Category: Uncategorized

NHL First Round Updates

Have you been following the NHL playoffs so far?  It’s been ugly.  Have we set a league record for suspensions in the first round yet?  There have been cheap shots and dirty play in almost every series.  It’s odd.  The league spent so much time trying to clean up head shots this year and then the minute the playoffs start they seem to increase exponentially.  Weird.

I thought I’d take a minute this morning and check on the status of my predictions for the first round.  Two series had elimination games last night, but in both cases the team with the lead failed to put their opponent away.  That means all eight series are still in progress.

Rangers vs Senators?  I figured it would be easy for the Rangers to take this, but right now the series is tied at two games a piece.  You have to give Ottawa credit for hanging in there, although I still expect the Rangers to come out on top.

Bruins vs Capitals?  I was afraid of this.  I was afraid that the Capitals would make this close.  I did not expect their third string goalie to be lights out the way he’s been, and I did not expect Washington to out defend a defense first system.  Still, the Bruins have a two games to one lead and while they seemed to lack any real emotional interest in games one and two, after game three they are definitely all in.  I’m really looking forward to game four tonight.  Hopefully game three broke the Caps spirit a little and the B’s will have an easier time.  Hopefully.

Panthers vs Devils?  I have to admit, this one has flown way under my radar.  I did catch a little of game three and saw the Devils blow a 3-0 lead.  That’s got to hurt.  Florida leads the series two games to one.  This is one of the series that hasn’t seemed to have any over the top violence.  I picked New Jersey in this one, and my prediction seems to be headed for trouble.

Penguins vs Flyers?  Can you say, hate?  Can you say, goons?  Can you say, cheap?  Can you say, WTF?  This series has been a mess.  The Penguins had leads in all of the first three games and somehow managed to lose them all.  The got slaughtered in games two and three, but then with elimination on the line they scored 10 goals last night.  What the hell is going on here?  The cheap shots and dirty play are off the charts in the series.  I picked the Penguins and they are making me look bad. 

Canucks vs Kings?  The Penguins are making me look bad, but the Kings are making me look like an effin’ GENIUS!  They lead the series three games to one after blowing an elimination opportunity last night.  When I went to bed last night after the first period they had the lead.  Oh well.  Roberto Luongo is now pretty much officially Vancouver’s back up goalie.  This series has been a thing of beauty.

Blues vs Sharks?  I haven’t caught a second of any of these games.  The Blues lead the series two games to one, which is right in line with my prediction.  Still, this series has been way off my radar.

Coyotes vs Blackhawks?  This series was off my radar too until two nights ago.  I watched in horror as the dirty play was brought to new heights.  Marion Hossa is out of the hospital, which is good.  Raffi Torres hopefully will not play again this season, which is very much deserved.  I flipped a coin and picked Phoenix.  After seeing that cheap shot from Torres, I wish the coin had flipped the other way… although Phoenix is up two games to one.

Predators vs Red Wings?  I haven’t seen very much of this series, but I have been paying attention.  I picked Nashville and they are now up three games to one.  The dirty play has been showing up here too, and I am not happy about it.  Still, I want Nashville to advance and the numbers say they probably will.

So there you go.  No sweeps this round.  Lots of over the top cheap, violent play, and the Bruins are up two games to one.  Let’s see how it all plays out.

Go Bruins

Rush Tour Dates Leaked

Yesterday the fantastic Rush fan blog, rushisaband.com posted some leaked tour dates for this fall.  The word on the street is that the official tour date announcement is going to be tomorrow, along with the release to radio of the next single, “Headlong Flight”.  For critical Rush fanatics like me though, tomorrow is just too long a wait, so last night Jen and I started fantasizing about which shows to see.  The first leaked date is in September and it is at the Verizon in Manchester, NH.  There is also a Boston show in October at the Garden.  Those two are definite must sees.  What about a road trip though?  last tour we went to New York and Hershey, PA.  In the past we’ve gone to Milwaukee, WI, and Saratoga Springs, NY, and Uncasville, CT, as well as more shows in New York and Manchester.

What about Las Vegas on 11/23 and Phoenix on 11/25?

What about going to Buffalo, NY on 10/26, two days after the Boston Garden show, and visiting Niagara Falls while we’re there?  I need a passport to visit the Canadian side though, so there is prep work to be done there.

Well… if we’re already discussing getting a passport… why not start thinking of Toronto on 10/14?  Toronto… the band’s home town… Of all the places in the world to go see Rush, that is the place.  I don’t care how successful a band is, or how long they’ve been playing together, the home show is always a great show.

October 14th at the Air Canada Center in Toronto…

I’ll print up a passport application right now.

Here are the leaked tour dates as posted on rushisaband.com:
Sept 7: Manchester, NH – Verizon Wireless Arena
Sept 9: Washington, DC – Jiffy Lube Live
Sept 11: Pittsburgh, PA – CONSOL Energy Center
Sept 13: Indianapolis, IN – Klipsch Music Center
Sept 15: Chicago, IL – United Center
Sept 18: Detroit, MI – Palace of Auburn Hills
Sept 20: Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
Sept 22: St. Louis, MO – Scottrade Center
Sept 24: Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
Sept 26: Winnipeg, MB – MTS Center
Sept 28: Saskatoon, SK – Credit Union Center
Sept 30: Edmonton, AB – Rexall Place
Oct 10: Bridgeport, CT – Webster Bank Arena
Oct 12: Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
Oct 14: Toronto, ON – Air Canada Center
Oct 18: Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
Oct 20: Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
Oct 22: Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
Oct 24: Boston, MA – TD Garden
Oct 26: Buffalo, NY – First Niagra Center
Oct 28: Cleveland, OH – Quicken Loans Arena
Oct 30: Charlotte, NC – Time Warner Cable Arena
Nov 1: Atlanta, GA – Verizon Wireless Ampitheater
Nov 3: Tampa, FL – 1-800-ASK-GARY Ampitheater
Nov 13: Seattle, WA – Key Arena
Nov 15: San Jose, CA – HP Pavillion
Nov 17: Anaheim, CA – Honda Center
Nov 18: Los Angeles, CA – Gibson Ampitheater
Nov 23: Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand
Nov 25: Phoeniz, AZ – US Airways Center
Nov 28: Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Nov 30: San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center
Dec 2: Houston, TX – Toyota Center

Bruins Win Game 3

Here are the highlights to last night’s game. Odd that they left out Marchand getting slashed in what the WWF used to call, “the lower abdominal area.” In other words, he took a slash to the mommy/daddy button. Right in the baby maker.

This does show Backstrom cross checking Peverley square in the face as the game ended. He got a match penalty for that one, and that means a one game suspension. His coach, notorious cheap shot artist Dale Hunter, says that “Nicky” was protecting himself.

I bet the air smells sweet on what ever planet Dale Hunter lives on.

Game four is Thursday.

Go Bruins!

iMessage

My beautiful wife (did you see the picture I posted? She looks great, doesn’t she?) and I went out for a late dinner tonight. While we were eating, my step kids started texting (iMessaging actually) us. We were all firing messages back and forth and being super goofy. It was so much fun. My step daughter is already well versed in text slang. She’s not even 11 yet. The teenage years are going to be very interesting. Heh heh