^^ That game is on Versus tonight. I’ll look for you in the crowd. Wear a big sombrero so I can see you. The only thing about Atlanta that interests me is Kovalchuck…they are 0-5-0. The Flyers might be pretty good. Briere from Buffalo is a good addition. Gagne and Kapanen. Hatcher on defense. Those are some good players to build a good team on.
^ Wait. Say that again…the Hawks beat the Wings twice already. Yes. I can hardly believe it. I really think that it’s a turning point for the Blackhawks. They have been bad for years. They have gotten good draft picks. Bill Wirtz just died. His sons are taking over the team. Bill Pulford, who worked with Wirtz in the Blackhawks for 100 years, has left for some other Wirtz family job.
Those Vancouver jerseys are awful. The new jersey/uniform design for the whole league sucks. This is from John Buccigross’ column last week:
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Those jerseys
Every NHL player looks as if he is wearing a boy’s medium T-shirt purchased at Express from the local mall instead of a NHL jersey. This is something one would expect a weightlifter from South Jersey to wear out to dinner with the Mrs. at Applebee’s, not Andrew Cogliano at Joe Louis Arena.
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Jeremy and those jerseys
Upon further review, the San Jose Sharks are wearing arguably the ugliest uniforms in any team sport in the history of team sports. When Art Howe was wearing a polyester Houston Astros uniform in the Astrodome circa 1981, maybe that was the worst; but that is hotly debatable because Howe was so hot in '81. When I see these Sharks uniforms on television, I think I’m watching a skit from “Full House” in which Joey Gladstone goes five-hole on a stumbling Uncle Jesse. These Sharks are so 1991, so “Yo! MTV Raps.” “Everybody dance now!” These things need to be put into a dumpster, set on fire and rolled down a mountain as soon as possible. Then again, maybe that’s why Jeremy Roenick is off to a good start. He thinks it’s actually 1991.
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Confidence in Chicago
After watching the Blackhawks’ first couple of games, I am a little more confident (but not wholly) in my preseason prediction that Chicago will make the playoffs. Four straight summers of having a single-digit draft pick is beginning to pay off. It’s still a long shot, especially with Martin Havlat’s injury, but this is a good team.
The worst stretch in the team’s history was from 1946 to 1958 – they made the playoffs just once. We are presently in the second-worst span, as Chicago has missed the playoffs eight of the last nine seasons, but things are obviously on the upside. Patrick Kane, the No. 1 overall draft pick this past June, is already an impact player. Choosing No. 88 showed wisdom beyond his years. With that identical snowmen number, Kane looks much bigger than his 5-foot-10, 170-pound frame. No number makes you look bigger than 88. Kane asked for No. 888, but was rebuffed by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who has started to wear No. 88 on the back of his Men’s Wearhouse suit.
As the season goes along, Kane will go through stretches when he gets worn down, but he has “star” written all over him, and that’s because he sees the ice. He has five-star vision. These kinds of players are usually foolproof. Jonathan Toews, who should make his NHL debut this week, is further along than Kane, so he will be an impact guy right away. If the Blackhawks can get Havlat back in December, just when the young guys might need a hand, Chicago could be looking good.
I think Roenick’s story with San Jose this year is cool. He used to be my favorite player when he first came into the league with the Blackhawks. Then he became some loud-mouthed asshole.