5-hole.com Pick ’em – Marc owes me $1

OMG PETR PRUCHA’S PLAYING TONIGHT!

But Ryan Callahan isn’t because he has the flu.

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5-hole.com Pick ’em – OMG! Controversy! – 12/23/08

There is controversy brewing over the Penguins’ game winning goal scored by Sidney Crosby in overtime last night.  The big question is whether Crosby made contact with the puck above or below the crossbar.  The goal was reviewed and it stood.  So what’s the problem?  The call on the ice was goal.  The replay did not conclusively disprove that.  It’s a goal right?  Maybe, maybe not.

Why it’s a goal:
1. The NHL says it’s a goal, therefore, it’s a goal.
2. Someone at Pensblog drew a cute picture!  They can’t be wrong, can they?

Why it’s not a goal:

1. Conspiracy theorists claim the NHL is just furthering the Sidney Crosby love fest.

2. The picture from Pensblog is misleading because the puck was not in line with the corner where the post and crossbar meet when it made contact with Crosby’s stick.  It was actually closer to the center of the crossbar.  Oh no!  The new line goes under Crosby’s arm and the puck!  NO GOAL!
3. Commenter Tom L. on the Puck Daddy post says, “Crosby is 5′ 11″, 6′ 3″ on skates. The crossbar is 4ft high and the puck hit a few inches below his armpits. Unless Sid’s swollen head is 28 inches tall, that’s well over 4ft.”
4. If the NHL had disciplined Crosby for his actions in the game against Atlanta, he would not have even been playing in this game.
5. This picture left by another commenter in that Puck Daddy post shows with more lines that the net is only 80 pixels tall in the image, while the distance from the puck to the ice is 91 pixels.  11 pixels isn’t all that much but it’s still something.

I say it was no goal.  But what do I know?  Onto the picks!

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5-hole.com Pick ’em – I got nothing – 12/22/08

Marc will be taking a short break from Pick ’em as he is out of the country.

Straight to the picks today!

#13 Pittsburgh Penguins @ #15 Buffalo Sabres

Eric – Penguins – That’s the hooker you asspunched!  Also, they’re due.
Rory – Sabres – Kick Crosby’s ass so he won’t punch you in the crotch.

#21 Toronto Maple Leafs @ #28 Atlanta Thrashers

Eric – Leafs – The only thrash the Thrashers have is Ilya Kovalchuk.
Rory – Leafs – Toronto’s not doin so bad lately. Atlanta on the other hand has lost like 153 games in a row. *gimmie*

#16 Phoenix Coyotes @ #24 Edmonton Oilers

Eric – Coyotes – The Oilers are 4-5-3 at Rexall Place this season.  The Coyotes are terrible on the road.  The coin just landed heads.
Rory – Coyotes – Why not?

#12 Anaheim Ducks @ #11 Vancouver Canucks

Eric – Ducks – The Ducks just lost their goal scoring leader for 4 weeks due to self inflicted injury but they have Jonas Hiller in net!  Go Team Fuckin’ Awesome! *gimmie*
Rory – Ducks – I officially want Vancouver to go down the tubes so $undin can know the wrath that befalls those who reject Henrik Lundqvist. He took you out to dinner, and you don’t even bother to call! I imagine the HL Wrath of Rejection is quite frightening, considering how he acts when he loses a game.

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5-hole.com Pick ’em – Marc sucks – 12/18/08

No, Mats Sundin hasn’t decided yet. About 10 minutes after this was posted, Sundin announced he will be going to the Canucks… more later

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Sundin in… Drury out???

The consensus has been that if the Rangers were to sign Mats Sundin, they would move around spare parts (Prucha, Fritsche, Kalinin, etc.) and/or a big-name blueliner like Rozsival or Redden to make room for the big Swede.

Now, according to Adrian Dater at the Denver Post, the Rangers might trade their captain, Chris Drury.

Here’s one thing I’m hearing from people in the know: The Rangers are so intent on getting Mats Sundin that they may well trade Chris Drury to make room.

I would not be happy about this.  The other players, well, here’s my rundown:

• Prucha: I would miss the little guy, but I’d be OK with it.  My sister would not be (She says, “If they trade Prucha I hope they lose every game the rest of the season!”  Uh, thanks Barry Melrose.)
• Fritsche: Meh.
• Kalinin/Redden: good riddance/peace out
• Rozsival: we had some good times, but we’ve hit a rough patch lately, and maybe it’s time we go our separate ways.

But Drury?!  NO!  Put aside the fact that Drury might be the most only clutch player on this team.  (See Saturday’s shootout goal for the latest example).  Yes, his goal scoring may be down so far this year.   BUT, if the Rangers think they can get rid of his playmaking, defense, and heart… they are sorely mistaken.

This would be a big mistake.  I mean, Sundin is no spring chicken (whatever that means).  We’re talking about a 38-year-old power forward.  For the Rangers, this is a guy who is more likely to be the 2nd coming of Pavel Bure, Eric Lindros, or Wayne Gretzky.  Great players at one time, sure, but they were all just slightly better than average “the-sun-is-setting-on-my-career” players once they came to Broadway.

The Rangers should be happy to get Sundin, but should not be willing to part with Chris Drury.

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Mats Sundin will sign with the Rangers

At least that’s what Bob McCown of The Fan 590 – Toronto’s Sports Radio – is reporting.  Here’s the direct quote from their Twitter:  “Bob McCown reports a source close to Mats Sundin says he will sign with the New York Rangers any day now.”

And Sam Weinman is reporting that the Rangers have offered Sundin a “framework” of what could be made available if Sundin selected the Rangers, which as far as I can tell means that the Rangers will be trying to move salaries and give him as much money as they possibly can.

I have a few thoughts on this:

1.  The Rangers will have a whole lot of centers and not a lot of wingers.

2.  If the Rangers move anyone, it will probably be one of their expensive Defensemen.  Rozsival is the most likely to be sent packing, although I suppose Redden is a possibility.  I’m not sure what the Rangers can expect in return for Rozy and his -13 plus/minus.

3.  This would mean Corey Potter will probably get called up to the big show on a permanent basis.  That’s good.  It also means that we would be stuck with Kalinin and his -16 for the rest of the season.  That’s bad.  I was hoping Potter would take Kalinin’s place.  It’s still a possibility that the Rangers could just waive Kalinin (and his $2.1 million contract).  Dear Glen Sather, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do this.  Regards, 5-hole blog.

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Gomez trade in the works?

I was over at Puck Daddy where they are having a live chat.  I posed a question about something I read about last night while watching the Mets lose their 7 run lead.  It turns out that there are rumors swirling around that the Rangers are shopping Scott Gomez in order to make room for Mats Sundin under the cap.  I know.  Ridiculous.  I asked my question which was then answered by Spector and David Pagnotta.  Greg Wyshynski was just there for moral support I guess.

1:15	Wyshynski –  Bingo. Back to Gomez, because Dave didn’t get a crack earlier:

1:15	[Comment From Eric from 5-hole.com] Does it even make sense for the Rangers to move Gomez and Prucha just to make room for Sundin? Prucha proved in his first season that, when given the ice time, he can produce and Gomez is a great center that has more years left in him than Sundin.

1:15	Spector –  Seriously, though, Dave’s right about the vacation

1:15	Wyshynski –  Pags, what do you make of the Gomez stuff?

1:15	Spector –  THE RANGERS AREN’T MOVING GOMEZ!!!!!

1:16	DavidPagnotta –  I’d be quite surprised if they move Gomez… and talking to a few people around the league, it’s not a real option for the Rangers.

1:16	Wyshynski –  Ow, angry Spector emoticon! The man is serious!!!!!!

1:16

Spector –

1:16	[Comment From oilersrock99] I think Spector’s gassy…somebody burp him…

1:16	DavidPagnotta –  haha, I feel your pain Spec

1:16	DavidPagnotta –  Gomez is sticking it out in the Big Apple.

About 15 minutes before I got to the party, and the reason Spector put on his angry face when I asked, Wyshynski and Spector answered my question.

1:02	[Comment From Neil] So is Gomez being shopped around or not?

1:02	Spector –  Hi, Neil, no, Gomez isn’t being shopped

1:02	Wyshynski –  NO!

1:02	Wyshynski –  Look, like we said this morning: He’s in the second year of a SEVEN YEAR DEAL, and we haven’t even seen him play with a winger that he can mesh with yet.

1:02	Wyshynski –  http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/How-the-Rangers-trading-Gomez-went-from-imminen?urn=nhl,103850

1:03	[Comment From Neil] and so now what is the likliehood of Sundin winding up w/ the Rangers?

1:03	Spector –  Of course now that there’s no truth to the Gomez rumors, expect the “Drury to be dealt to Vancouver” rumors to start anytime now.

1:03	Spector –  Unless the Rangers dump considerable salary Sundin won’t be a Blueshirt. Simple as that.

1:03	Wyshynski –  Ha! Indeed. And I thonk Drury’s NTC is even more water-tight than Gomez’s.

1:03	Spector –  It sure is!

1:03	Wyshynski –  think, not thonk. Thonk is not a word.

1:03	[Comment From Guest] Why would they trade Gomez to make room for a player that most likely wont last 2 more seaons?

1:04	Spector –  You just answered your own question.

1:04	Wyshynski –  Well, the theory is that the Rangers want to drop salary.

1:04	Spector –  It won’t be Drury or Gomez.

1:04	Wyshynski –  Because, you know, the Rangers always want to drop salary

And here’s some Bruins talk from the trio of bloggers for my Bruins fan friend:

1:16	Wyshynski –  This one is just begging for us to address:

1:16	[Comment From Super Dave West] Who are you prognosticators, and why is there no Bruins talk here?

1:16	Spector –  Because there’s little to write about regarding the B’s

1:16	DavidPagnotta –  Here’s some Bruins talk… their practice facility is in the middle of NO WHERE!

1:17	Spector –  No news is good new ,right?

1:17	DavidPagnotta –  Took me forever to find that place

1:17	Wyshynski –  There’s no Bruins talk because they’re capped out and their coach is zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz … oh, sorry. Nodded off.

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