Shallow Frozen Water

Monday’s deskchair

you can smell the desperation in Philly now and no that isn’t the cheese from off their famous sandwiches.  i’m REALLY pulling for the Caps to blow the doors off the Flyers and take that spot.  if not the Caps then the Sabres maybe, either would be good.  it’s funny i picked the Flyers to win the East back in January some time and they’ve really stunk it up.

RJ Umberger is done for the season, he’ll still get in a couple of games but for all effects and purposes he’s of no more use to you.  i still hear Steve Martin as Clouseau trying to say “hamburger” every time i hear RJ’s name.

look at Petr Sykora’s stats since the New Year, go ahead i’ll wait.  38 pts in 34 games.  for a guy that you got really late in your draft that’s phenomenal.  i’d bet he’d take less money on a shorter contract if he gets to keep playing alongside Malkin for a couple more years.

where’s everybody who was saying that Ty Conklin would be getting starts for the Pens after MAF returned?  seriously, where are they?  you just don’t take jobs like that away from the guy you groomed for it only to hand it to a journeyman.  Conks will be a backup for the rest of his career and he’ll have a couple bright moments along the rest of the way.

now on the other hand, i was definitely wrong about the Flyers goaltending situation.  i sure you didn’t trade for Niitymaki like i did in my work league.

Ryan Malone got 2 assists and 5 PIMs in a fight with Riley Cote yesterday.  Malone is a decent power forward option and Cote is a troglodyte.  Cote has been fighting a LOT though, too bad about the hands of stone only being good for dropping the gloves.

Vinny Prospal has disappeared as a Flyer.  i knew he would too.  i just don’t trust that guy to contribute consistently.

Dominik Hasek got spanked by the Blue Jackets.  don’t worry though, he’ll be back and he’ll start for them in the playoffs. 

i love watching the Hotstove on HNIC, it’s so much better than Grapes, and they put out a very interesting idea on Saturday night;  Ryan Miller as a Red Wing.  Miller would love to tend for the team he grew up watching and the Sabres don’t seem able to sign him.  Hasek is moving on after the season and Ozzy just isn’t who you want to rely on as a Stanley Cup winning tender.  if the Wings can fit him under the cap then it would be masterful.

did you give up on Johan Franzen?  well don’t.  go get him back.  2 goals yesterday.

Manny Malhotra with a 3 pt night but he only has value if your league counts faceoff% or something.  he’s a really good checking center but that’s all he’ll ever be.

interesting that Rick Nash only took 1 SOG yesterday and Nik Zherdev also only had 1 but yet both were plus on the day, Nash got 2 assists and Zherdev a goal.  think maybe Hitchcock is teaching those guys something about defensive play?

i was about to go on record saying that i thought Ottawa had returned from the dead but … they have to beat the Carolina Hurricanes.  the Canes have 3 of their best guys shelved and yet Joe Corvo beats you with his first career hattie?  Joe Corvo?  things need to change and improve in the nation’s capital FAST.  by the way, i don’t see Ray Emery getting another shot this season unless something horrible happens to Darth.

looks like Eric Staal doesn’t believe the Canes are in any trouble at all, kids doing all things for all Carolina-ins (?).  dude’s gonna be special. 

i’m betting Sergei Samsonov is thanking his lucky stars that he’s landed somewhere he can get some ice time and contribute.  it could really benefit him for next season.

i said i want the Caps to beat out the Flyers wouldn’t that be cool?  not so long ago i was picking the Caps to take the division over what i thought was a flagging Canes team but that doesn’t look to be happening.  if the Caps don’t make the playoffs i don’t see how you can give the  Hart trophy to AO at season’s end but if they do then he’s the easy winner.  and no i don’t think that Martin Brodeur should get it, give him the Vezina, that’s enough.  if the Caps aren’t in then how about Nik Lidstrom for the Hart?

if the Caps fail to get in by a single pt and it’s the Bruins ahead of them, i blame this whole mess on Donald Brashear’s stupid penalty last week costing the Caps their tilt against the B’s.  yes i realize Dobber blogged about this recently but i just want to point out that i blogged about it when it happened and wanted to go on record again (i’m a petty petty man).

the Blackhawks died a painful death yesterday losing to the Flames after peppering them for most of the game.  i keep telling a Hawks fan friend of mine that you don’t want to make the playoffs with that team anyway, stockpile another young D stud and smile as they all grow up together in the game.

i fully expect that Dustin Byfuglien will remain a forward this season but there’s a chance he’ll be listed as a D next year (same as Mark Streit).  if you can get forward’s stats out of a guy that you list at D then snap that up, and early.  there’s probably only a handful of D who’ll out-point Bfugly and Streit next year if both are listed as D on your fantasy team.

Adam Burish absolutely destroyed Nystrom with one punch yesterday.   a 2 hitter.

if only the Panthers could cut down on shots.  they already have a world class tender, he’s no Bobby-Lou but he’s decent, then they could actually do more.  i remember ESPN mag saying at the beginning of the season that the cats were going to win the SE but i still preach that their D needs to learn to play a lot better before they can really make their mark.  J-Bouw is not the next Chris Pronger and i’ve gotta say i wouldn’t go out of my way to add him to my roster on draft day.

Brett McLean has shown some skill over the last month or so, making use of plenty of opportunity.  he’s draftable next season.

the Oilers are a bunch of hemorroids to everyone in the Western Conference.  there’s no way that they should be anywhere close to a playoff spot but they are.  they won’t get in but they can certainly hurt a lot of team’s chances on their way.  DO NOT GO INTO A SHOOTOUT WITH THE EDMONTON OILERS!  stupid freaking Oilers.  there’s no way they should’ve been able to stay with the Sharks last night but they actually came out with a SO win.  i guess the win is kinda expected once you get past OT though, i think they only have one loss in a shootout this season.  consequently if you count SO goals in yoru league then go ahead and roster a bunch of those kids.

Ales Hemsky has 20 goals, a career high.  those numbers will go up next year as they add more young studs and Shawn Horcoff returns to work his magic with Hemsky.

Brian Campbell looks GREAT as a Shark.  they’ll re-sign him and it’ll be a long and happy partnership.