grind your soul

Thanks!

I'm unable to download anything from the G Network website... every file I download comes up with a corrupted "Unexpected End of Archive" error. I've tried opening and downloading it in multiple different unzip programs and deleted the temp files and tried re-downloading them, but no dice. I'm looking for two things: 1] iDOM scenario 2] All Promotions Are Backyard scenario Let me know if anyone has 'em!

Second worst day of the year, only eclipsed by him re-signing in Florida. That said, my Panthers #33 Belak jersey is in the mail.

Let me just say that TSN is so full of shit leading off their show with the headlines of getting a fucking song. Honestly, WHO GIVES A SHIT? The only purpose for TSN doing this is to try and grab some positive PR, and to stick it in the face of CBC... but it has absolutely no relevance to anything going on. Lead off the show with some Euro 2008 coverage! Or the Jays game! Or, hell, Ron Wilson just signed with the Leafs! Don't spend five minutes talking about a god damned 40 year old song. sdgipahsgpibsfgpisfglbsfg I hate TSN. Their 2008/2009 schedule pisses me right off, too. I don't want to see 70 god damn games featuring Canadian teams. I want to see AMERICAN TEAMS!!! We're being deprived of some great match-ups [Pens/Flyers, anyone?] because of this shit. adgljbsdgljbsgbj In conclusion, sdguioasghisahgpisg

Great trade for Leafs I love Mark Bell and have been a big supporter of him for years, even through his awful season last year. I'm pumped!!!

A few things: SDM - People in Toronto love Kaberle because he's fast, has amazing puck-poise, can carry the play almost singlehandedly, has great instincts as a PP QB, has a good shot, has good vision, and is respectable enough defensively that he rarely is responsible for a goal anymore. He also is a very good backchecker, thanks to his great speed. The fact that he's the third highest paid defenceman on the team, and that guys like Andrei Markov and Kimmo Timonen, who are similar but not as solid as Kaberle [though Markov is ever-improving] is just more reason to enjoy what Tomas does. About the Habs/'Hawks trade - Cullimore has already been bought out by the club, $1.25 million spread out over two seasons, which will count as $625k/yr. Salmelainen will challenge for a roster spot out of camp but I highly doubt he makes it; the guy has blazing speed but his hands aren't very good, he's not a great passer and his shot is average at best. I also say that if he doesn't make the Habs out of camp, he refuses an assignment to the AHL and bolts back to Finland, further saving the Canadiens more money. All in all, the Habs look to drop about $1.7 million in salary, and over $2 million if Salmelainen is returned to Finland [and in the process would have to be suspended without pay]. Can't wait for the draft. Kane goes #1, almost definitely. I'm hoping the Leafs can snag Colton Gillies at #13, but I've been hearing that they're actively pursuing Mikael Backlund or David Parron. Leafs really need to draft some physical players, though. They've already got enough oft-injured softies on the team.

Here's something I posted in a Leafs community: Leafs potential line-up for next season: [all figures are CAP NUMBERS, not actual 07/08 salaries] Poni [$2.105] ..... - Sundin [$5.5] ...... - Antropov [$2.2] Tucker [$3.0] ..... - Wellwood [$875k] ... - _____ Steen [$901k] ..... - Stajan [$875k] ..... - Williams [RFA] Kilger [$900k] .... - Devereaux [$575k] .. - Pohl [$463k] Belak [$625k] ..... - Newbury [~$500k*] .. - Ondrus [$475k*] UFAs: O'Neill, Peca, Battaglia, Perreault, Green More: Erik Westrum was given permission by the team to play in Switzerland next year. Kaberle [$4.25] ... - Kubina [$5.0] McCabe [$5.75] .... - Colaiacovo [RFA] Gill [$2.075] ..... - White [$850k] Wozniewski [$500k*] - Kronwall [$475k] Harrison [RFA] Raycroft [$2.0] ... - _____ Racine [RFA] ...... - Pogge [$683k*] UFA: Aubin [* = two-way contract] Total cap space taken for next season: $18.019m for 10 forwards $18.900m for six defencemen $02.000m for one goalie $38.919m for seventeen players I didn't include Newbury, Ondrus, or Pogge in the cap totals because they will most likely be in the AHL unless an injury occurs. I also can't include Williams or Colaiacovo, since they hasn't re-signed yet. If the cap goes up as it's supposed to, perhaps to $48.5 million [though some rumours are circulating that it will be nearer to $52 million], the Leafs have between $10 and $14 million to spend on at least one forward, re-signing Colaiacovo, and finding a back-up for Raycroft [...or perhaps a cheap starter]. From far away, is this the nucleus for a play-off team? Probably not, unless they can find two pieces of the puzzle that will really add to the team's over-all game - whether it be locker room presence, chemistry on the ice, or just all-around skill - rather than just sticking any warm bodies they can find into those spots. The team needs a top offensive winger. Does he need to play with Sundin? That would be almost a necessity. However, I also see a top winger who can play with Wellwood/Tucker on the second line as a great asset. My personal choice for this role would be to throw the green at Jason Blake. He's small, but he's speedy, he's got a great shot, he can be feisty, and he's young enough that a three- or four-year deal wouldn't be absolutely ludicrous. I believe that he could play well with Sundin, but that he might have even more chemistry with Wellwood and Tucker. He showed this year that he could score, no matter who his linemates are, and that he's compatible with any type of player. He played spells with Alexei Yashin, Miroslav Satan, Ryan Smyth, Trent Hunter, and even lesser talents such as Arron Asham, and looked good in all of those situations. He's a character player as well as a top offensive talent, and I think he would fit nicely in the blue and white. Should the team fail to lure a big name scorer to the club, there are cheaper options out there who bring potential 60 point seasons to the table: Mike Comrie, Todd White, Eric Belanger, or Bryan Smolinski fit the bill. A player such as Gary Roberts, Scott Walker, Ian Laperriere or Scott Hartnell is another thought. The first three bring grit, toughness, good physical play and a lot of locker room presence and leadership to the club, while the first two have adept offensive games that add to the rest of it. Hartnell brings the toughness, physicality, grit and offensive skill that Roberts and Walker have, but also is much younger. Chances are that none of these four will be available to the Leafs, though. Roberts and Walker will likely be demanding too much money [Walker has already turned down $2 million from Carolina], Laperriere is probably going to stay in Colorado, and doesn't have the offensive upside as the other three, and Hartnell is likely sticking with Nashville. In my eyes, the big coup of these four would be Hartnell. He is still young enough that he can get better, and he's already forming Darcy Tucker-like tendencies, but in a much bigger body. And without the cheapshots. A back-up goalie is obviously another priority for the team. It was obvious this year that Raycroft was out of his league playing as many games as he did, often looking worn out and ready to take a break - ESPECIALLY towards the end of the year, when the Leafs really needed him to be clutch. But it was also apparent that Raycroft was getting such a heavy workload because the club had absolutely no faith in J-S Aubin to win them any games. If the Leafs procure a back-up along the likes of, say, Kevin Weekes - a local boy and someone who loves playing in Toronto - they might find themselves a bit less reliant on Raycroft every night, and a bit more willing to give Weekes a shot. The problem with that is that Weekes likely has a hefty price tag and will be looking for a starting job. This is a problem that the Leafs will have to contend with with most any UFA goalie, though: Most of the "good" back-up goalies will be looking to find a starting job somewhere, and the ones who aren't looking for a starting job are probably not very good to begin with. There are options such as Sean Burke, who brings leadership to the table but little else in the way of over-all skill, Mathieu Garon, Brian Boucher, Jamie McLennan, Jussi Markkanen, Mike Dunham, Curtis Sanford, and Robert Esche who are available and who may potentially take on the role of a back-up. Other guys, like Ed Belfour, Jocelyn Thibault, and Curtis Joseph will likely be either out of the Leafs price range, or want starting positions guaranteed to them. Another thing the Leafs may look for is a third or fourth line forward who can kill penalties. While the club has Sundin, Ponikarovsky, Antropov, Steen, Stajan, and Kilger to do penalty killing now, they're one of the lowest ranked PKs in the league. The Peca experiment failed, yes, but perhaps a cheaper option is something the squad can look towards. This isn't a necessity, however, but just something that's being thrown out there. Potential candidates include Kyle Calder, who could likely be picked up at a reduced rate after a horrible year in Philly, Wes Walz, and ex-Leaf Mike Johnson - who had a good year in Montreal. This is more of an unnecessary addition, however, since indications are that rookie Jeremy Williams has a full-time NHL spot to lose this coming season. All in all, it should be an interesting off-season for the Leafs - but one that, ultimately, will be beaten to death, analyzed into the ground, and likely result in people being disappointed and whining about the future of the club for the next six months. I'm really looking forward to it!

Go Sens! Oh, and... Who is this, and where can I find more of her?

SENS, BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS COULD BE "THE YEAR"!

MAF played a good game?! Are you nuts? He couldn't handle a rebound to save his life, he was all over the ice, he made even the easiest saves look like gamebreakers that could've gone either way. He was shakier than me after 12 lattés. Nashville/San Jose was a crazy game!!! Hopefully many more like it in this series! And the reffing has been bullshit all night. The Sens/Pens could've had a great final 10 minutes if the refs didn't decide that, at no point during that time, could the teams play even strength. It was always a PP. Pathetic. And them getting in the way of two fights was also pathetic. I understand breaking up scrums, but when players are SQUARING OFF, you don't just pull them apart! Pathetic. MIN/ANA and DAL/VAN have both sucked.

Yeah chances are if the games were re-scheduled so quickly on a stadium off-day, ticket prices wouldn't be high at all, perhaps even free for the upper deck. It's just a matter of getting people to show up.

BUF 4 - 1 NYI ... | ... DET 2 - 4 CGY NJD 3 - 4 TBL ... | ... ANA 4 - 3 MIN ATL 4 - 2 NYR ... | ... VAN 4 - 2 DAL OTT 4 - 3 PIT ... | ... NSH 3 - 4 SJS BUF 4 - 2 TBL ... | ... ANA 4 - 2 CGY ATL 2 - 4 OTT ... | ... VAN 3 - 4 SJS BUF 4 - 3 OTT ... | ... ANA 3 - 4 SJS BUF 4 - 2 SJS

Not enough Jays talk. I think last year was the pinnacle of my enjoyment of the Jays, even if they missed the play-offs. The team lost two guys who I really liked [Frankie Cat and Justin Speier] and replaced them with Frank Thomas and a bunch of scrubs, all of whom I dislike. I think their starting pitching has, sadly, improved over last season. If Ohka can stay consistant, and Towers has the bounce-back year that spring training would have us believe that he could, then the Jays actually have a chance. It's too bad their bullpen is just so horrible. Casey Janssen, Shawn Marcum, Jeremy Accardo... ugh. It's basically Halladay, Burnett, Ryan, and some filler, and that certainly is not play-off worthy. I haven't been paying much attention to any other teams, but as the season progresses I will continue to get more involved. Here's to a good 2007!

Dennis Wideman. And Latendresse, like most players, is a pussy for willingly fighting but failing to take his visor off. Therefore, he loses the fight on a technicality. And in the Tucker/Avery fight, being the fight technician I am, I'd say it was a draw. Both landed at least one good shot, Avery got the takedown but I dare to say that if Tucker's helmet wasn't in the way, it wouldn't have happened like that. Not that I'm saying Tucker would've pummelled him, I just think the fight would've lasted longer and Tucker wouldn't have lost his balance and fallen over the way he did. On a similar note, Avery throws pillows! I've never seen him come close to even looking as though direct shots even phase his opponent. Tucker I've at least seen knock people down. Avery, not even close Leafs are still alive. I fully expect it to come down to Saturday's game, only for the Leafs to lose a complete stinker 7-2 or something equally as embarassing.

Oh, let me say that I think what they've done this year has been great. They've got a great record, a great goalie, and a great set of Swedish twins, but other than that - I honestly have no clue how the hell they've done it. But good for them for finding a way to win. Just... don't make me watch any of their games.

Even the trappiest of teams can breakout once in awhile. Look at Calgary for that Vigneault needs a Jack Adams nomination for being able to get so much out of the scrubs on that team.

You had your chance for the blatant blowjob, and you chose not to fly to Toronto to see the Phantoms game with me. Your loss!

Wait I get on your nerves with what? I rarely "blow" the Leafs. If they play like shit, they play like shit. If the refs are reffing like shit, chances are they're reffing like shit both ways. When lately have I just come out and started fellating the Leafs, even when clearly they were outclassed? I said that Raycroft has been getting too much flack lately, especially when the team in front of him is playing like shit. I said he's not "the answer" but that he's not been the plague that some believe he has been. Where's the blatant blowjobs in there? And if it's just my opinions that bug you, what is it that's so awful about them? I tell it like it is. I probably watch, read and see more hockey than anyone else who posts in this thread.

Rags won today, Isles of course got a point, because why would any game between two teams fighting for the play-offs be less than a three point game. Fucking NHL standings. Anyway, a 19 save performance where Raycroft stopped two breakaways and a bunch of crazy scoring chances is definitely better than a 30 save performance were 27 of the shots are low-percentage blueline wristers. You can't judge the bigness of the performance by the shots. It's mostly by chances. Atlanta > Habs

I still don't understand how people are saying it's all Raycroft's fault for the choke-job on Friday. Was it partly his fault? Of course it was. But it's not like he just let in four cheap wristers from the blueline and just looked like a fool. Two of the goals were breakaways, one was a slapper from an odd angle by a guy with 37 goals on the year, and one was a cross-ice pass to a guy who wasn't being covered by anyone. The Leafs players just simply stopped playing after they made it 4-1, and never started again. It was a team effort to lose that game, not a one-man show. And Raycroft came back yesterday and made some big saves to help us get the 4-1 win against those same Sabres. Does Raycroft deserve the hate he's getting? Some of it, sure. I'm not convinced he's the "answer", nor do I think he ever will be. But I think that, in some cases, he's played better than what some have given him credit for. Not many, mind you, but some. Anyway, enough Raycroft defense. Here's a post I made somewhere else about the Habs/Bruins game from Thursday, where Boston blew a 3-1 lead going into the third and ended up losing 6-3: