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.

The good kind of separatism.

As much as critics have said that the first outdoor NHL game in 2003 was special and that the NHL shouldn't do it too often because it will lose it's novelty. I think they're wrong.

To me, each one has its own vibe. The game in Edmonton was very... magical. It was -40 out there and Edmontonians stayed for the whole game. There wasn't really any ice issues because it was so damn cold. And that picture of then Montreal goaltender Jose Theodore with that toque over his helmet, frozen breath streaming out of the front of his mask will stick with me forever.

That doesn't mean that watching Sid Crosby take his touch at drama to a new level (while fluffy snow fell lightly) wasn't enjoyable. But put a game in Montreal and not only will you see good ice (see: Tragically Hip, Courage on Live Between Us, "The snow is so merciless, poor old montreal!") but i'm sure you'll see a good show. Montreal is a place meant to showcase the game outside.

And so the NHL dropped the ball this year. Chicago? Is Chicago having its 100th season? (that's a rhetorical question, the answer is "no".) I understand that the NHL didn't want to load everything to Montreal in one year (The 2009 entry draft and All Star game are there). But I would certainly give up the all star game or the draft... or both, if the official outdoor game was in Montreal.

But in true Quebec style, they're flipping the NHL the bird and having their own (god love Quebecers...) Yes, my friends, they will lure some sucker of a team to play outside... in Montreal. I've got my fingers crossed for one of the Florida teams.