End of Movember

I WIN.

Are you there, God? It's me, an Oilers fan.

Um, hello? Oilers? Are you awake? You know you have a game to play, right? You know you are a team that has to work together, yes? This isn't just for fun, do you understand? I wasted 20 minutes and a few gallons of gasoline driving around after work so I could listen to the rest of the 2nd period. Why? I had hope. There was hope because you were only down by two in the 2nd. Then what? You let the Canucks score to make it 6-3? No problem, I thought, it's possible to score three more in one period. But what do you do? Let them score to make it 7-3! [At this point I had the game on inside the house and] I couldn't finish listening to the game. I was not going to waste any more time.
But hey, congrats to Colin McDonald for his first NHL goal and Devan Dubnyk hitting the ice for the first time.
Final score 3-7

Thanksgiving Hangover; Afternoon Games Are NO GOOD

Can't believe what I saw yesterday. #@!$% W...T...F BLACKHAWKS?!! I don't even know what to say. How 'bout some good ol' silent treatment >:@

Thank you THRASHERS and COYOTES for not letting me down :|
I was very concerned watching the recap of the Thrashers game... I thought maybe all of my teams did lousy last night. That wasn't the case - They put me in a state of disbelief that was actually GOOD! Thrashers scoring 5 in the 3rd to win 6-4 against the Hurricanes = WOW. Thank goodness for that no-goal in the 2nd (Was it the 2nd?) "All of the sudden, we kept scoring," -Bryan Little. That's what I expected the 'hawks to do D: I don't know what to say about the Coyotes except please keep winning games.


Oilers... please start winning games.

I Am Thankful For...

... the entire Blackhawks team
... an almost entirely healthy team
... the addition of Madden and Hossa (sorry I ever questioned Hossa!! shame on me!!)
... Joel Quenneville
... Pat and Eddie!
... Rocky Wirtz
... Sarah Kustok (thanks for not giving every guy the impression that you want to sleep with them)
... the great people that record games at the UC
... the awesome radio announcers at WGN

This Day in History

65 years ago, Stan Fischler learned how to ride a two-wheel bicycle.

Oh Nossa

I sort of agree with Stan (NHL Live) that Hossa should be benched until the Blackhawks lose. They're doing something right, why screw with the lines? Yes, they did good when Toews left, they did even better when he and Eager came back, now Ebbett is gone and they're still ok, but I don't know... I worry, that's all.

NHL Standings

Meant to post this Monday to have a bi-weekly update. Carolina is up to 5 wins, Toronto is at 4 wins :\ I am saddened by Edmonton's losses. The flu definitely had a part in this, but the number of injuries is definitely their scourge. (FML)
Haven't seen/listened to a Thrashers game lately, same with the Coyotes. I miss them!

Chicago 15-5-2
Edmonton 9-11-3
Atlanta 10-7-3
Phoenix 13-9-1

The Twins are Together Again

With both Sedins on the ice, I thought the Canucks would be on fire. Fact of the matter is, things started off pretty slow. In the back of my mind I thought the game would remain scoreless, at least until OT. Finally, in the third period, Bickell scored a magical goal, his first goal of the season! I was real happy to see that, not only because I wasn't sure if he would return after Saturday's *headice*, but also because I was afraid if he didn't score soon, he might go the way of Ebbett. (I say that because I don't know what his contract is like... Though Ebbett was doing fairly well, so I don't know who's decision it was for him to leave.) According to the recap on their website, it was his first goal since April 2007. I hope to see many more from Bryan Bickell! Another surprise was Niemi's second shutout. And this! (Better view @ :33) I really like Antti and am glad he gets some ice time. He's like, the number 2 #1, you know what I mean? It was great to hear that he stays late after practice - sometimes getting kicked off the ice, helps out around the place, and asks lots of questions. He truly wants to advance his skills and be a part of this team. When Khabibulin left, I thought maybe Huet would be #1 and Corey Crawford would be #2. That worried me. (Sorry Corey) I think sending Crawford back to the AHL was a wise move and maybe he can return, if not to the Blackhawks, than some other team, next season or the season after.
All in all, it was an ok game. Lots of scuffling. Every scuffle that was had, the camera went straight for Fraser. It made me laugh :D And what was with that premature horn blow? There were 7 seconds left, the horn said a short hello, and everybody stopped. I don't know if they thought the game was actually over, or if they knew they had a few seconds and were really confused. I was really confused... and amused. They continued play, so somebody must have yelled, "KEEP PLAYING!" or something.
Final score 1-0

Chicago Flu, Niko?

I was devastated when I heard Khabibulin wouldn't be in the net for the Oilers last night. Back problems? Probably saw what the Blackhawks did to Calgary, not to mention what they did at their last meeting. But, life goes on and I got to see what Jeff Deslauriers is like. Was kind of hoping to see his backup, the 20 year old rookie, but no such luck.

So, let's see where the 'hawks were before the game started:
◊5 game win streak
◊Jumped from 20th to 11th in PPG in ONE GAME
◊2nd in face offs (compared to 23rd last year)
--Toews ranked 2nd & Madden 6th as FO leaders
◊Huet is now ranked 25th in SV% instead of 50th
◊Ebbett is now in Minnesota (please see above picture)

About 4 minutes into the game, Bickell was taken out by Penner as he (Bickell) attempted an open-ice hit. Hit the back of his head hard on the ice, but luckily remained conscious! Eddie mentioned that sometimes these helmets come off after a hit like that, so it was a good thing his straps held tight and his helmet stayed put.
I noticed a lot of Oilers' passes were picked off by Blackhawks. They really need to work on that, among other things. I also noticed their benches are on the opposite end of where most benches are. And finally, I noticed someone wearing a red Khabibulin jersey before a commercial break and my heart fluttered with joy.
At the end of the 2nd, and I mean the end with 5 seconds left after a face off, it appeared Horcoff scored a goal, but upon review, the puck had not gone into the net when the players thought it did. They raised their hands in celebration, Horcoff saw the puck was still under Huet, he pushed it in, but at that time, well, there was no more time! The clock showed .01 seconds left, but whoever was in charge of that stop button pushed it too soon and it was called "no goal." I felt bad because by then it was 4-1.
Hey guess what! Fraser didn't fight! He almost did, but it was stopped before anything could actually happen.
My favorite play of the night was when Huet came out to play the puck. Usually I yell, "Get back in the net!" and hold my breath, but this time I thought it played out wonderfully. He came out as far as the middle of the face off circles, maybe even to the front, closed his legs (good move not leaving the garage door open) and escorted that puck out of the Chicago zone. Well done, my friend! I've said it before, but I will say it again with an added thought or two: I am sorry I ever doubted Cristobal Huet, the man from France! I adore his every save, I can't be mad when he lets one go in anymore, and he has such the sweetest voice. He has grown on me in a way never thought possible, so much so that I think he is my second favorite Blackhawks player. (Madden is #1, just decided;) I apologize for last season's "Ugh" attitude, but remember, I was all about the Bulin Wall.
Figured I'd leave with two quotes, one from Pat, one from Eddie:
Even when he shakes your hand, you know it's been shook! - Pat about coach Pat Quinn
Instead of calling me Eddie, they call my Heddie! - Eddie talking about god-only-knows-what when he visits Quebec City
(I also liked his enthusiam for "Thanksgiving Eve" I am with him on that boat!
____
Final score 5-2


Oh yes, and now they're on a 6 game win streak (don't wanna look into Edmonton's lose streak number...) and Toews had his first multiple-score game this season.
I also forgot to mention that I love Huet and Kopecky's congratulatory ritual after a win :)))

Another Beatdown

It's been a good week for high scoring games! Glad the Blackhawks are apart of this category. They have really improved their power plays; tally was 4 tonight. If I remember correctly (don't hold your breath), they were struggling with scoring during PP's when the season started. As of late however... Yowza. They made two impressive goals within 36 seconds, and one of those was a PP goal. I believe the second one involved a sweet no-look backhand by Keith.
Finally, after six goals, McElhinney was put into the net where he only allowed one to go in. Huet, oh boy, he only allowed one to go in the whole game. This equals five straight wins for him. I must be totally girly right now and say it was totally adorable the way he ever so carefully poked the puck from behind him to make sure it wouldn't go in if he moved his legs, even though the whistle had blown.
As a team, they had a season high of five goals in one period. I betchya Calgary is NOT looking forward to their next meeting. First that game where the Blackhawks overcame a 5 point deficit to win 6-5 (forced to listen to it on the radio... breath-taking nontheless), and now this! I can't forget to mention Birthday Boy did score a goal. What a nice present, huh?
What's up with Fraser and all these fights? Did Carli call him weak and now he's out to prove himself? I don't get it...
My favorite guys of the night were Pat and Eddie. They used words like "tookus; shellacking; YIPPEE!; ringy-dingy" and I died at the Comcast plug. (A ding for every time Comcast was mentioned) XD And then Eddie commenting on the little boy who "double barrelled" his popcorn was too much.
Final score 7-1
There weren't any good pictures [I wanted to take from nhl.com], so here's one of Jeremy Piven. I don't know anything about him; Is he a Calgary or a Chicago fan?

THE Kane

You know what the 21st birthday means?
No more Kool-Aid jokes!

The Other Kane

Evander Kane.
Named after Evander Holyfield.
Who called it?
ME.

Autographs and Theodore

Don't know when the XM radio started working in my car, but flipping through channels this morning I realized stations were coming through! Of course I went on a search mission to find NHL. Didn't take long to find, and when I tuned in, they were discussing autographs: Standing in line for hours, paying money for a scribble, and selling autographs on eBay. Now, I don't know where I stand when it comes to autographs. I used to be into them, but one day I was like, What's the big deal? It's a name written with marker. That's it. You're not gaining 1/100000000th possession of their soul when a player signs his name. You're getting isopropanol and resin drawn on a piece of paper, wood, or fabric by a human hand. You may love said human hand, but why spend money on such a thing? I wouldn't mind getting autographs, but I'm not going to wait hours in the rain, nor am I going to dish out any money! To make a long story short, I'd much prefer a picture. You can make copies that have the same meaning, in case you lose the original, whereas if you photocopy or take a picture of an autograph and then lose the original, the copy doesn't have as much significance.
As for the players that don't sign things because they think they'll be sold online, what's it matter to them? Is it because they won't reap the rewards? As if they're not getting enough rewards already!

All that was on the way to school. Uh, it even repeated on the way home... But what really got my attention [on the way home] was that Jose Theodore has taken time away from the Washington Capitals for personal reasons. The host made it sound like it was in connection with his son's death. That was in August, so I have to wonder what would be going on with him now, three months later. It's nobody's business what's going on in his life, but at the same time I would like to know, or atleast have a slight idea, what caused him to leave.

Movember

Can't wait 'til my mustache comes in!

The Hockey Gods Were Smiling Down On Us

I should sign up for those game-reminder text alerts... I almost missed the game! Thank God I decided to color my hair tonight (after having it sit in my room for a month) a little after 6:30 AND turn on the television instead of listen to my iPod as per the usual. Missed the first 5 or 6 minutes, therefore missed Sopel's goal, but I had the [dis]pleasure of watching Heatley's goal.
I don't know what can be said about Huet's save against Setoguchi's wrist shot. One of the replays appeared to show the puck crossing the line ever so slightly, but all the other angles made it impossible to tell. It was sort of strange that they blew the whistle after the puck was still in play and sent down to San Jose's end. I would guess some, if not all, of the Sharks players voiced their opinions, causing a referee to finally put a stop to the play and get a review. Or maybe all the players stopped playing in utter confusion, causing the refs to blow the whistle.

I was so happy to see Seabrook and Hjalmarsson get the 1 and 2 spot in the stars selection. I think Hjalmarsson wants to get noticed for the Swedish Olympic hockey team. That would be so great if he made it. Maybe I haven't been paying close attention, but I heard his name more times tonight than I can remember, and usually I don't hear too much being said about him. And what a great OT win by Seabrook. What? 41 seconds in? I was secretly hoping for a shootout, but I am glad it ended early. Gave me more time to stand in the rain waiting for puppy to go potty :| WHICH HE NEVER DID!!
Oh right, Final score 4-3


Can't wait to see them play the Oilers this Saturday!

More Thrashers

Well, shit. Had I actually read that recap earlier, I would have noticed the ATL/EDM game was this afternoon. FML!


I was torn between who I wanted to see win, but in the end I am glad it was the Thrashers. I mean, I mostly watch the Oilers because Khabibulin is the goal tender. They are a pretty good team and I do enjoy watching them, but if it wasn't for the Bulin Wall, I probably would have little interest in them.
Speaking of G's, I see Moose was back in the net today. Perhaps Ondrej needed a break, eh? That's alright. I like him too.

Boy was dancin' in the goal. (There's never a question of why he is so awesome.)


Yay! Kozlov finally scored a goal!

Maybe My First Born Will Be Named Kovalchuk, Be It Boy or Girl

AMAZING.
I soooo love watching the Thrashers play. They certainly kicked asses and took names at Friday's home game against the Kings, hoowee! I mean it, too. A five on five fight broke out and I was waiting for the goalies to get involved in the brawl! This was another instance where I was watching the 'Hawks and saw ATL's score scroll across the bottom. When I saw the game was on yesterday, I had to watch it, I just had to.
I missed the first goal because I was frantically gathering my things to make it to a baby shower, but luckily my vcr kicked in right before then so I saw it today ;) Two beautiful goals to start off the second period, which until then had been 0-0. The third one was labeled a "bad goal", so Quick was pulled and Ersberg was in for LA. Though this was televised by FSW, all the talk was on Pavelec, and rightly so. FIRST NHL SHUTOUT!! I am so proud. Even though I knew the outcome, there was a split second in the 3rd, after he got hit in the thigh by a speeding puck, that I was like, "Oh no! Don't leave the game! You have to go for your first shutout!" Then I realized what I had said and didn't talk to myself for the rest of the game. Anyway, I think Lehtonen should be #2 when he comes back. Or if he comes back, geez. Seriously... Pavs is amazing. Losing masks, mind-blowing shutouts, impregnating a room full of women just by walking past the door... Good god. The best part of the game was when there was a minute or less left in the 3rd and the guys were putting Kozlov in front of the net to try and get his first goal of the season. That's a true team if I ever saw one. Brotherly love. Yes. Oh, hey, what's this I hear about nobody wanting Afinogenov?! He was great Friday night and I am glad he was not sent back to Russia, as the announcers made it sound like was a possibility before the season started. He's already had 6 goals this season, so what's the prob?
Enough of my mindless chit-chat, here's a recap.
Final score 7-0

True thrasher fashion

Wait wait wait. One more thing. They have a home game against the Oilers tonight. If I heard correctly, the Thrashers will be staying in a hotel to act like it is an away game since they seem to be doing better in their away games. After last night, I wonder if they kept their reservations!

FINAL thought: Bogo is 19?! Dude looks old.

Pride

A couple days ago, over at IWP, somebody asked why we were proud of our teams. I thought for a moment and could not come up with anything. Obviously this is because their three recent losses were fresh on my mind and I could only see the cup as half empty. All I could comment on was the Oilers 4/5 power play goals that night. But I have thought a little harder, and now I can say:

I am proud of my team for being NUMBER ONE IN THE CENTRAL DIVISION.
I am proud of my team being 8th in the whole league.
I am proud of Brouwer and Ebbett for stepping up their game; making clean hits (Brouw) and scoring goals.
I am proud of Huet for redeeming himself everytime I doubt him.
I am proud of Sharp for being nominated Sexiest Athlete!
I don't think this is considered pride, but I am definitely glad to see Toews and Eager back in the line-up.

Now I'd better start thinking of the things I am thankful for so I can be ready for Thanksgiving :)

Whoa...

Detroit. Wow. I think half the team scored a goal on Wednesday against the Blue Jackets. How embarrassing. I didn't watch the game, but watching the Blackhawks game I noticed their 9-1 win scroll on the bottom of the screen. At first I thought it might have been a 5 since I was not wearing my glasses and I was watching the "tiny" tv, but upon closer inspection it was indeed a 9. How the heck did that happen? Does CBJ not have a backup-backup goalie? I would have thrown him in!

I am at a loss for words.

NHL Standings

Holy God, the Hurricanes are on a 6 game losing streak. They have won 2 out of 16 games. That breaks my heart. So does the fact that the Maple Leafs have only won 3 out of 15. (But not so much because I don't care much for the Leafs)

Chicago 8-5-2
Edmonton 8-8-1
Atlanta 7-6-1
Phoenix 10-7-0

I find it hard to digest that the Coyotes are doing so well and they still are struggling with attendance.

BIG SAVE, KHABIBULIN!

Where to begin? Well, the Oilers made four out of five power play goals.(Comrie, Gilbert, Penner, Potulny) That is something to be proud of, mos def. I think they could have made all five had Cogliano scored a few seconds earlier than 16:40. Good job on Gilbert for scoring his first of the season; at the blue line, no less.
Things to note: Icing was not called at one point in the second period, and according to the announcers, it was pretty obvious the puck was iced.
Scott Hannan got a puck to the face. Yep, it missed Stastny who was not wearing a helmet and went straight for the guy who was wearing one. Stastny dodged a bullet there!
The announcers seemed to struggle with "Cumiskey." I heard COMB-iskey, comb-ISKEY, even Cumsky. Not that difficult, fellas.
So, with a final score of 5-3, the Oilers ended the Avalanche's 6-0 home game win streak. It also ended the Oilers' 3 game losing streak. Yay.

WHY?!!

I was real excited about watching the Oilers/Avalance game tonight because 1) Yay Oilers 2) The Avs have been doing very well & I wanted to see how they faired, but of course I got the message For ordering information, please call customer service, ext. 721. Gah, I hate when they do that! Sometimes I get a channel, but other times it just is not available. I wish they would stop toying with me and find a way to label what programs won't be available.
Guess I'll see if they're playing on the radio.
[INSTANT UPDATE] Yes, they're on the radio, but it doesn't start 'til 8. Good, because I have homework due tonight that I have yet to complete. Bad, because it's the season finale of Mad Men and that starts at 9!
[UPDATE] 8:00 wasn't central time... silly me.

I <3 Pat & Eddie

I love listening to Pat and Eddie announcing Blackhawks games, especially when they kind of stray away from talking about hockey. In last night's game, Eddie asked Pat if the other players, when trying to get Andrew Ebbett's attention, yell, "HEY EBBETT!" à la Abbott & Costello. That was a wonderful thought on Eddie's part & made me love him even more. (I love A & C and they don't get enough references)

To continue with yesterday's side note, Dorsett seems to be fine because I just saw him playing in a replay from tonight's game. So... good.

The Most Beautiful Man in the World

Maybe, maybe not, but there's no denying Zach Bogosian has the best eyebrows of any man I have ever seen. I only wish my brows would arch like that.


On a side note, I want to know how Derek Dorsett is doing after that nasty hit he took from Hainsey. Can't find anything except "He didn't return to the game." Real helpful. Thanks. Seriously, when I saw him on all fours, dragging his head on the ice, I thought he had gone brain-dead right then and there. I was glad to see Hainsey go over to him and see if he was alright. I knew I liked him for something other than his name :)

Happy Father's Day?

It was interesting to see some of the Blackhawks players' dads. I always wonder what these guys' fathers look like. I wish they would have shown more of them!
Anyway, I had a few problems with tonight's game at Phoenix, the first being the call on Kopecky for goal tender interference. Bryzgalov was out of the blue and pretty much interfered with Kopecky. Second, a few times there were 4 Blackhawks covering the net + goalie and a lone Coyote still managed to make it through all of them for a goal. Twice. And then Fraser scored that soccer goal which didn't count, bringing the score back down to 1-3. I think kicks should count. At some point Eddie was going over a play-gone-bad and said Sharp (I think it was Sharp) needed to know when there's going to be a shot on goal to prevent these types of things from occuring. It's that simple, right? He should have known not to go down past the net... he should have gone left towards the front, of course! Eddie, no. Finally, I didn't know Hendry was playing until he got a two minute penalty, which I assume was for tripping. Oh, one final thing. I am a bit worried that there were the same amount of 'Hawks fans as there were Coyotes fans. I hate seeing their arena so empty.
On a positive note, there was no fighting. A little shoving here and there, but nothing major.
Final score 3-1

In the News

-Hockey teams for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver will begin to be announced at the start of January.
-Winter Classic coverage will begin December 31st.

Get your couches ready!

And Good Morning to You!

A quick hello and I just wanted to congratulate the Thrashers on their win tonight. Of course DirecTV would not allow me to watch this game, so I had to listen to it on the online radio. Bravo, announcers, bravo. Them boys paint a pretty picture with them words. And kudos to Popovic and Little for their first goals as Thrashers! I was worried at 3-3 and then 4-4, but Pavs, OMG. I wish I could have seen what the heck was going on! There was a lot of hootin' and hollerin' from that once announcer... his name escapes me... but it was sure fun to listen to. Here's to many more victories.
Final score 5-4