I am still feeling pretty miserable. I stayed home yesterday... went to work today, but left at noonish... My nose is stuffy and I'm coughing, but not coughing anything up. It's just making my chest hurt.
I have chicken soup for dinner.
I'm liking this show, "Deadliest Warrior" on Spike TV. They use modern technology to determine which legendary warrior would defeat another legendary warrior. I watched one between Samurai and a Norse marauder... Samurai won... and then another between an Island warrior and a Shaolin Monk. The Shaolin Monk won.
Today's is Gladiator v. Apache Warrior.
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Granato is out as head coach for the Colorado Avalanche... AHL Coach Joe Sacco is in.
David Krejci, Bruins forward, signed a new contract for three years, approximately $11 million, and then underwent hip surgery for a torn labrum. He hopes to be back to start the season, but could miss the first month of action. It's expected that he'll require four to six months to recover fully.
The Dallas Stars re-signed goalies Matt Climie and Brent Krahn to one year deals.
The Maple Leafs signed defensemen Carl Gunnarsson and Juraj Mikus, and forward Mikhail Stefanovich.
The Sabres signed center Paul Byron, and lost center Marek Zagrapan, who signed with Severstal Cherepovets of the Russian KHL.
Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond resigned with the NJ Devils... and Ryan Keller signed a one-year deal as a free agent with the Ottawa Senators.
And though Tavares still leads the pack in this year's draft, he's getting some competition from 6'6" Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman and center Matt Duchene.
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Game IV of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals
FIRST PERIOD
Datsyuk is listed as being a game-time decision... so we'll see.
I'm wavering between hot and cold. This is not fun.
The lawn party is well underway outside the Igloo... Datsyuk did participate in the morning skate, and took part in the pregame skate as well, but he will not be in the lineup tonight for Detroit. Draper, however, will (be in the lineup for Detroit).
Another white-out inside the Igloo, and we're about ready to drop the puck on Game 4.
We are guaranteed at least a Game 5 on Saturday. Let's look to guarantee a Game 6 on Tuesday (so very convenient so I don't have to miss the PPV Sunday or RAW at
sirchristian and
destinyrose10's on Monday!)
Tripping on Detroit, the Pens have a power play early. I was hot a minute ago... now I'm cold.
Staal takes a shot... save Osgood... Letang... Malkin with the follow-up, and this one doesn't miss!
Penguins: 1 // Red Wings: 0 -- Malkin, Evgeni (14-pp) (Letang, Staal)
Helm goes to get himself a piece of Sidney Crosby... Oh, that was a nice hit. *L*
I'm sipping a lemon-honey beverage... I think I'm going to get a cherry ice momentarily.
If my nose would clear up so I could breathe I wouldn't feel quite so miserable. I don't so much mind feeling sore and achy, but being sore and achy with a headache while I can't breathe? It sucks.
Oh dear... Fleury let out anger with choice words in his native French. Don't let Ryan Miller hear that! He may not know French, but I'm sure he could figure it out, and he'd probably turn a nice shade of red. *sigh* I really do find that incident just way too amusing for my own good probably.
Babcock has his "Grrr" face on. *L*
"Good flurry by Detroit, but it can't beat Fleury."
Delayed call on Pittsburgh... takes them about 30 seconds to touch up. But they eventually do, and the Red Wings get a power play as Eaton goes to sit for two.
I'm not sure I want to know about Lidstrom getting rammed from behind by Cooke. I'm fairly certain I don't want to know about Cooke's ill intentions while ramming Lidstrom from behind. The announcers should shut up while they're ahead.
Power play over, we're back to even strength. Fleury made some nice saves for the Pens on the kill...
Osgood denies Malkin a second goal... Crosby and Malkin on the same line here...
Oh Good Lord... Bettman is going to be talking during the intermission. I'll be sure the tv is on 'mute' when I go to the bathroom and get a refill on my beverage.
The Avs need an assistant to the GM... I think they should hire me. Immediately. *L* I love hockey, I would love to learn, and I'm willing to relocate to Denver for the job.
Malkin... to Fedotenko, and oh fuck you Osgood. That was a beautiful pass by Malkin... good chance by Fedotenko, but Osgood foils his bid to make it a two goal lead for PIttsburgh.
Kunitz draws a call... the Penguins get another power play...
Oh ouch. Guerin protesting as Stuart sells the high stick... so we're four-on-four. It was a legit call. But Stuart still sold. *L* And the Red Wings will have a short ten second power play at the end of the four-on-four, which, in random trivia, is the first four-on-four in this series.
And thus far, it is the least penalized Cup Finals series in 64 years. Y'know, more with the random trivia. :)
Scuderi turnover... turnovers in your defensive end? Yeah... they lead to bad things.
Penguins: 1 // Red Wings: 1 -- Helm, Darren (4) (unassisted)
And we're still four-on-four... now Detroit takes over on the ten second power play.
Power play over... Fleury and Eaton fuck things up... get lucky and the Wings don't score on it... Hossa's shot deflected wide by Hal GIll...
19 shots in this period for the Red Wings???
And we'll go to the second tied at one each.
SECOND PERIOD
*mutes television so I don't have to hear Gary Bettman during the intermission*
Ahhh... how convenient. I have returned... and I have completely missed Gary Bettman, as the second period is about to begin. *L* Excellent.
Tell me I didn't just see that.
Osgood gets freakin' lucky as hell down on one end... and then freaking Stuart comes up and scores???
Penguins: 1 // Red Wings: 2 -- Stuart, Brad (3) (Zetterberg)
*deep breaths* Ok... the Penguins were down 2-1 for a few minutes before tying it in game 3 on Tuesday night...
Can I have Osgood's luck?
Malkin takes a penalty... the Penguins need to realize that the 2nd period is part of the game, and they should play like it is.
Malkin out of the box.... and Detroit is on another power play???
Malkin gets a great shorthanded chance... Franzen catches up to him... they both go into the boards... no goal.
YAYE JORDAN FUCKING STAAL!!! Take THAT you fucker Osgood!!!
SHORTHANDED JORDAN!!!
Penguins: 2 // Red Wings: 2 -- Staal, Jordan (3-sh) (Talbot, Eaton)
Backhand, forehand, AND A BIG MIDDLE FINGER SALUTE TO CHRIS OSGOOD!
Lordy that's some sweet passing on the pp by the Red Wings.
Wings do not capitalize, in fact, they don't even get a shot off on the power play. But they made some pretty passes.
Malkin... to Crosby... AND YOU TOSS YOUR GOALIE STICK OSGOOD!!!
Penguins: 3 // Red Wings: 2 -- Crosby, Sidney (15) (Malkin)
That pass was beautiful. All Crosby had to do was tip it past Osgood. And THAT is why you hope Malkin and Crosby can play together, even for just a little, even if just during the Cup Finals, because the goalie can't defend them both.
Bouncing puck in front... Guerin... and it goes off of Osgood and the Red Wings are thanking their lucky goalie it's not 4-2 now.
The Igloo is ROCKIN'. It is LOUD, and there's the Osgood chant!
OS-GOOD, OS-GOOD!
Jordan was just a little happy when he scored that goal. *L* Just... a little. *L*
OH GOD! SO CLOSE!!!
Malkin lays a big hit on Marian... Malkin.. Satan's shot goes high and out of play.
Jesus Fedotenko was so close to making it 4-2... And yes, it is the second period!
HAHAHAHAHA OSGOOD!!!!!
Penguins: 4 // Red Wings: 2 -- Kennedy, Tyler (4) (Crosby, Kunitz)
He must have licked his stick before this one... *L* But the PASSING. Just perfect. Kunitz, cross-ice to Crosby, cross-ice to Kennedy, and yeah... nothing Osgood could do on that one either. And there's the Osgood chant again!
I remembered
sheesusnat said she might not be able to watch, just because the Wings had won the first two and all... so I had to text her and make sure she was watching. Me: "you ARE watching this, right?"
She is watching. :)
The question is... do I set my alarm for tomorrow. I think I'll feel well enough to go to work. I feel better now, though that could be all Staal's fault. Jordan's this time, not Eric's. *L* I still can't breathe and I'm achy. So do I call out and give myself the full weekend so I'm ready to go Monday, or do I go in tomorrow?
Last minute in the second period...
Last half minute...
Malkin picks it off... shot in... save Osgood, and that ends the period. Malkin glanced at the scoreboard to see how much time he had left, so he knew he didn't have time to take it in, so he just took one more stride and let loose the shot. Osgood did make the save, but the damage has been done. 4-2 Penguins!!!
THIRD PERIOD
You know, for all the complaining about Versus doing hockey... I do have to give them some credit. I kinda like Jonsey, and I love that they work with CBC during the season to get me Don Cherry and PJ Stock. They don't just show the game. They have a half hour hockey show that comes on pregame, and they do a halfway decent intermission report. They could make improvements, but not bad. Kudos.
I just want to be able to breathe. Really. Is that too much to ask for?
Good effort by Malkin to not just clear, but to carry the puck to neutral ice and get it into the Wings' zone... it allows Orpik and Gonchar to get off the ice after a long shift that saw some good pressure by Detroit. The Pens needed that change, so props to Malkin for making it happen.
If its all the same to my body, I'd like to not be hot one minute and cold the next, too. And I'd like to not be achy too. But I'll settle for being able to breathe at this point. I find that important. Breathing, that is.
Malkin is all OVER the place. Has he gotten off the ice??? It's like every shift he's out there.
Paul Coffey is here as a fan... he's being interviewed. Haha... He was asked how he thinks he'd fare if he were still playing, and he says "Well seeing as I'm 48, probably not that well!" Who's to say, Paul!??! Chelios is still playing, and he's only a year younger than you are!
Halfway through the third period, just about ten minutes to go in regulation.
Staal backhander is saved by Osgood. Can I call him Osluck? Rather be lucky than good.
Shit... dead Penguin. Crosby. SHIT. GET UP SIDNEY.
Which, of course, is all I say to
sheesusnat in a text message... I realized after I sent it that she might still be on delay and I probably scared the shit out of her. *L* But she's caught up and saw it, so... all good.
I took three Advil... they need to kick in like... twenty minutes ago.
Sids is taking a faceoff, so he must be okay. :) Of course, this is the Stanley Cup Finals, and he's a hockey player, so... I'd assume short of y'know... losing a limb or something, he'd be out there.
K... that little mugshot picture of Sidney they use on Versus to show his stats and all? Seriously not flattering. *L*
Fedotenko another chance... He has had some amazing chances today, but hasn't been able to finish.
Now I'm sneezing.
And I'm hot. So I take off my hoodie, and I'm cold. GRRR! *makes the Mike Babcock GRR face* Don't mind me... Sometimes when I'm sick, I just feel like whining about it.
Under five minutes in regulation...
Four minutes and we'll be guaranteed a game six... Four minutes and it'll be a brand new series. A best-of-three.
ACK! A BONG! NO NO NO WE ARE NOT IN ST LOUIS AND WE ARE NOT SCORING FOR TACOS!!! (The Blues had this thing a few years back now if the Blues scored 5 goals, Taco Bell would be doing 5 cent tacos the next day. Or something like that.
Osgood hits the bench.
Kunitz gets a hooking call, hooking on the hands, prevents him from scoring on an open net. *sigh*
A minute and a half remaining in regulation... Pens on the power play.
Osgood in his net... there he goes... back on the bench so it's five on five with an empty net.
Pens just delaying things now, skating around in their own end as time ticks down... delayed penalty won't be called as time runs out... small skirmish resulting...
Penguins win, 4-2!!!
Game 5 on Saturday in Detroit... Game 6 on Tuesday in Pittsburgh. And it's a best-of-three series.
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And I'm calling it a night... it's relatively early, but... I could use the sleep.
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