chippa13

Savard is in the final year of his deal with Boston so that will be interesting in how they deal with it. I foresee the B's either going the whole season with Savard and going for the Cup or wheeling Savard plus a pick or two (perhaps a couple of the picks they just got for Kessel) at the deadline and plucking a signed centerman from a bubble team.

Spot on with Finger. He is a serviceable 3rd pairing guy but the Leafs "Lapointed" him. They took a serviceable guy and tried to make him out to be a star. Shades of the B's overpaying Martin Lapointe, pick up a support player who had a decent year and treat him like a top guy. Big mistake that you spend years regretting, moreso in the cap age. As for someone recommending the Leafs wheel Finger for a 2nd rounder, that won't happen. Overpaid 5/6 defensemen don't yield more than a 3rd/4th rounder tops.

Bumping against the cap the way the B's are, it is extremely unlikely that they will take any roster players in exchange for Kessel. The Leafs will have to find another sucker for their spare parts. Sidenote: it was quite humorous to hear the TSN guys gushing over Finger in the preseason game against Boston.

Since I'm spending more time talking about the B's in other teams' threads, I figured it was about time the B's had one of their own.

The decision for Boston really came down to Krejci and Kessel. Krejci has a more rounded game and is a point producing center. Add that to the fact that Savard may well be moving on after this season and Krejci becomes all the more valuable and a more immediate need to get pen to paper. Plus, they figured Kessel would be the tougher of the two negotiations and that proved to be true. There was a slim hope that Kessel would come in for Krejci money or just a hair above but that didn't happen. Consider also that Marco Sturm is returning this season, Recchi was signed to a one year deal, and Lucic has improved in the offensive zone. That should provide some of the goals lost by the departure of Kessel. As for Kessel's lockerroom reputation, nobody cares as long as you're scoring goals.

If Boston were to keep Kessel then they would have some hard personnel decisions to make. Let's remember, Kessel isn't another version of Glen Murray. He has the speed and ability to create offense as well as finish it. Give him a decent NHL centerman and Phil is going to produce. Kessel in Toronto could be the catalyst for another version of the Pittsburgh model. Bring a bunch of young talent together and some adequate defense and see what grows in 2-3 years.

Burke was unhappy with the TSN boys when they hit him up for info on the negotiations with Boston. Everyone and their brother already knows Phil will likely be wearing a new logo when he plays this year. As for "well placed sources", that is sportswriter code for "I need a quote to make me look like an insider so I'm making this one up". As for the Leafs, I have been impressed with what I have seen from Kadri in 2 games thus far. I'm interested to see how he does against a real NHL roster.

I think that was in direct response to the hit from behind on Carcillo that went uncalled or answered for. Was Asham's cheap, sure, but it was in response to the officials not doing their job and creating frustration. Had Rogers gotten the gate for the hit from behind then it is likely Asham doesn't hit the ice looking for that hit.

Come on, people. How about Red Dawn, the first PG13 movie ever? Uncommon Valor?

The Mrs. returns home tomorrow after 10 days in South Africa.

Found out I don't have a hernia like I thought, just a muscle strain.

Well, he had 8 hours and 25 phone calls to folks to help him decide which it was.

This will be my only post on what has apparently stirred up a hornets' nest of vitriol. I made a quick joke about someone who was looking on the plus side of a school situation (nothing wrong with that, it is good to see someone actually excited about learning) while omitting several commas from said post. Then, when the same person was all gung ho about his new AP English teacher, well, that just creates a humorous situation where hilarity and hijinks ensue. Apparently, my yen for finding the lighter side of things in this life offends the sensibilities of some around these parts. For that I do not apologize. I have joked about things and will continue to do so. Obviously, they can't all be gems but there is nothing mean spirited behind what I am typing. Please, don't take these things so personally, ladies and gentlemen, it will help us all get along that much better. Good day.

Define irony.

Give the school a little more focus. Commas are your friend.

I haven't liked any metal for ages now. I was never big on Metallica but what they've put out recently is an embarrassment. As for rock, Loverboy and Journey were rock bands. I guess I should have clarified that I considered the hair bands to be more along the lines of hard rock, around the same place that you'd put a Van Halen.

That is where I think a lot of the 80's bands were misclassified. Bands like Quiet Riot, Dokken, Ratt, and the like were not metal bands but rock bands. Putting them in the same class as Maiden or Priest just doesn't fit.

They may not be the next Beatles but I'd sure prefer Nickelback to a lot of the other supposed talented artists out there today. There is a reason most of my purchases are rebuys of old cds that have either gone wayward from my collection or been destroyed over the years.

The Mrs. used my birthday as a convenient excuse to get a Wii. Strange how when it was a present for me that I am here at work and she is at home setting it up and playing with it.

I realize it was subtle but folks should have got the joke.

I'm guessing around the holidays, but that is only a guess.

Just did a google search on the sponsor, SSAB, and they are based in Stockholm, Sweden so I would guess the Swedish Elite League.

The only one I know of in the area is No Icing which is just over the border in Hudson, NH.

Tesla hit their peak with their second cd.

Dysfunctional was the start a short stream of bad albums. The latest, Lightning Strikes Again, finally gets back to a real Dokken sound. Erase the Slate is decent and Hell to Pay is pretty good, as well.