h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm just a lowly Flyers fan that happened to stop by here...

I have a small rant. Thank God Eric "Big $%^&#@* Whiny Baby" Lindros is gone! If only Bobby and the boys had ditched him for Primeau instead of Brind'Amour, the team would be alright today. I haven't been able to watch one of their games since the season began, they suck soooooo badly so far this season. Although last season started out the same way. As the Rev. Jesse Jackson says:

"KEEP HOPE ALIVE!"

Thank you. By the way, Skylion, I'm in a little bit of a geographical mixup myself. I live in Missoula, Montana, but root for the Flyers, not the Avs. I used to be an Oilers fan until Zelly went to Philly and Billy Guerin stopped doing anyting noteworthy.

Whoops, sorry. I got a little impatient there with this piece of crap computer.

thank you for your post herr fraulien. I have been keeping hope alive for many seasons. In my opinion, the jury is out on Lindros' head. Both concussion wise and emotional wise. I think he should get out form under his father and blaze ahead on his own. Surely, any team, once he proved that he is healthy will want him. He will have to lower his asking price, alot. But i hope the best for him. He is no longer ERIC LINDROSS. He will have to come to terms with that. Or else he will have no career anywhere near hockey. The Flyer is one of the only eastern conf. teams that I actively support. The penguins to a degree. But, I have always liked John Leclair, and now they have Toccet back (after stealing him from my Dogs), things should cement for awhile. I will be posting infor about when I will be at the corner, so keep checking.

*sidebar*

You live in Missoula, Fraulein? I lived in Helena for several years and visited Missoula more than once.

*/sidebar*

We now return you to your regularly scheduled hockey talk...

Did anyone else catch the Avs/Blues game last night? I only saw part of it, but those were some of the weirdest shots I've seen in a regular season game!

G7

I jnever did see the shots, but it looks like it was a close fought game. But the Blues are a good team, even with the prima donna Hull.

Hull on the Blues? Hasn't he been a Star for the last 2-3 years?

As for Lindros, he will get a prime offer from someone. Playmaking centers are in short supply, and since every team needs two scoring lines to compete, the demand is there. Even if he's not the power forward of old, he still has the skates and the stick to get the puck to the back of the net. If he backs off on the physical side, so be it. I'm sure the team would rather have him on the ice than injured, regardless of whether or not he's going at it with the same intensity as before.

I just looked at the standings, and I think I'm going to be sick. First place in the Southeast has exactly 3 wins. How pathetic is that? Meanwhile, 5th place in the Pacific has a winning record. Anybody here remember the time, just a few short years ago, when they used to say that Western teams can't play hockey? Too small, too weak, too few pure scorers, poor goaltending...

And on a personal note, Storr's tear continues as he shut out the high-scoring Canucks. It looks as if we may have finally found ourselves a starting goaltender. If the coach knows what he's doing, he'll stay with Storr when Fiset comes back from injury, which won't be much longer now. Let Storr keep the job as long as he can maintain consistency.

I agree on the Storr story. If it ain't broke don't fix it. That may just, however, keep my Khabibulin out of goal, so I redress this with, fix it when it becomes broke. Or something like that.
Thanks to the former GargleBlaster to put very fine points on my Lindross comments. I couldn't have said it better.
As for the east vee west stuff. Just take a look back at the trades made over the past few years. If it is a disparity between Good high priced free agents going to western team, then blame the infux of money. For alot of the 90's expansion teams it is now put up or shut down time. Owners are finding money to fill the rosters and fill the seats. Doesn't work one season, but hope it works the next. This is why most of my fave teams are 1000-2000 miles approx. away from me her in KY. Most of the eastern teams suck artificial ice.

GB Thanks, I forgot that Hull was traded. I try to forget that he scored the winning goal on the 99 cup and against my Av's last year. I feel like an idiot. I just think of the him when I think of the Blues. As for the current records of the teams, there is a long season ahead. Much can change. I thikn it is safe to argue that while the seeding for the playoffs sometimes puts teams with better records lower in the standings, the best teams usually prevail. Recall that Colorado last year had a worse record than Detroit, but when they met in the playoffs the Av's won. I could say that the better teem lost in the Western Finals but it would not be true. I hope that this year we will see even better compitition in the west.

Marv

Interesting development on the Phoenix front tonight. Burke stopped 39 shots en route to a 2-0 shutout at the Rangers. Then he was interviewed, and all but explicitly said "Hey, how about a little f&*$ing support here?" Still, facing 39 shots, you have to admit the man has a point.

As for Hull, I like to keep tabs on talented American players, even when they're destroying my favorite team. International hockey is far more fun than the NHL, as long as our team doesn't tank and make an ass of themselves on and off the ice. Besides, who could forget that game-winner in the 99 Finals? It was such a huge controversy, but Hull had the right answer. When asked about it, he scoffed and said "It's a stupid rule." When 99-00 season opened, that stupid rule was gone. Yeay Hull!

Three of the last four Calder Trophies have gone to American players... Berard, Drury, and Gomez. American hockey is on the rise, my friends...

The only problem I have with the call on the 99 game is that in every other game that season it would have been ruled no goal. Now I do not like the Stars, nor do I have any love for the Sabres but I like to see conformity to the rules. I think that the icing rules needs to be changed as well, but it needs to be called the same for every game. Also the crack down on slashing, as long as it is called the same for every player and every game I will live with it. But if the refs do not call it consistantly it is doing no good.

*side note to Gw7en: Hi! What made you leave this little slice of Paradise on Earth?*

About Lindros: Yes, he is a good playmaker and has the great ability of being flexible on the ice. Unlike many players, he doesn't just stop at being only his particular role in the game. However, he is rapidly disintegrating a la brother Brett, and soon will no longer be on the ice. And concussions aside, his attitude off the ice it what rankles me (and his former teammates, from what I've heard). He's took quick to complain and blame others for his mistakes, he's arrogant, whiny, rude, and condesending. And while that doesn't make one a bad athlete--just look at many professional athletes today--it does make him a bad teammate. Hockey, gentlemen, is still a team sport. When one player brings morale down, it does affect the team as a whole. A lot of the Flyers' problems stem from the off-ice infighting between players, Clarke, and the management. It winds up showing on the ice.

And I would just like to add that someday I will marry John LeClair. I love you John!

::scratches her head::..... GO AVS!!!

This post has been removed.

Again, someone put a really good fine point on the Lindross thing. And, Seven, invite me to the wedding, that would be alot of fun.

All I can say is, GO AVS!!!!!!!!

*FG: My parents moved to MN, so I went with them. MT is still one of my favorite places on earth though. *

Lindros is a good player at heart. I think that he's taking everything a little too personally off the ice, but if he ever gets over himself he'll become a great player again.

G7

I think that Icing is a part of hockey, but I would take the center line out of it. Also get rid of the two line pass rule, that would keep the flow up but not unduly over stress the players. I think that some teams, my Av's for one, have far too much of an advantage in the center of the rink. Removing the center line from those calls would take away part of that advantage.

Skylion, I believe that it was FG planning the wedding.

G7

Yep, it's me that's getting hitched to one of today's finest (in both senses of the word ) players!

As soon as he knows I exist, I'll send out the invitations.