Born in Bed


Ok, so it's time to stop being a lazy son of a bitch and actually put something down on paper... or liquid crystal. Ahh forget it, laziness has taken over my body. Enjoy my man Cabbie's rip on Mike Modano, gotta love it. Somewhere, Greg Millen is in a dark room, heating his entire house with the frictional energy produced by the thought of one day carrying Modano's babies.

Analysis of a Winner


EDM CBJ - Normally I bet against the Oil so that if they lose I can at least be happy that they didn't ruin my pool. But '0 fer' on the road trip so far and a big game in Detroit the next night... it was tough to bet against them

NJD NYR - This was a coin flip and generally in coin flips, I like to go with the home team. My buddy Derek was over while I was filling it out and just before I picked the Rangers, he reminded me that NJ has Marty Brodeur. And that was that. He really is the greatest goalie of all time. I feel very lucky to be able to watch him play in his prime. Easily one of the most entertaining players in the league. Until yesterday afternoon Martin Brodeur had ALL 38 of NJ's victories. He's played every game since Dec. 14. He's a machine.

PHI CAR - It's really hard to bet on Philly, like REEALLY hard. You know one day they're gonna win one and it's gonna bite you in the ass. Fortunately it wasn't on Thursday.

BUF OTT - Another coin flip and Marty Brodeur doesn't play on either of these teams, had to go with the home team (Note, if there hadn't been so many other games that could go either way, I would have blocked this game out)

TB ATL - I've had a fondness for TB ever since about.... the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals. Plus I hate Bob Hartely. That's why I went TB on this coin flip

PIT FLA - Seemed to be one of the easier picks to make. Florida actually played a very strong game (even though I didn't see any of it and still haven't). They ended up hammering Boston a couple of days later. This one was suppose to be a lock that turned into a coin flip. I'm just liking this Pittsburgh team too much.

TOR NYI - Another coin flip. The Islanders always find a way to sting me when I bet against them, they're at home, plus it's easy to bet against the Leafs

MTL NAS - This was a big gamble but there's always going to be upsets. This was the one I picked because a) I think NAS is overrated... big time and b) MTL has got to turn it around some time. I was hoping it was Thursday night. And oh, was it ever.

SJ CHI - Another tough pick but all in all, SJ is a much stronger team and I could live with myself if they blew it for me. Still pretty gutsy considering how many road teams that I'd picked already.

CGY PHX - JP (my younger bro) tuned me up the week before for betting on the Flames on the road. Calgary at home on the other hand...

MIN COL - Again, not an easy pick, but I think Colorado has overachieved this season. Also, the Oil are chasing the Wild, if they ruin my pool by losing, I'll at least be happy the Oil made ground. $16K happy? close.

VAN LA - Easiest pick of the night. This made it 8 road teams but you can't be skewed by that. Each game has to be considered individually. In this case Roberto Luongo only plays for one of these teams.

16,049 Reasons to Say: Thank You

- Thank you Andre Roy for scoring your first goal of the season to tie the game in Atlanta

- Thank you Martin St. Louis for your two assist and your OT winner

- Thank you Tampa Bay for your come-back

- Thank you Hurricanes for recovering from a blown lead vs the worst team in the league

- Thank you Ron Grahame (Kent Denver's former goalie coach) for nailing Mrs. Grahame on new years 1975

- Thank you John Grahame for stopping 33 shots

- Thank you ginger kid Glen Wesley for your Short-Handed winner

- Thank you Doug Maclean for yielding such a shitty team

- Let’s thank Ryan Smyth with a nice contract.

- Thank you hockey Gods for the Ottawa/Buffalo game (side thank you: whoever “invented” NHL Centre Ice.)

- Thank you Lindy Ruff for choosing Drew Stafford fourth in the shoot-out

- Thank you Martin Biron. By getting your ass kicked, you allowed Ryan Miller to stop all four Ottawa shooters in the shoot-out.

- Thank you Ryan Miller for your short-handed save on Heately in OT, and your glove save to win the game in the shoot-out

- Thank you Razor Emery for being able to stand in with one of the leagues toughest fighters. Maybe my favourite moment from this year, and that says a lot.

- Thank you New Jersey for your comeback

- Thank you Martin Brodeur for being the greatest goalie of all time

- Thank you Jamie Langenbrunner for your alley-oop, Shoot-out winner

- Thank you Derek for convincing me to go with the Devils

- Thank you NY Islanders for your comeback

- Thank you Maple Leafs for… being the Leafs

- Thanks for the poke check "D-P"

- Thank you Pittsburgh for winning the only game that I didn’t watch. The only moment of the game that I saw was the Penguins' celebration of Malone’s OT goal.

- Thank you Montreal for coming back from a two goal-deficit, twice!

- Thank you to the post. You stopped a Martin Erat shot on a Shoot-Out attempt that would have won the game for Nashville

- Thank you Tomas Plekanec, it may not have been pretty, but they don’t put that on the score sheet.

- Thank you Saku, another great Habs captain

- Thank you Peter the (not so) great

- Thank you Harry Sinden for trading Thornton

- Thank you Sharks for the second biggest blowout of the night.

- Thank you Wild for not flushing a three goal lead

- Thank you Mikko Koivu for you insurance turned game winning goal

- Thank you Flames for… being the Flames

- Thank you post for stopping the potential insurance goal on a Calgary breakaway on what should have been a Calgary penalty

- Thank you Steven Reinprecht for your GTG

- Thank you Jim Playfair for starting three forwards in OT

- The only time I'll ever say this: Thank you Slats for not drafting Shane Doan

- Thank you Kiprusoff’s five hole

- Thank you Panthers, you’re now amongst BOS and NYI as the best teams to make a trade with

- Thank you Canucks for making me feel like it was in the bag, even with a tie score late in the game

- Thank you Kevin Bieksa, your 10th goal of the season will be engraved in my memory forever

Eight overtime games + four shoot-outs + seven come-backs = Hockey Pool 37 Winner and $16,049

Congratulations to the other five people in Ontario who resisted the urge to bet on either of their precious Leafs or Sens.

Is there a better day to start off my sports blog than today? I'm currently bouncing off the walls in anticipation of seeing my beloved Oilers for the first time in half a decade. The last time I watched them was... well the last time they came to Toronto. I'm currently sitting in my Oilers jersey, vest and hat, all of which I've had since I was a young teenager, and it shows.



I could list any number of metaphors or similes to describe my excitement, like a crack head who just found a rock the size of his fist (especially the way I've been feinding for some hockey action over the last month) or the way I feel the hours before an exam. I'm ready and willing, and I just wish it would happen RIGHT NOW. And with the Laffs 40 year celebration happening tonight (the more I think about it, it's good that they are honouring these guys) it's almost like the prof has shown up to the exam without enough copies (believe it or not, that has actually happened to me). Ok time to run, hopefully I won't be accosted by anyone on the subway ride to the rink.

Oh btw, has anyone else noticed how TSN and SN have been reporting more on the Oilers over the last two days than in the entire season to date? Is it really that difficult to interview Ryan Smyth and Roloson via sattelite? I guess they couldn't do any of their funny bits with Roli operating the camera.