2010-2011 NHL season

http://www.downgoesbrown.com/2010/12/come-on-down-history-of-nhls-game-show.html

 

Wilson is staying as per TSN. Roster freeze is two weeks away.

 

http://www.blogto.com/sports_play/2010/12/visual_proof_that_the_toronto_maple_leafs_suck_/

 

The best thing about last night's game was not that the Oilers embarrassed the Leafs -- although that is never a bad thing. The best part is that the Oilers are now tied with the Calgary Flames in the standings, and by some tie breaker I am not aware of, are actually placed ahead of the Flames. The same Flames that are lead by the Sutterites who still believe they must stay the course and they'll be competing for the Stanley Cup at year's end. At least the Oilers don't expect anything out of this year except continued improvement from their young players -- and damn Hall and Eberle look great right now, Hall especially. Theo Peckham has also been a huge surprise on the blue-line as another rookie.

Looking at the standings right now, it just dawned on me how piss poor the Northwest Division is this year -- Minnesota, Edmonton and Calgary occupy the bottom three spots in the conference; Colorado sits at 10; Vancouver is the third seeded division leader, tied in points with powers like Columbus and Phoenix, but they may win the division by default, especially if Craig Anderson can't stay healthy in Denver. It wasn't long ago when this was hands down the most competitive division in the NHL.

 

Beef, look at the games played, Canucks trail Chicago by a point and have 5 in hand. Phoenix had 105 points last year, Columbus will fade. So far it the Wings and everyone else

 

I can't seem to find video of the Capitals goal that was disallowed in the final 10 seconds. Boudreau seemed pretty heated about it through his comments in the paper. Did anybody see it? ESPN conveniently omitted it from its highlights of the game, as did NHL.com.

 

Well actually the Canucks have played 23 and nobody in the West has played more than 27, and then only Chicago and Anaheim in the top 8 have. The Wings have only played 22. The Canucks have played the same number as the Blue Jackets and have only one in hand over the Stars who are second among division leaders. They have four in hand on Chicago, but nobody has mistaken the Blackhawks as dominant this year either. I didn't say Vancouver is a bad team, just that they aren't going to have a whole lot of competition in the division this year, and considering how bad the rest of the division is, the Canucks are not exactly running away with it. That is all.

Edit:
And to further run with that, while they have a game in hand on Colorado, there is only one point separating them.

 

Hard to run away with anything 1/4 way through the season, especially in the NHL everybody gets a point system

 

My god man, please nit pick a little more. Maybe not run away with the division at this point -- although it is debatable what a running away lead would be 1/4 of the way through the season -- but a lead a little more tangible than one point with one game in hand over a young team that has been without its starting goalie for most of the season, especially considering the expectations on the Canucks this season. Vancouver really is a playoff team at this point by just that single point. and as far as games in hand are concerned, don't count your chickens before they hatch, all they are is opportunity.

 

Talked to ER tonight. He did a speaking gig at an Edmonton high school yesterday and got two tix for tomorrow's game against the Blues. Seventeen rows up around the Oilers face-off circle. Sweet.

 

That light is a train. And it's name is Thomas. And I don't mean the sappily grinning tank engine.

 

Nice. And he's getting those tickets at the right time with the Oilers playing their best hockey of the season. If this was two weeks ago I'd recommend him selling them to see what he could get for them. Really though not a horrible seat in the house, and I've sat everywhere from the nose bleeds to the luxury suites.