Tonight we’ll be following the Devils game and woolgathering as we go. In the meantime, enjoy an open thread!
FIRST PERIOD
7:29 pm Doc says of the last game, “Overtime was forced.” Schnookie starts to scoff, “I like the way Doc says that as if it was some kind of passive thing on the Devils’ part…” but then stops herself. “Oh right! It was passive. Heh. Sigh.”
7:37 pm Chico refers to Marc-Andre Fleury’s lower-body injury an “illness”. We think he’s not hurt, he just wants to be included in the list of great goalies who are hurt.
7:38 pm Sid Crosby? Is good. Paulie Martin? Is putrid. Scott Clemmensen? Is not an NHL calibre goaltender.
7:50 pm Thanks to the last few games, we’d been thinking that maybe the Devils would be able to just play well enough to hang on until Marty gets back in March. But now that they’re not playing a team from Florida, we’re beginning to suspect that might be a pipe dream. Although, on the bright side, Clarkson just took a slapshot from the faceoff dots — does that mean he’s adding a new move to his repertoire? One that doesn’t involve convoluted set-ups and monologueing?
8:03 pm We find out why Paulie was minus against Sid. Doc’s been giving us updates for the last few weeks of Minnesota’s national rankings for college hockey; after weeks of being #1, the Mighty, Mighty Gophers will be slipping to second. No wonder Paulie didn’t want to stop that play! He’s ashamed of that giant Goldy tattoo on his back, and it’s distracting him from the task at hand!
8:12 pm Doc and Chico calm a lot of troubled minds by informing us that you can not gong the puck into the net off your head in the NHL and have it count as a goal. We’d been losing sleep over that one. And there go our secret plans for the PP that we were going to email to the Devils.
SECOND PERIOD
8:40 pm We fall behind on tivo delay as we step aside for a few minutes to assemble open face hot turkey sandwiches. The open face hot turkey sandwich is truly the greatest culinary aspect of Thanksgiving.
8:56 pm Chico tells us, as the Devils fourth line initiates a scrum in front of the Pens net, that the Devils’ “battle level” has been very high lately. Pookie: “That makes it sound like they’re in a video game. Like, their energy level is low, but their battle level is high.” Schnookie: “And their skill level is non-existent.”
9:00 pm Zach gets called for interference off an offensive-zone faceoff and there is no even-up on the obvious dive by the Pen. Pookie is incensed: “I’m throwing my mouse-soaked beer pad at the… Wait. That’s not right.” Pause, as the Pens score, making it 2-0. “No, I’m throwing my puke-soaked mousepad at the TV.”
9:05 pm Newsflash: Matt Cooke is a dirty sack of shit. When he hits Zach into the open door of the Devils bench, the Devils on the ice go after Cooke, but they’re Patty, Zubrus, Langer, Paulie and the Iron Boar. Pookie: “Zach’s like, ‘Arise my henchmen! Arise and attack!’” Schnookie: “Yeah, but then he’s looking at who’s on the ice and shouting, ‘Change, my henchmen! Change on the fly!’”
9:08 pm Okay, that pokecheck save Clemmer had against Boyd Gordon in the shootout a few games ago was hilarious. But it’s also given Clemmer a woefully inflated sense of the power of his pokecheck. For the second time tonight, Sid scores thanks to Clemmer thinking all he has to do to stop the offensive onslaught is a quick whip of his stick into the oncoming rush. It doesn’t help that Tallackson’s the guy defending Sid on this four-on-four, but still. This shift was a trainwreck from top to bottom, and the caboose bringing up the rear of sucktitude is Clemmensen thinking he has any business at all pokechecking against Sid and Malkin.
9:23 pm We will grudgingly admit that Clemmer has made some really good saves tonight, and without many of them, it would be 7,000-0 Pens. That said, he was atrocious on the two goals from Sid, so without him, it would also be only 1-0 Pens. So when he’s good, he’s moderately good. And when he’s bad, he’s very, very bad. (Pookie says, as we watch him holding down the fort at the end of the second period, “I appreciate that he makes kick saves and directs the rebounds well. And that’s the only nice thing I’m going to say about him.”)
THIRD PERIOD
9:36 pm WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Mike Rupp is this year’s Arron Asham, but more pleasantly surprising. He caps off a shift of countless turnovers in front of their own net by Pens defensemen by firing a laserbeam shot over Sabourin’s shoulder to cut the lead to just two. Meanwhile, at the other end of the ice, Clemmer eyes Sid and starts mentally rehearsing his next pokecheck attempt.
9:40 pm Well, here’s something we didn’t expect to see tonight: matching roughing minors to Sid and Rupper.
9:57 pm With about five minutes left in what’s been a mostly fruitless but still valiant period by the Devils, Doc and Chico inform us that Zubrus is too ill to carry on, which explains why Brookbank’s the guy out there on the Patty/Gio line (and really, no, that’s not a giant step down at all, is it?). We wonder if maybe Zubrus’s problem is that he ate at Patty’s Thanksgiving dinner.
10:01 pm Chico says, “Tallackson is on with Elias and Gionta now.” Schnookie responds: “Even better.”
10:05 pm Sid completes a hat trick with an empty-netter. We can’t stress enough that the Brent Sutter Devils are the worst team in the history of the NHL in empty-net situations. They invariably give up goals when facing the extra attacker, and always give up goals when they’ve pulled the goalie. It doesn’t often take more than 20 seconds to give up the empty-netter, either. Two years ago the Devils were money when they were down a goal with a minute left. Last year and this year, they are guaranteed to have the game iced as soon as they put the extra guy on. This isn’t a complaint. It’s a statement of fact.
10:10 pm The game concludes with Chico telling us that it “really benefits the Devils to score first.” We’ll step back from this game to suggest that it benefits the Devils to score first and to play teams that are worse than they are.
Oooo, fresh thread! I don’t need no numbers to know I’m first!
I really, really, really miss the numbers.
Sigh. The numbers… The numbers… I just don’t get why they took them out. Maybe we need to email them again.
You’re telling me, Heather. :(
Josh, you’re clearly not mentally incapacitated enough today to not be able to tell you’re first!
If I end up with a migraine caused by the blurriness of the Sabres / Montreal feed, do I blame Time Warner, MSG, the Sabres, the Canadiens or the Canadians running the CBC?
heather, is the skate noise exceptionally loud on your tv?
The skates are very loud, yes. I hadn’t really noticed but they are. Now I’m sure that’s ALL I’ll be able to notice :P
whoops! sorry! :)
Amy, I’m sure you’d have a legal case against all of them.
What? I can’t hear you over the skates!
Actually, you know what it is? I love the sound of the skates on the ice. That’s probably why I didn’t notice. It’s going to lull me to sleep.
haha I enjoy the sound as well its just practically as loud as it is when you’re there, so I guess its not so bad.
Ah here comes the resurgence of of Montreal PP.
My web stream feed is awful tonight. I can barely watch the game.
of the* Montreal PP
its really hard to type with my sister’s cat on my lap.
what resurgence? Don’t worry too much about the habs PP, it’s gone to Long Island with Streit.
Whenever Thomas Vanek is skating in on any kind of odd man rush I completely freeze and stare at the screen. Its like I’m afraid if I stop watching or move suddenly he’ll fall over or something.
Awww listen to the boos for Rivet. How sweet.
WOOOOOOOOOO!!! WAY TO KEEP THE PUCK IN THE ZONE JARROOOOOO!!!!
I think that was just the moment where Scott Clemmensen was forced to recognize, for the first time this month, that he is not as good as Marty Brodeur. He’s the last guy on the planet to realize that.
Oh boy… There it goes.
Anne, I think that might be Jaro’s attempt at atonement for almost killing Kaleta earlier.
Tonight might be the game where Devils fans realize that unless the schedule is all Florida teams from here until March, we’re not making the playoffs.
Jeff Carter is SUCH a foxy skater! I had no idea. RAWR.
The Canucks are playing their baby rookie goalie tonight. I’m excited to see him, but also so for the little button. I think they could have picked a less pressure filled game than Flames/HNIC/division rival etc.
Anne, I think that might be Jaro’s attempt at atonement for almost killing Kaleta earlier.
Ha! He’s redeemed himself, definitely. Who leaves Thomas Vanek alone in front of the net? Mike Komisarek is probably having a heart attack behind that bench. “I SO WOULD’VE HAD THAT GUY!”
alix, STOP RUBBING IT IN THAT WE CAN’T SEE THAT GAME! :P (I was really going to need it to make me feel better after watching this puke-fest of a Devils game.)
I’m pretty sure I saw Jeff Carter after the game last Friday in HSBC Arena, he was wearing a knit hat so I’m not sure if it was him but I want to believe it was him so I declare it was.
Schnookie, how come you guys don’t get to see the late Canadian game tonight?
Anne, you’ve convinced me that it was!
How adorable is Mike Komisarek behind the bench in his little suit? What a cutie pie.
2 things:
- I really love that Rivet is getting booed. It makes me feel all “muahahhahaha he’s OURS!”
- Lee Stempniak scored his first goal as a Leaf! *mini-yay!*
I’m sure it was too, Anne.
I’m SO sorry, Schnookie! :P It’s a terrible game really…
Gosh Luke Schenn is a cutie pie! I can’t believe I know NHLers now. It’s strange.
Jeff Carter is such a foxy skater and an even foxier shooter.
alix, I’ve met you, so clearly, that’s the same as meeting Luck Schenn., right? And you’re cousin’s met Vinny, and I’ve been in the same stadium as your cousin, so therefore Vinny’s like my best friend!
Schnookie, how come you guys don’t get to see the late Canadian game tonight?
We get the late one, just not the one alix is talking about with the foxy Jeff Carter in it. :(
And you’re cousin’s met Vinny, and I’ve been in the same stadium as your cousin, so therefore Vinny’s like my best friend!
And alix’s cousin’s probably showered with Vinny, which means I have, too! :P
You know, I love Paul Gaustad but I watched this interview when it came out online and then the other night when it was shown on the big screen and once again, now. I get it, he’s beautifully modest and is freaked out by fish.
Is Maria saying GauLstad?
I hope Zubrus coughs all over Crosby and Malkin. If we lose, we lose, but let’s at least start some biological warfare and weaken those flightless jerks.
Josh, you’ve just SERIOUSLY brightened my evening. I am SO hoping that happens.
And what is up with that Geico Quotebook from Clemmer being all “we can’t pat ourselves on the backs”? Wasn’t he the guy crowing after his first win about how awesome he is? It’s like the classic “well I can look myself in the mirror” Holik quote. *Grumble, grumble* Clemmer drives me batty.
I’m fairly bored by this game right now. Zubrus coughing on Crosby and Malkin would definitely liven this up.
KALETA YOU ARE FIRED.
Wooo! Kostitsyn is alive!
alix, I’ve met you, so clearly, that’s the same as meeting Luck Schenn., right? And you’re cousin’s met Vinny, and I’ve been in the same stadium as your cousin,so therefore Vinny’s like my best friend!
And alix’s cousin’s probably showered with Vinny, which means I have, too! :P
HAHAHA!! I think that makes perfect sense!
We get the late one, just not the one alix is talking about with the foxy Jeff Carter in it. :(
Hey now! The Canucks are in the late game. You should be so lucky. :P
If it makes you feel better, there has been massive Brian Burke slurpage in this game.
I think I need new contacts, is that score 3-0 Boston over Detroit? YO.
To my great displeasure, Boston really looks good this year.
AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
That was one of the funniest goals I’ve ever seen. Oh man I bet Biron is red faced after that one. DELIGHTFUL!
he’s beautifully modest and is freaked out by fish.
Hee. Now I have this image of seeing him at Wegmans in a near paralyzed state at the seafood counter.
there has been massive Brian Burke slurpage in this game.
So anything less than the Leafs winning a Cup this year is going to mean Burke’s a failure, right?
If it makes you feel better, there has been massive Brian Burke slurpage in this game.
Yeah, we figured our DirecTV might be saving us from ourselves on the Brian Burke front tonight. (I did see some foxy lingering close-ups of Carter on the feed Grrrreg gave us the link to, so I’m feeling better.)
KG, you’re right — this game has been totally boring.
Hee. Now I have this image of seeing him at Wegmans in a near paralyzed state at the seafood counter.
True story, the first time I saw Goose at Wegmans was at the seafood counter.
Ooooh Jeff Carter has to go to the box and feel shame. RAWR.
That was one of the funniest goals I’ve ever seen.
What happened?
WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! VANNNNEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!
Sigh…
That’s now three games in a row at least 1 Sabres player has scored 2 goals in a game.
Where’s the other 2 for DIVING, REFS?
What happened?
The Leafs shot it on net and Biron saved it, but instead of covering up the puck or playing it into the corner, he decided to pass it right to Antropov when his net was wide open. HAHAHA. Awesome.
That was what I always fear will happen when Lui handles the puck.
Sergei Kostitsyn irritates me. There’s been this semi-big deal made out of how Kaleta really had his number in juniors so it always seems he plays a little dirtier against us.
Although, A+ to Roysie, that delightful little pansy for taking that big open-ice hit and bouncing right back up.
Wow, nice one Begin! I really like the games between Mtl and Buffalo. Fast pace, goals, not too dirty, it’s almost always exciting games.
sonofabitch
ZACH!!!! :(
Anne, this one is not over yet. I’m going to bed, good night everyone, and of course, go habs go! :P
He’s ashamed of that giant Goldy tattoo on his back, and it’s distracting him from the task at hand!
I wonder if he needs to talk with Young Gopher Vanek about how to channel your Goldy frustrations into goal scoring and productive play?
Amy, are you suggesting the student of Young Gophers should become the master? Interesting! :D
Oh wait, there’s a hockey game on? I’m watching a MythBusters shark special in HD. Don’t show Goose. Soooooo many fish.
Pookie, either that, or someone just needs to remind Paulie that a tattoo on the back can be very easily covered up by a shirt. Its not like its in a very visible place on his body.
And I hope Mother Kaleta has plenty of ice and heat packs available for her son when he gets home tonight. He’s taken quite a beating from both his own guys and the Habs.
Sergei didn’t hit him, Andrei did. Why is Sergei in the box? Because he’s kind of a douche when it comes to Kaleta? Yes.
Oooooooook, back to that MythBusters shark special.
Pookie, either that, or someone just needs to remind Paulie that a tattoo on the back can be very easily covered up by a shirt.
You just blew Paulie’s mind.
You know it’s funny, Cooke was a GREAT guy in the community, I loved him for that. But on ice Cooke really is a sack of shit. He hit Edler knee on knee and the Penguins fans were bitching that he got beat up by the Canucks and thrown out of the game for a clean hit. And I was like WHA?!? holy shit homers. I guess that’s what I was like when Cooke was a Canuck. Sigh.
Oh and the Titses are very sneakily dirty. They seem to pull those stealth slew foots quite a lot.
Ever since the Pens started being good, their fans have become bigger and bigger asses. They have a taste of the big show and suddenly their team is the end-all-be-all and can do no wrong, and all other teams are hacks.
Anne, that’s it exactly. I think that’s why I can’t get behind the Penguins. Whatever dudes, you won a lottery and got Sid and sucked enough to get a bunch of top 5 draft picks. Any team could do that. Spoiled little brats.
I guess that’s what I was like when Cooke was a Canuck.
Yup. But that’s what everyone’s like for guys like that. I mean, look at the Stars fans and Ott (no offense, Myra) — that kind of behavior’s bad when Avery does it, but just Ott being effective when he does it. We’re all guilty of it; goodness knows we Devils fans like it when Clarkson’s being an assy bitch. But yeah, Cooke’s been a dirty-hitting douche for his entire career. :P
Ever since the Pens started being good, their fans have become bigger and bigger asses. They have a taste of the big show and suddenly their team is the end-all-be-all and can do no wrong, and all other teams are hacks.
Hee hee! Who died and made them the Red Wings? :P
You just blew Paulie’s mind.
I really didn’t mean to!
Too late, says Paulie.
Hee hee hee. All the pot smoking just makes it easier, sadly.
We’re all guilty of it; goodness knows we Devils fans like it when Clarkson’s being an assy bitch.
Hee! But he’s such a hott assy bitch. :D
Sweet. I somehow figured out how to bold
Good work tagging, alix! I guess all that pot smoking doesn’t hinder your ability to figure out html! :D (Paulie’s like, “There’s hope for me yet!”)
I still enjoy the Pens, but their fans make it hard to like them. I like to read blogs from other teams (obvi, here I am) but the Pensblog pisses me off and I have trouble enjoying them as time goes on.
alix, Clarkson is so hott when you starting typing words just spontaneously turn bold because he’s just that hott.
Weeeeeee!! I just saw Big Bear suited up!!! Yay!!!
|Good work tagging, alix! I guess all that pot smoking doesn’t hinder your ability to figure out html! :D (Paulie’s like, “There’s hope for me yet!”)
Tee hee hee!! Paulie must be so relieved. Math is a lost cause, but I can still rawk the html :D
Anne, Pensblog made one two many Canada insults for my liking. Now they’re kind of dead to me. I guess I’m more patriotic than I thought. Huh.
Okay I don’t even care that the Pens scored on an empty net but to say that an empty net goal should actually be a good way to record a hat trick is bogus. It’s the worst way to get a hat trick. I personally don’t regard it as a REAL hat trick.
alix, Clarkson is so hott when you starting typing words just spontaneously turn bold because he’s just that hott.
Pookie, that’s exactly what happened! Daaaamn that Clarkson is smokin
And yay for Big Bear! They said he was going to be a game time decision. WOOOOO! I’m so pumped for this game but so nervoud for the bebeh rookie goalie.
Math is a lost cause, but I can still rawk the html :D
:^:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Anne, Pensblog made one two many Canada insults for my liking. Now they’re kind of dead to me. I guess I’m more patriotic than I thought. Huh.
Yeah, they just whine and bitch too much for my tastes.
And yay for Big Bear! They said he was going to be a game time decision. WOOOOO! I’m so pumped for this game but so nervoud for the bebeh rookie goalie.
hopefully he’ll pull out a win for them.
even though I kind of love the Flames I will only cheer if Iginla or tiny little Mike Cammalleri score and only then. Awww they showed Iggy all smiley!! Ok, sorry, sorry, GO CANUCKS!
Oh wow. A Matty and Shane O’Brien close up all at once! That’s a mighty duo of hottness.
Wow, I just realized I can name a lot more of the Canucks based on their faces alone than I realized I could.
yay! 2 saves for the Baby!!
YAY! Good goalie!
Cory! Spray the WATER in your eyes, NOT the gatorade! He just looked like ‘what did I just put on my face?’
Well, that game was as bad as expected. Sigh. My team BLOWS. :(
Tee hee. He was probably so relieved he made a save on Iginla he forgot about everything else.
Awwww! Schnookie, I’m SO SO sorry!
Oh no! Not the power play!
Awww, Pavol and my Mom have the same birthday!
YAY! Happy Birthday Pavol and Anne’s mum!
And Pavol was born the same year my parents were married. He could’ve been their illegitimate love child and my much older brother… if we were from Slovakia… awwww
I just learned that “Mattias” is pronounced “ma-TEE-as” I thought it was “ma-TIE-as”
Hey -ookies, I have a question if you’re still here. How many kitties do you have?
HAHAHA!
Yup. Ma-TEE-as. It just rolls off the tongue. :)
*cries* God that power play is ugly. We really have to start just turning them down.
Heeeee! I looooove Wellwood. The Flames try to steal his faceoff skills and they get kicked out.
Yikes, special teams do not seem to be clicking for the Canucks this season.
This is NOT yet the exciting game I was promised, thank you very much, HNiC.
You’re telling me, Anne. Shudder. Thankfully they’re one of the best teams in the NHL 5 on 5 so usually they can make up for the shitty special teams.
I’m so torn, I’m like “Come on, Iggy! Wait, no! Wait, yes! NO!”
Anne, sorry, we stepped away for some soul-soothing MarioKart (I lost badly). There are six cats here at stately IPB Manor but remember — it’s because we combined two households. We are not crazy cat people! (Did that sound convincing? :D)
Dear CBC,
Please don’t give me close ups of Celine Dion. Gross.
love Alix
Dear AV,
why the HELL are you having Hank Sedin kill penalties?
*Phew*
It may have been a teensy bit boring but the baby goalie looked good, eh? Not shakey at all.
Anne, sorry, we stepped away for some soul-soothing MarioKart (I lost badly). There are six cats here at stately IPB Manor but remember — it’s because we combined two households. We are not crazy cat people! (Did that sound convincing? :D)
Hahahahaha. How did you guys acclimate the cats to each other? Was it kind of just “here are your new housemates, go for it?” We’re trying to get my sister’s cat and mine to get along with little success. They don’t live together now, but tehy might some day.
In my experience, it’s always hard to get cats to adjust. They pretty much wait until you decide they’ll never ever get along and you should just give one back to the pound before they’ll start to get along. It’s so stressful. If you do end up moving them into the same space, keep one locked up in one room for a while. They’ll be able to sniff at each other for a while, and they’ll each end up having a space that seems like theirs that they can retreat to.
Quick story: Our cat Favre and Boomer’s cat Roy are ragdolls from the same breeder. They’re something like cousin-uncles. Roy’s almost 10 years older than Favre, and they’d never met before we all moved into this house. All the other cats needed time to get used to each other and the new space, but Roy and Favre basically just looked at one another and were like, “Hey, cousin-uncle! Great to see you again!” They seriously didn’t need any time at all to get used to one another. How weird is that?
They seriously didn’t need any time at all to get used to one another. How weird is that?
that’s funny. my dogs and cat had no trouble at all adjusting. It was like “you love Anne? So do we? Ok, welcome to the house.”
It was like “you love Anne? So do we? Ok, welcome to the house.”
Awww! That’s so cute! Ours big move did pretty well, the combining the two households, because it was two parties of three moving into a new house for everyone. No one had any established turf or anything, and there were equal numbers. Introducing adult Matsui to adult Favre and Rollie was a lot less smooth. She and Favre used to fight like, well, cats and dogs, until one day the made it clear that while it looked like they were still fighting, they were, in fact, just playing. We were THISCLOSE to returning Matsui to the kitty adoption people. That nearly broke us. I hope if your sister’s and your cats have to move in together that it goes a lot better than that. :D
Oscar basically likes everyone as long as he’s not totally traumatized. The first time we took him to my sister’s house I had been gone all weekend and my Mom brought him. He was not happy and he hissed at me. UH-UH! You do NOT hiss at Mommy. So we left and I think he felt bad. Then when MK’s cat came over he was afraid of our dogs and Oscar wanted to be friends. So far they seem to be ok with each other but we shall see how Christmas goes.
Yayyyyy!!!! Wellwooooooooood!!!
The open face hot turkey sandwich is truly the greatest culinary aspect of Thanksgiving.
Shit! I knew that there was something that I was forgetting. I already turned all of my leftover turkey into turkey salad for sandwiches.
“No, I’m throwing my puke-soaked mousepad at the TV.”
Yeah, I wasn’t going to say anything, but tonight’s game had the worst officiating that I have seen this year.
Frisby, that’s a TRAGEDY that you’ve used up all your open face hot turkey sandwich fixings! Oh well. There’s always next year, right?
And as for the officiating tonight, I was trying not to be biased, because last time I watched the Pens was the other day when they played Buffalo, and THAT was some shitty officiating. I don’t want to sound like the people who complain that the league is trying to slant things for Sid. I mean, whatever. The league has lots of superstars it likes, and frankly, would rather the Rangers win the Cup than the Pens. That said, the officiating tonight and the other day in Buffalo was comically bad.
Oh, and while I’m at it, does anybody else think that there’s something fishy about Staal being able to leave leave the ice because of an “injury” after an icing? I know, his replacement was only Crosby and it’s not like Staal was back on the ice two minutes later, oh wait, he was.
I don’t want to sound like the people who complain that the league is trying to slant things for Sid. I mean, whatever.
Yeah, I mean it’s not like Sid grabbed by Rupp the legs and tackled him or anything. Gah! You’re right, whatever.
So anywho, have you girls thought anymore about going to Columbus in January?
I know, his replacement was only Crosby and it’s not like Staal was back on the ice two minutes later, oh wait, he was.
There has been a lot of tension in the air here at stately IPB Manor for non-hockey related reasons (KtG is visiting), and you know what? I’m glad I was distracted tonight, because I think my head would have exploded if I’d noticed the Devils were fighting more than just their own shitty inability to score and their own shitty-at-all-the-wrong-moments goaltending. GAH!
I had actually forgotten all about going to Columbus in January! Crap! I don’t think we’re going to be able to. :(
Awe, that’s a bummer. Sorry to hear about the tension, and that the Devils were not a happier distraction.