Pens somehow are getting credit for a goal where Chris Kunitz basically runs over Reimer but the goal should be disallowed...we will see after review....
If this goal counts then the officials are truly blind....they got one right...shocking
This just after the Leafs had started pretty fast with a couple of good chances
After a few good moments of pressure, this game has sunk back into a bit of a bore-fest....Just the way the Pens want to play it after getting throttled for 2 and a half periods yesterday by the Leafs superior speed.
Brent Johnson has played well but most of the shots have been from the outside
Again the Grabo line brings it with more pressure....they just can't connect so far but by far the best Leaf line tonight...again
Letang hasn't had the best night....he had to ask the linseman to get his helmet from behind the net as play kept going and going without a whistle
Another power play thwarted as the Pens had the best chances...Malkin just looks much more dangerous so far in this game as opposed to last night
Its been a bit back and forth after some really slow spots but Reimer seems to have his game back as he has been rock solid so far
After 2 periods of play, no score and it's been a slow, methodical game.....back in 16 for the 3rd period
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Leafs Pens Revisited....1st Period
Games about to Start....Brent Johnson in net for the Penguins and James Reimer for the Leafs....something tells me he is about to go on a real tare as he has been working his a$$ off in practice and the Monster wasn't nearly as sharp as he could have been last night.
Kessel and Lupol are not firing on all cylinders lately but that will change tonight.....look for the Power play to be better too with Liles back to QB it.
Interesting piece by Ms Larionov on Lupol on That's Hockey before the game....he seems like a really deep guy...who partied his way out of Phily
Early goalpost on Reimer....he was well screened on the shot by Kennedy....Kennedy!!! (for all the wrestling fans out there, I couldn't resist).
Pens are playing much better early on which leads to the first penalty of the game on MacArthur for tripping...looked a bit suspect
Leafs were the first team to have a perfect penalty killing month since the Hawks did it in 1973....wow!
Late hit by Letang leads to a roughing penalty...sounded worse then it was
Can someone please tell these linsemen that NO ONE IS THERE TO WATCH THEM DROP THE DAMN PUCK!!! They kick out centers almost as if they are purposely trying to have way more of an impact on the game then they should.....so frustrating...
Nice save by Reimer on a shorthanded breakway by Matt Cooke...could have been really deflating if they had given up a shorty early....
Ferraro needs to start remembering what it was like to be a player again....whining about Bozak not doing the same thing he did last night (complaining he should have shot instead of trying a pass to Kessel from the same spot where he scored from last night) sounds better because the pass didn't work but if you watch Johnson on the replay, he was totally fooled and not expecting a pass on that play, which means it would have worked had it connected...
Malkin looks like he has something to play for tonight....probably making sure his a$$ isn't bag skated tomorrow....he looked like he wasn't in the mood to play last night and was still the difference maker in the game...
Reimer looks sharp so far....another nice glove save....
Leafs look a little ragged in this game so far....Even the Pens 4th line was able to hem them in their own zone for a prolonged attack...they need to start attacking (Yes Ferraro is right about that) like they did last night...
I like the new 4th line with Steckle, Armstrong and Brown....has lots of different elements
Kessel got away with one.....stuck it to Letang and no call....maybe karma is starting to work it's way back in the Leafs favour?
Looks like the Grabo line is starting to turn the tide of this game with an impressive minute of attacking zone pressure...
The more Gardiner plays, the more I see a young Phil Housley in his style....made a real nice play to center a pass in front of the net and then was the first guy back stopping the offensive counter by the Pens....scratch that, it looked like a Paul Coffey like play right there....
Another post for the Pens followed by an awkward save before the Leafs counter with a good rush by Kessel and then a nice save by Johnson on Liles
Good 4th line havoc shift....causing turnovers, getting good chances, general sh*t disturbing shift that finally seems to have brought the Leafs back from last nights 1st and 2nd periods....
Interesting to note that Ottawa is 4 points up on the Leafs but they have played 3 more games then the Leafs so if they can win 2 of the 3 they have in hand (and maybe get a point out of the other one) then they would be ahead and even in games played.....just a thought...
Period over....back in 12 for the 2nd
Kessel and Lupol are not firing on all cylinders lately but that will change tonight.....look for the Power play to be better too with Liles back to QB it.
Interesting piece by Ms Larionov on Lupol on That's Hockey before the game....he seems like a really deep guy...who partied his way out of Phily
Early goalpost on Reimer....he was well screened on the shot by Kennedy....Kennedy!!! (for all the wrestling fans out there, I couldn't resist).
Pens are playing much better early on which leads to the first penalty of the game on MacArthur for tripping...looked a bit suspect
Leafs were the first team to have a perfect penalty killing month since the Hawks did it in 1973....wow!
Late hit by Letang leads to a roughing penalty...sounded worse then it was
Can someone please tell these linsemen that NO ONE IS THERE TO WATCH THEM DROP THE DAMN PUCK!!! They kick out centers almost as if they are purposely trying to have way more of an impact on the game then they should.....so frustrating...
Nice save by Reimer on a shorthanded breakway by Matt Cooke...could have been really deflating if they had given up a shorty early....
Ferraro needs to start remembering what it was like to be a player again....whining about Bozak not doing the same thing he did last night (complaining he should have shot instead of trying a pass to Kessel from the same spot where he scored from last night) sounds better because the pass didn't work but if you watch Johnson on the replay, he was totally fooled and not expecting a pass on that play, which means it would have worked had it connected...
Malkin looks like he has something to play for tonight....probably making sure his a$$ isn't bag skated tomorrow....he looked like he wasn't in the mood to play last night and was still the difference maker in the game...
Reimer looks sharp so far....another nice glove save....
Leafs look a little ragged in this game so far....Even the Pens 4th line was able to hem them in their own zone for a prolonged attack...they need to start attacking (Yes Ferraro is right about that) like they did last night...
I like the new 4th line with Steckle, Armstrong and Brown....has lots of different elements
Kessel got away with one.....stuck it to Letang and no call....maybe karma is starting to work it's way back in the Leafs favour?
Looks like the Grabo line is starting to turn the tide of this game with an impressive minute of attacking zone pressure...
The more Gardiner plays, the more I see a young Phil Housley in his style....made a real nice play to center a pass in front of the net and then was the first guy back stopping the offensive counter by the Pens....scratch that, it looked like a Paul Coffey like play right there....
Another post for the Pens followed by an awkward save before the Leafs counter with a good rush by Kessel and then a nice save by Johnson on Liles
Good 4th line havoc shift....causing turnovers, getting good chances, general sh*t disturbing shift that finally seems to have brought the Leafs back from last nights 1st and 2nd periods....
Interesting to note that Ottawa is 4 points up on the Leafs but they have played 3 more games then the Leafs so if they can win 2 of the 3 they have in hand (and maybe get a point out of the other one) then they would be ahead and even in games played.....just a thought...
Period over....back in 12 for the 2nd
Politics: Defending a Hurting Senator
I'm not sure why everyone always jumps on people for having an opinion but when Conservative Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu suggested that it would be a good idea to have a rope in the jail cells of every killer in the country to give them the option of living or not, I really don't know how you or ANYONE could take offense to that. He was well withing his right to say something like that. More-so, he made that suggestion because he is NOT in favour of capital punishment (one thing I DO disagree with him on).
If you know anything about this man, you would know that his family has had to endure the rape and murder of his teenage daughter by a serial offender, so the fact that he is STILL against capital punishment after that says something about his convictions. However, his suggestion was more with regards to killers who really have no hope of ever being anything other then a drain on society. He is basically suggesting that they do the "right thing" and kill one more person while they are at it, with that person being themselves.
Again, I don't see why people would take offense to this as. This comes on the heels of 3 murders being found guilty and already trying to maneuver their way out of jail on technicalities instead of the cold, hard truth: They killed 4 women. It was pointed out that that to house the 3 Shafia trial convicts for the duration of their sentences, it will cost the Federal Government $10 MILLION (!?!?!) at a time when everyone is being much more cost conscience.
To be blunt, if you are found guilty of murder, you don't deserve to live. We do not have capital punishment in Canada so to suggest giving them their own "out" as it were isn't nearly as bad an idea as the Liberals and NDP are trying to make it sound like (trying to lump this in with people who have had members of their families commit suicide is a real stretch and no, this is NOT the same thing but hey, apparently you always have to try to make political points). Try going through what this Senator has gone through and having the strength of conviction to still say we don't need to bring back capital punishment....I couldn't do that if I were in his place.
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1124663--give-murderers-rope-inside-their-prison-cells-tory-senator-says?bn=1
If you know anything about this man, you would know that his family has had to endure the rape and murder of his teenage daughter by a serial offender, so the fact that he is STILL against capital punishment after that says something about his convictions. However, his suggestion was more with regards to killers who really have no hope of ever being anything other then a drain on society. He is basically suggesting that they do the "right thing" and kill one more person while they are at it, with that person being themselves.
Again, I don't see why people would take offense to this as. This comes on the heels of 3 murders being found guilty and already trying to maneuver their way out of jail on technicalities instead of the cold, hard truth: They killed 4 women. It was pointed out that that to house the 3 Shafia trial convicts for the duration of their sentences, it will cost the Federal Government $10 MILLION (!?!?!) at a time when everyone is being much more cost conscience.
To be blunt, if you are found guilty of murder, you don't deserve to live. We do not have capital punishment in Canada so to suggest giving them their own "out" as it were isn't nearly as bad an idea as the Liberals and NDP are trying to make it sound like (trying to lump this in with people who have had members of their families commit suicide is a real stretch and no, this is NOT the same thing but hey, apparently you always have to try to make political points). Try going through what this Senator has gone through and having the strength of conviction to still say we don't need to bring back capital punishment....I couldn't do that if I were in his place.
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1124663--give-murderers-rope-inside-their-prison-cells-tory-senator-says?bn=1
Leaf Game Blog....Leafs vs Pens Round 2
With a sour taste in their mouths from that horrible finish to their game last night, the Leafs look to bounce back and play a full 60 minute game instead of only 50 like they did last night. In spite of the fact that there were blown calls and a disallowed goal that should have counted, blowing a 4-1 lead with about 9 minutes left should not have happened. Tonight, they get a chance to rectify the situation against the exact same team.
There are 3 key changes coming to the Leafs lineup as James Reimer will get the start and both John-Michael Liles and Colby Armstrong both return from injuries and take up spots, meaning that some roster adjustments had to be made. Keith Aulie (who had been a spectator in the press box for the last 5 games) and Nazem Kadri were both sent to the AHL Toronto Marlies but the team still hasn't said which of the 6 defencemen from last night will be up in the press box tonight. I hope its Komisarek but who knows.
A quick point about a tragedy that happened today. 70 people were killed and over 240 injured after a smaller Egyptian team beat a powerful rival and the fans stormed the field. The ensuing riots caused other games to be cancelled, leading to MORE violence in other parts of the country. I love sports as much as anyone (probably more) but rioting over a loss? What are you 5? WTF is wrong with people? It's sport. It's a distraction. It's not meant to be taken THAT seriously, even if you think your team is being ripped off by bad officiating, life is more important then a game. Some people just don't understand that.
Game time fast approaching....
There are 3 key changes coming to the Leafs lineup as James Reimer will get the start and both John-Michael Liles and Colby Armstrong both return from injuries and take up spots, meaning that some roster adjustments had to be made. Keith Aulie (who had been a spectator in the press box for the last 5 games) and Nazem Kadri were both sent to the AHL Toronto Marlies but the team still hasn't said which of the 6 defencemen from last night will be up in the press box tonight. I hope its Komisarek but who knows.
A quick point about a tragedy that happened today. 70 people were killed and over 240 injured after a smaller Egyptian team beat a powerful rival and the fans stormed the field. The ensuing riots caused other games to be cancelled, leading to MORE violence in other parts of the country. I love sports as much as anyone (probably more) but rioting over a loss? What are you 5? WTF is wrong with people? It's sport. It's a distraction. It's not meant to be taken THAT seriously, even if you think your team is being ripped off by bad officiating, life is more important then a game. Some people just don't understand that.
Game time fast approaching....
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Leaf Game Blog....OT
The Pens didn't deserve to be in OT in this game but here they are so now they have to pull out the extra point....
This is much more vital an extra point for the Leafs then it is for the Pens but really both teams just need to keep climbing the ladder to secure themselves playoff spots....
Nothing overly special so far right now as the two teams are now apparently retreating a bit, waiting for their chance to win it....
Looked like there should have been a penalty to the Pens for 2 many men but nope....looks like the refs are going to let the Pens get away with a bit more now....
Best chance of OT as Kessel is alone in front off a tipped shot taken by Schenn but he can't do anything with it.....last minute of OT now.....
Kessel steals with 30 seconds left, sets up Connolly but Fleury makes a huge save....
The Monster just made his best save of the night, sprawled across the goalline to rob Letang and send the game to a shoot out.....
Highly entertaining game that should have been over about 12 times so far....now we go to a field goal kicking contest, err, shootout.....should be fun....
As well, both the Devils and Caps have fought back to tie their games, with the Devils in a shootout as well and just over 16 minutes left in the Caps game....What a turn of events tonight
Letang takes the first shot.....easy save for the Monster......
Grabo up next....stopped by Fleury
Malkin goes in and scores....damn guy does nothing until the last minute of the game and now looks like he may pull it out for the Pens
Kadri get stoned leaving Chris Kunitz with a chance to win it....STOPPED by the MONSTER!!!!
Kessel has to score......and he doesn't....Pens steal 2 points.....How putrid....Unreal that they were able to battle back from a 4-1 deficit....the same 2 teams play again tomorrow in TO....Hopefully, the Leafs will play like they did up to the point where they were up 4-1 and not the way they played afterward.
And lets not forget about the disallowed goal that should have counted....Leafs got hosed.....
This is much more vital an extra point for the Leafs then it is for the Pens but really both teams just need to keep climbing the ladder to secure themselves playoff spots....
Nothing overly special so far right now as the two teams are now apparently retreating a bit, waiting for their chance to win it....
Looked like there should have been a penalty to the Pens for 2 many men but nope....looks like the refs are going to let the Pens get away with a bit more now....
Best chance of OT as Kessel is alone in front off a tipped shot taken by Schenn but he can't do anything with it.....last minute of OT now.....
Kessel steals with 30 seconds left, sets up Connolly but Fleury makes a huge save....
The Monster just made his best save of the night, sprawled across the goalline to rob Letang and send the game to a shoot out.....
Highly entertaining game that should have been over about 12 times so far....now we go to a field goal kicking contest, err, shootout.....should be fun....
As well, both the Devils and Caps have fought back to tie their games, with the Devils in a shootout as well and just over 16 minutes left in the Caps game....What a turn of events tonight
Letang takes the first shot.....easy save for the Monster......
Grabo up next....stopped by Fleury
Malkin goes in and scores....damn guy does nothing until the last minute of the game and now looks like he may pull it out for the Pens
Kadri get stoned leaving Chris Kunitz with a chance to win it....STOPPED by the MONSTER!!!!
Kessel has to score......and he doesn't....Pens steal 2 points.....How putrid....Unreal that they were able to battle back from a 4-1 deficit....the same 2 teams play again tomorrow in TO....Hopefully, the Leafs will play like they did up to the point where they were up 4-1 and not the way they played afterward.
And lets not forget about the disallowed goal that should have counted....Leafs got hosed.....
Leaf Game Blog....3rd Period
TSN Panel debating what would they get in a trade for Grabovski that would be a fair deal....Carter? No. Van Riemsdyk? No. Getzlaf? All the panel jumps at that one. They were actually saying Grabo is a #1 type of center on the Leafs.....interesting premise but is he really worth $4-4.5 million a year? Don't know about that. If he cracks the 80-90 point range then maybe...
Interesting point made during the 1st intermission about Nashville and what they would want IF they were to ever deal Ryan Suter. An NHL regular, 2 top Prospects AND a 1st round pick....FOR RYAN SUTER?!?!?! Wow they are nuts....
Can someone please beat the crap out of those pesky Senators? WTF?!?! They just keep going. They leas the Big Bad Bruins 3-2 heading into the 3rd. Just shocking.
3rd period is underway....Grabo is still the best player on the ice, dangerous whenever he has the puck.
Malkin really has disappeared in this game. Other then that late 2nd period flurry of activity in the Leafs zone, it looks like Malkin has taken the night off for the most part. Both he and James Neal are MIA today.
Typical Matt Cooke....takes a stupid penalty and of course it results in a power play goal. A top corner blast by Tyler Bozak to make it 3-1. Funny that Lupol, as reported by Ferraro, said to Cooke "Why would you do that?" about tripping him...
And even as I wrote THAT, the Leafs score again and Grabo gets his 7th point in his last 2 games....MacArthur nets his 14th. Pretty good 2nd line production in Grabo and Clarkie.....4-1 now...halfway through the 3rd....looks like the Leafs will jump back into the playoffs with Washington losing tonight to Tampa and New Jersey down to the Rangers by identical 2-1 scores....Boston has woken up now and are up 4-3 now...
Gardiner takes a spill and gives Stevie Sullivan (who is shorter then I am by the way) a partial breakway and he blows a slapper, top cheese to make it 4-2.
It really speaks volumes that in this game, Grabovski's line is playing head to head with Malkin's line and they have outplayed them pretty much from the drop of the puck.
After the longest streak of going without a penalty for the Leafs since the 1940's, Lombardi gets called for hooking on Malkin. This comes after he couldn't lift a shot over a sprawled out Kris Letang, who was all that stood betwen Lombardi and a 5-2 Leaf lead.
Pens looking dangerous on the powerplay but the Leafs kill it. 17 straight Penalty kills in January.
Right after they kill the penalty, a dumb turnover results in a Penguin goal...4-3 now....5 minutes left and now the Pens feel they are in it....
Really starting to hate Rogers......How is it possible that TSN, The Score and even Sportsnet Ontario (their own LOCAL station) are always having issues with my HD receiver. I get perfect reception for Sportsnet West, East and Central....People at Rogers TV, get you act together already....JEEES...
Just over 3 minutes left and Big 'Mo is on the Pens side....the Leafs need a couple of strong shifts to stem the Penguin tide a bit....of course, in this game that means the Grabo line....
Unbelievable finish as the Pens kept pressing in the final minute and it finally paid off with a game tying goal scored with 6.5 seconds left that looked like it banked in off Malkin's leg....he did absolutely nothing all game then gets a fluke goal with barely any time left to tie the game....ridiculous
Off to OT we go.....
Interesting point made during the 1st intermission about Nashville and what they would want IF they were to ever deal Ryan Suter. An NHL regular, 2 top Prospects AND a 1st round pick....FOR RYAN SUTER?!?!?! Wow they are nuts....
Can someone please beat the crap out of those pesky Senators? WTF?!?! They just keep going. They leas the Big Bad Bruins 3-2 heading into the 3rd. Just shocking.
3rd period is underway....Grabo is still the best player on the ice, dangerous whenever he has the puck.
Malkin really has disappeared in this game. Other then that late 2nd period flurry of activity in the Leafs zone, it looks like Malkin has taken the night off for the most part. Both he and James Neal are MIA today.
Typical Matt Cooke....takes a stupid penalty and of course it results in a power play goal. A top corner blast by Tyler Bozak to make it 3-1. Funny that Lupol, as reported by Ferraro, said to Cooke "Why would you do that?" about tripping him...
And even as I wrote THAT, the Leafs score again and Grabo gets his 7th point in his last 2 games....MacArthur nets his 14th. Pretty good 2nd line production in Grabo and Clarkie.....4-1 now...halfway through the 3rd....looks like the Leafs will jump back into the playoffs with Washington losing tonight to Tampa and New Jersey down to the Rangers by identical 2-1 scores....Boston has woken up now and are up 4-3 now...
Gardiner takes a spill and gives Stevie Sullivan (who is shorter then I am by the way) a partial breakway and he blows a slapper, top cheese to make it 4-2.
It really speaks volumes that in this game, Grabovski's line is playing head to head with Malkin's line and they have outplayed them pretty much from the drop of the puck.
After the longest streak of going without a penalty for the Leafs since the 1940's, Lombardi gets called for hooking on Malkin. This comes after he couldn't lift a shot over a sprawled out Kris Letang, who was all that stood betwen Lombardi and a 5-2 Leaf lead.
Pens looking dangerous on the powerplay but the Leafs kill it. 17 straight Penalty kills in January.
Right after they kill the penalty, a dumb turnover results in a Penguin goal...4-3 now....5 minutes left and now the Pens feel they are in it....
Really starting to hate Rogers......How is it possible that TSN, The Score and even Sportsnet Ontario (their own LOCAL station) are always having issues with my HD receiver. I get perfect reception for Sportsnet West, East and Central....People at Rogers TV, get you act together already....JEEES...
Just over 3 minutes left and Big 'Mo is on the Pens side....the Leafs need a couple of strong shifts to stem the Penguin tide a bit....of course, in this game that means the Grabo line....
Unbelievable finish as the Pens kept pressing in the final minute and it finally paid off with a game tying goal scored with 6.5 seconds left that looked like it banked in off Malkin's leg....he did absolutely nothing all game then gets a fluke goal with barely any time left to tie the game....ridiculous
Off to OT we go.....
Leaf Game Blog....2nd Period
Rumour du jour had the Leafs getting Rick Nash and Kristian Huselius for Kadri, Schenn, Komisarek and Grabovski. Love this deal for both teams but one major stumbling block: Nash has a full no trade clause and the Blue Jackets host the All-Star game next year so I don't see them dealing their captain and only star.
If I were the Leafs, I would do anything in my power to get Nash...short of totally gutting the team. Even if you had to throw in a 1st rounder as well to get this deal done, I would jump on it in a heart beat. Komi sucks, Schenn is not much better, Grabo and Kadri are good and potentially really good but Nash would catapult the Leafs into a different type of team entirely. Plus, with guys like Joe Colborne and Matt Frattin chomping at the bit to jump up onto the big club, moving out 2 forwards and getting back only one healthy one (Huselius is hurt and most likely out for the year), opening up roster spots is of vital importance to the Leafs in the next few weeks. Colby Armstrong is due back as is Darryl Boyce and John-Michael Liles which means this glut of extra players and depth is now at its' optimal usage time. You deal from a position of strength and now is the time.
Period 2 set to begin....
The Monster wasn't nearly as busy as Fleury but was steady when called upon....
Looks like Grabovski doesn't like to be mentioned in trade rumours as he has been on fire in the 2nd period. 2 goals, zipping around as if he knows he is the best player in that game (Paging Evgeni Malkin.....Malkin.....Malkin...) he even passed up a chance to get his first career hat trick on a 2 on 0 by passing to a wide open Nik Kulemin (except the puck jumped over his stick). Heck, even Luke Schenn is starting to look like an offensive dynamo in this game as the Pens just look flat, even after a timeout by Couach Bylsma.
The Pens show some life, as they get a goal from a nice re-direct by Matt Cooke. 2-1 Leafs late in the 2nd....
After the goal, the Pens finally had a bit of pressure (this after giving up 2 more odd man rushes) but they were unable to tie the score....after 2, Leafs lead 2-1....
Back for the 3rd...
If I were the Leafs, I would do anything in my power to get Nash...short of totally gutting the team. Even if you had to throw in a 1st rounder as well to get this deal done, I would jump on it in a heart beat. Komi sucks, Schenn is not much better, Grabo and Kadri are good and potentially really good but Nash would catapult the Leafs into a different type of team entirely. Plus, with guys like Joe Colborne and Matt Frattin chomping at the bit to jump up onto the big club, moving out 2 forwards and getting back only one healthy one (Huselius is hurt and most likely out for the year), opening up roster spots is of vital importance to the Leafs in the next few weeks. Colby Armstrong is due back as is Darryl Boyce and John-Michael Liles which means this glut of extra players and depth is now at its' optimal usage time. You deal from a position of strength and now is the time.
Period 2 set to begin....
The Monster wasn't nearly as busy as Fleury but was steady when called upon....
Looks like Grabovski doesn't like to be mentioned in trade rumours as he has been on fire in the 2nd period. 2 goals, zipping around as if he knows he is the best player in that game (Paging Evgeni Malkin.....Malkin.....Malkin...) he even passed up a chance to get his first career hat trick on a 2 on 0 by passing to a wide open Nik Kulemin (except the puck jumped over his stick). Heck, even Luke Schenn is starting to look like an offensive dynamo in this game as the Pens just look flat, even after a timeout by Couach Bylsma.
The Pens show some life, as they get a goal from a nice re-direct by Matt Cooke. 2-1 Leafs late in the 2nd....
After the goal, the Pens finally had a bit of pressure (this after giving up 2 more odd man rushes) but they were unable to tie the score....after 2, Leafs lead 2-1....
Back for the 3rd...
Leaf Game Blog....
The game is just in the first period and already it has the feel of a playoff game. It's been intense from the drop of the puck and already a blown call as Tyler Bozak scores a goal that should have counted. Instead the idiot ref calls it incidental interference caused by a slight bump by Joffrey Lupol on Zybenek Michalek into Marc-Andre Fleury...total BS.
Nazem Kadri DRILLS Paul Martin behind the Penguins net on a clean hit....then he looses the puck at center ice as he got closer to the blueline, and the Penguins bench starts calling him "footsteps".
A few minutes later, Kadri himself gets nailed again at the Pens blueline. Solid hit.
TSN's Ray Ferraro almost calls Matt Cooke a choir boy, saying he is up for the Lady Bing as he only is on pace for 27 penalty minutes and is trying to play within the rules as they show a hit he laid on Kadri.....then about 6 minutes later, he looks like he is trying to take Mike Brown's head off with a leaning attempt that rips his stick out of his hands.
Fleury is stealing this period, despite quick whistles and blown calls. He is on top of his game with a couple of big saves off Kessel and Lupol.
Back during the 2nd....
Nazem Kadri DRILLS Paul Martin behind the Penguins net on a clean hit....then he looses the puck at center ice as he got closer to the blueline, and the Penguins bench starts calling him "footsteps".
A few minutes later, Kadri himself gets nailed again at the Pens blueline. Solid hit.
TSN's Ray Ferraro almost calls Matt Cooke a choir boy, saying he is up for the Lady Bing as he only is on pace for 27 penalty minutes and is trying to play within the rules as they show a hit he laid on Kadri.....then about 6 minutes later, he looks like he is trying to take Mike Brown's head off with a leaning attempt that rips his stick out of his hands.
Fleury is stealing this period, despite quick whistles and blown calls. He is on top of his game with a couple of big saves off Kessel and Lupol.
Back during the 2nd....
Monday, January 30, 2012
Birthday Thoughts & The Right Verdict
Thank you to everyone for your birthday wishes. It was a fun weekend even if it was just me turning a year older, another year wiser and hopefully finally about to make all my dreams start to finally come true. Unlike some people, at least I have the chance to get a year older, which leads directly to my first real topic of the day.
The Shafia murder trial has finally concluded and the only verdict that could make any sense was returned just yesterday; Guilty on all counts for all 3 of them. After reading many of the articles that have been published on the various websites today and reviewing the evidence that was presented in court, there really is no way there was going to be a different verdict other then the one returned yesterday.
It's been encouraging to read all the different articles that have quotes from different Muslim leaders professing how they want to use their pulpits to change the way women are treated and discourage "Hounour Killings" and the continued oppression of women. The problem is that even if such things are discouraged by moderate Muslims, the radical ones are the ones who are using violence in other parts of the world, pushing the battle for equality further and further from what we have in the Western world.
Yes, there are many people who are appalled by what the Shafia trial showed us can come from a backwards culture, one which places a greater value on that of "Family honour" then the lives of some of their own family members, but these attitudes are still prevalent in places like Afghanistan. One of the stories posted on the Toronto Star website today had direct quotes from both male and female relatives of the Shafia's who actually were defending their actions and then went on to say that they would do the same thing in their place.
Another story from just yesterday was that of a man who killed his 22 year old wife because she gave birth to a 3rd female child, had his mother help attempt to cover up the murder, then fled. His mother even tried to tell the authorities that her daughter-in-law had committed suicide before, again, trying to rationalize her murderous sons' actions.
While some would argue that it isn't an Islamic thing, others WOULD make that argument. The problem is that most of these appalling cases are still coming from the Muslim world, the same place where women are still forced (in some cultures, if not all) to wear burqa's and niqabs. These are still places in the Arab world where women and girls have acid thrown in their faces for trying to attend school or are given lashes for going out in public without a male relative.
The problem is that when people who believe in things like this come to Canada or the US, they don't accept that woman have more rights here then they do back home. They carry with them the same values that perpetuate the same type of actions that led to the deaths of 3 innocent young girls and a woman who had been forced to subjugate herself into a servant posing as a cousin to the family when she was in fact the first wife of the patriarch of the family.
Many of the stories today focused on the lack of action by the authorities in Quebec. Some, even in the Muslim community, were saying that maybe the fact that some people were being overtly politically correct over the cultural sensibilities of this particular family. It is true that once there were complaints made by the 2 eldest daughters of abuse, instead of being taken away, they were brought back to the family and asked to repeat their allegations in front of the same man whom they had accused of abusing them. This of course led to their recanting their stories and the allegations being forgotten.
If anything, this case needs to wake up everyone to the beliefs in some cultures surrounding women and make sure that ANY allegation of abuse, regardless of what culture the perpetrator happens to be, is investigated thoroughly. This needs to start happening now or else we will see more and more deaths like the one that the Shafia trial shed a light on over the last few months. I hope they rot in those jail cells for the next 25 years and that they are haunted by the actions that they committed against their own family members. That would take a hell of a lot more of a conscience then any of the convicted killers seem to have....
The Shafia murder trial has finally concluded and the only verdict that could make any sense was returned just yesterday; Guilty on all counts for all 3 of them. After reading many of the articles that have been published on the various websites today and reviewing the evidence that was presented in court, there really is no way there was going to be a different verdict other then the one returned yesterday.
It's been encouraging to read all the different articles that have quotes from different Muslim leaders professing how they want to use their pulpits to change the way women are treated and discourage "Hounour Killings" and the continued oppression of women. The problem is that even if such things are discouraged by moderate Muslims, the radical ones are the ones who are using violence in other parts of the world, pushing the battle for equality further and further from what we have in the Western world.
Yes, there are many people who are appalled by what the Shafia trial showed us can come from a backwards culture, one which places a greater value on that of "Family honour" then the lives of some of their own family members, but these attitudes are still prevalent in places like Afghanistan. One of the stories posted on the Toronto Star website today had direct quotes from both male and female relatives of the Shafia's who actually were defending their actions and then went on to say that they would do the same thing in their place.
Another story from just yesterday was that of a man who killed his 22 year old wife because she gave birth to a 3rd female child, had his mother help attempt to cover up the murder, then fled. His mother even tried to tell the authorities that her daughter-in-law had committed suicide before, again, trying to rationalize her murderous sons' actions.
While some would argue that it isn't an Islamic thing, others WOULD make that argument. The problem is that most of these appalling cases are still coming from the Muslim world, the same place where women are still forced (in some cultures, if not all) to wear burqa's and niqabs. These are still places in the Arab world where women and girls have acid thrown in their faces for trying to attend school or are given lashes for going out in public without a male relative.
The problem is that when people who believe in things like this come to Canada or the US, they don't accept that woman have more rights here then they do back home. They carry with them the same values that perpetuate the same type of actions that led to the deaths of 3 innocent young girls and a woman who had been forced to subjugate herself into a servant posing as a cousin to the family when she was in fact the first wife of the patriarch of the family.
Many of the stories today focused on the lack of action by the authorities in Quebec. Some, even in the Muslim community, were saying that maybe the fact that some people were being overtly politically correct over the cultural sensibilities of this particular family. It is true that once there were complaints made by the 2 eldest daughters of abuse, instead of being taken away, they were brought back to the family and asked to repeat their allegations in front of the same man whom they had accused of abusing them. This of course led to their recanting their stories and the allegations being forgotten.
If anything, this case needs to wake up everyone to the beliefs in some cultures surrounding women and make sure that ANY allegation of abuse, regardless of what culture the perpetrator happens to be, is investigated thoroughly. This needs to start happening now or else we will see more and more deaths like the one that the Shafia trial shed a light on over the last few months. I hope they rot in those jail cells for the next 25 years and that they are haunted by the actions that they committed against their own family members. That would take a hell of a lot more of a conscience then any of the convicted killers seem to have....
Friday, January 27, 2012
Shafia Trial & Experiementing with Your Kids
There is an article in the Toronto Star online edition from yesterday about a woman who purposely chose not to write about what sex her baby was online as a test to see if she could do it. She claims that she has been raising her child in a "gender-rich" environment, where there were toys for both boys and girls to play with at any time. While I don't see the point of experimenting with children in this way, at least this parent isn't as bad as the idiots that were portrayed in the Star back in May who are raising their child, named Storm, genderless.
The world is already a place filled with so many prejudices based on sex and sexual identity and these nimrods decide to screw up a child from birth with regards to their sexual identity? If this isn't a case of moronic idealists basically ruining their own kid's childhood, then I don't know what is. It's alright to have your own ideas about sex and sexuality. Not everyone is going to agree with your opinions and even fewer will try to change your opinions to match theirs. In my view, by not giving a child a definitive view of what it is to be male and female is one of the biggest issues we are fighting right now as a society.
Over the last 25-30 years, we have seen gender roles change significantly in Western Society. So much so in fact, that many new immigrants to the West still suffer from "culture shock" because they simply are not accustomed to seeing women in roles that are traditionally those of men in whatever part of the world they may come from. These changes can also be seen in the pre-teens who are currently in grade school and about to move on to high school. They are being subjected to a multi-media barrage of what it means to be a man in today's world and the ever changing role of women in North America to the point where many are more confused than any other kids of past generations.
I'm concerned for kids that are being subjected to this kind of an environment in their formative years because we are already seeing the damage our mixed messages to the current generation of kids (with regards to gender roles at least) has been doing to their development both physically and intellectually.
I really think that experimenting with your kids and how you raise them is just plain wrong. I'm shocked that Children's Aid hasn't intervened on the basis that these kids are being raised in an unfit environment but considering some of the things they are busy dealing with, I can understand their failure to act.
And now on to the case of yet another great parent. This time we are talking about the father and mother (as well as the brother) killing their children (and his other wife while they were at it). The Shafia trial held closing arguments yesterday after a bomb threat (I would love to speculate as to who sent in a bomb threat but let's just move on).
Suffice it to say that after hearing closing arguments, the flimsy defense of the 3 accused was made to look paper thin. The images of the damaged cars (in the same sections that it would take to have one car push the other), the computer histories showing that either the father or brother (or both) had looked up things such as "how to get away with murder" and "best places to dump bodies", as well as "large bodies of water in Canada" points a pretty good circumstantial case. Then there were the wiretaps which caught the patriarch of the family saying that he was glad the deed was done and that if they were to come back from the dead he would kill them again and again.
Then there was the fact that the brother's cell phone was triangulated to be in the area of where the 3 girls and the first wife were found dead. On top of all of that, the father and brother admit they were there and have a different story of events, saying that it was an accident. The mother also said she was there but later recanted. A confusing defense that left many who watched this trial scratching their heads and wondering what their exact strategy actually was.
If I were on this jury, given the sheer volume and depth of evidence, as well as the clear and apparent motive that the father had to get rid of 2 trouble making "westernized" daughters who had already gone to the authorities once about their mistreatment, a 3rd daughter who was following along in their footsteps, and a first wife who was bound to leak out the truth about their polygamous marriage, I think it would take all of 5 minutes to return a verdict of Guilty of 1st degree murder. And I don't see how it's possible that the 7 women, 5 man jury returns anything other then the same.
The world is already a place filled with so many prejudices based on sex and sexual identity and these nimrods decide to screw up a child from birth with regards to their sexual identity? If this isn't a case of moronic idealists basically ruining their own kid's childhood, then I don't know what is. It's alright to have your own ideas about sex and sexuality. Not everyone is going to agree with your opinions and even fewer will try to change your opinions to match theirs. In my view, by not giving a child a definitive view of what it is to be male and female is one of the biggest issues we are fighting right now as a society.
Over the last 25-30 years, we have seen gender roles change significantly in Western Society. So much so in fact, that many new immigrants to the West still suffer from "culture shock" because they simply are not accustomed to seeing women in roles that are traditionally those of men in whatever part of the world they may come from. These changes can also be seen in the pre-teens who are currently in grade school and about to move on to high school. They are being subjected to a multi-media barrage of what it means to be a man in today's world and the ever changing role of women in North America to the point where many are more confused than any other kids of past generations.
I'm concerned for kids that are being subjected to this kind of an environment in their formative years because we are already seeing the damage our mixed messages to the current generation of kids (with regards to gender roles at least) has been doing to their development both physically and intellectually.
I really think that experimenting with your kids and how you raise them is just plain wrong. I'm shocked that Children's Aid hasn't intervened on the basis that these kids are being raised in an unfit environment but considering some of the things they are busy dealing with, I can understand their failure to act.
And now on to the case of yet another great parent. This time we are talking about the father and mother (as well as the brother) killing their children (and his other wife while they were at it). The Shafia trial held closing arguments yesterday after a bomb threat (I would love to speculate as to who sent in a bomb threat but let's just move on).
Suffice it to say that after hearing closing arguments, the flimsy defense of the 3 accused was made to look paper thin. The images of the damaged cars (in the same sections that it would take to have one car push the other), the computer histories showing that either the father or brother (or both) had looked up things such as "how to get away with murder" and "best places to dump bodies", as well as "large bodies of water in Canada" points a pretty good circumstantial case. Then there were the wiretaps which caught the patriarch of the family saying that he was glad the deed was done and that if they were to come back from the dead he would kill them again and again.
Then there was the fact that the brother's cell phone was triangulated to be in the area of where the 3 girls and the first wife were found dead. On top of all of that, the father and brother admit they were there and have a different story of events, saying that it was an accident. The mother also said she was there but later recanted. A confusing defense that left many who watched this trial scratching their heads and wondering what their exact strategy actually was.
If I were on this jury, given the sheer volume and depth of evidence, as well as the clear and apparent motive that the father had to get rid of 2 trouble making "westernized" daughters who had already gone to the authorities once about their mistreatment, a 3rd daughter who was following along in their footsteps, and a first wife who was bound to leak out the truth about their polygamous marriage, I think it would take all of 5 minutes to return a verdict of Guilty of 1st degree murder. And I don't see how it's possible that the 7 women, 5 man jury returns anything other then the same.
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