2013: The NHL season that almost wasn't

That is shameful.

 

There's another Owen Sound guy.

And another one. We're everywhere, baby, yeah!

 

Par for the course for Screamin' A.

 

The Leafs were involved in a blockbuster trade today, at least you would think it was by the way it is positioned on the Toronto Sports Network. Send fourth line fighter/grinder to the Oilers for a fourth round pick. Certainly worthy of, what, 800 words? And, of course, let's get quotes from every player on the Maple Leafs, but don't even bother trying to get a canned press release quote from from the Oilers GM.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=417357

 

I was thinking of Sanguinetti in his halcyon days for the mighty Battalion!

 

He did play well there. It was just unfortunate for him that, while he was in Owen Sound, he was only ever going to be the second-best Bobby from New Jersey.

 

Are we finished with all the Owen Sound connections?

Leafs win 4-3 against the Devils and now they're in fifth place.

 

Another goal from my boy Jay McClement.

 

Ducks lose two in a row, both shootouts, for the first time this season in their three-game series against the Coyotes. Defense and goaltending have gotten loose.
Scoring balance continues to be amazing. Getzlaf and Cogliano lead with 8 goals, but they have 11 players with between 4 and 8 goals.

 

I think what is currently happening with the Chicago Blackhawks is just what the NHL needed to score some PR points after the lockout.

I don't know how long the streak will go --- surely they'll lose in regulation eventually, right? --- but it's sort of like watching Mark McGwire or Barry Bonds chase the home run record. I find myself checking the scores or highlights every night just to see if they keep the streak alive.

For those wanting to watch, NBC Sports Network will pick up the Wild-Blackhawks game (via CSN Chicago) in progress immediately following the conclusion of the Flyers-Rangers telecast tonight, sometime around 10 ET. Then NBC Sports Network has the exclusive (US) telecast (TSN2 in Canada) of the Avalanche-Blackhawks game on Wednesday.

 

I will really be surprised if Tampa Bay GM Steve Yzerman doesn't try to get a goalie before the trade deadline. Was watching them lose to Pittsburgh last night and goaltending is a glaring weakness. (Yes, they turn the puck over too much, too, but that's not a personnel issue.)

Right now they have Matthieu Garon and Anders Lindback splitting time (Garon got hurt on Monday). Steven Stamkos is obviously a terrific offensive player and a lot of fun to watch. And the supporting cast is decent. People tend to forget that when they got to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals two years ago, they had Dwayne Roloson playing really well and Mike Smith as a backup. If they get a good goaltender, I could see them being a playoff darkhorse.

I wonder if Vancouver would be interested in trading either of its goalies to an Eastern team like Tampa Bay.

 

I can't believe how over the Blackhawks are in Chicago. They are huge right now. This is bigger than the Cup year, when most of the town didn't really pick up on it until they made the Final.

Every time I turn on the local sports radio, they are talking about the Blackhawks. Five years ago, the same hosts made a habit of openly mocking anyone who tried to turn the conversation to hockey. My facebook feed is lit up with people who wouldn't have known which lines were which color a few years ago. It's really fun.

I've actually heard some people begin to openly wonder if this team should be talked about in terms of the 72-win Bulls. Anytime you are allowed into a conversation with Jordan in Chicago, you are in some rare air.