In Glacialis Blog

Click hic parumper fun video ex TSN per pauci hockey ludio ludius sermo super suum ventus Sanctio costumes.

Kansas Urbs Astrum cuspis sicco ut Predators’ custodis is season est currently mediocris subter supter 14,000 per venatus. An exitus clarus (triggered permaneo annus per similis mugio custodis) mos solvo team ex suus consensio nisi team mediocris supremus 14,000 in pensus custodis pro 2007-08 season, procul quod vicis clarus can exsisto exerceo ut team est solvo dimitto urbs ut mane ut 2008-09 season.

Is videor fere a donatus ut Kansas Urbs mos adepto an NHL team procul nonnullus cuspis. KCs’ novus civitas-of-- professioVer Center pulvis, pariter ut Anschutz Entertainment Humus’s ( pulvis’ constructum, quod proprietas of Los Angelus Rex rgis) villa of league, practically guarantees is. league could sino permoveo of a team amo Predators ut KC … vel league could instead impendo etiamnunc iterum quod award teams ut KC quod alius urbs, addo numerus of NHL stipes ut 32.

Dum meus pectus pectoris goes sicco ut fidelis Nashville fans, Id’ quinymo animadverto Preds turba quod caput capitis sicco occasus quam video vidi visum league porro dilute suus talentum lacus per consummatio duos magis teams. EGO agnosco ut laxamentum fees socius per addo duos novus teams in NHL es a magnus, dangling palpo ut team proprietas quod league. Additionally, NHLPA would exsisto salivating procul prospicio of partum 46 additional jobs. Etiam, leagues’ profano est iustus satus ut revoco ex obfirmo, quod introducting duos novus laxamentum ianitor aegre videor a smart via lenocinor venatus.

Tamen verus question est, regardless of radix of team: Can Kansas Urbs suscipio an NHL suffragium?

Kansas Urbs Explorator could exsisto seen ut a sanctimonialis stipes ut Lavatio Caput; they utriusque penetro league in 1974-75 season. Tamen nunc secundum suum semita varietas quinymo significantly. Secundum pauci licentio annus, utriusque in glacies quod in sessio, Explorator suffragium left KC ingravesco Colo colui cultum Silicis; in 1982, stipes commotus iterum ingravesco Novus Jersey Diabolus. In Explorator’ denique season, proprietas no a validus pulsus in defero vendo 8,000 season tickets; they curo vix a vicus of suum calx.

Tamen Kansas Urbs of 1970s gero parum similitudo ut Kansas Urbs hodiernus. KC metro area iam ordo ut 27th- amplus in rus ruris — amplus quam San Jose vel Columbus, quod iustus pauci snowed- in Romanorum nox noctis per fireplace a reprehendo metro areas amo Portland/Vancouver, Cincinnati, quod Cleveland. Suus pullulo populatio insisto a validus upsurge of utriusque urbanus laxamentum quod humanitas incrementum.

Quod Ver Center ipsum est a doozy of an pulvis. Suus 18,500 sessio quod 72 luxuria boxes loco is near caput capitis of league tenus amenities quod totus- maximus consentaneus venditio. Suus’ a mediocris os melior parumper hockey team quam vetus Kemper Pulvis, quod locus in pectus pectoris of Downtown plaga speculum ut of Caput’ Quin Center. Merchants have sprung sursum totus inter pulvis, quod Ver Centers’ October debut has iam brought a surge of clientelle ut area in vicis nox noctis.

Ver Center est haud Meadowlands, stuck in medius nusquam per nusquam efficio tamen sit in traffic; ymo, suus’ in a vibrant downtown confinio ut’ iustus pauper parumper team voco is domus. Quod si paciscor dedi ut Penguins est ullus testimonium, pulvis proprietas humus est voluntarius prebeovaldefamiliaris terms ut whomever they redarguo moveo in ut suum centerpiece tenant.

Utrum ut team exsisto Predators, alius team (Atlanta vel Florida, quisquam?) vel vel laxamentum (shudder), Kansas Urbs videor voluntarius quod validus hospito hockey per patefacio telum.

Quondam super a vicis, pectus pectoris of similitudo ratio rabies-fiasco commissio per Reebok eram absentis in secui of fabrica of ullus voluntas ut hockey, per suus sudo, had usquequaque had a novus iunctio inter ludio ludius quod fan. Illa EGO vilis, illud colo colui cultum ordinatus in a proprius penicullus, quod domus in an Everymans’ levamentum, erant a novitas in totus of lusum, quod alo per generations of North Americans. Quisquis pendo brought super per vexillum’ formo re-engineering — quod ut’ serio sub velitatio illa dies — Reebok aptly probo ut is nunquam pensus vota quod famulatus of hockey fan. Reebok iustus doesnt’ tutela.

Tamen hodie sermo est recedentia magis serius quam fan preferences vel purgamentum a significant institutio. novus jerseys es attero gloves. novus socks es attero skates. Alius ut, Reeboks’ similitudo ratio est iustus dandy. Permaneo week nos innotesco sepulchrum dissatisfaction per lemma in secui of Boston Frendo. An effectus per Edmonton Oilers magis vel minor told a journalist in urbs ut is wouldnt’ permissum ullus parvulus of suus exsisto caught mortuus in Oilers’ novus vultus. Quod permaneo weekend, Dmitry Chesnokov of Sovetsky Lusum quod EGO ambio sententia in novus unis of Caps’ trio of Russians — Ovechkin, Kozlov, quod Semin.

Quis they told nos wasnt’ omnino admiratio, ut perfusus testimonium conscendo trans league. Etiam, ut indictments vado, suum eram siccus, Francisca, quod unsparing.

“etiam, EGO have a forsit per meus gloves,” Ovechkin told nos. “They fio valde madidus. EGO vado per duos iugum of gloves per period.”

Chesnokov, quisnam est opinio in is res pro suus Russian newspaper quod tribuo nos obvius ut ludio ludius’ reflections, had sciscitor Ovechkin iterum si is vere vilis duos iugum per period. “etiam, duos iugum per period,” is respondeo.

Unus of causa hockey instructus peto valde tractus impetro apparatus siccus quam primum est prohibeo ludio ludius aegrotatio. Alius est prohibeo contagio. Fingers in madidus gloves es proprie susceptible ut contagio, quod nisi tracto prompte, serius, vel vita-threatening complications can exsisto existo.

Chesnokov tunc percunctor of Viktor Kozlov. “quam primum EGO persolvo ut Boston Frendo erant non gauisus per suum similitudo quod volo ut forsitan reverto ut vetus similitudo” Chesnokov told mihi. ‘’ego asked Kozlov utrum Caps quod is in proprius had ullus problems per similitudo. Kozlov said: “ego dont’ teneo, nemo told nos quisquam. Tamen quis operor vos vilis ‘problems’ ?” EGO coepi interpretor is ut him: “mador est kept in somes quod lacrimo tenus. . . ” Procul is cuspis is rumpo mihi quod said “ ut skates!” Vere EGO volo loquor gloves, tamen Viktor videor habeo problems per unda in suus skates.”

“Yeah! Yeah, EGO reputo EGO have idem eadem idem forsit!” Kozlov told Chesnokov. “vere, EGO have been animadverto multus of unda in meus skates. Tamen EGO had haud informatio quare! Maybe is est causa! Is planto voluntas si alius ludio ludius have idem eadem idem problem.”

Chesnokov tunc gratias ago him pro spatium, quod Kozlov said, “ haud, gratias agovos pro illustrator mihi! Is totus planto voluntas now.”

Is would videor ut Reebok est res minor quam forthcoming per leagues’ ludio ludius super paratus valetudo ut have sedatus in in leagues’ oris mensis. Vel, nonnullus certainly pulvis’ questus vox of ullus acknowledgment.

Per permaneo weekend Semin hadnt’ skated in three plenus venatus per Caps is season, quod is didnt’ effor sollicitudo per paratus. “ego iustus focus in playing,” is said, tamen is did agnosco ut ludio ludius didnt’ criminor super “ vetus” apparatus. Volvit sicco ut permaneo weekend is quoque had alius in suus mens — a novus pactum per Caps.

“ego amo is hic quoniam totus of meus amicitia es hic” is told nos. “ego sum non quidam quaedam quedam quidam alio quisnam amo admoveo diversus locus. EGO amo meus teammates, procuratio, quod quod nos es a tener team.”

In February, Caps populus a “Hockey ‘n Heels” nox noctis pro female fans. (vos can lego meus repeto hic.) Permaneo Imbuo, Rex rgis populus suus “Hockey & Altus Heels” vicis. CKim quod kms2 exPuniceus Frendo Velvet famulor vicis, quod CKim had is loquor super is:

“Hockey & Altus Heels eram vicis ut brought nos sicco quod is couldnt’ have been melior. Etiam flyer apparatus vicis ut women volo scio magis super venatus, tamen is evolved in quispiam melior. 24 vel sic women ut no is sicco totus iam had a diligo pro venatus sic is eram a valde via accerso is unique humus of ladies una”

Laetus audire talis fanaticus pro vicis; Rex rgis had futurus commodo per fan reaction, si nusquam alius. vicis eram iuste similis ut Caps vicis, praeter ut women had significant glacies vicis in plenus apparatus quod swag they suscipio sanus melior quam planto pera quod sacculus speculum ex Caps’ Hockey ‘n Heels.

Donatus ut Caps erant validus delecto 250 women in a weeknight, suus’ leviter admiratio video vidi visum ut tantum super duos dozen women famulor Rex rgis’ vicis super weekend. Tunc EGO saw pretium tag: $centum, plus $52 pro sulum additional ticket. same vicis ero held pro female Penguins fans in November 7 pro $130 sulum, quod Penguins specto vicis vendo sicco. Unus res Caps did vox eram ut pretium suum vicis tickets procul $65. Dum is may have videor amo multus procul vicis, is eram cognatus bargain foedus ut pretium ut Hockey & Altus Heels vices es to order. Illic es magis perks ( talis ut a effingo of Lisa Fornax’ libri,Hockey & Altus Heels), tamen fortuitus fan may non postulo vel votum ut. Quispiam pro stipes recolo est ut superus pretium may subsequens devoveo fan ero magis promptus famulor, ut econtra ut quispiam quisnam teneo parum ut nusquam super hockey.

kms2 oratio proventushac:

“If Hockey quod Altus Heels est coming ut an pulvis near vos, EGO would altus suadeo sequax. Si vestri’ incertus super iens, EGO innutum emailing contactus alio in tutela of vicis quod scisco qualis of female fans theyre’ trying ut target. Volo is vicis had been vendo in a melior via, magis versus, expers confero female hockey fans quinymo quam erudio females super decens fans. Regardless, EGO had talis a valde vicis quod EGO vere spes Rex rgis quod alius teams persevero ut confero similis vices, non vel iustus pro females, tamen pro totus fans.”

Quod ut, in a lamnia lammina lamna, est forsit: suus’ difficilis condeco everyones’ postulo. primary calx illorum typus of vices videor futurus engaging fortuitus female fans, ut econtra ut foveo female hockey fans. Illic’ nusquam nefas per ut, obviously; suus’ valde video vidi visum magis fans procul hockey venatus. Suus’ miseratio versus ambulo: is would exsisto specimen si illic eram a via annecto utriusque humus vacuus alienatio aut unus. Regardless, vices amo illa es a valde satus versus ingenero novus fans quod engaging current ones.

NHL est satus a novus promotional campaign inscribo Ago Sulum Amoveo.

Ovechkin planto duos narro vultus, comprehendo a versus in Russian.

Est Is Annus?

Hic est alter spondeo, quoque featuring Ovechkin.

EGO Spondeo

Haud vox si Reebok membrana a segment sententia “ ego spondeo sumo vacuus a suscipio“.

Porro- vicis Lavatio Caput Peter Vinculum has persona renuntio suus decessus hodie. Capit of pallium of Imperator Procurator pro suus paternus Slovakian Populus Team; abyssus’ exsisto in Halifax pro IIHF Universitas Championships in 2008. Pro magis,click hic.

UPDATE: Reprehendo siccoTed Leonsiss’ blog pro suus repens prandium per Bonzai quod Caput’ sermo contemplor “a serius of res efficio una” per him.

headline est a laudo ex Edmonton Oilers praesieo Cal Angulus in an article inyesterdays’ Edmonton Sol solis. Lusum columnist Atrox Jones devoveo suus Sunday vitualamen ut “ numerus eo of Edmonton Oilers ‘pyjamas‘,” via niveus in proprius.
Hic’ magis ex team praesieo:

“ego have futurus curiosus hic. Reebok pensus multus of viaticus” [ angulus] said of exertus addo novus similitudo ut teams inter league quod obvious NHL monumentum ut everybody in venatus ut they totus must diligo lemma.

EGO told Angulus EGO eram stilus super awful novus Oilers silks.

“ego reputo ut would exsisto a bonus article ut write,” is said. “tamen iustus loco mihi down pro sententia EGO amo nostrum vetus similitudo. EGO dont’ volo ut sanus amo an vetus virga- in-- limus quisnam cant’ vado contemporary.”

Vos can exsisto certus Oilers’ fidelis es aliquantulus praeter underwhelmed. In suus column, Jones innutum ut lector should Google “Oilers” quod “ similitudo” qua youll’ reperio ineo talis ut

“Glacies Idoneus awful!“

“EGO amo institutio horizontal virga procul solum of vetus jersey.“

“Quare nuntius per institutio?“

“Butt turpis. Is vultus amo quispiam quisnam contemno Oilers intentio is unus.“

Promptus, illic eram a ratio ut rabies.

“nos volo change. Multus of res motivated nos aspicio change. Nos have a novus obfirmo cella. A novus team. Nos saw is ut rejuvenation. A spiritus of vegetus air,” said [Oilers’ CEO Pium] LaForge.

“is eram vilis futurus quasi a Baltimore Ravens vultus” is said.

Sic quam operor vos adepto vestri virga tergum?

“nos can operor it,” says LaForge. “tamen non insquequo 2009-2010.”

A tap of virga in glacies utKuklas’ Korner pro primary succurro.

Lavatio may non exsisto a hockey urbs, tamen illic es an spatiosus numerus of hockey diligo in is. Quod hardcore ones procul ut. Take Rockvilles’ Bobby Brendler, quisnam had is nugget in suus tabellae vulgo obviusLavatio Stipes yesterday:

“etiam dont’ vigilo Channel 7 novus utpote Resumo Poussaint ostendo sum ut U.S. pello pepulli pulsum Soviet Iugum in 1980 Olympic hockey venatus pro they pluo candela profero”

Stipes, in suus “TalkBack” column, told Bobby impetro“ super it.” Tamen Bobby can adepto super ut meus locus pro a beer ullus vicis.    

Is preteritus Mondays’ Novus York Vicis censeo Adveho Centrals’ Stephen Colbert quod suus oculus- oris vultus permaneo Sunday in ‘ opportunus Press.’ Colbert, ludio ludius, comedian, incentivus, fledgling candide promptus pro Niveus Domus, videor ut Tim Russerts’ hospes, quod Russert eram in in iocus. Praeter, obviusVicis’ insightful visum, is wasnt’ adeo a iocus. Quoque in Lavatio is week, Lavatio Vicis vindico a contemporary overview of persona ut hockey bloggers incrementabiliter es lascivio in interventus universe. duos novus vices, Id’ oro, dedi vegetus vicis ut perseco ongoing evolution of interventus.

Colbert est a faux presidential candide. Atqui validus ferrum in suus ‘ opportunus Press’ vultus eram ut in plures veneratio is eram magis auctorizo quam quis typically est portatus off in ut progressio vel suus in- pius Sunday oriens competition. Ut eram subtilis Colberts’ cuspis; hes’ res publica habeo said, “ ego sum recedentia verus quam [Kansas Orchestra quod insquequo nuper presidential candide] Sam Brownback.” Sit. magis hes’ sulum frenum ut speciosus a presidential candide ut Brownback vel Sarcalogos Dodd vel Joe Biden.

Colbert volo ut moneo nos of inherent phoniness of contemporary American politics quod interventus Quod qui consurgo in tutaminis of Vetus Interventus vis a vis novus interventus’ challenge ut is dont’ copiose appreciate, is videor ut mihi, aut ambitus of longstanding, widespread dissatisfaction per interventus statua quo — chronicled iam super decades — vel versatility quod verus- vicis labefactum brought super per novus competition.

Ut a humanitas, didnt’ nos abicio mythology of press “ libertas” super a ingenero abhinc? Utrum vestri target est Katie Virtus vel Dan Quinymo vel Bob Novak, delusional quaint animadverto ut an universus workforce of notitia gatekeepers est quomodo filterless, dispensing developments per ideology- solvo lenses, videor iam of universitas- est-flat sensibility. The upshot of which is: in chronicling the highs, lows, and general do-nothings of both the Clinton and Bush administrations of the past 15 years, who’s had a greater impact in our culture, Matt Drudge or the Chicago Tribune? When significant legislation is introduced and debated on Capitol Hill, how many Americans believe the network or big city paper Hill correspondent and his or her 900-word file or 120-second-segment-soundbite captures the majority of the bill’s impact? (Or even a sliver.) What happens to a bill — like say this past spring’s Senate’s immigration package (800 pages) — when an army of bloggers, some with law degrees, goes through it with a fine-tooth comb? The answer: K Street — and Old Media conventional wisdom — becomes confounded.

The next question is, why would you have much if any deference to a dying medium? Polite respect perhaps, but deference? Another question is one of philosophical pragmatism: in light of rapidly developing technology and the democratizing quality of media it engenders, why would you think that a lone set of eyes and fingers on a keypad ought to be the definitive representative of a news event? And while with big news items on line there’s always initially a lot of heat and noise, rather quickly the wheat gets separated from the chaff.

The cold hard reality for big-city editors and bureau chiefs is that with each passing week more and more Americans aged 15-40 are turning to alternative media to get their hard, soft, and pretty much everything in between kind of news. For better or for worse, it’s been a steady diet of Jon Stewart, Matt Drudge, Stephen Colbert, the Daily Kos . . . and Kissing Suzy Kolber.

This past Friday night, on my most recent visit to Verizon Center, I made two notes about the dynamics of the contemporary sports press box. There is on display there, nightly, a stunning dichotomy. On the one hand, you have individual beat reporters from individual Old Media outlets pecking away on their machines an hour before the game, actually erecting the infrasctructure of the stories they’ll file in a few hours. They’ll pause and make small-talk occasionally with their peers, but in general it’s a tightly scripted environment affording precious little significant reflection time. Most of these reporters are actually writing while the game action is taking place — and necessarily not watching it.

At another end of press row one can commonly find a cadre of bloggers, all of whom technically are forbidden from blogging in “real time.” Instead, they are rapturously engaged in the on-ice proceedings . . . and with one another. There is heavy traffic of real-time visual note-taking and sharing, analysis and speculation. Often I will arrive at Verizon Center with a single file idea and depart with four, by virtue of the savvy blogger exchanges I am immersed in, particularly between periods.

But there is more: like all others Friday night, I packed up my gear at the game’s concluding horn and made my way down to the players’ rooms. The Capitals’ captain had appeared to be injured quite badly. I wanted to get official word of Clark’s condition as fast as possible, and get it up on the ‘Net within minutes. Dmitry Chesnokov and I waited in a hallway for Nate Ewell with the word. It took some minutes, but we got it: stitches and not anything truly awful. My computer was packed up, and were I a lone blogger here I’d have had to wait for a work station and an outlet of some sort to type up my finding. Instead I relayed the news via cell phone to an OFB colleague, who was seated near his computer at home.

But there is more: there is an archetype to the filings of Old Media (”the game file”) at games. Oftentimes I determine mine six or seven minutes into a game. Sometimes I play it straight, sometimes I veer off on creative tangents. And in this respect I’m pretty much like every other hockey blogger in town.

Friday night I had no editor to wait upon for publication clearance back in any news room. The point here isn’t to toot our horn but instead to delineate a bit the technology that is driving the media revolution. On Saturday new and old media alike simultaneously received word of Alexander Semin’s new contract. Who do you suppose had word of it up first? (Answer: blogger Mike Vogel.)

Much like Colbert’s jarring intrusion on Tim Russert’s set last Sunday hockey bloggers in D.C. have uprooted the conventions of hockey coverage in town. And I don’t think we’ve even gotten to the fun stuff yet.

A report in the Boston Herald is only partially correct. The Globe and Mail ran the following statement by Reebok, which in part reads:

After working with NHL players, teams, and equipment managers to gather feedback on the Rbk Edge uniform system, Reebok has decided to provide an alternative jersey to the players who request it.

Many NHL players are satisfied with the current Rbk Edge jersey, but since the start of the season we have received player feedback about the jersey’s moisture management and durability. Based on this feedback, Reebok will provide players with the option to wear a version with slight sizing and fabrication adjustments.

In the alternate version, one fabric has been replaced with an air-knit fabric and the bead-away water repellency technology has been removed. Both jerseys will continue to offer up to four performance materials, including Reebok’s PlayDry moisture-wicking technology and a stretch mesh for increased range of motion and ventilation.

There will be no visual difference between the jerseys. The newly designed comfort necklines, jersey cut lines, anatomical fit and team designs will remain identical. Retail versions of the jersey also will remain unchanged.

Alexander Semin has signed a 2-year, $9.2 M contract extension with the Washington Capitals. The 23-year-old sniper’s new deal is excellent news for the team and fans alike; his absence from the lineup clearly impacted the team’s line combinations, particularly on the power play.

Check out Mike Vogel’s blog for details of the contract. More information to follow . . .

One Alex signed, one to go!

First thing’s first: Captain Chris Clark, who took a brutal, undeflected Alexander Ovechkin slapshot directly to his head in the third period Friday night, is in reasonably good shape. According to the team, he suffered no broken bones, no concussion, and received stitches to his ear (don’t know how many). Don’t know his status for tomorrow night in St. Louis, but knowing this guy, he’ll find a way shake out the cobwebs, supress the pain, and lead his troops against the Blues.

• Never a good idea to stake one of the planet’s finest goaltenders to an early lead, especially when he has 9-0 MoJo against you going for him as it is. The Caps fell behind early, a couple of fluky bounces helped the ‘Nucks to their first two goals, and the Caps were playing catch-up all night.

• Not to pitch prunes against a wall, but the game footage from this one won’t be submitted to the league’s Office of Officiating and ID’d as “Boy did the boys in stripes call a stellar one here.” Faux penalties, too few instances of diving hockey players (on both sides) sanctioned for unsportsmanlike, and high sticks galore occasioned “Refs you s*ck” chants from the home faithful. Ovechkin in particular had his chicklets seemingly regularly loosened from Canuck stick blades wielded high.

• With about six minutes left in the second period, Olie Kolzig kept his team in the game with a pair of point-blank, fanny-raising-in-the-stands saves on Henrik Sedin.

• A little later in the second, Viktor Kozlov, the puck under control on his stick and little pressure on him high in his own end, missed seeing a wide-open-down-the-middle Alexander Semin for would would have been a sure clean breakaway. That would have been a treat to see, two of the game’s premiere talents in a one-on-one showdown.

• It was a slapshot shooting gallery for Alexander Semin, known far more for his world-class wrister; he blasted at least three at Roberto Luongo. His manning one point on the power play had something to do with that.

• Speaking of the power play, it went 2-for-5 tonight, with Coach Hanlon designing an all forwards unit of five (Alex O and Alex S, Clark, Nylander, and Kozlov) on the first unit. Will it stay intact in St. Louis? Hard to argue with a 40 percent success rate — and against Luongo, too — versus what preceded it.

• It’s becoming a bit of a broken record, but again Ovechkin hit everything opponent that moved, often thunderously. I’m not sure I saw Mark Messier in his prime take the body as consistently and as savagely — and legally — as AO is this season.

• I found the Caps’ blueline corp rather underwhelming in its general effectiveness in the game’s first half but markedly better in the second. Kolzig deserved better support than what he got from them in the first period.

• Vancouver’s checking line I thought did a real effective job against the Ovechkin line all night long. At even strength it generated minimal sustained pressure.

• ‘Nuck Kevin Bieska was a consistent force of obstruction against Caps’ forwards down low all night. Some of it was of the legal variety, some of it, away from the play, was not. But he was an effective nuissance.

I had a chance to chat with a Caps’ official who was present at both the Draft Combine in Toronto and the Entry Draft itself in Columbus. Young Pat Kane, the first pick of the draft by the Hawks, is acquitting himself rather well as an 18-year-old in Chicago’s top 6, racking up 13 points in just 10 games thus far. I wanted to know if at any point last spring the Caps’ brass had flirted with the idea of trading up from the no. 5 spot with an eye on grabbing Kane. The short answer is no. The Caps did interview Kane, and the team was extremely impressed by him. “He told us that he was positive that he was going to play in the NHL, this year, and make an impact,” the official told me. Right on both counts.

After tonight’s game in St. Louis, the team will fly into Toronto for Monday night’s game against the Leafs. The team won’t skate on Sunday and instead will attempt to gain a privileged tour of the Hockey Hall of Fame. A sort of VIP tour. Gotta think something like that would make quite an impression on somebody like Nicklas Backstrom. If the special visit takes place, look for Mike Vogel to chronicle it in vivid detail early next week.

A tip of the hat to Mr. Eric McErlain, he of Off Wing Opinion, who just excitedly rushed into my office to inform me that the Boston Bruins have returned the entirety of their uniform systems to Reebok, because Bs’ players are drowning and suffering heat stroke in them, and Reebok is agreeing to replacing the entirety of the uniforms, made . . . of the old material.

(Eric and I actually man-hugged over the news.)

Well done, Commissioner Bettman, well done indeed. That experiment sure lasted a long time. NHL Commissioners don’t quite get libraries like U.S. Presidents do, but Bettman needs an Area 51-type hanger into which can be stored scores of Glo-pucks and now Reebok uniform systems.

The Bruins, friends, will be skating soon in those good old fashioned, lovely loose hockey sweaters. Bank on it.

The news broke buried in a story in yesterday’s Boston Herald. Take a lookey:

“According to sources in the B’s dressing room, Reebok has been unable to correct problems with the new jerseys introduced this season across the NHL and will replace them at the company’s expense with new uniforms made of the old materials.

“Players have complained since training camp that the new jerseys, which are supposed to be lighter and allow sweat to evaporate out through the shirts, have instead trapped water inside and gotten heavier. . . “

Now then. The Bruins most assuredly will not be the only team returning its players to comfort. But what will Reebok do for replacement uniforms for teams — such as the Caps — who performed wholesale redesigns predicated on the Reebok uniform system at least making it to Halloween? You may have noticed: The Caps’ new crest and nameplates are sized for smaller, tighter sweaters. This is going to get real interesting.

As is Reebok’s next shareholders’ meeting.

Update: After tonight’s game I had a chance to listen in on the opinions of three very prominent Washington Capitals about the conditions they’re enduring because of Reebok’s uniform system. You will find them interesting, I promise. Will be publishing them later this weekend.

You know how one out of every 125 or so NHL fights reminds you, by virtue of their jaw-dropping, scare-the-dog-with-your-shrieks reactions to their violence, of their genuinely frightening, game-altering authenticity? One of those just transpired in Boston, where 6 ‘9, 251-lb. Zdeno Chara made mincemeat of 6 ‘6, 238-lb. Blackhawk David Koci. It was positively a Halloween scene . . . as in straight out of the movie ‘Halloween.’ Splatters of Koci blood — something out of Showtime’s ‘Dexter‘ — filled the center of a faceoff circle. Koci, the game’s announcers just informed, endured a broken nose two games ago. It was harrowing seeing him attempt to cling to Chara’s jersey with his left arm while trying to maintain a safe, face-preserving distance from Chara’s disfiguring blows.

Incredibly, it was Chara’s first fight as a Bruin. As tape of it is watched around the league, you’d think he won’t be on the receiving end of many challenges in the near future.

We will update this file with video just as soon as we locate it.

Update: Thanks to Sig for the pointer to the video.

Greg Wyshynski, Washington correspondent for The Fourth Period, is one of the most enjoyable and insightful folks in town with whom to take in a hockey game. Last week I had the pleasure of his company at the Islanders’ game, and in the midst of another failed Caps’ power play he asked me if I thought that Alexander Semin’s absence from the lineup was decidedly detrimental to the Caps’ man advantage. “Semin,” I told Greg, “is the difference between this power play ranking 25th or 12th in the league.”

I may have slightly overstated Semin’s impact, and last night’s 0-for-4 showing while a man up against Tampa in the Caps’ 5-3 victory doesn’t appear to offer prima facie evidence of a potent power play with Semin back on it. But don’t be fooled. It sure looked different, didn’t it?

Imagine the Caps’ power play unit entering a robust pumpkin in a Halloween pumpkin carving contest. For the past three weeks, the Caps’ pumpkin has sat uncarved and unilluminated on a shelf, its suggested visage traced out in black marker as jovial as opposed to menacing. For the purposes of this contest, hosted by Wes Craven, the Caps’ unit seeks to make a menacing jack-o-lantern. Tom Poti carves out the top. Michael Nylander might chisel out a set of frightening eyes. Alexander Ovechkin would follow with a creepy-wicked mouth. Alexander Semin brings the finishing light within. It offers a harrowing red glow.

A potent power play first needs a playmaking catalyst. The Caps have had that this season in Michael Nylander. It needs finishing skill as well. Alexander Ovechkin certainly brings that. It must also have competency at the points. The jury’s still out here, but Tom Poti and Mike Green and others on the Caps’ blueline are putting up a healthy tally of points in five-on-five play, and Poti’s career has more often than not brought healthy power play production. The arsenal in Green’s game surely suggests he can help generate production on an effective power play unit. So far this season, the Caps have missed a complimentary finisher opposite AO. It’s been a one-side-of-the-ice threat. That’s relatively easy to defend.

Great or at least reasonably effective power play units boast scoring threats on both sides of the offensive zone. Semin obviously brings that compliment to his countryman Ovechkin. But Glen Hanlon has also deployed Semin on the power play point. The Caps haven’t had him in either role much of this season to date. Some in hockey (Craig Laughlin comes to mind) regard Semin as possessing hockey’s most lethal wrist shot down low. Now think back to the 5-on-3 man advantages the Caps have had thus far, all of them without Semin. Think that wicked wrister might have helped out there?

Here are five qualities to the Caps’ power play that, from my vantage, Semin helps facilitate:

• The addition of a world-class finisher who requires precious little time and space to produce in lethal fashion;
• The arrival of crisp, cross-ice and often creative passes between Ovechkin and him, among others, adding a horizontal threat to the attack;
• Depth in quality personnel at the point;
• With Semin and Ovechkin working the half boards, the creation of more open lanes for the point personnel, as PK units understandably are drawn lower in the box to try and check the superstars;
• An altogether different realm of confidence in the entire unit.

A scary-good power play is within this team’s potential with its current personnel, I wager. It’s a nice time of year to anticipate its arrival.

Well, hi there! It’s good to be back.

When I ended my blog last month, I had no intention of returning to blogging any time soon. Recent life changes for me and my husband, Chanuck– including a DC Sports Chicklet on the way– made me realize that I couldn’t maintain my own blog on a regular basis without sacrificing quality. Plus, I needed the break. Then OFB came calling, and I couldn’t resist; the guys are awesome and I didn’t want to pass up a chance to collaborate with them.

I know that there’s no way I could ever take EmptyMaybe’s place, not that anyone expects that, though that’s not my goal. Rather, I hope to provide a point of view that was previously missing from OFB (save for MrsGustafsson’s excellent post about Hockey in Heels). For the readers who don’t know me, I’m not the type to go all puckbunny and drool over the players. On the other hand, someone has to counter the boys’ official Lindsay Czarniak love on behalf of some of the female readers of the site. (It gets a little out of control at times, though I know they would disagree.)

The boys told me that they would pick up their dirty clothes, put the toilet seat down, and generally keep the blog in good order. If I could only get my own husband to do that…but just like in marriage, I know it doesn’t work that way. I don’t expect anything here to change. It will be business as usual, with perhaps a few subtle nuances. No worries!

Now, back to your regularly scheduled hockey blog…

When Liz, aka the DC Sports Chick, left blogging to tend to more weighty matters (a.k.a real life) a couple of months ago, many of us who blogged exclusively about hockey thought our community had lost a significant, entertaining, and insightful talent.

Today, we have very good news: she’s back blogging. Even better: she’s blogging for us.

Today we welcome Liz into the OFB zoo. She’s been a longtime supporter and friend. Now, she’s a colleague. Obviously, we’re thrilled.

Here’s what really drew us to her: she loves hockey, loves D.C., loves beer, and she can write. We’re not sure what drew her interest in us. We do know that she has missed blogging.

From July 2005 through September 2007, Liz was author of DCSportsChick.com, a D.C. sports fan blog — “with the exception of the Redskins,” she forcefully notes (see how perfect a fit she is here!). Her blogging focus was on the Capitals and Nationals.

She’s been featured on WRC NBC 4’s “Meet the Bloggers” series (May 2006); an on-air radio talent/blogger for the “Sports Journey Radio Show” from October 2006 through March 2007; one of Ted Leonsis’ recommended blogs; a writer for Femmefan.com; the subject of SportsFan Magazine’s 2006 Capitals’ preview; and generally, rightfully treated by old and new media the past couple of years as the e-Diva designee she’s rightfully earned.

We’re totally psyched that Liz has joined us. She’ll contribute in fits and bursts as life allows, blogging from home and blogging from the road. We’re four again in our revved up cruiser, and we’re looking forward to the ride.