Well, it’s finally back! Yay! And with the new hockey season comes the dawning of the Captain Iron Boar Era, as well as the Acorns Forever Era. These are eras we think we like, but after the Brian Rolston Redux debacle, we try to temper our enthusiasm. You can understand, right, Gentle Reader?
Captain Iron Boar casts a long shadow of either awesomeness or injury-proneness. Being Devils fans, we’ll hope for the former but expect the latter.
Anyway, we’d be full of season preview thrills and chills or other deep and insightful blog content (HA!), but we’re actually not going to be around for opening night. We have tickets to a banjo concert. Yeah, hockey, you heard us. A banjo concert. We bought them months ago, when “January 19″ sounded a lot like “a Saturday night with nothing on television”. Happy about your stupid lockout now? So, while we’re rocking out with Bela Fleck, we hope the Devils are rocking out with starting their defense of their Eastern Conference crown (HA!).


Looks like the lock out is still going on in the midwest. No NBC hockey on the local channel. I guess its Homer night in Canada.
Yes, we are stuck with Sens vs Jets on CI. Apparently, the local stations picked college basketball over hockey.
What is this place to which we have moved???
The NBC games didn’t start until after 3:30. In LA, they had the banner-raising ceremony, and they apparently used the Rangers’ event planners. Serious overkill. They didn’t just raise the banner, but gave all the players their rings, and each of them raised the Cup, again. I’d say act like you’ve been there before, but clearly, they haven’t.
Apparently, the local stations picked college basketball over hockey.
HAHAHAHAHA! That’s pretty telling, actually. Man, the NHL is stupid. (We’re actually still watching some concerts on YouTube. Not banjo concerts, but still not hockey. And I have to admit, Sens/Jets is not really tempting me to turn this off… :P)
Ookies, you should be getting Pens/Flyers.
I’d say act like you’ve been there before, but clearly, they haven’t.
:^:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Not that there’s any bitterness there or anything. :P
Not that there’s any bitterness there or anything. :P
Any bitterness on my part didn’t make it any less tacky. I do admit the fact that I am used to Lou’s 4 minutes or less ceremonies makes me somewhat impatient with others, but this really was overkill.
Gah. Pens just made it 2-0. And it isn’t Bryz being terrible. It could be worse.
Ookies, you should be getting Pens/Flyers.
Hm. But… I’m watching Mr. Bungle’s Bizarre Festival performance from 2000 for the thousandth time. I don’t know if I can turn it off. :P
Actually, I’m not excited about any of the games on right now, so I really should complain. I just would like to be able to have my pick of games I don’t really care about watching.
I do admit the fact that I am used to Lou’s 4 minutes or less ceremonies
:^:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: That’s true. As Devils fans we really do define “classy banner-raisings and/or number retirements” as “show up at the game and see there’s a new banner already in the rafters”.
Okay, NOW we’re watching hockey. It’s nice to see our TV getting to flex its HD muscles again. Six months of “Law & Order” hasn’t let it really do its thing.
What, letting you see Jerry Orbach more clearly wasn’t really a ‘statement’ for HD?
What, letting you see Jerry Orbach more clearly wasn’t really a ‘statement’ for HD?
:^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: If the DVDs had been HD, this would be a completely different story. :P
Hello all. I have to admit I’m pretty bitter about the lockout. I mean, if I’m in a relationship where the other party keeps threatening to leave me over and over, I’d have to be co-dependent to keep going back right? Maybe I should just cancel my GCL account, stop watching and move on. Surely there’s a pro-curling league or something I could fill my winter hours with.
Eesh. Couldn’t they have kept Deb Placey locked out?
Couldn’t they have kept Deb Placey locked out?
Depends on who they would put up there instead. With our luck, it would be Stan Fischler, and that would be worse, I think.
They interviewed Lou about Travis’ contract. He broke down and actually cracked a tiny smile. Smiles used to be reserved for Cup wins. Lou has gone soft.
If that’s the kind of example they want a Captain to set, why not Captain Clarkie?
Salvador stays upright when he takes penalties 29 seconds in.
Right. Good point.
I feel like we should make an official ruling on Matteau. What are the odds that he’s a sleeper agent sent by his father to destroy Brodeur forever? It’s at least 1 in 5, right?
If he a sleeper agent, then NJ is completely fooled. During training camp, they put Stephan’s locker next to Marty’s. Apparently they got on quite well. It’s weird that Marty’s old enough to be his dad.
The photo of Matteau’s Dad in a Devil’s cap at the draft really burned Ranger fans.
So far, it kind of looks like Kovalchuk is the only who’s been skating the past six months, and he’s stuck waiting for everyone else to catch up.
Good to see the PP still sucks. And we don’t even have Oates to blame anymore.
Damnit Clarkson. Stop making me feel things other than bitterness.
“ I just would like to be able to have my pick of games I don’t really care about watching.”
Haha! I canceled my CI. I’m hoping I can do without it the whole half-season, but I don’t know.
As I watch the Stars, I’m reminded of all the things about the broadcast that irk me. The lockout has been a nice break from all the cheesy local commercials.
Also, I would love to see Bela Fleck! I hope y’all enjoy your show!
We aren’t going to get CI this year either, at least that is the plan, but it’s free right now and the only way for us to see Stars hockey.
I had forgotten how cheesy the commercials are during hockey broadcasts.
Patty, I love your Dallas skyline avatar!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! I’m so glad to see the Devils won! Meanwhile, our concert was A. MAZING. So we’re not sorry to have missed hockey for it. Bela Fleck was marvelous, but it was Richie Stearns who really blew us away. Just a fantastic evening of music. ::happy sigh:: (We’ve made a commitment to see more live music in 2013, and it’s started off on a good foot here.)
How’s the rest of the hockey going?
Thanks, Myra! Every once in a while, being hopelessly stuck in traffic pays off. :)
Stars won. Hooray. Skipped the postgame show, though.
Every once in a while, being hopelessly stuck in traffic pays off.
:^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: There’s a silver lining!
And congrats for the Stars! And for skipping the postgame. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a postgame show.
Whew! We’re going to a wedding tomorrow and for some reason we both thought it was at 6pm. We randomly decided to check the invitation again just now and discovered it’s at 2:30. That was very nearly a disaster!
I waited an off season plus a stupid lockout for THAT?!? BLEGH.
The Habs were unsurprisingly bad, but I’m already swooning over the Blues! Apparently the Red Wings were really horrid, but I’ll just ignore that and pretend the Blues were an unstoppable force.
Agreed Grrrreg. I think the Blues are trying to woo us away from the Stars.
Glad you had a great time at the concert, Ookies. I love concerts!
Soooo….the Devils will have their home opener Tuesday aginst the 0-2 Flyers who should be in a wonderful mood. And, apparently, Bryz has been their best player. How much bloodshed should we expect?
What Alix said. Sheesh.
I see I’m not the only one canceling Center Ice this year in protest. Although it was easy for me, I added it up and will get 23 of the Devils 48 games via NBC/NBCSN/NHL Network/free Center Ice preview so I figure I can live with that.
And yay to the no Gomez news! Glad to see there is somebody even Lou won’t bring back.
I waited an off season plus a stupid lockout for THAT?!? BLEGH.
:^:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: But seriously, I’m sorry. Heh.
You guys canceling CI are so principled and thrifty! I’m impressed! I don’t think, after all the years we’ve had it, that I can live without having my choice of hockey game to not be paying attention to while I’m stitching. ::sobs:: Yes, I have a problem.
And HUGE “WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” for Lou not falling for Gomez. I think that might be the most shocking thing that’ll happen all season.
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