here, PLUS 15% tax. And that box was AMAZING!! I got this Kariya parallel jersey card, numbered out of 50, Steph got a Hejduk jersey (which she traded to me for my Iginla jersey) AND I got a ROY VARIANT PATCH CARD!!!!!!!!!!! SO COOL!!!! It was the ultimate Avalanche box!!! So yes, definitely worthwhile.
Oh, and the people there were really nice too. Apart from giving us the discount and stuff, they were more than happy to give us directions to a nearby transit station, so the ride back to the hotel only cost us $1.25, instead of another $10 for a taxi. =P Since we spent so much that day, we had Taco Bell ($2) for lunch and McDonald's ($3) for dinner. =P
We also made our signs for the game that day. I really love them! We brought them back, actually. Mine said:
Flight from Toronto: $600
Hotel Accommodations: $325
Tickets for the Game: $308
Seeing JOE SAKIC and the Colorado Avalanche: PRICELESS
on one side, and had Go Avs Go! on the other, with the "A" for Avs being the Avs' logo.
Steph couldn't think of something to write until Monday, so she put Go Canucks Go (with the Canucks' logo instead of "Canucks") on one side first, and on Monday added this to the other side:
West Coast Express: $12M
Sedins: $2.5M
Secondary Scoring: PRICELESS
We thought it was pretty clever, anyway. =P
So yes, while we making signs we also watched the NBA All-Star game, which was cool. Oh, and we discovered something about American tv, well, we discovered it on Sat. actually, and confirmed it on Sun., AND Mon.: their hockey coverage SUCKS!!! My goodness. GOLF got more coverage than hockey! And we must've watched hours and hours of discussion and coverage on the A-Rod trade. Oh, and lots of stuff on Dale Earnhardt (or however it's spelled) Jr. too. On Sat., I think the most we got was one minute of hockey highlights and whatever was on the ticker!! Even if Americans wanted to really get into hockey, the lack of coverage would make it bloody difficult!! Denver was awesome, but I'm glad to be back to my NHL network and HNIC!!!
We woke up early to call the Pepsi Center at 8:30am to see if they were having tours. No luck, either because it was a game day or because it was President's Day. We went to Starbucks so Steph could get her coffee fix (I had a tazo ice tea since I don't like coffee), and read the Denver Post, so we could get at least some hockey coverage. The paper said that Cloutier was questionable for the game, so we asked the hotel front desk staff about finding an internet café and discovered they had a computer with internet access downstairs in the business center!!! Man, if only we had known earlier! But it was probably better for us to have at least a mini-internet fast. So yeah, we checked up on the pool, and unfortunately Steph put Burke in net instead of Cloutier because she didn't want to take a chance on missing out on a game played. ^^;; Well, the Flyers were soundly beaten 5-2, and Cloutier got a shutout, so I guess we shouldn't have read the Post. Anyway, it was nice to feel in touch with the world again.
We didn't do much until the game. Had lunch at the Rock Bottom again--my treat since it was Steph's b-day. She ordered one of their beers, and apparently it was pretty good, as far as beers go. I tried it, but I don't like beer, so I can't really say much. That was a really good lunch, so we just chilled at the hotel (Steph napped a bit too) until it was time to go.
Started getting ready around 3:00pm, which was a good thing since I almost forgot the tickets! I don't know what I was doing, but I took the tickets out of the envelope, and then put them back into my backpack instead of putting them into my purse! So I was emptying out my purse and tearing up the room for a bit before I figured things out. Anyway, we took the mallride all the way up and then headed west to the Pepsi Center. We were both wearing our jerseys, and it was funny because after we got off the bus, we were crossing the street and the bus drove up as well and the driver opened his window and was like: "Naslund jersey, you're lucky I let you on the bus!" LOL So amusing.
Made it to the Pepsi Center around quarter to four, but unfortunately, the area we had staked out on Sat. was now completely closed off, with restricted access gates and stuff posted. So we went into the Pepsi Center Trading Company (the store) and I went just a little nuts. =P Not as bad as Bill's Collectibles, but I didn't end up getting a windbreaker, the black Roots poorboy hat I had seen in the Catalogue, plus the program from Roy's banner-raising night. Then we went back outside and stood just outside the access restricted gate, just for the heck of it.
It was around 4:30pm by then, and we saw Foote drive in. I think a lot of the players were already in, so I guess Foote's a bit of a slacker? =P Anyway, I didn't get to meet anyone then, but Steph did!!! It WAS SO COOL!!! We were just standing there--I was getting my sign unrolled--and we see two guys in those long black formal jackets walking our way. TREVOR LINDEN AND MATTIAS OHLUND!!!! Steph turned bright red, no kidding--just like me with alcohol. Her mouth was wide open and she was just like "oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh." I was most amused. So they stopped, and Linden read my sign and was like, "oh, so you guys are from Toronto?" I said I was, but of course Steph said she was from Vancouver. I think he asked us if we had met there (in Colorado too), so Steph told him she was going to school in Toronto. He saw that Steph had a sign too, so he asked to see it. She showed him, and he was like, "very nice" or something like that. Just polite talk. Steph asked if she could take a picture, and Linden was very obliging. Ohlund, as Steph described him, was the typical shy Swede, so she had to ask him "Mr. Ohlund, would you like to be in the picture too?" Which of course translated to, "could you please please please be in the picture?" =D I took the picture, being careful to have the sun at my back, and my gosh, I really hope I didn't screw up and have my finger on the lens or shake so it was unfocused or something. ^^;; It was so totally cool. They're really tall! Steph's head was centered in the picture, and their heads were right at the top of the frame!! And man oh man, Linden was SO nice! I mean, he really took the time to talk to us and stuff, and that was just so cool.
After that the security guy asked us to move further up, to the entrance of the road, and he mentioned that if we stood near the yellow fire hydrant there after the game, sometimes guys would stop. He was really nice about it. He was like "you got pretty lucky this time", and I mean, we were standing there for a little bit before Linden and Ohlund came, so it was in part thanks to his forebearance that we got to see them.
The game was exciting, of course. The seats were SO close!! And Steph was even on tv! =P Her friend taped it for her, and she sent us a clip to watch when we got back. Heh, there was some stat box or something on the Canucks showing on the right side of the screen, and right there to the left was Steph, looking at the camera and deleting some photos. =P It must've been during the first intermission, because she was still wearing her white Nazzy jersey. I didn't actually take that many photos this time because the game was so fast I too absorbed just watching. But anyway, the ones I did take will be up soon. Maybe tomorrow. =)
Even though the Avs lost, it was a really fast-paced game, so I was fine with that. I was kind of disappointed in some of the Avs fans though, because they were actually glad when Naslund got injured. I mean, everyone was clapping for him and stuff when he got up, but some people around me were making comments to the tune of, yeah, way to go and stuff before that. XP Stupid people. How can any hockey fan enjoy seeing any player, much less one of the star players in the league get hurt? I really don't think Moore's hit was done with any malice--he's not a goon--but I do think he should've been penalized on the play. The reffing on both sides for the entire game was utterly ridiculous, actually. Forsberg got a really obvious high stick with no call again, and yeah, it was just a mess. The refs didn't call anything important, it was such a farce. Yeah, refs are human, but that was just too obviously stupid. But yeah, the energy was intense, and Aebby made some amazing saves to keep the Avs in the game.
After the game Steph and I went as suggested to the corner of Chopper and 12th and waited by the fire hydrant. I had my sign out, and some other people eventually came and joined us to wait too. While we were waiting, we saw Pierre McGuire and Gord Miller!!! Well, I recognized Gord Miller (even though I couldn't remember his name) and Steph recognized Pierre McGuire. I was just pointing and saying "look, look" and I'm sure we looked like starstruck loons. =P They were probably surprised that anyone in Denver recognized them, but anyway, we said hi as they walked by, and they paused for a bit. I think McGuire said something like "are you guys from Canada", and Steph replied "yes!" even though she didn't really hear what he said. =P Then they said "goodnight ladies" as they were leaving! Had we had our heads on straight we would've asked to take pictures with them, but it was cool seeing them anyway! After that though, we did take out our cameras, so we were prepared.
So yeah, the waiting continued. A lot of players just waved as they went by, which was cool, but...guess who stopped?!? DAVID AEBISCHER!!!!! It was SO nice of him! He was going straight and then he made this big kind of turn to pull over for us. His girlfriend/sister (^_~ or so the girls with us liked to think)/companion was really nice too. She rolled down her window and told us "other side." I mean, you kind of expect them to be snooty or impatient, but she was really nice about the whole thing. So there were six of us there, Steph and I, two girls and two guys, and we were all just babbling away about how honoured we were to meet him, how we had him in our pools and it was great. I think I probably said something about how well he had played that night, I can't remember. I asked him if I could take a picture with him, and again, he was said "sure", as nice as can be. He even put his ARM AROUND MY SHOULDER for the picture!!! We used Steph's film camera for that picture, and not my digi, so I really hope it turns out!!!! Oh my gosh it was so cool!! He signed my jersey too!!!
Meeting him alone would have made it all worthwhile, but that wasn't the end of it! John-Michael Liles also pulled over for us! It was cute, he had two friends in the car with him. Oh, and he asked to read my sign and smiled when he read it!!! ^_______^ I got his signature and a photo with him too!!! So cool!!!! From now on, my white Avs jersey will now be known as the Aebischer-Liles jersey! Sorry Stajan, but this one's going on the wall!!!! Oh, and Steph felt bad for not having anything for him to sign, so she got him to sign my sign. =P I was planning on keeping it anyway, but of course this made it a sure thing.
Those were the only players we met, which is understandable since they lost and probably weren't in the mood to pull over, but my sign did reap some other rewards. This car stopped to read my sign, and the passenger and driver both smiled. The passenger rolled down the window and the driver gave me a mini-Roy-banner from his banner-raising night!! He was like "don't worry, I work here, I've got tons of them". Again, Denver people are SO NICE!!!! So yes, the night was an absolute success, and both Steph and I were on cloud nine and completely giddy all the way back to the hotel.
We were thinking about going to the Pepsi Center for a 10 o'clock tour, but since check-out was 11am and the tour was an hour, we decided not to since we'd have to lug all our stuff with us. So we went to Starbucks again, bought the Denver Post (which had two very nice photos from the game), checked the internet, packed and checked out. Then we went to the Barnes and Noble so I could buy my Mission 16W book--finally and we mailed our postcards. We had initially planned to take the 12:25 bus to the airport, but there wasn't much to do, so we decided to go for the 11:25am instead. We were at the station before 11 though, so we decided to go for some food. The only place around there that was open was the Delectable Egg, so we went there. And a good thing too.
We went in, were seated, and guess who was there, two tables away? MARKUS NASLUND!!!!!!! Oh my goodness!! Talk about God's blessings on the trip! Steph turned bright red again, and between the two of us we decided that she should definitely change into her Naslund jersey in the hopes that he's notice. He looked pretty bad, though, sad to say. He had a cut on his forehead and across his face, and he was walking pretty slowly. Anyway, just after we ordered he got up to leave. One of the trainers who was with him walked past us, and Steph was like "see my jersey". I think he, and the other Canucks' management/staff with him thought we were insane, because they must've seen her go to change into the jersey AND switch seats with me so she could have a better view of Nazzy! Anyway, thanks to the jersey, Naslund stopped by our table on his way out:
Naslund (to Steph): Hi, how are you?
(starts to walk away)
Steph: Get well soon!
Naslund (almost out the door): Thanks.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! It was SO cool! She didn't ask for his autograph or anything, which was definitely the right thing to do since he obviously wasn't feeling too great, and it was outside of the game, in his personal time. But it was really nice of him to take the time to say hello, and that was more than enough for Steph. ^________^ SO COOL!!! Heh, and she told me that all the while she was thinking in her head: "I love you, I love you, I love you." LOL. =P
Poor guy though. The way he was walking and talking to his trainers etc., I'd say mild concussion at least. =( So sad! I hate seeing anyone hurt, but it's even worse to see up close and personal. ^^;; This is going to sound bad, but I suppose in a weird sort of way, it was part of the blessing of our trip that Naslund was injured, because that's why we managed to see him. If he hadn't been injured and kept overnight for observation, he would've been with the team instead of at the Delectable Egg. But of course there's no way I would've wanted him or anybody to get hurt. It's just funny how these things work, no?
But man of man, Steph talked to Markus Naslund!!!!! Just can't get over it! I mean, what are the chances? We changed our original plans for the bus, and just happened to choose the Delectable Egg. DEFINITELY A GOD THING!!! Just so much of the entire trip! It was the best trip ever, for sure! I'm so glad Steph got to meet "her" guys, and I got to meet some of "my" Avs too. But I'm really extremely happy that everything worked out so well for her birthday. I mean, meeting Linden and Ohlund and the Canucks winning on the actual day, and then meeting Naslund the day after? SO COOL!!!! I swear, we've both been smiling like loons for the past 24 hours. Oh, and when I got home, I told both my dad and mom: "I love you," because they used their aeroplan miles for the flight and paid for our hotel, so it wouldn't have happened without them.
Oh my gosh, I'm going to be talking about this forever and ever and ever!!! SO COOL!!!! How many times have I said it now? I can't even count!
On a totally random note, apparently the 'Canes are bringing Irbe back!!!!!! YAY!!!! I still like him, so I hope he does well for them! Go Irbe!!
[Edit: Check out my new Colorado countdown on the left sidebar!]
Well, in a few hours I'll be flying to Colorado to watch the game! I'm SO excited! And I really hope I haven't forgotten anything important. =P
So yes, if you can, watch Monday's game or the highlights, and see if you can see Steph and I somewhere behind the penalty box! We'll be in section 126, row 4, seats 1 and 2. Two Chinese girls sitting together, one in an Avs jersey and one in a Canucks jersey, possibly holding signs, well, I don't think we'll be too hard to spot if the camera actually pans by us. ^_~
I hope we can get lots of good pictures!! Got the digicam again, with more memory this time, and three sets of batteries! It's going to be great!! Let's hope my luck/curse (depending on which team you're rooting for) holds up and the Canucks will once again lose a live game in my presence! After the past two losses, I'm sure they're going to be battling really hard. Ah well, so long as it's an exciting game, I guess it doesn't matter. Anyway, I'm off to catch some sleep!
In all the articles I've read about the proposed changes to NHL rules and regulations, the thing that always seems to come up is the goal of "increasing scoring". I think that looking to increase scoring is rather missing the point. It's not the score that makes an exciting game, it's the way the game is played, the energy and the flow. I mean, I remember watching the Canucks @ Kings game on Mar. 29th last year, and even though the final score was 5-1--a decent number of goals, wouldn't you think?-- it was absolutely boring. It was boring because the Kings were completely ravaged by injury and didn't seem to have much interest or energy for the game. It was a walk in the park for the Canucks. On the other hand, I've seen some pretty exciting 1-1, 1-0, and even 0-0 games, with lots of end to end play, good scoring chances and some solid physical play. For me it's not about the final result, it's about a good game played on both sides, both offensively and defensively. I mean, how exciting is it to see a team like the Penguins getting blownout 8-0 thanks to poor defensive play and a lack of offensive firepower? It's not the final score people should be looking at, it's the quality of the actual game. I guess I'm saying that I don't care if teams actually score or not, I just want to see them trying their best to score as much as they can while not letting the other team walk all over their defense.
So yes, I think that the proposals to reduce the size of goalie equipment are avoiding the real issue, which is opening the game up so that the league's skill players can get some room to move. That's why I like the suggestions for things like touch up offsides (fewer stoppages, increases speed of the game) and widening the blue lines/red lines (expanding the zones to increase speed in neutral and hopefully offense in the offensive zone). And maybe 3-point wins can give players enough incentive to not sit back on their heels to hold a tie but to put everything they've got into getting a win (that's the energy problem).
I disagree with the idea of "leashing goalies" because goalies playing the puck can create some pretty good scoring chances and add an element of excitement/suspense to a game as well. I always held my breath when Roy tried to handle the puck, and I still do when Sauve does, because it's so darn scary!! Plus there've been lots of goals allowed by goalies trying to play the puck: think about Théodore's bad bounce, or when Turco tried a diving poke check or something and the player jumped over him and proceeded to score. But while I don't think they should be leashed, I do think that goalies should be fair game a certain distance outside of the crease. I mean, goalies shouldn't be interfered with when they're protecting their nets, but when they're like six feet away from the net, I think it's pretty hard to make a case that they're covering their own nets. If they want to play like defensemen, fine, then they should learn to take hits like them too.
Another opinion I agree with is the opinion that the talent pool has become too diluted. In that vein, this week's Hockey News had an interesting column written by Denis Potvin, suggesting that a "return to 16-man rosters would be [a] boost to creativity." He argues:
Coaches realized a long time ago the extra skaters required a more hands-on, ststems approach to the game. . . . Between 1991 and 2000 alone nine new teams were added, creating dozens of NHLers who probably don't deserve to be in the league.
Understandably, by the 1990's, the defensive focus had grown deep roots. Coaches couldn't teach all these players how to score, but they could certainly teach them how not to get scored upon. Now "systems" rule the game."
Now, I again I think the emphasis is wrongly placed on scoring instead of offense, but the basic idea rings true for me. Mr. Potvin also had a good point in saying that it's not the skilled players who are doing the holding and hooking that is extremely frustrating and interferes with the flow and pace of the game, in my opinion. I mean, look at the All-Star games or the Heritage Classic. Yes, they played solid defense (definitely in the All-Star game) but they relied on their skill for that, not trapping and hooking and holding. Geh. Once again I'm making a muddle of my arguments (this is why I wouldn't make a good lawyer), but hopefully my gist is clear enough to give you some food for thought.
1. Being the proud hockey fans that you are, surely you must have
caught the All-Stars weekend on TV, RIGHT?
- Yep! I was at the Toronto Rock (lacrosse) game on Saturday, but I taped the Young Stars Game and Skills Competition. ^_^ I made sure I watched the Skills right when I came home, but I still haven't had a chance to watch the Young Stars. Apparently Sauve played really well, which means, to me, that he didn't try to play the puck. =P As for the All-Star game proper, I actually left our church's groundbreaking ceremony to make sure I'd be home on time to watch it! What a great game! I'm so peeved at myself for not taping it! I taped last year's game, but it wasn't that great, so I didn't think I'd need to...
2. What's the highlight for you?
-Sakic's third goal--it was so pretty!! His interview between the periods and post-game were great too. The interviewer mentioned (this was after the second goal, before the hat trick, btw) that he had three goals total in all of his past All-Star appearances, and asked him to "account for this scoring drought". *wink wink* Sakic was just like, "well, you know, I guess it's because I'm a playmaker, I like to pass." And I was like "awwwww, what a great guy!" ^_^ So yeah, I wish I had taped the games, just for those interviews!! At least I got all his goals from the highlights later that night.
Other great moments were: the interplay between Roenick and Tkachuk, especially when Tkachuk hit J.R. it was so cute, they were both laughing!; seeing Turco let in that first weak goal, mwa ha ha ha!; Roenick's on-ice apology to the referee (he's an excellent speaker).
3. How do you like the new Skills Competition: In the Zone?
- Eh. It was kind of boring, plus the players were pretty limited in what type of shots they could take, so I don't think it tested the goalies' skills very effectively.
4. Any comments on the Bettman interview during the 3rd intermission?
(for those of you who watched it on CBC)
- Well, it was kind of irritating to be listening to Bettman AGAIN at the All-Star game. Ron McLean asked him about the new CBA during one of the intermissions last year too, if I recall correctly. Sheesh. It's mostly "rhetoric" on both sides, so I'm not really interested in what they have to say--too much work sorting through everything they say to figure out the half-truths, incomplete pictures, etc. If Bettman and Goodenow spent as much time listening to each other as they did speaking to the media, maybe they'd have something accomplished by now.
Anyway, related to the All-Star game, I now have another jersey to add to my wishlist: a Sakic Western Conference All-Star jersey! I still think the thing is ugly, but I want to get one to commemorate his All-Star MVP year, because I don't think it's going to happen again. *sigh* And I promised myself I'd save more of my tax return money this year, so I don't know how I'm going to get all my jerseys purchased. I wonder if I can stretch my "spendable" portion of my tax return to include youth Team Czech and Team Sweden jerseys (uncustomized for now) as well as the Sakic All-Star jersey? ^^;;
But I've really been spending like mad, and another promise I made to myself was to spend less. My bank account is being drained while my hockey card collection grows. Still, I can't regret last Tuesday (not yesterday, last week). Steph and I went to Untouchables and we each bought a pack of Private Stock Reserve hobby ($23) plus some singles. Then, before we left we decided to each buy another pack and...she got a Naslund jersey card and I got an Yzerman one!!!! That was definitely the best opening experience ever.
My box of UD Choice 1999-2000 cards came that week too, and it was pretty good. Then on Sunday we got two boxes of Upper Deck Series Two, and we got some pretty good cards (I got a Sauve Canadian exclusive parallel and Steph gave me the Yzerman jersey she pulled), but it wasn't as satisfying as some of our other boxes. Oh, and our long awaited UD MVP Stanley Cup Edition boxes finally came yesterday! So we spent a good chunk of the afternoon opening and sorting through all those. They were pretty good boxes--we only got a couple of "doubles" between the two of us (technically triples).
Speaking of stuff that arrived yesterday, my Kaberle/Jagr/Hasek triple jersey card arrived yesterday, along with a Sakic jersey card!!! ^_______^ They're so cool. Oh, and my official Leafs Nation membership package arrived too. =P I can now get 15% off stuff in the ACC Centresports store. (And you KNOW that means trouble). My Avs Kids Club stuff hasn't arrived yet though, which is a bummer considering I wanted to get it before Colorado so I could get the 15% discount at the store in the Pepsi Center. =( Ah well, after the Better Halves Agenda debacle, I should have known better than to expect the Avs organization to get anything to me in a timely manner.
What else? Yesterday's games were pretty good! I only watched from the third period on for the Leafs game (I was studying for once!), but that was more than enough for me! Did you SEE Kaberle's great play to keep the puck in during the final minute of play? He would've drawn a fourth assist for the game-tying goal if there was such a thing! He gloved the puck down at the blueline then passed it to Sundin, who then did all that work behind the net, passing it to Reichel (or was it Renberg? Tucker? I can't remember now) who passed it back to Sundin to Nolan for the goal. Then the OT was probably the best OT period I've seen this year. They both went all out, and there were tons of great opportunities on both sides.
I watched the Avs game, of course, but it wasn't as exciting, sad to say. They played decently, but they looked pretty sluggish and not like their usual selves out there. Even though it was a tie, it felt like the Islanders were dominating the Avs. They played a very solid, physical game. Man, I even saw Sakic get stripped of the puck a couple of times! Ogh, and they seemed to win a lot of the faceoffs too, which wasn't good for the Avs. Anyway, it was great to see the stellar play of both DiPietro and Sauve...yes, Sauve. For once Sauve didn't really try to handle the puck, which was a relief. DiPietro on the other hand was all over the place, but unfortunately he didn't make any costly mistakes, although there were a couple of close calls. =P DiPietro, man, there were so many times when I was just like "How did that NOT go in?" His left leg save on Hejduk was amazing--the puck was completely under control too, it didn't so much as dribble out from under his leg. Must be the pilates. ^_~
Oh, and I finally got to see the Gretzky McDonald's commercial--twice in fact!! Ah, it's so cute!! With a bit of luck I should be able to get the other three trophies (Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe and Hart) this Friday, even though only two trophies are supposed to be available at a time. For some reason, some of the downtown locations have different ones available. Man, I still need to find a space to display them....
Now, for some unseemly gloating: Hasek is out for the rest of the season!!!! Mwa ha ha ha ha!!! Okay, so I'm actually going to leave it at that because I've got a killer headache, which feels like its related to my sinus congestion somehow (don't ask me how, that's just the way I feel) and I think I'm dying. Today's my long day too, so I just hope I can get through it alive. @_@
I've got a big post in the works, but I'm not going to be able to put it up tonight because I stayed up to watch the Avs game when I should've been sleeping early. I think I'm starting to get sick, which is really bad with Colorado coming up. So yes, I've got to take care of myself and try to get proper amounts of sleep. Hopefully I'll be posting soon though.
I watched the 10pm show, and it was great!! I loved it! Miracle is not a movie about Team USA winning a gold medal, it's about hockey and a hockey team! The "American stuff" wasn't sickening at all, I actually appreciated it because it placed the games in a historical context that I don't think I would have bothered to think about otherwise.
Actually, I realized part way through the movie that even if the movie had had a stronger dose of American patriotism, I would understand it because of the 2002 Olympics. I know I'm STILL gloating over that double gold victory, and moreover, that I'll probably continue to savour that pride and joy until the 2006 Olympics.
Of course, I'm immensely thankful that my new realization wasn't put to the test, because sickening American patriotism à la Independence Day, Armageddon, and such movies wasn't an issue at all in Miracle. I've got a lot of respect for the director, he set exactly the right tone.
Everything I love about hockey was in this movie: the team, the heart, the skill, and the way a "game" can be so much more than a game. Again this kind of ties back to my own experience and feelings watching the Canadian men's team in 2002, but it also goes further for me, I think. Even before I was "into" hockey, I was fascinated by the idea that a country, a peoples could tie up their identity in a sport. In grade ten history/geography we learned about the '72 Summit Series and I was sufficiently intrigued by what I learned to tape the series premiere of Powerplay--do you remember that? It was a short-lived tv series about a minor league hockey team or something like that. But yeah, I can safely say that I didn't understand the game at all in grade ten, but I recognized that there had to be something special about hockey for it to be able to unify people of so vastly varied backgrounds spread out across ten provinces and capture the spirit and heart of a nation.
Ah, I'm not explaining myself very well, but as fellow hockey lovers, hopefully you'll understand when you watch it.
That's not to say that I think it's a perfect movie. I mean (and I don't think I'm giving away anything here when I say this), you'll notice that they show the Soviets getting away with slashing the Americans without getting called, but you don't see the reverse situation--and there's no way that the Americans didn't give a little jab here, a hook there. So there's that, but at times I can be somewhat hypercritical, so if it didn't bug me, I would think most people would be okay with it.
Anyway, the fact is, I really enjoyed the movie, I'd watch it again without hesitation in theatres, and I'm DEFINITELY buying the dvd when it comes out, so if my recommendation means anything to you (not that there's any particular reason it should) I recommend that you go out and watch it!!! Hmm...you should also know that I'm pretty eccentric in my movie tastes--I love stuff that everyone hates (Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, for example), and find fault in stuff that people generally like (can't think of a specific example, but let's just say I like to be contrary). It's currently rated 78% "fresh" at RottenTomatoes.com, just FYI. Personally, I like this review, it's what I felt/feel, but stated far more articulately and concisely. I suspect that being a hockey fan probably makes a significant difference in one's perception/reception of the movie too, and this reviewer is clearly a fan.
Oh, and on a totally random note, you B.C.'ers can have fun identifying all the B.C. locales. Steph was like " that's not Minnesota, that's Burnaby" and "there's UBC", etc. etc. ^_^ Actually, for the first comment, it was actually raining in the scene, which I thought immensely appropriate. =P
Heh, and if I was the type to "like" actors, the one I'd pick from Miracle would be Eddie Cahill, who played Jim Craig. Yes, just because he was the goalie. You know me and my goalies. ^_~
I was GOING to watch the game after tutoring, then I saw that the score was 3-0 Sens and was just too depressed so I sorted through my hockey card collection instead. A short while later, I checked Sportsline and it was 4-0. @_@ I check again and all of a sudden, it's 4-3 as the second period winds down. Still working on my cards, but checking Sportsline more frequently now. Then it's OT and I go to Sportsline just in time to see the score change 5-4 Leafs, Kaberle assist!!!! SWEEEEEET!!!!
So of course I rushed downstairs to watch the highlights, and boy oh boy were Kaberle's assists pretty!!! That's my boy! He even had FOUR shots!!!! Can you believe that? It's pretty ironic actually, because of this mini-article that appeared in today's National Post:
THE TEMPERATURE
WHO'S HOT? Everybody, it seems, after these two teams tussled their way through Toronto's 5-1 win on Saturday. Ottawa enforcer Chris Neil was particularly upset at Tie Domi. "You'd think there [would] be some suspensions," Neil said after the Saturday game. "Especially when you see a guy gouging another guy when he has a jaw protector on."
WHO'S NOT? Leafs defenceman Tomas Kaberle. Or, more specifically, his stick is cold from lack of use. Based on unscientific data, Kaberle is the player Air Canada Centre fans are most likely to urge to "Shooooot!" He has not registered more than one shot in a game since ripping three at the Penguins net on Jan. 5, coincidentally the last time he scored a goal.
"Based on unscientific data..." ROFL. Ahhh.... You know I love him, but it's so true! I don't know what got into him tonight, but it was good! I couldn't believe how deep he was playing when he set up the Sundin goal! It was almost Sopel like! LOL Speaking of which, I think I forgot to mention it at the time, but his first game back he was also playing very deep--practically crashing the net! At the time I thought it was Sopel-esque as well. ^_^
Ah, I feel sorry for the Sens though, their bench was SO empty in the third. Still, I kind of agree with Nolan as well as...was it Dave Reid (from the NHL Network, NHL on the Fly)... that when you blow a 4-0 lead, even being sick and tired isn't all that good of an excuse. I didn't like the way Nolan put it though, something along the lines of: "So what? I'm sure they've got lots of excuses. But we were tired too and we managed to fight through." VERY undiplomatic, not to mention smacking of very unseemly gloating. Quinn and McCabe were much more admirable (and tactful) in their post-game interviews. *nods*
And yes, I AM over my minor feelings of irritation with McCabe. So what if Kaberle gets overlooked because of him? *I* can appreciate both of them, and like Jello said, it's all about the team. McCabe and Kaberle are a great defensive--or should I say offensive? =P --pairing, and I'm glad both of them seem to be playing much better since coming back from their respective injuries! =D
*sigh* Avs lost 3-2 against Detroit, which is sad, but at least they're still top of the League, AND they still have two games in hand. I'm sure they're going to keep plugging away to that 10th division title!! (Sorry, Canucks!)
Hmm...I kind of want to go watch Miracle tomorrow, since I don't have fellowship. Pretty sure the theatre won't exactly be jam packed, opening night or not. =P Just hope it's not sickeningly over patriotic, which is ALWAYS the risk with American movies, especially historical ones. But it's a hockey movie, so I've GOT to see it! Plus Bill Ranford was Jim Craig in the action scenes, which is pretty darn cool.
Read this quote in the Star last week, but I was too lazy to post it until now:
"To me, I think this guy is MVP of the League. Luongo is a guy who can steal games, get points maybe when they don't deserve them, and he's approaching where at times he's intimidating. He's big and mobile and seems to anticipate the play before it even happens. We had a lot of traffic all night. We needed that stuff with him. He's probably the best first-shot goaltender in the League."
-- Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock talking to reporters after Florida's Roberto Luongo helped preserve a 3-3 tie with Philadelphia Wednesday night.
I heartily agree!!! ^_____^ That's why I was so glad the All-Star committee selected Luongo as a goalie, he faces a crazy amount of shots every night, and keeps his team from being horribly humiliated the way Washington, Pittsburgh, and even Toronto have been (7-1, 6-0, etc. scores).
1. Have you ever seen the Cup in real life?
- Yep. Taken pictures with the real one at least once, possibly three times. I'm not totally sure if the first two times I got the travelling (real) Cup or the replica they keep in the Hockey Hall of Fame, but I'm pretty sure it was the right one the third time. I should post my pictures someday...
2. Which would you rather do? Heft the Stanley Cup or drive the Zamboni? Why?
(sent in by Cerasi)
- Drive the zamboni. My upper body strength is so pathetic, I'd probably drop the Cup if I ever tried to heft the thing! Come to think of it, my driving skills aren't that good either, but I've got a full license, and I've been driving for threee or four years now, so the zamboni'd definitely be the safer bet for avoiding making a fool of myself. =P
3. You're holding the Cup, who do you pass it to next?
- Am I holding it because I'm a player who's just helped the team win it? Was I important enough to go early? Am I the captain? Eh, since it's all hypothetical, let's say I AM the Captain of the Cup-winning team, I'd do like Stevie Y and pass it to the most "senior" player who hasn't yet won the Cup. All of the first-timers should get first dibs. I respected Stevie Y even more when I saw how he had the passing of the Cup organized--what a thoughtful guy. ^_^
4. If you could have the Stanley Cup for a day, what would you do with it?
(sent in by Cerasi)
- Hmm...Well, again, if I earned it, I'd probably have a party with friends and family at night, but maybe during the day take it to an elementary school in a lesser privileged neighbourhood or something. But if it was just me with the thing for a day with no emotional significance (like I won some contest or something), I'd skip the party part and just take it around to schools, kids clubs and stuff. Not everyone gets the chance to visit the Hall to see it, so I think it'd be a cool thing for kids, assuming they're interested in hockey, anyway.
In other news, I will shortly have Forsberg, as well as Sakic and Kaberle in both of my pools! Thanks to Lisa! ^_^ Naslund for Forsberg wasn't too bad of a trade, I'd say, especially considering I'm an Avs fan and Lisa's a Canucks fan. Nazzy's been on fire lately, too. I think for both pools I'm not really interested in the standings anymore, I just want to have teams I can love! So, on that front, this season has definitely been a success!
