teheheheheheheheheheheheh

I try not to get to emotionally attached to rumours. Because we all know some dude in a basement somewhere in southern Ontario probably started said rumour.

Especially when it has to do the words Lecavalier and Montreal. At trade deadline I tried not to get too excited. But I failed... deep down inside I thought that it would happen.

So when it didn't happen you'd think that would dull my giddiness for headlines like this:

"RIFT BETWEEN LIGHTNING OWNERS GIVES HABS HOPE FOR LECAVALIER"

But it hasn't....

OH please oh please oh please!

Unfortunate end.

Gary Roberts played a very anticlimactic final game in the NHL.

He was last in the lineup with the Tampa Bay Lightening on March 1 against Calgary (he got 1 assist). The Lightening placed Roberts on waivers previous to the March 4 NHL trade deadline.

However he was not picked off waivers by the time the trade deadline rolled by on Wednesday. And his $2million dollar contract has him squeezed out of Tampa Bay because of their salary cap situation.

Since breaking into the league in 1986 with the Calgary Flames Roberts became one of the fearless leaders in the NHL. A character "glue" guy, who would rather block a shot with his face then have it go in the net.

In recent years, his off-ice conditioning became legendary. players started noting that he was one of the fittest guys in the NHL (the guy was doing crazy mountain bike races in the off-season for fun!)

He even took on legendary status while playing with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Gaining almost cult status as fans (and media) began comparing him to Chuck Norris.

If you ask me, the Lightening effed this one up. They signed him in the off-season — they should have made sure they had room for him. This is no way to treat a veteran player. There's some cliche out there about karma being a bitch... yah.

If you ask me, Roberts is just another victim of the absolutely disastrous Tampa Bay management team.

Monkeys could manage a herd of cats better.

TSN is reporting that the Lightening will make an official announcement about Roberts' retirement today. Official or not — I think it's a sad end to a storied career.

And so, sadly, I leave you with some last What Would Gary Roberts Do's:

• Gary Roberts does not shoot the puck. The puck seeks to escape Gary as fast as possible to the relative safety of the net.

• Gary Roberts does not have a gym membership. The gym has a Gary Roberts membership.

• Every day, Gary Roberts meditates for one hour. This is the only time the rest of the NHL can relax.

• Georges Laraque named his fists Gary and Roberts.

• The grass is always greener on the other side. That is, unless Gary Roberts has been on the other side. In that case, the grass is most likely the color of blood and tears.

• Gary Roberts ordered a Big Mac at Burger King. And he got one.

• What's known as UFC, or Ultimate Fighting Championship, doesn't use it's full name, which happens to be "Ultimate Fighting Championship, Non-Gary-Roberts-Division."

Tampa - Montreal

Tampa and Montreal have a game in a little over a half an hour.

I'm interested to see how the Canadiens players react. Last time the two played, Dec 11, Montreal looked like a bunch of school kids.

It was especially frustrating watching Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier have free reign despite the fact the two always play especially well when at home in Quebec.

That frustration showed on Guy Carbonneau during the post game press conference where he called out his players for that exact reason, wondering why they didn't listen to him.

But, since that game the Canadiens lost another two, but recovered from the rough patch, to take 9 of possible 10 points.

It should be a good game. Actually a really good game. And yet TSN is showing Toronto play Atlanta. Really?

Windy scores.

9-2 blowout.

The Pittsburgh Penguins destroyed the New York Islanders last night. Now... it is the Islanders, but nine goals is still very impressive.

Both Pascal Dupuis and Petr Sykora had a hatrick. Sidney Crosby managed four assists. Quietly after a slow start, Crosby is now on par for well over a 125 point season.

5-1 blownlead.

After two periods last night the Carolina Hurricanes thought that they had it tied up in a nice neat bow. That's until the Philadelphia Flyers scored four... countem, four unanswered goals in the third period. Two of which were from Scott Hartnell to complete his hat trick. Can I point out that Hartnell had 6 goals all season?

Just to rub salt in the wounds... Philadelphia won in a shootout. yuck.

Steve Downie

You know what's funny. I had this section already here earlier today. I was going to talk about Steve Downie and his cheap play. What's funny is Tampa Bay must agree? They sent Downie packing to the minors today.

I must say, I was first at bat when Jack Johnson laid him out with a juicy elbow near the end of the Canada - USA game at the World Juniors in Vancouver. But the more I think of it -- the more I think that it's probable that Downie verbally provoked him.

Last night Downie was running goaltenders and taking cheap shots during the Canadiens game last night. It's a wonder someone didn't pummel him. Which is something PJ Stock brought up after the game, nobody on Montreal seems to be coming to bat for their teammates. Laraque can't do it all.

Tampa.

Staying on the topic of Tampa. This might be a bit of bad timing since they finally did win a game last night (after a 9 game losing streak.) But is it fair to say that this team did way too much all at the same time. Back on August 30 I did a post titled, Tampa is going to be Ridiculous. .... Ridiculously bad is probably what it should've said.

At the end of last season they lost veteran player Brad Richards who had been with them since they drafted him. Richards and Vincent Lecavalier played together since they were 14. All through Notre Dame. Rimouski L'Oceanic, and then Tampa Bay Lightening. You can't just take a guy like Richards out of your lineup and go on like nothing happened. And Ryan Malone, won't fill the void.

Barry Melrose? That worked out well.

They brought in so many players who definitely charactar guys, but they were thrown into the mix together with a coach who was sent packing so it's pretty hard for chemistry to form. I mean, geez, they might as well have signed Sean Avery and Ray Emery.

Is Theo Fluery available?

Dispatch: from the front lines.

I'm writing this crouched underneath a table. I figure the sky will fall fairly soon.

The Toronto Maple Leafs beat Ottawa.

It's only a matter of time. Duck and Cover.




Hangover.

And that's what happens when you don't play for a whole week. The Canadiens haven't played since Monday. It looks like Carbonneau should've just played Tanguay for the whole game. Because he was on fire.

Jaroslav Halak started the game because Carey Price had the flu. But Price ended up in the net in the end.



Holy Hockey Batman.

All teams are in play tonight! I heard that this is the first time that absolutely every team is playing at once in a while. Something about the lockout was mentioned. Or 2005? meh. There's a lot of hockey tonight.

Strombopoopoobus.

"And he went after me when he was on Stopulopulus," said Don Cherry on Coaches Corner tonight.

He was referring to the comments made by Sean Avery when he was a guest on The Hour, hosted by George Stroumboulopoulos. Close Don... real close. (Actually it's a helluva lot closer than i would've expected. But I can't give you any points since you actually work in the same damn building as him.)


Bad Prediction?

Um, so far the Lightening are playing like the women's Italian hockey team. Apparently the team is in disarray. On the Satelitte Hotstove, Al Strachan even said that the players are not on the same page. He also said that the GM came into the locker room at intermission during the Europe trip.

They lost 3-0 tonight.

Tampa is going to be Ridiculous (capital R on purpose)

From the Canadian Press: "A day after being traded from Ottawa, restricted free-agent defenceman Andrej Meszaros has signed a six-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning."

Add that they've just signed Vincent Lecavalier to one of those "you might die before your contract expires" deals and subsequently named him captain. (In case you were wondering: 11 years, $85 million.)

They also managed to pick first overall in the draft (see: Eastern Conference Doormat 2007-08) and now own The Next-Next One.

Oh yea, and they went on a free-agent frenzy signing that would even make Pierre McGuire blush. Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts, Radim Vrbata, Olaf Kolzig, Matt Carle, Mark Recchi, and somehow managed to talk ESPN commentator Barry Melrose into the head coach job.

Looks like their evil plan is coming together nicely.