Wednesday NHL games

There were nine games scheduled today, with the next games for the regular season coming next Tuesday. We started off in...

Boston, where the Bruins hosted the Florida Panthers. Tomas Vokoun and Tim Thomas got the spots in net. Brad Marchand opened the scoring for Boston with his 13th of the season, helped along by Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara. Milan Lucic extended the lead to 2-0 in the second period with his 20th of the year, assisted by David Krejci. Florida got on the board with Bryan Allen in the third period putting his fourth of the season away, thanks to Radek Dvorak and Darcy Hordichuk. The Panthers ended up falling 2-1 to the Bruins, with Marchand, Thomas (34 for 35 saves), and Vokoun (33 for 35 saves) getting the stars.

Heading to New York, where the Islanders hosted the Carolina Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Rick DiPietro got the nods in goal. Zach Boychuk opened the scoring for Carolina with his fourth of the season, helped along by Eric Staal and Erik Cole. New York answered in the second period with Michael Grabner putting his 15th of the year in the twine, courtesy of Frans Nielsen and Andrew MacDonald. The Hurricanes got two in a row from Staal, his 24th and 25th of the year being assisted by Cole first, and Joe Corvo and Tim Gleason later. Brandon Sutter put Carolina up 4-1 in the third period with his eleventh of the season, from Jiri Tlusty and Jussi Jokinen. MacDonald made it 4-2 with his first of the season, helped along by Grabner, producing the final score. The three stars were awarded to Staal, Grabner, and Cole.

Down south, the Atlanta Thrashers hosted the Washington Capitals. Semyon Varlamov and Ondrej Pavelec were given goaltending duties. Atlanta opened the scoring in the second period with Nik Antropov scoring his ninth of the season, with help from Fredrik Modin and Ron Hainsey. This would be the final, with the Thrashers taking the Capitals down 1-0. The three stars were given to Pavelec (36 save shutout), Antropov, and Zach Bogosian, whose defensive role was expanded.

Out west a tad, with the Dallas Stars hosting the Edmonton Oilers. Nikolai Khabibulin and Kari Lethonen got the puck blocking job. Dallas opened the scoring with Adam Burish netting his seventh of the season, with Mike Ribeiro and Trevor Daley picking up the helpers. Two fights broke out in rapid succession, with Dallas tough guy Krys Barch fighting Jim Vandermeer, shortly followed by Matt Niskanen going at it with Colin Fraser. The Stars made it 3-0 with two goals by Brenden Morrow, his 20th and 21st of the year, with Jamie Langenbrunner and Stephane Robidas picking up assists on the earlier power play goal, and Langenbrunner and Ribeiro helping out on the latter goal. Another pair of fights broke out, with Barch dropping the gloves again, this time with Zack Stortini, followed by James Neal and Theo Peckham's brawl. Dustin Penner put away his 16th of the season shortly thereafter, a power play goal made possible by Shawn Horcoff and Taylor Hall. This would be the end of the scoring, giving the Stars a 3-1 victory over the Oilers. The three stars were awarded to Morrow, Lethonen (34 for 35 saves), and Langenbrunner.

Up north again, with the Detroit Red Wings hosting the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur and Jimmy Howard were in between the pipes. Detroit scored first with Darren Helm's unassisted sixth goal of the season. New Jersey answered with Brian Rolston potting his sixth of the year, with the helpers provided by Anton Volchenkov and Patrik Elias. After a scoreless second period, the Red Wings took the lead at 2-1 with a Valtteri Filppula tally, his 12th of the season coming from Jiri Hudler and Ruslan Salei. Detroit put the dagger in the Devils, wrapping up the scoring at 3-1 with the 21st of the year from Johan Franzen, assisted by Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. The three stars were given to Helm, Filppula, and Ilya Kovalchuk.

Back west a bit more with the Colorado Avalanche hosting the Phoenix Coyotes. Ilya Bryzgalov and Peter Budaj started out in front of the cages. Colorado struck first with the second goal of the season by Ryan Stoa, with helpers coming from Paul Stastny and Kevin Shattenkirk. Phoenix evened it with the 15th of the year by Scottie Upshall, a power play goal made possible by Keith Yandle and Lee Stempniak. Yandle made it 2-1 Coyotes and scared off Budaj with his eighth of the season, assisted by Martin Hanzal and Derek Morris. Craig Anderson came on to guard the net for Colorado. Phoenix made it 3-1 with an Eric Belanger goal, his sixth of the year going with help from Taylor Pyatt and Stempniak. Kyle Turris made it 4-1 Coyotes with his ninth of the campaign, thanks to Shane Doan. The Avalanche tried to start a comeback on the 20th of the season by Matt Duchene, with the lone assist by T.J. Galiardi. Belanger put the game away for Phoenix with his seventh of the year and second of the night, an empty net goal making it 5-2 with help from Lauri Korpikoski. Yandle, Duchene, and Bryzgalov (29 for 31 saves) earned the three stars.

Up north into Canada, where the Calgary Flames hosted the St. Louis Blues. Ty Conklin and Miikka Kiprusoff were in the blue paint. David Moss opened the scoring for Calgary with goals in the first and second period, his eleventh and 12th of the season, with the earlier being an unassisted power play goal (although Erik Johnson honestly did all the work) and the latter also on the power play, with help from Anton Babchuk and Olli Jokinen. Adam Pardy made it 3-0 Flames with his first of the year, helped along by Jokinen and Moss. Philip McRae put St. Louis on the board with his first of the season, thanks to Jay McClement and Brad Boyes. Jarome Iginla wrapped the game up for Calgary, ousting the Blues by a 4-1 final with his empty net goal from Mark Giordano, his 22nd of the year. The three stars were received by Kiprusoff (28 for 29 saves), Moss, and Giordano.

Across the Rockies to Vancouver, where the Canucks hosted the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Roberto Luongo got the netminding jobs for the game. It took until the third period for a goal, coming from Nashville's Shea Weber, his ninth of the season, from Martin Erat and Sergei Kostitsyn. Vancouver answered with an Alexandre Burrows tally, his eleventh of the year assisted on by Dan Hamhuis. Lee Sweatt put the Canucks up 2-1, the eventual final taking down the Predators with his first of the campaign, helped along by Daniel Sedin. Luongo (26 for 27 saves), Rinne (33 for 35 saves), and Sweatt were given the three stars.

Lastly, the Los Angeles Kings hosted their northern neighbors, the San Jose Sharks. Antti Niemi and Jonathan Quick tended the twines. Los Angeles struck first in the second period with the 19th of the season by Ryan Smyth, helped along by Jarret Stoll and Jason Williams. San Jose answered with Ryane Clowe potting his 13th of the year with no help required. Devin Setoguchi gave the Sharks a 2-1 lead with his tenth of the season, courtesy of Logan Couture. Forcing the overtime frame was the Kings' Alexei Ponikarovsky, whose fourth of the year deadlocked the teams at 2. He was helped by Brad Richardson and Michal Handzus. In the shootout, the Kings toppled the Sharks with Stoll's lone marker. The three stars went to Jack Johnson, Couture, and Ponikarovsky.

That's all for now. Tune in on Friday for the All-Star Fantasy Draft, where Team Lidstrom and Team Staal will pick their all-star teams. The next post after that will be the game on Sunday.

New Track - On Top of the World

Sometimes, as a lyricist, good ideas just hit you. It happened to me a couple nights ago talking with a friend, when the phrase "on top of the world" was brought up. I said to myself "That's gonna make a great song." So here it is, although you readers can judge the greatness factor:

On Top of the World – This rise to power/It has been very slow/And watching others fail/It can make you feel hollow/But it’s my turn/To take the throne/I have learned my lesson/Let the wisdom be known//Surely you must have a clue/What it is like up there/To be on top of the world/Living up in the air/It’s a hard place to reach/But when you get there you know/While you may feel immortal/You’ll always have some place to go//It has taken a lifetime/To feel like I now do/There were times I could have given up/But I chose to fight through/And while I haven’t done a lot/It feels like a harvest to me/When I truly make my mark/Everyone will see//Surely you must have a clue/What it is like up there/To be on top of the world/Living up in the air/It’s a hard place to reach/But when you get there you know/While you may feel immortal/You’ll always have some place to go//This is something new for me/Something so real/I’ve never done this before/Never been able to feel/Like I am living a dream/Protected and healed/On top of the world/This is all very real//Surely you must have a clue/What it is like up there/To be on top of the world/Living up in the air/It’s a hard place to reach/But when you get there you know/While you feel immortal/You have a place called home/A place to call your own/A place where you are safe/On top of the world/You will always be safe

NHL Action - Tuesday

Trying to catch up now, with Tuesday's games coming today before I hit the homework. Also, I have another song that will be added on after this post. For the games, we started off in...

Pittsburgh, where the Penguins hosted the New York Islanders. Kevin Poulin and Marc-Andre Fleury made the starts. Craig Adams, after two periods of scorelessness with two fights between Travis Hamonic and Tyler Kennedy, followed by Zenon Konopka and Aaron Asham, scored his third of the season for Pittsburgh. The assists came from Dustin Jeffrey and Asham, and the Penguins would shut the Islanders out 1-0. Fleury (29 save shutout), Poulin (30 for 31 saves), and Adams were given the three stars.

Speaking of New York, the Rangers hosted the Florida Panthers. Tomas Vokoun and Henrik Lundqvist were in the creases. Rostislav Olesz opened the scoring for Florida with his fourth of the season, coming from Chris Higgins and Dennis Wideman. Derek Stepan tied it for New York in the second period with his 14th of the year, assisted by Wojtek Wolski and Mats Zuccarello. Keaton Ellerby put the Panthers back in front with his first of the season, helped along by Dmitry Kulikov and Shawn Matthias. Mike Santorelli put Florida up 3-1 with his 13th of the year, as Bryan Allen and Radek Dvorak picked up the helpers. The Rangers got a goal back early in the third period with Brandon Prust notching his seventh of the season, thanks to Mike Sauer and Zuccarello. New York tied the game at 3 on the power play when Brian Boyle scored his 18th of the year, from Marian Gaborik and Zuccarello, who completed a sock trick. The Panthers finished things in regulation with a Mike Weaver goal, his second of the season coming from Olesz and Santorelli. In the 4-3 Panther victory over the Rangers, Olesz, Santorelli, and Zuccarello picked up the three stars.

Into Ohio, where the Columbus Blue Jackets hosted the Anaheim Ducks. Guarding the cages were Jonas Hiller and Steve Mason. Teemu Selanne scored first for Anaheim, his 15th of the season coming with the man advantage, courtesy of Bobby Ryan and Lubomir Visnovsky. Cam Fowler made it 2-0 for the Ducks on his fifth of the year, also a power play tally, helped along by Visnovsky and Saku Koivu. Columbus got on the board with their own power play goal, after a Jared Boll-George Parros fight, as Rick Nash netted his 23rd of the season thanks to Derick Brassard and Grant Clitsome. Anaheim made it 3-1 in the third period on a Jason Blake goal, his tenth of the year made possible by Koivu and Selanne. Brassard answered for the Blue Jackets with another power play goal, good for his 12th of the campaign, from Jakub Voracek and Fedor Tyutin. Columbus wouldn't muster any further offense, falling 3-2 to the Ducks, with three stars awarded to Hiller (35 for 37 saves), Selanne and Brassard.

Back east and south, where the Tampa Bay Lightning hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs. In front of the nets were James Reimer (despite what Yahoo! would think) and Dwayne Roloson. Tampa Bay got on the board first with a goal by Simon Gagne, his ninth of the season getting help from Victor Hedman and Teddy Purcell. Purcell made it 2-0 on the power play with his eighth of the year, helped along by Brett Clark and Sean Bergenheim. This score would last throughout the rest of the game, resulting in a 2-0 Tampa Bay win over Toronto, where Roloson (26 save shutout), Hedman, and Purcell earned the three stars.

Up into Ottawa, where the Senators hosted the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan Miller and Brian Elliott were given the starting nods. Chris Kelly put Ottawa up first with his eleventh of the season, coming from Nick Foligno. Paul Byron responded for Buffalo with his first of the year, made possible by Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford. The Sabres extended the lead to 2-0 with a power play goal by Jochen Hecht, his eighth marker of the season, with helpers coming from Tyler Myers and Thomas Vanek. The Senators finally retied the game in the third period with a Sergei Gonchar goal, his sixth of the year coming on the power play thanks to Erik Karlsson and Mike Fisher. The tie was broken by Buffalo in overtime on Shaone Morrison's goal, his first of the season, assisted by Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek. The three stars were given out to Miller (27 for 29 saves), Kelly, and Byron.

Next up, the Philadelphia Flyers hosted the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Sergei Bobrovsky were elected to block rubber. Philadelphia struck first, with Jeff Carter scoring his 23rd of the season on the power play, assisted by Mike Richards and Chris Pronger. Kimmo Timonen made it 2-0 Flyers with his own power play goal, helped along by Pronger and Richards as his third of the year. Dan Carcillo also scored his third of the season, early in the second period, with help from Pronger, who secured his sock trick early. Montreal finally visited the scoreboard when David Desharnais scored his third of the campaign, courtesy of Hal Gill and Mathieu Darche. Claude Giroux got Philadelphia up to 4-1 with his 19th of the year, made possible by Scott Hartnell and Danny Briere on the power play. The Canadiens scored again in the third period to make it 4-2 with Darche's ninth of the season, from Travis Moen and Roman Hamrlik. Briere made it 5-2 Flyers, which would be the final, with his 26th of the year, the empty net goal going with assistance from Pronger and the goalie Bobrovsky. Giroux, Pronger, and Richards got the three stars.

Out west in the Windy City, the Chicago Blackhawks hosted the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom and Corey Crawford tended the twines. Martin Havlat put Minnesota on the board first with his 14th of the season, assisted by Kyle Brodziak. Patrick Sharp tied the game for Chicago with his 26th of the year, courtesy of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews on the power play. The Blackhawks took a 2-1 lead on the 15th of the season by Troy Brouwer, made possible by Toews and Brian Campbell. The Wild tied it in the second period with Chuck Kobasew notching his ninth of the year, with help from Jared Spurgeon and Pierre-Marc Bouchard. Antti Miettinen gave Minnesota a 3-2 lead with his ninth of the season, thanks to Andrew Brunette and Mikko Koivu. Bouchard wrapped the game up for the Wild in the third period, making it 4-2 with his fourth of the year, which was assisted by Matt Cullen and Kobasew. Picking up the three stars were Backstrom (31 for 33 saves), Toews, and Havlat.

Finally, the Phoenix Coyotes played host to the Edmonton Oilers. Playing in goal were Devan Dubnyk and Ilya Bryzgalov. Scottie Upshall opened the scoring for Phoenix on his 13th of the season, getting help along the way from Keith Yandle and Lee Stempniak on the power play. Kyle Turris made it 2-0 Coyotes with his eighth of the year, courtesy of Ray Whitney and Keith Yandle. Edmonton finally got on the board with Jean-Francois Jacques' third of the season, which got help from Zack Stortini and Kurtis Foster. Taylor Hall tied it in the third period with his 16th of the year, a power play goal from Shawn Horcoff and Jeff Petry. Linus Omark gave the Oilers the lead with his third of the season, made possible by Sam Gagner and Magnus Paajarvi. Phoenix got back into a tie with the second of the night and 14th of the year by Upshall, receiving assistance from Shane Doan and Turris. Dustin Penner secured a 4-3 victory for Edmonton by sinking his 15th of the campaign with just twenty-two seconds left, with assists provided by Hall and Horcoff. Getting the three stars were Upshall, Turris, and Hall.

That's all for Tuesday's games. I'm still significantly behind, so Wednesday's will be out tomorrow. That song I mentioned at the start of the post will be on a whenever I get to it plan.

Monday NHL action

Sorry for the later post, I've spoiled the reading community with all this live stuff lately. The NHL hosted six games for Monday's schedule. We start with...

The Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Cam Ward made the starts in goal. Joe Corvo started the scoring for Carolina with his seventh goal of the season, a power play tally from Joni Pitkanen and Tuomo Ruutu. Tomas Kaberle evened the score for Toronto with his second of the year, with help from Phil Kessel and Joey Crabb. The Hurricanes made it 2-1 in the second period with the third of the season from Jamie McBain, assisted by Jussi Jokinen. Carolina continued extending their lead in the third period with Brandon Sutter notching his ninth of the year, getting helped along by Ian White and Zach Boychuk. The Maple Leafs got back into a tie when Tim Brent potted two straight, his fifth and sixth of the season, with Luke Schenn and Francois Beauchemin helping out the first time, and Dion Phaneuf and Mike Brown picking up helpers on the latter shorthanded goal. Sutter potted his second of the night and tenth of the year, putting the Hurricanes back ahead thanks to Jokinen. Carolina extended the lead again on a Jeff Skinner goal good for his 18th of the year, courtesy of Corvo and Eric Staal on the power play. Toronto attempted another comeback with Brown nailing his second of the season, made possible by Brent and Carl Gunnarsson on the man advantage. The Hurricanes wrapped the game up 6-4 with an Erik Cole empty net goal, his 13th marker of the year going unassisted. Sutter, Corvo, and Brent were given the three stars.

Up to Washington, D.C., where the Capitals hosted the New York Rangers. Martin Biron and Braden Holtby were given the starting nods. Matt Hendricks got Washington on the board in the second period with his seventh of the season, assisted by Marcus Johansson and Scott Hannan. New York answered in the third period with Marian Gaborik scoring his 16th of the year, with help from Brian Boyle and Sean Avery. The tie lasted into the shootout, with four shooters converting in a row (Wojtek Wolski, Hendricks, Mats Zuccarello, and Nicklas Backstrom) before the Rangers could seal the game off with an Artem Anisimov conversion. The three stars went to Gaborik, Biron (22 for 23 saves), and Alex Ovechkin for being the best Russian hockey player of the 21st century.

Out west a distance, where the Colorado Avalanche hosted the St. Louis Blues. Tending the twines were Jaroslav Halak and Peter Budaj. Brandon Yip opened the scoring for Colorado early in the second period with his eighth of the year, coming from Ryan Wilson. St. Louis tied the game on Jay McClement putting his sixth of the season in the mesh, assisted by Brad Boyes and Brad Winchester. Eric Brewer tied the game for the Blues with his eighth of the year, helped along by Boyes and McClement. Yip retied the game for the Avalanche with his second of the night and ninth of the season, a power play goal from Paul Stastny and Kyle Cumiskey. Colorado made it 3-2 with a power play goal by Kevin Shattenkirk, his seventh of the campaign getting some assistance from John-Michael Liles and Milan Hejduk. Forty-four seconds later, the Avalanche lead was up to 4-2 with the first of the season by Ryan Stoa, courtesy of Adam Foote and Cumiskey. David Backes tried to get St. Louis back in the game with his 16th of the year, from Patrik Berglund and sock-trick-earning Boyes, but it was not good enough, as the Blues fell 4-3. Earning the three stars were Yip, Stoa, and McClement.

Up north into Calgary, where the Flames hosted the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Miikka Kiprusoff were chosen to receive ice time. Curtis Glencross opened the scoring for Calgary with his 12th of the season, helped along by Matt Stajan and Niklas Hagman. David Legwand put Nashville into a tie at 1 with his seventh of the year in the second period, with the helpers provided by Colin Wilson and Joel Ward. Jarome Iginla put the Flames back in the lead with his 21st of the season, a power play goal made possible by Stajan and Alex Tanguay. Brendan Morrison produced what would be the final goal of the game while putting Calgary up 3-1 with his eighth of the year. The power play goal got help from Tanguay and Mark Giordano. Tanguay, Kiprusoff (23 for 24 saves), and Stajan were awarded the three stars.

Staying in Canada, the Vancouver Canucks played host to the Dallas Stars. Kari Lethonen and Roberto Luongo were in between the pipes. Vancouver struck early with an Alexandre Burrows tally, his tenth of the season coming via Daniel Sedin and Keith Ballard. Brad Richards tied the game for Dallas with his 20th of the year, helped along by James Neal. Ryan Kesler gave the Canucks the lead back with his his 27th of the season, a power play goal from Alexander Edler and Henrik Sedin. Vancouver was up 3-1 by the end of the first with Christian Ehrhoff netting his eighth of the year, with help from Henrik and Daniel. Mikael Samuelsson kept the Canucks going with his ninth of the season in the second period, receiving help from Kesler and Mason Raymond. Henrik continued the scoring for Vancouver, making it 5-1 on his eleventh of the year, helped along by Aaron Volpatti and Raffi Torres. Raymond kept the Canucks rolling in the third period with his ninth of the season, assisted by Edler and Samuelsson. Wrapping up the scoring at 7-1 Canucks was Dan Hamhuis on the power play, his fourth of the year going in thanks to Jeff Tambellini and Chris Tanev. Kesler, Henrik, and Raymond got the three stars.

Lastly, previous trading partners played a game, with the Los Angeles Kings hosting the Boston Bruins. Tim Thomas and Jonathan Quick were given starting honors. Ryan Smyth put Los Angeles up first with his 18th of the season, a power play goal from Jarret Stoll and Drew Doughty. The Kings went up 2-0 in the third period on an Andrei Loktionov goal, his second of the year made possible by Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar. This would be the final, with Quick (34 save shutout), Smyth, and Thomas (32 for 34 blocks) earning the three stars.

That's all for Monday. Again, I'm sorry to be slow, but I've been getting swamped lately. Luckily, the All-Star break is fast approaching, and I will be caught up by Friday. Tuesday's games should be out tomorrow, and we'll see how I can do from there.

NFC and AFC Championship games

This weekend, two games were played, with the winners headed to (puke) Dallas, Texas to play in Super Bowl XLV in two weeks. The loser were sent home. The first game was the NFC game, with...

The Chicago Bears hosting the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay struck first on Aaron Rodgers' touchdown run of 1 yard, followed by a Mason Crosby extra point. Making it 14-0 was James Starks' 4 yard touchdown run, with Crosby supplying the extra point again, which was the score into halftime. In the fourth quarter, Chicago got on the board with a Chester Taylor run of 1 yard for the score, with Robbie Gould adding the extra point. B.J. Raji gave the Packers the next touchdown, an 18 yard interception return of Caleb Hanie's throw, with Crosby adding the extra point for a 21-7 score. The Bears tried to overcome the Packers' lucky break, with a Hanie pass to Earl Bennett for 35 yards and the score plus an extra point by Gould, but it would be too little too late as Green Bay defeated Chicago and earned a Super Bowl ticket.

The next game had the Pittsburgh Steelers hosting the New York Jets. Rashard Mendenhall put Pittsburgh up early with a 1 yard touchdown run followed by a Shaun Suisham extra point. Suisham added a 20 yard field goal to make it 10-0 for the Steelers. Ben Roethlisberger took to the ground to score a touchdown for Pittsburgh on his 1 yard run, with Suisham adding the extra point. Making it 24-0 was Suisham with the extra point on the William Gay fumble recovery from Mark Sanchez of 19 yards. To avoid a fruitless first half, the score going into the locker rooms was 24-3 after Nick Folk booted in a 42 yard field goal. New York rolled along in the second half, with Sanchez finding Santonio Holmes for 45 yards, allowing Folk to add an extra point to bring the score to 24-10. The Jets added on 2 to their score when they pinned Roethlisberger in his own end zone. Sanchez also connected with Jerricho Cotchery for a 4 yard touchdown pass, with Folk making it 24-19. The Steelers managed to weather the rest of the storm, and punched their ticket to play against the Packers in Dallas two weeks from now.

Fantasy Hockey All-Stars, week 15

This week runs another Fantasy Hockey All-Star edition, while next week will be the actual All-Stars in the game, which will be covered live in addition to the 16A part next week. In the Yahoo! format, week 16 will run both this week and next week, for a total of two weeks. For this past week, the all stars are as follows:

Center: Nathan Gerbe, 4 goals, 1 assist, +4, 8 penalty minutes, 2 power play points, 21 shots on goal
Left Wing: Tyler Ennis, 2 goals, 4 assists, -2, 0 penalty minutes, 4 power play points, 10 shots on goal
Right Wing: Claude Giroux, 1 goal, 6 assists, +6, 9 penalty minutes, 1 power play point, 11 shots on goal
Defenseman: Zdeno Chara, 3 goals, 1 assist, +4, 2 penalty minutes, 2 power play points, 15 shots on goal
Goaltender: Tim Thomas, 3 wins, 1.33 goals against average, 106 saves, .964 save percentage, 1 shutout

These guys were the MVPs this week. Buffalo got a boost from Gerbe and Ennis, who combined as quite the deadly line. This feature will run next week in an abbreviated format.

Song of the Week IV

This week, the King of Pop makes an appearance on our weekly list, with Michael Jackson's Dangerous being the designated song. This song is set in a club, with a woman referred to as dangerous talked about throughout the song. The rhythm of the song is a consistent industrial-modern blend to my ears, lasting for a majority of the song. This was a hit off the album of the same title, and also one of Jackson's later works. This has been a favorite of mine for a long time now, with a strong and defiant message coming through. This feature will be run next week.

Sunday Hockey

One week until the All-Star Game at Raleigh, and there are five games on today. Please note that there is no hockey from Thursday-Monday, the 27-31st except for the All-Star Game. Also, on Friday, there will be coverage of the All-Star Fantasy draft between team Staal and team Lidstrom. I will post the teams up as they become available, and I can find them. As for the action today...

The Chicago Blackhawks hosted the Philadelphia Flyers in the one and only Stanley Cup rematch for this season. Sergei Bobrovsky and Corey Crawford were sent out for netminding duties. Jeff Carter put Philadelphia on the board first with his 21st of the season in the second period with help from Claude Giroux and Nikolay Zherdev. Zherdev made it 2-0 in the third period with his 15th of the year, assisted on by Giroux. Carter extended the Flyers lead to 3-0 with his second of the afternoon and 22nd of the season, with Giroux completing his sock trick with the lone assist. Chicago finally got on the board when Marian Hossa converted a penalty shot after Braydon Coburn fell on the puck, which was his eleventh of the year. Scott Hartnell secured a victory of 4-1 for the Flyers over the Blackhawks with his 17th of the season going into the empty net courtesy of Carter and the four-helper man Giroux. Picking up the three stars were Carter, Hossa, and Bobrovsky (30 for 31 saves).

Next up during the afternoon was the New Jersey Devils hosting the Florida Panthers. Scott Clemmensen faced off against the goalie he used to be backup to, Martin Brodeur. Ilya Kovalchuk put New Jersey up first with his 14th of the season, getting help from Adam Greene and Travis Zajac. With two seconds left in the first period, the Devils snagged a 2-0 lead with a Jason Arnott marker, his eleventh of the year made possible by Adam Mair and Mark Fayne. Jacob Markstrom came on to relieve Clemmensen in the second period. Florida visited the scoresheet with Shawn Matthias sinking his sixth of the season, with helpers provided by Cory Stillman and Steve Bernier. New Jersey made it 3-1 on the power play with Brian Rolston netting his fifth of the year in the net, thanks to Kovalchuk and Mattias Tedenby. Patrik Elias extended the Devils lead once again with his 13th of the season, a power play goal from Rolston and Kovalchuk. The Panthers came back with a Marty Reasoner goal in the third period to make it 4-2, with Radek Dvorak and Stillman assisting on Reasoner's tenth of the year. New Jersey would finish the game up 5-2 after the 12th of the season and second of the afternoon by Arnott, with help from Rod Pelley and Henrik Tallinder for the empty net goal. Kovalchuk, Rolston, and Elias earned the three stars.

A short travel to New York for the other noon game, Pacific time. The Islanders host the Buffalo Sabres, with Ryan Miller and Rick DiPietro guarding the cages. Paul Gaustad got Buffalo on the board just fifteen seconds in with his fifth of the season, assisted by Rob Niedermayer (as opposed to Neidermayer) and Mike Grier. New York answered with Matt Moulson putting his 16th of the year in the mesh, with help from John Tavares on the power play. The Sabres took the lead back with Tyler Ennis potting his 12th of the season, courtesy of Jochen Hecht and Jason Pominville. The Islanders tied the game back up with another Moulson tally, his second of the game and 17th of the year, receiving help from P.A. Parenteau and Tavares. Buffalo took the lead once more, this time with Nathan Gerbe notching his sixth of the season, with help from Ennis and Tyler Myers on the power play. The Sabres make it 4-2 with Myers nailing his sixth of the year, courtesy of Gerbe and Paul Byron. Jack Hillen gets New York going later in the third period with his Michael Grabner and Frans Nielsen assisted third of the year. Pominville finalized the game at 5-3 with his empty net goal for his eleventh of the season, with helpers by Steve Montador and Jordan Leopold. The three stars were awarded to Ennis, Moulson, and Miller (31 for 34 saves).

Later in the afternoon, the Tampa Bay Lightning hosted the Atlanta Thrashers. Ondrej Pavelec and Dwayne Roloson went in between the pipes. Tampa Bay struck first in the second period with Nate Thompson's seventh of the season, a shorthanded and unassisted goal. Dana Tyrell made it 2-0 Lightning with his fifth of the year, coming from Dominic Moore and Pavel Kubina. Steven Stamkos added on for Tampa Bay with his 38th of the season, with helpers by Martin St. Louis and Mike Lundin. Peter Mannino relieved Ondrej Pavelec after these three goals. The Lightning continued to pour it on, this time with St. Louis notching his 20th of the year, with help by Steve Downie. Simon Gagne kept Tampa Bay going with his seventh of the season, with assists coming from Vincent Lecavalier and Teddy Purcell. The Lightning had no trouble scoring in the third period either, led off by Kubina and his third of the year, from Purcell. Gagne made it 7-0 with his second of the game and seventh of the season, a power play goal from Lecavalier and Purcell again, with Purcell securing a sock trick. Atlanta finally got on the board when Rich Peverley put away his 13th of the year, with help from Niclas Bergfors. This was the final, with Gagne, Purcell, and Kubina getting the three stars.

Lastly, the Edmonton Oilers host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Devan Dubnyk are in place to see rubber. Nashville strikes first with an Alexander Sulzer goal, his first of the season coming from Sergei Kostitsyn and Cory Franson. Edmonton answered in the third period with Andrew Cogliano netting his seventh of the year, helped along by Liam Reddox and Theo Peckham. Joel Ward gave the Predators the lead back on his sixth of the season, getting help from Sulzer and Franson on the power play. The Oilers tied the game again with Taylor Hall putting his 15th of the year in the twine, thanks to Dustin Penner and Jim Vandermeer. Nashville would go on to topple Edmonton 3-2 in the shootout on the back of a Franson conversion, with the three stars given out to Ward, Hall, and Sulzer.

That's all for the hockey world. Monday will bring Song of the Week, Fantasy Hockey All-Stars, and Championship round recaps.

Sandwich Showdown, IV

This week we had a Chicken and Bacon on Italian bread go up against a double meat attack of Turkey and Ham on Garlic. The Chicken brought strong competition with rich and full flavors coming out very strongly. It looked like it would be hard to beat such a sandwich this week. Along came the toasted Turkey and Ham, which gave a good run, but due to BBQ sauce resources, lost out because of a high-maintenance factor. Both sandwiches were undeniably delicious. This feature will run next week.

Lyrics!

To the readers looking forward to musical posts, this should appeal to you. These are self-composed lyrics to 16 new songs. Hopefully, if my friends can do their part, these will become full-fledged songs. As the album making process is moved along, updates will be made periodically. This is the first post, detailing the lyrics as they stand now.

1. Here Today, Gone Tomorrow – Now you see it and then you don’t/It induces no fear yet it seems to haunt/You have no reasons to fear/Understand that it will be//Here today and gone tomorrow/It makes you laugh and drown in sorrow/Immense pain and endless lies/It’ll make you cry but don’t let it get you down//It isn’t here, it has left you alone/It only does this to let you stand alone/But we want you to succeed/And if it remains, it would only impede/So let it go before it’s//Here today and gone tomorrow/Dragging you down and asking to borrow/Your strength, your gifts/Anything you offer/But don’t let it take you down//If you let it stay, it’ll take away/Everything you’re proud to call your own/So let it go and it will be//Gone today for every tomorrow/Ridding all your pain and sorrow/Your heart will be filled and no longer be hollow/Leaving you with all your dreams to follow
2. This Won’t Last Forever – There is a feeling that something will happen/I wish to know what it is/The answers are not going to come clearly/But it is certainly going to happen//Despite what you want, know this won’t last forever/In your near future, it’ll disappear forever/It doesn’t matter if you’re cunning or clever/You can’t make this last forever//This afflicting clairvoyance tells me that it’s over/Seeing the future shows me that it’s over/I’d rather not see the truth that it’s over/So let us live now, before it’s over forever//Despite what you want, know this won’t last forever/In your near future, it’ll disappear forever/It doesn’t matter if you’re cunning or clever/You can’t make this last forever//I need your love/When push comes to shove/With intervention from above/Before it’s all over//Despite what you want, know this won’t last forever/In your near future, it’ll disappear forever/It doesn’t matter if you’re cunning or clever/You can’t make this last forever//I was told that we’d all die/And I cannot honestly deny/It may be over now, but not for forever/We’re gone for now, but this will last forever
3. Enlightened Future (Subliminal Messages) – Looking forward/Not behind/I am not lost/And you cannot find//This is an enlightened future/Or so it may seem/But these subliminal messages/Are simply just dreams//Making progress/But not amends/When we should be forgiving/We are only just friends/With no brightness in sight/We cannot see the light/The messages haunt the night/And the future doesn’t look so bright//This is an enlightened future/Or so it may seem/But these subliminal messages/Are simply just dreams//Someday, someway/Somebody will say/The things I said to you/They’ll be lost and confused/And they’ll do what I chose to/Let their future be enlightened/And the messages clear/Go on and do well/For you, we’ll be here.
4. Aftermath – Hold on child, while you’re falling apart/Your dreams aren’t gone unless they die in your heart/Listen because my advice is a blessing/Stop worrying and second guessing/You can be anything you want//In the aftermath/Pick yourself up off the floor/This isn’t your life anymore/Change it, create it/Make it yours/Shake the whole world to its core//There is no direction, so you can’t be lost/Take what I offer you, it comes with no cost/Think of what you do, and say a prayer/We’ll be with you, both here and there//In the aftermath/Pick yourself up off the floor/This isn’t your life anymore/Change it, create it/Make it yours/Shake the whole world to its core//Look at yourself now/You are on the mend/The newfound perfection/It will never end/You’ve changed your life/and now it’s much better/Nothing can go wrong now because you’re//In the aftermath/Pick yourself up off the floor/This isn’t your life anymore/Change it, create it/Make it yours/Shake the whole world to its core//
5. We Are the Lonely People – Look at the clock, it’s half past eight/On the day of the world’s fate/Everyone stayed home, they couldn’t bear to see/The Apocalypse and then what we’d be/The world tied in fear/Whisper in my ear//We are the lonely people/But we are the only people/Who can save the world/There is pride to be swallowed/As the leaders will follow/As lonely people save the world//The clocks are still ticking/It’s half past nine/Children and men alike/Are weeping and crying/They sit alone, in anticipation/With their hearts and minds flying/Isn’t this the day, they think/That we’re supposed to be dying?//We are the lonely people/But we are the only people/Who can save the world/There is pride to be swallowed/As the leaders will follow/As lonely people save the world//What will become of us now?/All screaming and dreaming so loud/Were those people all psychics back then?/Could they see that this was the end?/And here we wait/Wait for what will be/This is what we are/We will all be set free// We are the lonely people/But we are the only people/Who can save the world/There is pride to be swallowed/As the leaders will follow/As lonely people save the world//
6. Temporary – There’s no fire, so what’s the rush?/Why do you have to move so fast?/Slow down and enjoy your life/You know it’s only temporary//Slow down before you crash/See the beauty in another’s trash/Since this life is so temporary/And there’s so much more than cash//If you go on like this/It’s gonna knock you down/So careless, so reckless/You’re not even in it for the crown/The leaves will fall/Right after they turn brown/And you’ll lose it all/in greed, you’ll swim and drown//Slow down before you crash/See the beauty in another’s trash/Since this life is so temporary/And there’s so much more than cash//Enjoy your life while you still can/Because it is so temporary/Don’t rush it, don’t force it/Or heavy burdens you will carry/Learn to love the life your given/Or it won’t be life you’re livin’/Slow down before you crash/See the beauty in another’s trash/Since this life is so temporary/And there’s so much more than cash
7. I Stand No Chance Tonight – The world is caving in again/I stand here, watching it collapse/This isn’t what was meant to happen/And yet, it’s the fate we suffer/You come up to me/And ask me what went wrong/I have no answer to your question/But I do know this one fact//The world is ending, and I can’t stop it/The leaders are corrupted, they don’t want to stop it/You don’t understand, so you can’t stop it/Seven billion other people don’t care, and I stand no chance tonight/I can’t change a single thing/I am the defeated minority/And even if I tried/I stand no chance tonight//Alone, the world is now helpless/Consequences of the fatal war/People left stranded, lonely and hungry/Cry out for help on every shore/My heart breaks as I see this happen/To think we let it get this far/But the mess is ours, this one that we’ve made/What could have been accomplished, we’ll never know//The world is ending, and I can’t stop it/The leaders are corrupted, they don’t want to stop it/You don’t understand, so you can’t stop it/Seven billion other people don’t care, and I stand no chance tonight/I can’t change a single thing/I am the defeated minority/And even if I tried/I stand no chance tonight//Lift us up now, under the holy grail/Let us pray and beg for help/Our sins are not unforgivable/Unless we let them stay and ask for no help/Let them be buried, in this new landscape/The one that we have now been dealt/The only thing we ask for now/Is forgiveness and help//The world is ending, and I can’t stop it/The leaders are corrupted, they don’t want to stop it/You don’t understand, so you can’t stop it/Seven billion other people don’t care, and I stand no chance tonight/I can’t change a single thing/I am the defeated minority/And even if I tried/I stand no chance tonight/The world is ending, and I can’t stop it/The leaders are corrupted, they don’t want to stop it/You don’t understand, so you can’t stop it/Seven billion other people don’t care, and I stand no chance tonight/I can’t change a single thing/I am the defeated minority/And even if I tried/I stand no chance tonight//I stand no, I stand no, I stand no, I stand no chance tonight
8. Radio Active – Autotuned and automatic/Is all we hear just static?/No notes and no lyrics/We can’t hear so clear if/The sound is just noise/like the little kids and their toys/You gotta tune in to make it clearer/Make the music get much nearer//Radio, radio, give us your gift/Let us hear every single tune/The ones that are screaming/And the ones that will croon/We need to override the static/Make it sound more diplomatic/Let our ears soak up the sound//The sound in your speakers/Will make you tap your sneakers/The guitars, drum, and bass/It’s all in good taste/Fast paced techno and thumping electro/All the songs you know/The sound can open your soul/Will make you feel whole//Radio, radio, give us your gift/Let us hear every single tune/The ones that are screaming/And the ones that will croon/We need to override the static/Make it sound more diplomatic/Let our ears soak up the sound//We need to be more/Radio active/Hearing more, above the roar/More radio active/Music to everyone’s ears/Just put away your fears/It will calm your heart and nerves// Radio, radio, give us your gift/Let us hear every single tune/The ones that are screaming/And the ones that will croon/We need to override the static/Make it sound more diplomatic/Let our ears soak up the sound
9. Sunrise Village – The breaking hours of the day/With the dawn the sky awakes/Orange, red, and pink in the air/A light breeze makes the trees shake/I see the beauty/In the newborn day/We’re the only ones here/In the sunrise village//Open up the windows now/Let us bathe in the light/It feels so calm and warm/After the cold dark night/It is so welcoming/So loving and true/The colors are so natural/In all the beautiful hues//The awakening/Of the day ahead/Possibilities endless/We are ready now/Ready to savor every moment we can/This is only the beginning/Of a beautiful day//Open up the windows now/Let us bathe in the light/It feels so calm and warm/After the cold dark night/It is so welcoming/So loving and true/The colors are so natural/In all the beautiful hues//Wish upon the morning star/The one of radiant light/We have nothing to fear/with such beauty so near//Inside the sunrise village/With the beautiful light/We wish for great happiness/And we will have no frights//Open up the windows now/Let us bathe in the light/It feels so calm and warm/After the cold dark night/It is so welcoming/So loving and true/The colors are so natural/In all the beautiful hues//Wish upon the morning star/The one of radiant light/We have nothing to fear/with such beauty so near
10. Whispering Hills – The wind in the grasses/How it rustles so softly/Listen to the sound/It speaks answers to your life/The voice is so quiet/And also quite gentle/It can tell you/Everything you need to know//Listen to the whispering hills/Their insight is so deep/The things they will tell you/can easily make you weep/The climb to get there/Is most definitely steep/But with the rewards you gain/There is so much knowledge to reap//To find this place/Hidden deep in nature/You must travel very far/And disturb not a creature/It’s a tough task to complete/But well worth the time/And when you make it there/It’ll cost not a dime//(Long instrumental) Listen to the whispering hills/Their insight is so deep/The things they will tell you/can easily make you weep/The climb to get there/Is most definitely steep/But with the rewards you gain/There is so much knowledge to reap//Listen to the whispering hills/Their insight is so deep/The things they will tell you/can easily make you weep/The climb to get there/Is most definitely steep/But with the rewards you gain/There is so much knowledge to reap
11. Victorious – To any challenge/I say game on/I have no fear of losing/Because I’m never second best/The more competition/The better in my eyes/They’ve got no chance/Because I’ll be victorious//I wish you all the best of luck/But this game is mine to win/I will never leave or give up/Until the prize is in my hands/Give it everything that you’ve got/But I’ll make you very furious/This game is my destiny/To be victorious//As the competition wears on/I see them break and buckle/Running down on pride/and losing all their hustle/Only a few left standing/In the ultimate test/But they’ll fall as well/And I’ll be victorious//I wish you all the best of luck/But this game is mine to win/I will never leave or give up/Until the prize is in my hands/Give it everything that you’ve got/But I’ll make you very furious/This game is my destiny/To be victorious//Admit it all now/It’s insane we’ve made it this far/With time running down/And we all feel our scars/The morning sun is rising now/On the horizon’s crest/Close your eyes and quit/Because I’ll be victorious//I wish you all the best of luck/But this game is mine to win/I will never leave or give up/Until the prize is in my hands/Give it everything that you’ve got/But I’ll make you very furious/This game is my destiny/To be victorious//I wish you all the best of luck/But this game is mine to win/I will never leave or give up/Until the prize is in my hands/Give it everything that you’ve got/But I’ll make you very furious/This game is my destiny/To be victorious//This game/Was always mine to win/I’ll did it now/And if needed, I’ll do it again
12. The Plan – Ideas floating through my head/Thinking clearly and organized/This is quite chaotic/I can’t seem to get an order/Trying to think of what I can do/To improve the life I’m living/I concentrate and think some more/But nothing is coming of it//This is the plan to rearrange my life/To save me from the chaos that gnaws relentless/This is a plan to get me going/Motivation to improve myself from where I am//I’m now willing to take action/To save myself from the disorder/The clearest of thoughts/May still be hazy/But I am trying/Isn’t that all they can ask of me?/Trying harder than ever/To make this plan a reality//This is the plan to rearrange my life/To save me from the chaos that gnaws relentless/This is a plan to get me going/Motivation to improve myself from where I am//Listen to me now, because I need your help/This is the plan, with the details you need to follow/Please do as I say, it means the world to me/Just by asking I’ve had pride to swallow//This is the plan to rearrange my life/To save me from the chaos that gnaws relentless/This is a plan to get me going/Motivation to improve myself from where I am//From where I am/Saving me from the chaos/The plan makes it clearer/The plan is the answer
13. Manipulator – Nowhere for you to run/I’ve got you in my grasp/Your twisting and turning/Watching the time pass/I’m getting in your head/And playing with your mind/Welcome to the fake world/Harsh, cruel, and unkind//I can really twist your mind/Making you feel so hated/I am behind the scenes, but everybody knows me/I am the manipulator//No need for you to worry/Everything will be alright/I’ve seen all of this coming, no troubles/You’ll see this in a different light/I know I’ve hurt your pride/And it pains me that I did/But I did this to make life better/And soon we will be able to live//I can really twist your mind/Making you feel so hated/I am behind the scenes, but everybody knows me/I am the manipulator//You can’t stop me/You are my puppet/You can’t escape/Prepare to live a lie// I can really twist your mind/Making you feel so hated/I am behind the scenes, but everybody knows me/I am the manipulator
14. Nothing At All – Have you ever asked yourself/What does it all mean?/Often in the times of trouble/The answers are unseen//With your back against the wall/When you need someone to call/Remember what I said to you/It doesn’t mean anything at all//How does it feel/To know you have no power?/It’s a feeling so helpless/No control in that fateful hour/It’s heartbreaking to see/That you’re falling apart/Left alone, cold and lonely/With a hardened and dark heart//With your back against the wall/When you need someone to call/Remember what I said to you/It doesn’t mean anything at all//The answers that you seek/Shouldn’t mean a thing to you/Even with the knowledge/What can you really do?/It’s nothing at all/Nothing that can help/Don’t worry what everybody else thinks/Just worry about yourself//With your back against the wall/When you need someone to call/Remember what I said to you/It doesn’t mean anything at all
15. You Are the Only One For Me – The breaking of the day/Colors in the sky/So beautiful/I have always admired you/And you always inspired me/The love you give, so plentiful//The best of the best/Nothing like the rest/You are as amazing as can be/So perfect/So stunning/You are the only one for me//If I was going to listen/To what other people said/There’d be no hope left/So I follow my heart/And do what I want/To keep my dreams alive//The best of the best/Nothing like the rest/You are as amazing as can be/So perfect/So stunning/You are the only one for me//Let me show you what I can do/To give my heart to you/This is a risk I want to take/Hoping my heart won’t break/All I ask for is a chance/A chance to show what I am made of//The best of the best/Nothing like the rest/You are as amazing as can be/So perfect/So stunning/You are the only one for me//The best of the best/Nothing like the rest/You are as amazing as can be/So perfect/So stunning/You are the only one for me//
16. Against All Odds – See us where we stand/Here at home on our own land/Size us up from the distance/and show your strongest stance/Seconds left until the game begins/This place will rock until the end/Get ready now, here’s your kick/By the end you’ll have seen our tricks//Nobody expects a thing out of us/We’re ready to prove them all wrong/You’re the only side expected to win/But we’re here to put up a fight/We may not have a single chance/But we’ll try against all odds//Jumping on your quick offensive/But your lead is not extensive/We’re not gonna die quite yet/We’re just getting started so you can bet/We’ll rally back and stun them all/It is their turn to take the fall/By the middle we’ve got the tie/Pumped, ferocious, never say die//Nobody expects a thing out of us/We’re ready to prove them all wrong/You’re the only side expected to win/But we’re here to put up a fight/We may not have a single chance/But we’ll try against all odds//We take our control and settle in/How on Earth is this happening?/But we start to feel safe and let you in/Making us work hard once again/There’s the magic in the air/And now our chances are fair/And then the runner found his breaks/Making the whole building shake/No one can believe what they just saw/We just won, against all odds// Nobody expects a thing out of us/We’re ready to prove them all wrong/You’re the only side expected to win/But we’re here to put up a fight/We may not have a single chance/But we’ll try against all odds

As you can see here, there are many different feelings and emotions throughout the songs. Please, either e-mail me here or leave a comment under this post. I would love to hear any feedback about the songs, both positive and negative, although try to keep it constructive. More updates on the music will come as they are presented.