edicius

Tampa Bay just has no real consistent identity anymore, Lecavalier notwithstanding. They're in a state of flux this season, trying to figure out what works, almost as though they've already written off this season and are planning for next year. Can't blame 'em, honestly.

I suppose I'm the exception to the rule here. He had said last season when he wouldn't waive his NTC that he wanted to be with a team for the long haul and not as a spare part on the way to the Cup. If he signs with a team at this point in the season or later, it's clear that he was full of crap when he said that. I'm calling it right now - he's waiting to see how the standings pan out before the trade deadline to make his decision. If that's the case, he's REALLY full of crap, then. However, if I'm wrong, I'll own up to it. I remember being pretty close to being on the mark when it came to the sign dates with the whole Needavacation ™/Selanne debacle last year. I have the same feeling about Sundin. On the other hand, if he WAS serious about that and he's taken this long to decide on a team (when, if genuine, he should be waiting until the 2009-10 season), I get the feeling that he shouldn't be playing hockey in the first place - the hunger and desire isn't there.

Lilja just gave Mule some of his blood via transfusion, thereby transferring some of that badassery over to him.

Okay, who's Burke gonna salary dump this time to free up $2M?

Nabokov, Brodeur, DiPietro...okay, that last one's not terribly surprising, but still, this season's been rough on the goaltenders.

Huh. Oddly, I don't have a problem with this. Love Shanny to death and wouldn't have a problem seeing him sign with the Blackhawks.

If Sundin was serious about playing hockey, he would have signed somewhere by now. All he's doing is showing that he was full of crap when he had said that he wanted to be with a team for the whole ride and not as an afterthought. He's waiting it out to see where the standings end up before the trade deadline.

Friday: Ottawa @ Carolina Montreal @ Columbus Atlanta @ Buffalo Dallas @ Anaheim Saturday: Buffalo @ Boston Montreal @ Toronto Pittsburgh @ NY Islanders Tampa Bay @ Philadelphia NY Rangers @ Washington New Jersey @ Detroit Calgary @ Columbus Nashville @ Colorado Florida @ Phoenix Minnesota @ Vancouver Dallas @ San Jose St Louis @ Los Angeles Sunday: Atlanta @ Carolina Calgary @ Chicago Edmonton @ New Jersey Florida @ Anaheim San Jose @ Phoenix

I could see it happen. I'm an optimist like that.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=254494&lid...s=headlines_nhl It's a sign, Marty. You need to defer more of the workload to Weekes.

Ugh. That would be a real shame.

I hereby officially declare that I'm starting a write-in campaign for Lilja.

You know me far too well.

Eh, even if he stands on his head, I still have a feeling the Devils will flounder. Weekes was fantastic last game...and the Devils still lost 2-0. I got a sense that the confidence wasn't there for the offense, playing in front of Weekes and it affected their already lackluster offensive corps.

Anaheim has $626,667 of cap space left. No dice.

It's kind of a shame, because Avery DOES have some hockey skill and if he dropped the whole agitator/pain-in-the-ass schtick, he could be a really respectable member on any number of hockey rosters.

At work today. I'm currently about 95% over the cold I had this past weekend. But I think I normally scowl like this anyway.

I'm losing ground on you, dammit!

Crosby would get his ass handed to him in a match-up like that. So yes, I want to see that too.

That's what I've been thinking too. I know he insists that he's getting used to it, but his play this season says otherwise. I'm not going to begrudge the man for taking a safety precaution like that - how many of us have ever taken a speeding puck to the eye? - but it's clear that it's screwing up his game in ways that we've never seen before. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that his safety (or at the very least, his own perception of safety) isn't important - it is. But if he wants to be the Norris-winning defenseman that we all know, he needs to get over that hump and TRULY get used to playing with the visor or decide that freak accidents will happen, visor or not (I've seen players get sticks to the face up BEHIND the visor, effectively trapping the stick up there) and ditch the visor. Because as of right now, he's not contending for the spot of best defenseman in the league and, in fact, runs the risk of not even being the best defenseman on the Wings (extreme, I know, but the possibility exists).

Quick turnaround... I'm worried about Lids too. He's not himself, not at all. I mean, getting his pocket picked by a rookie? That's just one of many problems he's had this season.

Oooh, that one's getting saved. I may have a Photoshopping use for that later.

Well, I remember when Lemieux did that. At least Crosby stayed on the bench, whereas Lemieux just walked off the ice, into the dressing room and disappeared without letting anyone know where the hell he went.

OH DEAR GOD MAKE IT STOP!!! Do you even WATCH the games?! Lilja has been one of the most consistent d-men on the roster this season. And consistently GOOD. No joke. He's been more consistent than even Lidstrom, who has been terribly INconsistent. NO JOKE. The fact that you seem to think that Lebda is BETTER than Lilja boggles the mind. Even through a Dayquil haze, the inanity of these arguments is making me livid.

Reminds me of that freak injury that Kronwall had a couple seasons ago. Didn't look like anything happened on the play and suddenly, he's out for months.