Jim Rutherford has been a busy man, and the Hurricanes are shaping up to be a very competitive team for the 09-10 season. I, for one, am so excited, October cannot come soon enough.
JR's first priorities were locking up Tuomo Ruutu, Erik Cole, and Chad LaRose.
Cole was re-acquired at the trade deadline from Edmonton where he had struggled. Putting him back in the 'Canes lineup worked wonders, not only for his game, but for Eric Staal's as well. Obviously, Cole is getting older, and Staalsy will have to learn to play well without him, but for this upcoming season, at least, the Eric/k's are reunited.
Chad LaRose wanted to test the free agency market. He had a terrific 08-09 season, his best of his pro career. I think he had hopes of earning more money, but in the end, there wasn't a lot of interest in paying a gritty 3rd liner the type of money he probably wanted, and JR got him locked back up. Thank God because Rosie is a fan favorite, works his tail off, and has a heart bigger than the RBC Center.
Tuomo Ruutu will return as a 'Cane as well, which is a huge sigh of relief, he is quite the asset to have in the lineup.
Up front the 'Canes still have Matt Cullen, Scotty Walker, Eric Staal, Sergei Samsanov, Ray Whitney, and Jussi Jokinen. They also have a plethora of young guns in the system, including Zach Boychuk and Drayson Bowman.
The largest changes for the 'Canes have been on defense. The biggest deal was the trading of Patrick Eaves to Boston to reacquire Aaron Ward. Ward was an integral part of the 06 Cup run and a fan favorite. Both he and Scott Walker say they've put the punching incident from the playoffs behind them...
Dennis Seidenberg was not re-signed, which I personally don't like, but JR has a plan. Frantisek Kaberle was bought out, also makes me sad, but really, he hasn't been the same since shoulder surgery following 06 season. No other team was going to pick him up, sadly, so the general belief is that he'll end up in KHL. I hope so, I would hate it if he wasn't playing hockey.
On defense, JR also brought in Tom Kostopolous and Andrew Albers. This will add some muscle to a team that has generally not engaged in rough stuff. Under former coach Peter Laviolette, fighting wasn't necessarily forbidden, but not encouraged. Previous season, 'Canes have been built for speed and skill. But the addition of these two changed the dynamic a little bit, shows opponents that they're serious.
The D corps is rounded out with Nic Wallin, Joni Pitkanen, Joe Corvo, and Tim Gleason. Holy crap I love the 'Canes defense.
In net is Cam Ward, of course. He had a more consistent season in 08-09, and a terrific playoff run. All you haters that don't know why he got the Conn Smythe in 06, watch Ward in the playoffs, he's amazing. Michael Leighton will once again be the most gorgeous backup in the NHL. Hopefully he'll get some more playing time so that Cam can be rested a bit for playoffs, unlike this last season.
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Busy Summer in Raleigh
Friday, May 01, 2009
Do you love hockey?
Got this from some of my hockey ladies, Wrap and Dani, and since I'm already booooorrrrreeeedddd with the offseason, I figured I'd cut and paste questions and answer them--yay! Answers include AMS and NHL bits.
(x-posted to I Mean, We Got Guys...)
1) What's (Who's?) your favorite team?
AMS and Carolina hurricanes
2) What's your least favorite team?
Chiefs, 'Tips, Detroit Red Wings
3) Who's your favorite player?
Eric Staal, Tomas Kaberle, and this (past?) season, Mitch Fadden
4) Who's your least favorite player?
Mitch Wahl, Dustin Tokarski (sorry Wrap), Boogaards, Brooks Orpik (broke Erik Cole's neck)
5) Favorite American team?
umm, the Americans. Carolina Hurricanes.
6) Favorite Canadian team?
Maple Leafs, umm, Kelowna Rockets except this (past?) years' playoffs...
7) Favorite International team?
CANADA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
8) Who's your favorite goalie?
Cam Ward, Tyler Weiman :)
9) Least favorite goalie?
Kent Simpson. Martin Brodeur (if you know me, it's often a compliment when you're my least favorite--it means you've done some damage against my team)
10) Favorite fighter?
uhhh Cam McCaffrey, Brendan Shinniman LOL, Clayton Stoner, Logan Stephenson
11) Least favorite fighter?
Alexander Semin. Did you see him bitch slap Marc Staal? epic.
12) Favorite jersey/uniform/outfit/sweater?
13) Least favorite jersey/uniform/outfit/swea
wow, there's so many fugly ones. Kelowna's stupid cartoon dragon, umm...Nashville's old baby shit brown/yellow 3rds
14) Do you like home, away, or "third" jerseys best?
Depends on the team. I lurve Carolina's new black 3rds. I have GOT to get me one of those.
15) Who do you want to win the Cup?
Carolina!! or Pittsburgh. I'd be ok with Chicago as well
17) Which player would you most like to sit and have coffee with?
Cole Butterfield. Tomas Kaberle.
18) What about a beer?
my AMS (lol, all underage--OOOOPS! good thing this isn't real), the Staal brothers (hear they get silly), Ryan Kinasewich (maybe a bad idea...) CHAD LAROSE!!!
19) How about just watch the game with?
Dion Phanuef. Or anyone else who is pretty but stupid so watching the game wouldn't involve much conversation.
20) Have an in-depth hockey conversation with?
Don Nachbaur. Darrell Hay. Any player who's not just a pretty face, but also not someone who will just feed me tired cliches. Guess that's why the question says "in-depth" eh?
21) Do you collect hockey cards, memorabilia, etc?
Signed jerseys, signed sticks, trying to build up collection of game-worn jerseys...
22) If so, what's your favorite card?
no cards. Favorite stick is the one BFF got the whole team to sign for my b-day in 2004 :)
23) Which is worth the most, and what's it worth?
Probably not a lot of monetary value in the shit I have collected, but a whole lot of sentimental value.
24) Do you live by any hockey players?
umm, creepy questions, I have no idea? None that I'm aware of.
26) Do you play hockey?
Nope
27) What do you wear to hockey games?
Usually jeans, AMS hoodie. or red or blue sweater over white tee. try to either wear team gear or at least a lot of red and/or blue.
28) Do you have any "watching hockey rituals" or anything anyone might consider weird?
Must be to rink in time to see warmups. Red Rope licorice.
29) What's your favorite hockey memory (as a fan?)
Western Conference playoff series against Spokane 2008, b-day 2004 (see stick story), kissing Stanley Cup, Carolina's cup run 2006
30) What's your favorite hockey commercial?
Verizon--"Best baby in the world!" I also liked the "is this the year?" ads? great use of great photos.
31) Who's the nicest player you've met?
Mitch McColm. Clayton Stoner. Jarrett Toll. Jason Reese.
32) Rudest/meanest/most annoying, etc?
Dylan Stanley.
33) Who's the best looking (AKA 'off ice favourite')
The Staals, Tomas Kaberle, Mitch Fadden (to me), Brooks Macek (it just cannot be denied people), Clayton Stoner, Benoit Pouliot.
34) Other off-handed/off-ice comments?
Goalies like a tight 5-hole.
35) Why do you really like hockey?
It's amazingness. I slip and fall even looking at ice, these guys play a fast-paced exciting sport while flying around on thin metal blades strapped to their feet. It's the speed, the non-stop action. It's the smell of the rink (sweat, ice, diesel, concessions). It's the way the ice reflects the light after being zambonied. It's bodies slamming each other, all for the chance to get 6 ounces of galvanzied rubber past a crazy person who willfully puts himself (or herself) in a position to be attacked by hard rubber pucks coming at crazy speeds.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Carolina playoff preview
The Carolina Hurricanes are one of the hottest teams since the trade deadline. March 4th brought fan favorite and Eric Staal's BFF, Erik Cole back to the 'Canes. Cole hadn't fared well in Edmonton and JR didn't hesitate to bring him back to the Triangle. What else do they have going for them heading into the playoffs?
Goaltending--Cam Ward has been simply outstanding. He was given NHL's Star of the Month for March. He started in 27 straight games (pulled in the 27th, a loss...duh). He's been sharp, confident, and consistent. It's the Cam Ward that won the Conn Smythe in 2006. There may be trouble if Leighton is needed in playoffs, it's been a while since he's seen significant ice time.
Defense--Wait, this is Carolina, right? Since when did they get a solid defense? Joni Pitkanen, Anton Babchuk, Nic "Secret Weapon" Wallin, Dennis Seidenberg, Joe Corvo, and Tim Conboy have been simply awesome. Frantisek Kaberle, one of my sentimental favorites, has been a healthy scratch for many games, but played well in games when inserted in the lineup.
Forwards--Staal and Cole reunited. I peed a little when I heard that on deadline day. Rod Brind'Amour is back after a first half slump. Ruutu's been on the Staal-Cole line and they've found awesome chemistry. "The Wizard" Ray Whitney led the team in scoring (till Staal took off with the return of Cole). Matty Cullen, Jussi Jokinen, and the streaky Sergei Samsanov have also done well. Samsanov only recently had his production drop, but not anything to be scared about, he's been successful in Carolina and tends to be streaky. Scott Walker has been in and out with injuries but if he's back for playoffs it's a plus because he's a big body, not afraid to hit. Chad LaRose. What can you say about this kid? Unsung hero, in my opinion. And a hilarious dollface to boot.
'Canes have one of the best penalty kills in the league, from Ward on out. Power play has been meh, though they have the tools for it to come together and be killer.
If you're into predictions, don't look to me, but here's some link-a-roos where you can find picks (note they're choosing Carolina!)
Barry Melrose Rocks
Puck Daddy
Canes Country
Sweet Tea, Barbecue, and Bodychecks
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Carolina Hurricanes--post Trade Deadline
As usual, I’m a day (or more) late and a dollar (or more) short. I was supposed to write a pre-trade deadline post about what the Hurricanes could possibly do on Trade Deadline day. Part of the reason I didn’t write it is because who the heck ever knows what Jim Rutherford is going to do. There was talk of players being shopped, such as defenseman Frantisek Kaberle, but that’s about it. In reality, what this team needed to be shopping for was consistency. They may have found it.
The entire season the ‘Canes have struggled with consistency on the ice. Goaltending led by Cam Ward has been better than previous season (is Wardo finally maturing as a goaltender?) but Cam still had some bad games in there, games where he should have been better. Backup Michael Leighton did ok when called upon. The defense, once again, had times where it had more holes that swiss cheese, which didn’t help the goalies at all. On offense, Eric Staal, the face of the organization, struggled to be the offensive superpower he is supposed to be. Justin Williams injured over and over and over. Rod Brind’Amour coming back from injury at one point had league worst -29 rating. Rutherford’s answer at the time (early December) was to fire head coach Peter Laviolette and bring in former coach Paul Maurice. For the most part, nothing changed, still an inconsistent team.
As a Hurricanes fan, I resigned myself to the likelihood Carolina wouldn’t make the playoffs and just sat back watched their mediocrity. I was busy on trade deadline day, work and all, but did happen to catch (YAY Google Reader) that JR had traded Justin Williams to LA for hometown kid Patrick O’Sullivan. O’Sullivan then traded to Edmonton for former ‘Cane and fan favorite, Erik Cole. I almost did a happy dance, but I was at work.
So what has happened to the ‘Canes since the return of Cole? In the two games he’s been back, they’ve outscored opponents (Calgary and Tampa) 15-4. Cole was the heart and soul of this team and getting him back is huge. He served as mentor to a then-teenaged Eric Staal and those two have been BFFs since. Staal’s lackluster performance so far this season I personally blame on Cole being gone. With Cole back, and he and Staal on the same line, Eric Staal has 8 points (4-4-8). He is rejuvinated having Cole on the ice. Cole creates time and space that allows Staal to be the superstar he is. Cole himself has 5 points in 2 games back (1-4-5). Cole never quite found his niche in Edmonton and didn’t have chemistry with anyone there like he has with Staal.
Will ‘Canes make the playoffs now? Hard to say, as of this writing, they are sitting in 7th place in the East. Hard to say if the excitement of the last couple games will continue, will Cole’s presence continue to lift this team up? Will goaltending stay strong? I wish I knew, in the meantime, I’ll just be excited the Eric/k’s are reunited.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Schultzie here, one of the Carolina Hurricanes reps at HLOG, but if you've read my personal site, you see I focus more on my local major junior team, the Tri-City Americans. As a result, I'm going to pulling sort of double duty, at least for a while. So I'll start with Peter Laviolette and then discuss Don Nachbaur.
The 08-09 season is Lavi's 5th behind the 'Canes bench, 7th as an NHL coach. Prior to joining the Hurricanes he coached the New York Islanders for two seasons. He ranks third on the list of U.S.-born NHL coaches with 232 career wins.
The Hurricanes lost a chance at the playoffs on the final night of the 07-08 regular season, marking the 2nd season in a row of not making the playoffs after winning the Stanley Cup in 2006. There were questions about whether Lavi would get the axe or whether GM Jim Rutherford would remain confident in the man that got the 'Canes to the Cup in '06. In all fairness to Laviolette, the two bad seasons after the Cup year the Hurricanes were decimated by injuries as well as an ineffective defense. Laviolette didn't have much to work with.
But Rutherford hemmed and hawed all summer, not giving any indication whether Lavi was staying or leaving. As a 'Canes fan who like Lavi's style, it was more than aggravating.
Finally in September (srsly!) Rutherford says all is well. From the News and Observer:With the Carolina Hurricanes fast approaching a new hockey season, general manager Jim Rutherford has given some assurances to coach Peter Laviolette.
In short, Laviolette's job will not hang in the balance from game to game nor will the coach be given a short leash by management.
This fan was ecstatic. I am a huge Lavi fan. I love his style of coaching, it's what drew me to watching the 'Canes and narrowing them down as my team of choice. He has 'em play with a very aggressive forecheck, stressing offense. This is risky because when you're pressuring up front, you're leaving that back end vulnerable to odd-man rushes the other way. So when the system works, it works great (see, Stanley Cup season). But it's a gamble and if your defense sucks it's even worse (see, 2 seasons since winning the Cup).
I also believe he's a pretty good motivator because the 'Canes have a way of being able to come from behind more often than would be expected. So I don't know what he says to them, but it seems to get through. He will also switch out goalies if they're losing, not always because it's the goalie's fault (sometimes it is) but to wake up the team in front of the net to play better.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Carolina Hurricanes season preview
I received the email from Sherry today that the new topic was to write up a season preview. I did not immediately snap into action and whip this baby out, I have been working on it for a guest posting spot over at RumorMeThis. Enjoy!
2008-09 Carolina Hurricanes Preview
Well, when your biggest training camp invite is a guy who used to play for the team (and pretty well too), had a couple of DUI's, was caught pissing in public, and spent last season playing in a beer league then there is the possibility of disaster on the horizon. (**Good news, since writing this, Jeff O'Neill and the 'Canes have parted ways, realizing he wasn't really going to make the team**) Then your captain has his knee "cleaned up" after missing half of last season recovering from surgery on said knee. And then one of your top forwards has a freak "off-ice training" accident, tearing his Achilles and has to have surgery, may be out up to 6 months.
Since winning the Cup in 2006, the 'Canes have been unable to even make the playoffs. It can be blamed on the massive numbers of injuries sustained over the 2 seasons since, it can also be blamed on a defense that was old and had more holes than this snappy little mesh number (for the guys). However, at the trade deadline last season, GM Jim Rutherford brought in Joe Corvo who was an instant boost on the blueline. This summer, golden oldie (as in, two years older than God) Glen Wesley retired and now works in the 'Canes organization as Director of Defenseman Development. The oft-broken (also not getting any younger) Bret Hedican was not re-signed, he's looking for a gig out west, no takers yet.
Additionally, Joni Pitkanen was brought in via trade with Edmonton for Eric Cole. Anton Babchuk and Josef Malichar have returned from playing in Europe. Tim Conboy, Casey Borer, Wade Brookbank, Tim Gleason, and Dennis Seidenberg all saw time with the 'Canes last season as well (due to injuries). If you thinking "holy cow, that's a lot of defensemen!" you're correct. Toss in Nic Wallin and Frantisek "Pee-Wee Herman" Kaberle and you have eleven D on the 'Canes roster. It's unlikely Conboy or Borer or Brookbank will see a lot of ice, unless there are more injuries. 'Canes have been trying to toss Kabby out as trade bait as often as Dion Phaneuf goes for antibiotic refills, but no takers. Since his fantastic season in 2006, he had shoulder surgery and hasn't quite played the same. Wallin apparently has a no-trade clause which makes Kaberle the one most likely to be moved. Which is too bad, I hear he makes some yummy chicken. It's worth noting that Kabs has had an exceptional camp, putting himself out there to be shopped or to (hopefully) earn a spot.
The offense has depth and talent, led by "Rod the Bod" and Erik "The Next Captain" Staal. Carolina needed help defensively which meant giving up a forward and Eric Cole was one of the most tradeable. It's tough to see him go, he's a gritty power forward who survived a horrific injury and came back to help the team win the cup. He will definitely be missed. Staal and Brind' Amour are joined by Ray Whitney, Matt Cullen (if he stops seeing cartoon birdies flying around his noggin ), a rejuvenated Sergei Samsanov, Tuomo Ruutu, Scott Walker, Chad LaRose (click on it, you won't regret it!), and Patrick Eaves. That's a lot of decent talent. And with the aggressive offensive system employed by Peter Laviolette things are promising for the 'Canes.
With the loss of Williams for pretty much the whole season, it opens up a roster spot. This is, of course, assuming Brandon Sutter makes the team, which the way the 'Canes brass LLOOOVVVEEE this kid, it seems pretty much a sure thing. Granted, he'll most likely be on the 4th line, but that will give guys like LaRose a chance to move up on the depth chart. So who will fill Williams' slot? Ryan Bayda will get a chance to prove himself. Matt Murley has an excellent shot and has been impressive at training camp. Indeed, so has youngster Drayson Bowman. For comprehensive and near-psycho coverage of Bowman, check my site.
It could all be worthless if the Carolina players all get the dreaded Indifference-itis syndrome that seemed to run through their locker room at varying times last season. As in just after the start of the season and lasted until about a week a day an hour before the playoffs started--and they missed out by the skin of their teeth.
It also rests on the shoulders of a young and inconsistent Cam Ward. And his backup, AHL goalie of the year Michael Leighton. Since winning the Conn Smythe in 2006 Ward has been streaky at best. If he can put together a solid season they'll be in good shape. But it hasn't happened yet. Leighton is a capable backup and most certainly an upgrade from John "NASCAR helmet-wearing" Grahame.
'Canes are projected by most prognosticators as 2nd in the Division, after Washington. Tampa is such an unknown, but the rest of the Division (Atlanta, Florida) is fairly weak. Carolina has many of the pieces to be 1st in the division, it's whether those pieces can come together and be a success on the ice.
For my goalie-loving ladiez. For my Staal-loving sistas.
Friday, April 04, 2008
A Night On The Town (crosspost)
Wednesday night in my livin' room watchin' a game--crossposted from my blawg. Warning: contains some 'colourful' language. So let's recap: Wednesday morning, everyone in the Caniac Nation was all up in teh dramaz about the Caps pwning face on us. I slapped around some dumbass who got all up in the whiny because I said that Alex Ovechkin can be a dirty bastard--and yes, he can be--and then I took a shot at people that were claiming that there's some kind of Sooper Sekrit Conspeerohsee going on to get the Caps into the playoffs at our expense. Wednesday afternoon, EJ Hradek decided to clown on my coach's meltdown behind the bench in DC. And, admittedly, it was funny--though really my coach is far less nebbishy-lookin' than EJ is (not, yanno, that there's anything wrong with being nebbishy-lookin'. Just saying.)--but I knew that the 'Canes were going to get it together against the Lightning that night...and my favourite Spicy Italian, John Tortorella, gave us a lil' hep by putting Mike Smith in goal. Mmmm.....Spicy Italian. *ahem* sorry. Then a friend of mine leaves me a ticket at Will Call--and my car is out of gas. Hubby was at work, clear out on the other side of the Containment Area for Relocated Yanquis. So I was stuck in my "AQ has no cash and can't call a cab to take her to le jeu" living room for the night, which didn't make me very happy--but what can you do, right? So I settle in to watch the game--and 32 seconds in Eric freakin' Staal shows why he is The Chosen One by scoring on a breakaway while practically wearing Vinny Lecavalier. I knew then that it was going to be a fun night. Merlin decided, at that point, to decamp to the foyer for some odd reason. The rest of the cats (including Jasmine the Feline Mute Button), however, parked their furry butts on the couch and watched the game with me. Martin St. Louis scored a few minutes later while Keith "Tater" Aucoin was in the box for tripping, and I bellowed "STOP SCORING ON US, YOU LITTLE VONTZ!" Jasmine, tiny little dainty kitty that she is, then jumped on my chest and nipped my chin to let me know that I was too loud and needed to be quiet. Then Chad LaRose, the Chuck Norris of Hockey, scored at 16:10 to put the 'Canes up 2-1--and on to intermission we went! Now, the second period was kinda surreal. Rosie scored again (and there was much rejoicing. YAAAAAY!), Andreas Karlsson hooked Trevor Letowski in the wedding vegetables, and then a few minutes later there was a knock at my door. I opened it, and there was Scott Walker. "Hey there, Your Infernal Majesty," he said, "Mind if I come in for a moment?" How could I refuse one of my tribesmen, right? I let Remo in, and--after paying the Pet Tax to Merlin--he ripped off this shot from atop my coffee table while Mike Smith was off at the Cook-Out on Western Boulevard to get a huge Cheddar-Style with double extra onion and a side of hushpuppies. "Thanks," Walks said merrily before reaching down to pick Merlin up. "C'mon little buddy, we're going to need you later." Then he left, and I went back to watching the game just in time to see Jeff Halpern attempt to use Ryan Bayda as a missile weapon against his own goalie...and then try to re-enact a scene from "OZ" while poor Mike Smith is dopeslapping both of them with his blocker and hollering "GET OFF ME WITH THAT SHIT MANG, THAT AIN'T MAH SCENE." Then the phone rang. It was my husband. "As your lawyer," he said to me, "I advise you to keep the noise level down so that we don't get tossed from our apartment." And Jasmine nipped my chin again, punctuating it this time with a meow. And the neighbours upstairs started trying to loudly remind the world that they like to engage in conjugal relations from time to time. Point taken, I turned down the TV in the living room and ChuckandtheletterK in the computer room. Tuomo Ruutu went off for hooking, and I wondered 'How long can we maintain?'* The answer was "as long as we have to". Vinny Lecavalier got dinged for a double-minor at the end of the period after he got called for interference and then decided to tell the refs what he thought of their parentage, and I knew that it was about to get surreal. More surreal. Something like that. I was not, I assure you, disappointed. Bishop Ruutu canonized a shot from the faceoff circle that beat Smith like a rented mule, Halp thought he was a Cap again and managed to score, and then the Chuck Norris of Hockey, Chad fuckin' LaRose, got his hat trick. It was at that point that I saw Merlin firmly ensconced on the top of John Tortorella's head, and I decided that fatigue had definitely gotten the better of me and that it was time to go to bed. I walked over to the TV set and turned it on to a dead channel-white noise at maximum decibels, a fine sound for sleeping, a powerful continuous hiss to drown out everything strange*. Then I went into the bedroom and collapsed into bed surrounded by four furballs and seeing my team as monster reincarnations of Horatio Alger: men on the move and just sick enough to be confident*. (This post inspired by (and the asterisked lines cribbed from) Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Good night Hunter S. Thompson, wherever you are.)
Friday, October 05, 2007
Since I don't see that anyone else has postered it:
Ron Francis named Hurricanes' Assistant GM.
*golfclap*
I have great respect for Ron Francis, and I think he'll do well in this job. I also get a strange vibe from this appointment, something that I just can't put my finger on...
*ahem* Anyway.
The next thing I'd like to see the Hurricanes do is stop the nickel-and-diming and get a Team President that actually knows business. An MBA of some flavour would be nice. Just sayin'.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
All Aboard!
Gosh, jumping on the bandwagon. You make it sound like a bad thing!
Last year, I was on the Oilers bandwagon. I got into hockey late in the season, just in time to watch Roloson and the Oilers play Detroit in the first game of their series. Sure, the Oilers lost in double overtime, but Roli was amazing and I jumped on the bandwagon. At the time, I didn't know it was a bandwagon, or know that it was a bandwagon that would go so far, but what a ride. My boyfriend loves former Flyer Rod Brind’Amour, so he jumped on the Carolina bandwagon. We had ourselves a friendly little rivalry that carried us all the way to the Finals. It would have been a boring end to the season without the bandwagons!
(Picture of last year's bandwagon. And yes, that is a Phillies blanket made for me by my Aunt...you know you're jealous!)
If you watch a lot of hockey (and I think most of us here do), it is natural to pick one team over the other. For example, last night I was watching the Rangers/Pens game, and for some reason, I was rooting for the Penguins. I was incensed at the Rangers second goal and was yelling obscenities at the refs. “Why did you not blow the whistle? You can’t see the puck, there should have been a whistle! You can’t decide it is a goal after the goalie gets up and you see where the puck is!!!"
But I digress.
If you watch a lot of hockey, you are going to see some teams you like and some you don’t. At a minimum, you can have one Western and one Eastern Conference team. My team is the Flyers, but I also love the Ducks. I watch a good amount of Ducks games, and although I don’t follow them as closely as the Flyers, I would consider them my other team. So, yes, I will be jumping on that bandwagon soon.
*goes to NHL.com to order Ducks gear*
