Neglect... Many apologies for the neglect! As you can see, getting a job as a teacher wreaks havoc with one's hockey life. The Avalanche played in Toronto this year, and because I was teaching I didn't even TRY to get tickets to the game.
How sad is that?
Other ways teaching has messed with my hockey life:
- I didn't have time to plan for my hockey pool draft - I don't have time to manage my hockey pool team (hence I am currently 11/13) - I don't have time to watch hockey games, so I didn't buy the Centre Ice package - I don't have time to watch games, so I didn't buy a mini-pack from Buffalo this year
Sad, sad, sad, sad, sad!!
Anyway, I will be done in February (I was only hired for one semester) so I expect to be posting regularly again then!!
One Step Forward... ...two steps back!! Each time I think that John Ferguson Jr. has earned my respect--like signing Kaberle to a long-term deal, refusing to trade Steen, picking up Raycroft, and dumping Belfour and Domi--he does something stupid like RE-SIGNING WADE BELAK!!!
Seriously.
I don't know if all the intelligent wheeling and dealing in the world can make up for re-signing Belak not once, but TWICE when faced with an excellent opportunity to dump him.
ARGH.
Maybe JF Jr. feels like he needs an enforcer type player now that Domi (who was playing a much reduced role anyway) is gone? But surely there are more skillful "grit" players out there than Belak, who's such a defensive liability for the Leafs, by rights their opponents should be paying for some of his salary!!
ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH... I don't know if I can take another season of Belak.
Another Signing, and My Adventures with FedEx So I got a call from UpperDeck at around 2pm (EDT) yesterday asking if I'd be free to do a signing today because they needed the cards back tomorrow. Being the obliging person that I am, I agreed, even though it's month end and work is really busy and I should be planning on doing lots of overtime there rather than rushing home to do contract work.
But yes, I agreed, and asked them to FedEx the cards to my workplace instead of my house because I didn't think anyone would be home to sign for them. That turned out to be stressor #1. We have a mailroom and all the mail is supposed to go through them to us so I was worried that the package would get there too late in the afternoon for anyone to want to bother bringing it up to me, and then I'd be screwed. So my co-worker kept calling the mailroom to see if the package had arrived yet, and I kept checking FedEx.com to see where the blasted thing was.
Actually, that was also a bit of a pain because I had forgotten to ask them to email me the tracking number when they called to see if I'd take the job, so I had to call my Upper Deck contact to get the tracking number--LONG DISTANCE (California) on my CELL PHONE. Did I mention that I'd stupidly left my calling card at home?
Anyway, right when my coworker was calling the mailroom for the 10th time, the FedEx guy walked in around 2:45pm--just under an hour before my usual quitting time. *Phew*
As I said, it's month end at work, and a heck load of stuff came in right at 3pm so I stayed until 4pm (1/2hr of overtime) but I had to rush off to catch my 4:30pm train. Everyone else was staying for at least another half hour of overtime. Did I mention that I had to rush off at 4pm yesterday as well (when everyone else was staying again until 4:30pm) to catch a movie with a teacher's college friend?
Caught the 4:30 train no problem. I figured I should be at home by around 5:15pm so I could go to the bathroom, grab packing tape and scissors (so I could drop off the box at FedEx on my way home rather than coming home first and then going back out) and just have some breathing room before heading out for the scheduled 6pm signing. Well, the train was delayed about 15min at one station because they had to go out and manually switch the signals (or something) for the tracks, so I actually ended up getting home at 5:30pm instead. Considering that the guy only lives a 15min drive away from my house, you'd think I'd be cool with the delay, but being the worrywart that I am, I actually got more stressed. I'd planned to leave at least 20-25min before 6pm in case there were any traffic problems (although I was going against the flow of rush hour traffic, so I really needn't have worried) so I actually still had enough time, but I just felt stressed because I didn't have that 20-25min break between getting home and heading back out as I'd planned.
Anyway, I got to the player's house maybe 5-10min early, and the signing went very smoothly, no problems. Oh, and he was probably the nicest guy out of all of them (and that's saying a lot, considering how nice Anthony Stewart was!). I met his dog (who drooled on my black work pants! =P) and we chatted easily throughout the signing. The only minor problem was that included in the box was 2 copies of this form that both he and I were supposed to fill out (separately) and return for tax purposes. At first he wasn't sure if he had all the information, and I KNEW I didn't have an American taxpayer identification number (i.e. a social security number). So I had to call my Upper Deck contact again (long distance, on cell phone, NO calling card, *sigh*) to ask about that. I got lucky though, since he didn't pick up when I called initially, so he called me back instead (hopefully meaning I avoided the long distance charges?), and in between the time that I tried calling and he called me back, the player figured out that he did actually have all the information. I was told that I could just use my Canadian SIN (social insurance number) on the form, and the player was able to ask about getting some of his cards for his dad (a big collector).
*PHEW* So everything worked out very well, and the player even said "good job" and smiled at me as I left!!! WOO HOO!!! Quite the most appreciation I've ever had, and after all the stress, I'd had, it was particularly encouraging.
Oh, but my adventures didn't end there!! Since they wanted the cards back tomorrow if possible, or Saturday at the latest, I had to go to the main FedEx shipping centre in Brampton to drop off the package before the 8pm pickup. Not a problem in terms of timing, since we finished just before 6:30pm, but of course, I had some minor issues finding the place.
First of all, when I Map Quest'ed it, Map Quest didn't actually give me directions to the specific address (6895 Bramalea Road), it just gave me directions to Bramalea Road!! For some reason I didn't notice that when I printed out the map, and of course I needed to send the Map Quest maps with everything else so I could claim my mileage, so even if I'd noticed it before I left for the FedEx, I wouldn't have been able to go home to print off a new map AND make it to the FedEx on time.
But that was a moot point since I didn't notice until I was on the highway and trying to determine where to turn off. Map Quest told me to turn off on Queen Street and to to left (north) onto Bramalea Road, but as I was on the highway, I remembered that the FedEx site had said the nearest intersection was Bramalea and Derry Road--which ended up being a good two or three exits BEFORE Queen Street! So I goofed in following the directions to exit the highway at Queen Street, but luckily I had sufficient sense to go south on Bramalea instead of north (as directed). But as I was driving down Bramalea, I was trying to see building numbers, and as I neared Steeles I saw that I was at number 17 Bramalea, and the numbers were going down!! I freaked a bit and turned into a parking lot to park and call FedEx to confirm that 6895 was indeed at Derry and Bramalea, and not north.
I selected the option to find a FedEx location, but I could only select by postal code, and of course the only postal code I knew was my own, decidely non-Brampton one! So it gave me info on the closest one, and then offered to let me hear about the next location or to choose a different search method. I listened to two more explanations of Mississauga locations before I waited for the ENTIRE option selection spiel and found out that I could simply press '0' to speak to a customer service agent!! D'uh!! So I spoke to someone who very kindly confirmed that I could drop off my package for an 8pm pickup at Bramalea and Derry and that it'd be on my left and I couldn't miss it. With that reassurance, I continued heading south on Bramalea on did indeed manage to find the very clearly and obviously marked FedEx building. (It was about 7pm at this point.)
But that wasn't the end of my difficulties! I saw a sign that said "FedEx pickup and drop off" so I turned in, but came across some barriers so I turned around. Then I remembered that the FedEx customer service lady had said that I should go to a small building and I saw that the entrance for that had been before the entrance I turned into so I circled out and went there. I pulled into the parking lot, brought the box and headed to the building when I saw a notice that said the customer service area had moved to the building behind that one, a little west (the direction I had just come from!). At first I started walking around the building, but then the only one I saw was the big one whose entrance had the barriers which required ID to get through!
Luckily I saw a FedEx employee sitting in his car with his window open, so I asked him where I could drop off my package and he said I should go back out and turn left (indeed! exactly the way I'd come from!) and there'd be a parking lot and I couldn't miss it. So I went back to my car, headed back, and saw a place where I could turn left and park. Naturally, I did so, and then I went up a small slope and there was this covered bridge type thing to the building, so I went there. When I entered the building, I saw that they had a metal detector/security check point so I was pretty sure I was in the wrong place yet again. But the receptionist guy was on the phone, so I wasn't really sure what to do. Luckily one of the security guys manning the metal detector came out and gave me directions to the customer service centre.
So I left, when back to my car and went all the way back the way I'd come, but this time I went past the entrance I'd entered the first time and saw a smaller driveway that led to the parking lot for the customer service centre!! At last!! By this time it was about 7:25pm, so I was heartily relieved to stick the shipping label on the box and to drop it into the pickup box (which reassured me that the 8pm pickup had not yet occured--thank goodness!).
Oh, but before my travails for the night were over, as I was leaving the FedEx, I started going east for about a block before I realized that I needed to go west to get back to the highway, and I had to make a U-turn at a light. *sigh* But at least my sense of direction IS getting better! In my earlier days of driving I wouldn't have figured out my mistake for at least five to ten blocks! And I probably would have blindly followed the (erroneous) Map Quest directions north on Bramalea to the middle of nowhere before turning south, and thereby missing the 8pm pick up! So all in all, despite the stress and bad directions, I feel quite accomplished!! =P
I <3 UD!! Have I mentioned how much I LOVE my contract job with Upper Deck?
Wait! Have I mentioned that I work part time, here and there for Upper Deck?
Whoops! Sorry, posted about it at Avalanche!, but I forgot to mention it here.
Anyway, to make a long story short, every once in a while I'll get a call from someone at Upper Deck asking me if I'm free to take some unfinished cards to get them signed by a player. So far I've done three signings in the past three weeks or so with HOCKEY players!! Although I know one day I might get asked to do a signing for a baseball player or something, so far it's been all hockey, so of course I've been just thrilled.
I can't think of a more awesome part time job!! I get paid to get hockey cards signed by NHL players!! It's so great!! Of course I can't ask for autographs or to take pictures with them or anything (that'd be very unprofessional) but it's more than enough that I get to meet different hockey players!!
And who knows? Maybe one day I'll get lucky and I'll get the call to bring some cards for Kaberle to sign.
Oh, but the reason I'm talking about this now is that, as a result of this Upper Deck job I've got, I was able to meet the Avs' 2006 first round draft pick, Chris Stewart, tonight!! It was really cool! I was actually there to get his brother (Anthony Stewart, Florida Panthers rookie) to sign stuff, but I made it a point to wear my Avs' Sakic t-shirt, so Anthony's girlfriend (who's an extremely nice person, btw) made it a point to introduce me to Chris. Well, sort of, anyway.
^________________^
I'm thrilled to pieces with my UD work, and I haven't even gotten paid yet!!
Raycroft! Finally here's a move by JF Jr. for which I can unequivocally express my approval! (Which is a wordy way of saying: I approve!!)
Raycroft didn't have the best season for the Bruins, but I have no doubt that he's a high-calibre NHL goaltender. Tuukka Rask may be a great prospect, but as the TSN commentators kept saying during the draft broadcast, he's just that: a prospect. Raycroft is an NHL-tested goaltender, and while he might not be as tried and true as Nabokov, he's got the advantage of youth and a correspondingly lower cost for a club that desperately needs improvement (and therefore as much cap room as it can get!).
As for their draft picks, well, I'm inclined to think that Jiri Tlusty will do very well for the team. Of course, the only thing I'm basing that on is the fact that he's Czech and plays for Kladno, just like another certain Leaf player. =P
As for the Avs, well, I'm sad to see Tanguay go, but Giguere's move is quite understandable. They've got already got Sakic who's reliable, Hejduk who will hopefully return to his goal-scoring form, and Svatos and Wolski who are definitely going to be big for the team, and Giguere did say that re-signing Blake is one of his top priorities, so something had to give.
It's tough to see a star player that was drafted by the team get traded, though--especially to a division rival!! Oh well. It's not like I really want the Avs to win the division title anymore. It's now three years and counting that the Northwest Division Title curse has struck (division title=first round playoff exit).
Off the Edmonton Bandwagon? Yikes. That was a completely brutal Stanley Cup Final game one for the Oilers in so many ways. Not only did they blow a 3-0 lead, they also injured their own goaltender so badly that he's out for the rest of the playoff, and then they lost the game with just over 30 seconds left in the third period on a miscommunication play.
Ouch.
I wonder if all there are lots of Edmonton "fans" jumping off the bandwagon now? Oh, and I don't mean it as a critique or anything, it's natural that a Canadian team in the NHL Stanley Cup final would accumulate extra fans. That's just part of hockey in Canada.
It really is too bad, though. I mean, I did and do want the 'Canes to win (they've had a soft spot in my heart since 2002), but I wanted to see them play their best against Edmonton at their best. And while it's still possible that Conklin or Markkanen might surprise everyone, I'd have to say that Roloson was the best for the Oilers.
Well, game two will definitely be a big game for the Oilers. It'd be nice if they could win and show that they're still in the series.
I wonder if this latest turn of events will help or hinder the television ratings?
Oh, and on a completely random note, I found out why I didn't make it as a finalist for the Greatest Canadian Hockey Fan contest. I won't say why here (because I'm not really supposed to know any of this), but if you're interested in finding out the details, feel free to email me.
Didn't Make the Cut =*( Sadly, I did NOT make it as a finalist for the Greatest Canadian Hockey Fan contest. I would be lying if I didn't say that I'm pretty bummed about it, particularly after reading the actual finalists' entries.
They've all had unique and interesting experiences for sure, but (and I don't mean to sound conceited or anything) in terms of presentation, they weren't "creative and unique" AT ALL. All of the finalist just wrote plain paragraphs, but I guess, in the end, it was probably the lack of community involvement that killed me? Or maybe it was because I used too many names, etc. (I noticed that they edited out team names etc in the finalists' entries) that couldn't be edited out without ruining my entry?
I don't know.
Maybe it was unrealistic of me, but I really had high hopes that I would make it as a finalist.
But anyway, I tried my best and I ended up with something that I can be really proud of, so that's as much as I could do.
This is just my opinion, but I'd like to encourage everyone to vote for Brigette Mcilmoyle! Not just because she's the only female finalist, but because having a hockey-themed wedding is a pretty darn good demonstration of passion for the game!
Actually, that's the thing that REALLY disappoints me about the finalists: not one is a member of a visible minority, and all of them are, well, relatively "old." But I guess that's a harsh reality of this type of contest: older people have a natural advantage because they've had more time (and thus opportunities) to do things to show their dedication to the game. It's hard to compete against that, but I'd like to think I gave it a good try.
I'm really disappointed, and it's extra bad because I actually allowed myself to get my hopes up. I've always been so afraid of failure that I've always lowered my expectations of myself and others in order to avoid disappointment. This time, though, even though I tried to downplay it, even to myself, I really wanted to make it as a finalist very badly. And I know the fact that I didn't make it is more a reflection of the particular way the contest was judged than of me and my efforts, but it's still difficult for me to not feel like a bit of a failure for not making the goal I set out for myself.
Anyway, I'm going to stop writing now, before this degrades into a pity party.
The Mania Continues If you thought it was crazy that I actually wrote my own lyrics to the tune of Stompin' Tom Connor's classic "The Hockey Song", well, you haven't heard anything yet! Since a song (in this case, "Mel's Hockey Song") isn't a song until it's sung/played, well, I decided I'd make my own amateur recording of it!
So I downloaded EXP Studio Editor on Friday night, sat down with my laptop and mic and sang away! It's a cappella, an MP2 file, and completely unprofessional, but it was fun nonetheless! And here it is, for your free listening entertainment!
Just be warned, though, that after you click the "Download" button, you'll be directed to another page where you'll have to click the text link "Download the file now" before the download will actually start. And you may need to fiddle with your computer's sound settings to hear it properly as well. I need to have both Windows Media player AND my laptop volumes set to full in order to hear it (and even then it isn't all that loud).
Like I said, it's 100% amateur (you can hear me accidentally breathing into the mic a couple of times, and I left my laughter and sigh of relief at the end of the recording on the file), but it was fun! So yes, feel free to comment!
Oh, and the Greatest Canadian Hockey Fan contest that I wrote the song for (you can see my complete entry--lyrics and photo--in my April 23rd post) closed on May 5th. I'm currently waiting for the five finalists to be announced!! They're supposed to be posted for voting from May 15th - June 2nd on the contest site (http://www.tsn.ca/lays), so if I get selected, expect me to post here again to solicit some votes!!
Not only do I really want a chance to win personally, but I also think it would be an awesome statement for Canadian hockey to have "the first fan honoured in the Hockey Hall of Fame" be a young, Asian female! That would definitely tell the world that hockey (and in Canada in particular) really is for everyone! But yeah, I'm sure the competition will be pretty stiff, and I haven't even heard about making the first cut, so I guess we'll see! *crosses fingers*
But yeah, definitely download and listen to the song, and let me know what you think!
The True Meaning of Home Ice Advantage Wow. Go Oilers. I thought at the trade deadline that the Oilers would be a scary team to face in the playoffs, but I never expected they'd be this crazy! They lost games 1 and 2 to the Sharks in San Jose, but won games 3 & 4 at home to keep the series tied.
Game 3 went into triple OT. Game 4 they overcame a 3-1 deficit halfway through the second to score five unanswered goals--winning the game 6-3. Absolutely INSANE!!
Before the playoffs I'd almost forgotten that the Oilers were an insane comeback team. I always used to say that if any team could come back from a large deficit, it was the Oilers--and this was in the "old NHL" days! (Not to mention Salo was still their goalie then too!) There were a couple of games against Dallas in the playoffs that I remember where, if they didn't win, they at least managed to come close to tying things up.
But yeah. Two crazy games at home for the Oilers. The Avalanche could definitely take some lessons from them!
7-6 OT Final Score? Insane!! Wow. This is the new NHL indeed. The Buffalo Sabres won the first game of their series against the Senators 7-6 in overtime. For the Senators, by all accounts, it's a tough loss since the Sabres scored the game-tying goal with 00:11 left in the third period, and then the game-winning goal at 00:18 in the overtime period.
Crazy!! Maybe they were scoring for both games tonight? After one period, the Ducks and Avs are still scoreless. Lots of chances (for the Ducks, at any rate, as they outshot the Avs 14-4), but both goalies were playing well when tested.
Bittersweet I am thrilled that the Oilers won against the Wings tonight. Not only because they're Canadian, but because it was the best possible outcome for the Avs!! Now, regardless of the outcome of the Anaheim-Calgary series, there's no possible way that the Avs will face the Flames in the second round!!
It was a little sad, however, to see Stevie Y hugging all of the Red Wings coaches/trainers. I guess he's played his final NHL game.
Go Maggie!! TSN's Maggie the Monkey has got at least one right so far!! She "predicted" that the Avs would beat the Stars, and they did--completely defying all expectations!!
I've never been so happy to be wrong in my life!! ^_^ Then again, I can't help but wonder if a bit of it was Murphy's Law at work. At first I had Colorado picked to beat Dallas for my bracket pool, but then I changed my mind and picked the Stars. I figured it would at least set up a win-win situation for me: if the Avs lost, I'd be right in the pool, but if the Avs won, I'd have more playoff hockey to watch! And lo and behold, the Stars lost!
Woohoo!! The best thing about the win today was that the Avs won because Theodore was playing well! So that's another thing I got wrong; I thought the Avs would only ever win in spite of their goaltending. I'm still not convinced that the Avs will manage to get further than the first round, but I'm more than willing to be proven wrong!
Classy Quinn I'll admit I've had my share of beefs with Quinn--particularly his seemingly endless and unfathomable faith in Berg and Belak--but I also acknowledge that he brought and gave a lot to the organization. His accomplishments during his tenure with the Leafs--seven straight years with a winning record, and a post-season every year except this last--are well known and need not be recounted here, but I feel I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that the "unfathomable faith" he had in players benefited me far more than it irritated me.
It was his confidence in and coaching of Kaberle that helped him to become the increasingly respected defenseman that he is now. I was, of course, reminded of this by Quinn's admirably and classy low-key departure message to Toronto fans:
Quinn said there were too many players to thank by name, but singled out the three Leafs who were there from the beginning with him: Mats Sundin, Tie Domi and Tomas Kaberle.
"Mats was our great leader, Tie played with so much heart, and Tomas has developed into an outstanding all-around player," said Quinn. (TSN.ca)
I don't think I can think of a classier coach at this moment. So thank you, Pat Quinn for all the hard work and good years!
. . . .
And on a completely different note, I just had to share this lovely birthday gift from Jello (aka "Jose"--don't ask)! Thanks again, it's lovely!
Shocked and Amazed Wow. So the Avs are up 3-0 in the series on the strength of two overtime wins (after tying the game late in the third).
Crappy for my bracket pool, but awesome for me as a fan!! I've got to admit, I've still got my doubts about them (right now they're winning in spite of, not because of Theodore's goaltending--sorry Jose!) but at the rate the Stars seem to be self-destructing, I'm feeling a lot more hopeful than I was even after game 2!!
They may just pull off this series, against all predictions!! Still don't think they've got a snowball's chance in Hades to make it much beyond first round, but at least it's not as embarrrassing as bowing out in the first. Considering that I was expecting them to be eaten alive by the Stars, I'm just taking things a game at a time and celebrating each victory as if it was their last.
Canada's Greatest Hockey Fan Entry Well, since I've already submitted my entry, I figured I'd post it here. Now that I know that they were looking for community involvement as well as uniqueness/creativity, I'm not really sure what type of a chance I'll have, but I'm still quite proud of my entry:
Mel's Hockey Song (To the tune of Stompin' Tom Connor's "The Hockey Song")
To correctly say "TOE-mash KAH-bear-lay" I took a course in Czech I eat McDonald's three weeks in a row, each card ‘n mini-jersey for to collect For friends I make Jello 'n cupcakes with NHL logos ‘n names At Induction each year I volunteer at the Hockey Hall of Fame
I'm the biggest fan of the game, and Melissa is my name Melissa is the name, the biggest fan of the game
Second period...
From Toronto, I'm on the go, headin' to a game each night In Buffalo, or Colorado, or takin' a B.C. flight I've been to AHL and NHL—the World Cup was insane!— World Juniors, Legends "seniors"! Give me any hockey game!
I'm the biggest fan of the game, and Melissa is my name Melissa is the name, the biggest fan of the game
Third period... (Last game in the playoffs too!)
At a wedding bash, I had to dash, a TV I needed to find A game I wouldn't miss, Tampa-Calgary's sixth—Stanley’s Cup was on the line Went to Burnaby, 'cause I wanted to see ‘n photograph "Joe Sakic Way" From in the street—could've been dead meat—'twas a real life "Frogger" game!
I'm the biggest fan of the game, and Melissa is my name Melissa is the name, the biggest fan of the game (repeats)
Kudos to the many friends who helped me to edit this! It was quite terrible at first as I didn't realize that the first two lines of each verse actually rhymed (the original used a lot of half-rhymes which I didn't catch the first time around), so the edits were really vital! ^_^
Anyway, if anyone's interested in entering the contest, it's open until 11:59:59pm on May 5th, 2006. Contest details and entry submission are available on http://www.tsn.ca/lays.
Playoff Pool Junkie Woohoo!! NHL playoffs are here!! The Leafs aren't in the playoffs, but the Avs are, so I'm still happy. ^_^
Anyway, first two days of playoffs so far are going mostly as I would expect, with a few minor surprises. Nashville beating San Jose 3-4 was one surprising thing. Colorado beating Dallas 5-2 was another.
Even though I'm an Avs' fan, I didn't think that they'd be much competition for the Stars, much less to win so convincingly against them. I knew Wolski would make an impact on the team, but I didn't expect it to be so large or immediate. He scored the game-tying goal and assisted on the powerplay game-winner. All in all, the kid from Brampton is having a good year. ^_^
Hopefully the Avs will be able to keep this up! Of course, that'll mess me up in all of my playoff pools--all four of them. I'm in a Sportsnet, a Futureshop, and two FSN pools. When I was selecting players and teams, I went on the assumption that Colorado would go down in the first round, so if they don't it'll be great for me hockey-wise, but bad for me pool-wise.
In other news, I found a link to a cool thing on Vancouver Canucks Op Ed: an NHL fans group map! If you look at the map in the left sidebar, the blue represents Western Conference fans, and the red, Eastern conference. ^_^ Since you're reading this, you're obviously a hockey fan, so add yourself to the map!!
Speaking of joining something, I'm a co-webmistress with Jello of the Mikael Tellqvist Fanlisting. I know he didn't do so well after Belfour went out, but he's still an amazing goalie, and once he gets some consistent starts, I'm sure he'll prove himself.
Post-script: Montreal is currently up 4-1 and it's the start of the third period. If first games are any indication, Ovechkin may've been right when he predicted the Habs for the upset series win.
Leafs' Character... Well, I said going into the Leafs-Sabres game on Sunday that the game would really show the Leafs' character. Unfortunately, it seems that, as with the goals they scored, it appears they haven't any.
Granted there were moments when they showed some spark and energy--they had a couple of shifts in the second period, right before the Sabres scored their third and fourth goals, where they actually looked dangerous--but for the most part, it was truly embarrassing watching them play.
Considering the number of Leaf fans who not only paid to see them play, but braved the holiday border traffic to watch them play an essentially meaningless game, the least they could have done was to actually make a game out it!
On the bright side, at least I got to take some decent pictures, including two of the Sabres scoring. I think my sports photography skills have greatly improved with the number of games I've attended this year. ^_^ Although, I still have a tendency to "stalk" my favourite players with my camera.
Oh, and thanks to the Olympics and the Leafs pathetic season, this is the first year that the Leafs and Avalanche won't both be eliminated on my birthday!! Moreover, there's no possible way the Avs could be eliminated from the playoffs on my birthday this year since they'll just be starting the playoffs on Sunday! I wonder if they'll have a game on the day? That'd be nice, but even if they don't, I'm planning on going to watch "The Rocket" in theatres, since it will have just opened on Thursday! Yes, I'm expecting a very good hockey birthday this year! ^_^
Darn Carolina!!! ARGH! Even though I fully expected the Leafs to miss the playoffs this year, it still sucked to see the Canes blow an OT powerplay and then allow the Lightning to score to win the game and dash the Leafs' slim chance/hope at making the playoffs. At the very least, it takes some of the excitement out of my Toronto-Buffalo game tomorrow. :(
Still, at least they beat Ottawa soundly (5-1) in their last meeting of the season. And Kaberle had an awesome game, which is good for me in both of my pools!! I guess what it really goes back to is those two games they lost to Montreal about a month ago. If they had won just one of those games, they wouldn't have had to depend on Carolina to keep their playoff dreams alive.
*sigh* Oh well. The Leafs played well tonight, so I'm still going to wear my Leafs' jersey tomorrow.
Leafs Game! Okay, so this is two days after the fact, but it WAS a long game, so I didn't get home until nearly 12am, and then I was marking like mad all day Wednesday (stayed up all night, in fact) so I didn't get a chance until now to post about it!
The game in question is, of course, Tuesday's crazy 6-5 OT Panthers-Leafs game. The game I WATCHED LIVE!!! ^____^ It was awesome!! Well, it was exciting at any rate. There were definitely a lot of times during the game when it was irritating because the Leafs kept letting the Panthers score, but there's definitely something to be said about high-scoring games.
And Luongo wasn't in net anyway so I wasn't feeling sorry that the Florida goalie got shelled. =P Funny how that works, isn't it? The two times in my life that I've bought tickets to Leafs games (coincidentally both on Tuesdays) to see goalies that I like, the goalie in question wasn't even played that night! First time was my first ever NHL game. It was in 2003, and I wanted to see Irbe. At that time, of course, he was on his way to leaving the NHL so Weekes was in net. Then last night, McLennan was in net.
How far the Leafs have fallen, eh? The Florida Panthers don't even consider the Leafs worthy of starting their number one goaltender against them!! =P Don't really blame 'em...
Anyway, here's a selection of pics from the game (click to see larger image):
The third picture is a shot of the play that led to one of Sundin's first three goals, the fourth is of Sundin's game-tying goal, and the fifth is Kaberle's game-winner (you don't see Kaberle in the pic, unfortunately, but if you look carefully, you can see the puck in the net).
Woohoo!!! To top off Tomas Kaberle's exceptional year (new long term contract, Olympic medal), he's getting a McFarlane figure this fall!
NEW HOCKEY 3-PACKS COMING In Stores Across Canada and Available Online March 24, 2006 Copyright 2006 TMP International, Inc.
McFarlane Toys salutes our Canadian hockey fans with a trio of team-centered NHL 3-packs coming this fall to Wal-Mart Canada. Previous hockey 3-packs for the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs, as well as our "In The Crease" Goalies 3-pack were offered exclusively at Wal-Mart Canada in 2005 and were a big hit with collectors.
These 3-packs will be released at Wal-Mart Canada and staggered throughout the fall, with extra product being sent to each team's home market. Weeks after their Canadian debuts, a limited amount of each 3-pack will be made available to customers outside of Canada through our online Spawn Store.
Enough jibber-jabber! Let's dig into the lineups for this fall's NHL 3-packs:
* TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: Mats Sundin 2, Tie Domi & Tomas Kaberle
* EDMONTON OILERS: Jason Smith, Ales Hemsky & Chris Pronger
* MONTREAL CANADIENS: Saku Koivu, Michael Ryder & David Aebischer
Even though I'd thought from the beginning of the season that the Leafs probably wouldn't make the playoffs, it really wasn't until last Thursday when I watched them lose against the Sabres that I knew with absolute certainty that they'd be done mid-April.
They were truly terrible in the second period of that game--they certainly didn't deserve to win that game, although they gave it a good shot in the third. Then there was the game against Montreal this past Thursday.
*sigh* At first I had Tellqvist benched, but then I made the mistake of second guessing myself, and I played Tellqvist in my hockey pool, and lo and behold, they were blown out, 5-1. And then tonight they were terrible again, losing 6-2. James Mirtle did a little breakdown of the win-loss records teams need to guarantee a post-season berth (http://mirtle.blogspot.com) and the Leafs are 10-2.
Yeah.
That's TOTALLY not happening. Which is too bad, because I was really hoping that my April 16th Toronto-Buffalo game would be a really significant one (even though I don't expect them to win), but now I'm wondering if the Leafs are even still going to have a shot when I'm watching them play Florida on the 11th.
All I can think, is thank goodness I'm an Avalanche fan, or I'd be completely depressed. Even though the Avs are suffering, at least they're really working for every point, despite losing key players--Svatos, Tanguay, and tonight, Hejduk with the flu.
Wow. I was only half-watching the game, but even in my distracted state I could tell that it was something else. Really, I can't believe the Leafs managed to come back!! They were SO lucky that the Bruins took bad penalties!
And Tellqvist looked a bit shaky in places, but he did come up with some spectacular saves at key moments. Hopefully this will be the start of a winning streak for the Leafs and Tellqvist! Stupid Belfour! I was thinking of dropping him and picking up Biron on Sunday (in the MCBC pool), but then I thought that it would be better for me to have someone who plays regularly (since who knows when Aebischer will get his chance in Montreal) and to hope that his play would pick up.
Then Alan picked up Biron yesterday, and today I find out that Belfour's back is acting up again, and Tellqvist will be playing more! ARGH!! So I picked up Tellqvist, but I could've had Biron!! ARGH!!
Oh well. His play today gives me hope that all is not lost.
And I guess it's past time that my goalie stats would start to reflect reality. I mean, it was amazing that I managed to stay on top of the wins category for so long with just Aebischer and Belfour!
Speaking of Tellqvist, did I mention that I'm helping to run the Mikael Tellqvist Fanlisting with Jello? Check it out--she's done an amazing job with the site!
I can't believe Lacroix traded Aebi for Theodore! It's not so much that the trade is bad, as it is the TIMING that sucks!!! The Avs need someone who can win games for them NOW, and Aebischer has been doing that. Even if Theodore revitalizes after the trade, they're still going to have to wait for him to finish healing first!
If some argue that Aebischer isn't a bonafide starter, I'd argue that Budaj is even less of one at this point.
My Avalanche! site goes a lot deeper into my opinion on the trade, but this pretty much sums up my feelings:
ARGH.
Ah well, on the bright side, I have a better chance of seeing him play live now that he's in Montreal...
Passer Extraordinaire TOMAS KABERLE Sunday March 5th, 2005
Woohoo! Today, of course, was my much anticipated Kaberle signing! We left the WAY Winter Retreat at about 8am and got back to the church around 10:30am (I was asleep pretty much the entire way since I had stayed up until about 5:00am with the kids on their "all-nighter"). The signing wasn't until 12pm, so after another nap in one of the pastoral offices, I hung out with everyone and bought some treats from the bake sale for the Open Door. Finally left the church a little after 12pm and made it to Frozen Pond around 12:30pm.
The line-up was quite a bit longer than I expected it to be. By the time I had purchased my signing tickets and lined up, the line already circled the entire inside perimeter of the store. There were, of course, lots of giggly females who kept gushing on about how "hot" they thought Kaberle is. *sigh* I know I shouldn't judge, but it drives me insane when people only like players because of their looks! Yes, I am a huge Kaberle fanatic, but I actually appreciate his skill!
At any rate, the start of the signing was delayed until 1:30pm, so it was a good thing that I came later than 12pm (which is what I had originally intended). The line moved really quickly. It was only about half an hour before I was at the front of the line, talking to Kaberle!
I did try to ask him "jak se mate?" ("how are you?" in Czech) but I don't think he heard, so he didn't answer. Either that, or he decided to politely ignore my atrocious accent! =P He did, however comment on my jerseys, saying something along the lines of: "Wow, you've got the whole collection, eh?" ^_________^
Yes, indeed, I brought all five of my Kaberle jerseys--1 Leafs, 1 All-Star, 1 Team Czech, 2 Kladno--to get signed, and I think I was pretty much the only person there who brought something other than Leaf stuff. Almost definitely I was the only person with the All-Star jersey, not to mention the Kladno ones. So I'm hopeful that Kaberle might remember me, if ever so vaguely, as a person who actually had pretty much all of his jerseys.
Well, regardless of his memory of the event, it is definitely something I will cherish. ^_________^ If I don't sound as excited as I usually do, it's not because of a lack of excitement, but because of a lack of sleep!
Since Team Canada's recent performance is too depressing to talk about, here's a little thing from Thursday's Toronto Star:
Passing Fancy: Czech Republic defenceman Tomas Kaberle is often criticized in Toronto for not shooting the puck enough but he had little choice yesterday when he found himself alone in the slot with the puck twice against Germany. He scored both times. "I was there pretty much alone so I had to take the shot. But if I get someone in a better position, I'll pass the puck for sure probably," he said.
"For sure probably"?! LOL His English has greatly improved, but still isn't quite perfect!
In other news, my long-anticipated meeting with Kaberle (March 5 at Frozen Pond) may be in jeopardy thanks to the stupid snow storms in Barrie/Orillia this weekend.
The church high school youth group I am a counselor for was scheduled to have a winter retreat this weekend, but since we had to pass Barrie to get there, and the OPP was issuing travel warnings to avoid driving to that area, we ended up having to cancel the retreat. We were lucky enough to be able to rebook the site, but the re-scheduled dates are March 3-5!!! And if there aren't enough counselors on the trip (this time we would've had 6, but now we're down to 4 maximum, with two of them unconfirmed and the only other confirmed counselor also needing to get back early) so it might not be possible for me to go!!
I don't know if I'm sad, upset or pissed off at this turn of events. Actually, I may be feeling a little bitter. It wasn't completely our (the counselors') decision to cancel the trip this time, so I'm feeling rather resentful that I may now have to sacrifice this event that I've been anticipating since NOVEMBER for a decision that I didn't even make.
Who is Team Czech's leading goal-scorer after their first game in Torino? That's right, TOMAS KABERLE and not, as most would expect Jagr!! Woohoo! Of course, it's only been one game, and I'm sure this statistic won't last, but that won't change the fact that Kaberle scored the first two goals of the game for the Czechs in their 4-1 victory over the German team.
Bet John Ferguson Jr. is feeling pretty pleased with himself right now! That reminds, me, actually, is it just me, or does it seem like Kaberle has started to learn to shoot more? I started noticing it when McCabe was out (but was too busy/pre-occupied to write about it at the time), and was surprised to see the trend continue (albeit to a lesser degree) even after McCabe's return. And clearly I feel that Kaberle's performance in this opening Olympic game supports this opinion/view.
Let's just hope that Kablere carries whatever momentum he picks up from the Olympics back to the sad-sack Leafs!
Speaking of Olympic implications for the NHL season, it's probably really mean of me, but I'm rather pleased that Hasek got himself injured. I'm sure Vokoun will do fine for the Czechs, and Ottawa can't be pleased with this development. Northeast Division teams, on the other hand, are probably singing "Hallelujah" choruses. =P
"Fasel unhappy with NHLers skipping Torino" (TSN.ca)
"It is disappointing that some NHL stars are skipping the Winter Olympics," the president of the International Ice Hockey Federation said Saturday.
Rene Fasel said the Games are an opportunity to showcase the sport and its best players.
''This is a platform here,'' said Fasel. ''The Olympics Games - 3.2 billion TV spectators, 200 countries.
''If we want to show our game to the world and make this promotion for hockey, for the game, for the NHL, for the IIHF, for the teams, this is the best place in the world.
''I would tell anyone who has this egoism just to work for their own team or their own profit, they should forget that. I think maybe we need more discussions with the NHL.''
I'd have to say that I very much disagree with Fasel's comment that the decision to skip the Olympics is a matter of simple egoism and/or profit. Has he never heard of professionalism?
Yes, it is an honour for NHLers to compete for their country, but it's their JOB to play for their NHL teams. It's a matter of professionalism, and, I'd even go so far as to say ethics that players keep themselves healthy for NHL games.
It's like teacher-coaches. Teachers are paid to teach students; they volunteer to coach. So as good as extra-curricular activities are, and as much as teachers may love them, they shouldn't overwork themselves coaching at the expense of teaching because they were hired to teach. That's not a matter of ego or profit, it's professionalism.
And I'd say it's the same thing for hockey players. They have an ethical/moral responsibility to fulfil their obligations to their NHL teams to the best of their ability. If that means passing up on the amazing opportunity to play for their country in a world showcase, well, I may wish differently, but I won't criticize them for the decision.
WOOHOO!!!!!! I am beyond ecstatic at the news that Kaberle has signed a contract extension with the Leafs for FIVE YEARS!!!!! Best of all, TSN's sources (see "Leafs lock up Kaberle for five years") say that he's got an unconditional no trade clause for the first three years of the contract!!
There hasn't been much in regards to the Leafs to be happy about this year, but one of the things is Kaberle's performance and now this!! SO HAPPY!!
"Tomas represents a core part of our organization and we rely on him to play in all situations," general manager John Ferguson said. "Tomas figured to be one of the young premier free agents in the offseason we are pleased that he is committed to being a big part of our future success." (Source: NHL.com)
Here is an AMAZING deal for Stevie Y fans! The Yzerman: The Making of a Champion book by Douglas Hunter is on sale at Chapters/Indigo for $5.99 CAD!!! That is an AMAZING bargain!! I bought it for twenty-something dollars a Christmas or two ago, and am kicking myself for not waiting now! If you can find it in a local Chapters/Indigo and have a rewards card, that's an extra 10% off as well!
Even for American customers, the price is pretty good. With shipping, it will cost $15.89 CAD ($7.95 per order, plus $1.95 per item, but no tax), which is STILL cheaper than the $16.47 US charged by Amazon.com. Of course, the paperback edition would be cheaper than ordering from Chapters/Indigo, but if you like the hardcover editions, this is really a steal!
So if you're interested, you can purchase the book online (or search for in-store availability) at: Chapters.Indigo.ca!
After getting Centre Ice this year, I don’t think I could survive without it now. I can turn on the television pretty much any night now and know that I can watch hockey. Tonight in particular I was thankful for the package as it allowed me to watch Ronnie Francis’s banner raising ceremony in Raleigh.
It was most moving: viewing highlights from his career, listening to his speech, watching his banner being raised, and seeing him take one last lap around the rink with his two sons. (Although, I did wonder why his daughter didn’t get to lace up some skates as well…) I definitely wouldn’t have wanted to miss the ceremony!
Another thing is that Centre Ice has allowed me to get a sampling of all the various NHL television commentators. Fox has got to have some of the WORST broadcasters ever. Watching the Florida game on the 24th, the day of Mario’s second retirement, one of the Fox Florida guys actually wondered aloud whether the Hockey Hall of Fame would waive the three-year induction eligibility waiting period. Even I know that Lemieux was inducted in 1997, the year after his first retirement, and I wasn’t even watching hockey at the time! Altitude (the Denver/Avalanche network) was also pretty bad in beginning, before they replaced Doug McLeod. Sure some of them are fairly decent (I thought the NBC guys were quite good), but overall I feel that a lot of the US hockey sportscasters have a long way to go. Definitely makes me appreciate our TSN and Sportsnet guys. Sure the CBC guys can be pretty bad (Harry Neale, argh!), but I’d still take them over many of the Fox guys any day.
Oh, and Centre Ice also enables me to see/pick up on totally random things, like Kari Lehtonen’s mask! I just happened to flip to an Atlanta game one night this week and they had a close-up on him and I thought I saw…Rikku from Final Fantasy X-2! Went on the net, did a bit of Google-ing and found that my eyes hadn’t deceived me: he actually has Yuna and Rikku from FFX-2 on his mask! LOL What a kid! =P
Despite the embarrassing 5-3 loss to the Avs, Kaberle still came away +1, with 2 SOG, and 1 PPA. ^_^ So really, the game worked out in the most ideal way possible for me! My team won, but my player also did well. =P
When the Leafs went up 2-1 in the first I was worried that Murphy's Law was going to bite me in the butt for playing Aebischer, but the second period assured me that I was fine. ^_^ This doesn't make up for my decision to play Belfour against the Coyotes instead of Aebischer against Philadelphia on Saturday, but it's still nice to know I made the right decision.
"He is the guy who carries the play." (And other accolades!)
Woohoo! Nice to know that one benefit from subscribing to Leafs TV, apart from getting the Leafs-Avs game is hearing good things about Kaberle! ^_________^
Feels like people are finally truly starting to appreciate him. Lots of comments tonight about how he controls the play, transitions the game, carries the puck, etc. etc.! Apparently even Marc Crawford talked about his play in Vancouver.
Oh, and when I was in B.C. and Jon & co. came over to Steph's place for dinner on New Year's Day, even he was talking about how he's a great player.
Yes, indeed, I am feeling quite vindicated in my faith in him for the past 3-4 years. =P
Not hockey related at all (sorry, I've been SWAMPED with school stuff, and my HHOF internship fell through so I've been scrambling to find a new one), but this post is pertinent to an issue dear to my heart: literacy!
Upgrade your coffee to a latte for a good cause!
Lattes for Literacy Thursday January 19th Promote literacy one latte at a time.
Join us on Thursday January 19th and buy any size latte to support Lattes for Literacy. Starbucks will donate 100% of the purchase price to supporting family literacy in initiative across Canada.
Starbucks is dedicated to supporting family literacy in Canada. That's why we are working with ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation and Frontier College to enrich the reading and writing experiences of young Canadians. We believe that when a community comes together to equip children with the tools for literacy, we provide them with the keys to opportunity, hope and discovery.
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Let's see, Gretzky predicted that Canada would win 4-1 against Russia (final score: 5-0 Canada with 1 should-have-been-but-refs-missed goal by Russia). Apparently he also told Steve Downie that if he worked hard he could score the game-winner. And he did!!!
I'm thrilled for Canada, but at the same time, I feel sorry for the Russians. It's so sad seeing them all sitting, dejected and crying on the ice. Khudobin (remember I have a thing for goalies!) especially! Poor guy! Apparently at the end of the game he slammed his stick against the ice, threw it down, broke down crying and had to be comforted by his coach. =*( So heart wrenching, yet also heart warming to see the depth of their passion for the sport.
Dang, I wish I had stayed in B.C., now!! It would be SO awesome to be there, celebrating our "kids" (hard to believe they're only a handful of years younger than me!).
I'm glad the Canadian fans are showing their class by cheering wholeheartedly for all the honoured players (not Canadian Staal, but also Rask and Malkin) and the Russians as they receive their silver medals.
Man oh man do the Leafs have a lot of hope for the future! Justin Pogge was outstanding for Canada, and Tuukka Rask was really the only reason the Fins medalled at all!
Ah....How I love hearing our anthem played!! Although...most of the boys really seem quite tone deaf! =P
Hard to believe too that Canada was considered something of an underdog at the beginning of this tournament! Okay, so I admit that I had my doubts when they squeaked by Switzerland 4-3 and only managed 4 goals against Norway (when the US got 11), but dang they've looked good this game--early penalties and ref's missed Russian goal notwithstanding.
Even though I'm home watching on my own, it's still fun yelling WOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!! after every single Canadian goal!! Much as I love the Avs, nothing compares to cheering on a Canadian team in international competition.
Speaking of international competition, I actually watched two World Junior games--both of which included Switzerland!! =P I saw the Switzerland-USA tie game which was totally awesome! The atmosphere was amazing: everyone was cheering like Team Suisse was Team Canada!! And honestly, I think the crowd may have had something to do with the final score because I don't know how else Switzerland could have managed to score two against the US. They kept up good pressure in the offensive zone, but they simply couldn't generate decent chances. Even on the powerplay they had practically no offensive zone possession. Don't get me wrong, I love Switzerland (mostly for giving the NHL David Aebischer), but they are on a totally different level than the US.
The other game I watched was the relegation game between Switzerland and Latvia. Even though the game wasn't as well attended or loud as Switzerland-USA, it was still a heck load of fun. It was clear that neither team was really top-level in terms of skill, but they showed so much heart and never gave up, you had to love them! And everyone there definitely did: right at the start of the second intermission, the announcer asked "who's cheering for Switzerland" and the crowd just roared. Then, the announcer asked "who's cheering for Latvia" and the cheers for them were as loud as they had been for Switzerland. It was awesome!
Speaking of Latvia, they won their relegation game against Norway, 4-0. ^_^ Good for them! I do feel rather bad for Norway, which didn't win a single game (most of them pretty badly, too), but I've got to admit that after watching them, Latvia's got a special place in my heart. (I was already inclined to like them because of Irbe, but watching them play just confirmed my good feelings.)
