That's hockey

Wow. That's just about all I can say about that World Junior Championship gold medal game last night. I try to think about it and my brain just folds in on itself. What an incredible game. I'm still spent from having watched it, I can't even imagine how the players feel today. I certainly hope the Canadian players don't feel as though they've let anyone down, or like the choked, or as thought they disappointed anyone. They played really well and they played the kind of gutsy hockey Canadians expect. They did everything we fans could reasonably ask for, and there's no shame at all in the way they lost, or in the way they defended their title. We've seen over the years some odd choices for top forward, defensemen and goaltender, but there's no doubt Alex Pietrangelo was the best defensemen in the tournament-- heading into the medal round he was tied for the scoring lead. And while you could probably flip a coin to choose between Jordan Eberle and Derek Stepan of the US team for top forward, Eberle was more than worthy of the award, and of the tournament MVP award. A story like that hardly makes it seem like anyone failed. So what happened? Simply put, this American team was awesome. I don't know if they're as good as Canada's 2005 team, but I think they will have the same resonance in the US that Canada's '05 team does in Canada. With the score tied after two Canadian-dominated periods, the American team found another gear in the third period, and when Canada improbably tied the game, the Americans played with the kind of resolve Canadians expect from their teams, dominating the early part of overtime, getting a big save, then quickly putting their lone scoring chance to good use. Again, "Wow," just seems to sum it up so much better than anything else here. Congrats to team Canada on their silver medal and a great performance.

Ever wonder where the word 'ninja' comes from?

Here we are, today is the day. The World Junior Championship gold medal game goes tonight, and promises to be a classic tilt. I don't have special insights or special pre-game analysis, I just have a hope Canada can pull it off against an outstanding US team. This American side is much better than the one that won gold against Canada in 2004 on a bad bounce off Braydon Coburn's backside, and I can't in good faith say this year's Canadian squad is as good as the '04 team. But that's why they play the games. In other news, NBA player Gilbert Arenas thinks guns are hilarious. He's alleged to be involved in an incident in which he and a teammate drew arms on one another in the locker room, allegedly over a gambling debt. Now that's a whole lot of the A word, but Arenas has come forward and said the whole situation was a misunderstanding, and that the guns came out as a joke. Ha! That's a knee-slapper! Way to go, Gilbert. Guns are hilarious. Even better is the fact NBA players are all defending their right to own guns, to defend their families. Tell me exactly how a gun in the Verizon Center locker room is protecting Arenas's, or anyone else's, family. The NBA is strangely quiet on the matter so far, saying they want to let the legal process play out first, but it sure would be nice for someone to stand up and at least say "this guy broke a rule, we don't allow our players to have guns in the arenas, he will be suspended after the legal proceedings are complete." I guess that's too much to ask though. I have a rant about changes to the wireless telecom industry but there's no time today. Check back tomorrow. I bought two fantastic things yesterday: new gym shoes and a WORD ORIGINS calendar. Etymology is probably the nerdiest of all endeavors and I'm proud to be a fan of it. It should provide me with at least two minutes of enjoyment every morning. And with that, I'm off for the day.

January 4

Well, here we are, the first "real" day of 2010. Back to work, no more long weekend to enjoy, no more Christmastime cheer. All in all though, things are looking up. So let's take a look, then, at what to expect in the Life of Steve in 2010, starting with a large serving of small resolutions. Resolution 1: Write. Daily. At least, every weekday. One of my facebook friends writes a little blog/journal entry every day and it's really inspired me to do the same. So some days this space will be little more than a recap of the day/night before. Sometimes though, that will mean my old-school rants about a whole host of subjects will come to light. Resolution 2: Get back to healthy. I spent most of the last three (really four) months putting off going to the gym, making excuses for eating bad food and for drinking way too much soda. Now that I have a strong handle on the time requirements of my new job, I can easily make the transition back to the gym and can easily cut out the shitty food (I'm looking at you, six cans of Pringles last week). Resolution 3: I'm breaking this one immediately, actually. But, since movies are cheap on Tuesdays, I'm going to start going to a movie every Tuesday. I think I only saw six or seven movies in all of 2009, and that's just not enough. Most movies are terrible, but it's hard to see good movies if you don't ever go. This was going to start tomorrow, but because of the World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal game, will wait a week (only to be interrupted a week later by the Calgary Hitmen). Resolution 4: Spend less money at the comic shop. Or, more accurately, spend my money more wisely at the comic shop. This will go out the window this coming Friday when I buy the new Magic: the Gathering graphic novel (comic book), and a pack of the all-foil cards. Such decadence. Resolution 5: Read more. I haven't picked up a newspaper in months. I think the last paper I read was during my flight to Hamilton in June. Not good. I have no idea what's happening in the world and need to fix that. Laziness/Lateness of resolution means I didn't call to order a subscription just yet, but that's something I can do this afternoon. Resolution 6: Clean up iTunes library. This will probably take all year to do, but I have nearly 10,000 songs in my iTunes library and more than half of them have been played fewer than four times. That's a waste of 20 GB. Of note, and keep in mind, this computer's only about 18 months old, Take My Hand by The Creepshow leads the way with 198 plays. And, hand in hand (pun intended) with that, is to take more control over my "auto-fill blank space" option on my oversized new Pod. No more playlists that include 200 songs by the Beatles and Thin Lizzy. Resolution 7: Hidden directive only to be uncovered when I try to bring harm to an OCP executive. Resolution 8: Music. Seems like an odd resolution, I know. But frankly, other than that new Lady Gaga song, which I can't name, I can't name a single song in the top 40, or a single song that was popular in 2009. Ain't that something. Worse though, is the fact I didn't get to very many local shows in 2009, and that needs to come to an end. I also need to get back into the habit of playing a little guitar every day, which is to say more than just the air variety. Well, that sounds like enough of an over-share for today. We have a new-hire training class starting today, meaning new minds for me to sculpt in about six weeks. Other than that, I'm looking forward to dying a little at the gym tonight, and finishing the David Cross book (full review to come!) in the next day or two. And a final sporting thought for the day: GO SUISSE!!

We win!

Big win. Sure it's a pre-tournament game, but considering the shockingly weak teams in Canada's pool this year, it's important to get an idea of your level against a strong team like Sweden. Even if it doesn't count for the standings. Just a couple of final thoughts on the game. If Taylor Hall can't go, we'll probably seen Adam Henrique and Greg Nemisz move into more of a checking line role with Luke Adam joining them. Henrique and Nemisz didn't realy get anywhere near the scoresheet, but they were on the ice for the final minute of both the second and third periods. The rosters won't be finalized until Christmas Eve, so Canada can make a move if Hall can't go. Last year, Evander Kane was a late replacement because of injury and was a major factor in Canada's win. Patrice Cormier was probably my favourite player on last year's team (along with Angelo Esposito, Tyler Myers and Brett Sonne), and I was ecstatic when he was named captain. Looking at this year's squad, it may be Brandon McMillan. He got better as the game moved along, saving his best hockey for the second half of the game. Of course, he plays for Kelowna. So I think it's in my Hitmen contract that I can't cheer for him. Lastly, on Brandon Kozun, he looked really good out there. I watch him a whole lot here in Calgary, and I watched a lot of Brett Sonne last year. Kozun, like Sonne last year, is at the top of the WHL scoring charts heading into the tournament, and is one of Calgary's most important players. His game is far from perfect-- in fact, we usually leave the game cursing him until the post-game radio show reminds us he had three or four points-- but he seemed to really be competing tonight. When Sonne came back from the tournament last year, there were games he simply willed the Hitmen to victory, and it looks like Kozun may have some of that in him this year. Here's hoping.

WJC thoughts, second period

Sure enough, Taylor Hall has left the game. Also, the intermissions seem to be a little shorter than I'm used to and I missed the first four minutes of the second period, including the goal. So with Hall out, I expected to see more Luke Adam, but instead was treated to all kinds of the Bourque-Kadri-Kozun line. There's a lot of speed on that line and these guys seem to have some pretty strong chemistry already. They look poised to give the opposition fits for the next two weeks. I think Bourque is going to be Pierre McGuire's pet for the tournament, and that's just fine with me. He's wearing number seven, which Angelo Esposito wore in last year's tournament when he revitalized his career. They're totally different styles (Bourque is more of a grinder), but much like you always knew when Espo was on the ice last year, I think we'll always know when Bourque is on the ice this year. Great stuff. Saw Greg Nemisz for the first time during the late scrum that led to Ryan Ellis' penalty. It's early, I know. But he's being counted on to be a big part of this team and he'll need to step it up very soon. Marco Scandella seemed to want to get me familiarized with him during that second period. He was all over the place. He's very physical, so he'll have to find a way to make that work with the international rules, but he could be a lot of fun to watch. As noted, Colten Teubert is a warrior and blocked two shots during Sweden's first PP. Great stuff from him. Like I say, if he stays within himself, he's going to be fine. He only gets into trouble when he's trying to do too much. The TSN guys noted that 12 different players have points on Canada's four goals, and drew comparisons to the 2006 team in Vancouver that won with deep defense, scoring by committee from all four lines, and a herculean effort from Justin Pogge. That's a pretty fair comparison, though I think this team has more high-end skill than that team did.

WJC thoughts, first period

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! I love the World Juniors, I really do. No doubt it's my favourite hockey of the year. So, some early thoughts on Team Canada after the first period of the first exhibition game. The top two lines look great on paper. Absolutely awesome. The much-ballyhooed Windsor Spitfires line with Greg Nemisz, Taylor Hall and Adam Henrique should be solid, particularly in the early going because of their familiarity with one another. One note on Hall though: he took a couple of very solid shots late in the first and I wonder if he's quite ready physically for this tournament. He looks a little small and a little timid out there-- kind of the way you'd expect an 18-year old to look. The second line with Jordan Eberle, Brandon McMillan and Brayden Schenn looks like a solid trio that could be explosive. I'd forgotten all about Eberle's blazing speed and as a Calgary Hitmen season ticket holder, I'm excited about the fact Eberle's Regina Pats are here twice during this tournament. Having Jordan Caron on the third line, adding some firepower to the Stefan Della Rovere and Patrice Cormier defensive prowess has already paid off with a goal in the first period. Speaking of the Calgary Hitmen, their own Brandon Kozun has shown everything he's got. He has great speed, a nose for the net (as seen on his goal) and a tendency to over-pass (as seen in his first power play shift). Working with Nazem Kadri may pay off huge for him, since Kadri has such a strong goal-scoring touch. As for Luke Adam and Gabirel Bourque, I didn't see much of them, so I'll get back to you. On defence, I'm not familiar with Marco Scandella, and didn't see him much with all the special teams time in the first. This bodes well for the opinion that he's a good shut-down defender. His partner Travis Hamonic looked pretty good despite the penalty. He quarterbacked the first power play and it was a good one. The second pair of Alex Pietrangelo and Jared Cowen may end up being Canada's most important pair. I'm very high on Cowen (I would have taken him first overall in June), and while the TSN guys are already prepared to beat this point until it's thoroughly dead, Pietrangelo really does look like a completely different player from the one we saw last year. I would liken his transformation to the one Karl Alzner made in his two tournaments. His first year, Alzner was kind of OK, but in his second year, he was absolutely Canada's most important defender. Could go that way for Alex P this year. Last note, Pietrangelo seemed to be quarterbacking the PP even when he was out there with Ryan Ellis. This leads me to believe Ellis hasn't fully gained coach Willie Desjardins' trust. We'll see. Ellis is on the third pair with Colten Teubert, another player returning from last year's team. Teubert was part of Canada's shut-down pair last year with Tyler Myers, but I think we're going to see that Teubert probably isn't that player. He made some mistakes in the first period and really doesn't seem to quite be a top-pair defenceman. He is a warrior though, and he makes the right play more often than not. The key for both of these players is to stay within themselves and focus on doing well the things they do well. I didn't see much of Calvin de Haan, so again, more to come. As for Jake Allen, he looked good. I don't think he was spectacular, but he seems to stop the shots he needs to stop. His rebound control looks good, but not quite as controlled as my heart would like. I don't see Allen being the reason for any of Canada's losses in this tournament. All in all, things look good. In the first half of the period, Canada really seemed to rely on fast breakouts and really playing a counter-attacking style, which you'd expect from a team that's only been together a week. But as they got a couple power plays and as the period moved on, they played with more structure. As that structure improves, so should this team. It's been just one period of one exhibition game, but these guys look good so far.

The drumsticks are off; there's stuffing everywhere; now what?

Hello again folks. Here's a quick update on the last week. Last Tuesday I made a turkey for the first time ever. That was fun, which is to say I barely figured out what the hell I was doing and just sat around for six hours hoping for the best. I didn't get any direct feedback about my bird (it was one of three at the office potluck) but I didn't kill anyone with it. So that's good. Hockey news: Only watched one game, it was the Hitmen hosting the Medicine Hat Tigers. Last time the Tigers were in town they choked away a third period lead, which led to someone from my office being asked to leave the game. This time 'round the Tigers had a little payback in mind. With the Hitmen leading 3-0, I realized BK was wearing his new Hitmen jersey, from which point the Tigers outscored the Hitmen 5-2 before winning in a shootout. The Tigers' hero was Emerson Etem, a 2010 draft eligible player that decided to score a hat trick. The American forward was listed fourth in Central Scouting's preliminary ranking of Western League players, and recently had a feature on NHL.com. He's sure to climb the rankings and is almost a lock for a top-10 selection at the draft in June. One of the things they used to say about Brett Hull is that he'd get lost on the ice, which is to say, you would sometimes forget he was even on the ice-- until the moment the puck hit his stick before taking off for the back of the net. Etem has a similar quality. All in all, it was a lackluster effort by the Hitmen in their first game without WJC hopefuls Brandon Kozun and Martin Jones (TSN's Bob McKenzie feels Kozun will stay and Jones will come back). Despite captain Ian Schultz's best efforts, the lack of leadership was evident. I'm still not sold on new head coach Mike Williamson; I'm just not certain he's capable of running a dressing room in one of the WHL's hotbeds. Hitmen again this Friday, and Canada v Finland at the Dome next Tuesday. More on that later. In the pro ranks, TSN.ca decided I should throw up my morning coffee by putting Dustin Penner in their weekly Olympic Stock column as someone who's stock is up. If on December 30th, Hockey Canada names Dustin Penner to the Olympic team, I will smash my laptop to pieces and post the video here. That's how certain I am he's not even going to catch a sniff of the Canadian Olympic team. Jaroslav Halak and Bob Gainey have proven to be more classy than most players and GMs. By all accounts Halak has asked for a trade out of Montreal, by asking simply for more playing time (which isn't coming now that Carey Price is back on track), and by all accounts Gainey refuses to throw the young netminder under the bus by telling the world he's demanded a trade. Whether this is because Gainey knows he'll be lucky to get a second-round pick for a 24-year old goalie with less than a full season of starts under his belt, or because Gainey's suddenly found some sense of loyaly (ask Saku), I can't say. But I know this: if the Philly rumours are true, the Habs need to get a roster player in return. That's really all for now. I'm gonna call it a night and watch Inglourious Basterds. You should probably do the same.