ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOO-- ... HOCKEY!?
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Damnit, I've been waiting too damn long for this! Finally, after idling for two days as a bunch of other teams started off their regular season, the Blue Jackets will take to the Nationwide Arena ice, and hopefully kick things off in fashion when they face the Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks.
The Ducks (1-1-1), as most people know, started their season off a week early when they and their California brethren, the Los Angeles Kings, took a trip across the pond to England. After splitting 4-1 decisions, they came back home to North America, where their first game on American soil pitted them against the Detroit Red Wings, in front of a nowhere-near-filled-to-capacity crowd at the Joe. They then lose 3-2 in the shootout, trading the lead with the Red Wings at points throughout the game before losing in a 3-round shootout.
From what I've read so far, Todd Bertuzzi has so far lived up to the expectations that Ducks' GM Brian Burke had about him. He has one goal and one assist in three games, with 4 PIM as well. Another player of interest, of course, is Corey Perry, who currently leads both the league -- given, it's just two to three games in to the season for all teams tonight -- and his team with 4 points (2g, 2a).
Off of the ice, the Ducks await any sort of word or signs concerning a decision to whether Scott Neidermeyer, and perhaps of less priority Teemu Selanne, will or will not return to the team while they mull retirement.
Who blogs on the Ducks? Some guy who apparently won some Sports Business Daily award recently. I know I've never heard of this Earl Slick of The Battle of California.
... I kid, I kid. Congratulations to Earl, by the way, on his recent ranking in SBD's Top 10 NHL Blog list. Besides Sleek, you have Finny of Girl With a Puck, and Daniel of Ducks Blog.
Normally I'd have all the time in the world to stay up, and make this post as great as can be. But sadly, prior to the start of tomorrow night's game, I'll be on campus and around the city all day long, meaning that I need to go to sleep now ... lest I fall asleep on the shuttle when I drag myself to class tomorrow morning.
So to sum things up in the most succinct, most simple, and most easiest way possible:
-The Blue Jackets now have a cannon, and be ready to keep an eye out for Ducks players being shocked and awed when it goes off. Nothing says "OH GOD MY HEART!" like a 105 decibel cannon sound coming from the sky above you.
-Fredrik Modin and Adam Foote look like they'll hopefully be ready for tomorrow night's game, while Mike Peca is going to be sitting out with back spasms that have been vexing him for a while. Peca missed all pre-season games, so it's probably for the best. I know my gut is telling me to just presume that Peca is a bust already, but my brain is telling me to not be so brash, and that whatever happens, this was a calculated risk that was worth taking signing him in the first place.
-Pascal Leclaire is going to start opening night, no matter how much Bethany might "Bawwwwwwwwwwwww!" about it. He had a good training camp, a good pre-season showing in the games he played, and deserves this opportunity. Remember that even factoring in his injury woes, last season was supposed to be his first season as a starter, and only his second season after shedding the 'rookie' status. I'm not going to blame the sophomore slump on what happened to him, but he's earned the right to play tomorrow night. And that's all that matters.
-Kepis are awesome.
Go Jackets!
Labels: Anaheim Ducks, pre-game
Haha...Pascal earned my love on Friday night. I think it was my tough love that made him play that way...no...maybe not. Oh well...what a game eh??