All-Purpose Hockey Thread II

And that's what you get for being on OTR. Serves you right.

Landsberg is the only guy who 1) thinks every one of his questions is brilliant and 2) can strut while sitting.

 

And as they brought up, with the vote coming down next week, wouldn't a wait-and-see approach work right now?

I think Balsillie got this reception from the NHL on non-movement of the Penguins, and maybe figured "Well if I'm going to own this thing, I need to run it. I'm not going to have the commisioner of the league tell me what I can and can't do."

 

The Penguins' game of can-you-top-this (at least tonight's 7-goal version) has a new leader:

Crosby tonight on Malone's third goal. Couple of passes to himself (one off the boards behind the net) undresses Alexi Zhitnik and then Crosby hits Malone wide open in front of the net. My God.

 

Mustard, since you're a Pens fan, what do you think of the Balsillie situation?

 

I've gone back-and-forth (multiplied by about 1,000) on the whole situation. And while I'm not in Pittsburgh (so there are certainly those with much more knowledge of the situation), I'm going to call it a good thing ... I think.

My guess as to how it went down:
1. Balsillie figures IOC isn't winning the slots, so he buys with the intention of either
a) IOC winning and he makes a mint, or
b) IOC loses and he moves the team lickity-split

2. NHL gets wind of Balsillie's intentions to move and turns the screws on him.
3. Balsillie tells the league to eat it and backs out of the deal.

My gut says it's good, because it shows the league is going to do all it can to force the new owner to keep the team in Pittsburgh. Makes me think the league sees Plan B as a viable option.

But the way this thing has gone, there's absolutely no telling what could happen tommorrow, the next day, or the 20th for that matter.

 

Too bad His Serene Imperial Bettman, Gary I, wasn't nearly as committed to keeping the Nords in Quebec, the Jets in Winnipeg and the Whalers in Hartford. Fuckshit.

To be honest, I'd much prefer the NHL stay in Pittsburgh and abandon a city where it makes absolutely no sense to be there (pick one, we have a variety of choices). But it cannot insist that he agree to keep the club in Pittsburgh no matter what or else it'll be taken away from him. Not if you expect him to retain any kind of serious interest.

While the league certainly must have some control over where its franchises are located, it should not be allowed to force an owner to keep a team where it cannot be successful. And if Balsillie were to have given Pittsburgh a fair shot and the team failed anyway, it should be entirely his prerogative to look elsewhere.

As the NHL becomes more and more exciting on the ice, the lack of brainpower in its executive offices becomes more and more staggering.

 

Crosby's a fraud. He only put together a four point night against the Islanders.

In a related story, Washington beat Atlanta 3-2 in overtime. Ovechkin scored all of the Caps' goals.

 

Is anyone else dreading the new "form-fitting" uniforms?

 

I think they're going to be great. Excellent decision to take something that didn't need to be fixed and make it worse.

Yours truly,
The new NBA ball

 

Crosby made Zhitnik look so ridiculous the Islanders went and traded him.

Wait, let's try this.

Crosby made Zhitnik look so ridiculous the Flyers went out and traded for him.

 

Mr Irish,

I can think of a lot of beer leaguers who are dreading it.

YHS, etc

 

Funny Maurice note from the Star-Trib:

—Toronto ended a seven-game losing streak by rallying from a 3-1 deficit to beat Tampa Bay. The rally began after coach Paul Maurice called a timeout and annihilated his bench with a profanity-laced tirade. “Sometimes it doesn’t even have to be coherent as long as it’s loud enough and profane enough to take the focus away from the moment,” Maurice said. Said Michael Peca, “Paul can be the happiest guy in the world and can still sound X-rated.”