Thursday, November 26, 2009

Back with a Bold Prediction

By popular demand, here is my latest prediction on what our twentyten team will look like when they drop the puck in Vancouver. No rhetoric, no analysis, simply what you twentyteners want to see...the lineup

1 - Iginla - Crosby - St. Louis
2 - Heatley - Thornton - Nash
3 - Carter - Richards - Morrow
4 - Perry - Getzlaf - Lecavalier
5 - Toews

1 - Niedermayer - Pronger
2 - Boumeester - Boyle
3 - Keith - Seabrook
4 - Weber

1 - Brodeur
2 - Luongo
3 - Fleury

Possible adds: Stamkos, Doan, Green, Price

WHAMMO!!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Carry the torch

While the debate for who will light the Olympic torch in Vancouver is still being debated, there's no secret as to who will have his Stanley Cup Ring wearing hands on them tonight.

Sidney Crosby, the pride of Cole Harbour, makes his return home tonight to run a leg of the Olympic torch relay. Crosby, the youngest ever captain of a Stanley Cup winning team and one of the few "sure bets" to be on the roster for Team Twentyten.

However, while I'm happy for Crosby, getting to partake in a once in a lifetime opportunity, I should mention that I'm talking of carrying a torch of different sorts. I'm talking about who will captain our beloved Olympic team, "carrying the torch" as our fearless leader. Wearing the "C" is no small role, and I'm not sure "The Kid" is ready to take on "a man's" responsibility.

So who then? I'll tell you who.

Jarome Iginla.

It's that simple.

Iggy has been one of the best player's in the NHL (if not THE best) since the start of November. He has 9 points in his past 7 games, leading his Flames to a respectable record (2nd in their division) and showing off that familiar goal scoring form that we all come to expect from him. He has experience as a leader, both on the ice and in the locker room, which is something that will have to be considered by the brass.

I believe his play shows thus far this year shows he is the man who should wear the "C" for us in Vancouver, and I don't think that it's that close.

WHAMMO!!

BONUS RELATED CONTENT: That awesome "carry the torch" commercial from RBC last year...

Saturday, November 14, 2009

I'll never understand

I spent the night at home in Fredericton last night with a couple of old friends of mine. We had a few drinks, played a couple of games of FIFA 10 (tough losses for the kid here, but really, PS3 isn't my console, but that's neither here nor there), and then the inevitable came up and we started discussing the Olympic hockey team.

Now I believe, as I'm sure most do, that my friends are intelligent, well spoken individuals. I believe in giving them the benefit of the doubt when they're wrong, and if I need to correct them, I do so in a well-mannered way.

All of this changed last night when the two parties involved, we'll call them H and J, for anonymity's sake, said I was dead wrong in assuming that Rick Nash would be on the first line for Team Canada come February. Forget the fact that he played with Crosby pretty much the entire orientation camp. Forget the fact that he's having the best start to a season in his career. Forget that he is one of the top players in the NHL today, the two of them said he is an underachiever the likes of Jason Spezza.

... WHAT?!

I'll never understand their argument, which at one point came down to them spouting off Nash's career stats, comparing them to Alex Ovechkin (Even though they're both number 1 picks, they're completely different players). They even went so far as to say they'd rather have Alex SEMIN on their team over Nash.

... WHAT?!

My anger about their statements no doubt contributed to my 3 consecutive FIFA losses as I was continually focusing towards them and not the TV to look them in the eyes to tell them they're idiots, but I feel very strongly about it.

I'll no doubt be cheering loudly for Nash as a first line winger when he takes the ice in Vancouver, as I will be cheering on the Red and White, while J and H, you have fun cheering simply for the Red, you commies...

WHAMMO!!

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Sunday notes

Gotta have faith?

Last night the Toronto Maple Leafs, yes THOSE Toronto Maple Leafs, earned their first home win of the season over the Detroit Red Wings, coached by team Twentyten coach, Mike Babcock. The Leafs shellacked the Wings, 5 - 1. It would be premature of me to blame the loss on Babcock, but 5 - 1?? TO THE DAMNED LEAFS?!?

It would seem inappropriate to talk about losing faith in someone on a Sunday, but I can assure you that Jesus would NEVER have allowed a team he coached to lose to the Leafs 5 - 1.

Instead, I will blame this loss on the players of the Red Wings, a bunch of Europeans who, come February, will be going back to their NHL teams without a delicious* looking gold medal around their necks. Also to be blamed for the loss, of course, is Chris Osgood, who is just plain terrible.

The positive notes from the game is that Danny Cleary scored an absolutely beauty goal on "the monster", who appears to be the greatest goalie in the history of hockey now if you are watching any of the syndicated Canadian sports highlight shows as I am this morning. This won't put him on the team, but it was a great goal.

Also, how good did Stevie Y look for the Hall of Fame game? You can't help but love the guy. A great distinguished career, and hopefully this will be the start of a great career on the other side of the game.

* "delicious" because it looks like it's a chocolate medallion wrapped in gold, like that candy money that used to bring children so much joy

Emergency Ward

Cam Ward is currently backstopping the worst team in the NHL, which pretty much eliminates his chances as a backstop for the Olympic team, even as a third option. Even still though, you never want to see a guy get hurt. Unfortunately, Ward was cut by the skate of sure Twentytener, Rick Nash in what looked like a pretty severe injury. We wish Ward a speedy recovery, and hopefully a return to the win column when he does come back!

Jaws theme swimming

Dany Heatley scored again last night, and Joe Thornton had an assist on it. This one-two punch continues to be one of the best in the league right now, and they're looking like a sure fire bet to be two thirds of the second scoring line in Vancouver. Not sure who it is that might play with them, but I'm not sure it's actually going to matter.

WHAMMO!!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

We'll know almost everything by 'twentyten'

I've chosen to steal Matty's idea from his last post, where compared Stevie Y to another guy who's been made famous from his association with the colors red and white around a holiday around near end of everyone's calendar. I am choosing to do the same, only this time I will be comparing him to "Ezekiel - the end of year albino rat".

Ezekiel, with his bright red eyes and snowy fur, makes an appearance every year on the 31st of December, to celebrate the end of another year, and the beginning of another.

How does this relate to Yzerman, you may be asking (and with good reason)...

It was announced today that the brain trust for our beloved team will doing the official "Who's In, Who's Out" announcement on New Years Eve, December 31st. The 23 man roster will no doubt be loved by some, hated by many, and scrutinized to the finest detail by a certain two bloggers who can be found on the east coast of Canada.

I wasn't quite sure yet how my NYE would shape up, but with this announcement, things are getting a little clearer. Stay tuned...

WHAMMO!!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Stevie Y? Stevie Claus!

Tomorrow begins canadatwentyten's 100 day countdown to the beginning of the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games, and the beginning of team twentyten's drive for GOLD.

As reported, Steve Yzerman will convene a meeting of the minds this week to find out where everyone stands on who's in...and who's out come February.

While the rest of us twentyteners celebrate the birth of our savior, Santa Claus, Yzerman and the Hockey Canada brass are expected to celebrate the Christmas season by naming the final 23-man roster. Who will wake up to find that awesome new "Go Go Power Wheels" under their tree, and who will wake up to find a lump of coal in their stocking?

This week's meeting will give our braintrust an opportunity check their naughty and nice list and ponder some of the difficult questions they will have to face come the Christmas season. Questions such as:

- Is Vinny Lecavalier really interested in making this team?
- Is Mike Green actually worth a bag of pucks?
- Is Marc Andre Fleury for real...I mean for real for real?
- Does heart matter (Marty St. Louis reference)?
- Do we need Captain Canada?
- Do we need the other Captain Canada?
...and most important of all
- What did Pierre's last team look like? Because we really don't want our team to be the same as his!

Sunday, November 1, 2009

The Unheralded

Apologies for the lack of posts this past week...there's really no excuse, so I won't make one. Power Rankings will return on Wednesday.

I just wanted to mention a few guys who have quietly torn up the league at this early juncture in the season. Ones Patrick Marleau and Brad Richards have 19 and 17 points respectfully, each to lead their team in scoring.

Now, as much as I've been talking about the duo of Heatley and Thornton in San Jose and their hot starts...it seems as though Marleau may have bounced back the best from the off season dramas that surrounded those three players. I'm not placing either he nor Richards back in the fold automatically, but let us not underestimate the contribution that both of these players could make to team Canada. I mean, Richards has worn the Maple Leaf before and he is a Conn Symthe winner.

I just thought that out of respect for their early season exploits, these two Canadian boys should get a plug on this, the premiere blog in twentyten news and notes.

Happy reading...

WHAMMO!!