cusimano_brothers

Howe, Lindsay, Sawchuk. Check. Of the "retired players", Kelly deserves the honour. When he landed in Toronto, "Punch" Imlach moved him to Centre and, from there, made Senator Frank Mahovlich into a star. Howie Young, Bob Baun, Terry Murray, Colin Campbell and Uwe Krupp were among many who wore #4 after Kelly.

What a great game! Della Rovere could be the next Steve Downie.

My database says the figure is 2.92. My calculator says that 111/38=2.921052631. I remember a TV piece done a few years ago on Osgood. It dealt with how he overcame the stigma, wrongly heaped on him, for the errant clearing attempt in Game #7 vs. San Jose in the QF. He said one the best things that happened to him was when Detroit aquired Mike Vernon. Vernon's demeanor was such that following a game, you couldn't tell if he had won or lost. And he made Osgood aware that if he was going to succeed, he was going to have to learn how to do this; that he had to believe in himself. Then it was the belief of too many fans that a Cup with Osgood as the main goalie goal impossible. He proved them wrong in 1998 and, to the remaining naysayers, he proved them wrong again in 2008. "Ozzie" is still fine.

He's doing all right. The figures for the Club's Goals Allowed per Game, last season and this season: 2007-08: 2.21 2008-09: 2.92. Goaltending is just one the elements to a great team. There are other clubs in the League who would love to have the goalie tandem that the DRW have right now. And, you know, they had a chance.

Re: Komisarek. They ran a story about the "voting" this morning on TSN. Komisarek said he got an email from the League reminding everyone that there is no body checking in the ASG. I think he was kidding. And he's been out for a month with a shoulder injury. I guess it could have been worse: the MTL fans could have started a write-in campaign for Maurice Richard.

Canada-Russia, SF: This game could have been a bigger winning margin if Canada would have shot more; too many attempts for "the perfect play". But, we do have three notable things in Canada right now: 1) A lousy national leader, 2) A dollar with lousy value and 3) A chance at a Gold Medal and, with it, a fifth consecutive Junior World Championship! And, right now: 3 > (1+2)

That was the first time in franchise history the DRW had recovered from a 1-3 defecit to win a 7-game series.

Russia vs. Canada SF: Of the first 12 shots in the game, 4 were goals. Last goal wins?

I heard a comment on TSN this morning about how Team USA needed Ron Wilson back as Coach. And I thought, he's already got a job with a losing hockey club, why would he want two?

This is a very sad story: 21-years of age, York U student, an amateur playing for the love of the game. And, it is amazing it doesn't happen more often. Solutions: keep the helmets on; keep the helmets tight; keep the linesmen out of it until someone taps out.

http://www.tridelphia.net/

Current Season Streaks Overall: 2-game Winning Streak (1 SH) Road: 1-game Winning Streak Current Streaks vs. Minnesota Overall: 1-game Winning Streak (in OT) Road: 2-game Winning Streak (1 in OT) Games on this Date: January 3 Last game on 03/01: 2006, Home vs Minnesota 31st game played on this Date Record on January 3: 14W-12L-4T LGW.

This was the 1st alternate site game played by the DRW since 24/02/1994: a home game vs. the Hartford Whalers, played in Cleveland, OH and a 3-0 win by Detroit. It was during the NHL experiment that spanned two seasons (1992-93 & 1993-94), where games were played in non-NHL cities. Detroit played 4 games like that: 2 in Cleveland, 1 in Milawukee and 1 in Minneapolis.

I usually listen to the DRW games on the radio, 1290AM, CJBK in London, ON; unless there is a Knights game (which there was last night) which trumps the Wings broadcast. I checked the score and knew exactly what my next step was: upstairs and listen to AM720, WGN, Chicago's NHL flagship. Why, you ask? There are few things better than listening to a broadcast of a game when THEIR team is losing. Their play-by-play man is John Wiedeman, (who talks so fast he must breathe through his ears when he's doing the game) with colour man Troy Murray. Early in the Second Period, Wiedeman says something along the lines of "I like what I'm seeing now; Byfuglien hitting Datsyuk, their best player, into the boards". Is there a paper strike In Chicago? Isn't this guy aware that the DRW has LOTS of great players. I must give credit though; they did mention that Kane has to stop taking stupid penalties. Looks like his routine is wering a little thin. During the Second Intermission, Murray says that "I haven't seen Chicago show frustration like this during this recent streak", referring to the 9-GST that was snapped and winning 10 of their last 11 during that span. He said that whatever they wanted to do, Detroit wasn't going to let them. Radio Squirming 101: I love it!

"Inspector Gadget", aka Gary Bettman, will match up with who he thinks (or his staff tell him) are the next "Face(s) of the NHL" are playing. Last season: Pittsburgh (Crosby); this season: Chicago (Toews & Kane).

Great job by Detroit. Chicago looked totally gassed in the third period. When they needed to find that extra push, it wasn't there. Huet was lucky is was so cold: it wasn't sunburn on the back of his neck, it was frostbite. Wasn't it Huet's wife, when he was the "next great goalie in Montreal", that told the media that they weren't pronouncing his last name correctly? Wasn't long after that, he was traded to LA. The "Campbell Curse" in outdoor games was extended to 2 today. The CBC coverage, as always, was perfect. They even got to tell 2 "pit stop" stories: Chelios' in Chicago when he took the Cup back home in the summer and Conklin's during "Take me out to the ballgame".

My coverage = via the CBC (thank goodness).

With people talking about "homers" (not the version on skates), I was reminded of this. Living in Southern ON, we cannot escape the Mighty Leafs. Their colour man is Jim Ralph, a former goalie, who toiled in the AHL and a real "homer". This is a little off topic, but with hangovers on a lot of people's minds today... It's an NHL drinking game, like the "Bob Vila Drinking Game" (whenever Bob touches something, you take a drink). This version can be played whenever the Leafs are playing, via radio or online through their network. Every time Ralph says "You know what?", that's your cue for a drink. Good luck with this. And, please do it in the safety of your home, not in your car.

Historic? That's easy; I'll give you two: Tuesday, April 25, 1952: Detroit wins their 5th Stanley Cup, sweeping both of the series in total of 8 games, the 1st time it had been done in Cup history. This was the game that the 1st octupus was flung onto the ice, 1 tentacle for each win in the playoffs. By the way, an octopus only has 6 legs, plus 2 arms. Thursday, April 14, 1955: Detroit wins their 7th Stanley Cup, consecutive Championships for the 2nd time & the 1st since 1936-37. The Game 7 win was in Detroit and after League President Clarence Campbell presents Captain Ted Lindsay the Cup, who sees all the fans standing down by the boards at ice level at The Olympia (there was not protection for fans then, only screening at either end). Lindsay does the next logical thing; he skates around the outside of the ice surface, so the fans could get a closer look. It was the 1st time the Cup had gone for a skate in NHL history.

U - S - Eh ! U - S - Eh ! U - S - Eh ! Weapons of mass implosion.

Timekeeper controversy.

Here's some math on Kenneth Mark Holland's record as General Manager of the DRW, going into this season: 10 seasons, 3 Stanley Cups. Only John James Adams had more: 7, in36 seasons. Things will work out. They usually do.

Another thing that was touched on in the post-game report: the fact that Chicago is now considered one of the "elite" teams of the League, but they shouldn't be when they did such a lousy job on faceoffs in the game. I checked the sheet: Chicago: 17 of 55, 31% Detroit: 38 of 55, 69%.

01/01/2009 The game will be the 28th game played on New Year's Day (23 on the Road) and the first since 1969, with a record of: 10W-14L-3T. It will be the 17th vs. Chicago (all but 1 on the Road) with a record of: 7W-8L-1T.

Current Streaks vs. Chicago: Overall: 4-Game Winning Streak (2 in shootouts), Road: 1-Game Winning Streak (1 in shootout). LGW.