Thursday, October 9, 2008

Opening night quick hits

Some disjointed thoughts on The Greatest Upset in the History of Hockey...

  • What's the over-under on "plan the parade" jokes tomorrow? I'm going to say 8.5.

  • Tonight was a nice reminder that nothing should be taken for granted in sports. The Leafs were brought in for the Wings home opener to basically play the role of Iron Mike Sharpe, and instead they stole a win.

    What does it mean? Not much, to be honest.

    We've had weeks of predictions and analysis and projections, and virtually none of it will even come close to being accurate. I'm not going to go math geek on everyone, but plain old random chance plays far more of a role in pro sports outcomes than anyone us want to admit. You just never know.

    Can the Leafs shock everyone and make the playoffs? Sure they can. Do I think they'll be terrible? Absolutely. And there's nothing contradictory about those two sentences. The old cliche is true: anything can happen.

    None of that means the Leafs won't be a bad team. But it does mean that anybody who tries to tell you that any result in pro sports is impossible -- including this Leafs turning out to be pretty good -- just flat out doesn't know what they're talking about.

  • On Pavel Kubina's goal, it was nice to see Chris Osgood do the same thing I do six times a game in NHL 09.

  • Is there anybody left who likes the puck-over-the-glass rule? Anybody? And is the NHL the only pro league in the world that have rules that everybody agreed was moronic and not bother to change them? Don't answer that. Of course it is.

    Hey, let's combine stupid rules and make all games with a puck-over-glass penalty in them worth three points! Somebody call Gary Bettman!

  • Damien Cox was blogging between periods. It was really good. I hope he keeps that up.

    ...

    No, seriously. It was good. No punchline. I hope Cox finds some ways to turn "The Spin", his quasi-daily web-based column, into an actual blog this year. This is a good first step.

    At this rate, maybe he'll even be using those "hyperlink" things by December.

  • I haven't decided yet how many goals Dominic Moore needs to score before I decide to drop my irrational dislike for him. I'll let you know, though. I'm thinking 30.

  • Was anyone else watching the final minute, as the Red Wings stormed the Leafs net and desperately jammed away in search of a game-tying goal, and yelling at the TV screen "DAMMIT, WHY ISN'T SCHENN ON THE ICE?"

    No? Just me? OK, carry on.




10 comments:

  1. No, I yelled as well, I was also thinking to myself, so much for the play the rookies in all sutations mentality

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  2. Thank-you for the parade comment. That line bugs me way more than "1967" or forty-x years.

    As for the final 30 seconds, I couldn't yell at my TV as I was holding my breath.

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  3. i agree with the wrestling analogy- but i think the leafs are more "special delivery" jones (exciting but always a loser) or baron miguel sicluna (a WWE all star- but a good loser!)
    last year's team was iron mike sharp- awful, loud and unduly proud!
    i hope the current leafs can move up to "bad news" brown status, and make wendel proud!

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  4. Great game.

    I was talking smack about Moore. Until he scored that goal. He's a rudey.

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  5. The parade comments began before the game was even half over. I was gonna do a post about it, but then my last crayon broke.

    Also, I like the over-the-glass rule. I really do. Penalizes defenceman for being lazy or stupid and there's no way the ref can miss it.

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  6. Also, I like the over-the-glass rule. I really do.

    Gah.

    The first problem is that in 95% of the cases, it's completely accidental (like with Mayers last night).

    The second problem is that even if it is intentional, how is it any different from icing? Why couldn't you treat them the same and make it an automatic faceoff with no line change?

    Right now, the rule is "If you delay the game by shooting the puck over there, it's a penalty. But if you delay the game by shooting the puck over there, it's OK."

    (Not to mention the incredibly lame reaction of all the players every time it happens, with five guys pointing into the stands and the other five trying to make "deflection" hand signals. I'm sure the ref is like "Thanks for the help everyone, but I'm watching the game too.")

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  7. I hope you took the over!

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  8. eye HATE the over the glass rule with all my being.

    it is the dumbest rule in professional sports.

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  9. How could you not like Moore? Every shift he's the hardest working guy on the ice. Last year in particular it was good to have at least one guy who was always trying.
    Also, I thought Wilson was right not to play Schenn at the end of the game. He had a pretty good night over all but earlier in the period when the Wings were really pressing, Schenn was obviously frazzled and running around a bit. I think it was a good move not to put him in the same situation when the game was on the line, at this point in his development anyway.
    I also hate the puck over the glass rule. To me it's the penalty equivalent of the shootout. It just doesn't seem to have much to do with the game.

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  10. Well Mironov's nose I always hated Moore too. Turns out I was justified when he took his gamble and went to the cesspool that is Buffalo.

    This game was what convinced me the Leafs would defy Berger and not finish in 30th and get a top 2 pick. I've been depressed ever since.

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