What A Mess!

Between the majority of the potential lineups AND the following revelation, I cannot help but swear that the hockey gods really have it in for yours truly with this year's fight for Lord Stanley...

"A few folks have also asked whether Peter Laviolette or John Forslund will be involved in the coverage of the Conference Finals on Versus in the coming weeks. As far as I know, Laviolette will not be, as NHL favorite son Mark Messier joins the Versus studio cast. There is a chance that Forslund may get to broadcast at least one game of the Western Conference Final between Anaheim and Detroit, but we are still waiting for confirmation one way or another on that. I do know that the Versus brass has been very pleased with the work of both men during their Stanley Cup coverage."

EWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!

While I cannot say it is quite well known/notorious, I do have quite the dislike for The Mess, as I've come to call him. And while there are a bunch of things I could write in regards to his "analysis" having a presence on Versus over Laviolette's (who wowed the boys in the studio, in what little I saw of good ol' Pete's stint), I think I'll just let PackNCanes at the Score Boards do the talking...

"Oh good, His Regal Splendor Emperor Mark I will be gracing my airwaves again.

I sincerely hope he hands out a Mark Messier Leadership Award for each shift. And that he stops the game after each shift to do so. While they're at it, considering the events of the past week, why not have Messier resurrect Barbaro? That'd drive the ratings through the roof."

At the risk of sounding incredibly insensitive about (channels her inner John Cleese) the ex-horse, has a racehorse and his/her injury ever gotten as much coverage as Barbaro?! The way the media has been acting, it's like he is the first ever racehorse to have a critical injury...which is highly ridiculous, considering that, quite unfortunately, critical injuries happen to horses all the time at races. Such is AND has always been one of the hazards of the sport.

All that said, the fact that there has been more than necessary coverage about Barbaro is quite telltale about what a softie country we have become...if you ask me, anyway.

Going back to The Mess, let's not even get into that friggin' Leadership Award again...other than I don't know what makes that "award" more of a joke: Messier's name literally being all over it OR the fact that it's first recipient ever was Brendan Shanahan. Yes siree Bob, whenever I think of leadership, I think of the dude who practically whined his way out of Hartford and into Detroit...oh yeah. *rolls her eyes*

Current Music: "All Blues" by Miles Davis and Friends

No, I'm Not Dead...

But I've been quite busy lately...

Thursday and Friday: Got my hair done at the salon and did a special Clinique spa and makeover at the nearby mall, respectively.

Saturday: Had a Subway lunch that could not be beat and did some hiking over at Pipestem State Park.

Sunday: Did some cleaning tasks that were much needed to be done.

Tuesday: Took my dog and cat to the vet and then did my weightbearing exercise for the week, thanks to Mountaineer Lanes' 99 cent rate every Tuesday. Also installed my new stereo...more on that when I get a chance to write about more.

Today: Helped my mom out with Curves' Bring A Friend day, and got to take in the Curves experience. I actually enjoyed it...but at thirty dollars a month (not including the sign-up fee!!), I think my stationary bike, walking/hiking, and bowling are sufficient enough. Also did some grocery shopping.

This weekend: Got company coming, and have to get ready for them...also get to look forward to playing bartender.

On the Canes fandom front...I got to see a little bit of Coach Laviolette trying his mouth at being an analyst in the VS. studio tonight. I was lucky enough to view the time of the night when he was feeling more comfortable and confident...according to some Score Boarders, he started out being a bit nervous. Overall, he was doing a great job for his first time...though, it was a little odd seeing Lavs singing the praises of the Sluggies... o_O Of course, guess it's kind of hard to not do that, considering how they wiped the Rangers tonight...

Current Music: "My Favorite Things" by John Coltrane

February 15th, 2006 - Canes vs. Rangers: Random Musings and Observations

- I don't know who I have a bone to pick with more...the Canes, or their production crew at FSN South.

- I guess I'll start with FSN South, since the very first thing I see is their pre-game show alias Hurricanes Live(!)...

I don't think I need Captain Obvious (a.k.a. the new partner they got for Jerome Jurenovich as of last night) to basically repeat what the interviewed players and Laviolette already said. I also don't care if Captain Obvious has got nine-ten years of NHL playing experience under his belt. All of that experience sure did not help him overcome the fact that he came across to be as stiff as the Michelin Tire Man last night.

Also, do we *really* need to interview Peter Laviolette before EVERY game AND its second period?! It's not Lavy I have a beef with...it's interviewing him all the freakin' time. You'd think after a season and a half of that, FSN South would finally try to mix things up a bit. We finally got a tiny hint of mixing up last night, when Jeff Daniels, NOT Kevin McCarthy, was interviewed before the third period. Not a bad start. But if you *really* want to start impressing moi, FSN South, instead of Peter Laviolette, interview other front office guys/staffers when and if they're available...like Jim Rutherford, Jason Karmanos, Peter Karmanos (if he's in town), Chris Huffine, Sheldon Ferguson (if he's in town), Ron Francis (if he's in town), Wally Tatomir, Skip Cunningham, Pete Friesen, etcetera. Not to mention former Whalers/Canes players and wives/family of current and former players, among other people. There *really* is so much you can do with that Pre-Game Interview, FSN South!! And hey, if Lavy has a fit about not doing that Pre-Game Interview, then kindly let him keep his pre-Second Period interview. IM(not-so)HO, the Pre-Game Interviews are where the freshness in the interviewees is most important.

- I don't think the Canes heard John Forslund stating that "there is(now was) a playoff atmosphere" in Raleigh yesterday evening. Certainly didn't play like it, anyway.

- With the injuries piling up, in addition to the overall roster on the major AND minor league levels, the 2006-07 Canes are looking an awful lot like the 2002-03 Canes. The only big difference being the win/loss record, which has a few more wins AND a lot less ties.

- I don't think I could ever thank the Los Angeles Kings enough for shipping Sean "Ooooh...I almost fought Ronnie Francis!!*" Avery to the New York Rangers. God, I hate how that guy is now running amuck in the Eastern Conference...

- Hedican and Williams are now out? The hits just keep coming for the Canes and what little of their playoff hopes remain... *sighs*

Current Music: "Wild Wild Life" by the Talking Heads

* - For those who have completely blocked out the 2002-03 season...during a game against the Kings in the latter third of the said season, Avery tried to entice Francis to put up his dukes, yo. Not surprisingly, Ron pushed Sean away in such a manner that made the (now former) King look more-so the idiot he already was AND still is.

To this day, I *still* say that if fisticuffs had occurred between Ron and Sean, the former would have emerged quite victorious. And after seeing this a couple of months ago, there's now more than biasness backing up that statement. ;)

Florida Panthers' Coach, Jacques Martin, Accuses Canes of Diving

The only reason I'm posting about this crap (Jacques? To quoteth Jay Leno whenever he talks about celebrities b****ing about ridiculous stuff...OH, SHUT UP!!) is because of the accompanying picture...



I don't know what is more funny about that thing...the overall concept, or how Lavy looks like a roadie for some rock band with 'diving' in the latter half of its name.

Current Music: "Sweet Jane" by The Velvet Underground

January 18th, 2007 - Canes vs. Capitals: Random Musings and Observations

I'm going to take a cue from my Carolina Hurricanes, and be lazy in my putting this together. There are not one, but TWO comments at a couple of places I visit that *really* sum up last night's affair...the first one coming from VinnieBagADonuts at The Score Boards:

"No single play, no matter how stupid, meant the difference between winning and losing last night.

Washington played better than we did, worked harder than we did, and got the deserved result. Honestly, I don't have any problems with Grahame's work. He may leave some rebounds, but he also makes some pretty remarkable first saves. He got beat on a fluke deflection by a defender, and two world-class bullets by Alex Semin. Can't really fault him for any of those.

I think the Canes' current problem really comes down to lack of urgency, and I think it traces to a Stanley Cup hangover. They really think they're better than they are. They think they can turn it on and off at will, and games like last Friday's six-goal third period aren't helping dispel that thinking.

Somebody's got to get across to the guys in that room that coasting through the regular season, winning games on talent alone, is going to earn them a quick exit in the playoffs. They can't just assume they'll start playing hard in the playoffs. They have to combine their talent with hard work STARTING NOW, or it will be a long summer.

I love the talent on this team. I love the skill. But the work ethic has been embarrassing. We're getting outworked on a nightly basis, and I'm tired of watching it."

And this one from moi, in response to here...yes, I wasn't going to not completely get in any input. ;)

For sure, I could not be the only one waiting for Laviolette to say “Where’s the Tylenol?!” after he slammed the door. :D

Anyway, I know the Canes have a hard time when “Olie the Goalie” is in net, but geez. That, and really anything, is no freakin’ good reason to practically fall asleep on the ice. No wonder Lavy was/is so ticked…the Canes might as well have given him a “Jelly of the Month” Club invitation for a coach appreciation gift.

Heck, the only thing *real amazing* about this game? Apparently, the Caps' Chris Clark can blog AND score empty netters off Dennis Seidenberg at the same time. ;P

Current Music: "(It's Just) Talk" by the Pat Metheny Group

Thinking Inside the Box

Whether or not I get the John and Tripp Show on Center Ice tomorrow night, there is a feature returning from a few games ago...

"The game is a 7:00 start and is scheduled for coverage on FSN's TV package ... and I understand they're going with the split booth featuring Tripp Tracy once again holding down a spot at ice level between the benches ... and hopefully wearing a big ol' target for the odd loose puck. Tripp's always more fun when he's taken a couple to the head."

Grrrrrreat. From what I remember of the last time they had Tripp Tracy trapped in the box between the benches, he would not shut up for even just five minutes. What was sorely needed then was another color guy in the booth with John Forslund to give Tripper a reason to pause every now and then. Maybe, just maybe the Canes have corrected that problem...it shall (hopefully) be interesting to see.

Current Music: "Party At Ground Zero" by Fishbone

Edit as of 3:30 PM: I don't know what is scarier...the plan for tomorrow night's John and Tripp Show, or this.

As I said over there, I laughed way more than I should've at that.

Current Music as of the edit: "Cheeseburger In Paradise" by Jimmy Buffett

One For the "Oh, This Is RICH!!" Files

http://www.thescoreboards.com/forums/showpost.php?p=169171&postcount=56

"...There's an amusing poll on NHL.com's front page right now. I can't link to it and it'll probably disappear after a certain amount of time, but it reads a little something like this:

Which player will lead the Southeast division in scoring?
Martin St. Louis
Alex Ovechkin
Ron Brind'Amour
Erik Cole
Marian Hossa
Vincent LeCavalier
Erik Cole
Ilya Kovalchuk
(other)"

In addition to making me LMAO, this makes me simply want to point my finger at the person who created the poll, and utter "Bad."...nothing more, nothing less.

And I thought this was bad enough...

Also worth noting is how Erik Cole gets mentioned not once, but TWICE. But hey, at least they spelled his name...one of my bigger pet peeves over the last year or so being all the people who insist on spelling Erik's name with a "c" instead of a "k".

While I'm at it...I think the Canes should forget about Stormy, and make Bruce Campbell their new mascot.

That said, Laviolette should so make Bruce's words in this a locker room speech.

Current Music: "Bad" by Michael Jackson (Believe it or not, that came up on my WinAmp playlist as I was typing what's above... o_O)

December 19th, 2006 - Canes @ Flyers: Random Musings and Observations

- Y'know, the Grinch in me *really* wants to gripe about how the Canes should have pulverized the Eastern Conference worst Flyboys. BUT, on the other hand, the angel in me wants to just say that hey, the Canes got two points, and that's better than no points at all.

- John and Tripp AND FSN South...I may not get your feed all the time, no thanks to DirecTV and their version of Center Ice. But I've watched your feed enough over the last season and a third to know that it is absolutely no shock what-so-ever when you get Peter Laviolette to take two-three minutes out for his beginning of the second period "fireside chat". So that said, stop acting like you barely got Pete to stop and address us Caniacs on the current issues he (supposedly) went over with the Canes in the locker room.

And let's not even get into why the heck Kevin "Kato" McCarthy is doing "fireside chats" at the beginning of the third period... o_O

- Did John and Tripp switch bodies? Here I was all ready to hear Tripp drool over Philly's finest steak and cheese...and instead, it was John doing that!! o_O

I *had* to make sure Rod Serling didn't magically appear in my room or on the TV screen...

- Speaking of the Canes staffers...very, VERY GLAD to see Chris Huffine and his day with Lord Stanley get acknowledged during tonight's game. As I have noted somewhat constantly, I somewhat knew Chris when I lived in Raleigh/Wake Forest, thanks to his wife(!! It's VERY belated, but CONGRATULATIONS on the marriage, Chris!!) who work(ed?) as a receptionist for my family chiropractor. And he is every bit the wonderful person they make him out to be whenever he gets mentioned during a broadcast. Once again, and it can never be said enough, CONGRATULATIONS to Chris on being the first ever native North Carolinian to get their name on the Stanley Cup.

Because of that, I just may have to keep this game on tape.

- I'm starting to feel like the FSN South feed is teasing me with that damned creepy Gizmo-voiced "Brindy! Brindy! Brindy!" commercial...tonight's game was the third or fourth one in a row where they waited until the last five minutes to play that thing.

Current Music: "Merry Christmas (I Don't Wanna Fight Tonight)" by The Ramones

No Fighting Policy?

Well, this revelation from The Hockey News and Coach Laviolette certainly explains why there was a lack of retaliation against Garnet Exelby and the Thrashers the last time they and the Canes met.

http://www.thehockeynews.com/en/news/news.asp?idNews=22147

http://www.thescoreboards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6462

http://www.letsgocanes.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7478

Carolina coach Peter Laviolette makes no bones about the way he expects his players to act in games.

“I have a very strict no-fighting policy for our team,” Laviolette says. “Last year in the playoffs (defenseman) Mike Commodore got into a fight and I said, ‘OK, that’s it. No more fighting.’ I simply cannot afford to lose a player like Mike Commodore to an injury he may sustain in a fight.

“Take a guy like Erik Cole. If we allowed him to fight, I know he would do it. Now if he gets hurt in a fight, our team has lost a very valuable asset. How do I justify that? I can’t. It just doesn’t make sense to me to allow our guys to fight.”

Instead, Laviolette elected to dress skilled players on his fourth line, guys who, in a pinch, could fill in on one of his top two lines. A player such as Chad LaRose, for instance. LaRose, a 5-foot-10, 175-pound speedy winger, couldn’t fight his way out of a wet paper bag, but he scored 61 goals and 117 points in 67 games for Plymouth in his final year of junior and helped the Hurricanes by skating an occasional regular shift and killing penalties. Laviolette also worked skill players Andrew Ladd and Josef Vasicek into the lineup.

So...lemme ask you this Lavy: Would it make ANY LICK OF SENSE if Staal and/or Wardo were hurt/injured by Exelby or another team's goon?

I'm very well aware that we are (unfortunately) approaching the day and age of hardly, IF any fighting in NHL games. But crap like what Exelby did somewhat recently is why I feel that some semblance of fighting/retaliation should remain. As much as I respect Lavy and all he has already done for the Canes, I'm afraid that I have to strongly disagree with him on his "No Fighting Policy".

Current Music: "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five" by Paul McCartney and Wings

Edit as of November 11th, 2006, 10:35 AM:

http://www.newsobserver.com/122/story/509235.html

Laviolette further explains the "No Fight Policy" in this morning's N&O...

Laviolette instituted the policy after the first game of the second-round series against the New Jersey Devils. In the third period of that game, with the Canes on their way to a blowout 6-0 win, Devils tough guy Cam Janssen picked a fight with Mike Commodore in front of the Carolina bench.

Commodore answered the call -- Janssen was hit with extra penalties for instigating the fight -- but Laviolette decided at that point there was little gain worth the risk of losing a player like Commodore to a broken hand.

"If the other team is down 4-0 in the third period and looking to fight, players sometimes feel pressure," Laviolette said. "I'm not looking for it. Don't do it."