October 9th, 2007 - Canes @ Leafs: Random Musings and Observations

- Y'know...as much as I hated that gawdawful loss in DC, maybe that very thing was the booster shot in the arm the Canes needed.

- Then again, I can't help but feel that the supplement of vitamin C. Stillman really helped in tonight's win...er, massacre of the Leafs.

- I know I'm probably going to get killed by some Canes fans for this, but I feel sorry for Coach Mo, dagummit. At the rate things are going, I'm going to be amazed if Mo is still around T.O. by the time Christmas rolls around...if not Thanksgiving.

- Speaking of people to feel sorry for, my heart sank when I read about Jason Blake being diagnosed with leukemia yesterday. :( Wish the man nothing but the absolute best in his treatment and getting to play as long as he can...

- At first, I did not understand how San Jose could let go of Toskala after what he did for them in the last season or two...but I think tonight cleared up things on that front. That said, I cannot believe that ol' Vesa was left in like that for the entire game...as much as I like Mo, that was a pretty poor decision on his part.

- I am *really* liking what I've seen of Jeff Hamilton...him and Dennis Seidenberg are proving to be very, VERY pleasant surprises out there.

- While I am glad that a game like this one got to be on national television AND was the only bit of hockey on anywhere tonight, it does not hurt my feelings that a lot of the Canes' games are not on Versus. God, those guys had me clamouring for John and Tripp or TSN...

Current Music: "Superstition" by Beck, Bogart, and Appice

Versus Is Incompetent...Film At Eleven

Just when I begin to feel a little ashamed that I am missing the NHL Awards, I happen upon the following, and give myself a pat on the shoulder...

"It would have been nice for American fans of the NHL to watch these awards and theoretically the broadcast was supposed to be available on Versus at 7pm, buuuuuuuut….in true NHL on TV there was a snafu and Versus game it’s viewers a boxing match between…well, who the hell cares. Here’s a version of what went wrong from James Mirtle who was blogging the awards for AOLfanhouse:

“Here’s what happened. Versus was using the CBC signal from Toronto. However CBC is tape delaying the awards and showing them at 8pm local time. Apparently Versus just got the schedule from the NHL (which had the whole thing starting at 7) and never looked at the CBC schedule. Because the CBC feed from Toronto was delayed that would push the broadcast past 9 o’clock when Versus is scheduled for a live boxing match. Thus the decision was made to push the already taped award show to 11 and air the live sporting event.”

The reason that Food Network can beat the Stanley Cup Finals game one in the ratings? Because when Food Network says that “Build a Better Burger” is on at 7pm, it’s flippin’ on at 7pm. Versus is clearly run by chimps; chimps with a drinking problem."

*sighs* To paraphase one of my most favorite coffee mugs my family had growing up, which featured a bunch of cartoon orange tabby cats making a HUGE mess in a kitchen: "My league, LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT."

Obviously, I love it...otherwise, I wouldn't be here blogging about it whenever something postworthy comes along. But man...not only is Versus run by chimps, but so is the NHL, especially in marketing AND considering that SOMEONE at the home office in Toronto agreed to a deal with the aforementioned network.

And as I post this AND am scouraging the Net for more NHL Awards tidbits, my eyes embrace this...

"11:45 and they (*still*) haven't started handing out the hardware."

Yikes!! Thank ye gods for the Internet AND leaks...thanks to those, I have found out the following...

Rod Brind'Amour wins the Frank J. Selke Trophy for the second season in a row. - Yay for Brindy...and one of the few times I am quite glad to be wrong. I had him pegged for his award coffin being nailed shut by not making the playoffs. BUT, leave it to #17 to be mighty in not only muscle power, but also defying the odds AND media.

Lindy Ruff DOES NOT WIN the Jack Adams Award!! - Not totally official yet...but the moment it becomes that at one of my stomping grounds, you bet your sweet bippy I'll update this post.

Current Music: "That's Entertainment" by The Jam

Edit as of June 15th, 1:35 AM: To quoteth the great John Forslund...hey, hey, hey, what do you say?! The rumors were TRUE!!!

Hart Memorial Trophy, MVP - Sidney Crosby.

Vezina Trophy, goaltender - Martin Brodeur.

James Norris Memorial Trophy, defenseman - Nicklas Lidstrom.

Calder Memorial Trophy, rookie - Evgeni Malkin.

Frank J. Selke Trophy, defensive forward - Rod Brind'Amour.

Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, most gentlemanly - Pavel Datsyuk. (aaah)

Jack Adams Award, coach - Alain Vigneault.

King Clancy Trophy, humanitarian contribution to hockey - Saku Koivu.

Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, perserverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey - Phil Kessel.

~~~

Art Ross Trophy, points scoring leader - Sidney Crosby.

Maurice Richard Trophy, goal-scoring leader - Vincent Lecavalier.

William M. Jennings Trophy, goalies with fewest goals against, minimum 25 games - Nicklas Backstrom & Manny Fernandez.

---

Lester B. Pearson Award, outstanding player - Sidney Crosby.

All is right with the world...and I'm so happy, I just may not sleep for another couple of hours.

Current Music of the edit: "True" by Spandau Ballet

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