Same Score, Different Team

It was a different night, a different arena and a different opponent but the final result was the same. The Storm managed to lose yet another game by the score of 1-0 to the Aurora Panthers.

With each game, the team plays harder and has begun to dominate games without scoring a goal. The Aurora coaching staff were very complimentary of the play of the Storm team and admitted they had stolen a win. Because of a few illnesses, there were new line combinations that worked out very well. The line that stood out was a new combination of Jessica R at centre between Maryssa and Marley. The line was dangerous all night and stripped Aurora defensemen of the puck on a regular basis. Kendra also played an exceptional game and could not be faulted on the goal that ended up being the only goal in the game.

Fortunately the team continues to be very positive despite the mounting losses. And there is a lot of positive things happening with this team. The goaltending has been quite good and has allowed more than 2 goals only once since the new year. The defense has been doing a great job in moving the puck out of the defensive zone up to the forwards. As a group the forwards are likely the fastest in the division and continue to put pressure on opposing teams. Now if only someone would score.

This weekend are two long road games to Midland and Camp Borden. Hopefully the roads will be good and some scoring will materialize.

So What's Next?

This season has actually been a revelation in terms of unmasking just how much of an effect the MLSE board — and Larry Tanenbaum and [MLSE president] Richard Peddie especially — have on the running of the Maple Leafs. First, there was the whole senior adviser ridiculousness in the summer, which culminated in last weekend's revelation that the deal was basically in place to bring in Scotty Bowman but Peddie decided three weeks before the season he wanted to see where the team would go.Then during the Leafs' first tough stretch, there was Peddie again, this time making ill-advised (read: stupid) comments that hiring Ferguson was a mistake. Finally, there is now the entire “Fire JFJ” saga which has gone from a seeming no-brainer move last summer to a daily drama that has made Ferguson a figure of sympathy and MLSE into a classless monolith that can't even fire a GM properly.

First it appears that Fletcher is only here on an interim basis. That could still change. What is his mandate? Is it to make a run at the playoffs or start rebuilding? Has the MLSE board changed its view on rebuilding the team? Does everything have to do through Peddie and then the board? Will Mat Sundin finally agree to a trade or will he stick to his pathological desire to stay a Leaf? Because there isn't much else to trade.

Gord Kirke (an excellent hockey person) is leading the search for a new GM and not Fletcher. Will the new GM still report to the board through Peddie? Will he be free to make hockey decisions without interference? The MLSE press release states that the new guy will have complete autonomy and should be "a long-term builder and a short-term fixer". Thank goodnes Punch Imlach is not available.

I'm not optimistic as long as a pension plan is the majority owner of the team and every decision is based on revenue and profit.

New Maple Leaf GM Announcement May Be Wednesday

The Fan 590's Howard Berger reports the MLSE board of directors held a lengthy meeting earlier today at the Air Canada Centre, hoping to iron out the details of a contract for Fletcher. He is looking to assume a presidential-type role (not interim), with full authority to hire the next general manager of the Maple Leafs. Cliff would remain at the top of the hockey department, and would have meaningful input into all matters relating to the team. Final authority, however, would be the domain of the GM, as in all functional organizations.

Fletcher is apparently looking for the MLSE board to move aside once a budget is in place. That means no approval of trades and free agent signings.

One further snag is minority shareholder and company chairman Larry Tanenbaum, who was instrumental in Fletcher being dismissed by the Leafs in May, 1997. Though no one will confirm this, it is believed Tanenbaum does not want Fletcher to return. In the latest round of his on-going internal squabble with CEO Richard Peddie, Tanenbaum is apparently trying to rally enough board members to offset the directors affiliated with Peddie, and the company’s prime shareholder, the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan.

I'm not thrilled about bringing Fletcher back. He had his good points but also a lot of weaknesses. But I do like the idea of eliminating all the political interference. If that can be accomplished, even my dear sweet mom would stand a chance to improve the Leafs.

Giants over the Packers

From Coming to America (1988)



Just call him Eddie "Nostradamus" Murphy.

At Least Someone is Enjoying the Weather

Irrefutable Proof the Group is Lip-Synching

Maple Leafs Win 3rd Straight Game

...Toronto Mayor David Miller digs out plans for a Stanley Cup Parade.

Toronto Maple Leaf Team Photo - 2007/08

All Stars by Nationality

Here is the breakdown of 44 All Star Game players by nationality:

Canada 23: Jason Arnott, Martin Brodeur, Brian Campbell, Sidney Crosby, Ryan Getzlaf, Dany Heatley, Shawn Horcoff, Jarome Iginla, Ed Jovanovski, Duncan Keith, Vincent LeCavalier, Manny Legace, Roberto Luongo, Rick Nash, Chris Osgood, Dion Phaneuf, Chris Pronger, Mike Richards, Martin St Louis, Marc Savard, Jason Spezza, Eric Staal, Joe Thornton

Russia 7: Pavel Datsyuk, Sergei Gonchar, Ilya Kovalchuk, Andrei Markov, Evgeni Nabokov, Alexander Ovechkin, Sergei ZubovSweden 4: Daniel Alfredsson, Nicklas Lidstrom, Henrik Sedin, Henrik Zetterberg

Slovakia 3: Zdeno Chara, Marian Gaborik, Marian Hossa

USA 3: Rick DiPietro, Scott Gomez, Paul Stastny

Czech Republic 2: Tomas Kaberle, Tomas Vokoun

Finland 1: Kimmo Timonen

Slovenia 1: Anze Kopitar

Over half the players in the game will be Canadian. Which makes me think that an interesting format might be Canada vs. The World. The number of Russians in the NHL has dropped off considerably as many are choosing to stay at home and play in the Russian Super League. There will be only 7 Russians in the All Star Game but considering there are only 31 Russians in the NHL this year, that means almost 25% are All Stars. Slovenia has only produced one NHL player ever in Anze Kopitar and he is in the All Star Game.

source

Storm Shut Out Again

The Storm had another very strong effort but once again came up with no goals and no points as they fell to Orillia 1-0. Aside from a 3-goal effort against Scarborough game, the powerplay continues to be unproductive. The team had 3 powerplay opportunities against Orillia and produced few good scoring chances. The closest the Storm got to scoring was a backhand shot by Sheri that beat the goalie was went off the post. After the game the frustration was evident in the faces in the dressing room. However, the players are doing the best and we all have to be patient until some forwards find the back of the net.

You Can't Put the Blame on the MLSE Board

Buried in a story from Dave Perkins in Wednesday's Toronto Star is this little tidbit from JFJ:

"The worst thing we did was finish a point out of the playoffs last year and get the 13th draft choice. The year before we missed by two points and got the 13th pick, which we traded away,'' said Ferguson, clearly indicating that a team gone deep in the tank can at least take solace in eventually landing a top draft choice.

"That wouldn't be the worst thing in the world,'' he said of a quality pick, adding that a plan to sacrifice present for future as a method of rebuilding was proposed a couple of years ago – presumably to the same Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment board of directors now said to be shopping his job around.

"That plan was not approved."

So what JFJ is suggesting is that had been allowed to blow up the team they would have been much better. I do feel some sympathy for the guy as he is being allowed to twist in the wind. But I can't accept that his plan would have worked because a capable GM would have still pulled off some good deals. I can't think of even one. Look at all the players he signed or traded picks for that aren't even playing in the NHL anymore - Lindros, Allison, O'Neill, Francis. Or just overpaying for players that aren't producing much - Belfour, Raycroft, Blake, Kubina, Tucker, McCabe.

Fire Richard Peddie

You can sign the online petition here.

Very Nice Goal By Rick Nash

Sharks Bite!

The Storm played one of their best games of the season but again couldn't put the puck in the net. The dominated that Barrie Sharks but lost another game by a 1-0 score. Not that there weren't some good chances as the Storm badly outshot the Sharks but there goalie came up big. In one play Marley was stopped point blank from in front of the net. Same thing happened to Lauren N on the powerplay. Mari and Sheri also had great chances. The Storm played a very aggressive game and had a season high 5 penalties which impacted on the flow of the game and the lines.

Next game is on Saturday against Orillia. If they team keeps playing this hard they will have to have more success.

First Mcdonalds Ad was Pretty Creepy

Now how abuot this McNugget ad...

Vintage Maple Leaf Ad (1937)

It was a disappointing period in Maple Leafs history as the Leafs did not win the Stanley Cup between 1932 and 1942 but you could get into the Gardens for less than a dollar.

Is Ovechkin's Contract Too Long

James Mirtle who writes for the Globe has done a lot of analysis on the impact that the Ovechkin contract could have on Washington by the time it expires. Some people are calling Ovechkin O-Rod because its hockey's equivalent to the Alex Rodriguez contract.

Since he entered the NHL, he has been the league's most prolific goal scorer. Mirtle points out that only two modern players, for instance, sit ahead of his .632 career goals-per-game average (Mike Bossy and Mario Lemieux). And the fact he's notched 252 points in his first 207 NHL games. But Ovechkin's 13-year contract expires when he turns 35. It's a risky contract because the history of the NHL suggests that 50 goal scorers do not remain as elite players for that long of a period.

Only 87 players in NHL history have scored 50 goals in a season, and that's a group that includes the majority of the game's top-producing players of all time. If you eliminate the 18 that are still active the number falls to 69. Here are some interesting stats:

1. Over half had their last 30-goal season before turning 31.
2. 78% had their last 40-goal season before turning 31.
3. Eleven of the 69 played their last 60-game season before turning 30.
4. Average age they last played 60 games in a season: 33.3
5. Average age they last scored 40 goals in a season: 28.5
6. Average age they last scored 30 goals in a season: 30.5

There is no way of knowing when Ovechkin's production will drop off. Brett Hull and Marcel Dionne were productive for a long time. Mike Bossy and Cam Neely did not last nearly as long. But they were all great players.

This contract has no risk for the player and lots for the team.

My Top Candidates to Take Over the Maple Leafs

1. Scotty Bowman
Bowman is a no brainer. He is the most knowledgeable hockey person on the planet (including myself). Some will argue that Bowman at 75 is too old and that his success has been as a coach not as a manager. The value of bringing Bowman into the organization is that he gives the Leafs instant credibility. There are many hockey people that are not interested in working here because it is so dysfunctional. That perception changes once Bowman is in charge. He will not need to be around for a long time, only to rebuild the organization from top to bottom. He is the best judge of hockey talent in the league and will be able to evaluate what assets to keep and which ones to move out. Bowman could be enticed to come to Toronto but not until the off season. He is committed to Detroit until June.

2. Ken Holland
Holland is recognized as the best manager in the NHL. The Red Wings consistently win. They know which players to draft, trade or sign. Detroit is really the only big market team that seemed to transition into the salary cap world without any bumps. That has not been the case for the other big spenders New York, Toronto, Philadelphia, Colorado and St. Louis. I doubt Holland would want to leave the great Red Wing environment. I get the feeling even money might not entice him.

3. Brian Burke
Burke is quite the blustery individual and like Pat Quinn tough enough to deal with the Toronto media frenzy. Burke has plenty of experience as a player agent, manager and NHL executive. He showed a lot of savvy in building a Stanley Cup team in Anaheim so quickly. But Anaheim is on the west coast so Burke lured to Toronto because of its location and history.

4. Darcy Regier
I love what Regier has been doing in Buffalo. He has always kept his team stocked with young, good, cheap talent before there was a salary cap. His only misstep was the loss of Drury and Briere in the summer. It's hard to know if there was anything he could have done to retain them and trading them at the deadline was never a consideration when you have a shot at the Cup. On Buffalo players are held accountable for their performance. In Toronto that has never been the case which is why the Leafs are a great team to play for unless you want to win. You wonder if Regier would be interested in coming to Toronto. When the franchise was brankrupt and in trouble, I would have said definitely yes. But maybe not any more.

5. Lou Lamoriello
New Jersey is the only franchise that can match Detroit's success over the past 10 to 15 years. Lamoriello is a big reason they have all those Stanley Cups during that period. Now he has had some help over that period since his team owned the greatest goalie in the game (Martin Brodeur). Lou had enough sense to hang on to Brodeur unlike Mike Millbury who traded away Roberto Luongo who has taken over from Brodeur as the NHL's best goalie. The only reason Lamoriello would leave the Devils is for the challenge in turning around the leafs.

Age 1 to 100

Dangerous Situation

When will the chaos end?

Pink Rink

For those of you who like their pink laces, pink sticks, pink hockey socks and pink tape, how about playing on pink ice?

The Norfolk Admirals played the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL played the first Pink in the Rink event on Saturday.The surface, along with other events during the game, was designed to increase breast cancer awareness and education. The event also helped raise money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, an organization that helps breast cancer survivors and encourages research.

Is it So Important the Maple Leafs Act Right Now?

More often than not, the media circus surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs is more entertaining than the team on the ice. The media hype goes into gear during modest winning streaks, losing streaks and every Leaf playoff game. The latest hype has to do with the lame duck manager and coach and it seems the consensus is that both be fired immediately and rebuilding start right away.

I'm not sure why the urgency. The season is lost and so is next season at the very least. But opportunities are lost by not acting right now? Well, as I see it only trading Mat Sundin. He is a unrestricted free agent at the end of the season so no trade is possible during the off season. But no trade is possible now since he has a no-trade contract. Sundin has clearly stated he intends on staying but it doesn't stop the media from speculating that he would go. Other than Sundin all assets are locked in for next season and could be traded during the off season as long as they don't have a no-trade contract and there is a buyer out there.

The argument against making a move is that the list of possible candidates is larger during the off season. Some teams will allow you to approach personnel under contract during the summer but will not provide permission during the hockey season. So right now the list of candidates for manager and coach is quite small - ie., hockey people not working in hockey (mostly on radio and TV). More knee jerk reactions is not what this team needs. They need a solid plan devised by the best manager that is available out there.

It's also interesting how the Scotty Bowman story exploded over the weekend. The media search for the next Leaf GM or President (the media provides this service for free) landed on Bowman's doorstep. He was interviewed by Hockey Night in Canada and revealed his involvement in the Leafs' abandoned search for a consultant over the summer. This actually is not a new revelation. Bowman is a guest analyst every Tuesday morning on The Fan 590. He has been asked about the search on numerous occasions. He always indicated on The Fan that he wasn't very eager to leave the Red Wings and never indicated he would have taken the position of President if it had been offered. He was clear he never would have taken the consultant's position.

Storm are Edged Out by Scarborough Tournament Champions

The Storm came away from the Scarborough Tournament with 4 very strong games and began to realize their potential. The Ottawa Ice were the Pool B winners with 3 straight wins coming into the semi final game with the Storm. It was a close battle with the Ice squeaking by with a 2-1 win.

Ottawa scored early in the game and picked up a second goal in the 2nd period. The game also featured a penalty shot which was called when a Storm player fell on the puck in the goal crease. Kendra came out to challenge the shooter who rang the puck off a post. With 3 minutes remaining in the game, Mari finally put one behind the Ottawa goalie. The Storm pulled their goalie and were generating some great scoring chances when the buzzer went to end the game.

In the other semi final game, Whitby edged out Barrie by a score of 2-1.

Championship Game:

Ottawa 5
Whitby 0

Latest Maple Leaf Rumour

The second coming of Cujo may take place if Toskala's groin continues to give him problems. Stay tuned.

For the Sake of Humanity

Storm Qualify for Semi Finals

Although the Storm lost the final game in the round robin portion of the Scarborough Tournament, their record in the previous games was good enough to move on to face the powerful Ottawa Ice in the semi finals.

The game against Barrie was similar to the regular season games between these teams featuring fast, open and clean hockey. Barrie open up the scoring mid way through the first period when a Shark forward banged in a rebound past Bianca. However, Sheri scored only 11 second later as she crashed the net off the faceoff. Late in the second period, Barrie scored their second goal on a feed from behind the net. The two team exchanged some great chances in the final period by the score ended 2-1.

The line of Genevieve, Marley and Maryssa had some excellent chances but couldn't get one past the Barrie goalie. And the line of Sheri, Amanda and Lauren F crashed the net all night long.

Final Pool A Standings
1. Barrie 3-0-0, 8GF 1GA, 22 PIM
2. North York 1-1-1, 6GF, 3GA, 8 PIM
3. Mississauga, 1-1-1, 4GF, 5GA, 18 PIM
4. Scarborough 0-3-0, 3GF, 12GA, 36 PIM

History of First Round Maple Leaf Draft Picks

Well it appears that the Leafs will end up with a high pick in Amateur Draft this June. Coming last doesn't guarantee the first pick anymore because it's based on a lottery. Below is a 20-year history of Leaf first round picks. Even when they keep their pick, the player doesn't become the impact player you would expect from a first rounder. If they can move some players this year for a first round pick, it will be the first time since 1989 that they will have more than one pick in the first round. Those picks didn't turn out so well anyway.

Year, Prospect, Rank
2007 – Traded for Toskala
2006 – Tlusty (13)
2005 – Rask (21) trade for Raycroft
2004 – Traded for Leetch
2003 – Traded for Nolan
2002 – Steen (24)
2001 – Colaiacovo (17)
2000 – Boyes (24) traded for Nolan
1999 – Cereda (24)
1998 – Antropov (10)
1997 – Traded for Clark
1996 – Traded for Yushkevich
1995 – Ware (15)
1994 – Fichaud (16)
1993 - Jonsson (12)
1992 - Convery (8)
1991 - Traded for Kurvers (turned out to be Niedermayer)
1990 - Berehowsky (10)
1989 - Thornton (3), Rob Pearson (12), Bancroft (21)
1988 - Scott Pearson (6)

Storm on a Streak

The Storm tied Mississauga 0-0 tonight and are now undefeated in the past 3 games including the first 2 games at the Scarborough Tournament. Goals were harder to come by in the second game of the day although there were numerous opportunities. The Storm put on tremendous pressure in the 3rd period but couldn't get the winning goal. The best chance of the game was with 0:35 remaining in the game when Mari found Jackie alone in front of the net but was unable to get a good shot away.

Kendra earned her second shutout of the season and for the 4th time this season the Storm had a penalty-free game.

The other game in Pool A had Barrie defeat Scarborough 3-0. The standing are:

Barrie - 4 pts, +6
North York - 3 pts, +4
Mississauga - 1 pt, -3
Scarborough - 0 pts, -7

Storm Stomp on Scarborough

The opening game of the Scarborough tournament was against the host team and they turned out to be quite hospitable. A rejuvenated powerplay scored 3 times to power the Storm to a 5-1 win, the biggest win of the season. Mari lead the way with 2 goals and 2 assists. Jackie had 2 goals and Genevieve had the other goal.

Much of Thursday night's practice was dedicated to cycling the puck on the powerplay and it was obvious the lesson sunk in. Both of Jackie's goals as well as Genevieve's goal were scored on the powerplay. The Scarborough defense was totally confused and continually left the front of the net open allowing Storm forwards to skate right into goal crease.

The other Pool A game was Barrie over Mississauga by a score of 3-0. Standings are:

North York - 2 pts, +4
Barrie - 2 pts, +3
Mississauga - 0 pts, -3
Scarborough - 0 pts, -4

What's Happened to Darcy Tucker?

With everything that has gone wrong for the Leafs this season, the one thing that stands out for me is Darcy Tucker. GM John Ferguson showed complete faith in Darcy by nearly doubling his salary and giving him a no-trade clause in his contract. There was some basis to the contract since Tucker has a reputation as a hard-nosed irritant with 6 20-goal seasons.

So with all that security, Tucker is on pace to score 8 goals and 19 points, his worst season since he broke in 11 years ago. I had a very bad feeling when Tucker was signed last year. He's a small player that plays a physical game. I thought even if he was slowed by injuries and age, he would at least provide some passionate leadership. Instead we got nothing. Absolutely nothing.

No scoring. No body checks. No passion. No leadership. Nothing. Each game he just goes through the motion of pretending to be a professional hockey player. He seems perfectly happy to collect his paycheck and go home every day to drive his kids to school or hockey.

That's how life goes for members of the country club they call the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Polar Bears on Hard Times Because of Global Warming

Even Grandpa was a Punk at one time

Tonight Chelios Becomes 2nd Oldest Player in NHL History

Chris Chelios' age on Monday was 45 years, 347 days. That's significant because it's the exact age at which Moe Roberts played his final NHL game in 1951. Chelios is currently third on the list of oldest players to participate in an NHL game, but the next time he takes the ice (tonight's home game against Colorado will be the first opportunity), he'll pass by Roberts for second place on that list. Gordie Howe is the oldest player ever in the NHL, playing his final game at age 52 years, 6 days.

If you don't know who Moe Roberts is (he was a goalie), that's because he only played 8 games in the NHL. The first seven of those games came by the time that Roberts was 27 in the 1930s. On Nov. 25, 1951, Chicago's Harry Lumley was injured during a game against Detroit. The call went out to Roberts, who was the Blackhawks' assistant trainer. Roberts played the final 20 minutes of the game and didn't allow a goal.

Source

Storm Invades Fierce Hockey School

Storm Bounces Back for a Win

The Storm won its second game of the season up in foggy Camp Borden with a 1-0 squeaker against Clearview Ice Cats. Although the score was close, the Storm dominated the play. In fact, the Ice Cats failed to register a shot on net in the first period.

The winning goal was scored by Jessica R who fired what looked like a knuckleball that the Clearview goalie was unable to handler with 0.2 seconds in the second period. Bianca shut the door and earned her first shutout of the season.

The new line of Sheri, Amanda and Lauren F played a strong game and had quite a number of scoring chances throughout the game. All three line played with a lot of energy and provided very few scoring chances for the opponents on this night.

Storm Starts New Year With a Loss

Storm literally had a battle on their hands against the hoodlums from Orangeville. Orangeville jumped into an early 4-0 lead and coasted to a 4-1 win. The game had 11 penalties with Orangeville receiving 8 including 2 game misconducts.

During the last 2 periods the Storm played even with Orangeville and in fact out scored them 1-0. The lone Storm goal was scored by Mari on the powerplay. A number of forwards continue to be unable to capitalize on scoring opportunities. Hopefully that will change soon. Other strong performers were SK, Rebecca, and Amanda.

Juniors Win 4th Straight Gold

Matt Halischuk scored the overtime winner to give Canada a 3-2 win over Sweden. Canada took an early 2-0 lead in the first period but couldn't hold off the Swedes in the 3rd. The tying goal was scored with just 38 seconds left and the Swedish goalie pulled for an extra attacker.

Goalie Steve Mason and defenceman Drew Doughty were named to the tournament all-star team.

Canada has only lost one game over the past four tournaments.

Canada in Gold Medal Game!

The Canadian juniors beat the undefeated Americans by a score of 4-1 to advance to the championship game tomorrow. This was really unexpected as the Canadians although balanced lacked experience and star players. In fact, two leading scores John Tavares and Steven Stamkos are only 17 years old and received limited ice time.

Goalie Steve Mason was Canada's player of the game and lost a shutout with less than 7 minutes remaining in the game. Canada was out shot by the Americans 34-25. The Americans ended the game playing 5 on 3 with two Canadians in the penalty box. Strangely, the Americans never pulled their goalie for a 6th attacker.

Canada will play Sweden for gold. The Swedes beat the Russians 2-1 in overtime. Last year it was the same match ups in the semi finals only the Russians beat Sweden and Canada won over the Americans after a 7-round shootout. The Russians and Canadians had met in the gold medal game for 3 straight years.

Time for the Toronto Maple Leafs to Raise the White Flag

So here we are at the half way point of the NHL season and the Toronto Maple Leafs are not even at .500 (16-17-8). In fact they are 26th out of 30 teams. Even the most loyal Leaf fan knows this team is not going to make the playoffs for the 3rd year in a row. John Ferguson knows it and is probably busy updating his resume.

I've posted several views on what is wrong with the Leafs - over value and over pay players; trade away draft picks leaving them too reliant on free agents; poor work ethic; not physical enough; horrible team defense. Few players are performing as expected. I considered who was performing "Above Satisfactory", "Satisfactory" and "Below Satisfactory" and this is how I rate the team.

Above Satisfactory: Sundin, Toskala, Antropov, Gill, Devereaux

Satisfactory: Kaberle, Stajan, Steen, Ponikarovsky, Kubina, McCabe, Kilger, Colaiacovo, Belak

Below Satisfactory: Tucker, Bell, Blake, Wellwood, Raycroft, White, Wozniewski, Tlusty, Pohl

Just not enough quality to win on a consistent basis. The only solution is to dismantle this team much the way the Flyers did it last year. Let's face it, once Sundin's play declines they will drop to the bottom of the league. The time to start rebuilding is over the next few weeks leading up to the trading deadline in February.

So who should they trade and who should stay? Better yet, who is tradeable in the NHL marketplace?

Raycroft is not tradeable with 1 year left in his contract because I doubt any GM sees him as a starting goalie and no one is will pay $2 million for a backup.

Few teams can pick up high salaried players because of the cap. Anyway McCabe and Tucker have no trade contracts and I doubt they would want to leave the country club atmosphere. That's why they signed here.

Perhaps you can move Kubina. Someone would have to find over $2 million in cap space for the rest of the season.

If you can teams looking for some grit going into the playoffs then move Gill, Devereaux, Kilger, Belak and/or Bell for draft picks or prospects.

But the player who has to be moved is Sundin. He needs to be persuaded to waive the no trade provision in his contract. Many GMs would be eager to give up a very good package to land Sundin considering his durability, production and leadership. I would expect you can get what Nashville gave up to land Forsberg last year. With so few prospects in their system, it's a trade the Leafs have to make.

So I would hang on to Stajan, Steen, Kaberle, White, Colaiacovo, Ponikarovsky, Antropov, Tokala, Tlusty and who ever you can't move.

Battle of the Sexes

Canada Moves on to Semi Finals

Canada's junior team got enough offense today to move on to the semi-finals on Friday against the undefeated Americans. Canada beat Finland 4-2 in a very close game. Goals came from John Tavares of the Oshawa Generals, Steve Stamkos of the Sarnia Sting, Brad Marchand of the Halifax Mooseheads and Stefan Legein of the Niagara IceDogs (in the empty net).

John Tavares now has 4 goals and 1 assist with very limited ice time. Guelph Storm defenceman Drew Doughty had two assists and was named Canada's player of the game.

The other semi final game will be between Sweden and Russia.

NHL Winter Classic 2008

The outdoor game at Rich Stadium yesterday was an excellent idea. It got the NHL world-wide coverage and positive coverage for once. It was front page news every where. Too bad it was going opposite a couple of college Bowl games. It showcased the NHL's premiere talent, Sidney Crosby and he did not disappoint. You could see how excited the players were to be playing a game outside just like when we were all kids but in front of 72,000 people. The snow flying around only added to the game.

Some people have been critical of the game. They thought it was boring and poor quality hockey. The game reflected the original roots of the game and although the play was slower than usual due to the conditions, it was great to watch. I love to watch NFL football in a snow storm because the challenges presented by weather make the game different than most and to me more interesting. Although I wasn't thrilled about all the delays to fix the ice and resurface in the middle of periods. When I played in outdoor rinks we would put a pylon over holes and you just skated around them. The game took 3 1/2 hours to play.

Now I watched the game in the United States and therefore got to watch the NBC coverage. They used the game to promote their NHL schedule which begins January 20th. NBC used Bob Costas to cover the game and had Mike Milbury doing colour commentary. I thought Milbury was terrible. The low point of the telecast was a promotion for the January 20th game which is between the Boston Bruins and NY Rangers. NBC showed an old clip of Milbury when he played for Boston, where during a brawl he climbed into the stands to fight with a Ranger fan and beat the fan with is shoe (see video below). Obviously this was done with Milbury's consent and he appeared proud of the moment. The piece was an embarrassment for the NHL and only took away from the landmark game being televised.

UPDATE: NBC is happy with the ratings so we can expect more outdoor games in the future.

Canada Wins Spengler Cup

Backed by great goaltending from Curtis Joseph, Canada has won its 11th Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland. Joseph accepted the invitation to showcase himself in an effort to return to the NHL this winter. Based on his performance, there may be some teams that are interested. In fact, there are teams that should be interested based on the goaltending they are currently getting. Joseph would come cheap.

HAPPY NEW YEAR STORM NATION

Kyle Turris is Today's Hero

Kyle Turris scored a pair of power-play goals and Steve Mason turned aside every shot he faced as Canada blanked Slovkia 2-0 at the world junior hockey championships today. Your not going to lose too many games if they can't score on you.

The win extended Canada's streak at the tournament to 20 games since they last lost.

Kyle Turris was picked 3rd in the NHL Amateur Draft in June by Phoenix. He plays for the University of Wisconsin Badgers where he is a freshman and the team's leading scorer.

Thanks!

Is Bryan McCabe Missed by the Leafs?

Readers of this blog are not convinced that he is. 46% responded to a poll indicating the Leafs are less likely to make the playoffs without him. However over half thought either their chances improved (38%) or that his injury would have no impact (15%). When you think about it, that remarkable since he is the highest paid player on the team.

He has only missed 4 games so far and their record is 1-1-2-0 during that period. The games have all been close and three games were won in overtime. Except for last night's game in which the Leafs returned to wide-open, sloppy hockey, the games have been defensive battles. McCabe's ice time has largely been eaten up by Anton Stralman (8 minutes), Pavel Kubina (6 minutes more ice time) and the rest of the time has eaten up by the other defensemen. The defense has faired rather well and so has the goaltending.

The problem has been scoring. The checking line of Steen, Stajan and Devereaux has been doing most of the scoring. Sundin's line has hit their first slump of the season and the most overpaid line in hockey - Tucker, Blake and Wellwood has not only failed to score but has been weak defensively. What's a coach to do?

Canada's Spengler Cup team has strong Maple Leaf contingent

The Canada's Spengler Cup team is traditionally made up of Canadian players in Europe with a sprinkling of NHL propects. There is normally few names that are well known in Canada although some former NHLers join the team.

This year Toronto Maple Leaf fans will recognize a few names including Curtis Joseph and Doug Gilmour. Joseph is a recent addition after the goalies original picked to play came down with injuries. Gilmour is not playing but is an Assistant Coach.

Other former Leafs are Travis Green, Yannick Tremblay, and Ric Jackman.

The Spengler Cup, held annually since 1923, is the oldest professional international hockey tournament in the world.

Tavares Takes Centre Stage

John Tavares proved that Team Canada will need his offense as he scored two goals to lead the Junior national team to a 3-0 win over the Czech Republic. Goaltender Jonathan Bernier was brilliant in earning the shutout. He stopped about 40 shots as the Canadians gave the Czechs 8 powerplay opportunities. The win was Canada's 19th straight in the tournament.

NHL MVP Poll

Here is the poll results for NHL MVP for the first half of the season.

Vincent Lecavalier 26%
Daniel Alfredsson 2%
Sidney Crosby 29%
Mats Sundin 26%
Henrik Zetterberg 5%
Pascal Leclaire 5%
Ilya Kovalchuk 11%
Henrik Lundqvist 0%

No one player has stood out above the crowd so its a tough choice. Though I think the poll reflects a large number of Leafs fans based on the number of votes going to Sundin. Although Sundin is having a terrific year, he clearly is not the best player this season.

Also I have certain biases when it comes to MVP. I give less weight to players on non-playoff contenders. So Lacavalier, Kovalchuk and Sundin could make a stronger case if they were carrying their respective teams into a playoff spot. Sill Lecavalier is leading the league in points and on pace to score 120 points. Kovalchuk leads in goals scored and on pace to score 66.

Crosby would be leading the league in points but he is playing with two mediocre players. Ryan Malone has only 14 points so far this season and Colby Armstrong has 13. I've never seen a superstar play with such weak linemates. Otherwise Crosby would easily have 60 points my now.

For me the strongest cases for MVP are Alfredsson and Zetterberg. Both Detroit and Ottawa lead their conferences and Alfredsson and Zetterberg are big reasons for their teams success. As good as Sundin has been for Toronto, Alfredsson has played that much better for Ottawa. He is having a career year and without him I'm not so sure how well Ottawa would be doing.

Storm Close Out 2007 With a Loss

The Storm dropped their 2007 finale to Aurora by a 5-0 score on Saturday night. Aurora clearly was the better team on the evening with an edge in all areas including speed, shooting, play-making and goaltending. The Storm did generate some good scoring chances in the 2nd and 3rd periods but the Aurora goalie made some great saves to preserve a well deserved shutout.

After the break the Storm will have 6 very busy weeks of hockey with 13 remaining regular season games and two tournaments to be played.

Happy holiday to all!!

How have the Leafs done in the first 3 months

So how do the Leafs compare to back in November? Blue is where they are today and red is how they stood in November 1st. It is obvious they have tightened up defensively because they are giving up for fewer shots and their penalty killing is much better. Goaltending has also improved based on their team goals against average. But they have not made any significant move in the standings.

Standing in East: tied for 8th; 6th (November)

Standing in East (based on winning %): tied for 11th; 11th

Goals For: 2nd; 4th

Goals Against: 30th; 25th

Shots For: 3rd; 7th

Shots Against: 30th; 19th

Powerplay: 26th; 29th

Penalty Killing: 24th; 15th

Penalty Minutes: 27th; 11th

Goals Against Average: 3.84 (29th); 3.03 (26th)

Save Percentage: .885 (25th); .897 (21st)

Light it up Like the Lindsays

In every neighbourhood there is someone who loves to go overboard with the Christmas lights. You have to wonder when Clark Griswold is your role model. And then there is the Lindsay family.


Every year since 2000, the Thornhill family has dressed up their home with a bigger and better light show. The lawn lights are buried under snow right now because of last week's storm, but in total there are 80,000 lights (mostly LEDs) blinking away. If you drive up to their house and tune your radio to 104.9 FM, you can hear the music to which the elaborate light show is synchronized.

This year there are two routines, one synced to music from Pirates of the Caribbean and the other to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

The Linday Lights website even has all the tech information laid out in the unlikely event you have the time and skill to do your own production. The show runs from 5 to 9 p.m. (11 p.m. on weekends) until January 5. Be warned 416-lovers: You will have to cross Steeles into the 905 to see the house, so have your papers in order and make sure to declare any goods at the border.

Sidney Crosby's First NHL Fight

My dog ate my World Series ball

Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon recently told a newspaper in Mississippi that the ball he used to record the final out of the 2007 World Series was torn apart by his dog, Boss, a fresh twist on the dog-ate-my-homework routine practiced by legions of schoolkids, and possibly just as credible. Now Papelbon has a reputation as a prankster.

The fate of the last ball became an issue in 2004 when the Red Sox swept St. Louis in the World Series to end an 86-year championship drought. Doug Mientkiewicz, who caught a toss from pitcher Keith Foulke for the final out, kept the ball. The team wanted it back. Mientkiewicz eventually agreed to lend the ball to the Red Sox for a year and then donated it to the Hall of Fame.

It's SO not what you think

This is funny

The NHL's Double Standard

The NHL's policy regarding violence reminds be of baseballs approach to drugs. Pull your head out of the sand every so often to wrap a few knuckles and then continue to ignore the issue. Chris Simon is a prime example of the NHL approach.

Simon has been banished for 30 games which is the longest suspension in NHL history. A very clever move because the NHL must be serious about violence based on this suspension. But how many times do you need to discipline a guy before you tell him that he has lost the privilege to play in the league. Obviously 7 times isn't the number.

His return will be so close to the end of the season that it will be difficult for Simon to rehabilitate his image. So obviously the league is hoping he will just go away. They have no desire to take away a player's livelihood.

But Chris Simon is a marginal player so they have no problem making an example of him and other goons. But there are some very good players who are just as dirty as Simon. Chris Pronger immediately comes to mind. His suspensions are only a game or two for things far worse. He would have to kill someone to get a 30 game suspension. Todd Bertuzzi ended a player's career and didn't get 30 games. The NHL wants to maintain an image that it is opposed to violence but it really isn't.

Because violence helps fill seats. It's just like drugs in baseball. It seems no trainer, coach, or manager has ever noticed a dramatic change in a player's physique. No one ever bothered to ask Bonds or Clemens how they got so big. Because homerun and strikeout champions fill seats in stadiums and that's what matters.

Dogs in Vancouver Must be able to Read

I Don't Miss Bryan McCabe

It was just 3 or 4 weeks ago that Toronto Maple Leaf fans and the media were ready to run Bryan McCabe out of town if it were not for the huge contract with its no trade clause. Suddenly after a half dozen decent games he's suddenly become irreplaceable. Either he is an overpaid bust or a stud defenseman? Which is it?

In my mind nothing about Bryan has changed since he broke into the NHL with the Islanders in 1995. A lot of good hockey skills but he still makes mistakes that a coach would never tolerate from a rookie. Bryan has benefited from great timing. He had a very good year offensively (not defensively though) in 2005 as he was about to jump into the free agent market, which he was able to work into a huge contract. No one forced the Leafs to sign him and in fact some executives there thought it was a great move.

Since that time, his offense has returned to traditional levels as teams adjusted to his one weapon, a big shot. But his defensive skills have never improved. The one thing that McCabe does provide the Leafs is the ability to eat up minutes. He plays about 26 minutes per game which is in the top 5 in the NHL. The reason he plays that much is that the Leafs lack depth at that position and not because he is a star player. So his injury exposes how thin they are at defense because the coach must now give more ice time to players he was reluctant to play in the first place.

Some NHL team really pile up air mile points

A commenter compiled the travel distances for all 30 NHL teams so far this season over at Kukla's Korner (in miles). Now this reflects the trip to London, England by Anaheim and Los Angeles to start the season. Also some teams have played more home games. However, it seems like the New York based teams rarely ever leave their area codes let alone their time zone.

1. Anaheim 26152
2. Los Angeles 24966
3. Edmonton 21926
4. Vancouver 20626
5. San Jose 19938
6. Colorado 19922
7. Columbus 16985
8. Phoenix 16915
9. Florida 16910
10. Calgary 16576
11. Atlanta 16303
12. Dallas 15610
13. Tampa Bay 15486
14. Philadelphia 14573
15. Minnesota 14542
16. Boston 13574
17. Nashville 13573
18. Detroit 13570
19. St Louis 13106
20. Pittsburgh 12294
21. Buffalo 12176
22. Chicago 11818
23. Toronto 11252
24. Washington 10990
25. Carolina 10855
26. Ottawa 10377
27. NY Rangers 9426
28. New Jersey 9214
29. Montreal 8071
30. NY Islanders 5667

I love football played in snow storms

Canucks will never win the Stanley Cup

From the Vancouver Province,

Just compare the New Jersey Devils’ traveling since Dec. 1 to the kilometres racked up by the Canucks. Tht will explain why western based teams will never win the Cup. The travel schedules are brutal. They went with an unbalanced schedule to cut back on travel but everyone complaned about it;

• Canucks: Vancouver, St. Paul, Chicago, Nashville, Vancouver, Los Angeles/Anaheim, San Jose, Edmonton, Vancouver—13,705 kilometres;
• Devils: Newark, Manhattan, Washington, Boston, Newark—1,440 kilometres.

Storm vs. Clearview Ice Cats

Blizzard of 1999

If you remember that blizzard that hit January 2-4, 1999. We had about 40 cm (16 inches) and Mayor Mel Lastman called in the army. The rest of the country has been laughing at Toronto ever since.

Here is the CBC report.

Happy Festivus (for those who celebrate)

I noticed that Kramer worked in H&H Bagels. A very good bagel bakery in New York.

Storm Christmakkah Party

Despite blowing snow and bad driving conditions players, staff and parents got together for a lovely buffet lunch. Many thanks to Sandy and Jane for organizing the get-together and to everyone who brought the wonderful goodies.

Best wishes to everyone for the holidays. Have a happy, healthy and safe New Years.

From the BlogMaster.

more pictures: Storm Flickr site

Parents: Does this look familiar?

Storm vs. Etobicoke Dolphins

Something about snow.

Cheap Gas in Orillia!

I bought regular gas at $0.95.9 on Highway 12 in Orillia but the Storm couldn't buy a goal yesterday afternoon. It was nice to squeeze a game into a wintry weekend. It would have been nice to get our offense going. The Storm fell to the Orillia Hawks 3-0. There were just too few scoring chances manufactured in the game although certainly there were excellent scoring chances. In particular, both Mari and Maryssa could finish off some good opportunities.

Again, the Storm gave up a goal while on the powerplay. The next time the Storm get a powerplay opportunity, the coaching staff is considering sitting one person out and playing 4 on 4. At least we may not get scored on. However, as was the case in all previous games, it was a close battle but 9 goals in 10 games isn't going to get you too many wins.

Well back to shovelling snow!

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

One of my favourite Christmas movies.

Hockey's Monster Contracts

Mike Richard's huge deal, 12 years, $69 million, from the Philadelphia Flyers surpasses the 15 year, $67.5 million deal the Islanders gave Rick DiPietro. At the time everyone laughed at the Islanders. It used to be that you lock up your good talent before they become unrestricted free agents. But after the Edmonton Oilers' attempted steal of Thomas Vanek and the successful swipe of Dustin Penner, everyone wants to lock up young talent before the can become a restricted free agent. So what's going to become of all this?

Well obviously teams will need to be very selective with who they back huge commitments. It will have to be players that they see being core to their teams for years to come. There isn't much risk for players, they get paid more early on but risk being underpaid later in the contract. The risk is mostly with the teams. Many blue chip studs become spent forces before reaching age 30. Eric Lindros, Owen Nolan, Sergei Samsonov and Todd Bertuzzi come to mind as a result of injuries or/and diminished intensity. Jose Theodore at one time looked like the next Patrick Roy and Andrew Raycroft won the Calder and both can't stop a beach ball today. If you locked any of these guys for 10 years you would be stuck because the collective agreement does not allow you to buy them out. It's all guaranteed money.

For suffering Toronto Maple Leaf fans, the prospects are so good. The Leafs trade away draft picks and prospects with great frequency. In the past Ferguson has mused about grabbing a big name free agent which the team can build around after Sundin is gone. Well it looks like there aren't going to be those types of players available. The free agent lists will be populated with mostly underachievers, injury prone players and senior citizens.

I'm developing a real hate for the salary cap. I can't see how it has helped the NHL. It has only created some practices that may further damage the league and the viability of weaker franchises.

Alex Rodriguez's New Contract

It's now official that A-Rod signed a new 10-year contract with the Yankees worth $275 million so he now holds a new record - the biggest baseball contract. And for A-Rod, that's what it's about - personal glory. And itsn't it so nice to see a happy A-Rod.

So how much better did A-Rod do? Remember Hank Steinbrenner at point said that he wanted A-Rod to pay for the $21.3 million subsidy from Texas that the Yankees lost when Rodriguez opted out of the last 3 years of the previous contract. That contract was worth $252 million and Rodriguez had earned $185.45 million. That means he would have earned $66.55 million in the last 3 years.

According to reports under the new contract he will earn $27 million next year and $32 million in 2009 and 2010. He will also get $4 million of his signing bonus in the first 3 years. If he hits 142 home-runs in the next 3 years (which is quite possible), he will earn a $6 million bonus for equaling Willie Mays' home-run level. That would earn him $101 million over the next 3 years. A raise of about $35 million.

Yeah those Steinbrenners are really tough negotiators. Like there were so many other teams in the running for his services.

NHL Secretly Testing Thermablades

The Canadian Press reports that the NHL is testing the "revolutionary" Thermablades on four anonymous players. The four teams they play for asked that their names be kept secret so the Thermablades on their feet didn't draw media attention and their use become a distraction.

Thermablades use a rechargeable battery and microprocessor to maintain a blade temperature of 5 C. The slight heat is enough to increase the thickness of the water layer between the blade and the ice surface, and the company says its tests have shown this reduces gliding friction and starting resistance for skaters. The batteries last for about two games. And the blades retail for about $400.

The secret testing is atypical for the NHL Normally new rules and equipment are tested in the AHL. If you are showcasing the NHL as an elite league then you don't want to be using it as a testing lab. Also new technologies that give players an advantage is unfair if access is limited to only a select few.

Just another example how the NHL damages the integrity of their game - like the new jersey fiasco, 3 points awarded games that end in ties, shootouts during regular season but not playoffs. But don't get me started.

This is incredibly creepy

I found this illusion at this website

and it always knows what number I select

even if I intentionally do not follow the instructions.

Can anyone explain how it works?

This could have been a serious injury

North Simcoe steals a tie with an assist to the Zamboni driver

The Storm almost skated away with a win today against North Simcoe. However, the clock and Zamboni driver conspired against us and the team had to settle with another 1-1 tie. The Zamboni driver was slow to clean the ice and with the game curfewed at 1:45, the game ended with 5:07 remaining on the clock and Storm players buzzing around the North Simcoe net.

Strong skating continues to characterize this year's Storm team as another top tier team had to hang as the buzzer went. The North Simcoe head coach was overhead commenting that the early buzzer helped them salvage a point.

The lone Storm goal was scored by Amanda but the game could easily have been won by either Marley or Maryssa who both had excellent scoring chances. Rushed shots continue to plague this team and the girls are better shooters than they exhibit in games. We expect the team to break out sooner or later.

Next game is December 15 in Orillia.

Don't Insult Mom's Cooking

Judges in Spain have ruled that a 36-year-old man who insulted his mother's cooking and physically pushed her must move out of her home and find his own place to live.

José Luis Ortiz's 71-year-old mother grew so desperate about her abusive son's presence in her home, in the northern region of Cantabria, that she filed a suit against him.

Mr Ortiz admitted to regularly insulting his mother, Carmen, pulling her by the arm and threatening to beat her. He also conceded that he repeatedly called his mother's cooking “s***”. In his defence, Mr Ortiz said that his comments were a mere statement of fact; “an observation on the culinary ability” of his mother.

Bobby Orr

Hard to say who the greatest NHL player of all time. The game has evolved so much that comparisons don't work. But I never saw a player dominate in the way that Bobby Orr did in his era. When he played he was the fastest skater, the best stickhandler, and the most accurate shot. He was so good he made stars on other teams look ordinary. He was the only defenseman to win a scoring championship.

For those who never go to see him play, look at this highlight reel of Bobby Orr rushing the puck.

Darryl Sittler's 10-point game

Every Leaf-Bruin match up reminds me of the greatest hickey game I ever watched. That had to be the game Darryl Sittler scored 6 goals and recorded 4 assists for incredible 10 points.



In the excitement of that game what was lost was how bad the Bruin goalie was. It was Dave Reece's last game in the NHL.

As the Toronto Maple Leafs faced the Boston Bruins on Feb. 7, 1976, the Leafs had only won once in the previous seven games. The Bruins, coached by Don Cherry, were hot. They had won their last seven games and lost only once in their last 17 games.

Proposed addition to our pregame ritual

Ham for Hanukkah

You have to laugh at this faux pas. Gourmet grocery store, Balducci's, in Greenwich Village in New York has become the butt of the Jewish holiday by advertising its boneless hams as "Delicious for Chanukkah".

A customer spotted it in the store and took a picture for her blog. No one form the store will comment but there is a notice on their website:

"We apologize for this unfortunate error and oversight. It was never our intention to offend anyone, especially during this holiday. We will be reviewing our employee training policy."

Heat is off Ferguson and Maurice for now

A modest 4 game winning streak is quite effective in calming the media wolves and over-engaged fans that follow the Toronto Maple Leafs. This means that both John Ferguson and Paul Maurice will still be employed over Christmas. So why are the Leafs winning? And will they continue to win and contend for a playoff spot?

Three things are contributing to the current win streak. They are finally getting good goaltending. No one wins in the NHL without it. When Lundquist, Luongo and Brodeur play poorly, their respective team lose.

The Leafs are playing better in their own end. Defensive coverage is better but not great but combined with better goaltending means they have a chance to win every game. It also means they can hold a lead. There have no 3rd period collapses lately. Keeping the number of shots down on their own goalies has certainly paid off. And playing better defense does not necessarily hurt your offense. There was too much focus on Tucker and Blake not scoring although the team was near the top of the league in scoring.

Finally, JFJ's excuse about injuries have some validity. It's not that Tucker, Wellwood and Bell have played well or can carry the team. Rather, it's the players they have pushed out of the lineup that makes the difference. The minor leaguers or marginal players who fill in have not played very well. So by taking Battaglia, Newbury, Stahlman, and Gamache out of the lineup and reducing the ice time of Wozniewski, Pohl and Kilger, you improve your team. At one point, Chad Kilger was the number two centre.

The Leafs' success will last as long as they continue to get good goaltending, play team defense and avoid injuries. The Leaf defense is still porous and error-prone Bryan McCabe plays almost half the game. They will have to battle to the final weekend for a playoff spot because they will need a minimum of 92 to 94 points to make the playoffs which means a winning percentage of 59-60% for the rest of the season.

Storm Battles to a Draw

For the second time this season, the Storm battled the undefeated Barrie Sharks to a 1-1 tie. The Storm continue to feature a strong attack and are likely one of the best skating team in the division. Aggressive forechecking is beginning create turnovers and some scoring chances. Where they are currently lacking is a scoring touch in front of the net. The lone goal was scored by Kailee although Mari and Jackie both had a number of excellent scoring chances. Kendra made some excellent saves to preserve the tie.

The Storm again finished the game without a penalty and continues to be the least penalized team in Midget B tier. In fact, they are one of the least penalized in the entire league. The lack of penalties is not a reflection of a lack of aggressive or physical play but the speed of the team. Most fouls occur when players can't keep up with their opponents but this team doesn't have that problem.

So the next game is Sunday against another top team, North Simcoe who have only lost one game this season.

Happy Hanukkah from the NBA

Tobogganing season is already here...and so are the mishaps

http://view.break.com/403919 - Watch more free videos


http://view.break.com/213921 - Watch more free videos

How often do you get to see a Zamboni on fire?

Rebuilt Philadelphia Flyers Represent New NHL - VIOLENCE

For the 5th time this season, a Flyer player was suspended for a shot to the head. Riley Cote got a three-game suspension for a vicious elbow on Matt Niskanen of the Dallas Stars late in a 4-1 loss Saturday night. Cote got a match penalty on the play.

This guy is a goon, nothing more. He has played in 18 games averaging less than 4 minutes per game. So in 70 minutes of ice time, he has managed 61 penalty minutes. Oh yes, I forgot. He also has 1 assist.

Still Flyers coach John Stevens keeps playing these guys. I'm just not impressed. The Flyers have receiving a suspension for every 5 games played. At this rate they will have accumulated 16 suspensions by the end of the season.

For all this mayhem the five suspensions only add up to 52 games. Hardly a deterrence. The NHL keeps saying they want to eliminate head shots but do they really?

The Flyers' other suspensions:
– Hartnell got two games for checking Bruins defenceman Andrew Alberts in the head in a game last Monday.
– Jones was given a two-game suspension after he sent Boston's Patrice Bergeron face-first into the boards on Oct. 27. Bergeron hasn't returned to action since he broke his nose and sustained a concussion as a result of the hit.
– Boulerice was handed a 25-game suspension for his cross-check to the face of Vancouver's Ryan Kesler in an Oct. 10 game.
– Downie got 20 games after flying down the ice, jumping through the air and delivering a hit to the head of Ottawa's Dean McAmmond during a pre-season game.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and league disciplinarian Colin Campbell held a conference call with Flyers GM Paul Holmgren on Monday. They read him the riot act. I bet he is shaking in his boots.

Biggest Sandwich Ever - Carnegie Deli, NYC

It's the holiday season when people tend to over eat. That made me think about the generous portions you can get in some restaurants. Several years ago while in New York we had lunch a Carnegie Deli, the city's most famous deli.

The sandwiches are huge and that's just the regular ones. They have a list of oversized sandwiches. The heartiest sandwich is definitely Number 13—or "Jeff's Tatalah." This thing has three pounds of turkey, corned beef and Swiss and served on pumpernickel with cole slaw and Russian dressing. You can't get it in your mouth. Of course it comes with a big price too - $21.95.

Still Looking for Offense

The Storm continue to struggle to score goals although much of the division has a similar problem. Last night the team put in another strong effort but still lost 2-0 to the second place Aurora Panthers. The Storm has only scored 7 goals in 7 league games. In fact, Aurora has only scored 13 goals in 13 games but has only given up 8 goals.

Best scoring chance in the game was by Genevieve who floated a shot on net during a powerplay that the Aurora goalie had some problems handling. The close call led to a turnover and a short handed goal which pretty much turned the game around. The Panthers later added another goal and held on for the shutout win.

Next game is December 4 against Barrie.

Dumb as a Stone