It's always spiteful in Philadelphia

I forgot that those "What DIDN'T happen today?" days could happen in June.

So the Flyers take away Columbus' Jakub Voracek and give them Jeff Carter, who I don't like precisely because he's a Philadelphia Flyer. But he didn't make Team Canada without being good at hockey, so this might actually be good for the Jackets. Do I stick to my stubborn guns or swallow my pride? Is this how Columbus reacts to being pushed aside last season in favour of the more exciting LA Kings? It was like your favourite indie band selling out and putting a song on some superhero movie soundtrack, but the song isn't terrible, and you don't know what to think of them anymore.

Oh, but then Philadelphia wasn't finished messing with what could have been a fabulously productive day. No, why would they be? I'm going to look up the name of the Flyers' GM (I don't know it because I really couldn't care less about the guy) then find him on Facebook or something and give him a piece of my mind.

(Paul Holmgren, eh? Well, get ready for a strongly worded email, Paul.)

It's no secret that I'm not a fan of Mike Richards. He's my age but he looks and acts like he's someone's dad, and that is not to be taken as a compliment. (Not in this instance. But I know lots of great dads, including my own, who are much better people than Mike Richards.) I'm also confused whenever teams trade away their captains, unless they really don't want the guy as captain anymore for some terrible reason. (Maybe I'm just too loyal to captains.) But, whatever, even though the Flyers built Mike Richards and thus deserve him, they decided to put him up for trade. 

And, of course, to spite me, they go after the Los Angeles Kings, who I'm having a not-so-secret flirtation with. So, yeah, in some cruel twist of fate, we'll all get to see Mike Richards in a Kings jersey next year, and not in a "dump a bucket of pig's blood on him at the prom" kind of way. Remember when Richards went off about P.K. Subban and rookies and respect and stuff? The Kings are in the middle of a renaissance, aided in part by all these draft picks and prospects. He's either going to teach them something or turn into a whiny old man really fast.

At least Brayden Schenn will be spared of potential rookie-bashing? Nope, there's no bright side to this.

To make matters worse, Wayne Simmonds is a Philadelphia Flyer. I love Simmonds. I don't love the Flyers. This does not compute. There have been rumours of Simmonds trades for a while now, and I was really hoping he'd stay put. Or maybe be traded to the Habs, because who doesn't want a fast, aggressive, threatening goal-scorer? Instead, he was taken away from a team that I love and sent to the Flyers. And I already know that he'll make a great Flyer, and I'll have to watch him be a great Flyer four times this year against my Habs.

It hurts.

So in one day, Philly poached two players Czechtacular loves and two players I love from the Western Conference. Nope. The Flyers aren't doing anything to make me like them.

Unless this whole Wayne Simmonds thing pans out.

What I did immediately after the Bruins won yesterday

So, yeah, the Bruins won Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, and it was obvious for most of the game that they were going to win it. But I was still upset when it happened.
This is how I reacted: (Nothing is time-stamped, as I was too angry to notice what time it was.)

Realized that this is the end of the hockey season. And THAT was how it ended.

Tried not to look at the TV, but I couldn't help myself.

Contemplated telling the bartender to "just bring me the whole bottle."

Briefly looked at the TV, thinking that the sight gag of Chara standing (on skates) next to Bettman would make me laugh. I did not laugh.

Tried to avoid seeing Roberto Luongo, knowing that in that moment our faces looked exactly the same.

Made awful attempts to distract Czechtacular as the camera turned to Mark Recchi.

Had a "glove malfunction" when Andrew Ference touched the Cup.

Realized that this whole "Not looking at the TV" thing wasn't working. Just kept shouting.

Made plans to meet up with a friend (the lovely Laura from The Active Stick, which I know you read) for lunch to eat junk food and/or throw things.

Took out my camera and looked at pictures of things that should cheer me up: My cat. My favourite hockey players. My boyfriend. Paul Mara's Beard. My tiny cousin in his Habs pyjamas. My visit to the Hockey Hall of Fame, back when the Chicago Blackhawks were still the Stanley Cup champions.

Remembered how happy I was for the Blackhawks a year ago. How proud I was of Toews. How many wacky, emotional tweets I wrote that night. How little I cared about the Stanley Cup victory that was unfolding in my own country.

Luckily, even my angry tweets made people laugh:

I genuinely meant it.

Left the downtown pub I was at and passed Centennial Plaza, where a gaggle of Bruins fans were doing whatever it is that Bruins fans do.

Tried to fall asleep as soon as I got home. Couldn't.

Wiped away a few tears. Vowed to start removing my mascara before bed.

Checked my Twitter feed and saw that things had gone from bad to worse in Vancouver.

Thought about the riots and another bit of bad news I'd received that morning. Reminded myself that there are worse things in life than watching my rival hockey team win the Stanley Cup.

Woke up this morning with a headache.

How many days until training camp?

Plus/Minus gets chatty again

All-Stars, superheroes, surgeries, spin-o-ramas, and goalies doing gangsta poses. Did I write a hockey soap opera, or is this real life?

PLUS

+ Benoit Pouliot was good at hockey this week.
+ Carey Price is an All-Star! It made me so happy that at first I didn't even realize that Norris Trophy nominee Drew Doughty is not an All-Star. Quite a few All-Star guys that I'll be very happy to see on the ice together in two weeks. (I keep trying to choose my ideal winger for the Sedin twins, and can't decide!)
+ Alex Auld is pretty great against the Rangers. It's not just luck.
+ Dwayne Roloson's new mask (you know, for his Tampa Bay Lightning job that he unfortunately stole from Cédrick) is one of the nicest goalie masks in the NHL.
+ I think my New York Jets may just have won a playoff game. I might be imagining it, though.
+ Despite the fact that I'm not his biggest fan, I'm giving Aaron Sorkin a Plus for giving me a new catchphrase at the Golden Globes: "Smart girls have more fun."

MINUS

You guys should follow @kuyaz on Twitter just because he makes things like this sometimes.

- No, Marc-Andre Fleury, I didn't think your little pose was playful and fun. I might have thought that if you weren't such a massive douchetard, but them's the breaks.
- Gotta admit, I'm kind of squeamish, so I'm not always in the mood to see injuries and scars and stuff. I tried to avoid seeing pictures of the surgery scar on Andrei Markov's knee, but it was right there on the Habs Inside/Out homepage. Not cool, guys. It hurts me enough to remember that my favourite Hab is injured.
- I'm pretty sure I've made some variation on this rant at least once already this season: who let Mike Cammalleri get sick? You're telling me that one of the NHL's most profitable teams doesn't have money for Purell or to pay people to walk around holding up sneezeguards in front of players?
- Is there anyone left in this universe who still likes PK Subban? Poor rookie has haters all over the place. You'd think Matt Cooke started sending out blank cheques. (PS: This week I found out what a slew foot is... and seriously, THAT'S one of the dirtiest moves in hockey? Whose grandparents decided this? Was PK's slew foot on Dubinsky just a weak example, or was I not watching closely enough? Because I've seen way worse, both from NHL players and from girls at weddings trying to catch the bouquet.)
- Dear every player in the NHL: Maybe you didn't get my last memo, but there's a limit to corporate sponsorships and endorsement deals, ok? I know some of you don't listen to me, but it's one thing to endorse a company whose products you believe in and they send you free stuff, but it's another to have logos and company names splashed across your clothes or to show up in every other commercial I see. And yes, I'll keep telling you this until I get what I want. Okay? Okay. Thanks. Sincerely, Rookie.
- Henrik Lundqvist: You know what you did.

NEITHER A PLUS NOR A MINUS
Spin-o-ramas during shootouts. A skater should be allowed to do whatever he wants as he skates up to the net, because, after all, shootouts are there for our entertainment. (If they weren't, there would still be more than five minutes of overtime.) There's a limit, though, and as much as I love Mason Raymond he showed me what that limit is this week. I'm sorry, MayRay, but you shouldn't commit goalie interference with your butt.

AND STAY TUNED FOR
This is a shameless plug, because I never know what I'll say on the radio but I sometimes know what I'll be writing about, so I might as well promote what I can control. A Plus to this week's SNL Digital Short, which I'll write about soon for BetterWithPopcorn.com, and a Minus to our NHL Guardian, the Canadien, which I'll snark on soon for AllHabs.net.

In Which I Dethrone King Henrik

I missed last night's game against the Rangers, and only saw a few tweets about the game so I didn't know much about what went on. Basically all I knew was that the Habs won and that Henrik Lundqvist got booed. Not much of a surprise there, right? The Canadiens are perfectly capable of winning a game against the Rangers, and Montreal fans love booing goalies. (There was no such treatment of Marc-André Fleury this week, and that's a mystery I'll need help solving.)

Clearly, I didn't know what had gone down. (No pun intended.)


This isn't something I normally would have admitted to, but for some reason I sorta liked Lundqvist. He's a pretty good goaltender, and on many occasions I've found myself biting my tongue when I see his highlights. I wouldn't have wanted anyone to know that I'd probably admit to actually liking him as a goalie if he didn't play for the Rangers, one of the teams I hate the most.
Two years ago, I put him on my All-Star ballot a few times just because I wanted to be able to see him play without having to see the rest of his team on the ice. Best of both worlds, right?
When I saw the Rangers play the Tampa Bay Lightning on New Year's Day, I thanked the hockey gods that Cédrick Desjardins was in net for Tampa. It wouldn't have made sense if the team I was booing was backed up by a goalie I liked, and the team I wanted to win had Dan Ellis in net. (In case you didn't know, I'm not a fan of Dan Ellis. Some people say I was one of the people who scared him off Twitter, but that's not really true.)
It wasn't even because at first I wasn't sure if you pronounce the letter V in his name or not, which would have made it hard to boo him.

So, I guess I should thank Lundqvist for proving he's completely batshit insane. Max Pacioretty crashed into him, yes. Did he do it on purpose? Didn't look that way to me. Sure, no one wants another player to wipe out in front of them, but I'm sure this same thing has happened - many times - to every goalie in the NHL. Usually, though, the goalie doesn't pick himself back up and go after the guy who wiped out. People went to the Bell Centre for a hockey game last night, and a bear attack broke out. I can understand that being a goalie is mentally difficult and you don't want anyone to mess with you or what you're doing. The only excuse Lundqvist could have had is that Pacioretty's skate blade came a little too close for comfort, especially if it reached his calf, but no one's said anything about that happening. So as of right now, it appears that either Pacioretty is an awful human being or Lundqvist is crazy and maybe can't control his anger. I think the latter is more likely.

Boo all you want, Habs fans. I'll join in. Henrik Lundqvist is dead to me.

NHL Goalies, or Cartoon Heroes?

Since the game ended yesterday, way too many people have discussed the impending pose-off between Carey Price and Marc-André Fleury. It's one of those hot-button topics that doesn't actually need to be discussed, but infuriates people to the point that they just can't help but talk about it. I've been trying to plan the next step in The Great NHL Pose-Off of 2011.

In all honesty, I want it to be a dance-off. But that's wishful thinking.

So. This all started when Carey Price celebrated his win by crossing his arms in a pose that I originally referred to as "the Kazaam"...

...but references to "Like A Boss" and a b-boy stance were also acceptable. Until I realized, maybe from superhero overload, that it's also a Superman pose:

As such, I've done a little googling and I think I've got a few more superhero-inspired poses for Carey to try out. Maybe some of his jerkier rivals will like them too:

Ever since the Wolverine movie I can't think of Gambit without thinking of Taylor Kitsch. As a result, it took a bit longer to publish this post than it should have.

Bat-Accessories required for this one, but a goalie stick might also be acceptable

Hockey players are kind of like real-life superheroes, so I think this works.
But in case Carey needs a little more help, I'll start compiling some old-school b-boy stances.

Time for Round 2 in Philadelphia

7:00 PM.

On a Monday.

Philadelphia, PA

So last week was fun. The Flyers tried to break the Canadiens, and then whined a little bit when they got their feelings hurt.

I'd write a half-assed game preview, but it turns out that my half-assed preview from a Flyers game last season is still mostly relevant. It boils down to: the Flyers are ugly and also evil. And if you need a reminder of just how good the Canadiens are, our friend Will has it covered in his latest blog post. It boils down to: the Canadiens know what they need to do to win right now, and they're doing it.

As for this PK-hate business, I guess we'll find out tonight if the Flyers really mean it and turn this into a rivalry for the ages, or if they were just whining and need a time-out.

I'm prepared to make Team PK shirts if necessary.

Plus/Minus: Shutout edition

If you're wondering why I haven't posted anything since the last Plus/Minus, it's because nothing came to me. The Andrei Markov injury had me so upset that I could barely do anything all week. I shuffled around in my pajamas most of the day, I rarely answered the phone, I couldn't sleep properly, I told everyone (and I mean everyone) that Eric Staal is the worst person on Earth... all in all, I've had better weeks. Some people. however, have certainly had worse weeks.

PLUS

How sweet it is

+ Two shutouts in one week. Carey Price is just fantastic. I'm probably not the only one who's been getting overwhelmed right when I realize that the game is really going to end in a shutout, then (of course) celebrating the team's win, then go over the edge a little when I see him point to the exact people he's throwing his First Star pucks to. Oh, and I'm not being a fangirl, but I might have been when I backed Laura from The Active Stick in an argument with a Leafs fan.
+ Thank you, Pat Burns, for your encouraging words to Carey Price. Clearly, they paid off. This is proof that nothing can stop a good coach. Rest in peace, Coach.
+ I'm adding myself to the long list of people who loved the Pat Burns video tribute. I somehow didn't burst into tears watching it. I'm not sure how that happened, but if it was a minute longer, I probably would have.
+ Lars Eller's been taking advantage of his (slightly) increased ice time.
+ Two Bulldogs in particular: Max Pacioretty is lighting it up, and Gabriel Dumont scored a game-winning goal which will hopefully prevent him from being benched more often than he should be.


MINUS

- I wrote an article for All Habs this week about the Price/Halak "controversy" and how it still hasn't gone away. But some people still just don't get it.
- So last season nobody could stop bashing Sergei Kostitsyn, then he comes back to Montreal for the first time with his new team and he's nearly invisible. If I were a TV producer I'd milk this for all it's worth and turn him into some kind of cartoon villain. However, I forgot that the Nashville Predators also have some random non-Hab Quebec-born player, so obviously he takes precedence.
- Ryan White is injured?
- It's been said already, but I can't believe Mike Richards decided to whine about PK Subban's attitude and apparent lack of respect. First of all, PK was probably the most aggressive player in that game, and that's kind of required when you're playing the Flyers. What, do you want my entire team to put their trenchcoats over puddles so Jeff Carter's new shoes don't get wet? How about not? And, seriously, Mike Richards? You looked like you met PK word-for-word. What could he possibly have said that could offend Mike Richards, who almost killed David Booth? One of these players is shooting off his mouth, that's for sure. But it's not the rookie.
- Speaking of concussion-causers, Andrew Ladd has been named captain of the Atlanta Thrashers. In this case, the C stands for "Couldn't he have been suspended even one game for destroying Matt D'Agostini last season?" Yeah. I hold grudges.

- Oh, Colin Campbell. If you're going to be a jerkstore, you should at least get a Gmail address or something and try to pretend you didn't send those emails. Doesn't everyone know by now that you don't use corporate email for personal purposes?
- All kinds of RDS graphics fails this week. I wish I had pictures. They got their dates mixed up for the CFL East Final, and tried to tell me that there is a "B. Byfuglien" in the NHL. In which case, Atlanta might want to start printing up T-shirts that say "Bustin Moves" or "Bustin makes me feel good."

- Oh, I almost forgot: Shut up, Don Cherry.

So, four games this week, including one against the Kings, which I have tickets to. What are the odds of me finding a way to keep Drew Doughty in Montreal? What if I remind him that Markov is injured and cry? Too dramatic? I'll keep working on it.

Them's fightin' words

What happened today:

Allegedly, Sheldon Souray asked the Edmonton Oilers for a trade. Doesn't someone report this like once a month? (And if Gauthier wants him back will the Oilers take Scott Gomez? What? Who said that?)

The Tampa Bay Lightning fired both their GM (the weird-looking Brian Lawton) and their coach (the terrifying Rick Tocchet). Wow. The Florida Molsons must be very, very angry. They're going for a complete change from the ground up, in order to become a "world-class organization." Yeah, that'll happen.

And Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau met with media this morning and talked about his postseason strategy and the team he'll try to beat in the first round:

"That's the only game in town," Boudreau said of the Canadiens in Montreal. "They don't have to split it up and have the Nationals on some of the pages, the Wizards on some of the pages, the Redskins and [the Capitals]. It's Montreal. It's the Canadiens. It wouldn't surprise me if there's a ten-page spread come Wednesday and Thursday."

Ouch. Really, Boudreau? You decided to bring the Nationals into this? That's a low blow. Thanks for reminding this city that you've got our baseball team.

Actually, that smug, new-girlfriend kind of attitude is probably exactly what a team needs behind the bench when the Stanley Cup is at stake.

But seriously, ouch.

So we meet again: Game Preview 3-13-10

Because player-specific bullet points get redundant when you play teams more than 4 times a year, I'm cheaping out on you tonight and giving you a skinny:

Boston has played three games less than Montreal and are only two points away from tying them at 7th place, but have just learned the severity of Marc Savard's injury (he's out for the rest of the season). However, they have only brought one win out of the rest of the season's matchups between the two teams and you have to imagine that something's gotta give in that situation. Montreal barely squeaked out a W against Edmonton the other night and by no means want to make this as close (or as freaky-deaky) a game as that. Rask faces Halak in goal, Maxim Lapierre returns from suspension, Zdeno Chara is the NHL's version of Lurch, and insert other game fact here.

Oh right, and the "any excuse to show my German side" tag gets its use here:

:D BON MATCH, M'DAMES & MESSIEURS.

(Making an "overuse of caffeine" tag, stat)

It's always ugly in Philadelphia: a Rookie-style game preview

As the world gears up for the Olympics, the Montreal Canadiens are getting ready for back-to-back games against the Phildelphia Flyers. (No opening ceremonies for star players like Markov and Halak, I guess.)

Instead of giving you all kinds of information on what the team's done since the Winter Classic, who cuckolded who, and which players are the ones to watch (y'know, Ray Emery's one of the most talented black players in the NHL, Jeff Carter made it to the Team Canada roster in the nick of time), I'm going to focus on something a bit more obvious.

This team is ugly. I know that female hockey fans are often judged because people think we only watch the sport because we like cute boys or whatever, and don't get me started on snap judgments and generalizations, but here I can't help but say the opposite as loudly as I can.
Honestly, I think the Philadelphia Flyers might be the fugliest team in hockey.
Their style of play is ugly - they don't call them the Broad Street Bullies for nothing. Their jerseys and their logo are complete eyesores. And let's be honest, their team photo isn't going to wind up in the pages of Tiger Beat anytime soon. Mike Richards is one of those twentysomethings that seems to enjoy looking like a forty-year-old suburbanite. Dan Carcillo looks like the kind of guy you'd see on Cops. Chris Pronger's got a weird-ass face, which reminds Czechtacular of some weird, post-sex-change, roid-raging Madonna. And if asked to describe Scott Hartnell, I'm not sure whether I'd go with "vomit-inducing Lord of the Rings type of Viking dude" or tell people he's the origin of the phrase "beat you like a red-headed stepchild."

In normal-looking hockey team news, Carey Price starts tonight.

Thoughts? Are the Flyers the ugliest team in hockey?
And are the Habs going to beat them like... well, you know?

The Jaroslav Tea Party: Game Preview 2-4-10

Tonight's game spells the return of Halak to the net (third start in a row, for whoever's counting), and Spacek to the blueline. Clinging to 7th place in the East, the Habs take on an old foe in Boston who, it has to be said, hasn't been awesome lately, but are hot on the Habs' trail for a playoff spot (much like everyone and their mother). Both games between the two teams this season have been won by the Canadiens, however lots of factors have changed since then, begging the question "what to expect tonight?"

The last 5-1 score had Mike Cammalleri score a hat trick. Today, he stands on crutches. To that effect, neither team has a 20-goal scorer. Plekanec and Gionta are tied for second on the board in that category with 14 each, while on the other side, Marco Sturm leads with 16. Given the history of these division/all-time rivals it's only natural to expect that one can look for a physical affair, with more skirmishes and trips to the box than bouts of offensive flashiness.

However:

• The aformentioned Marco Sturm would love to show his goal face to the Bruins' faithful.
• Patrice Bergeron and Marc Savard are a double-team of annoying when it comes to these matchups. They've combined for 54 points in 73 games against the Habs, which doesn't quite seem staggering enough of a statistic so maybe it's just me that finds them annoying.
• Zdeno. 'Nuff said.
• David Krejci has been one bright spot in Boston's recent woes, and no doubt he also has a little bit of revenge planned for his compatriot Tomas Plekanec (if you have no idea what I'm referring to, YouTube-search the two names).
• Michael Ryder may find himself in trade rumours, but he's no less dangerous against his old team.

Plus/Minus: Welcome to 2010 edition

Hugs have been exchanged, the Winter Classic has come and gone, and the champagne has finished flowing. The new year has officially begun, and I've got two weeks to plus and minus since I skipped last week, unannounced. So much for the new year's resolutions I told my mommy I'd make.
Over the last two weeks, the Canadiens have faced bitter rivals and teams that are also bitter rivals but maybe not as much as others. There have been wins, losses, heartbreaking injuries, and triumphant returns. Basically, 2010 is like every other one of the last 100 years so far.

PLUS

+ The biggest plus of the week (they're all equal but some are more equal than others) goes to Benoit Pouliot for proving his awesomeness, for his impressive first goal as a Hab, and for finding his place alongside Gionta and Gomez.
+ The Bulldogs have been doing very, very well lately.
+ Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind, the Canadiens know that they can always recall Ryan White. (Too bad he was sent down as quickly as he was called up... hopefully we'll see him again soon if we need him.)
+ A brilliant New Year's Eve victory against Florida. Who knew that you don't need to be on your feet to win a game?
+ Alex Kovalev for his four-goal night last week.
+ The Jaroslav Halak we know and love: solid even in losses and capable of showing his worth when compared to the world's best.
+ You won't hear me say very much about Patrick Kane, but I love hearing stories about athletes who make an effort to reach out to their fans.

MINUS

- Most of Montreal is winter-white right now, except Alain Crete, who is orange. Is he trying to pretend he's on Jersey Shore or something?
- Dear Ryan Miller: you may think you're like invincible or something but you are not. The Habs will kick your ass someday. Someday soon. Get ready to look like... whoever your backup is.
- Okay, so as it turns out, the injury fairy has returned to our town. Poor Andrei Kostitsyn. This also doesn't bode well for Team Belarus at the Olympics.
- Former Hab violence: Mike Ribeiro seems to be out forever after an accidental hit to the face from Chris Higgins. This doesn't bode well for Team Portugal at the Olympics.

And now we've got to go back to coming up with entertaining stuff to write during this half-week-long drought. (Here's hoping for another game like last night's epic outing between the Flames and Canucks... I promise to try not to skip Plus/Minus next week, even though there'll only be two Habs games to talk about.

All I want for Christmas is Plus/Minus

After spending the whole month of December playing about four games every hour, the Habs got two consecutive days off on Christmas Eve and Day. (Yes, even the Canadiens are allowed some time off... Alain Crete doesn't like it. But Alain Crete can't dress himself properly.) So, instead of lacing up their skates, sweating, and punching each other, the men of the NHL got to do just what we did for two days: spend time with their loved ones, open presents, and wish baby Jesus a happy birthday while wishing doom upon that moron who shoved the Pope.
The Habs gave us something to talk about this week on the days that they did play, so here's the week that was:

PLUS

+ I'll be honest... I'm starting with my favourite thing from this last week: Showing up at a hockey game dressed up as Green Man from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia is possibly the best idea in the world. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the pictures. I only wish I'd thought of it first. There's no feasible way to top the Green Men at that Canucks-Predators game... except maybe dressing up as Night Man.
+ If it weren't for a solid performance by Jaroslav Halak, the Atlanta Thrashers would have scored at least half a dozen goals on Monday night. He kept up the good work throughout the week.
+ Whoever designed the Canadiens PR team's Christmas card this year must have had a blast. They also get extra points for including the 100th anniversary team photo, which in case you were wondering will be available for purchase soon. (I wish I had an exact date for you. Sorry, readers.)
+ We broke the December 23rd curse. And how!
+ We knew that we shouldn't get too excited about the return of Andrei Markov, but he appears to have been the catalyst for the team's improved play this week, and thus Markie becomes the third player to have nearly as many Pluses here as he does in the standings.
+ Junior Team Canada won their first game, an almost embarrassing 16-0 shutout over Lithuania. I guess that new Canada cheer really works!
+ Scott Gomez got five points in two games. FIVE. In TWO games.
+ Tomas Plekanec continues to creep his way up in the standings. I hope he totally smashes Cr-- oh, is it too mean to smack talk while I'm writing a Plus?



MINUS

- We still have no Brian Gionta, no Roman Hamrlik, and we re-lost Paul Mara (who by the way gets a minor plus for trying to finish his shift with a gloveless injured hand).
- Scott Hartnell and Marc Savard for their pretaped appearances on The Price Is Right, offering a showcase winner a wicked cool Winter Classic package. Savard (although it shouldn't surprise me) showed zero enthusiasm and personality on camera. I saw more genuine feeling in the Habs' holiday video greetings, which were taped MONTHS ago, before anyone even started thinking about Christmas. And yes, somehow their Price Is Right spot (on CBS, a network with no NHL affiliation?) was deemed Internet-worthy and was all over NHL.com the next day.
- Can I finally give my minus to the Winter Classic commercial?

It's beautifully shot, but the ad completely ignores the fact that the game takes place at Fenway. Instead, you'd think that the Flyers and Bruins suited up, snuck into a wardrobe and wound up in Narnia. Probably a Narnia in which there is no James McAvoy playing Tumnus.
- I'll be perfectly honest... I kind of keep on hoping that Sergei will drop his gloves and unleash some fury on Mikhail Grabovski, but so far none of that has happened this season. (The way that Sergei has been playing lately, though, definitely makes up for his lack of punching.)
- I may have missed some errors, but the graphics department at RDS was definitely suffering from a turkey hangover on Saturday's game. Typos galore! Apparently there are dudes in the NHL named "Pillips" (clearly Dr. House's favourite), "Pomminville" (awesome, because I love apple pie), and "Connelly" (hey, she won an Oscar!).

We already wished you a Merry Christmas (didn't we? Well, the sentiment was definitely there) and helped you with your holiday shopping.
Did you give or receive any legendary hockey-related gifts? Then tell everybody!