2013: The NHL season that almost wasn't

I'm kind of confused about the "Tough guy" line. Thing is he can actually back it up. It would be an issue if he picked fights and then ran and hid.

He certainly was immature in Ottawa. My point, that I did not get a cross very well is, I think he was scape goated in Ottawa. He was far from the only young player in that dressing room with the likes of Spezza, Heatley, McGrattan, Foligno, etc. His behaviour was considered colourful the previous couple of years, but as soon as the Senators hit the skids in his last year there, it was all Emery's fault. Maybe there is a lot of truth there, maybe more of a truth of convenience.
The Senators are also not the only team that has had issues with this in the past, most recently it was the Philadelphia Flyers with Carter and Richards supposedly at the core of these off ice issues. Hell even the Oilers in the 80s had huge issues with this and all were forced to do a little growing up when Fuhr's coke habit became an issue. There's always a scape goat and, in that situation, Emery was the face of it.

At the very least, Emery did a lot of growing up in his year in Russia. Also, he did a lot of growing up just by getting older. Big difference between your early 20s and being 30.

 

Emery skated with the Battalion in my last season there as he was trying to land a deal in the NHL (and eventually ended up in Anaheim). It was clear he was trying to clean up his act figuring he was down to his last chance or two. He still drove a huge Hummer and gave off the vibe that he was still very capable of being a bad boy (as one of the kids said who used to dress near him said, "I don't even want to know what he does when he leaves here.")

But he worked hard on and off the ice and was great with the kids, either working with the goalies at practice or regaling them with stories of his fights in the OHL, AHL and NHL. He still had the odd day when he would come in and make it very clear that nobody better piss him off. He got a very wide berth from everyone on those days.

 

What's the over/under on fights in tonight's Boston vs. Montreal game? I'll say 3.

 

At a minimum.

 

Through one - none. Boston was really flat.

 

Habs go up 1-0 on a goal by my man PK Subban.
Tight game. No crap so far

 

Great game thus far. Is it just me or Price is making it look really easy this season? Also, I'm thinking he's playing his best hockey.

 

As it turned out - not a one. Disappointing.

 

By Bruins/Habs standards, a pretty tame affair.

Bruins score two quickies in the third to win 2-1

Rask was solid as hell.

And this is the guy who the Leafs drafted in the first round and then traded him for Andrew Fucking Raycroft, one of the first of many sieves in the Leafs net.

Mikael Tellqvist, Vesa Toskala, Jonas Gustavsson, and our favourite Justin Pogge.

Fucking Leafs.

 

No fights this time around. I'll always remember the one a couple of years ago between goalies Tim Thomas and Carey Price.

I'm impressed with Boston. Balanced scoring, forwards who play defense, physical enough, willing to go to the front of the net, Chara on the blue line and they haven't missed a beat with Rask in goal.

 

Can someone explain the lighting at Rexall to me? Everytime I watch a Stars game played up there, the broadcast looks oddly washed out.

 

It's the second oldest building in the league to Nassau on Long Island. Couldn't watch the game tonight, haven't had the chance a whole lot the last few years because of work, and I still have a regular def tv so maybe I don't notice it as much. But they are in the process of trying to build a new rink. My guess lighting is a few years old, but there's no point to upgrade further if they're going to be out of there soon. Maybe it's just a matter of changing a few bulbs. My best guess.