grind your soul

For those unlucky fellows who missed the greatness: Steen with a crazy goal as he's off-balance and backwards while being hooked http://s54.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1KTG9DG...M13SAGFIM6JNK2K Colaiacovo plows Bertuzzi http://s37.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2ZLP0TH...ZW1SUQFZQMQTXMH

Leafs/Nucks game was pretty bad ass. Refs were shit though. Calls on both sides were terrible all game, Leafs moreso. But we have no one to blame but ourselves for those goals against, especially the second one off the terrible communication from Cola and Kronwall. But at least Belak had a point - and that goal by Steen was absolutely AMAZING and needs to be seen on a million highlight reels.

It was a great game though, so I can forgive the Leafs for losing. Plus, I have Kipper in a pool and shutouts are pretty important. And yeah, you can't use injuries as an excuse for Leafs fans. With the age or injury proneness of some of our top stars, our scrubs usually see a LOT of playing time throughout the year, and are always up to the challenge. Maybe Ottawa just needs to find better scrubs.

Let's also not forget how awesome the Thrashers are playing, specifically Michael Garnett, Marc Savard, and Marian Hossa. 3M Innovation. Those guys are tearing it right up. Garnett has the first back-to-back shutouts in Thrashers history, and the longest shutout streak in franchise history [155 minutes without giving up a goal]. Hossa is the player of the week, and Savard has been having a breakout year. This isn't even including Ilya Kovalchuk or Peter Bondra, who are also lighting it up. It's too bad their defence is so terrible. And how about the Sabres? Another win tonight, and Ryan Miller is defensive player of the week - meaning, basically, that they have the hottest goaltending duo right now in the entire NHL. Go Sabres, eh?

When Toronto plays in Buffalo, Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton, any of the southeast or southwest cities, and even sometimes in Detroit, there is always a huge Leafs fan contingent. When the Leafs play teams who don't get a lot of crowds, THE CROWD TOTALS INCREASE. It's factual. The Leafs may not be the best team on the ice, and many people hate them [which also helps their popularity - because so many people love to talk shit about them!], but the fan support from all across the league is there. I went to Sandusky, Ohio last year - bam, there were Leafs jerseys. I went to Hershey, Pennsylvania - BAM! I saw a Leafs jersey [and Hershey is only a couple hours from Philly!]. The reach is widespread, and to say that they're only popular in Toronto is a stupid ass comment. [Not that others aren't popular outside of their region - Detroit is a big one, for sure]. EDIT: Just to back up my comments a bit: TOR @ ATL, 10/14/05 - 17,248 [2nd highest crowd for an Atlanta game all year, outside of their home opener - the first highest crowd was 200 more paid - to see Detroit, which backs up damshow's comments]. TOR @ BUF 11/11/05 - 18,690 [one of only three sold out Buffalo games this year, other two being MTL and PIT] TOR @ CAR, 11/25/05 - 18,730 [highest crowd for a Carolina game all year, outside of home opener] TOR @ BOS 11/17 and 12/22 - 17,565 [two of the eight sell-outs that Boston has had this year - nearly 1,000 over their average] And for comparison with DET: DET @ PHO 10/15 - 17,799 [one of only three sellouts in Phoenix this year, other two are VAN and the home opener] DET @ CBJ 10/22 - 18,136 [one of only four sellouts, others are home opener, EDM and COL - and DET is in the same division as CBJ, too] DET @ CHI 10/29 - 20,658 [highest attendance in Chicago this year - and they're in the same division!] DET @ ANA 11/25 - 17,174 [one of three sellouts in Anaheim, others were home opener and vs LA, divisional rival] DET @ WSH 12/09 - 18,277 [biggest crowd of the year in WSH, and 6,000 above their average crowd] DET @ CHI 12/23 - 20,543 [2nd highest attendance in Chicago - and 6,000 above their average crowd] Those are some impressive numbers, are they not? I'd say Detroit is ahead of Toronto, but that Toronto is still able to bring in the hate for games where they play teams which aren't normally on their schedule. They haven't had away games at many western conference teams, and the ones they do play this year [EDM, CGY, VAN] will likely all be sellouts, as those buildings are constantly sold out. I didn't realize Detroit's popularity. Damn!

All you guys can do is bitch about Toronto, then remind us about how we haven't won a Cup since 67. Then you talk about Toronto some more. Then it's more, "You guys haven't done anything!" Then you throw in some more talk about the Leafs. Quite frankly, I could talk about any of the 29 other teams in hockey, it's just that everyone always brings up the Leafs. Edit: And how about Hannu Toivonen? Not only is he a rookie, a Gumby wannabe, a crazy save machine, and a Finn, he also may be the sexiest goalie in the NHL. God damn Hannu, you got it all.

Okay. Well I'm just letting you know that it's a common occurance, and that condemning Wilm for it while your boy Pothier was fighting with a visor on is just silly. How can you punch a guy in his bare face when yours is 3/4 covered up by a piece of plastic? That's true dishonour right there. Not only that, but you risk him breaking his hand on your plastic, and you risk the plastic breaking and cutting either him - or you, or even possibly getting in your eye, causing serious damage to yourself. I condone visor wearing, I think it's a player's choice, however when a guy with a visor fights, it should be a given that he removes his helmet. Likely, the other guy will do the same, visor or not. -- resident EWB hockey fight expert

Draper has been shit offensively this year, HOWEVER he was picked for his penalty killing - and he's still doing that very well. Doan has been having a bad year, and I agree that he probably should've been on the taxi squad. However, again, they're using him in a third-line shutdown role with a lessened offensive presence, something which he can do quite well, even if his offensive game is in a slump. Foote has been almost useless in the Columbus games I've seen. However I haven't seen enough of them to judge whether he should not make the team. The taxi squad will likely see play anyway, so it doesn't matter. And to previous topics.. ---

How the only mildly amusing 40 Year Old Virgin made it at the far superior Wedding Crashers didn't, I will never know. I thought Crash was really good.

Amen, prime time. They are a solid, fast-paced, good scoring team. They're still a bit shaky [by a bit I mean a lot] defensively, but their goaltending from Biron [and earlier on, Miller] has been stellar. Does anyone watch other leagues, like the AHL, ECHL, CHL, UHL, OHL, WHL, or QMJHL? I try and keep up to date with the Marlies in the AHL, but otherwise I don't really follow other leagues. I'll watch OHL games when they're on [which is rare], but otherwise I don't really get much. How about you guys?

The OTT/LA game was a fight filled affair. McGrattan started off by challenging both Sean Avery and Jeff Cowan [LA's closest thing to an enforcer]. He was declined by both, of course. Mike Fisher laid out Eric Belanger with a wicked hit. Avery decides to pick on him. They drop the gloves, Fisher edges him in a decent fight. Later on, Avery decides to take a run at Hasek. This is not a good idea. Hasek goes after Avery, scrum ensues, nothing happens. Avery's next shift - and Brian McGrattan lines up next to him. McGrattan pummels, Avery turtles, hilarity. Later on, "tough guy" Jeff Cowan picks a fight with Chris Kelly, a guy who hasn't fought in his pro career and has probably zero fighting experience in his life. Cowan obviously wipes the floor with him, but props to Kelly for squaring off with someone obviously out of his league playing the coward. So in response, Chara comes out and lines up as a forward. He immediately goes after Tim Gleason, the one player on the Kings who will drop the gloves [but is not a known enforcer]. Gleason isn't very willing, so Chara just begins pounding him. Chara gets misconduct, Murray gets fined, etc etc. The LA announcer then uses this as a forum to completely bash Murray, calling him gutless, a coward, and a terrible human being. Weak cheapshots by the LA announcer who was calling Cowan a "top heavyweight" for destroying a guy who has NEVER FOUGHT BEFORE. Anyway, it was a good game.

Ruutu is awesome. He's so manly he goes to a gay bar. Does he even know it's a gay bar? Maybe in Finland, going to gay bars is a sign of manlihood. I don't know. Let's ask Sami Salo. And sucks about Heater's streak. I was hoping for 24. Would be nice for someone to break a Gretzky record, no matter how obscure. And hey, let's go over this season series! TORONTO 18 | 2 ATLANTA I like it! Bryan McCabe - 3GP, 1+8, +6 Jason Allison - 3GP, 1+7, +3, 21PIM Darcy Tucker - 3GP, 3+3, +2, 2PIM vs Marc Savard - 3GP, 1+1, -3, 8PIM Ilya Kovalchuk - 3GP, 1+0, -4 Marian Hossa - 3GP, 0+1, -3, 4PIM Ed Belfour - 2-0-0, 50 saves, .962% save percentage Mikael Tellqvist - 1-0-0, 28 saves, one shutout [first career] vs Michael Garnett - 0-2-0, 69 saves, .831% save percentage Adam Berhoel - 0-1-0, 13 saves, .765% save percentage Bahahaha, that's just great. Research done by me. I'm bored

Here's how I see it. If Thornton continues to play as he's been playing this year, with the motivation and drive that he's had this year, and he doesn't return to form, then Boston walks away with this deal. They totally rape San Jose here. Thornton has been one of Boston's best this year - but that's not saying much. He doesn't have to try to be one of Boston's best this year, especially with the lacksadaisical effort the team is putting out night after night. His point totals aren't very high, and he has failed to show any of the dominance on the ice which made him one of the league's best players. However, if Thornton turns it up in a new environment, then San Jose will definately have won this deal. When Thornton is motivated, healthy, and happy, he's going to kill some faces - and those faces will be in the Western Conference. But it's not as though Boston got raped here. If used properly, Sturm can put up 25 goals, if not more. Plus, he can kill penalties and by all accounts is a nice guy to be around and to have in the locker room. Stuart is a defenceman who is still developing but could [and likely will] end up being a cornerstone of a team's defence. He can move the puck, he can play the body, he's big, and he knows what the word 'defence' means. Primeau is, by far, the weakest player in the deal, but he's still a solid two-way forward who can kill penalties, and will bring lots of leadership to the squad. All in all, I'd say this was a damn fine deal for both teams, and it could go either way.

I kinda thought it was that but wasn't sure. And lo and behold, Andrei Markov was suspended for three games for abuse of an official. Leafs win 2-1 but jesus jumped up christ, what were the refs on? Kaberle puts his stick forward, Jokinen grabs it and JUMPS IN THE AIR, and Kaberle gets a penalty for hooking? But then later, Jokinen hooks .. Stajan I think, for nearly THREE SECONDS, THREE - FULL - SECONDS, and doesn't get a penalty. AND THEN! Complains when the Panthers take one. God damnit. What a frustratingly boring game. Panthers suck and Jacques Martin is NOT what that young team needs. They need someone who will let them do what brought them to the NHL, and further learn that. Not someone who will discourage them from playing an offensive game and stunt their growth and retard their development. Fuck Jacques Martin.

Hahaha you lost money. Oh, and Jason Allison is also a PPG player, including an AWESOME goal tonight [in a losing cause]. Win four, lose two. That's our Leafs! Kilger had a goal, too, but also took two stupid, stupid penalties. He has no finish and continues to take the dumb penalties. However, he is more useful than Belak Czerkawski is a lost cause. Ughhhhh. Why we picked this guy up, I will never know. Toss him in a boat with Khavanov and Berg and never let them come back! On another note: NJ 8 | 2 TB? OUCHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Well, it's a really bad deal for Anaheim, like REALLY bad. While it may help the team free up cap space, it's just another in a long list of terrible deals that Burke has made to not only make the team a bit worse, but to alienate a fanbase which cannot really afford to be alienated. Not that Columbus will come out like bandits. Fedorov has one point in six games, including going pointless in his first game as a Jacket. He's injury prone, fairly old, making way too much money, and very much past his prime. However, they gave up Tyler Wright [a mediocre fourth liner who's sole redeeming value was his community involvement], and Beauchemin, a defenceman who couldn't beat out Francis Bouillion to be a regular on Montreal's blue line in 03/04. So all in all, it may look like rape for Columbus, but really, it's not nearly as big of a deal as everyone is saying it is, and there's no way Sergei is going to give you the numbers that MacLean is hoping he will give. Also, you guys lost Todd Marchant today to waivers, due to his salary being pretty big and now with Fedorov coming in, having no cap space. Marchant is a great penalty killer and a bit underrated at forward. He won't put up the numbers that a motivated and healthy Fedorov will, but neither will the lazy and old Fedorov that you guys got in the deal. All in all, it's really not going to affect lives as much as other people say it will. -- Leafs win two in a row! WOOOOO.

Sorry to double post [i'm not really], but TSN just showed the "Top 10 Highlight Reel Goals of 2005".. and here they are! 10 - Patrice Bergeron vs Pittsburgh 09 - Martin Havlat vs Buffalo 08 - Steve Konowalchuk vs I forget 07 - Alexander Ovechkin vs I forget 06 - Sidney Crosby vs Montreal [shootout winner] 05 - Jeff Carter vs I forget 04 - Erik Cole vs Toronto 03 - Tim Connolly vs Toronto 02 - Steve Sullivan vs Dallas 01 - Jason Spezza vs Montreal I think that's a pretty good list.. Konowalchuk's goal is a bit overrated, as is Havlat's, but still all-around a good list. Glad Erik Cole's goal is on there, and really glad Crosby's goal isn't number one.

Clawson is right about that. If anyone else in the league who isn't Crosby scored that, we wouldn't be seeing it at all anymore until some highlight reels reviewing the year are shown. Sullivan and Spezza have had better goals [off the top of my head]. That Connolly goal against Toronto was the bomb diggity, too. Tanguay had a wicked shootout goal. Kariya's had 'em. It's not like Sid is the only guy shooting for the stars here. But anyway, the goal was bad ass, and the water bottle hang time was just sick, so no argument with SDM's analysis either. Oh, and that Toronto - Montreal game was absolutely brutal. The refs were the most fucked up crew I've seen in this "new NHL". Stephane Auger needs to really get his fucking eyes examined, letting obvious, OBVIOUS calls go [for both teams] while calling both teams on some terribly bogus, bullshit calls for seemingly no reason. It's absolute horse shit. Consistancy is key and this guy has the consistancy of sand paper right now. Piece of shit. Anyway, go hockey, I love you.

Yeah it was a tight game for the first two periods and Toronto didn't show up for the third. It's funny how nobody says anything about their teams when they lose but if Leafs fans don't start posting about their losses, everyone else starts chastising them. Shut up with the double fucking standards.

Phaneuf was made to look sooo stupid in that. I feel kind of bad for him, but I laughed my ass off when it happened, so I don't feel too bad.

Good luck picking up tickets, especially for a Leafs - Habs game! Oh, and anyone with any sort of hockey knowledge could see the Sundin thing coming. It happens - a star comes back, everyone else is lazy. Once they realize that Sundin can't do everything [which should be very apparent after that shitfest they put on against Washington], they should start firing it up. If not, well then god help all the Leafs fans out there.