"Really, guys, I don't know how I'm still out here either"
Game number one of 2011 and it's in sunny SoCal against the Ducks. The first period had plenty of action with each team putting up one goal. Anaheim put a bad coverage goal in for the only goal of the second, and the third was scoreless. This Toews injury is going to be THAT painful, I suppose. Good news is he's ahead of schedule and could be back against the Kings. Thank god!!! Another superstar at less than 100%. Now Kaner won't feel so lonely.
- Eddie O, "Gotta love the Hockey moms". Priceless!
- One Trick Bick continued his torrid scoring pace. Even though it wasn't a power play goal, it was only about 3 seconds after the PP was over, so in all reality, it was a PP goal. The Ducks couldn't get the puck out of their own end and it ended up in the back of their cage.
- Boss 81 is just that much better than every other player controlling the puck. He keeps it until he wants you to have it, no sooner.
- The fourth line really cycles well, just too bad that we hardly see them. I take that back. We saw Pick-To-Click Vik and Skillington, but Snake was banished to the bench for the third period.
- Corey Crawford was absolutely standing on his head, in the third period. It could have easily been 4-1. Nice to see CrawDaddy back in the cage. I'm officially on the Crawford Bandwagon.
- P2C-Vik and Skillington were the best forwards on the ice, period.
- There is only person I'd want leading a 2-on-1 less than Invisi-Bolly, and his name is John Scott. The next time up the Ice, Hossa actually took it off Bolly's stick, like the neighborhood stud taking it away from the feeble little runt.
- The Ducks were peppering the net before they scored the first goal. Crawford was screened by about 4 people, as well. I'm sure this is why Q will take Hendry off defense, but it wasn't his fault at all.
- Ryan Johnson, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook got beat pretty badly on the second Ducks goal. How do you let TWO opposing players behind our top pairing? Fastest skater in the league, eh, Dunc? Corey Perry made him look like he was standing still.
- The following shift, 100 year old Teemu Selanne broke between the #2 and #7. It's going to be one of those games, isn't it?
- And two shifts later, Keith willingly just handed it over to a Ducks forward behind his own net. One of those games, indeed.
- Excuse me, Pat? Jake the Snake is not Pat Kane. Not...even...close. And at this point, Dowell has a better chance of putting the puck in the net. Well, that is, when he's not being benched for no reason...more on that later.
- Speaking of Pat Kane. Did he dress last night? Obviously not at 100%, I guess, and nice penalty on Selanne. Could have really iced the game on that mistake, but it wouldn't have mattered anyway.
- I'm not sure why I haven't noticed this before, but when Hammer tries to skate at top speed, his arms move faster than his legs.
- I know they put on a little pressure, but what did Skillington and Pick To Click Vik do to earn time with Kopecky? At least Jake the Snake is competent. Snake sits while Kopecky just sucks the life out of everyone around him.
- Quenneville is so confident in Sharpie at center that he sends Ryan Johnson out to take Sharpie's offensive zone faceoffs. That's what I call a confidence builder, and an act of desperation.
- Kopy, Kopy, Kopy. ANOTHER offensive zone penalty. C'mon now, this is really stupid. But then again, you're a stupid person. He's basically useless on the Powerplay, as well.
- The curious case of Keith and Seabrook could best be described as an "adventure". They were all over the place, and it was scary.
- I still don't get Ryan Johnson. Jeff Taffe and Ryan Potulny aren't better than him? Really? Because he is really not that good.
- Bench Jake the Snake, Quenneville? What are you out of your mind? Kane hasn't done shit for 3 games, and you still trot him out there shift after unproductive shift. I know you can't bench him, but playing him as much as Quenneville is, just isn't producing results.