Everything Else

Before we get to the prospects roundup, a couple quick things. First, please go vote. Even if you don’t think it affects you, there are local questions and races on the ballots around the place that will. And it feels good.

Secondly, we haven’t talked about it much here and I know everyone in the hockey fan world is doing everything they can to not think about or mention meetings between the owners and PS starting again today. I think it’s ok if you want to be cautiously optimistic. Cautiously. There’s no way that Steve Fehr and Bill Daly would have had that long of a meeting Saturday totally off the reservation. It’s a pretty safe assumption that they were in touch with their fearless leaders about what was going on. That doesn’t mean when more people get in the room it won’t be a complete balls-up. But I don’t think anyone’s going to be surprised by what they hear in that room either. And that they’re not going to talk to the media after means they’re more prepared to actually talk instead of posture. No guarantees, many miles to go before we sleep, but I’m not going to tell  you to forget it this week either.

Ok, to the kids!

Everything Else

God, that’s an awful title. Whatever, cut me some fucking slack.

The Hogs had quite the weekend, swinging pretty much all over the place. They were bad, great, stupid, gutsy, fun, awful and everything in between.

One thing we can be certain of is that the Hogs are supremely stupid. There’s no way around it. They surrendered 20 power plays in two games this past weekend. 20. That’s not easy to do. You seriously have to go out of your way to give two teams nine and 11 power plays respectively. Like, that must be on the white-board or something. “Attack this guy on the wall. Don’t let this guy to the outside. Take a fuckload of penalties.” That must be what it says.

Everything Else

God, that’s an awful title. Whatever, cut me some fucking slack.

The Hogs had quite the weekend, swinging pretty much all over the place. They were bad, great, stupid, gutsy, fun, awful and everything in between.

One thing we can be certain of is that the Hogs are supremely stupid. There’s no way around it. They surrendered 20 power plays in two games this past weekend. 20. That’s not easy to do. You seriously have to go out of your way to give two teams nine and 11 power plays respectively. Like, that must be on the white-board or something. “Attack this guy on the wall. Don’t let this guy to the outside. Take a fuckload of penalties.” That must be what it says.

Everything Else

That time again. How will we fill the time without real hockey but without talking to the people we love or scraping Killion off the sidewalk? Maybe you’ll find answers here…

Friday

Hogs v. Wolves – Well, it’s as close as you’re gonna get, Boyo. It’s Friday night and it’s hockey on an actual TV channel if you live in the area (My50). So no drunken scoreboard feeds on a tiny window on your computer, no-sireee-bob. If you have a couple pops and squint real hard, it might even look like the hockey you’re used to. And you won’t even have to squint that hard when Leddy is getting overpowered behind his own net. If he even plays. This one goes at 7pm tonight. You can also watch Oshawa and Guelph from the OHL on NHLN, if you don’t come with some sort of trigger that alerts you to it being totally weird to watch children play hockey. If you don’t, I’m not sure I want to know you.

Everything Else

Yeah yeah, I know all about it. Basketball’s boring and played by a bunch of lazy gangstah-rap wannabes. I’ve heard it all before. Most of what I hear from hockey fans about basketball is crap, some of it is not. Whatever. We still have to fill in the time, unless you really want to start going to all those movies and plays with your significant other and I know you don’t. And none of the other options we’ve discussed here come in the four major sports — though the day is coming, and sooner than we think, when MLS is considered more of a major sport than the NHL. But the Fire bit the dust last night anyway so there’s another fucking gap we have to fill in.

So let’s just do this and be done with it.

Everything Else

I was going to do another “Lockout Insurance” post this afternoon about the Bulls, and I will probably get to that later in the day. However, those posts require something of a sanguine feeling. With the news that the NHL-owned Coyotes have just ordered mass layoffs of their employees, and the impending sword of doom with a looser and looser hold over the Winter Classic’s head, I’m robbed of any of that.

Ok, so it ended up being only the layoff of the PR guy in Arizona, which in some ways seems even worse.

There is not going to be an NHL this winter. There might not even be one in the next winter either. And what that means for you and me, I can’t even begin to dream to know.

Everything Else

Right, let’s move farther down the organizational totem pole….wouldn’t that be a great pickup line? “Hey babe, you wanna move up the organizational totem pole?” Actually, that would be awful but kind of funny. Kind of like, “Hey, let me put my plus into your minus.” Or “Why don’t you come back to my place so I can overload your box?” Ok, now that’s over. Anyway, what did the kids get up to this weekend?

Shall we start as always in the Q? Sounds good.

Everything Else

Those of you who read my Liverpool blog will know I’ve been big on the Metallica titles lately. I guess it reflects the anger I’m feeling and that I’m no longer trying to pretend it isn’t there. Anyway, a few things to get out today.

-First off, I will be joining the Hockee Night boys for their podcast . Killion will also be if he’s recovered sufficiently from this birthday, which is highly unlikely (welcome to your 30’s, old man). It’s at 8:30 but you can check it out later too. So do so.

-I don’t know how to gauge this any more. Maybe you’re all sick of reading lockout stuff or what I or any of us have to say about it, and that would be totally fair. Maybe reading the ramblings of someone even angrier than you is cathartic. Feel free to let me know in the comments, and I’ll take whatever action you guys want.

But today….