Me Sees Feces

A game-ish
That was an experience I don’t want to repeat.  Due to injuries, the two most dangerous players on the ice for Florida were Bouwmeester and McCabe and the Senators pissed the first two periods down their collective leg.  When is this bunch going to get it into their heads that they’re not good enough to take any team in this league, lightly.  And that’s what it was folks; plain and simple.   If I’m Jay Bouwmeester, I’m thinking “why in hell would I want to play here?”  If we play like this on Wednesday, we’re going to get Coyote’d. 

The highlight of the night for me was Garry Galley saying, ” Better be aware of Florida’s backside”

I’m out
I’m on vacation through Monday, which includes taking in the game in Chicago on Wednesday.   I look forward to writing that report for a great many reasons. 

Asshat
Let’s talk about other stuff.  Erin had an interesting post about the Avery ordeal.  I’ll admit that I’m one of those guys who was embarrassed for manhood by what Avery said.  I never engaged in “locker room talk” even when I was regularly in locker rooms, so to hear it out loud and caught on camera offends my sensibilities.  So, tonight when my wife got home, I asked her the question.  She had heard about the Avery thing (and she pays zero attention to hockey; when she goes to a game, she spends 60 minutes talking to her friend), but didn’t know specifically what he’d said.   I laid out the entire scenario for her.  Her response?  “That’s not so bad.  That seems like a really long suspension for THAT” 

What it boils down to really, is that the NHL and the Dallas Stars are tired of Avery’s act.  The punishment doesn’t fit the particular crime, but Avery is being punished for years of just being a huge dick (even guys use terms to slag their own gender).  He broke a different Code; he didn’t leave it on the ice and everyone is more than happy to pounce on this opportunity to rid themselves of a menace.  Amazingly, Avery had never been suspended before and it’s because he had made his comments to guys while inside the boards.  And that’s where the hypocrisy of the NHL is so evident.  As long as the general public doesn’t get wind of it; so what!  I’m sure he’s said things that would make most of us want to rip out his knee caps.  Rumours of racial slurs abound and he made a cancer “joke” to Jason Blake.  

I will not be the least bit saddened if I never see Sean Avery in the NHL again, but I think the Stars are just happy to have a “reason” to rid themselves of this guy.  And honestly, I’d like to cut the guy a *little* slack and think that his request to get counseling is NOT just a ploy to “look like I’m doing the right thing”, but I just don’t buy it.  I think he saw the reaction of the Stars organization and thought “I really stepped in it this time…I better think of something quick”.

Have a nice career in the KHL, Sean.  Watch out for staph infections.

Brian Burke
Will be a colossal failure in Toronto.  And by that, I mean he will never get the team any farther than Pat Quinn did.  He’s got a few years grace period and 3 years from now when the Leafs finally make the playoffs again, everyone will say what a great job he’s done getting there, but three year’s after that, the Leafs will be no closer to a Cup.  Vancouver was a perennial playoff team while he was there, but no more.  The Ducks won a cup mostly because Bryan Murray drafted well.  Burke was smart enough to know that he was staring at a losing proposition in Anaheim.  The team has no where to go but down.  They’ll be losing some key components in the next couple years.  Neidermayer and Selanne will be gone to retirement.   Pronger will be a free agent.  The prospect cupboard is pretty bare for the Ducks.   (this sounds all too familiar).  Burke simply got out at an opportune time.   And now he’s on to the Leafs.  His personality is big enough to deal with Toronto, but his acumen is not enough to fix what’s ails them.

Tags: Avery, Burke, Panthers, Suck