And so it starts...

It's that hive-enducing time of the year again!

I hate Free-Agency. I hate how players automatically become free-agents, which allows many of their money-grubbing personal agents to go out and find someone willing to overpay a player that is worth maybe half of what they write down.

Scott Gomez is no different. But it's really not his fault Sather offered him that salary. It's not uncommon to see a player break the bank after an incredible run/season. At least it makes more sense than what Komisaurus' agent is aiming to get him for... Could Mike be the new Dion Phaneuf? He certainly doesn't warrant the same type of salary Markov makes though.

However, this trade came out of nowhere. And it has left me in two sets of minds...

On one hand we have a player who has never missed the playoffs, ever. He's relatively healthy most of the season. He's fast and gritty, but can be annoying and oh god am I going to have to become a Gomez Appologist?

Is he better than Koivu? Well, not really. Sort of the same type of player, but minus the leadership part... But the Habs have tons of leadership, so as much as I don't want to say it, they won't lose out there. Gomez is the type of player that will produce when on a line with skilled players. And if Martin can fix this team to have a proper system, there won't be much shortage of skilled players to work with. Plus Gomez' best years were when he played on the defensively solid Devils team that brought him 2 Stanley Cups. Last year was crap though. However, he was still the Rangers' best player! (Yea, I don't count Antropov because he got most of his points with the Leafs, but he was only like 4 points above Gomez). And when they fired Renney and brought in Torts, he was like a completely different player. I saw the fire return in his eyes. Just a little bit, but it was there and it was visible.

My other set of mind is on what we lost for him. Higgins, well...we don't know every year what he will do and it's mostly because of injuries. It's a shame though, since he really found his role when Gainey put him on Metro's shutdown line. His offense came back even when he was in a defensive mode. He's excellent on the PK so that role seems like a no-brainer to me anyway. While I don't really have much fear in him becoming Jon LeClair part 2, I'll be sad to see him go. Happy he's going home though. Happy he won't have to sit in a restaurant and have "YOU SUCK" yelled into his face by some idiot Habs fan (who should be slapped). Happy I won't have to cringe when he "tips it wide" time after time. But I'll miss his work on the PK, his shorthanded goals, his goals from impossible angles, and his hilarious celebrations. I just hope Torts uses him properly, unlike what I saw from Wilson at the IIHF.

My brother is probably pissed though. He just bought himself a #21 Higgins tshirt at the Habs store on Saturday. At the time while I was showing him the Markov and Kostitsyn shirts, I told him "watch he gets traded" and he grumbled "I bet he will". Voila.

And then there's Ryan McDonagh... Well, he was our top defensive prospect, so that sucks. But things haven't been going so good for him recently in his sophomore year, which sort of puts me on the fence. Does the jinx happen in school too? Maybe. He's been on a semi-decline this year, which, well he is a stay-at-home defenseman on a bad team so that could have someting to do with it or the NCAA just has nothing left to teach him. But as a top rated prospect it was disappointing to know. The players that ended up ahead of him were one other sophomore and some junior players. The problem with McD is he is just what he is: a defenseman. He's positionally smart but has problems moving the puck up. I guess you can say he's like Hammer in a way. I'm starting to think the trade was Gomez for McD and the rest were just add-ins, ya know, since Higgy is the only one in the package from the Habs capable of playing in the NHL right now. Either way, the Habs have a busload of defensemen left that most fans don't even know about who are working hard to make the team one day. And just because you're drafted in the 1st round doesn't automatically dictate how you will develope. We'll only really know how McD pans out in about 2 years.

There's Tank and Janik, but Tank is happy in Russia eating money and Janik is on yet another team's AHL depth chart again. Nothing I'm choked up about. Though I wish Tank were BACK in fucking Hamilton! But I digress...

Trades always hurt. As fans, we become attached to these players. The team itself is like a family, and we the fans are an extended part of this family, bound by a sweater and a name. We become excited for guys that are coming up. We hope for them to make the impact we've been told they might make. I'm no different. If it had been PK Subban, as I've been fearing for months, I'd be pretty upset. But there would be nothing I could do about it except rant my mind on this blog... But it makes you wonder. Will McD turn into the solid player we've seen a guy like Versteeg turn into? There's a guy Boston should be kicking themselves in trading for, well, nothing now as the player they got in return isn't even in their system. (Though I think Hnidy came through a draft pick along the way, but I don't really know).

It's kind of funny though. Habs fans and Rags fans are sounding exactly alike today concerning the trade and their GMs. Rags are pissed that they now have a big hole at center, just lost their #1 guy and the only one able to move the puck in the powerplay, and appear to be expecting Lecavalier and Heatley to be signed tomorrow while Sather trades away "more junk" or loses Callahan and Rozsival. (Think Habs fans are bad towards Saku? Rags fans call their Captain Drury "Dreary"). They're in a rage because they wanted Pacioretty or D'Agostini instead of the blue chipper blue liner. At least Habs fans can rest assured that Gomez has a limited NTC (it's a little weird and very open and the GMs didn't even follow it anyway), he can still be traded if things don't look to be going good. But coming from a guy who was openly embarrassed about his point total this year, he's just dying for that new start to happen. So let's give him his chance. He's got an office right next to the net where Tavares plays on the PP. He goes to the net when he's not passing. And when he is, let's watch him feather some passes to hopefully Kovy or Patches who keep their sticks on the ice, ready and waiting to tip a puck in.

Boing!

After all, I remember Habs fans going apeshit when Gainey brought in Kovy for pretty much nothing. Now he's our star and our best scorer and if you hate him for what he is, then you don't know Kovy...

Habs still have 27,5mil left to play with people. Let's not explode all at once ok?

There's a new prospect smell over the city!

And it doesn't smell like my gym bag, either.

What a busy weekend! Now that the awesomeness of Louis Leblanc has shifted away from the stupid to more wonderful tales of awesome, we now have the rest of our Class of 2009 all settled in.

I didn't get to watch or read anything about the kids since we were out playing ball hockey (wonder if I made hockey history by being the first goalie to score the game winner in a shootout) and hung around the Olde Orchard pub (I'm still stunned I won a cap signed by all the 2009 Islanders...OKPOSO!!!). At the moment I'm half awake, thanks McGill for heating your gym in the summer! I think I sweated out my body weight. That cheeseburger at the Pub felt like a gift from god.

The Tweetup also raised $400 for Hockey Fights Cancer in a paid raffle for some signed gear. Not bad for our small group! Good work everyone! Especially the AllHabs gang!

Now I finally got a chance to check out the kids, and let me tell you I am STOKED about these youngins Timmins and his staff found. Though he mentioned there were a few from Sweden he would have loved to get, but they were taken before he could get to them, the ones he did get have every potential to be a cog on this team in the future to come. And that's what the Draft is all about: the future. I remember the days when our farm team was rather thin on everything before Gainey came in to take charge. His 5 year plan really rebuilt the team from the foundations up, and the prospects have made an impact or are in the process of making one.

Since we've already been inundated with stuff about Louis Leblanc, I went digging around for our other presents to see what I can find.

C - Joonas Nattinen (65th, 3rd round)
He was forced to the 2nd line in the WJC Under 18 because of another player they put on the top line. However he was their most consistent centerman, and the best faceoff man in the tournament. They even gave his line a nickname, the "cage" line. He says he thinks of himself as a cross between Mikko Koivu and Jason Spezza, which is like WOOOOO and, uh, woo, too me but I think he's smarter and probably less lazy than Spezza. Anyway, any kid excited to be following the steps of Saku is OK by me! While he may not be pretty, he's 6'2" and is listed to be a "Jordan Staal" type, which leaves me with this, "when can you start?"

D - Mac Bennett (79th, 3rd round)
I'll probably be calling him Mac the Knife. He's so slick! Timmins calls him a new breed of defensemen. What is that? One who is an offensive defenseman quarterback. One the Gatineau Olympiques want on their team so badly they've been buzzing around him like crazy. The Habs won't force him to go to the Q, since that's up to him. Not a bad tradeoff though, because he wants to go to Michigan. That's where Pacioretty went, where he'll also be under the watchful eye of Red Berenson. He says he thinks of himself as a Mike Green, and that couldn't be more accurate. He zips down the ice like there's no tomorrow. Once he sees an opening, he just takes it. Watch this little featurette on him, and you'll see why I'm pretty damn happy with this pick.

RW - Alexander Avtsin (109th, 4th round)
He says he's like Ovechkin. They even list him as an Ovechkin style player. I mean check this out: in 76 games, he scored 56 goals, had 54 assists, and a 110 penalty minutes, and he's only 17 in a league that's right under the KHL. Moscow Dynamo is no stranger to having players go to the Canadiens either (Kovy, Markov). Everything I hear about him makes me think of Ovie, but with the humble more down to earth sense of Kovy and Markov. Apparently he was labeled a 1st rounder, but the fact he's Russian probably scared people away. Or maybe it's because he wasn't hyped up from the WJC crowd, since he was cut for some bizarre reason. Is there a fear of him being stuck in Russia? If he stays it won't be by his own accord. He came to the draft, he knows of the team and how traditionally rich it is, he wants to come here. And when he says this, "I play a physical style with lots of speed and a hard shot but I need to work on my game away from the puck. I will work hard to do it"--I'm a happy fan to hear someone eager to work on his weaknesses to better his game. He's too young for the AHL, but Timmins said he'd put him in Hamilton tomorrow if he could.

C - Gabriel Dumont (139th, 5th round)
Here's a guy who knows what he has to do to get to where he wants to go. He knows he has to improve his skating, but despite that still managed 28 goals and a team-high of 4 shorties and 3 game winners. He knows he'll be a 3rd or 4th liner, used to shutdown and grind. Heart, soul, passion, skill, he may be small by some standards but plays every part. Timmin's praise for Dumont was touching, as the kid went through the Memorial Cup playoffs with one shoulder. The Voltigeurs won the Q and were the best team in the League, but that battle hurt them in the march through the Memorial Cup (the entire team was injured but still stood up to play). He's a Max Talbot in pretty much every sense, and after the Pens win you know how all the fans want one of those guys...

C - Dustin Walsh (169th, 6th round)
If Dustin Walsh had more exposure he probably wouldn't be sitting there in the 6th round... This guy tore up the OJHL, with a team high 63 points in 44 games (32 goals). A bit foreshadowing maybe? He plays for the Kingston Voyageurs... The Vees have a very lovely uniform, if I do say so myself.


There's also some video on him. He wears #8. I still can't get over how freaky coincidental his uniform is. I love how he flies though.

C - Micheal Cichy (199th, 7th round)
I don't know much about him, but there's another Danny Kristo Connection! Apparently Cichy is Kristo's roommate. (EDIT!) Found some info on Cichy. He earned MVP honors in the Ice's march to a 2009 Clark Cup championship with a league-best 25 points (6G, 14A) to cap off a 76-point season (34G, 42A). How does Timmins find these guys?! Some video here of Cichy talking playoffs, an old one of him with Tri-City scoring an empty netter with a hilarious commentator. He was also somewhere in here...

G - Petteri Simila (211th, 7th round)
The Habs traded with the Pens for this last pick in the draft (traded next year's 6th round pick) just so they could cap it off in their court. The Pens agreed, which was very kind of them. So who is Simila? He's another one of those giant goalies Timmins is finding ever since he picked up Price. While he's between Price and Missiaen in size, he hails from the same team and goalie coach that produced Pekka Rinne.

You're number 1 in my heart

Duck and cover!

Despite being afraid he'd get taken away by the Wild, who were seriously considering it but opted for a defenseman from their own backyard, Habs picked a good West Island kid just like they hoped: Louis Leblanc. He's already got his own "Lou~is!Lou~is!" cheer too! Probably walked out a lot happier than noted Habs fan/supposed to be Sens' pick Nazem Kadri...who got picked by our mortal enemy, the Leafs. Poor kid!

Nelson Muntz moment of the evening
When the Kings snatched away Brayden Schenn, Brian Burke plotzed. No brothers for you!

Give the kid a hug
Nazem Kadri was obviously happy to be picked but looked noticeably hurt he was sporting a blue leaf.

Mumbling mumbler award
Tavares. Speak up, man!

Questionable humans
The Capitals squad appared to refuse to touch the food and drinks provided on their table, leaving us to wonder if they were a) robots, or b) camels.

Noticeably bored
Bruins and Blackhawks appeared to be so bored they were trading desserts.

Fuck you, Bettman
The PHOENIX Coyotes. Yea, we heard you, douchenozzle. Three cheers to the crowd for starting a HA!MIL!TON! chant.

WTF FLYERS?!
Because Danny Briere was feeling lonely in sucking up your cap space, you deal away the only player I like on your team (Luca Sbisa) and Lupul plus some picks for...PRONGER?! I guess there's the defenseman who will be waiting in the weeds to pounce on Ovie, eh Don Cherry? Watch your elbows, kids. Guess the Flyers felt they weren't violent enough.

This was the type of deal I was hoping Bob NOT to make for Vince, as in replace Sbisa with Subban and Pronger for Vince. Thank you, Bob for not doing it.

Crowd thinking Bob was trading
He was actually asking around to switch up picks because he wanted to make sure no one would steal Leblanc. They got particularily interested when he was talking with the Panthers. Hahaha, you guys are the funneh.

Just drafted, already being run out of town
What. The. Fuck. Yea, the young man believes in a good education and has opted to go to Harvard to maybe study economics while continuing his hockey studies. He's only 18, he's only 6'1", he's still growing and/or filling in the frame. WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT FROM HIM?! Unhappy they were picking Americans for years, now they finally find a local still available that they wanted and pick him, and the fans complain. Waiting around for the "big splash" that was promised, when in fact nothing happened and frankly no one promised anything other than the rumor mill at various media outlets, and fans huff and puff. On my way to the metro, a group of guys were visibly and vocally grumpy, slurring Leblanc's name, and whining about the lack of a trade for Lecavalier, saying it'll probably happen tomorrow, and how Leblanc will play 5 games and then disappear... Lucky I'm good at restraining myself from jumping people who piss me off.

The merry go round and round

9 out of 10 times, that's usually how it is

I don't know what people are crowing about. When a "company" decides to take a new direction, there is usually movement with the staff. Whether done by phone or to one's face is irrelevant. If you work retail, your boss will usually phone you and tell you not to bother coming in the next day. (To which you usually reply to yourself, "Great! I can sleep in!").

And so the axe falleth on Jarvis, Lever, and Ron "the Dog" Wilson. It doesn't surprise me, really. Jacques Martin reviewed the staff and made his choices and then it was up to Bob to break the news to them regardless of his personal feelings. Yea it may sound cold, but it's nothing personal. Business is business, and Martin is looking for who he will want next to him to deal with his team. And coming from a guy who has very little ties with any of the staff members, he's working from a clean slate.

This isn't a knock on their abilities at all. Everyone knows they're great coaches. But a decision comes to try something new. With a new head coach, usually comes new ideas and a new system. Usually they want to bring in their own guys. The fact they kept the assistants for him to see if he could use them is classy enough. In the end, they look to change how goaltending is handled, probably looking for an actual defenseman for a defensive coach instead of just another defensive forward, and with the new coach's system, he'll probably want this sent to the "kids" in Hamilton so that everyone will be relatively on the same page. Of course it's disappointing, especially for Lever and Wilson who have done well with the Bulldogs. Why, Wilson has been around even longer than Lever, really... But to run something properly one can't allow their personal feelings to get in the way.

And, like his players, Martin appears to have taken a shine to Captain Kirk, as he's the only one staying. (Sergio Momesso, who was promoted to assistant from player development, is still in limbo pending the new Bulldogs' coach). This provides Martin with someone close to players he doesn't know yet. Muller is the bridge that binds them.

Wow, three more days until the first overall is called. Time flies when you're bored out of your mind!

A note of thanks and a grand welcome

I can summarize my feelings when the news broke in a simple sentence: thank fucking god it wasn't Quebecor!

And so I would like to take this opportunity to express my thanks to Mr. Gillett for all he has done for my city and the Canadiens. You were truly a great owner and a wonderful person. And I hope you will continue to visit the team from your usual seat just by the glass in the corner of the rink, where your cherub face and gracious smile always was a pleasant sight to be hold as the team scored a few goals. I thank you for taking hold of this team and continuing it's long tradition when the locals around town turned their backs and shunned it. I thank you for leading us out of those dark days where it felt like there was little to no hope of seeing a Stanley Cup return to town. We may not have won anything that grand during your tenure, but the path has been cut and I have faith your efforts have helped this team turn back into a strong contender. I thank you for the wonderful practice facility where the players can basically move into and workout all day or unwind in a top-of-the-line gym or relax in their common rec room and challenge one another to Mario Kart or Guitar Hero. I thank you for updating the scoreboard into that lovely giant behemoth of crystal clear clarity. I thank you for bringing the ice rinks/summer play areas to our less fortunate city zones. I thank you for that lovely Centennial Plaza, where I hope to see my brick one day. (I have two, my father got the family one, and I received one with my playoff tickets which I used as a forum to express my thanks for all the memories I had this year to a few players that I truly love, though I love them all but couldn't fit all their numbers on the brick). And for being there when your players needed you, helping them through troubled times and injury. You were a great owner Mr. Gillett. Thank you for selecting the long-standing Molson family, a royal family of sorts in this city and one who has been with the club through many generations. I have faith they will continue your good deeds with their own, and continue along that path you created.

With that, I welcome our new overlords, the Brothers Molson. Here is your championship hat!

Tweetups, drafts, and strategic warfare

Next week, hundreds of wide-eyed hopefuls will await in the Phone Booth for their name to come up which will set them on a team that will nuture them towards a hopefully long hockey career. This time, hockey fans from all around are welcome to join in an official Tweetup at the Ye Olde Orchard Pub just a stone's throw from where all the action is. But also that morning, fans are getting together for something different! I've joined in to play goalie for one of the sides in a game of ball hockey at McGill University's Fieldhouse. So if you're in town for the Draft, head on over and join in or cheer us on!

On to my other passion. Channel 4 over in the UK made a historical drama about the Battle of Hastings, 1066, and they created a lovely little strategy flash game to go with it. I'm hooked. At work, I stomped through two campaigns, starting off as the northern invading Vikings, and then continuing as the Saxons rushing to save what's left of their land. I'm up to the rank of Captain now. It's just perfect for killing time at work. But it's too bad it wasn't released sooner... When I was at Gameloft, we were working on something similar to this. A "King Arthur" type game based off the Might and Magic franchise, that eventually went all silly and crazy and cool and they eventually canned it because more often than not, companies fear originality. Anyway, I'll play through this one instead of subjecting my wrists to more carpal tunnel.

Summer will now interfere with no call

Hey! Just like the Red Wings!

How much you wanna bet if the Habs played that kind of interference defense they'd be in the box the whole time and we'd have to listen to Houde & Brunet tell us how indisciplined they are? I know because I've seen it a few time when Breezer or Hammer step up to challenge a guy only to get called for some phantom interference. As my brother said "because we're not marketable, because you don't need to sell the game to Canadians". They need a team like the Wings to market to the feel-good story of the year for the poor burnt out husk of Detroit. (I dunno, it always looked that way too me. Was a creepy quiet place last time I drove through there). Gotta redo those faceoffs kids 'cause Detroit didn't get the puck! How many times can one crosscheck a Penguin without getting called but hey Malkin don't you dare tap that guy from behind so that he falls over like the world just crashed on his back. It's all water under the bridge now. In the end, and NOT according to Red Fisher or Don Cherry or those stand-ins on CJAD that have very annoying tones in their voices, the better team won. That's right, the Penguins finally got their Cup after stinking up the joint enough to round up a dozen first-rounders of the high draft pick choice. I was hoping they would do it, mostly because Detroit infuriates me. And for Ho Ho Hossa.

That's right, I just don't like Detroit.

And while people cried that the superstars did mostly nothing the whole series, it's not easy to work with a big target on your back. (And I disagree, as they were working very hard but getting shutdown, their presence however was always felt). That's why you got the other Superstar (and the Staal-Clone). Bet Talbot will work on a new car ad this summer.

But in the end, now we can say: Satan's name is on the Cup.

Home is where the heart is...

...and where the bills must be paid.

I'm frightened to look at my account to see if said bills were automatically paid while I was playing with baby horseshoe crabs on a beach and hiding them from evil little children. But I'm home now, resting from a long day of driving and ready to start cleaning. Work tomorrow. Stanley Cup game Friday. The weekend better be sunny-ish.

So Heater wants out of Ottawa. This is why I frown upon the extremely long-term deals of high monetary kind. If a young stud signs for a reasonable price at 3-5 years, it doesn't hurt as much and to trade him isn't a heavy burden on both teams involved. But when a player's salary might possibly strap a team with 15% of it's cap space dedicated to one guy (especially when that cap space is going down), you got the home team scrambling and the buying team uneasy. Of course, it's Heater so I don't really care. I hear he's aiming West. Is beer and pizza involved in helping him move?

I think I'm in love with the judge that's dealing with the circus over the Coyotes. How can you not love a man who deadpans how wrong Bettman and the League in general are? For that matter, has anyone read this so-called Constitution of the NHL? Hail Kommissar? And was I the only one who cracked up laughing when Bettman appeared in court while the Pens/Wings were playing their lives out? "This warrants my personal attention" like someone was adopting his only child after a bitter divorce. Oh right. Well there was another Fuck You Winnipeg, eh guys?

I understand Bettman though. You can't get the guy to admit he was wrong. My father is like that. He'll find every possible angle and every possible excuse to refute against any accusation of being wrong regardless of how apparent it is.

So Alexei Emelin decided to stay again in Russia. Well...that sucks. Not much you can do about it, as disappointing as it is and as disappointed Trevor Timmins must be after hearing from the kid how annoyed he was being an NHL-style player in the KHL where he would be in the box more than he'd like. But the mysetrious circumstances leads one to wonder... Was it Emelin? His agent seemed rather surprised by him signing again. Or did he get the old "my dad signed me this contract" like Tank? Either way, it's an unfortunate blow but the idiots blamming Gainey are well, idiots. Blame the KHL and the rules of the NHL regarding entry contracts. Either way, it gives more room for Subban, Weber, Carle, Belle, Mcdonagh, Fisher, and the whole squadron of Dmen we have, one more extra shot to move in. (Though I don't think Weber needs to worry). With the draft coming in, I can't see them going for another Russian unless he's a player in the various North American junior leagues, but those that are will probably be snatched up before they get a chance to do so if they haven't already been drafted.

Time to do some work. Today we find out if GG is selling and if Quebecor will ruin our lives forever. Oh and Flyers, good luck with that basketcase Emery.

Front seat view of Bettman's Empire

It takes the same amount of time to drive to Myrtle Beach as it does to drive to Sault-Ste-Marie.

I have one more day to fry upon the sandy shores of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, while the Pens and Wings fight to the not-death for Lord Stanley's glorious silverware. And as I try to reconnect myself with the Northern portion of this hemisphere for some relevant news, I've learned a few things about The South.

For one, apparently there's a lot of Pittsburgh Steelers merchandise around and this is confusing me.

But as I stand just South of 'Canes Country (even though I'm pretty sure South Carolina has way more hurricane activity than North Carolina), I can count on one hand the things I've seen related to hockey. And TV isn't one of them.
- A kid in the lobby was wearing a Crosby shirt.
- A guy seated in the chinese restaurent was wearing a Red Wings jersey (and I think it was his own name too).
- A car had a lame attempt to decal itself with a painted Go Redwings (sic) on it.
- A guy working at some Surf and Board shop in a fancy new marketplace was apparently a Caps fan.
- A car parked at the Cracker Barrel had one of those Hurricanes fan plates on for the front of the car.

When the finals kicked off, Versus was showing rodeo. Television sets were tuned to football or baseball, hell I even saw soccer, while the Pens made a series out of the series. By the time I even find NBC's awful feed the games are already over. (Nevermind it took me the entire week to find a decent radio station). The "sports" section at the local Barnes and Noble doesn't even have The Game let alone anything that related to the legends or history of hockey but there sure was plenty of baseball. I have no idea what the newspapers are like. They're mostly about Obama's day anyway, which is a step up from last year being mostly about Britney Spears I guess.

Bravo, Gary Bettman. You're plan to expose and convert the Southern sun-fried bible-thumping masses was apparently a smash hit!

I'm kind of sad to be leaving on Sunday, as I hear the weather is beyond shit back home and the seperatists are starting up yet again with more stupidity, and Mario Tremblay is rumoured to be coming to the Habs as assistant-coach-gag-me-with-a-spork... but school's out finally around here and the kids have all gone insane. Kids apparently have a curfew too, so they try to go insane just before it's time for bed. So in a way, I'm thankful to be heading home soon before some idiot launches a firecracker from the beach into my room. Also this humidity is ruining my hair.

Jacques' Town

I am officially beach fried.

But while I was frying, Bob was working. I keep the faith, Bob. You know what you're doing, I just get to watch the outcome. So while I headed south to fry on a beach, Jacques Martin headed north to fry in Montreal's media spotlight. And Rollie the Goalie was fried.

All I gotta say is, Jacques? Better start fixing that record against the Leafs or you'll be fried...

Fuck you, Leafs of Maple.

Unsecured networks connect me to reality

This is the view from my room. Apparently my hotel has free wireless internet in a cafe, but I was sitting in my room thinking "well, it's wireless and free, so maybe I can sneak on from my room". Sure enough, it doesn't work... but the internet from the hotel next door is wide open thank you very much.

So here I am, south of Hurricanes country, watching the Pens fail and I'm guessing Crosby's not going to like being in that picture again. Can they really come back from a 2-0 deficit against the Hockey Robots? Will this season really just repeat itself and feel like it never really happened? (Isn't that a good thing? To some, probably). Will Fleury stop flailing and play his stinking angles right? Do I really care? Not really. The beach looks lovely and I'm going to set myself up permanently upon it for a week.

One thing I've learned in South Carolina: road signs mean absolutely nothing.