The Final Days : CBSSports.com Blogs

The start of something good!

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:31:40 EDT

Welcome back all my friends!

After last years disgusting display of my Ottawa Senators and my least favorite team the Pittsburgh Penguins winning the cup,

I vowed that I would not watch NHL until the NCAA was finished all its Bowl games.

Then the small city that I reside in welcomed a new type of Hockey to the area, University hockey with the Nipissing Lakers! The energy in the pre-season game was electric, I felt as though i was watching the movie Major League when WILDTHING came on the field. The second home game was their regular season opener, playing a powerhouse team from Queens. After 2 periods Queens had a stranglehold on the game with a 4-0 lead. The third period came and the crowd was still full, and with 2 minutes remaining in the game the lakers were down 4-3 and were now on the penalty kill! It wouldn't be a great story unless they tied it up with a shorthanded tally and sending the game into OT and eventually losing in a shootout.

Playoff Beard

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 18:52:06 EDT

Please note my PC crashed and I was unable to post this yesterday… so just pretend you are reading this before the Canes beat the Devils…

Well the first games of all the series have commenced and with my Ottawa Senators out I wasn't as excited about the playoffs as previous years and it allowed me to pick my playoff fantasy players without a biased opinion. However, when the pre-game started and they showed flash backs of the smiling faces masked by their furry playoff friends, I was reminded why I watch the playoffs. It’s a superstition to some and a curse to others, where players and fans alike grow their beards in support of their team. Watching Mike Commodore, Scott Hartnell, Ken Daneyko and Jean-Sébastien Giguère with the mixture of sweat, gatorade and whatever else has become part of their beards, mixed with the smile of success is priceless. Now don't get me wrong here, I don't watch playoff hockey for the beards, I watch for the fight, the battle for survival, and most of all the emotion expressed by each team, win or lose.

NHL Award predictions

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:51:52 EDT

The media is still writing and commenting on the Alexander Ovechkin's 50th goal celebration~ Let it go 10 days ago! The playoffs are just around the corner and some teams have already polished their clubs, butsome can still look forward to the NHL Awards.

Steve Mason is on fire and we are talking #1 choice for Calder, but I also think he is a candidate for the HART. I am not stating he is a shoe in for the win, but I think the least we can do is nominate the kid! At least a nomination won't tarnish him like Jose Theodore's Hart did in 2002. And with Ovechkin and Crosby continuing to make friends around the league I think there could be a Lester Pearson Trophy in his possession at end of NHL awards, we'll see...

That said folks here are my NHL Awards Predictions...

Crazy

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 8:55:10 EDT

Sigh - Lets get back to hockey. Martin Brodeur became the all time winingest goalie last night and in typical Brodeur fashion, making 30 saves including a fury of 6 ounce vulcanized rubber being peppered at him during the dying seconds.

Last night while serving my customers drinks at the bar I manage, I became aware that if something ever happens "BIG" in hockey, you can pretty much guarantee I am at work somewhere. Martin Brodeur's achievement last night will be one of many I have had the pleasure of working-while-witnessing. As I look back to the greatest hockey stories I can remember they all have one thing in common - I was at work.

August 9, 1988 I was a young 10 year old Hamburger and Sausage BBQ specialist at a German meat shop that my mother managed. My Big Brother Howard (Big Brothers Organization) came to visit me at work. He walked up and took me to a picnic table near by and said "Lil' Bro, take a seat" Howard began to tell me the news of Wayne Gretzky being traded to the Los Angeles Kings. He was trying to keep his emotions in check so that I wouldn't feel sad. I patted Howard on the shoulder and said "Its ok Big Bro, he's the Great One, he'll be great anywhere!" trying to ease his pain. "But he'll still wear Easton gloves and use an Easton Aluminum stick right?" i asked concerned that I will still "look" like Gretzky when I play. My brother reassured me that he would still wear Easton, Heck Gretzky was my idol I even had the Daoust Wayne Gretzky hockey skates. then again what born Canadian didn't idolize Gretzky?

Happy St Patty's day!!

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:55:53 EDT

Good afternoon ladies and gentleman. I figured I would write my thoughts of the day before they get absorbed with the green flowing beverages consume my attention. Lets start first of all with Happy Birthday yesterday Donna, you are a beautiful compassionate mother, with the most dedication to helping others and putting yourself second!

That said lets look around the NHL and see others helping others...

Kari Lehtonen 49 saves last night against Washington Capitals, WHAT? 49 saves in any game is great, 49 saves against a sniping team like the Caps is PHENOMENAL!! Ovechkin with 10 shots, and Semin with 7... SNIPE!!!But on the other hand with Atlanta's late attempt to win games (6 straight now) is it not hurting their draft pick selections?

10 days Later, I still remember...

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 22:50:26 EDT

I must admit the way I awoke at 9 am Wednesday March 4th, 2009, will stay in my memory banks for years to come. My phone erupted and vibrated across my night stand. Wide eyed and full of energy I knew this could only mean one thing... I had already prearranged my room before I hit the hay, with my computer and 2 televisions in one quick sight, 2 big bags of chips, 2 - 2 litres of Diet Pepsi, a reachable microwave with pizza pockets and of course my "always readily available to bark transactions" cell phone beside me. Today was the NHL Trade Deadline... My first message that made my phone dance across my nightstand, passed the dancing theme to me as i leaped out of bed flipped my phone open and saw Filip Kuba signs a 3 year deal with Ottawa Senators. Now being an Ottawa fan, this was exciting, but nothing prepared me for the text I received while taking my morning urination session. The phone vibrated across the bathroom counter and and with one hand available I reached over and flipped open my cell to see the unthinkable: Antoine Vermette traded to Columbus Blue Jackets for Goalie Pascal Leclaire. Of all the goalies available and the vast amount of players Ottawa had available to move it made me shout at the top of my lungs Damn you MURRAY! I slumped back to my room, sat on my couch and sulked!