Happy 2009.

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?

Canada Canada.

Slight concern, but they'll be ok.
Team Canada played Germany last night at the World Juniors. And it was pretty darn close for the first two periods. At one point it was 2-1 and Canada was playing like... Hmmm, I was going to say the Leafs, but that's just mean. Anyway, luckily for the Canadians they turned it on in the third, and the Germans looks fairly tired. I think Pat Quinn will have some type of coronary at practice today before the big game against the Americans tomorrow.

Oh yah! the Spengler.
Remember that random little tournament held each Christmas in Davos, Switzerland? Where Canada plays random Euro club teams? Well Canada is one win away from the final, they only have to beat the Moscow Dynamo to get there. Sure... why not.

All Star.
Other than the fact that the All Star game is actually somewhere where people care about the game this year... I'm not really that excited. NHL.com is filled with 'breaking news' updating the allstar voting results. I don't care. I like the skills competition. But the game is a farce and a waste of time. They need to change something, just not sure what. I'll think about it and get back to you.

What do you mean Sidney Crosby didn't get it?

Twins first baseman, Justin Morneau is Canada's Male Athlete of the Year.

I had to laugh a bit when I heard what he said about the award,

"Any time you can beat out a hockey player in anything in Canada, it's an accomplishment," said Morneau. "It's pretty cool, especially with the people who have been named to this award."

And it seems like he might be right to be happy with his accomplishment. He's just the fourth baseball player since 1932 to win the honour.

Live Bloggin, Canada versus Kazakhstan.

Guys, I'm gonna quit live bloggin this one. I am heading out for dinner with a few friends. I think Canada's got this one. Don't ask how I know. Just a hunch.

6:01pm: END OF SECOND PERIOD, 9-0 Canada.

This is awesome because you know the web editor is channeling Borat in this headline.

5:57pm: ah Pierre McGuire. The useless fact machine. Apparently Canadian goaltender Chet Pickard plays #37 because that's the number Olaf Kolzig plays. And Olaf Kolzig owns the junior team that Pickard plays for. You're richer for knowing that.

5:55pm: This is a damn nailbiter. I'm really really bored.

5:53pm: GOAL - Canada, John Tavares. Gord Miller literally just finished saying... John Tavares doesn't have one yet in this game. Don't worry Gord, I think everyone will get one before the end of the game.

5:52pm: Kazakhstan takes another penalty. 

5:51pm: shots. 35 -8.

5:50pm: They still have a period and a half left. Kazakhstan looks exhausted.

5:49pm: GOAL - Canada, Tyler Ennis... tictactoe play.

5:47pm: Canada is on yet another powerplay. You kinda have to feel bad for Kazakhstan. They played last night and lost 9-0 to the Germans. Canada had a full day off yesterday.

5:36pm: GOAL - Hat trick, Jamie Benn

5:30pm: GOAL - Canada, Cody Hodgson

14 of the 20 player roster for Kazakhstan play for the same club, the Kazzinc-Torpedo.

5:12pm: END OF FIRST PERIOD, 4-0 CANADA

5:11pm: I'm concerned that this game might be forming some bad habits... like trying to dangle in the neutral zone, and playing with the puck in front of their own goaltender.

5:10pm: sorta like a big game of keepaway.

5:09pm: Ryan Ellis is soooo incredibly short!

5:07pm: GOAL - Canada, PK Subban. Might as well change the name of the Wayne Gretzky office to the John Tavares office. Another nice pass from behind the net.

5:05pm: GOAL - Canada, Jamie Benn, powerplay goal. Nice pass from Wayne Gretzky territory from Tavares.

5:04pm: Kazakhstan goaltender Andrei Yankov makes a nice nice save.
 
5:03pm: annnnnnnd boom goes the dynamite. They just put the puck over the boards. 2 man advantage.

5:02pm: Kazakhstan takes another penalty.

4:58pm: Pierre McGuire just repeated for about the third time, that we all need to just wait until the Kazakhstan players run out of gas. Thanks Pierre.

9:05: The Kazakhstan goaltender seems to be their only player. I've also realized that the timing of the games is extremely confusing. Screw it, i'm using actual times.

10:45: GOAL - Canada, Jamie Benn, powerplay goal.

14:02: Let's do it live! Canada just drew a penalty. It's already 1-0 Canada over Kazakhstan and the shots are 8-1.

Dear Pittsburgh Penguins,

Andrei Kostitsyn.

that's it.

- Jenn

One down.

And how.

Canada started the 2009 World Juniors with a bang yesterday. Taking down the Czech Republic 8-1. John Tavares led the way with two goals and a helper, but the other six goals came from six other players. That's one round robin game down.

But the real test won't come until New Year's Eve when Canada faces the USA, since the next victims are Kazakhstan (really?) on Sunday 4:30 AST, and Germany on Monday 8:30 AST.

"Borat put Kazakhstan on the map and now Kazakhstan will try to put Kazakhstan on the map..." - TSN anchor Bryan Mudryk.

And the United States looked great yesterday (although it was against Germany), but they will be the team to beat for Canada. Barring some monumental upset, the two teams will face off twice before Canada can get its hands on a medal. So Canada does have a bit of a tough road. It's definitely hard when you don't have a little adversity to keep your team sharp.

But hey, so far my only complaint is that i'm not IN Ottawa. Can't win em all I guess.

Merry Christmas

For anyone who thinks this is hilarious.

Christmas anti-miracle.

Geez, did they poo under the tree as well?

As Canada prepares to try to win a gold medal at the 2009 World Junior Championship in Ottawa, the family of Detroit Red Wing prospect Logan Pyett would love to get back his 2008 WJC gold medal.

The gold medal from last year's World Junior Championship was on display in the home of Pyett's parents, Rhonda and Lyle, in Balgonie, Sask., but was stolen on Tuesday evening when the Pyett home was broken into by thieves while they were out at a Christmas function.

The Pyett's car, amongst many other personal effects, were also stolen and the RCMP is working on the case, but Pyett's parents feel particularly bad about the loss of their son's gold medal, which has great sentimental value and is irreplaceable. It was on display with his Team Canada sweater, but the sweater was not stolen.

"We're hoping it will be like when Sidney Crosby's jersey was stolen and he got it back," said Jayme Day, Pyett's aunt. "Hopefully, it turns up or the person who took it realizes what it means and returns it. We feel terrible about it because it's Logan's and it means so much to him and his family."

Wrigley II.

December 23. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, which means it's just two days from Christmas. Which means..... THREE DAYS till WORLD JUNIORS!

Wrigley.

Sometimes I worry about people...

...and what goes through their heads when they sit down to write an article...

From NHL.com:

Anyone wondering what Sidney Crosby would do for a midwinter encore 12 months "after scoring the winning shootout goal in the inaugural Winter Classic now has their answer. At noon ET today, Crosby eclipsed Jaromir Jagr’s record for the most votes ever received by one player in one season in the history of NHL All-Star Game fan balloting.

Apparently Sidney Crosby has done nothing since scoring that single goal in that one game back in January 2008.

He didn't lead his team to the Stanley Cup finals at age 20. He didn't get inducted into the Order of Nova Scotia. And he absolutely doesn't have 46 points, second only to teammate Evgeni Malkin.

So yes. Obviously surpassing Jagr in allstar fan voting is the obvious encore to that goal he scored outside. Obviously.

Not to mention that it is obviously extremely fair to compare Jagr's time with Crosby's. Online balloting has been around for years and the NHL hasn't had a ballot stuffing problem.

Question, what will Crosby do next?

Answer, if he keeps this up, he might even crack the olympic lineup.

Note: may contain peanuts... er, sarcasm.

There's SNOW... in TORONTO.

You know... it snowed here in Charlottetown the other day... probably 10 - 15 cm ... and we all lived.

But it appears... Toronto can't handle it.

HOLY F...

he finally signed.

Sundin. Vancouver. 1 year. 10$ million. (prorated so, around 5$ million.)

the post that shoulda posted yesterday.

... and I never finished it. But i figured i'd post it.

Chicawga is on fire.

6-0-1. And they put the boot to the Edmonton Oilers last night... 9 -2. wow.

"It was humiliating," said Oilers veteran Sheldon Souray. "It was a real poor effort. They pretty much exposed us in every area of the game. They took it to us all over the place. All the way around we got outplayed. It's been a long time since I have been part of a game like that."

Sheldon Souray... being humiliated. Remember that time Jason Spezza undressed him a few years ago.... and then the highlight reel goal he was on the wrong end of every night on sportscentre... yah...


magic sortof.

Kovalev scored a shorthanded goal last night against the Hurricanes, but his magic was not enough. The Habs couldn't stop Eric Staal who had two goals. The Canes won 3-2.

I'm concerned about the Habs. The powerplay is not clicking and they're taking a lot... A LOT of penalties (Habs took 11 of the game's first 12) . The fact that they have a number of injuries (notably, Carey Price, Saku Kouivu, etc) is a sidebar. They haven't been clicking all season. They don't have any consistancy on the power play. They never really replaced Mark Streit who was one of the most underrated powerplay quarterbacks in the NHL last year. Carbonneau seems frustrated.