In Glacialis Blog

Jes proculHockey Rants coepi a hockey meme is week. Suus lemma: “si EGO Erant a Hockey Ludio ludius”. Is est aliquanto similis ut nostrumOFB Totus- Vicis Quinque tergum in December qua nos ambio lector input quodprocerus suffragium. Plures hockey bloggers have chimed in, comprehendo:

• Eric McErlain Off Pennae Sententia
• Mike Chen
• Cason Blog
• In Forecheck
• Animadverto Reprehendo
  

OFB estcognatus novus, quod nos sententia nos would sit tergum quod utor visum. Ut eram insquequoIocus’ Rink accersitus nos sicco. Utpote illic es quattuor nostrum blogging, puteus’ stipes nostrum unique respondeo ut ineo ut is stipes. Quod vulgo virus, puteus’ have ut tag DC Duo of DCSportsChick quod1/2 Asian Vir. Quoque, quispiam should vere tag Paul procuspis procul sandbox, tamen non lascivio in is.

Thesis: In suus volubilis of rectus potestas, in numerus of suus proditus, in suus alternating sublimis quod ostendo-stopping showcasing of infirmus solers, in suus penchant, dum socius a ovis of glacies per universitas- ordo, familia nomen talentum, pro marginalizing lemma ut cuspis of res absentis- ex-- factum afterthoughts, quod huic suus January 2007, medium- hiberna’ plenus vigeo propositum of dominor, a virtuosity solvo of irritum quod instead organic in suus ‘Oh Meus Deus!’-ingenero species, Alexander Semin est, procul precocious aevum of 22, plurrimi gorgeously donum quod dynamic obscoena vis umquam ut gero a Lavatio Caput’ sudo.

Quod is isnt’ vel a propinquus dico.

Vinculum: north- meridianus aestuo per a valde donum pro ustulo calx in bunches tamen rare a venatus- dictum vis, maxime quoniam is eram, procul optimus, an mediocris obduco.

Gartner: a North American poema poematis of Vinculum.

Gustafsson: magis a pensator quam calx ustulo.

Ovechkin: universa vox sarcina of nitor, quod a mirus compliment ut suus paganus Sasha Semin, tamen dum a mirus stickhandler in suus own vox, doesnt’ orior oriri ortus ut rarefied regnum of dastardly dangling ut Alex II does.

Optimus directus comparison, in meus humilis ratio, est per alius invidia- adduco Russian paro of manuum: Alexei Kovalev.

Unus of meus maioribus frustrations per MSM — quod locus MSM singulariter — est suus emineo deficio ut chronicle an athletes’ adventum procul maiestas. Ita in Semins’ theca, quis weve’ magis vel minor seen in MSM occulto of him is season goes amo is: (Ashburn, Va.) September — “ solers Sourpuss Supervenio in D.C. procul Porro Permaneo” An October hat furta eram amplus ignarus, ( Tergum erant lascivio) ut is should have sanus a bulla’ timor. Laxus calx persevero ut aggero, quod etiam nos philologus nusquam novus of suum imperator.

Ut nonnullus ambitus, opinio es trado ut Semins’ linguistic solitudo, tanquam reddo pulvis’ available. Tamen lets’ narro gratia argument ut hes’ pretium per press quod omnino aloof. Nos hockey fans huic urbs havent’ seen amo of suus virtuosity, ut nostri, umquam. Illic’ a ingens fabula ut dico super is kids’ venatus, lima secundum lima repletus per inventor of suus prodigium. Quispiam in press per a incendia lit sub suus prohibeo castra aestiva would progredior quod adepto is nobis.

Vel EGO mos.

Rarus es instances of temerarus quod Francisca quod sagaciter autopsies tractare per interventus huic terra, quod planto Yahoos’ Dan Wetzels’ “Infortunatus Anniversary” ex yesterday sic exspectata. Mediocris loquor, nos reputo, ut is eram suscipio in NHLs’ Novus York muneris ut frigus ut tempero foris. Haud ratio of porro constructum necesse; suus’ optimus lego dum in hospitium surgical scrubs protego vestri novus Sarcalogos sudo.

“melior est paro ut suscipio suus 15th annus ut mandatum Thursday, quod amo plurimus hockey fans EGO sentio postulo ut vestigium vicis per papaver a solum of champagne, chugging universus res in an nixus ut somniculouse meus dolor tunc smashing cassus solum super meus templum ut niger sicco monumentum . . . Illic has nunquam been a mandatum of a major domus North American lusum league is inept, etiamnunc leagues’ tabula of satraps servo utor him, servo giving him alius chance pessum ire is quondam- superbus, quondam-vibrant league ut novus depths.”

Haud traho punches hic aut:

“ Melior tempus has been an unmitigated calamitas pro league in virtually sulum possible via, unus improbus atrox orsus secundum alius.”

Tunc Wetzel goes ut pectus pectoris of res:

“ego could write a libri super Bettmans’ insulting quod imbecilic permoveo per annus (Chapter 9: “ Micans Puck”) tamen pelagus forsit has usquequaque been idem eadem idem. Is has ostendo haud veneratio pro venatus, pro suus history, pro suus fans, pro suus unique species . . . league est iam overexpanded quod overpriced, misplaced quod misdirected. Is est minor suscito, minor interesting, minor institutio quod magis difficilis insequor pro non-obsessive fan.”

Tunc Wetzel refero OFBs’ longstanding sollicitudo super families res parcus casualties of Melior tempus: “suus’ dispiriting ut league fugo levis corpus pupa quod pretium sicco families.”

Ullus problems per leagues’ schedule, Dan?

“ infitialis es quoque multiplex ut album, tamen meditatus leagues’ current uneven schedule quod servo haud voluntas alius talea eo sumptus parumper pauci cheapskate proprietas. Teams lascivio duodeviginti venatus per season obviam divortium foes, vel 32 a annus obviam iustus quattuor teams.

“melior vindicatum is would spawn “ novus” certamen. Nimirum, vetus certamen talis ut Detroit-Toronto – duos hockey- dementis civis singulus per a singulus altus ut vere has an exitus pro Wayne Gretzky Blvd. – haud diutius lascivio a domus- quod- domus serius sulum season. Suus’ amo caedes Rutilus Sox-Yankees sic Puteulanus Jays-Diamondbacks vires reprehendo on.”

Quam bonus est piece? “bellator” “hockey,” quod “beer” es instituo huic lone sentence:

“quod, utpote bellator has been freno, “ novus” certamen havent’ vere captus quoniam a hockey certamen vacuus bellator est amo non-alcoholic beer.”

Quod in ut nota, nos infero: Mr. Wetzel, ut res tunc addo vos ut Lavatio — hopefully non tectum a sto- cassus “showdown” in Inferus — nos procul OFB ero emo vos totus of vestri beer.

Duos notabilis Richards reverto ut Lavatio tractare arts scaena tardus in January 2007 — primoris a sinister serius iuguolo of a invado ex Domus of York, sub procuratio of Shakespeare Theatrum’ Michael Kahn, alter a Slovakian sniper vegetus rehabbed, negotium per suffulcio Caps’ tentatio, sub regimen of Glen Hanlon. Dont’ exsisto admiratio si utriusque of suum tenura is hiberna es comparably dramatic.

Conventional sapientia has is ut Caps mos showcase Uber Zednik tunc three weeks quod paciscor pending UFA parumper pick pro February 27 professio mortifer. forsitan Tamen EGO reputo is iustus ut amo ut Caps mos re- sursum per 31- annus- vetus vox volatilis quod have him penicullus in parumper reverto fides tunc season. Etiam Eric Fehr est fere certainly peractio suus agnosco in Ipsa mane in 2007, tamen quotiens es rookies negotium per caput capitis-6 porro pius pro universus of an NHLs’ 82- venatus season? Caps mos nam penetro tunc season per widespread lascivio forecasts, quod per unus rookie iam inserted in teams’ caput capitis-6 orbis (Nicklas Backstrom). Tamen duos talis? Meus beneficium est ut Fehr mos effrego in tunc seasons’ versus per tertius vel quartus- versus minutes quod secundus- iunctum vox lascivio amoveo, per tantum convenienter, duos- via factum mereo him a proveho.

Super, is season has cruciatus Caps’ procuratio per imperative postulo adipiscor species depth per versus. Zednik, in physical prime of suus tutela, dedi iustus ut. Is went down secundum 20 venatus, vox ut is eram propono obscoena plaga perturbo quod dynamism. Abyssus’ postulo ut recapture ut vultus promereor fiducia of Caps’ procuratio, quod a novus paciscor, tamen parumper team ut sto impetro vel iunior tunc season, a veteran in suus prime amo Zed est an venustas in- domus bene. Could illic exsisto alius venustas solvo procurator vox pennae in venalicium is estas? certus Would they supervenio per notus- commodus species of Zed? Secus ultum. Per totus ratio Richards’ reverto fides in D.C. is season — ut angustus ut suus’ been — has been puteus suscipio per procuratio quod ludio ludius quod teammates pariter.

Meditatus, quoque, ut should is reverto ut suus pre- malum vultus Zedniks’ maioribus pendo supervenio secundum professio mortifer. Per Sarcalogos Expedio pulsus pro a 30- calx-plus campaign, iugum of Russians amo igneus sicco calx luminarium bulbs pro 50 sulum in laevus levus, suus’ speciosus ut a pondera tentatio of caput capitis-6 pennae could tempero aliquantulus Caps’ battered blueline, quod usher in an supremus-.500 run in February quod Proficiscor quod planto April ut dramatic in hockey D.C. ut weve’ seen is decade. A longshot scaena admittedly, tamen speciosus. Quod si duos veteran vox pennae es secui illius sub vir, wed’ have per a Quin Center velum dico is ver. Quod a reverto fides tunc cado.

Totus est non Rutilus in Gopherland. Secundum prodigo novem consecutive weeks ordo haud. 1 in rus ruris, laxus hodie Minnesota mos cede suus prime forte ut Novus Hampshire, ut Gophers erant swept domi per mediocris (15-11-2) North Dakota Bellator Sioux is preteritus weekend. Per a iugo of populus titulus in manus manus, Caput capitis Cogo Inicio Lucia amo isnt’ sensus ultum estus illa dies, tamen hockey fanatics in suus civitas subsisto puteus conscius Gophers’ coming sursum brevis ut is duco nuper. In oris weekend of stipes-season permaneo annus, Minnesota socius ut Sanctus Crux crucis in quis plures contemplor ut maioribus turbo in contraho hockey history. Lucia lost Phil Kessel quod Ryan Potulny ex ut team, quod nunquam videor ut gell in a cohesive stipes, tamen is annus is brought in quis eram videlicet teres vegetus ordo in rus ruris. Quod vox iam theyre’ lascivio amo vegetus.

Peior, suum magis expertus guys pulvis’ questus is perfectus, aut. Reprehendo sicco is confuto mollis licitus per Jeff Frazee obviam Sioux:

A mensis abhinc is videor tanquam Gophers erant a obfirmo pro Glacialis Quattuor in St. Louis. They etiam have magis firepower quam ullus stipes in rus ruris, sive EGO could locus a populus titulus beneficium in quislibet is oriens, Id’ prosecutusJeff Jacksons’ Bellator Irenses. ND (21-5-2) ero ordo 2nd in rus ruris is week, tamen magis maximus, theyre’ optimus defensabiliter stipes in rus ruris, they adveho procul vos per a pondera tentatio — verum quattuor versus ut can vulnero vos — quod they have a legitiums Hobey Baker candide in netminder David Frons. Frons has won 20 of Notre Dames’ 21 venatus quod jactito a .928 servo percentage quod a 1.72 calx- obviam. In 28 venatus is season Jeff Jacksons’ Cindarella squad has trado iustus 47 calx. EGO quoque sum intrigued hac statistic: Bellator Irenses have ludio ludius 11 venatus obviam teams ordo in caput capitis 15 procul vicis of placitum, quod suum record est 9-1-1.

In angulus of 13th & L Vicus Northwest suspendo is ingens Ovechkin vexillum. Suus’ septem repono altus — super 80′ pro #8, forsitan? — quod addo a smile ut meus visio sulum vicis EGO ingredior per in meus via laboro… a decet advertisement parumper ludio ludius of suus statua. Sententia youd’ utor a photo of aedificium edificium, sic hic is est:

Universa turnaround ex permaneo nox noctis, kick- coepi per three unassisted calx in super six minutes. Nimirum, ut eram secuutus per Carolina ustulo duos calx facio res interesting, tamen Caps denique got nonnullus discidium in Eric Fehrs’ primoris NHL venalicium.

• Can vos nomen Caps’ caput capitis three tutaminis, in terms of glacies- vicis? Magnificentia, yep. Morrisonn. Yep. Jeff Schultz? Yep. magnus blueliner had a beatus quietis undeviginti minute nox noctis. Haud magnus gaffes, haud glaring erroris, iustus simplex lascivio. Bonus effercio.
• Mike Viridis, vicissim, didnt’ have talis a voluptarius vesper. Im’ non certus si hes’ hitting a rookie parietis vel quis, tamen is had an absolutely ferinus turnover ut led ut a Carolina calx, quod eram ex genus totus vesper. Is nisus venatus per duodeviginti quod a dimidium minutes of glacies vicis, ahead of tantum Kris Beech quod Datum Procax. Viridis’ lascivio super has had nonnullus bumps, nuper, quod is ero interesting video vidi visum quam coaching baculus tracto is.
• Multus of offensus eram partum off porro’ fore- quod tergum- reprehendo; spoliatio puck, tunc ver a teammate, vel skating is down themselves. Ut is has been a minor- propalata secui of Caps’ team- tutaminis proventus, suus’ a exspectata os, quod suus’ nice ut incursus erant remuneror.
• Alexes. Non nimium ut can exsisto said ut’ novus vel insightful — theyre’ ridiculum donum hockey ludio ludius.
• Narro of munia, Kris Beech eram in suscipio terminus of quis EGO sententia eram optimus calx of nox noctis — Ovechkins’ stickhandling inhaero eram nice video vidi visum, is doesnt’ videor amo ut’ venio nimium is season.
• Olaf Kolzig had ut exsisto bonus iterum, tamen is didnt’ have ut exsisto valde. Ut’ a nice development.
• Im’ non certus Im’ vultus porro ut Caps lascivio Eric Staal in divortium venatus pro tunc ten annus. Hes’ a ingens hockey ludio ludius.
• Ustulo ex solum duos versus est a nice plus, quod EGO amo vultus of Pettinger-Sutherby-Gordon versus.
• Suus’ unus venatus, tamen vox iam quisnam would vos quinymo have in Caps — Jakub Klepis vel Eric Fehr? Mihi, quoque, quod EGO amo qua Hanlon loco Fehr — didnt’ tego texi tectum him per Procax quod Beech, tamen gave him undecim bonus minutes, quod Fehr respondeo.
• Is has been innutum in plures locus, comprehendo per Cogo Hanlon, ut illa locus ( terminus of a tergum- ut- tergum serius) est qua Caps’ emphasis in valetudo quod juvenis adveho in lascivio. Theyre’ vegetus.

Alius dip quod altus cuspis in volvo-coaster, quod suus’ forsit iens moror hac cetera of season. Proh, joys of subsequens a tener quod ingeniosus team.

Carolina est bonus, quod vox iam, Caps pulvis’. Ut’ pelagus dictata ex permaneo nox noctis. Iam, ullus team losing duos of suum caput capitis six tutaminis est in parumper of a nocens veho, tamen totus sermo of ‘ nixus’, ‘ lascivio smart’, quicumque, est orbis aliquantulus alveus vox iam. In terminus, vero, damnum cado in a penuria of talentum, putus quod simplex. Vitium usitas bovis- cuspis, Peius’ servo is brevis, minor- quam dulcis quod velox. tutaminis eram nocens. Sic nocens ut EGO dont’ teneo quot of calx EGO can pin in Brent Johnson, quisnam quoque no nonnullus bonus servo.

foramen in alter versus center positus iterum sto sicco — Klepis cant’ subsisto captus poena, quod Beech est an AHLer. Is plumbum ut a maior question quantus did Nicklas Backstroms’ sententia have efficio per via Caps’ orichalcum propinquo is season? Si Backstrom had certus ludo pro Caps is season, would ut have propero redivivus? Would Caps capto planto a validus pulsus pro playoffs? Iterum, difficile dictu, neque nec vere pertinent eduro nox noctis’ venatus.

Caps quod ‘ baculus vado iterum tonight, is vicis in Quin Center, quod vacuus a significant lenimentus in valetudo quod nixus, Caps may exsisto in pro alius porro nox noctis.

Unus nostri favourite lacuna procul OFB est Schadenfreude: “fructus sumo ex molestus of alius.” Nostrum tardus fructus adveho ex Dallas, qua panton est maior, tamen non Sidney Crux crucis.

Secundum Bellicus Leclerc proculLe Iter itineris de Montreal, Crux crucis famulor a secretum secui libri pro Totus- Astrum venatus procul a Dallas nightclub accersitusPhasmatis Talea primoris of hotel W. Procul is cuspis, NHL quod MSM have talentum in nostrum caput capitis ut Crux crucis est tantum 19. A “ bonus Samaritan” permissum procuratio teneo ut they had an underage patron on their hands. Just after 12:30 am, Crosby was escorted outside.

Don’t Mess with Texas!

A tap of the stick on the ice to James Mirtle and Eyes on the Prize for alerting us to this gem.

Prospect rankings are necessarily subjective and by design no more than a snapshot in time. And yet January, delivering the pro and college hockey seasons’ midpoints, as well as the completion of the World Junior Championships, seems the right time to weigh in on the progress Caps’ prospects seemingly have made since the end of last season.

With today’s maiden OFB ranking of the organization’s 20 most promising prospects, we’re inaugurating what we expect to be a biannual contribution, and we welcome especially the first- or second-hand assessments our readers, scattered across the continent, can offer up.

Taken in total, the assets ought to suggest an overall depth of quality youth that really the Caps have never had. Management has suggested from the outset of its rebuild that the establishment and replenishment of a player development pipeline was central to lasting success. We agree. But notice, too, that the quality is culled not just from the cream of annual draft crops but, increasingly, deep into later rounds, when most teams are gathering merely warm bodies. When you scan the rosters of Stanley Cup champions past, you see a blend not only of first-round gems but savvy trade acquisitions and some late-round draft steals.

We urge you also to pay a visit to David Rathburn’s outstanding Top 20 ranking over at Hockeysfuture.

Consistent critics of pro hockey ticket prices, we also praise well-conceived and meaningful discount schemes, and the Caps have a new one. Targeting the poorest among us (college kids), the Caps this week announced that for the remainder of the season those in possession of a valid college ID can get into the team’s remaining home games — all of them — for $21 each, and get a free large pizza to boot.

Double Secret Admission?

We’re thinking about taking some classes.

And to kick things off, for this Saturday’s home date with the ‘Canes, the Caps will allow in free the first 368 collegians who present themselves at Verizon Center, and dole out more free pizza.

Gives a whole new range of possibilities to the notion of Caps’ University.

From an actual NHL press release:

“The lighter, drier uniforms generated 9% less wind drag in wind tunnel tests at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.”

Its arenas notably emptier than a year ago, its television ratings in the toilet, its marquee star of the next generation uncertain where his home rink will be come July, it’s good to know that the NHL leadership is spending millions of dollars and commissioning MIT eggheads to improve . . . fabric performance.

With approximately 15 percent of the league’s players on crutches this week from slapshots taken to their feet in the bedroom slipper Bauers that MIT likely also had a hand in improving recently, imagine the comfort the crippled will derive moving from MRI to MRI 10 percent faster!

I wonder how many of the 13,000 gathered last Saturday afternoon at Verizon Center, numbed by the three-hour whistle-blowing, entertainment-ending penalty box parade, believed that unnecessary sweater friction was all that held them back from a matinee of riveting drama?

Did I say “sweater”? I better stop that. This week we’ve also apparently lost, forever, that sacred term, in favor of “uniform system.” Doesn’t that sound precisely like a federal government committee derived euphemism?

For sh*t.

There is something Everyman about the classic hockey sweater in its loose and shielding bulk, something unrivaled anywhere else in sports fashion in its cocooning fullness, enjoyed in recliners and on couches by generations of puckheads. I regularly see men — some women, but mostly men — solidly in their 40s and 50s amble about the concourses of Verizon Center and the CHL and AHL rinks I patronize in their team’s sweater. Conversely, this new “uniform system” has a faddish, Generation X, Y, or Z quality to it — I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I’m willing to wager Commissioner Bettman $424 that the greybeards take a pass on it.

Quite a marketing formula when you think about it: the “system” is far too expensive for those flat-bellies who might be intrigued by it and too juvenile looking for those with gobs of disposable cash. Ah, yes, the latest Madison Avenue mindset from NHL HQ.

More good news arrived from the league yesterday. Every hockey loving human being in North America hates the league’s present chemically unbalanced schedule — the one that keeps, conservatively speaking, between four and five thousand fannies out of Verizon Center every night; the one that allows one-third of North America exposure to Ovechkin and Crosby once every three years. So of course yesterday the league’s board of governors decided to stick with it for next season.

Ironic, isn’t it, to think back just a year, to the league’s relaunch television ads, the ones that touted “My NHL.” Numerous focus groups uncovered a fanbase feeling isolated and unwanted from the game’s governing structure. So post-lockout the league pledged to award fans some manner of say in staple moves. A year later the fans hate the uniform destruction and want a balanced schedule. Guess what they get? Pre-lockout ingratitude, and the back of Gary Bettman’s hand.

Really, this league needs to be saved from itself.

Alex Ovechkin took a break from rebuilding the Caps to help build a house. Ovechkin, along with other NHL All-Stars and alumni, joined the Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity outside the American Airlines Center to frame a house with a family displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

Michael McDonald of Philly Hockey Report is covering the All-Star festivities and sent us a picture of “Alex the Builder.”

This is the fourth house the NHL and NHLPA has built with Habitat for Humanity International.

Eric McErlain at Off Wing Opinion moderated a roundtable discussion on how the Washington Capitals have progressed so far this season. Along with DCSportsChick and Japers’ Rink, Eric was kind enough to involve the four of us at OFB.

We invite you to read the transcript here.

Word from Down Under that Prime Minister John Howard is going to extreme lengths to establish a sense of fierceness to his cabinet:

“NEW Workplace Relations Minister Joe Hockey has ruled out fundamental changes to the Coalition’s industrial laws but left the door open to “technical” adjustments . . . After impressing John Howard with his handling of the complex human services portfolio, Mr. Hockey has been elevated to the cabinet, pitting him against Labor deputy leader Julia Gillard.”

No fewer than three fresh items of delicious print media to acknowledge for Schadenfreude-minded Caps’ fans as it relates to Mullet Insolvency and Homelessness. The first, which runs in this morning’s Pittsburgh Tribune Review, is headlined “Lemieux ‘very disappointed’ over arena talks.” Some salient excerpts:

“Penguins co-owner Ronald Burkle met for almost two hours [last] Thursday night with [Gov. Ed] Rendell, Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Detroit businessman Don Barden . . . Lemieux said the meeting “wasn’t very good” . . . “Our people were offended and very disappointed,” Lemieux said.”

And:

“Team officials have been concerned about how much money they might lose by staying at Mellon Arena the next two seasons rather than moving to Kansas City. . .”

There is a bit of a six-slinger-showdown-at-sunset quality to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s file, also appearing today, headlined “Politician: Best deal is on the table”:

” . . . given what happened last week, the team likely will step up talks with Kansas City and might explore options in other cities as well . . . Asked about the chances of Kansas City coming strongly into the picture or the Penguins making another visit there, Lemieux said, “No comment.” Three times.”

And last but by far not least, the Houston Chronicle’s web site late last night ran word of Lemieux and his beleaguered band of impoverished ownership teammates traveling to that fair southern port to talk moving.

We are no Johnny-Blogger-come-latelys when it comes to reveling in the agony of the mulleted. Weeks back we published an internal roundtable discussion of the Pens’ dire straits. Today we renew our pledge not only to keep you informed of developments as they rev up out West but also that OFB will volunteer some of its own moving van muscles should that blessed day arrive.