update on backlund by backlund

mickis gives us an idea about how rough travel is on an abbotsford team.... from his blog:

Division Finals

Tomorrow starts Round 2 of the 2010 AHL playoffs, and we meet with Hamilton Bulldogs after winning the Rochester Americans. It was a tough series that we managed to win but it took seven games for us to be able to pinch victory. We started the series well and won the first match but then lost three straight games and then it felt very heavy and driving, but we came back and became stronger as a team and lifted us and won their last three matches and thus the series! It was not the only game in terms of a tough series but also resmässigt. We began to play two matches away in Rochester and then after the second game we went bus 3 hours to Toronto, got there at 2 am and fell asleep at 3. At 5:30 bell rang again when it was time to wake up again and fly home to Abbotsford. The plane left at 7:15 and we made a stopover in Edmonton for about 50 min. The flight took about five hours in total. Then we played three home games and flew then back day after the 5th game and then it was the same trip again, sleep late, get up early (5:20) and fly at 7:15 and then land in Toronto at 16 because there is 3 hour time difference and after it was the three-hour bus and then we came to Rochester again! So there is no [luxury] not here in the AHL clean the backyard of the NHL, one can say where it is luxury o glamor.

After the 7th match which we won, we went in the bus just over 2.5 hours to come to Hamilton to play against us tomorrow. Travel becomes a bit easier now because Hamilton is just 45 minutes from Toronto. But we still played only two away games, tomorrow and Sunday and then three home games and then two away again if needed!

I look forward to playing this series when Hamilton was the second best team in the league this year so there will be a tough match series but I think we have a really good chance because we are a true warrior gang!



i'm not sure which part of the translation i prefer, "pinch victory" or "warrior gang."

[sutter(s) dismissal countdown: day 56]

what goes around.....

in november, my buddy jHo tagged me on fb in the following photo cause, as a flames fan, he thought it was pretty effin' funny:


here's a pic mikeH took this afternoon:

.....MUCH less funny.

*sniff*


[sutter(s) dismissal countdown: day 55]

monday randoms: sans photos (sorry !)

it seems that the off season is gonna mean i have zero inspiration to write much over here, especially if i have to watch the dirty 'nucks win playoff rounds.... the only person i'll be happy for ? htp friend and commenter goad, who is a standup guy and just loves his team... i wish i felt right in posting the kickass photo of him, in full facepaint, slammin' garagebeers with his pops at the 7-2 win the other night.... anyhow, the canucks are the reigning champs of the overcelebration (having taken the title from a relatively tame-of-late ovechkin) with shane o'brien big-upping a fight win, and alex burrows cracking the figurative champagne after potting an empty netter....

- in keeping with this train of thought, mikeH did a little research on the LUU plate ordeal, and emailed me the following information, suggesting it's not THAT weird to see that series concentrated in a certain area of town:

"that series came out a couple of years ago and at the time, all of the plates probably came together at least as far as Calgary. I guess now they send all orders from a central shipping location in Edmonton, but back then they had a local Calgary distribution hub that would have got the entire 1,000 plates from that run.

Now each box contains 50 plates, so in theory they could have been spread around to 20 registries, but typically (are) order(ed) in groups of 500. That means that in terms of distribution, its likely that all the plates were given out in Calgary and area, and probably from 2 or 3 registry offices."

i don't know if i buy it.... after watching the nucks down the kings (or as goad calls'em, "the queens") with a string of outrageously strong third periods, i'm afraid of how far they might go....

- i never realized that hockey would edumacate me in geography but yesterday it did just that.... tsn aired a quote from darren helm, suggesting why he didn't want the detroit-phoenix series going to a game seven:

"Yeah, we need to finish it off as soon as possible. It's tough. That three-hour time change (to Phoenix) and the four-hour flight each way is rough. It's really important we have a big game Sunday. Get the win and then get some rest before the next round."

my initial reaction was that helm simply has no clue that arizona is in the mountain standard time zone, and therefore only TWO hours behind detroit (eastern daylight time). in researching my retort, i discovered that arizona does not recognize daylight savings. who knew ?!!? the whole stupid state is on mountain time in the winter, but then they don't spring ahead or fall back in the summer --putting them in line with pacific standard time in the summer....

i can't believe darren helm is smarter than me. ;)

- my xmas tree is still up

- i very nearly posted a backlund on backlund entry the other day, as there was a new report published over on his blog.... after translating it, however, it appears to have been written by his mom, and describes her trip to calgary/vancouver with mickis' sister madde.... other than suggesting that iggy and conny are really nice dudes, there's not much hockey-related info in there....

- lombo was getting some well-deserved kudos from the tsn panel yesterday during phoenix's statement 5-2 victory in detroit. lombo's killing it on the ice, looks sharp with the gio stubble, and is still writing the henhenhen on his stick.... <3> how effin' sharp does bryzgalov look ?!??!

- speaking of former calgary flames -----the ones who got the boot during darryl sutter's reign---- mike cammalleri is absolutely lighting it up for montreal. well, as much as anyone can possibly light it up for the habbies, i guess....

- and finally, my mum sent me this, so i thought i'd share:

"The first testicular guard, the "Cup", was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important."

i've had a headache for four days now, so this is all you get. i have a feeling it has a bit to do with the amount of net surfing this girl does....
;)

have a great week !!!!

[sutter(s) dismissal countdown: day 54]

because i love my nerdy blog buddies: pt1

since the flames are a bunch of losers and there's no real honest-to-goodness hope of change in the management ranks, as of right now i thought i'd start a new little series and look at some of my favorites on the blogroll..... these'll be short n' sweet cause (let's face it) i don't really know that much about most of the nerds who love hockey around the globe....

sometime last year, mid-season, nick in NY from my nemesis site held a liveblog of a game between his minnesota wild and my calgary flames... also attending was ms.conduct who seemed pretty effin' rad cause she's a hockey fan from houston texas, PLAYS hockey (goaltender supreme), and knows her shit ---especially when it comes to the AHL... she's an aero's fan by way of geography, and a wild fan by extension.... so she gets to see the baby flames live and in person a few times a year, so we've had more than a few conversations about things like: how terrible chris chucko is... ;)


she's also a clutterbuck fan, which i fully supported up until his season-ending check on gio (totally clean, mind you, but totally sucky).... she got a lot of props in both the blogosphere and the MSM for her "ya can't spell calder without cal" campaign, and offered sincere condolences when her favorite guy took out my favorite guy....

the inspiration for writing this little hat-tip is both because i think she's pretty hilarious, and she has a massive hate-on for kiprusoff... you see ---he boned her in a couple of fantasy pools, historically, and she's holding tight to those hard feelings... my guess is that this year she hates him for doing so well; presuming that she steadfastly refused to draft him again.... a few days ago, when discussing jonathan quick, she pointed out:

"Someone on Twitter last night compared him to Kipper, which burns. I don't like Kipper at all. That mayyyy have something to do with how badly he screwed me in a couple of fantasy leagues 2 seasons ago. I mayyyy be a bit of a grudge holder. Mayyyybe. Still, there's nothing lovable about Kipper. He's shady and greasy and a diva (see: 2010 Olympics - Team Finland)."

Because i heart kippy, and always hope for others to do the same, i sent her the following picture and a note suggesting that you really can't hate a guy when you see how adorable he is with his 4-year-old son, aaro:

to which she responded, "His kid's a greasy little sieve, too. ;)"

...and that's why i love her stuff....
:)

[sutter(s) dismissal countdown: day 48]

monday randoms: overtime

- i've been subconsciously boycotting hockey of all sorts lately ---i was in yellowknife when the flames' season ended, and far too busy with work to take interest in the first round matchups... now that i'm back to unemployed again, i've noticed that all eight of the playoff series are TOIGHT !!! a lot of one-goal games and a helluvalot of overtimes.... like, way more than normal.... is it just me ? the only other thing i've really noticed is that mike cammalleri is golden (in that wistful ponyboy-meets-robert-frost sort of way).... *sigh*... nothing gold can stay, indeed...

- dan boyle scored a pretty sweet game winner last night for the wrong effing team... total bummer cause a) i love boyle, b) i love wallin, and c) because i love boyle and wallin, i think it would be nice if the sharks made it to the second round. and also ? i've always maintained that games should be won, not lost ---i always feel so bad for the mistake-maker... (unless it's flames v. oilers game 7 1986, or a canuck-in-the-box).... anyhow, when mikeH and i were in vancouver, i really wanted a 2010 olympic tshirt emblazoned with #22's name on the back, but they didn't make that one for some reason.... they made iginla, luongo, crosby, niedermeyer and g**d*** pronger, but no boyle. i bet those would sell like hotcakes in colorado this morning.... ;)

mikeH is quick to point out that i (and the san jose sharks) have a "thing" for defensemen with own-goals:


let's hope that this trend doesn't mean that gio's gonna score on kipps, or that gio's gonna end up in NoCal once he hits UFA status next summer (cause i think he'll walk if daz is still at the helm)....

- speaking of gio, the best thing that's happened so far this spring is that he was invited to the world championships in may....

i'm not sure if you know this but he's kinda my favorite... this pic, btw, was taken post-olympic break and juuuuust before the flames got slaughtered by minnesota on home ice by a score of 4-0 (ie: the first game i've seen the fans show their displeasure with the team by walking out halfway thru the third period.... well, the first game since i watched the dude throw his iginla jersey over the glass to end the 2009/2010 season..... sorry, remind me again why darryl sutter still has a job ??)

- ohyeah. i've been meaning to post this since i sent it over to htp pal & OT host, pat steinberg, for some airplay a few weeks back.... it sums up my thoughts on why darryl sutter must be removed from his position, and why it must happen before the draft:

last year when the team was forced to dress a short bench because of blatant cap mismanagement, he should have been fired. he brushed off criticism and blamed injuries, but took no responsibility for spending to the cap and not leaving room for injury replacement... while he should have gotten pink slipped, he was given "one more season" to get it right.... 09/10 was his mulligan year and (last i checked) you don't get a do-over on a mulligan.

bear in mind that john ferguson jr handicapped the leafs for years to come, and had he been removed from his job even one year earlier, it wouldn't be so grim in toronto right now.

it's been a slow news week, what can i say.... ?

GO KINGS !!!
:)

[sutter(s) dismissal countdown: day 47]

the top four reasons i'm scared the canucks will win the cup

i am a big believer in fate & destiny, and i'm a huge believer in the world subtly sending messages.... i also believe that i'm being punished for something i did in a past life, and that's why i always choose the slowest line at the grocery store, why the vendor on the other end of the phoneline always has computer problems while dealing with my queries, and why the flames lost the cup in '04 on a disputed goal.... so i'm starting to think that watching the dirty 'nucks win the cup is going to be unavoidable....

the proof is in something i've noticed with absurd frequency in the past weeks :



and then there's the initial one that i saw the day before bobbylu helped canada win the gold.


start getting used to the idea, flames fans....
*shudder*
;)

monday randoms: so i guess the season's over *yawn*

- no news is not good news around these parts, since (in my opinion) every day that sutter(s) is still at the helm kinda bugs me.... in saying that, nothing bugs me like the pink jersey.... except for when one of my favorite player's sisters shows up at the rink with one. *shudder*

- so, the season's over, the flames shit the bed and vancouver won the conference... it's a pretty disgusting time at the dome. i wonder if the hitmen get knocked out in the next days (if they haven't already, i'm not really paying attention), whether ken king will be looking for a new job. rumour has it that his insistance on keeping tabs on all of the goings-on around the dome ---from ownership this-and-thats right down to popcorn-making--- is starting to piss everyone off.... too bad the org is making a fuckton™ of money cause i don't imagine he's going anywhere.

- evander kane lived up to his given name and absolutely rocked matt cooke's world last night... i know i'm late to the game but i thought i'd weigh in (pun intended): it's kindof a scary set of punches to the head of one of the nhl's most hated. don waddell would be an idiot to trade him but i bet he could have his pick of boston players right now if he was willing to deal the kid.... keep your eyes on the jersey fouls over at puckdaddy ----i presume we'll see a boatload of #19s show up at the mellon centre any second now. there isn't currently one on the roster so why not ?

-iggy's taking a lot of heat these days and came out and said he wants to stay. true or not, it is what the media training tells a player he HAS to say in such situations.... unless your name is patrick roy. or chris pronger.

-yellowknife is kinda cool, except there's no bars open on sundays (boston pizza excepted). actually, pretty much nothing is open on sundays... but i ate here and it was amazing. another thing i learned about the NWT is that if you try to drive there from calgary, you have to cross the mackenzie river between enterprise and fort providence.... in the winter there's an ice bridge, and in the summer there's a ferry.... then (right about this time of year) they shut the road down but the ferry hasn't started yet.... i think it looks a bit like this. two of my crew drove across that mofo.

i want to write more but i can't right now.
work. sleep.

:)

And then there was one

With only one game left and an extended off season now a certainty, I figure this is it.  Time for a shorthand opinion poll of our team's manager and coach.

Darryl - A lot of great things have been written about Darryl Sutter's history with the team and the need for change. Hayley at M&G went ahead and collected a bunch of the dicussion on this into one big post while I was starting this piece.  Obviously I should have brought my tinfoil hat in to work this morning.  Even still, its worth reading Kent's analysis at Flames Nation and George Johnson's piece at the Herald to see what's happened to the team under his leadership.  I looked around a bit for a piece defending Darryl's time with the team and came up empty.  No doubt a denier or apologist will appear, so feel free to throw the link in the comments where we can all actively ignore their conclusions.  Let me know what you think, I mean really, even Tiger got himself a 16th chance.

poll by twiigs.com

Brent - I don't know about you guys, but I'm not hearing a lot of calls for Brent's head (although a few people have suggested pinning his ears back a little, have you SEEN those things?).  Even though his brother is the boss (and his other brothers are the scouts and his nephew gets ice time on our team), he's only had one year with the team and has a pretty decent coaching resume.  Sometimes I disagree with what he's doing, but then I've never been to the cup on NHL10 in All Star mode.  Heck I don't know, you guys figure it out.

poll by twiigs.com

And in case you've lost count, I'll keep up WI's program:

[sutter(s) dismissal countdown: day 37]

it's about time

if i was a long-time professional writer and i worked for a major publication, i would probably try to write this article. i'm guessing the reason george johnson got published and i didn't is because of my stubborn refusal to use caps.... and also cause i'm in yellowknife.... oh, and he's got a crazy amazing way with words, and isn't afraid to use them...

either way, it presents my EXACT feelings on the reason darryl sutter must go, and i'm a little bit in love with the fact that it's out there for the masses to read. i think my favorite part is, "Sutter's style -- rigid, joyless, condescending -- has permeated each level of the building ever since he shifted himself upstairs exclusively, dripping down from cracks in the executive office floorboards like acid rain."

um. duh. who wants to work THERE ???

another great article by cruikshank detailing the thievery by, and pickpocketing of, darryl sutter.



[sutter(s) dismissal countdown: day 36]


.

Monday Randoms - With CAPS!

WI decided to go out and get herself some work in the far north, so here's a few tidbits from me. Enjoy the capital letters while they're here!

Flames ennui - Life as a Flames fan is pretty bleak this weak. Somehow, the Av's inconsistency added to our own has left the team in elimination limbo. Personally, I was ready to call this thing after we lost to the Isles, but there was such a great, optimistic vibe on the blogs (WI's optimism came in bits and pieces, M&G's is here, Justin at 4th Line, and even my favourite cynic, Domebeers went all sunshine and rainbows), I just couldn't be the one to kill the fun. and now we're locked in this long shot run to the finish. Not with a bang, but a whimper... Fuck, I hated that poem in high school, but he was right, this IS how the world ends.

I am planning a short series of cathartic post mortem polls (fire/trade/hate on everyone), but I'm going to let the bile rise until its truly over. In the meantime, here's a test poll to get people clicking and see if I can get the system working:

poll by twiigs.com

Blogger meet-up - I know WI already went over this, but I had a great time out at the Flames blogger meet-up at Flames Central during the Boston Pay-Per-View last week. Its good to put faces to handles, although I'm lucky enough to have met some of you previously. I was super impressed with the cumulative brainpower at the table. At least I'm pretty sure that's why I felt it necessary to kill a few brain cells; balance in all things. Just kidding, with the giant, steaming loaf the Flames were laying on the ice, I didn't need another excuse to drink. I love the debates, hardcore analysis, and comedy that comes out on these blogs, but I'd always prefer to watch a game with a couple of brews and the company of good folks.

Pocket Dawgs - I had some free time and a desperate need to fire up the barbecue this past weekend, so I put some work in on what I'd like to call "The Search for the Ultimate Pocket Dawg". Everyone who reads here regularly knows that hitthepost LOVES Pocket Dawgs (and pocketdawes), even collecting reviews from Switzerland, trying to bring people closer to the best concession food ever. I'd like to think we've taken another small step towards perfection.

I stopped down at Spolumbo's Fine Foods and picked up some of their gourmet sausages (spicy Italian, and chicken with sundried tomato and basil) and made a quick trip to the Co-op for some panini rolls, ranch dressing, and Cheez Whiz. All I can say is, Dawesome! WI came by to hollow out the rolls, provide a second (heavily biased) opinion, and take photos. When she gets back from the Great White North, I hope to see the evidence. Anyone who has a suggestion that moves us toward the Ultimate, feel free to post.



















That's all I've got for now. Frankly, I'm feeling a little burned out on the roller coaster ride, and I'm saving my voice for the "Fire Daz" chant that I expect to join come next week. Go Flames!

happy easter, everyone !!!!

(bummer i only had four eggs...)


.

update on backlund, by backlund

now that the word is out that mickis is a dirty blogger, i feel like i have to keep tabs on his day-to-day in order to "break the news" before everybody else gets to it... i have to say that, in addition to the continual strengthening his on-ice prowess, he is always the most excited guy in a flaming C; he's excited and grateful to be out there every game (and i wish that kind of enthusiasm would infect the other players). ps: "tagged and loaded" is effin' awesome.


this year's game!!

Yep it bang on Friday when it is this year's game against Colorado. After we won the last 2 games and Colorado lost two in a row so is it just 2 points and it can be just after Friday's game if we win it in the battle for the last playoff spot! I am really looking forward to the match and there will be a cruel war and traction on the ice.

So after my birthday we got a little injury that made me have to start playing again and it's been really good since I had the chance in addition to 3 matches where I'm not on top but otherwise I think it has gone quite well! Too bad that the team just could not find a longer winning streak, but we can hopefully start on a long now that it's only 5 games left in the season! Yes we must, in principle, to win every match if we are to stand any chance of reaching finals and in particular away game tomorrow against Colorado, which is this year's game! I am cruelly tagged and loaded for the match. So today there will be a quieter day with a bit lighter bike and ice bath and then becomes the 2-hour flight to Colorado and then tonight it will be to go out and eat dinner there and then tomorrow it is entirely focused on the match!

After the Colorado game we fly on to Chicago and trained there on Saturday and then play there on Sunday at 2 Central Time. After the game we fly home to Calgary again and then my mom and little sister Maddening be there waiting for me at the hotel for those flying in to Calgary on Sunday and land at 12 times of the day. It will be so fun to meet them and that they should see me play in the NHL is going to be awesome! Then, it will be extra fun to meet little Maddening again that I have not met since the 17th August when I left Sweden dear! Mom and Madde will be here until Tuesday 13 April, so they have time to see 2 home games and then they will fly to Vancouver and then the last and final match against grundserie Vancouver next Saturday, April 10. So I hope we can win the match and that means that we have gone to the finals!

Let's go for the playoffs!


shep: my swedish lesson for today, if you don't mind, would be a translation to "grundserie." many thanks.