• For the first time in 37 games, the Stars have won consecutive regular season games. Thank goodness, I can finally get that stat out of my head. Let’s hope it is the first of many mini-streaks this year. Good gosh, it is December, and we are discussing the first 2 game winning streak of the year? This really has been a rough start.
• Marty, Marty, Marty. My good Turks, that is why they pay you the big bucks – because you have that club in your bag. Monster outing against the Flames, and this team doesn’t win games like that if the goalie is not the #1 star. Well played. Mas, Por favor.
• Andrew Hutchinson: I am quite sure I have never heard of the guy until Sunday morning when the Stars acquired him. I also am not willing to invest long term on one outing, but it is sure nice to get a guy like that and then find that he doesn’t seem afraid of having the puck on his stick. Heck, he almost seems to like it. Andrew, I like your composure back there, and I give you solid marks for your debut.
• The Sean Avery suspension opens all sorts of talking points. I understand the league’s stance and the Stars stance on the big picture of Avery’s full body of work. But, that? That is a suspension? And a suspension that is “indefinite”? Sorry. I am sure that being a knucklehead is not a target to shoot for, but if it is a suspend-able offense to say something vulgar about someone’s girlfriend/mom/grandmother/wife, the league office is going to be busy. After my experience at ice level a few months back, I can tell you that death threats should be on that list, too. And, I heard no fewer than 5 death threats from my vantage point. This may not be a popular stance, but I don’t get a suspension over that.
• And from a Stars standpoint, let’s simmer down on the shock and disgust. No offense, but it wasn’t a big secret that the guy had some opinions that are both abrasive and over-the-top. If you buy a pit bull, and the pit bull acts like a pit bull, is it the dog’s fault that he bites things or your fault for bringing him into your house?
• Another big night for James Neal. He is a stud. Fabian Brunnstrom scored the game winner, and we should all hope that he is a strong young man mentally. He obviously is doing everything he can to please his bosses, and he also is producing when given the chance. A weaker guy may lose confidence, but he doesn’t appear to be losing it as he tried a few high confidence maneuvers tonight.
• Razor offered the nugget that Adrian Aucoin is one of the few players left in the league that uses a wood stick. Razor, please, who else is on the list? And why do I care? I don’t know. I am sick like that. But now, I must know.
• Why am I concerned that Sergei Zubov is gone for a while again? I don’t have this on high authority, but his health doesn’t appear to be right again and I am not sure I can bear another 8-12 week rehab for the guy.
• Stars need to win more faceoffs, IMO.
• Beating Edmonton again would be so much fun. And look at the Standings.
The battle for 15th rages in Alberta Wednesday night!
Updated Target Numbers for Tony Romo thru 12 games:
| Game | Owens | Witten | Crayton | Roy 11 | Barber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cle | 8 | 8 | 7 | - | 4 |
| Phi | 4 | 10 | 3 | - | 4 |
| GB | 7 | 9 | 1 | - | 3 |
| Was | 17 | 9 | 10 | - | 2 |
| Cin | 4 | 11 | 3 | - | 3 |
| Arz | 9 | 5 | 6 | - | 11 |
| StL | 7 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| TB | 9 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| NYG | 9 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 1 |
| Was | 9 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| SF | 13 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| Sea | 10 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 1 | Tot | 106 | 85 | 59 | 19 | 49 |
And now that I am back from a small respite, here are some tv recommendations:
Whale Wars is Gold …Here are the 4 episodes that have already aired on Animal Planet:
NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK (Episode 1 of 7)
Premiered Friday, November 7, at 9 PM e/p
NOTHING'S IDEAL (Episode 2 of 7)
Premiered Friday, November 14, at 9 PM e/p
INTERNATIONAL INCIDENTS R US (Episode 3 of 7)
World Premiere Friday, November 21, at 9 PM e/p
WE ARE HOOLIGANS (Episode 4 of 7)
World Premiere Friday, November 28, at 9 PM e/p
And here is when they will all air for you to collect on your DVR …
• We Are Hooligans
Friday 5th December 8:00pm EST
• Doors Slamming and Things Breaking
Friday 5th December 9:00pm EST
• Ladies First
Friday 12th December 9:00pm EST
• Needle in a Haystack
Sunday 14th December 3:00pm EST
• Nothing's Ideal
Sunday 14th December 4:00pm EST
• International Incidents R Us
Sunday 14th December 5:00pm EST
And two documentaries I have seen recently that I like:
Young at Heart – awesome film- you will smile the whole movie, until you cry, and then you will smile again…
The Bridge – another solid film, but surely a downer
what a great night for Dallas sports. Not only did the Stars get a much-needed win, but the Mavs nabbed another come-from-behind win (I know it was against the Clippers, but it was still big-time).
ReplyDeleteI don't think what Sean Avery said is as big of a deal as how he went about saying it. The guy essentially called a mini press conference, making sure everyone was focused on him before his sloppy seconds comment. If he had yelled this comment to Phaneuf on the ice during the game, in the heat of battle (or even after the game if the two got into it), I could understand that. But to go about making this announcement the way he did, he basically sent out his own "Ticket Text Message" to make sure he had everyone's full attention.
Is it possible Sean Avery is now the biggest knucklehead athlete in Dallas? We've got quite a list of them now with Avery, Pacman, Vicente Padilla...
I'm a pretty conservative guy, and I think free speech in this country is a very important thing. I don't get at all how the league feels they have a right to suspend someone for saying crude things! I totally think the guy is an idiot, but if people thought he wasn't worth the money then people wouldn't be giving him money. If the Stars wanted to suspend him as their direct employee, I guess I could even get behind that. But your point about policing all things said opens such a huge pandora's box. Very ironic considering the current left leanings in our country.
ReplyDeleteI will say that the Stars knew what they were getting, though.
So, what are the NHL's salary cap rules for suspensions and how salaries are handled in those situations? Are all contracts just guaranteed regardless?
The locker room comments in response to Avery were pretty telling... especially Richards, who I thought handled it the best out of the bunch.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if Avery is even a minority of the problem with the Stars right now, but I say dump him, if only so that I don't have to hear about him anymore.
Brenden Morrow had his surgery yesterday, and not a peep from the media. How is he? How did it go? Why is Sean Avery more important than The Captain's surgery?
Why does Avery play hockey? Must be the money. It's obviously not a high priority on his list. He just needs to quit hocke and get his dream job as a full-time Vogue editor.
ReplyDeleteBob, I can't get a read on what your stance on this whole thing with Avery is. I think its clear you are against him getting suspended by the league, but where do you stand on his comments and his being a member of the team in general?
ReplyDeleteWhats the difference between what Avery said, and the trash Don Cherry has spewed from time to time on Hockey Night in Canada about Europeans and French Canadians? This whole thing is frustrating me.
ReplyDeleteAvery's comments highly inappropriate...
ReplyDelete...but very funny. I would not have said those things, but I couldn't help but chuckle.
As for Jay's First Amendment comment, the NHL is a private company and can regulate speech however they see fit. It's their own credibility that will be at stake. If they sport a double standard they'll be consequences for them, but your First Amendment right doesn't protect you from being suspended from a game in a private hockey league.