Peter Forsberg to Announce Retirement

I just got a text message from TSN's alert service that Peter Forsberg is going to announce his retirement.

I hadn't seen this anywhere else and thought it may have been a mistake. But lo and behold, it's up on TSN's website as well.

So long, Foppa. We will always love you.

Avalanche 6 - Flames 5; Sieve Edition

In one of the great goaltending duels of our time, the Avalache came away with what some are calling a steal of a win. I don't consider it a steal myself. It may have been a late goal that won it but it was hard work that made it happen.

What did play nicely into the hands of the Avalanche was the Flames giving Henrik Karlsson the start. I have my doubts that Miikka Kiprusoff would have let in half the goals tonight, most notably the Yip goal.

The same could be said in the other direction as Peter Budaj did not have a solid game. I tried to get on the Budaj bandwagon way back when and I'd love it if I could jump on again. Problem is I can't bring myself to do it.

What can be said about Chris Stewart's hat trick? Kids a beast and has shown himself to be worth the contract extension he earned this summer. I wonder if it's time to give Stewart a shot at being that big right-handed shot from the point on power plays?

Once again, Daniel Winnik proves himself to be the best acquisition of the offseason. He's got more goals than Kovalchuk at approximately 1/100th the price and puts in 100x the effort each shift. I'll take it.

Joe Sacco told Ryan O'Reilly to get more aggressive. Result? This beauty of a forecheck leading to Stewart's second goal of the night. Three assists? Just another day at the office for O'Reilly. The kid's smart, motivated and listens to the coach? Love it.

Jonas Holos recorded his first NHL point tonight which is great. His defensive play had a few blunders stil which is not so great. Hopefully those go away as he could be a great asset to the blueline.

One person who did not record a point tonight was John-Michael Liles. Thwarted at nine in a row. What a great start to the season for Liles and here's to another 9-game streak starting with the next one! The countdown stands at 31.

NHL.com Highlights


Related Links
NHL.com Event Summary
Burgundy Blog Recap
Put it on Ice Recap
MHH Recap

Anderson Out Indefinitely But No Surgery Required

Terry Frei fed us the news earlier today that Craig Anderson is out indefinitely but will not require surgery. He's headed back to (or likely is back in) Denver while John Grahame has been called in to back up Peter Budaj.

If no surgery is needed then there is no full tear, which is great. Hopefully the Avalanche release full details of the injury (I know, I know) to the fans and media. Better to let the facts out than to have baseless speculation running rampant.

It would seem that now might be time to get restart the "I Believe in Budaj" campaign as he's now the #1 again. Those were good times, weren't they?

It's not like Anderson was playing lights out to this point nor was Budaj playing badly. However Anderson has shown the ability to deliver consistently stellar results while Budaj has shown the opposite.

But I tell ya, there's strength in his new hairdo. I'm not worried.

Avalanche 3 - Rangers 1 - Prologue Edition

I am staring at my giant new 24" Samsung monitor, typing on my new Microsoft Arc keyboard, caressing my new Microsoft Arc mouse and, more importantly, sitting at my newly reconstituted desk. I'm also dreading my next credit card bill but that's besides the point.

Back in 2002, the first thing I did when I was hired out of university was to purchase a gorgeous L-shaped desk for my command center. I spent most at that desk writing programs, writing poetry and writing content. I also ate there, read there, watched TV there and at times I literally slept at my desk. It grew into an extension of myself.

Skip to two years ago and my girlfriend and I were moving back into an apartment for reasons I won't elaborate on but some of you may be aware of. Coming from a townhouse we had too many things to fit in the apartment and some things had to go. The final choice we had to make was between setting up my desk or having a kitchen table. The kitchen table won and I put the desk in storage.

Fast forward to last Friday and I was dying. Figuratively. I felt creatively dead - I had for a long time - and I had no idea what was wrong. So I started running through all the reasons this could have happened.

Had my recent health issues changed me on a more fundamental level than just physical health? Was I so burnt out from what I went through that there was simply no energy left for free thought outside of work? Was my brain already digitally re-wired and I was just a consumption machine? Was I simply past my creative prime?

None of those felt true and then it hit me - it was my desk. A cradle of creativity where I could sit, free of suffocation. No laptop buring my lap. A structure open yet contained. Inviting, comforting, secure. It's my zen garden.

So on Saturday we ditched the kitchen table and I set up my desk again. The last time I changed any hardware (monitor, mouse, keyboard, computer, lamp, etc) was back in 2003 and I felt it was time to refresh for 2010. I already had the new computer so the rest was academic.

Today, I sit here a contented man. The creativity? It's coming back.

Does this mean I will be posting more often and with more insight than the twitter-style commentary I've done recently? I hope so. But if not, we'll always have this story.

For tonight, I think I've held up your time long enough so I'll again share a few twitter-style comments on the Avalanche's 3-1 win over the Rangers and call it a blog post.

Twoughts*
*(You know, like a short form of "Twit-thoughts"...wait, I just said it out loud and that's not good...)

Johnny Liles is now 32 points away from 40. The question now isn't will he hit 40, it's will he hit 40 in 40?

Chris Stewart's expression after scoring goals is priceless. And we got to see it twice today.

Both those goals were on the powerplay. Weird.

How badly does Kyle Quincey want to forget his performance tonight?

Does the Rangers not having Marian Gaborik, Chris Drury or Vinny Propsal take anything away from tonight's victory? Hell no.

I love ice-level sounds and caught the following conversation snippet during a whistle: "...for the last 20 f'n years, bud. You won't last." I can only presume it was Adam Foote talking...but to whom? Stepan, maybe?

Have you all watched Tweet It?

Related Links
NHL Boxscore
AP Story
DP Recap
MHH Recap
Put It On Ice Recap
Burgundy Blog Recap
Aaron @ HockeyBuzz Recap

Story of the day - The Stewart-Konopka Fight

Jeff Marek unearthed the full scoop behind the Chris Stewart vs Zenon Konopka fight and it's pure gold.

Dig in and enjoy the exact type of reporting that we need more of in sports.

Comment of the day - Oct 18, 2010

A comment from Dater's latest blog post included the following gem:
"Scratch Duchene. He's already been demoted to the third line center. He's a prima donna. "

You sir, are a genius.

Farewell Faithful Friends

As I sit here waiting for a Michael Jackson disc to burn before my roadtrip (what, you don't dance while driving?), I remembered one thing I wanted to do and that's bid farewell to some of our departed Avalanche players.

In a shocking development, it appears that the following players will be walking away from the Avs and - hopefully - to another team some time before October:
Marek Svatos
Brett Clark
Ruslan Salei
Stephane Yelle
Chris Durno
Darcy Tucker

Marek Svatos
It was all over for him once Pierre Turgeon was out of town. After a shocking 32 goal rookie season, Svatos ended up with just 62 goals over the next four seasons, including a dismal seven goal effort last season.

I have a soft spot for the little players in the game and will always miss seeing the solid checks Svatos could throw when necessary. It was rare to see Svatos get knocked down without seeing him get back up and lay a shoulder into somebody.

I hope he lands somewhere where he can find a similar fit as he had with Turgeon.

Brett Clark
Many feel that Brett Clark's only redemption is his shot blocking statistics. In light of that, they also felt his salary was a vast overpayment. Of course, it could very well be these same people that are looking to sign Anton Volchenkov at a UFA-inflated salary because...he blocks a lot of shots.

But the fact remains that Clark is a 2nd-pair defenseman at best who is prone to flopping as opposed to actually playing defense. I'm not sad to see him go though it does reduce the Saskatchewan connections for the Avalanche down to zero. At least until they re-sign Tyler Weiman (come on, it's totally gonna happen....)

I'm sure he'll find a team looking to fill out their depth chart and hopefully it's not at Jeff Finger money so he doesn't become a potential pariah.

Ruslan Salei
He was a beast right after the trade that brought him to the Avalanche but after his castration, his play really dropped off.

He is getting up there in age but I'd be surprised if some team didn't take a flyer on him as a depth defenseman. It might not be until injuries start piling up during the season though.

Stephane Yelle
Ol' Yeller had a short go-round this time with the team but it was great seeing him in an Avalanche jersey again. He may be old but he still had fire in his eyes when he was on the ice.

It might be time for Yelle to hang 'em up and join the Avalanche in a coaching or development capacity. One can hope anyways.

Chris Durno
Next.

Darcy Tucker
Bye.

Free Agent Frenzy - and My Dog - Await

We're less than 12 hours away from hockey Christmas and I can't help but be underwhelmed in anticipation. This year, it really feels like all that truly matters as far as splashes is where Ilya Kovalchuk will wind up.

Sure, Marty Turco and Evgeni Nabokov are out there and that's interesting, but they lack the panache of a name like Kovalchuk. I mean, is anybody really concerned about where Olli Jokinen might sign?

Our affable Adrian Dater has reported that the Avalanche will 100% not pursue Ilya as they continue to focus on building from within. And I'm ok with that.

At the same time, I agree with Jibs that the team is sorely lacking on the left wing. Peter Mueller looked great in the short time we spent with him and I've got a mad man crush on T.J. Galiardi, but that's not a left wing lineup that strikes fear into people.

Of course, you could look at the stats and determine that while Ilya scores a lot of goals, it all balances out in the end. Besides, the guy has only won one playoff game in his career so he must be pretty terrible.

But think of the wonders that a name like Kovalchuk could do for marketing this young squad. Or at least marketing potential. Whether the crew could pull it off or not is a whole different story. But you always pay for potential, right?

I'm happy to continue to let this squad build from within if that's what the organization chooses to do. And if by some stroke of magic it turns out that Kovalchuk joins the Avs, I'll be happy with that too.

Really, I've made this a win-win for myself and those are rare so you have to savor in them.

Tomorrow, when the frenzy opens, I will be headed down the ol' #7 and #4 and #13 highways as I weave my way back to my home town of Ponteix. See, I work for an amazing company and we've been given not only tomorrow - Canada Day - off but they tossed in Friday as well as a bonus.

And I figured what better time than a 4-day weekend to head back and visit my dog. I mean family. Family.

So while the first deals start to trickle in, I'll be cruising on the open roads. I should be arriving right around 3:00 ET which I presume is around the time Kovy signs. But of course, I'll have to play with the dog for a while first.

Hockey may be entertaining, but nothing beats man's best friend.

2010 Playoffs Round 1 - Avalanche vs Sharks

I'm still alive.

And so are the Avalanche. They have managed to limp into the playoffs on the heels of what is clearly a successful season in terms of a rebuild. Sure, a shot at a premiere left-winger on draft day would have been nice, but a streak of top-3 draft picks isn't the only recipe to success in this league. But you have to admit it can be a pretty good one.

As some long-time followers may recall, I'm originally from Ponteix, Saskatchewan, a small town about 10 minutes away from Aneroid, which is the home of Patrick Marleau. I know Patrick Marleau - though we're not buddies by any means - and my dad knows his dad quite well. The season Patrick had this year brought a smile to my face and yes, my celebration of Team Canada's Olympic Gold was boosted by Pat being on the team.

He is the true definition of a good person and a hard worker and he deserves all the success he's brought to himself.

The Sharks playoff disappointments hurt me on a personal level. I remember watching them bow out to the Edmonton freakin' Oilers in 2006 and how hollow I felt after that game. But that was against opponents other than the Colorado Avalanche.

When it comes to my team, should I not be able to push aside my personal feelings for my professional affiliation? Should I not dismiss the heartbreak of others so long as it leads to my emotional satisfaction? Why should I worry about sharing in grief over something I had no control over?

These are the issues I'm wrestling with heading in to tomorrow's game. I don't know which side of the coin I'll land on and I figure - like many other things - the coin will end up spinning on its side, never landing on heads or tails.

I'll cheer for Avalanche goals and wins, and begrudgingly feel happiness deep in the bowels of my emotions if Patrick - and by extension the Sharks - do well in the series.

But for now, fuck Patrick Marleau.

Colorado @ Edmonton - The "Not Watching" Edition

Colorado plays host to Edmonton tonight and I won't be watching. Why? Because I refuse to pay $15.95+fees and taxes to watch a single game on PPV.

I know there are online feeds but after watching 99% of my sports in HD, I can't handle a 320x240 window of pixelated hockey.

To whoever decided that putting games on PPV was a good idea: screw you and the horse you rode in on.

Adam Foote's Called Shot

In Elliot Freedman's latest 30 Thoughts column, this story made #27:

Adam Foote was booed every time he touched the puck Saturday night in Columbus. Down 2-1 after two, he told his teammates, “It’s going to be that much sweeter when we win this game.” Colorado rallied to win it.

Nothing like calling the win. Maybe it's time to get over it, CB fans?

A Quick Check-in

For those wondering, I'm still alive. Even though it was Christmas/New Years, I've been keeeping myself nice and busy volunteering for the World Junior tournament here in Saskatoon. I've probably got one of the cushiest assignments in the whole tournament as I'm stationed in the TSN announcing booth watching the game over the shoulders of Gord Miller and Pierre McGuire.

I've been able to watch about 40 minutes of Avalanche hockey in the last two weeks as I caught their win over the Ottawa Senators on a day where I was able to get out of the rink before 10:30 at night. It was fun to watch a win and frankly it was exciting even as they were losing the lead late in the third. I guess when you don't see it happen night after night, it doesn't have the same frustration.

I'll be busy with the tournament until January 5th when Canada wins its sixth-straight gold medal, but who knows what 2010 will bring as far as work and health.

Happy new year to all and I hope to see you kicking around here whenever I'm able to form coherent sentences.

Colorado vs Calgary - Game Thoughts

I got the Sportsnet feed and boy are my ears tired. I'll give it to them that Miikka Kiprusoff was great so a good chunk of the hyperbole was deserved, but when you say "Good cross corner shoot in" when ol' pissy-pants Jerome Iginla dumps the puck in...you might be using adjectives when you shouldn't be.

The amount of penalties called in the first period was ridiculous. You'd think I'd be happy that most were against the Flames but did you see the Avalanche powerplay? Many a kitten died for that performance.

Ryan Stoa was apparently in the lineup tonight. Who knew?

At least he had more ice-time than David Koci who clocked in with a 2-second shift. The end of that shift involved him getting clobbered by Brian McGrattan so you could say he earned his money.

With Justin Merseer - sorry, Mercier - getting Koci-like ice-time of nearly three entire minutes, this could be a tired Avalanche squad if Marek Svatos and/or Milan Hejduk are out for an extended period.

With 800 right-wingers on the injured list, it's nice that Chris Stewart is stepping up to what people were expecting of him. I've been more impressed with Stewart than Matt Duchene the last few games.

Dater's talking about his reverse jinx on Twitter. How about this one - I laid 20 bones on the Flames winning tonight. You're welcome.

1st post! I mean, 1st place!

Colorado @ Columbus - Game Thought

That's right, I only have one thought on the win against Columbus. And it nearly caused my head to asplode.

With about 15 seconds left in a 3-2 hockey game, Columbus appeared to tie the game with a Jason Chimera wraparound. However after one glance at the replay, it was clear that the puck did not go between the posts. Instead, it went in under the side of the net after it got jostled by Scott Hannan.

Or at least, I thought it only took one glance. The Columbus announcers however spent the entire review period calling it a good call. Their rationale, which they stated with exuberance nearly a dozen times? To paraphrase: "That was a goal. The net was dislodged, not displaced. And there's a difference. The net can be dislodged, and it's still a goal. Displaced? No goal. But clearly, the net was only dislodged."

When the ruling came back that it was no goal because the puck didn't go between the pipes there was five seconds of silence followed by this exchange:
Announcer 1: That's their rule.
Announcer 2: Why?!
Announcer 1: Because it did not go between the two posts is what they're saying.

Those tricky, century old rules are a bitch, eh? They then talked about it some more and even tossed in that there should have been a minor penalty what with the way the net was dislodged. They clearly decided to throw out the dislodged vs displaced logic there but logic is only useful when it's convenient, right?

I feel like I rag on announcers more than I give them credit, but this was flat out awful. They should feel embarrassed at not having understood what it takes to score a goal. You know, the most important part of the game they're calling...

A time to admit the obvious

I suppose while the Avalanche are playing like crap, it's not a bad time to distract ourselves with some fun and excitement. Enter the Avalanche blog-off at The NHL Arena.

I received an email this evening letting me know that I was among the folks in the running to be declared the official Avalanche blog and the first thought that came to my head was "Who would vote for me?"

My immediate thought right after that was "Damn, that's a harsh realization." Granted it isn't out of line with my thoughts on my blogging performance of late, but it was still a bit of a slap in the face. And when you deliver a slap in the face to yourself, it hurts all the more.

I'm going to come clean on a few things here in what became a bit of a manifesto. It began as I drove home tonight from a bar where I was trying to forget about the Avs blowing a 2-0 lead. It wasn't the greatest plan since I don't drink anymore but the important part is that I tried, right?

First, as some of the long-time readers may remember, I struggled with health issues over the last couple years which were bad enough to cause me to cancel a trip to Denver. I still remember the day I decided to call off the trip. It was a gut-wrenching decision and one that I still question to this day.

While I'm well on the road to recovery and have figured out the cause - no thanks to any of my "doctors" - there are still lingering issues I'm battling with, most notably fatigue and head clarity.

Second, I work hard and take my job very seriously. I don't consider myself a workaholic any more but I exhaust a lot of energy at the office, energy that I sometimes don't have thanks to the aforementioned health issues.

Given that I hadn't taken a vacation completely away from work in years, you've got the recipes for a case of burnout. And the best part about my personality is that I'm stubborn as hell and proud as hell so I didn't want to admit to myself that I'd had enough until it was too late.

And so we arrive to this post where I'm admitting the obvious - for the past three months my heart just hasn't been in it. When I say "it", I'm referring to life on a whole but more specifically to blogging.

It started to feel like a job with a standard script: write a preview, write a recap, be snarky yet insightful, call out bad reporting, forget to praise good reporting, rinse, lather, repeat.

I sat by as new blogs popped up and other blogs expanded in coverage. And it was hard to see that all happening while my blog slid downhill. I felt a little bit like Fat Bastard. I was unhappy because I wasn't blogging, and I wasn't blogging because I was unhappy.

In fact, on more than one occasion I toyed with the idea of simply shutting it down. I didn't feel it fair to myself or to the Avalanche fan base to be putting in a half-baked effort. You all deserve the best coverage and commentary possible and I wasn't contributing to it.

Of course, that's an extreme measure and one I don't want to take. I enjoy writing, I love the Avalanche and it just makes sense to combine the two. That I've gotten a lot of recognition for my work has been rewarding as well. I'm not an attention-whore by any means but being involved in things like a CBC live-chat provide a large source of personal pride which everybody needs to have.

I'd love to end this post with a simple statement of "I'm back!" but I'm just not there yet. I've gone through a lot of moments where I felt I was back to 100% only to realize I was kidding myself, my friends and my fans.

But I am coming back. I'm nothing if not competitive and I feel the fire building up again. I won't declare the flame lit until I'm confident I can back it up though. I will continue to write and the level will improve, but it won't be the extensive coverage and commentary I used to churn out on a daily basis.

I'll end this by saying thanks to everyone who reads this blog with an extra special thanks to the ones who take the time to brave Blogger's arcane commenting system to add additional insight to it. And if you didn't want to brave it and ended up firing me an email, it's gold stars for you too.

In the meantime, you can't go wrong with any Avalanche blog out there and you really should be reading them all and not limiting yourself to one or two.

Avalanche vs Wild - Game Preview

I just got back from Vegas last night and there's an Avs game starting in less than two hours. I guess my luck is starting to turn.

I was completely disconnected for the last 5 days and it felt very relaxing. But I'm ready to dive back in to the online world.

But first, I'm going to relax and watch the game and enjoy the weekend. Then, hopefully I'll be back in full force.

Avalanche @ Canucks - Game Preview

The Avs are going to get smoked tonight. I mean, bad. Epic proportions.

See what I'm trying to do there? The last time I got cocky, the Avs got destroyed. So this time, I'm reverse jinxing them.

Avs surge ahead

After Calgary laid an egg against Chicago last night, the Avalanche now have a firm grip on first in the Northwest division. And by firm, I mean 3 points of course. Would you rather that be a pliable hold? Tenuous, perhaps?

Liles and Galiardi return

Sweet! I'm stoked to see both of those players back. Galiardi's impact was missed on the PK and anchoring that fourth line. Hopefully there's no rust from their lengthy layoffs.

Wilson not suspended

Totally agree with Jib here and it's unfortunate that he wasn't suspended for a game. I'm guessing this was the "first time offender" sentencing at play. Which I don't agree with either.

Twit death

Dater is done with Twitter. Ok. Not much to say there except if I misused a hammer by trying to tighten a pipe with it...I probably wouldn't stop using the hammer. I just wouldn't use it in that way.

Though I will say that I've been a long-time twitter user and recently took a break - as I did with many online ventures such as this blog - and feel a bit refreshed because of it.

That I'm on vacation for a week as of right now probably helped that feeling along.

Game time

The puck drops at 10:08pm ET (yikes!). Be there or be...sleeping.

Footnote

That call against the Wings was terrible. I can understand the frustration and anger. I don't like it because it makes hockey look bad and the idea that the ref is infallible in his judgment is ludicrous when all evidence says to the contrary. But it was the Wings...

Avalanche 2 - Canucks 800; Game Thoughts

The new third jerseys are cursed and should never be worn again.

And I'll never trash talk Roberto Luongo again because he apparently reads this blog and was not happy with my cockiness.

Stupid karma.

Avalanche vs Canucks - Game Preview

It's game day once again and tonight, the Colorado Avalanche are hosting the Vancouver Canucks at the Pepsi Center.

Luongo suits up

This will be Roberto Luongo's second start since returning from a rib injury and he couldn't have come back sooner, with Andrew Raycroft finally showing his true form.

Against the Avalanche though, Luongo is a it less like Darkseid and a bit more like Dr. Horrible with a 2.97 GAA and .898 save percentage in 25 games against. So you'll have to pardon me for feeling a bit cocky about the matchup.

I hope someone catches the connection between the headline and the second paragraph. I bet Jori will...

Jersey foul

The Avalanche's new third jersey is a foul in and of itself. I still don't mind the "uniprons" but I'm with Tapeleg here, these just aren't doing it for me. I know the Avs colors are burgundy and blue, but they shouldn't have barfed blue all over this jersey. It's too much. And where the hell is the yeti foot?

Hejduk Returns

The Avalanche will get Milan Hejduk back and it looks like he'll play with Matt Duchene. Most excellent. This also means that David Jones will stay on the top line and Marek Svatos will get bumped down to the third line. That's a win all the way across the board if you ask me.

Preissing Appears

Tom Preissing will suit up for the first time as a Colorado Avalanche. You know what? I'm excited to see what he'll do for this team. Don't expect a monster game as he'll need to find his groove again,

And note to Joe Sacco: this is so not a must win game. Look, I get what you're trying to do but if the team puts in a valiant effort and loses, that will still be forward progress.

Simon says

Today's game preview is a special edition which includes a Q&A session with Simon from the Canucks blog Dan Cloutier for Vezina, where he also has posted a Q&A session with myself.

With Roberto Luongo on the shelf, Andrew Raycroft helped carry the Canucks with some solid goaltending. Does this mean Vancouver will be more willing to rest Luongo and start Raycroft in hopes of keeping him fresh for a playoff run?

Probably not. Luongo is a guy that, while healthy, pretty much has to play every night. Even when it comes to optional practices during the season, Luongo will show up to work on his game and hates to take any time off. It even came to the point a while ago where the Canucks had to kick him off the ice from an optional skate just he’d take a break. So with all that being considered it seems pretty unlikely that Luongo will be sitting on the bench unless they are playing back-to-back on the road. The long fourteen game round trip surrounding the Olympics and the fact that Luongo will be playing in the Olympics means that Raycroft might get an extra start or two that back-up goalies typically don’t get here but ultimately I don’t see the team sitting down Luongo much at all now that he’s back.

Mikael Samuelsson was thought by many to be a product of a great team. So far, he is on pace to eclipse his season highs in points and goals. Do you think he can keep up this pace?

He probably can, but with that being said, I’d like to see him tidy up his overall game. Too often he is turning the puck over or is a defensive liability. Especially when he plays the point on the power play, if he as much as fumbles the puck, you can expect a great scoring chance for the other team. He’s a minus player on the team right now which is something that I’m sure the coaches would like to see him improve on. With all the injuries the Canucks have right now, they have been playing a defensive style of hockey which means they don’t have the luxury of being allowed to have guys who are frequently -1 or -2.

When the Canucks matched the Flyers offer sheet on Kesler, it appeared to drive up salaries for what would be considered grind-line player. Since then, Kesler has gone on to be a key cog for the Canucks. Does he appear to be future captain material for this team?

He absolutely is future captain material. If he stays in Vancouver then he’ll be waiting a long time for the ‘C’ since Luongo is here for the foreseeable future but Kesler is definitely one of the best leaders on the team. I see him more as a “leader by example” type rather than someone who is outspoken. That’s fine since no one plays harder than Kesler on a shift-to-shift basis than him. He can often go out and dominate a shift and you’ll see the type of potential he has to be a leader.

Looking back I don’t think too many people objected to the Canucks matching the offer sheet that Clarke put out there since Kesler showed a lot of signs for potential. When he first came into the league he had great speed but lacked any kind of finish. He got his game together playing on the checking line with Alex Burrows and I think Burrows and Kesler really fed off each other a few years ago when they were as automatic of a combo as Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Now that Burrows and Kesler are playing bigger and more offensive rolls they both have each other to thank for the chemistry they had on the checking line.

Was sending Cody Hodgson back to Brampton the right move for his future?

Yes, and looking back now Hodgson probably shouldn’t have been playing in the pre-season trying to earn a spot on the team. His back clearly hadn’t fully recovered from injuring it while working out prior to the Canadian World Jr. Camp. There isn’t much for him to accomplish in the OHL anymore and he might even get a little bored but it’s certainly better than having him confidence shattered by poor production in the NHL and losing a year of his entry level contract. I fully expect him to come back to camp next season and be more like the player the Canucks saw two years ago after being drafted and what we saw last December and January at the World Juniors.

Game time

The puck drops at 10:08pm ET and it's on the CBC, home of Don Cherry, Jim Hughson and Shane Giroux.

Related Links

MHH Game Preview

CBC Sports Live Chat Replay

The live chat is over. Thanks to all who stopped by and those who fired a question my way. I was thinking and typing as fast as I could and we still couldn't get to all the questions!

You can replay all the action over at CBCSports if you missed it.

Hopefully you had a good reason to not waste an hour of your day with hockey chatter!