Witchcrafting 2012 | Stanley Cup Predictions | Post-QF Update

*another macchiato done, a nice, yet tiny bit of chocolate cake collected, time to write some more*

If like me you are a Flyers fan, you were in for a craaaaazy ride! That was an awesome series versus the Pens. Even the Witch had no clue it would unfold like it did. Goals were being scored like there was no tomorrow and the fights a reason for concern. Would our Roo or Danny or Jagr make it to the next game or not? What a ride this series was. Even more so because we WON it! Yeah.

Looking at the other series the one that stood out for me was the Kings booting out the Nucks. With Richie there I have been following them a lot closer than before and I hoped for them to win. But I won't lie, I thought it was a long-shot, so yeah, this was a pleasing win by the Kings. And the Yotes, who'd have thought? Finally, I was sad to see the Bruins go, but the Caps did amaze me (eventhough I had predicted the series win heheh).

Anyways, this Witch had planned to update her predictions sooner, but got sidetracked by life ;) ... so let me see ...

*continues with the wishful thinking, absurdity, hoping, runewatching, coin-flipping and crystal-ballery!*


EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS & FINALS
[Rangers #1 vs Caps #7]
As I am writing this, the series is tied at 1-1. I predicted this series so I am going with my initial assessment (quite a bit of it is wishful thinking): With the Sens out of the way it is time for the Rangers to say bye bye. Come on Caps! 4-3 Caps. 

[Flyers #5 vs Devils #4]
Well. I had predicted my Flyers to make it through. But I hate the Devils so much, so I hoped they wouldn't make it this far. Not that I am fond of the Panthers mind you, but yeah. Got this one wrong. The Flyers will of course win, but as my guys like to keep us guessing they'll need a few games to accomplish it. 4-2 Flyers.

[Caps vs Flyers]
This outcome remains at this point. So going with my earlier prediction again. 4-2 Flyers.


WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS & FINALS
[Blues #2 vs Kings #8]
Yippee! I called this one right too. The Coins helped me with predicting the Sharks-Blues series. And I used them to predict this match-up as well: Kings are tails. Oooooh nice, I would have gone with the Kings here too. And The Coins agree strongly. 4-1 Kings. I am sure The Coins have their reasons, but I am going to be bold and say this will be a 4-0 win for the Kings!

[Yotes #3 vs Preds #4]
Got the Yotes right. They did a nice job disposing of the Hawks. Thank you. The Preds got rid off my fave Western team, the Wings. Definitely not happy with that. So mainly out of spite I predict. 4-1 Yotes.

[Kings vs Yotes]
Not the Conference Finals I predicted in my first post, but it's not too bad really. But love the Kings and I don't need runes or The Coins for this one. 4-2 Kings.


STANLEY CUP FINALS
[Flyers vs Kings]
My dream - Flyers vs Red Wings - got shattered lol ... but I am quite looking forward to seeing this final match-up happening ... my oh my ... that would be quite something. Carts and Richie battling their old team? Quite delish lol ... but Flyers got this one. 4-3 Flyers.

I like a seven game final series!

The Witch Is Back! | Witchcrafting 2012 | Stanley Cup Predictions

*macchiato done, cookies collected, time to write*

Ah, just when you thought I would never post again, I raise from the Ashes. Probably not for long. This blogging is so timeconsuming for me, that since late November, I have found zero time to write something. But how could I not return for my favourite pastime of the season: utterly and completely misreading the stars and other omens and failing in predicting the winner of the Stanley Cup!

But the Witch is back! And as last year, you can feast your eyes on a mix of wishful thinking, absurdity, hoping, runewatching, coin-flipping and crystal-ballery!


EASTERN CONFERENCE
[Senators #8 vs Rangers #1]
Last year the Rangers fought with all their might to make it to #8 ahead of the Canes. What a difference a year can make. This year they had several great runs and at times I had to admit they looked strong. Definitely stronger than I like seeing them. And they have King Henrik. Oh boy. But they also provided me with some fun moments and although I have no love for this squad at all, Torts definitely made my day the other week when he so openly dissed the Pens Prima Donnas. Nice. The Sens, ugh. So unless the Rangers decide to fail again in the first round, I can see them win this one quite easily. 4-2 Rags, I mean Rangers.

[Caps #7 vs Bruins #2]
Oh no. I hate this match-up this early in the Playoffs *wince*. Once the Flyers had 'left the building' last year, I totally jumped on the Bruins bandwagon. They were playing the game the way I had expected to see my Flyers play. But I have a soft spot for the Caps too. And correct me if I'm wrong, but there were some sparks in those last few games ... *ponders deeply* ... I can't think of bad things to say about the Bruins, such a complete team. And the Caps, do they even have a goalie?! But a little voice in my head is telling me to expect the perhaps unexpected and that maybe the Caps won't choke this time around. I am going to upset my buddy Sven with this and myself a bit too to be honest. 4-3 Caps.

[Devils #6 vs Panthers #3]
I have no particular interest in this match-up. Hate the Devils though, Panthers are so-so. So this is easy to decide on. The series score has nothing to do with me thinking the Panthers are THAT good, no, it's just a reflection of my dislike of the Debs. 4-0 Panthers.

[Flyers #5 vs Pens #4]
Oh boy. Really? In the first round? *sigh* Look. After the crazy trades that happened after the post-season I was really worried about how things would pan out for my Flyers this season. But I must admit, I am quite pleased. The season hasn't been perfect, but I had good hopes for a good Playoffs run. Hmm, well, if nothing else, I expect fireworks between the two. No love lost there! I don't mind seeing another bout of Lavvy trying to climb the boarding in order to give Bylsma a good talking to :D ... but the Pens, if they keep a healthy team, are quite formidable. Vomitted a bit in my mouth there :S ... so I am going for a mix of hoping and love for my Flyboys. 4-3 Flyers.

 
WESTERN CONFERENCE
[Kings #8 vs Nucks #1]
I just don't like the Nucks. Well, maybe Ryan Kessler, but that's it. The Kings have Anze! And Richie! And oh no, Carter, but I won't hold it against them. So simply because I hate the Nucks. I say. 4-2 Kings.

[Sharks #7 vs Blues #2]
Eh the Sharks made it again, eh? And the Blues too this time. What a lousy series, both are just such non-entities for me. So I am going to consult The Coins! Tail is Sharks. *flips a coin several times* Oh, The Coins like a full series! 4-3 Blues. Whatever.

[Blackhawks #6 vs Yotes #3]
What is that? The Hawks are still here? I blotted them out last year. So pesky of them to return again ... *continues pretending the Hawks do not exist* ... guess that's a by for the Yotes. Lucky bastards. 4-0 - as they had no opponents - Yotes. 

[Red Wings #5 vs Predators #4]
Red Wings, my fave Western team. So, easy for me. Wings of course win. Don't want them to get too tired. 4-2 Wings.


EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS & FINALS
[Rangers vs Caps]
Ohhhh, with the Sens out of the way it is time for the Rangers to say bye bye. Come on Caps! 4-3 Caps.

[Panthers vs Flyers]
Yeah no rocket science required to figure out what I am going to predict here ;) ... 4-1 Flyers.

[Caps vs Flyers]
Caps, I love you guys, but my Flyers will get stronger with each series. 4-2 Flyers.


WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS & FINALS
[Kings vs Blues]
As The Coins helped me out during the first round, let me consult them again. Kings are tails. Oooooh nice, I would have gone with the Kings here. And The Coins agree strongly. 4-1 Kings.

[Yotes - Red Wings]
No contest. Red Wings march through and quite easily too with lots of Datsyukian dekes. 4-1 Wings.

[Kings vs Red Wings]
You may know I am an Eastern Conference girl myself, but this is a sexy Western Conference Finals match-up. Delish! My Western faves have to win this one though, would love to see them in the SC Finals! But the Kings won't just give it up and will take it all the way to game seven, before gracefully bowing out. 4-3 Wings.


STANLEY CUP FINALS
[Flyers vs Red Wings]
Hahah, this is the exact same final series I predicted last year. My my, how wrong I was. But hey, a mix of wishful thinking, absurdity, hoping, runewatching, coin-flipping and crystal-ballery can be very potent and maybe this year that dream really will come true xD ... last year I predicted a 4-2 Flyers win and I see no reason why it should be different in this SC dream. So yeah. 4-2 Flyers. And I will be in Hockey Heaven!

So what do you think?

Black Friday Hockey

Black Friday Hockey. Or as I like to call it, "Hockey Night In Holland'. There were so many early games that I was able to watch a whole bunch of games before 1am! So I got myself some nice tasty food morsels, Cherry Coke (usually drink water only, so that is my guilty pleasure lol), started up NHL Gamecenter and settled in for a hockey-filled evening.


Starting off with the WINGS @ BRUINS. Tuned in just in time to see my hero Datsyuk score one of his awesome goals to make it 2-1. A pleasing score ... but I wasn't that happy with the Wings' play once they got there. There was a sense of complacency, which would have been alright with a 2-goal lead perhaps. My view is that when you lead by one goal, you keep pushing pushing pushing for another one before you take it down a notch. And I love Zetterberg, but that was a disgusting giveaway. Of course Bergeron would not let it go by unpunished!

At least it lead to a more animated remainder of the game. The OT was hectic with the Bruins looking just a tad sharper, but it ended in SO. Seguin and Pevs missed, Horton got a goal. But the Wings won this one with pretty nice goals by Datsyuk and Bertuzzi. Yeah! I would have liked to see the Bruins continue their awesome 10-game winning streak and turn it onto an even longer one, but not at the expense of my fave Western Conference team.


Next up. HABS @ FLYERS. Hmm. I had planned to to switch to this game as soon as it started, but the Wings game got me excited enough to keep watching. Unfortunately I saw that at the end of the 1st period the Habs had scored. I hate the Habs so much and for a minute considered watching the Oilers game instead. But have to stick with my Flyers, eventhough I noticed that I hate the Habs so much, that seeing them on Flyers ice made me quite nauseous!

But I persevered and tuned in for the second period. In the early minutes I saw several interesting attempts to score on Price, most noteably a breakaway rush by Sean Couturier and just a few seconds later Roo and Talbot had a great chance as well, both attempts making me wonder 'How in the hell did they not score?!' ... but I like it when my Flyers start playing hard and fast and they definitely went for it. By the time Roo equalised the game, my guys had thrice the shots on goal (2nd period stat: 5 vs 18). And Roo's wrist-shot was amazing. One of those shots taken from an apparently impossible angle. And they kept going and going, succesfully killing a PP and following it up smoothly with another goal. Voracek this time. He's one of the new additions that make sense to me. I am still trying to discover what Lilja and Rinaldo are supposed to add to the mix (feel free to add your thoughts about this in the comments). But I digress, because with 5.9 seconds left in the 2nd, Roo scored again. 3-1! YEAH!!! Oh, Kessel better get some goals tonight, Roo is close to taking over his spot in 'most points'. The third period saw no goals, but I liked the energy shown by my guys and they kept it interesting to watch. And I must point out Sergei Bobrovsky's awesome goaltending, he had several big saves today and looked as sharp as ever.


After that fun game I tuned in to the RAGS @ CAPS game. The Rags were ahead 3-1, but the first thing I got to see was a goal by the Caps which gave me good hope of a possible turnaround for the Caps. Unfortunately just a bit later the Rags answered and made it 4-2. Third period wasn't good for the Caps either and when the Rags made it 5-2 I gave up and switched to ....


... the OILERS @ WILD game. I had been switching back and forth, but decided to go with this game permanently, because I like to see the young Oilers play (4 points combined this game) and they were en route to beating the Wild. A 5-2 win for these former underdogs. And in the end the Caps lost 6-3.


It's 1am here and I don't have any energy left for watching the Pens. The Leafs game is even later, so I will watch those games tomorrow and share my thoughts about later!

Let me finish this post with a fun pic and a little musing ...

That is one scary 'tache! I like my Roo smooth, so can't wait for December lol

Musing: Wouldn't it be funny if Bobs became the starter once more and we'd have the most expensive back-up goalie?!

Season 2011 - 2012 | My 1st Night With NHL Gamecenter

And what a glorious night it was. Could have been even better, but more about that later.

My Gamecenter view - and a nice 7-1 win for the Leafies

If like me, you are European, you will know that getting your hockey fix has been problematic at times. If not, in short: at the end of last season ESPN lost the international NHL broadcasting rights to some shady consortium. I am sure it's not as shady as I make it out to be, but it has definitely less cachet than ESPN in my opinion. Up until the very last week before the season start we had no idea if and where we'd be able to watch hockey, but then word came that we could all sign up for NHL Gamecenter. Since then, in some countries, hockey has returned to television which actually messed up people's access to their Gamecenter accounts (if they got one of course). And ESPN America does on occasion air a game or two (weird stuff), but OK, the Netherlands are not much of a hockey market so I don't have to worry about any TV station acquiring the Dutch broadcasting rights anytime soon ;)

I didn't get Gamecenter straight away. I have very little opportunity to watch games live and I wasn't sure if it would be worth the investment. I have caught a few games online, but stream hunting is not really appealing and quite illegal as well ;) ... so yesterday I decided to give myself an early Christmas present and ordered a year's worth of yummie NHL games!


The first game I watched was the FLYERS-JETS game and this is why the night was not as glorious as it could have been ...
♦ They lost 6-4. To the annoying Thrashers, ah, I mean Jets. Whatever. What is it with these guys that makes my guys choke? The last nine encounters between the two, the Jets won eight times :p
♦ Bobs was in net. I saw people demand his head on a plate. Sure, I will not deny he let in a few soft ones, but lets face it, those first ten minutes of the game the whole team was playing in a most disgraceful manner. This was his first loss in regulation and he still came out of this game marginally better than Pavelec ... .872 vs .871 ;)
♦ So the first ten minutes were horrible, unfortunately the same was true for the second period. At this time I was ready to just ignore the game and solely focus on the Kings-Red Wings game. But I gave it another go as the third period started and was happy enough to find the guys were playing are more focused game and managed to score a few goals to make it 5-4. Actually, I made that sound a bit dull, but it was actually a pretty exciting third period. And damn, Matt Read. Two awesome goals, a huge slapshot followed by a precise wrist-shot. Nice, I was on the edge of my seat. One to watch for sure :D
♦ I will never understand why Lavvy then chose to go for an early - if you ask me - empty net ... a huge gamble if you ask me. It looked uncomfortable from the get go and yeah, that didn't work out well at all
♦ And a final musing about why Bryzgy didn't play this game. Looking at the losing trend we have when meeting the Jets and that horrible game in October - yeah, the one that we lost 9-8 and which had the highest number of goals in one game in the last 15 years and made both teams look crap - and Bryzgy's subsequent loss of confidence ... I am not surprised at all that Lavvy sent in Bobs. Better to preserve Bryzgy's new-found confidence right?


During this game I also kept an eye on the RED WINGS-KINGS game. Gamecenter makes it so easy to switch between games! I needed myself a bit of Mike Richards and Anze Kopitar and of course the Red Wings, who are my fave Western Conference team.
♦ So what a stroke of luck that I changed to that game just in time to see Richie score an awesome shortie! Speed, cunning and precision execution. It was beautiful to see. And he seems happier in LA. He wasn't even grumpy during the intermission interview! :D
♦ And then the Red Wings went on to score four goals, unanswered by the Kings. My hero Datsyuk got two goals. So all is good in the West in my book
♦ And can I just say that the Kings' black home jersey is the most awesome jersey in the league? I see a Richie or Anze jersey in my future lol


At this point I was a bit tired, but decided to wait for the 1am start of the CAPS-LEAFS game. I was a bit scared, what with the November slide and all. And eventhough the Caps are having a bit of a struggle too at the moment, it's still the Caps! 
♦ So, although I had plenty of reasons to be worried (Reims still out; Armstrong, Grabovski, MacArthur, Lombardi *and* Komisarek as well, the Monster in net, a few annoying losses in the last couple of weeks) I needn't have worried. My Leafies looked just fine in the first period and went into the second period with a 2-1 lead. And that's when the schooling started. Four awesome goals, three of which on the PP! And to finish things off, a third period short-handed goal. BOOM! 7-1! I mean I have a soft spot for the Caps and don't like to see them struggle, but when my guys win this big, I can't help but feel elated!
♦ Who did all this scoring you ask? Ah, it started with Connolly, not even two minutes into the game. Then Frattin scored his first NHL goal. Grats! In the second period we saw awesome goals by Bozak, Kessel (14th this season, still leading the League *kiss*), Lupul and Franson. Steckel scored against his former team in the final minute of the game and celebrated like it was a game-winning goal. But hey, he hadn't been involved in a goal in eleven games, so who can blame him. Nice going
♦ Monster looked confident in net and made some awesome saves, and didn't play so messy on the rebounds; lets hope he can keep this up till Reims returns!
♦ And I need to put the spotlight on Lupul for a bit. A goal and three assists! And the game's 1st Star. I liked the way he played at the end of last season and I am glad to see him progress this season as well. Love him! *let me fawn for a bit* Love the Kessel-Lupul-Bozak line in general


Today I also watched the OILERS smash the BLACKHAWKS. Yeah! And BOSTON had a great evening as well, schooling those pesky ISLES.
♦ Love all those youngsters at the Oil. Hall, Eberle, Hemsky all scored goals. Nugent-Hopkins didn't, but he was certainly a driving force with 5 assists, creating great opportunities for his teammates. And some of the goals were so beautiful. Just for a certain tic-tac goal I think I will have to post a second article to feature some of my fave goals last night, cause there were plenty all across the league 
♦ The Bruins had an uncharacteristic start of the season, dwelling near the last place in the Eastern Conference, but they are on a huge winning streak ... won last eight games now. And I haven't seen an Isles game in a while, but this is the weakest I have seen them play. They hardly gave any resistance at all and the Bruins just trampled all over them. The scoreless second period was odd, but hey, still got six goals in the end


*reads back*

Whoa, apologies for that waterfall of words, just couldn't stop myself ;) ... so just a few final observations and then I'm posting this monster!

Other noticeable occurances:
♦ Thank you Yotes for denying the Sabres aka BKK aka Blunt Kitchen Knives the win
♦ BizNasty scored. A goal I mean. And this is sweet, his mother was there for the first time ever to witness it. Biz told us she has been ill for the past two years but for the first time felt good enough to make the trip to the rink (yay for Mum)
♦ BOOOO! The Habs won. Don't like the Rags either, but I like the Habs even less (and I am putting that politely lol)   


PS ... I hope the Leafies have an awesome game tonight versus the Canes ... *keeping fingers crossed*

Season 2011-2012 | The First Month

Looking at how the first month went, I can only say: "Wow. That is quite unexpected."

Lets just start with the current conference standings. I'm an Eastern Conference girl, but lets have a look at both. So, compared to last year, what is odd in the Eastern Conference? Yes, indeed! My Leafies are the current lead. And Boston is not. But, and this is actually quite ironic :D ... as I was writing this, the Bruins gave my Leafs an awful trashing (7-0). I like these little ironies of life! Plus admittedly, Seguin looked really good out there (got his first hattrick) and Timmie was up for his first shut-out game this season. Annoying, but praiseworthy nevertheless. Although I must point out that they were facing our third goalie, Ben Scrivens, recently called up from the Marlies.

Another unexpected turn of events: the Habs having a horrible season start. Well, not quite unexpected maybe, they didn't really look so strong at the end of last season either. Right now I can only gloat however, and I hope their season will get even worse. They did finally manage to go on a four-game winning streak, but that was curtailed by the ever despicable Rangers. Thank you! *yuck*

Onto the West. The Nucks and Red Wings are both struggling and not even in the top eight. Whereas one of last year's 'losers', the Oilers, are doing quite well. The young ones, Hall, Eberle & Nugent-Hopkins are having a great season start and I suppose that acquiring the seasoned Ryan Smyth from the Kings has proven useful. And how about Khabby?! Nice comeback. They were on my 'Like'-list last year (I love the underdog) so I will definitely keep an eye on these guys! Chicago as the current Conference leaders, that is just painful to see :p

But back to my Flyers and Leafs!


Flyers

It's like watching a brand new team. I am not going to lie. It took me a few weeks to get used to the new guys and frankly, I still have no idea what to make of them all. Simmonds and Couturier have impressed me somewhat, but all that money that went into acquiring Bryzgy ... are we getting our money's worth? I doubt it. I mean I like the guy and I have definitely not given up on him, but his season start is less than stellar with an SV% of .893. And when I look at how Khabby ($15m - 4yrs) and Vokoun ($1.5m - 1yr) have been performing, both the Oilers and Caps got themselves a steal for much better performing goalies.

Still, despite a few bad games along the line, all in all we are going strong enough. #4 in Conference is good in my book and you can tell the team is brimming with some type of weird energy. I just watched them play the Blue Jackets and they sent them home crying by winning 9-2! Apart from being delighted with seeing my guys win by such a margin I felt sorry for Rick Nash. Keep wondering when he will finally decide to move to a real team ;)

Leafs 

I know that staying at the top position in the Conference is an almost impossible task, so I am not going to expect that of my guys, but I am very hopeful about them making it to the Playoffs. They play well and along the way also manage to create enough chances and win games they are less comfortable playing. All the lines seem to be producing goals and I am enchanted especially by Kessel and Lupul. Sure, Kessel is a streaky guy, so it's a volatile player, but I like how he started the season. He's such an awkward young man off-ice, I just have to root for him.

Reims seemed on track too, so I hope his current injury will not continue nagging him. I need him back in goal. The Monster has played some decent games and makes for a fine backup I suppose. Scrivens had one good game but today got totally snowed under by a Bruins onslaught. OK, the D left much to be desired as well, but with Reims in net I doubt the 7-0 would have happened.

Who'd have thought ... ?

♦ That Max Talbot would work out so well? You may recall I once wrote I have a secret crush on Talbot, which was doubly clandestine as he was ofcourse playing for the Penguins. So his very unexpected transfer to the Flyers was almost a blessing in disguise for me ;) ... and if he keeps up his current scoring trend he might be on his way to a 30 goal season (he had 8 goals last season). Anyways, he makes for an interesting addition and he seems to have taken on a bit more serious demeanor

♦ That Kessel would have such a hot start? I mean he was last season's top scorer of course and there is no reason why he wouldn't be again, but it was still unexpected and wonderful to see

Disclaimer ;)

Yes, yes, I know, by the time I posted this, the Pens had won their game and with one more game played are current Eastern Conference leaders, but for dramatic effect - and it's just a snapshot in time anyways - I am leaving the standings as they were when I started writing this article ;)

Twitter Time #13 | Richie Luvs Carcillo | August 9th, 2011

Ha, just the one tweet this time. Didn't actually realise Richie was tight enough with CarBomb to warrant a tweet about him, but here it is:

Mike Richards

http://t.co/nkM8rGm What a Beauty, going to miss playing with Carcillo. Hilarious Press Conference #NHL #Blackhawks #Canucks 

That press conference really was quite amusing too. And it's not often you see Dan this cleaned up and with this many teeth either ... so go have a look lol

Twitter Time #12 | A Bit Of Everything | July 27th, 2011

So I had a browse through my Twitter timeline to see what the (mostly) NHL players I follow were up to and there was a bit of everything. Some of it funny, some of it just telling us what folks have been up to. Here an overview, nicely sorted by type of tweet for your perusal ;)


Chirping
Bobby Ryan

@JamesVanRiemsdyk you seem like a smart north jersey kid haha. Cue the south jersey jokes

James van Riemsdyk

@BobbyRyan haha cue the gutless twitter mentioms


Puckbunnying I

Bobby Ryan

For the record, overwhelming Jennifer Aniston lead right out of the gates

Taylor Hall

@Bobby Ryan Can't ever go wrong with J-bomb. Might be a headcase because of all the failed relationships, but I'd gut it out for her anyday

Bobby Ryan

@Taylor Hall like ur style. Feel like she would age as well as a fine red wine


Puckbunnying II
Ben Shutron

Another week of hockey camp. Younger kids = younger moms #winning

Taylor Hall

@Ben Shutron no wheels = no broads


Puckbunnying III

Nathan Thompson

Big fan of @hopesolo on US Women's soccer team. #USA


Puckbunnying IV

Paul Bissonnette

Ya @BIGmack25, goodluck to my girl @hopesolo. Why don't you pull some Nike strings and get me a date?


Puckbunnying V

Tom Sestito

Mila Kunis..... Not even sure what to say? #WillYouMarryMe #SmokeShow


DryIslanding

Justin Wallingford

Wonders how many guys would have signed up for "dry island" on the 06' Fronts?
@ChrisStewart @Ben Shutron @AnthonyStewart #notthisguy

Ben Shutron

@Justin Wallingford @ChrisStewart @AnthonyStewart rather spend my career on Shutter Island with ol' James C McColl.


AwefulSpeilling [yeah see what I did there?]

Logan Shaw
Goin to pick up some grociers and makin some supper #missyoumom

F1-ing

Mike McKenna

Loved the F1 race from Nurburgring! Passing, strategy, twitchy fast cars on a proper racetrack. Elevation changes, fast & slow corners, flow


Rocking

Matt Carle

Heading down to #TCFBankStadium for the #U2 concert w/ @Nathan Thompson ...gonna be another terrible time #el #a #vey #shon #whoooo

Matt Carle

Great #U2 concert last night, got rained on pretty good, but it was worth it http://t.co/pYKmjCa http://t.co/bHQ9a8e http://t.co/J729RC4


??????????

Eric Tangradi
Time to really focus on trying to make a hockey team . I'm taking a year away from twitter. Thanks for all your support everyone!

Although I like Tangradi's spirit, I do not see how sending an occasional tweet will keep you from winning.


OK, I hope you made it this far, because this is my fave tweet this month:

Joffrey Lupul

Fed ex guy got me w/ this one... He's lucky it didn't say go Habs or it would be go time. http://t.co/1vb0901

Richie's Move | It Still Hurts!! | July 22nd, 2011

Just came across this headline in my FB news:

Live Interview with Mike Richards of the Los Angeles Kings

And no, I am not ready for this. It still hurts. Actually, the pain has grown since July 1st. Maybe I was just shellshocked at the time and the enormity of the news had not hit me in full force yet ...

Sorry for the lack of real news, just wanted to share the pain a bit ;)

*sulking in a corner*

 

 

[edit July 26th] And I am glad he did not give in to the whole Dry Island fiasco ;)

Free Agency Day | Aftermath | July 2nd, 2011

FREE AGENCY DAY! The Aftermath.

This was my first Free Agency Day and I was nervous in the days leading up to it and today was like, wow. I could not take my eyes of Twitter, Facebook, my go-to websites ... oh yes, I went all out obsessive on this one.

In my previous post I said I found it exciting and excruciating at the same time and boy was it. I am not going to lie, it was not pretty. This day had me quite literally crying and laughing.

I had just a few wishes, let me revisit those first:
♦ Leino *must* be resigned by the Flyers
♦ Meszaros too, what the hell. Last night I came across a rumour that he is on the move. I honest to god hope that is a joke. We need our Mesz at the Flyers!
♦ Tim Brent, went UFA, come on Brian Burke, you have to keep this guy at the Leafs
♦ Max Talbot, up until now my somewhat sleazy - and mostly secret - hockey crush, might possibly move to the Leafs, which would finally enable me to cheer for him legitimately lol


If you have been following all the action you will know that:

♦ Leino in fact did not get resigned. Instead he went to what is probably the number two team on my hatelist: Sabres. Or the BKK as I like to call them. Blunt Kitchen Knives. See what I did there ;) ... anyways. I do not know how to deal with this yet. Leino and Mesz are my favourite Flyers. To see Leino move to the Sabres is like the proverbial dagger through the heart to me. Having said that, at least the Sabres were serious about Ville and apparently gave up on the idea of acquiring Brad Richards in favour of securing Leino as he was their primary target. Numbers: 6 years at a whopping $ 27m. And some say that is too much, but damn, I think he is going to be worth it

♦ No movement in regards to Meszaros

♦ Tim Brent. Well, did the Canes get themselves a steal or what? Two years, $ 750k a year. What the hell. Burke could not even offer a few dollars more to keep this guy on board? Guess not. But I like the Canes and I am glad they picked him up. Here is hoping to Brent having a great season!

♦ Max Talbot. Oh man. This is just funny. Here I thought he might be headed for my Leafs. Instead, he has landed in Philadelphia, at my Flyers! Oh boy, a Penguin in the Flyers camp. Numbers: 5 years, $ 9m. Fair amount for him I think, not everyone agrees. I think I would have liked seeing him at the Leafs just a bit more, but hell, I can see how this might work out right. Welcome aboard!

So what else happened? Oh not much ...


♦ Like hell! BOOM! Only the biggest upset of the day: the Jagr signing by the Flyers! Not easy to upset a crazy trading day like this. Unexpected twist and turns, crazy terms & salaries. But Holmgren managed to cause the biggest one, by snatching Jagr away right under the noses of the Pens and Wings. A one-year deal at $ 3.3m. Overpaid, waste of money, locker room poison are just the few negatives I came across today. I only recall him from Olympic games and this year's World Cup and I liked what I saw. Plus he has had a good season in the KHL. I have no idea how this will work out though. But I am going to give this deal the benefit of the doubt. Still. I am going to say that Holmgren is now certifiably insane. Will gladly eat those words if we win the 2012 Cup, but I have great difficulties seeing how this new team can possibly glue ...

♦ Flyers also acquired Andreas Lilja from the Ducks (3 years at $ 1.7m) and extended Voracek's contract

♦ J.S. Giguere signed with the Avs. A 2-year deal worth $ 2.5m. Glad Giggy found a home, he is a great guy. Just did not work out well for the Leafs. The Avs also acquired Semyon Varlamov, saving him from returning to the KHL. Varly will probably be the primary with the seasoned Giggy as a back-up. A bit crazy, but could work. Wonder why the Avs did not go for Vokoun though ...

♦ Burke was in Kandahar and did not acquire anything today. Might not be so bad looking back, but I was expecting *something*

All in all this day brought all the excitement I thought it would. Happy with Max, OK with Jagr, sick with sorrow about Leino. I wonder what the rest of the week will bring! I do know that Flyers-Pens games will be even grittier than before. There will be blood. Fun season ahead!

Oh before I sign off, if you want a crips and clean overview of all the transfers, have a look at:
http://www.eliteprospects.com/


[update July 4th]
♦ On July 3rd, second day of trading, the Leafs acquired Cody Franson & Matthew Lombardi from the Preds. And here is the killer: in exchange for dead balast Brett Lebda! Oh and also Robert Slaney and a 2013 4th-round pick. Good job Burke!

One of my Twitter contacts describes the trade best on his site: LeafsHQ!

Flyers Store | Come Get Our Guys Cheap! | June 27th, 2011

Holmgren must have developed some sort of Evil Master Plan that will have us forgive him his rather erratic trading behaviour.

Look what just happened! He just traded Darroll Powe to the Wild (poor guy!) for a 2013 third round pick. Surely Powe is worth more than that? Hell, I am sure folks can come up with several reasons why he should have been traded in the first place, but I always found him a good, hard worker. The type any team should be happy to have in their line up.

Holgmren did sign Nodl and Sestito. Not entirely sure about Sestito, but Nodl is a keeper in my book. Next up I would really want to see Leino signed. Apparently he has been asking a bit too much, but surely Holmgren will not let our guy be picked up by some other team?!

[edit June 27th] The organisation has extended Qualifying Offers to Kalinski, Simmonds and Voracek. Oh my, bad times on the horizon for Carcillo? And as I was taking in the roster, I suddenly had to smile at Zherdev still being in the line-up.

[edit June 28th] Next development was Carcillo not receiving a Qualifying Offer, which turns him into an UFA ... guess the earlier edit about bad times ahead for Carcillo are in fact looming ...

So back to the opening sentence ... Holmgren must be plotting something interesting right? Divesting a top notch team like ours ... he better be.

Flyers Flying Around | Trading Craziness | June 23rd, 2011

After a busy time writing articles during the Playoffs I thought I would give myself a bit of time off and write a new post or two next week. Was still considering the topics. Basically the idea was to have a quiet hockey week. Then I logged on to Twitter an hour or two ago and got engulfed in a maelstrom of Flyers trading tweets! A bit like an 'all hell broke loose' Twitter evening.


First point of discussion: Carter. He got traded to Columbus. Now some of you may know one of my faves is ♥ Rick Nash ♥ ... but I always envisioned him coming to the Flyers ;) ... I definitely did not think any of our guys would be traded to his team. I am fine with the trade. Never was a fan of Carts and just did not get him at all. Sure, there are the points, but something about his on ice and off ice persona did not sit well with me. Here the official Flyers tweet confirming the deal:

NHLFlyers Philadelphia Flyers
#Flyers acquire from CBJ Jakub Voracek, a 2011 1st Round pick (8th overall) & 2011 3rd Round pick (68th overall) in exchange for Jeff Carter

Second point of discussion: Richards. A few minutes after the Carter rumours, folks in the know started tweeting about a possible trade involving Richie. Now I was mad at him at times, but I never lost faith in him as our Captain. Just wanted him involved just a bit more, but when all was said and done I always saw him as a great Flyer. And now he is headed for L.A.? I am not liking this at all. In fact I feel a bit sick about the whole trade. But apparently Richie is happy. Here the official Flyers tweet:

@NHLFlyers Philadelphia Flyers

#Flyers have acquired from LA C Brayden Schenn, RW Wayne Simmonds and the Kings 2012 2nd Round Draft choice in exchange for Mike Richards.

I was hoping the locker room issues folks discussed were in fact not true. But that something was not quite the same shortly after the ASG was quite clear. I was forever coming up with reasons to explain the slow but sure disintegration of our great team, but sometimes things just cannot be salvaged. Carts & Richie moved out shortly one after another? There has got to be more to that than making cap room for ...........

Third point of discussion: Bryzgalov. Signed for a nine-year deal worth $51m. Good goalie obviously, with sometimes debatable work ethic. Let me use a cliché: Time Will Tell. After the other two trades, this one was confirmed as well by the Flyers organisation:  

NHLFlyers Philadelphia Flyers
#Flyers have agreed to terms with goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov on a multi-year contract.

If we do not get a few experienced players back, we might as well start considering our team as one that is in build-up phase. In which case I wonder why we need Bryzgy at all. Might as well keep going with Sergei, right? I hope Holmgren has something up his sleeve. Well, something that does not include giving up our other prized possessions. And now I am going to cry over the sudden disappearance of our Captain. Really? L.A.? *sighs*

And just as I am about to post this article, this pops up on Twitter:

Pat Gallen
A source close to @973ESPN saying Flyers discussing a deal for Lightning star Steven Stamkos. Hockey world could explode.

That one I am going to chalk down to idiocy, but shit, after a night like this, I am sort of not going to be surprised by anything lol. What I need is a good night's sleep and perhaps I will see things differently tomorrow. Perhaps I will be less shocked and I might see possibilities the new additions bring us ... *ponders*

PS Who is next? Versteeg? I hope so.

Playoffs 2011 | Witchcrafting Revisited - Post SF | May 5th, 2011

{edit: totally forgot to post this one on May 5th, adding it now for future reference ;)}

After the Quarter Finals I had to redo part of my initial predictions. And had fun with those too. But I did not do to well! The Semi Finals were definitely a torture to watch! So how did I do?

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS
[Caps vs Bolts] Yeah, did not see that one coming at all. Nor did Ovi. Never seen someone look so sad in a post-game interview. I felt like crying. But I think the Hockey Gods new. As I was writing my Whimsical Playoffs Predictions | Part Deux on April 28th, just as I posted the articled, huge thunder bolts lit up the sky and I edited the post back then, wondering I was wrong ... and boy was I ever!
My prediction: 4-2 Caps
Reality: 4-0 Bolts

[Flyers vs Bruins] - Not going to relive this one. I have written all I want to say at this stage the day after. We lost. Bruins swept us ... *sigh* ... I knew it would be a tough series ... but I was not ready for what really happened :) and The Coins were wrong on this one too.
My prediction: 4-2 Flyers
Reality: 4-0 Bruins


WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS
[Nuck vs Preds] - Yeah, this one exactly the way I predicted, cool.
My prediction: 4-2 Nucks
Reality: 4-2 Nucks

[Sharks vs Red Wings] - This one hurt, as much, or maybe even a bit more than the Flyers loss.
My prediction: 4-1
Reality: 4-3

The result:
I called one right. But when I am right, I really am right ... called the number of games correctly as well ;)

Twitter Time #6 | Richie's Riot | May 17th, 2011

Mike Richards always has a bit of a strained relationship with reporters by the looks of it. Most of the time he sounds rather grumpy when answering reporters' questions and not just after lost games ;) ... but I get it, not everyone can keep smiling when yet another reporter asks yet another similar/annoying/stupid question!

And now our Richie is on Twitter. I am guessing he will never be the tweetmeister of the NHL, but the few tweets he did drop already produced a few memorable ones. Let me quote:

Michael Richards
One word for Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun.....NERD!!!!!!

Michael Richards
Tim Panaccio thinks I'm moody and withdrawn with him. Maybe because he writes articles that are no where close to being true


BOOM! There you have it guys. Go Richie!!

PS What amused me after the one about Steve Simmons is that he got some support from Leafs fans agreeing with him, although I also recall someone replying 'he should grow a pair'. Twitter is so amusing!

Twitter Time #5 | Flyers Post Playoffs Tweets | May 9th, 2011

 Ha, the Flyers are not the most Tweet-savvy NHL players, but a few have adapted it into their lifestyle. So here the post-sweep Tweets by JVR, Carle and Carcillo.

James van Riemsdyk
tough way to end the year, we all wanted/expected better. #toughpilltoswallow

James van Riemsdyk
btw thanks to all the fans for your support throughout the year, you guys were great! #flyernation

Matt Carle
Was really hoping to wake up this morning in the hotel in Boston have last night just be a bad dream, I can't believe it's over...

Matt Carle
Going to have a sick feeling in the stomach for awhile. Sorry to all our fans, but thanks for your support all season #HowLongUntilOct

Daniel Carcillo

Afternoon ladies and gents...just l'eggoed my eggo but before I shave this beard, all u haters/pigeons can pick the crumbs out of it Q

Daniel Carcillo
Thanks to the Flyers faithful for another great following this year! Best fans in the league by far #flyers #boom love the passion!!

And of course Carcillo would treat us with the most hilarious one ... the crumbs ... lol

Playoffs Daily | SF Game 3 & 4 | May 5th, 2011

If I had a less sunny disposition I would be very depressed this morning! I did not sleep well in general and waking up to a bunch of losses - from my point of view anyways - hardly gave me the morning start I was looking for ;) ... where to start? My first thought: What The Hell Is Going On?!?!

[Caps-Bolts] 3-5. Bolts sweep the series with 4-0. Wow, I never expected this. I dig the Bolts and I know they are a tough team to play but a 4-0 sweep is just amazing. Expected them to make things difficult for the Caps, but definitely had the Caps pegged as series winner. Looking at the games the Bolts did not even outplay the Caps, but somehow they managed to keep the edge and just win. Excellent result for them and their seventh win in a row these Playoffs. Can they keep it up in the Conference Finals? Let me close the chapter on the Caps with a long Ovi-quote: "I don't think we miss something. We have unbelievable team, great locker room, great atmosphere … but we just miss one opportunity to win one game and didn't bounce back. Again, it happened and we're going to see what is going to happen. This locker room is unbelievable. Everybody supports everybody. I hope this same team is going to be here next year." Yes, there is always next year! ;)

[Flyers-Bruins] 1-5. Bruins lead series 3-0. Well, I could totally cry over this result. But lets not go that far hahah. I watched the first fifteen minutes of this game, then I really had to get some sleep, but those two early goals were awesome from a Bruins perspective, but I was thinking "Lavi, chatting with Boosh is not going to save this game". Although admittedly Boosh did look a bit better after the chat - for the rest of the period anyways. And even the rest of my guys looked a bit less ruffled. But that lightning fast Bruins start put a dent in my confidence in the outcome of this game for sure. I tell you, waking up during the night, checking the NHL app nervously, seeing your team is behind 4-1, is not a lot of fun. Seeing the end result was 'only' 5-1 actually felt good :p ... I have DVR'ed this game and I will watch any Flyers game, a loss or not, but I might just skip this one. What do you guys think? Can someone please tell me if Sergei looked half-decent in goal? I hope that the powers that be will finally decide on an experienced and accomplished starter for next year. I am a total Sergei fan and I am positive he will continue to grow as a goalie next year and will be awesome for the Flyers ... but until he reaches that potential it would be great to have someone in net who is NOT Boosh and certainly not Leights. But it is unfair to blame the goalies for everything. I was not impressed by the rest either during the first period. Now, we know that last year we got back from that 3-0 series deficit, but can be do the same this year? I fear Game 4. If my guys show the sheer brilliance I know they possess I will be inclined to still believe. And for the love of all that is good, guys, do not allow the Bruins a full sweep! *worried*

[Sharks-Red Wings] 4-3. Sharks lead series 3-0. An OT win for the Sharks. The various reports I read are fuzzy about this one, I will have to see for myself to make any assumptions I suppose. But having Zetterberg and Datsyuk in the Three Star Selection to me reeks of an awesome game by the Wings, but somehow they just failed to win this one. If I manage to watch this game today I might add a bit more insights, but this it for now.

Hahah, writing this up is actually a bit of a downer for me.

*eats an apple and starts musing about the next round*

Playoffs 2011 Predictions | Witchcrafting Part Deux | April 28th, 2011

My Whimsical Playoffs Predictions - New & Improved

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS & FINALS
[Caps vs Bolts]
I had Caps versus Pens, but alas, the Pens got booted out. I like this match-up. I think we might be in for a few good games. But the Caps will get this one. 4-2 Caps. {edit: as I posted this, some huge thunder bolts lit up the sky, maybe I am wrong ...}

[Flyers vs Bruins]
I predicted this match-up, so no changes here. In my original predictions I said Sergei Bobrovksy would settle in nicely and beat Thomas. Since then we have seen Leighton and Boosh in net. We have seen Sergei in the press box. I am glad that mistake has been corrected. So Leights is apparently injured, I hope he stays the hell away from our goal. He has no business there. I can live with Boosh being the starter and I am happy Sergei is once again on the bench. Whew. With that out of the way, let me see. It will be the most physical series. Both teams have a similar style and I think that at the end of the series someone should post a video with all the hits. It might make a fine movie! Flyers are on a roll now I think and it will not be easy, but my guys will win 4-2.

[Caps vs Flyers]
Caps, I love you guys, but my Flyers will sail right past you. I just do not want to say 4-2 again. I think I will consult The Coins. Well, at least they agree with me the Flyers will win, but it will take a game more: 4-3 Flyers.

WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS & FINALS
[Nucks vs Preds]
Had the Ducks here first. But the Preds ate my Duckling and are now in the Semi-Finals. I do not like it much. Yeah, I think the Nucks will make it. I just honestly do not think the Preds are a match for these guys. But as the Nucks like to make things tough on themselves I am going to say they are headed for another seven game series. 4-3 Nucks. No, I just cannot believe it. Not against the Preds. 4-2 Nucks.

[Sharks vs Red Wings]
Got this one right. Still no contest. Red Wings march through and quite easily too with lots of Datsyukian dekes. 4-1 Wings.

[Nucks vs Red Wings]
Ha! And now the Playoffs really are over for the Nucks. They are tired and the Wings will beat them in five games! Yeah! 4-1 Wings.

STANLEY CUP FINALS
[Flyers vs Red Wings]
My dream comes true. My Flyboys totally dominate and even Datsyuk cannot save the Wings. But good effort there! 4-2 FLYERS!!