For some people, today is Super Tuesday. For others, it is Fat Tuesday. For even others, it's just another muthafuckin' day of the work week.
But as for Rudy and Earl, we're celebrating for a whole other reason today. Bottoms up!
Anaheim Ducks (27-22-7, t-5th in west) at New York Islanders (24-23-6, 10th in east)
"We're making goalies look like all-stars right now." So says Brian Burke on the Ducks' recent pratfall. Five goals scored in their last six games, zero in their last two. Neglecting the fact that one of those games actually featured an All-Star goalie, I thought I'd show what Burke's talking about--even an undersized goalie like this one can be effective when all the shots go straight at him (thank you, McDonalds Canada):
LA Kings (Oof!) @ New York Islanders (24-21-6, 8th in Eastern Conference)
Whoops, Part II
Well, it took a couple weeks since I first announced it, but finally after a lot of paperwork and blogducation, I was able to contribute my first cartoon post to the AOL Fanhouse today.
I know I am supposed to be sticking with the west coast (and actually I have a Niedermayer post somewhat underway that was intended to be my first post), but how could I pass up a shot at former Ottawa cup-loser Mike Comrie and his starring role in the tabloids? Especially since the story was assigned to me.
Anyway, I'm still getting my feet wet there, but at least I've gotten over the initial hurdles (logging in, creating post, drawing cartoon to avoid photo-altering lawsuits). If you are feeling generous, why not head over there, leave a comment, and make me look like a superstar?
I've also added a link to the sidebar under "Anaheim Ducks" that will go straight to the Earl posts (more useful once I write more of them). Enjoy!
New York (AP) - Have you been unjustly fired from your job?
Have you done everything asked or expected of you, and without warning been given the ol' pink slip?
Have you found yourself suddenly replaced by an underling or even replaced by your boss himself, as if you were not even a necessary contributor in a corporate system?
Sometimes life throws you a tough break like that; it can be demeaning and discouraging, and often there is nowhere to direct your resulting anger: "Why? What did I do wrong? Am I just not good enough?"
The NHL, ever sympathetic to its money-spending fans, has decided to respond with its new Canned! Hotline.
For a small fee, you can listen to real people who can tell even worse stories about workplace injustice. People who excelled in their position but found themselves suddenly exiled. People who were fired after only 40 days, never having a chance to prove themselves.
Your problems will feel slight in comparison, and you'll be much more adjusted to your crappy unemployment situation.
Call now!
(Note: For a slightly larger fee, they will also listen to your sob story.)
I can't believe I'm giving the NHL a lesson in 'spin', but why all the negativity for Chris Simon the criminal? Why not instead celebrate Chris Simon the bloodthirsty warrior?
Who stands tall in the Battle of California?
Sharks beat the Islanders 2-0
Kings beat the Islanders 4-2
Ducks LOSE to the Islanders 5-4 (yeah, yeah, it's a shootout, but I'm trying to talk shit here) -- also with Mike "14 years less on my contract than Rick" Dunham in net!
So much for Anaheim ruling the west! All hail the non-Pronger/Niedermayer teams from California!
(Alternate title: Longing for the days of rational Yashin contracts)
Well, apparently Charles Wang couldn’t stand sharing the “Joke of the Offseason” award with the Florida Panthers, so he went and raised the stakes. Rick Dipietro, who I assume will have his number retired soon, has signed a no-I’m-not-kidding 15-year contract at $4.5 M per year.
Despite the fact that this is entirely Wang’s agenda, I still encourage all readers to devote a night and a bottle of their favorite liquor for an impassioned e-plea to new-GM Garth Snow, who already is the second-shortest-tenured GM in NYI history. Even though this is (and forever will be) Wang’s beast on the isle, Snow still is the GM and should answer for this lunacy or make-like-Lafontaine and resign. Plus he gave out his email address, so he’s fair game.
James Mirtle (who’s a surprisingly strong fantasy drafter, by the way) writes a really good summary and points out that length aside, Dipietro is the wrong guy for a long-term deal. I’m going to take it a step further and just say that I think that goalie’s the wrong position to tie long-term money into.
Yes, goaltending is the single most important position on the ice in hockey, or at least close enough. However, when we talk about cap-limited-budgets, you must consider the marketplace of available talent. There are more than enough quality goaltenders to go around in this league; remember how hard Manny Legace had to work to find a place to play net? Recall how GMs in Buffalo, Anaheim, and San Jose have been trying to give goaltenders away?
Or look at the playoffs last year. Who were the big goaltenders? Cam Ward, Ilya Bryzgalov, Vesa Toskala, Ryan Miller, and (d’oh!) Jussi Markkanen weren’t the highest paid or the most experienced goaltender on their rosters. Goalies are breaking out all over the place, baby!
TSN quotes an eastern GM who I agree with. He points out, ''Let's just say DiPietro takes off and he becomes a star and a top-five goalie and you have to pay him $7 million a year. Let him go to another team if you can't afford him because you can get a pretty damn good goalie at $4 million every year.”
Silly Islanders, you’ve tied your own hands for the next fifteen years on a plentiful asset with questionable shelf life.
More on the ill-fated series of cartooning the NHL Teams:
Previously: Pacific, Northwest, Central
And now, to the good ol' Atlantic Division, who will be visiting the Pacific this year. We haven't seen these teams since before the lockout.
From left to right, the Pittsburgh Penguin, the New York Thousand Islander, the New Jersey Devil, the New York Power Ranger, and the poor Philadelphia Flyer, who of course is undergoing the rigorous airline screening procedure we are all starting to know and love.
Oh, the humanity.
(Author's note: The headline is unabashedly false. It is just meant to convey East Coast news into California-friendly terms.)
The NY Islanders re-cemented their role as Dumbest Franchise Ever today by firing GM Neil Smith and replacing him with lottery-ball-winner Garth Snow. Smith had been GM for a total of forty days and failed to make the playoffs even once. Snow, meanwhile, had been posing as some sort of back-up goalie to get a better scouting angle on his future playing roster.
Now it’s pretty evident that Smith was not fired for GM performance, as his offseason seemed passably positive, at least not enough to warrant instant termination. Any GM fired for performance at least has the opportunity to put a team on the ice.
So it’s egos and whatnot, the perfect fan-pleaser. And all this to put together a team that has a page-and-a-half of ‘question marks’ both on the salary ledger and in the lineup.
And think what you will of Garth Snow, hey, he’s a guy who seized the day, better for him. As I noted in an earlier post, though, I don’t know how to judge 'Snowtide' for a while. He’s bound by Milbury’s earlier moves, just like Smith was, plus he now has to deal with Smith’s signings. It’s like he’s playing poker, but he has to pick up someone else’s folded hand.
For one day at least, 29 teams looked like geniuses. For this league, that’s not a bad showing.
[EDIT: Whoa, now Patty LaFontaine is leaving the team also?]
