February 2012
5 posts
Trade Deadline - Winners and Losers
So the trade deadline has come and gone.
What a “whirlwind” of a day.
What “excitement”.
What … what … what a complete and utter disappointment.
There certainly weren’t a whole lot of deals made on this particular trade deadline day, and there was certainly not a whole lot of excitement to match the massive anticipation of the deadline.
Doesn’t...
The World's Game: On Thomas Müller →
runofplay:
There are a lot of reasons to be happy about Germany right now. Comparatively, things are really great there. More importantly, they have an excellent soccer team. As James Tyler wrote at The Classical, they’re a really good soccer team because they’ve decided to stop being…
Awesome read!
January 2012
9 posts
Fantasy Draft: My Live Blog
The draft. It is one of the most exciting moments in a young NHLers career. And you only get drafted into the NHL once. One time. And that’s that.
Until now.
This is of course because under the new All-Star Game format, players have the opportunity to be drafted once again in an exciting Fantasy Draft.
This year’s draft has many exciting stories like: Will Boston Bruin Zdeno Chara pick any...
Fantasy Draft Night!
I’ll be posting a blog with my thoughts on the draft right after it happens! Should be fun!
Keep your eyes peeled!
Cheers,
-Blaine
Views from the All-Star Game Fantasy Draft
Hello hello all,
So the players headed to the All-Star Game are set, the captains are set for the fantasy draft … so where will things go from here?
The Fantasy Draft is fun, but is never really reflective of how good players are. It’s more of a hometown popularity contest than it is about skill. But it still makes for some good moments!
In this year’s draft, Zdeno Chara...
Alright, I Admit It Is An Addiction (Alliteration...
Hey everyone,
First, I’d like to point out the mad alliteration in that title. Awesome?
So it’s been pointed out to me that many ALL of my Facebook statuses, twitter posts, Tumblr posts, text messages, general conversation, and apparent reasons for being placed on planet Earth have been based around one specific topic.
So today … I’ll finally admit it.
I, Blaine...
A Loving Farewell to Pierre McGuire
So as many of you know or have heard while watching the World Junior Hockey Championships during this winter holiday, Pierre McGuire is no longer a part of the TSN team.
Perhaps you noticed that the Canada games seem much quieter these days?
Pierre accepted a contract offer to work for NBC and Versus networks exclusively as of last summer, covering all of the hockey games he can handle down in...
December 2011
4 posts
The Year of the Concussed
Hello all,
So today I’ve had some time to check out the SC Year in Review, and the less well-known (and, honestly, very poorly made) Sportsnet Year in Review - and they really got me thinking.
What did it get me thinking about specifically? Well, it got me thinking about the utterly ridiculous number of concussions to star NHLers this year.
It seems that in recent weeks the NHL has been...
Flowchart: How to Celebrate a Goal in the NHL
Hello hello all,
As promised, after a long layoff, is a blog about hockey. Yeah, I know, I know. It’s been a long while. I actually started this one awhile ago … but got distracted by things like exams, sleeping, and 24/7: Flyers vs. Rangers. Subsequently I was distracted by my deep philosophical thoughts about the Universe. No doubt caused by Ilya Bryzgalov (ref:...
New Blogs on the Way
I’m back. And blogging.
Keep your eyes peeled - hockey blogs on the way!
Cheers,
-Blaine
November 2011
1 post
Movember Stache Attack
Greetings all,
So as you know there is a great amount of excitement, and a statistical rise in overall testosterone in the male community discussing the exciting news that is “MOVEMBER” (sometimes called “No Shave November”)
What is Movember you ask? Well if you don’t already know, http://ca.movember.com/ describes it as such:
During November each year, Movember is...
October 2011
1 post
Shanahan and Suspensions
What a start to the 2011/2012 NHL season we’ve seen so far. We’ve had opening games in Helsinki and Stockholm. We’ve had a shutout from James Reimer against the Montreal Canadiens (a shameless plug for my Leafs yes). And we’ve seen suspensions. A lot of them. As many of us know (and even for those of you who don’t know) Brendan Shanahan, a three-time Stanley Cup Champion,...
September 2011
2 posts
Pretty Excited for This
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=589912
Check it out! If it’s anything like the last one, this will be excellent!
Cheers,
-Blaine
6 tags
A Guide to Hockey Talk Version 2.0
Hello hello everyone - how have you been? Feel free to let me know. I’ve been away for awhile, and am now prepped and ready for another NHL season. And definitely to write a few more blogs for those of you who enjoy reading them. Sorry for the long layoff … I’ve become quite attached to writing these.
So what have I been doing? Well, I was working a full time job, taking an...
May 2011
3 posts
My Methodology . . . and Stanley Cup Final...
Oh baby. Here we are. The finals.
For those of you who know me, I could be classified as a hockey fan. I could further be classified as a die-hard hockey fan. Some may say that I have a bit of an obsession. Some may call it a love affair. There are even people who think of me as a trustworthy source of insider hockey knowledge rivaling the likes of Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger … well...
Playoff Predictions 2011 - Third Round
So I’m cutting it close once again … as I’m on a dinner break at work … but here are my predictions for round 3 of the NHL Playoffs.
Seeing as I’m running at a statistically ideal, yet realistically brutal, 50% on my predictions, I’m going to go with my heart on these ones, and skip the analysis - though that may come later this week when I have time …...
April 2011
12 posts
“We are the body of Christ and it looks like we are hitting the spiritual gym.”
– a-molding-mind (via madetospin)
Who to Cheer for in Round 2: Flowchart
Hello (again) everyone!
So I’ve had some people express to me that they have ‘No idea who to cheer for in the second round of the playoffs’. I’ve also had those same people express concern for my well being … saying that I really need to start work so I can’t write so many of these … In any case, for those of you having trouble selecting your team to...
6 tags
Playoff Predictions 2011 - Second Round
Alright … so since I’m on such a high from watching the two NHL games tonight (as well as two NBA playoff games, and the Jays game … so many sports) I figured I’d post these now. So here we go. Round 2: Blaine’s Predictions.
In the Eastern Conference:
#1 Washington Capitals vs. #5 Tampa Bay Lightning
Call: Washington wins series 4-2
I call this one the...
Playoff Predictions 2011 - First Round Recap
Alrighty folks! What a wild conclusion to the first round. I have to say my predictions were ruined on Tuesday night with two game seven losses … and were further ruined by another game seven loss Wednesday night … but that is beside the point! These were some of the best first round series that I’ve seen in a long time! I’m a little disappointed in my 4/8 predictions...
So You're Facing Elmination?
Hello hello once again everyone,
So on this wonderful Easter Sunday there are some exciting games where teams are facing playoff elimination. That’s a dangerous situation to say the least. Dangerous like playing ‘toss the bear trap’ with your younger brother.
So how does a team avoid elimination? How do you avoid having your hopes and dreams for the year shattered? Well, after...
Elite Thoughts of Sport: The Phoenix Coyotes . . .... →
bruvark:
elitesportthoughts:
Hey everyone,
So once again there have been rumblings of the Phoenix Coyotes moving to Winnipeg (as there have been all season) … and perhaps becoming the Winnipeg Jets once more.
Exciting? An interesting argument may ensue from such a simple question. Though this is an issue I poke fun at…
With respect to the Coyotes losing money and the similarities to the...
The Phoenix Coyotes . . . or the Winnipeg Jets?
Hey everyone,
So once again there have been rumblings of the Phoenix Coyotes moving to Winnipeg (as there have been all season) … and perhaps becoming the Winnipeg Jets once more.
Exciting? An interesting argument may ensue from such a simple question. Though this is an issue I poke fun at in many of my blogs, I assure you, it’s for the sake of humour. The issue in itself is a...
Bobby Ryan!!!
If you didn’t see that goal. Find it. See it. UNREAL.
Goal of the year?
NHL Playoffs 2011 - History Will Be Made!!!
Done Exams: Let the Posts Begin!
So … I’m done exams (finally). Now it’s time to start analyzing again! Keep your eyes peeled for the next post! I’m sure I”ll come up with something soon.
But for now … I’m going to bed.
Cheers,
Blaine
Playoff Predictions 2011 - Explanations
Alright … so I lied. A blatant black lie. I’m not going to study tonight. I’m going to explain these playoff prediction instead. Why? Because this is so much more fun!
I’m writing these as I watch the games … so my spelling, grammar, and basic sentence structure may be incredibly poor. I’m sure we’ll all survive though.
So here is the 2nd Annual Playoff...
Playoff Predictions 2011!!!
Hello, hello all! Pardon my lateness on this one … but here are my playoff predictions for round 1 … no explanations yet, I just need to get these up!!!
… Alright, one explanation … I’m in exams … hence the lateness.
#1 Washington Capitals vs. #8 New York Rangers
Call: Washington wins series 4-2
#2 Philadelphia Flyers vs. #7 Buffalo Sabres
Call: (Upset)...
The Chances are One in a Million . . .
http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=360598
To quote Jim Carrey … “So you’re saying there’s a chance!?”. How fitting.
Cheers,
Blaine
March 2011
6 posts
Tips for the 'On the Playoff Bubble' Teams
Hello hello everyone,
Once again it’s been awhile since I’ve posted. I guess school has needed a little more work than anticipated this term. Either way, we are still in the thick of the NHL playoff hunt, and things are only heating up more as the games fly by.
I’ve been doing some thinking as of late, and have a few rules for teams to follow when trying to make the jump from...
So You Want to Make the Playoffs?
Hello hello everyone.
So as you all know (or should know), we are in the midst of one of the most intense battles for NHL playoff spots … EVER.
The East is rather tight. And the West is even more close. And for a lot of people, it’s getting difficult to follow.
As Leaf fans, we haven’t been a part of this sort of a battle in a long time, so I’ve prepared a little...
A User's Guide to the Trade Deadline
Hello hello once again.
So as I sit here in the balmy -30 degree weather in Manitoba for reading week, I figured it was time for a little analysis.
There have been a lot of trades in the past couple of weeks, causing political and societal unrest in Canada. And it’s not even the trade deadline yet. There have been big trades, small trades, unfortunate trades, and hilarious trades. But for...
February 2011
2 posts
Bye-Bye Foppa →
4 tags
A Day in the Life of: James Reimer
Soooo … I may have lied. I said I would write one of these last weekend … and I certainly did no such thing. With a week of midterms on the way, it is certainly time to do another one of these before there is even less time.
This time, I’ve gone to a classic format, just because I’m short on time. Not very original. But it’s a start. So here it is, a day in the life...
January 2011
1 post
No Posts for a Long Time . . . Sorry :(
Good day all!
I apologize for the lack of posts. My friend Ross Arnold just let me know that there has been some disappointment due to my lack of productivity. I’ll have one up next weekend … I promise! I’m not sure if it’ll be a Leafs blog … or an All-Star weekend blog. Or maybe even another flowchart!
Recommendations and ideas are always welcomed!
Cheers,
...
December 2010
6 posts
Watch 24/7 if You Haven't!!!
Why watch an HBO special you ask? Well, because you will be enlightened on the inner workings of hockey. You will also have knowledge reinforced, all the while learning new and interesting facts. For example, these are the things I learned from 24/7 this week:
1. I still love hockey 2. Sid has a potty mouth 3. Swedish Christmas looks like fun
Happy New Year everyone!
Cheers,
Blaine
...
The Night Before Christmas
I think I am delirious … but here is my attempt (for the second straight year) at a ‘clever’ hockey Christmas … thing … hope you enjoy it!
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the rink
The fans were all cheering, but not for Malik.
The banners were hung by the rafters with care,
In hopes that Lord Stanley soon would be there!
The players...
9 tags
A Shift in the Life of: Steve Yzerman
Back due to popular demand … ‘A Shift in the Life of’ makes a triumphant return showing a shift in the life of legend: Steve Yzerman. After a quick Facebook poll, Steve Yzerman wins out over notables: Chris Pronger, Hal ‘the Gillinator’ Gill and John Scott. Without further delay, here it is:
Scene: Steve Yzerman sits on a doctor’s examination table in the...
Comeback Train from Boston to Washington!
Comeback complete.
In the words of a Maple Leafs’ centre, second year player, and very mature-for-his-age Tyler Bozak: “Huuuuuugggeee comeback!” I agree Tyler. I really do. Now then, please stop wearing #42. You like Kyle Wellwood.
I don’t know about you guys, but I was pretty happy to see the Leafs win that game. Yet another come-from-behind win. I could get used to this! It was a feel...