Turkey

Why would he do a thing like this? I think he automatically qualifies as a "possibly risky primadonna" after this move if it's true.

Wrong Downey, friend. You'll note the distinctly different spelling on second glance, I'm sure.

I can't think of anybody in the top 6 that I would want to replace w/ Sundin. I don't think he'll come cheap. If money wasn't an issue I might be willing to part w/ Sammy and replace him with Sundin but really I just don't see this happening.

There's no way Babcock is going to mess with this line-up right now. We won't see Mac and we won't see Chelios. I'm sure of it.

Robert's problem is that he's forgotten that we can all see what happened because it was on camera. Franzen didn't touch him and the didn't get him with is shoulder. He hit him with the hand. I mean seriously Gary? You can't just rewrite history when it's on tape.

Hoegaarden is good for sure. You ever put some citrus in it? I like it w/ food in the summer. That's some tasty refreshment!

All I was thinking when I saw this moment was how easily I forget that Lemieux is a man-mountain when he's sitting in the press box. He made Steve look like a wee baby!

Calling Marty, "Mary" was a typo but I'm leaving it because it's funny.

I'm not sure why a rental like Lapointe would have been better than someone like Mac. Marty is nothing like what he used to be and neither is Mac. Both would basically perform the same job. Mac was basically free, Mary would have cost a pick. Mac was doing his job, had good chemistry w/ Helm and Huds, and had a goal and an assist. Until this last game or two he was right there with guys like Draper, Drake, Cleary, Lilja, Lebda, or Stuart when it comes to scoring contribution. He's there to drive the net, make room, and be defensively responsible. He's done that and that's a good job as far as I'm concerned. We have a lot of guys on this team who aren't really there to score a lot. Mac is one of them. What would someone like Lapointe have done?

I'm surprised by all the shock about this. Gary Roberts is a career cheap shot artist. He hits from behind. He does stuff like this. Nothing new about it really. When you like him, it makes him a "warrior". For the rest of us, it makes him dirty. I'll be glad when he retires.

Current favorites (this changes): Black Butte Porter - USA Bridgeport IPA - USA Trummer Pils - german La Chouffe (sp? it's a belgian golden) actually I like every belgian beer I've ever tasted I'm moving to St. Louis soon so I'm holding onto hope that I'll enjoy Schafly's or whatever it is.

I seem to recall hearing at one point that we were going to see some of the younger officials later in the playoffs and the older guys out. Apparently the zebras are in rebuilding mode, trying to season a few of the officials that have never been this deep.

Just letting them know what's coming, right?

Let's remember that Filpulla and Clearly are both playing with their bodies not at 100%. Filpulla keeps not practicing due to lingering leg injuries that he is playing through. Clearly lost a ton of weight, stamina, etc with the whole jaws wired shut liquid diet thing and I don't think it's reasonable to expect him to be his normal self for the duration of the playoffs. Frankly, I'm pleased at how well both of them are playing once you take this into consideration.

Turco's a great goalie and I'm sure he's a swell guy but man, I HATE when he talks to the media. Everything that comes out of his mouth just seems petulant. Seriously, I read these quotes from him and I just roll my eyes and groan. Just keep the guy in net and away from the press.

Yashin will have to suck it up and not get paid a budgillion dollars before he'll be going anywhere. I bet he makes more if he stays in Russia. My guess is that he thinks his accomplishments there last season will earn him a paycheck. What he fails to account for is the fact that he is a known underachiever in the NHL who took big bucks and then played a lazy game with the Islanders. I think that will be just as significant for his earning power as his performance in Russia was. Then again, maybe he's turned over a new leaf. If so I'll eat crow. Speaking of Leafs...is that a potential home for Yashin?

Philly is doomed. Also I hate them. Crash and burn, Flyer scum!

Maybe they can just trade jobs!

This goes to either Blake or Pisani. Chelios has played a long time and that's awesome but these two guys have come back from big odds. Pisani's illness is no joke. The physical symptoms are horrible. Blake is playing while knowing that he's got Leukemia. I mean come on....Chelios has no shot.

McCarty is scratched tonight.

Morrow is big, has a lot of hustle, drives the net and hits (ask the Sharks). I'm concerned about him like I would be any other good player that is performing well in the playoffs. I'm concerned about Ribiero, Turco, Modano, and Zubov as well. Anybody who thinks this is going to be an easy series is fooling themselves. I expect it to be long and fun to watch.

I've been really pleased with the tough play, hitting, etc from the skill guys. Datsyuk has stood out the most in this respect, as far as I'm concerned. I definitely think you can teach toughness to skill guys. It will be interesting to see if Filpulla gets grittier in the same way. I also think it would be interesting to watch Hudler. I could see him turning into a real pest. Hitting just enough to piss 'em off. As for the Barnes bros, I remember them well. I just assumed that their hands exploded when they typed the word "grit" for the millionth time. I kid! I kid!

Amen! I always think of a movie I saw once. One of the characters was supposed to have been a Blueshirt during the last cup run. At one point he says something like "Baseball is the only sport I know where you can sleep through half the game and still be called a professional athlete."

Thanks to their irrational decision not to show hockey, I go weeks and sometimes months without remembering that ESPN exists.

QFT They all dive to some degree. I don't consider someone a "diver" unless they are utterly flagrant about it all the time. Sid takes his lumps for the most part so I don't think of him as a diver.