One More Reason

... to loathe the Leafs.

Cross posted at Moldy.

Which will suck more?

HABS WIN HABS WIN HABS WIN

Finally! They win by more than one non-empty net goal! And they do it on the strength of a team effort! Plex, Higgins, Kostitsyn, Komi, Markov, Ryder and above all, Latendresse. Go Kim-Chee!
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What a pass! Shadow gets his chicken wings! And the honourary Korean, Kim Moi Park, says "For the record, the second fucking moron is the guy who plugs Paul Simon in the middle of a liveblog of a hockey game/leadership debate." True enough.
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WOWWWWW! What a pass! Kostitytns!!!
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How many times must Sheldon Souray shoot, before he hits the net? The answer, my friend, is blowing by you at 110 miles per hour.
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For the record, "Tenderness," the second cut on Paul Simon's seminal "There Goes Rhymin' Simon" album, is an underrated gem. Slow, steady, working to a great peak. Check it out.
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Now this is the new NHL, where obvious calls are ignored and little shit is heavily penalized. Regardless, Plekanec is all-tough out there.
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Plekanec is hooked by three guys and doesn't get a call. Fucking NHL. Refs are losers. You heard it here first. That means you, Ron Maclean.
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That Francis Bouillon. So intense. Takes out Aebischer. Doesn't matter.
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Shadow says that Dunham is the new Dumont. That makes Huet the new Aebischer and Halak the new Boisclair. Jack Layton is the new Mike Richter and Mike Richter is the new Stockwell Day.
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HIGGINS HIGGINS HIGGINS YOU SUCK ISLES! GO KOSITYTYUTSN! HIGGINS
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Comments are off because Blogger sucks. Go WordPress!
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Shadow Stevens writes in:

"If the Canadiens make the playoffs, I'll vote for the ADQ."

Dumont might just have picked up a vote tonight. He lost about a million, though, so, not a great night. Not exactly Guillaume latenDress out there, you know? More like Jaaannee Niiniimiaaaiiiaa.

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So if you swat a puck from your own end way over the boards, it's not a penalty. Why? Because you swatted it.
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The referees have just invented a signal. Brilliant.
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Sure you don't want to replay that once more? Geez.
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Why does this have to take so long? Fucking A.
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That is such a goal.
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THE TENDERNESS! What? No goal? Groan.
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These fucking robot dodge cartoon/live action ads are just the worst thing ever.
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Apparently, all the posts are there and I am a moron. Thanks for the newsflash, Phoff.
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Question: Why does Pizza Pizza advertise at the Bell Centre? Can you even get Pizza Pizza in Quebec (off McGill campus)?
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Did the Internets swallow Moi's comment (and my post)? Or was Phoff running things? America, you decide.
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Comment from Moi:

The only fucking moron is the idiot who censored Laksa

Phoff, you deserve to be Bertuzzied

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Thanks, Ottawa!
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Oh, man, is this boring. Seriously, it's freaking dull.
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Ah, yes, the tuition debate. Boisclair is about to call Charest a liar. Beautiful.
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What's with DeadWood's PQ lapel pin? That's lame. Couldn't he find a fleur-de-lys? Or at least something to match his green tie? You think he's secretly working for the Green Party? Maybe that's why his campaign is in the toilet. Louigi and Andy are going at it over schools. I'd love to see these two tiptoe around the Jewish schools issue (remember that mess? Funny how we've all gotten past the dark days of this government).
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Back to the action. Phoff sayd Dumont has been cheating with notes. Doesn't appear to be helping.
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If Kostitsyn can ever find the net, he'll score thirty goals and I'll learn to spell his last name. Until then, get off the freaking power play.
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Koivu gets manhandled, and no call. Fucking refs. Such goobers.
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Koivu = robbed of a goal when Richard Park runs into the net before Saku can put it in. Two minutes for cock-blocking.
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Why did Luc Robitaille try to lure the Penguins to Kansas City? Seriously, why KC? Why Lucky Luc, why?
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Phoff sucks. Vote for Saku!
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WTF is with the mod deleting my posts about Ryder's goal, the linesman's face and Laksa? CENSORSHIP!
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Phoff here :

You suck the most, Beeg. Yes, you're a moron.

In case you forgot, this is a hockey blog. Leave Deadwood, Sade and Dupont out of here.

Oh yeah, tell Lubelly I'm going to win the bet.

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Philosophy time. If you liveblog a hockey game and nobody reads it, are you a fucking moron?
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Sounds like DiPietro could be out for a while. Meanwhile, Komisarek has the coolest injury ever - the slice near his right eye has left a jagged trail of blood down the side of his face. I think the Aaron Downey fan club president might have a new hero. Meanwhile, Ryder and The Tenderest Tendrell almost hook up again.
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Coolest t-shirt ever: a larger-than-life caricature of Aaron Downey. Beautiful.
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Wow. Michael Ryder manages to do both his moves (the bull along the boards move and the toe drag) before setting up The Tenderness who pops it in top shelf. Canadiens fans everywhere vote for him.
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Yikes. Ted Nolan could take a lesson in buying ties from André Boisclair. Looks like Ballzov out there. You heard me right, Ballzov. I'm calling you out too.
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Was it Ryan Smyth? Did he cry after? Also, "attaque massive" is an awesome way of describing a power play.
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What the fuck?!? Who scored? WHAT THE FUCK!!! Ugh.
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Best part of the debate? The many, many shots of the "reverse angle" camera. Awesome. That is SO delaghetto.
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This liveblog, by the way, is brought to you by Laksa. Mmmmm, laksa.
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8:35 p.m.: Somebody finally references a page of the other guy's campaign book. Debate cliché #1, you are crossed off the list.
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Where else but Quebec could two out of three potential jurisdiction heads debate the merits of something Greenpeace said?
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I think JC and the Sunshine Band is promising to be first among Canadians in continuing to ignore the Kyoto Accord.
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Mario Dumont, fighting the environemnt.
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Mario Dumont, Eco-Warrior.
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I think this is the part of the debate where Quebecers get all smug because we can be eco-friendly (what with all our waterfalls). You suck, Alberta!
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André the Giant has figured out that the best way to get elected is to talk about how badly the province sucks. My fellow Quebecers, we're dead last. Vote for me!
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This is awesome. Char-ay and Clearwood are bickering about numbers. Go democracy!
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André brings the stats. Charazr refuses to look at him. Brilliant. Sadly, his jacket is too big. Prime Minister Lubelly, everyone.
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Period ends with 1:01 left in the Ryan Smyth double-minor. Hmmm. 101, eh? Better flip to Radio-Canada. Jean Charest is dressed like he's going to a Mob funeral. He's going to go after old people or something. How can someone as young as Mario Dumont have been around forever? I think J.C. cut his hair for this debate. That's kind of sweet. Dumont's got a serious number eleven going.











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The Tenderness sloooowly falls into the boards. What a surprise.
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Smelldon hits the post. Go Smelldon!
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Four-minute power play. Only the Montreal Canadiens (circa 2007) could fuck this up. Any bets?
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Fuck! Why is Dunham good? What the hell?!
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Seriously, between me and Mike Boone, you wouldn't expect him to be the one using the expression, "That is so bush," would you?
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I just wanna go on record here: Mike Boone, I am calling you out, bitch.
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I'd totally vote for Jean Charest if he took out some Quebec Solidaire guy at the blue line. Hardcore.
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Rick DiPietro, the most fun goalie in the league to watch, is a reckless moron.
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Hey Ballzov, WTF?!? Would it kill your Sens to beat the Rangers? Geez.

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Why do they record these people (I'm talking about the debates here) in an echo chamber? It sounds like Mario "Lemieux" Dumont is debating himself. I think Andre Boisclair and I have the same tie.

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The Quebec leaders' debate or Sheldon Souray's defence?

Welts & Suspensions

So, first, I want to thank Rob and Shaky for keeping this site alive over the past few months. I wanted this site to become more than just a blog for the playoffs, but I haven't been keeping up my end of the bargain. As we approach the second season, it seems that I have more to say about the goings on in the NHL.

Today, for example, we found out that Chris Simon was handed a hefty suspension (25 games plus the playoffs) for his vicious chop to the face of Ranger Ryan Hollweg. This, in my view, is fair. What I don't get, however, is how Cam Janssen of the Devils got away with only 3 games for an act that I consider as just as vicious on Toronto's Tomas Kaberle.

Now, many will argue to the contrary. After all, as I've heard it already, the Jansen hit was just a late bodycheck. He, according to some, simply took the concept of "finishing his check" a little too far and the results were disastrous. Bullshit.

I've watched and played hockey for 30 years and the concept of "finishing a check" is well known to me. It's a fairly simple concept. If a player has already begun the motion of checking an opposing player, he is allowed to follow through even after the opposing player has gotten rid of the puck. There is, of course, a timing element to the concept. The "motion" cannot last for more than 2 or 3 seconds.

In the case of the Janssen hit, he clearly pursued Kaberle for quite some time after the Toronto player had passed the puck. Janssen had the intention of chasing Kaberle down regardless of the fact that he had the puck or not. To me, this is an intent to injure and it is just as vicious as the Chris Simon slash.

I understand, however, that the length of the Simon suspension is based on the fact that he has a record of suspensions and that Colin Cambell took this fact into consideration. Nevertheless, 3 games for the Janssen hit is, in my view, not enough.

What, no pass to Tim Kerr?

Former Philly Flyer Brian Propp is running for the New Jersey Assembly

Despite his status as a left-winger for the Flyers, Propp is running as a Republican. Not a good year to be playing on your Flyer credentials.

Cry me a river

I don't want to harp on the Ryan Smyth trade more than I have to, but I am compelled to comment. Like I said earlier, I believe most of the blame should fall on the shoulders of Oilers GM Kevin Lowe for sending mixed messages to Smyth (he overpays Pisani for one single playoff run, he will not overpay his top scorer for twelve years of loyal service).

That being said, I was somewhat disturbed by Ryan Smyth's emotional breakdown while talking to the media before heading out to Long Island. While I enjoyed making fun of him, and while I have always cheered against him when he wore any jersey without a Maple Leaf emblazoned on it, I have never despised Smyth as I had for some of his predecessors in Oil Drop garb; however, I found his sniffling in front of the cameras to be a bit degrading. Yes, he loved being in Edmonton and, yes, he played a high-stakes gamble and lost, but the man was offered $5 million to stay and play a game and he turned it down, and then cried about it? It was a trade, for crying out loud. It was a business decision. There was no one holding a gun to his head, his family is well-taken care of, and he's playing the game he loved. If both parties weren't so stubborn, Smyth would have realized he was asking for too much, and Lowe would have realized that he ought to have paid for the mistakes he had made since the Cup run.

I can feel for the fans, but Smyth cannot ask me for feeling sorry for his "broken heart", not after he had some control over his own fate and screwed it up himself. There is simply too much pain and suffering in this world to pay any heed to the tears of a millionaire hockey player.

UPDATE: Bruce Dowbiggin has more on tear-dropped Oil Drops:

Now I know why they call him Mess. Could Mark Messier cry a little more? Tell him the Oilers already have a Zamboni for flooding the rink. Sheesh. What happens when he sees an abandoned kitten? That must start a new tributary of the North Saskatchewan.