Jason Harris

Given Weller wasn't listed among the call ups for the next game, I think you are probably more right about this being a move to create a spot, although I'm sure freeing money against the cap is huge.

From things I've read over the past year-and-a-half, and assuming that Craig Weller will actually play with the parent club, I think the B's are looking to get bigger. They traded a 5'11"/192# guy for 6'4"/220# and freed up $2.33 million. We have to assume they gave up some offense, however.

I get schizophrenic about what I think the B's need. First I think it's a defensive defenseman, then another scorer, then more size, and even better goaltending. Finally, I realize the answer is purely more hustle. I understand these were back-to-back nights, but they haven't yet played consecutive games in which they skated hard in both. I don't want to sound like a typical WEEI listener, but I'm beginning to wonder whether the team is tuning out Julien. It's his third season with them, he appears to be a demanding coach, and coaches have shelf lives, so it's not an unfathomable concept. I hope this isn't the case, but if the malaise continues for another 15-20 games, it wouldn't shock me if word starts to leak out that "maybe Julien has lost the locker room."

I keep reading the B's would like another puck moving defenseman, but I think they need another defensive defenseman. I don't know how many times the Ducks passed from behind the B's net to wide open guys in the slot. It had to have happened at least seven times last night.

I can agree with that. I was only suggesting it was fairly obvious his original intent had nothing to do with hurting Cole's knees.

It seem the only "intent" was Wideman wanted to nail him, but when Cole cut back to the right (I think) Wideman made his stance wider, probably to make sure he still made contact.

I watched the first period before falling asleep, but I read Ference and Wideman were -5 between them. The early part of the season is about trying different combinations until settling on the optimal ones, so it's possible those two will be broken up. Or it's possible they just each had a bad game at the same time.

The Leafs are the closest team in North American sports to the Red Sox, in terms of frenzy of media and fans. Actually, they may be worse now, since they haven't won in 40 years. It makes it difficult for them to play their best, because every mistake becomes a crisis.

Everything I'm reading suggests Kessel will be traded this week. I'd rather see him remain on the team, but with the economic realities of a salary cap, receiving two firsts and second sounds good. Supposedly, that's what Toronto has offered.

Good to hear, chippa.

And, before you know it, you will all be playing in a parents - kids game and they will be zipping by you, waiting for you to catch up so they can set you up. Or they could be like my kid, playing on the other team and telling me that I suck. The funny thing is most of the kids on the other team were about 14-16, which made them too good to not play all out, yet, at the same time, too small to play all out. It was actually somewhat frustrating initially, because we tried to hold back at the start to avoid hurting any of them, but they kept stealing it from us as we played at three-fourths speed. After that, the war was on!

Playing hockey with my young ladies. I've coached them for six years, but had only played a game once before. Someone organized a skate to raise money for breast cancer research, so the kids were able to play with the adults. It was fun trying to set them up, although it was obvious they were intimidated by the speed, since it took half-an-hour before we could convince them to try to join the rush with us.

Lately, I've been playing goalie about 10% of the time, when the real goalies don't show. I don't have a problem with someone trying to screen me -- it's part of the game.

Agree on the job interview. My younger brother just got a tattoo on each wrist. I love the concept, the initials of two close friends who died in a car crash, but I would not be surprised if down the road it hurts him because the interviewer disapproves. I've noticed an increased prevalence of neck tattoos in the two years since I wrote that, which calls to mind something I read that Brian Setzer had said. His arms and backs are covered with tattoos, but he said his father's advice was to make sure he could hide the tattoos when needed, such as during a job interview or before a judge. It's not hard to imagine occasions when people with ink on on the side of their neck would have been better served by putting the message three inches lower.

I wouldn't call this a DON'T, as much as nicer etiquette. I play at different, private drop-ins. At one drop-in, we have a rule that the puck goes to the other side when one team is offsides, whereas, in the other drop-in, guys will skate it out and start the play again. I prefer the first method, since it's a quick, minor punishment to the team that didn't put enough effort to stay onsides.

I've only been a Nazi when guys are out around five minutes, but if you are skating hard, you CAN'T last 90 seconds easily, regardless whether it's pickup. I understand if the bench is short, you'll have to conserve energy on the ice. But if there are enough players on the bench and everyone is skating hard, you'll get the same amount of ice time -- it will just be over more shifts. And that's more fun for everyone. Ever had the pickup when you say afterward, "That was really fast today...a lot of fun!"

I don't see anything wrong with baby blue, but, then again, I've worn tuxedo jerseys on the ice.... Rule: As you return to the bench, call out the position you had been playing. Not "defense" or "forward" or "wing" or even nothing. It's either "right d" or "left d" or "left wing" or "right wing" or "center". Players have expectations of people roughly playing where they should be positionally, so calling out where you had been playing allows the next person to play where they should be. Rule: If you're supposed to be playing defense, it's okay to jump into the play offensively, but it's rather selfish to essentially try to become a forward for the shift. I've noticed certain players are habitually guilty of this. Rule: If you are one the ice for more than 90-120 seconds, you are one lazy SOB who is scared of hard work. In other words, NHL players average 35 to 40 seconds per shift, because they sprint the entire time. So if somebody who is far less fit than NHL players isn't tired after even 90-120 seconds, the only deduction we can make is that person had been coasting while on the ice. And age has nothing to do with it. I'm 46 and still sprint on the ice.

Hate 'em. I think they spoil pretty skin.

I know Joe has done something similar to that with a belt sander.

Have you tried the Ergo? Conceptually, it's a radical departure for most players, but ask them to hold an Ergo in one hand and a Classic in the other, and most prefer the Ergo. When I sold the grips in my eBay store, about 90% were Ergos; Joe says they've had similar results. Interesting idea, JR. I never heard you mention it before, but then I never set up squatters' rights at the Oggie Booth..... :D

Agreed.....I've never seen an oggie grip. In some ways, I think your impression of Oggie Grips being a bust is due to the internet. What I mean is there is a saying about "you don't know what you don't know" but it's the opposite here. I haven't spoken with Joe in a couple of months, but he said the sales of the grips have increased each year. Plus he's starting to get NHL players to use the grips, although sometimes he modifies the grips so much that it's hard to tell. In any event, let's go back 5+ years to before MSH (or the Easton board) were created. Let's say you've never heard about an Oggie Grip, but you noticed something real weird on an NHL player's stick, so you ask the guy at the shop what it is. No idea. Enough kids ask that question all year before the owner of the shop makes a connection that that was the booth he buzzed by at the trade show, then he remembers he saw an ad by them in USA Hockey, so he calls Joe to inquire about carrying the grips. That's a common chronology prior to the age of the message board. You wouldn't consider a product a bust because you'd have no idea how long it'd been on the market. In the case of Joe's product, I think it's crazy to suggest a product whose sales have increased annually is a bust, particularly when we know that NHL players using products help drive sales, and Joe didn't get NHL approval until last season (I believe). I realize the counter argument could come from a retailer like Jimmy saying they haven't sold well in his shop, which would mean Joe's happy because his sales have increased, but Jimmy's not happy because the products sat. That's a fair assessment, yet the products have always sold well during demo days, so it may just be that this product won't ever have explosive growth -- it's just going to be slow and steady over the years as more people try it.

We just bought a Tribeca for The Big D, but she's bumming because we're leaving it on the lot until Christmas, at which point Santa's going to place it in the garage....

It's a good thing it's in Latin, because the English should be, "Time flies. Seize the day." :P

I realize it's all personal preference, but I don't understand the point of that. You might as well use an audio editor and just splice applause to the end of each studio song. I've always enjoyed the bands that occasionally change songs in their concerts. Maybe they do one or two acoustically. Maybe they add horns to a particular song. I might not like the concert song, but I appreciate that they are giving us something more than I already have in my collection.

The first passage could be interpreted as a marking is okay, but I think you're misreading the second passage. Given the preposition 'unto' is used, 'subscribe' probably means 'pledge' in this usage. I.E., a modern translation would likely be, "...and another shall pledge with his hand to the LORD...."