Friday, January 25, 2008

 

Friday Baseball Standings

I want to take a few days off to rest and be with my wife in Florida, but first, the mandatory All-Star Break awards-lists-thingy!

Four Forwards Who Will Probably Be A Good Deal in July If They're Not Re-Signed First:
  1. Martin Gelinas - age 37, still productive at EV and can play against anyone
  2. Dan Cleary - his counting stats have exploded, and yet still don't really tell the whole story
  3. Michael Ryder - look I don't want to trade Tanguay for him, but he's 27, and his production seems likely to rebound.
  4. Jason Williams - assuming he's recovered, consider the injuries a blessing for depressing his price
Preseason Post I'm Relieved I Never Got Around To Writing: the one predicting how the most fascinating story of the year would be everyone trying to reconcile how the Devils could hire the most sought-after, respected, non-NHL coach this century, and then go straight down the tubes.

Four Superstitions I Retain About Hockey That Have No Proven Basis That I Know Of:
  1. A blowout victory can have a negative effect on a team that can persist through several losses
  2. I'd rather play a team that won the night before than lost
  3. The biggest difference between above-average and below-average NHL goalies is the number of lousy goals they allow, not the number of fantastic saves
  4. The Saddledome crew needs to change the Flames' entrance music back to Jump by Van Halen
Hart Trophy Candidate Now Who Won't Be In April: Vincent Lecavalier
Guy Who Will Take His Place In The Discussion: Jason Spezza
Best Player In The League That Has No Chance Of Being In That Discussion: Pavel Datsyuk (close second: Chris Pronger)

Two Things I'll Continue To Rant About With Varying Enthusiasm To No Effect Whatsoever:
  1. Over 90% of the things that happen in hockey games this season will be at a "key" or "big" time, so the whole cliche is especially useless
  2. All the other things I like to rant about
Read This Fantastic Profile From Scott Cruickshank Anyway, But Here's Three Players Who Have Looked To Me, In Games This Season, Like They Have Harder Shots Than Dion Phaneuf:
  1. Sheldon Souray
  2. Kurtis Foster
  3. Michael Rozsival
All-Star Weekend Free Association:

# posted by Matt @ 4:29 pm
Comments:

I can understand disliking the cliche as overused, but I can't understand you throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Some events in games are key and do happen at critical times. I get confused about whether or not you still remember this; I have no doubt that Grabia has forgotten it if he ever knew it.

A goal is not a goal is not a goal, just the same way a blowout victory is not just a victory.

Thank you for not mentioning Conklin in your awards. Cleary is enough of a kick in the junk for one day.
# posted by Blogger sacamano : January 25, 2008 6:14 pm
 


Cleary is enough of a kick in the junk for one day.

Speaking of, did everyone see Pronger fight him the other night? Video is here. I thought Danny boy handled himself quite well.

God bless Hockeyfights.com for adding the video feature, btw.
# posted by Blogger andy grabia : January 25, 2008 6:34 pm
 


Yes to Kurtis Foster. One of those guys who has a cannon that you rarely hear about.
# posted by Blogger James Mirtle : January 25, 2008 8:16 pm
 


Subjectively, I'm pretty sure Souray has the hardest shot I've seen from an Edmonton Oiler. I am surprised it wasn't a bigger part of his rep beforehand.
# posted by Blogger Colby Cosh : January 28, 2008 5:37 am
 


I think these two probably have some basis in reality that you can demonstrate empirically.

# A blowout victory can have a negative effect on a team that can persist through several losses
# I'd rather play a team that won the night before than lost
# posted by Blogger The Falconer : February 01, 2008 7:53 am
 

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