This Guy Is Good...

With a background in graphic design, I know my way around a Photoshop Tools Palette... but this guy is impressive. His designs are quite eye catching, his blending is seamless, and the finished product is so unique, I couldn't help but blog about it.












Check out some of his work here, or on Flickr, or on SmugMug.

Does Pavel Have Hart?

As I mentioned earlier in my blog, Pavel Datsyuk deserves some serious consideration for the Hart Trophy, and obviously the Professional Hockey Writers Association read my blog and agreed with me.

Not only is Pavel nominated for the Lady Byng and Selke Trophy, but he was just announced as one of the 3 Hart Trophy candidates.

Last season Datsyuk won both the Lady Byng and Selke trophies, but would love to add a Hart trophy to his mantle. Last season was Pav's first Selke Trophy win, but has won the Lady Byng each year for the past three seasons. The last Detroit Red Wing player to win the Hart trophy was Sergei Fedorov back in 1993-94.

Lucky Number Sevens

While waiting for Detroit's Western conference match-up with the water fowl, I managed to catch the Washington-New York game 7, and then the last period of the Carolina-New Jersey game 7. I can only imagine that while I type this, fellow blogger Kimota94 is sadly summarizing his teams demise as the Rangers fell 2-1 to Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. If Henrik Lundqvist could score goals, I think he might been able to win this series all by himself. I don't mean to offend the Ranger fans out there, but the better team won. Personally I think after getting up 3 games to 1, the Rangers appeared to lose their sense of urgency, and in the end, sat back and let the Capitals take it to them. As the colour commentators pointed out tonight, 90% of the goals Washington scored during this series, were high to Lundquvist's glove side. I don't care what goalie you put in net, that shot by Fedorov was a laser. I had visions of Sergei in his prime back in Detroit.

In the other game seven Carolina was down 3-2 late in the game with a little over a minute remaining, Jussi Jokinen scored the game tying goal. I was all set to get comfortable and prepare for overtime when Eric Staal broke the hearts of the New Jersey faithful with a harmless looking wrist shot from the top of the circle. The fans were all on their feet with 90 seconds remaining, cheering as it looked inevitable they had secured a birth in round 2. Martin Brodeur looked solid from what I watched and looked poised to lead his team to another post season victory before the game tying goal silenced the arena. 48 seconds later, fans flooded the exits as if embarrassed by quick swing in momentum, and eventual elimination from the post season.

It's amazing how quick things can change in the NHL...

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While I was away in Philadelphia, my Red Wings played games 3 & 4 of their series against the Columbus Blue Jackets winning game 3 easily by a final score of 4-1, and taking game 4 in the dying seconds with a 6-5 win.

Now we sit back and wait to see who our opponent will be in Round 2. Depending on the outcome of the San Jose/Anaheim series. If the Ducks can complete the upset of the President's Trophy winning Sharks, we will face Anaheim in Round 2. If San Jose can come back and defeat Anaheim in game 7, then we'll play Vancouver (who easily swept the St. Louis Blues).

I'm sure a veteran team like Detroit could use the extra time off to heal while they watch game tapes of both the Ducks and Canucks. Personally, I don't like the thought of facing an elite goaltender like Luongo, so I'm hoping for a match-up with the water fowl.

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Back to the Blog

With a full week between blogs quite a lot has happened...

The main reason for the lack of blogs lately was a direct result of a business trip to Philadelphia this past week, but I'm back now, and have quite a bit to cover. One of the early highlights was out shiny new office building. The Comcast Center construction started in 2005, and it's grand opening was June 6th, 2008. This 58 story glass giant is the tallest building in Philly, and offered an impressive view from our meeting room on the 45th floor. Aside from the stuffy business meetings, and serious work conversations, my colleague Mark and I managed to make the most of our time in the City of Brotherly Love. I honestly don't think that we could have squeezed in any more activities outside of work hours. The purpose of the trip was to meet the new vendors I'll be managing, and build a relationship with them. We found the best way to do that was over whiskey and a nice cigar at Mahogany on Walnut, dinner at Morton's, several beers at Monk's Belgian Beer Emporium, and capped off with a late night Philly cheese steak at Geno's. We managed to cover all the discussion topics from our agenda, and get to know our new business partners a little bit better. It might seem like 'hanging out' but it was more about building trust, and getting to know these people on a personal level outside of the formalities of the office environment.

On our last day, we had 3 hours in the early morning to kill before our flight, so we opted to check out some 'tourist-ish' type things. We squeezed in a visit to Rittenhouse Square, the Philadelphia Art Museum (a.k.a. Rocky Steps), City Hall, the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, J.F.K. Plaza (a.k.a Love Park), and the Swann Memorial Fountain.

I think it's safe to say we made the most of a week in Philly..

Home Ice Advantage

During some a playoff series home ice advantage can often make or break the eventual winner. Some teams get such a motivational boost from the their fans that they appear to harness that adrenaline rush, and feed off the passionate fan base. In addition to the home team getting a boost, it also tends to have the opposite effect on the visiting team when they have to walk into such a hostile environment and face a sea of crazed supporters who are so loyal to their squad, they'll do anything they can to strike fear into the hearts of anyone to challenge their team. Football has the Raiders fans who are always in the running for the wildest fans in the NFL, but the Philadelphia Flyers fans are the self proclaimed 'Most Intimidating Fans in the NHL' and after watching the welcome they offered Sidney Crosby and the Penguins, I can safely say they earned that moniker.

With a brilliant marketing idea, the Flyers organization gave out bright orange towels, bright orange thunder sticks, and bright orange t-shirts that read "The Most Intimidating Fans in the NHL". I've created a little collage of the Flyer fans and highlighted their love for hating Sidney Crosby;
It's no wonder the Flyers came out strong today and defeated Sid's Penguins 6-3 to bring the series to 2-1 Pittsburgh. I love the passion the Flyers fans show, and the sheer intensity makes them the most intimidating fans in the NHL.

Even though all the fans in the collage above may look mean, not all Philly fans are intimidating.

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In game 2, the Wings put on a clinic and looked much like the team who captured Lord Stanley's Cup the season before. My previous post explained how Ozzie looked like he really has 'flipped the switch' and today's shutout just cements that point. At the other end, Jacket's goalie Steve Mason was frustrated by staring at the back of Tomas Holmstrom's jersey all night. Mason clearly off his game was caught out of position on several occasions because he was focused on trying to move big number 96 on his own. The game was lopsided from the start as 10 seconds in, Dan Cleary took a penalty off the opening face off, and the best scoring chance on the Columbus power play was when Marian Hossa split the defence and nearly scored shorthanded.

Midway through the 3rd, TSN commentator Gord Miller even compared this game to a professor educating his students about playoff hockey. The big challenge for the Wings will be to remain focused and not get to cocky after back to back decisive wins at Joe Louis Arena. I'm sure Babcock will remind the boys what happened just last season in round 1 when they won games 1 & 2 in Michigan, then lost 3 & 4 in Nashville. The Blue Jackets will come out strong in game 3 with 2 days to rest, and rowdy crowd supporting their home team for their first ever home playoff game. Detroit looked sharp tonight, and for the first time this season, I felt like I was watching the Big Red Machine running on all cylinders.

I will give credit where credit is due in the creativity department, as Jakub Voracek figured maybe he could play better defence with 2 sticks...

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In Detroit's Playoff opener tonight, they played a much younger, and less experienced Blue Jacket squad. Detroit is a heavy favourite, and ended up winning 4-1, but the match up that was most hyped was between the pipes. Rookie sensation Steve Mason vs. crafty veteran Chris Osgood.

Osgood has been telling us for weeks that much like flipping a switch, he'll be able to turn up his game for the playoffs. Looks like the Detroit goaltender is a man of his word.

The Wings have never been a team that needs their goaltender to steal a game for them, but they do need a goalie who can make a big save at a key moment in any given game. There is nothing that crushes a team's morale more than when you pepper the opposing netminder for 4-5 shots on one shift, only to have the other team skate down and score a weak one. There have been games this season where Detroit wasn't getting that type of steady goaltending, and you could see the team stumble as a result. With critics questioning the skill level in net for the defending champs, Ozzie looked like he had something to prove.

Last playoff, Chris Osgood boasted some impressive numbers;

GP	W	L	GA	GAA	Sv%	SO
19	14	4	30	1.55	.930	3

We'll see what he can do this year.

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Tree Hugger

Artyom Sidorkin, A 28 year old Russian man suffering from extreme chest pains admitted himself to a local hospital after coughing up blood. Several X-Rays later, the man was diagnosed with a cancerous mass in his lung and requested surgery. During the operation, the man's lung was opened up to reveal... A FIR TREE.

That's correct... the patient had a small 5 centimeter fir branch growing inside his lung. The doctors could not believe their eyes. Russian doctors speculate the little tree began to grow after the patient inhaled a seed that lodged itself in his lungs. Attached to the walls of his lung, the seed grew into a little fir tree without any discomfort until it began applying pressure on Sidorkin's veins.

* I didn't want to attach a picture out of respect for the squeamish, but the image and full story can be found here.

NHL Playoff Matchups Set

So... who do you think has the best odds? Personally... this year I can honestly say I can see any team winning the cup. It'll all come down to which team can avoid injuries.

Let the playoffs begin....

Adding to the Bucs QB Collection

My Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a bit of a history when it comes to signing quarterbacks. They have a tendency of acquiring older QB's that were great once, and still have a little game left, but are not at the caliber of today's NFL quarterback. Today the Bucs signed the Pittsburgh Steeler's backup Byron Leftwich to a two year deal. Many QB's either a) didn't enjoy or b) couldn't handle, the demanding system that is played in Tampa. Former head coach Jon Gruden was notorious for putting his pivots through a rigorous playbook that demanded a lot from the QB. In addition to the difficult plays, Tampa Bay won the Super Bowl on the backs of a strong running game led by Mike Alstott, and an all star defence from the brilliant mind of Monte Kiffin. With Gruden gone, Kiffin coaching at the University of Tennessee with his son Lane Kiffin, and many of the stars from the 2002 Superbowl winning team released or retired, it'll be a lot of new names in Tampa for 2009.

We'll see how the new look Bucs fair this season with a new coach Raheem Morris at the helm, and a new QB in the huddle. Welcome to the next generation of Buccaneers football.

Simple But Effective

I'm sure anyone who's placed a large coffee order has fumbled with an additional handful of milk/cream and sugars. Well it appears inspired designer Josh Harris dreamed up the 'Coffee Top Caddy'.
While working in an office environment, Josh didn't want to carry around a list of what each co-worker wanted in their coffee, he would just order plain black coffees and let them add whatever ingredients they desired. That meant carrying around the milk/cream/sugar for everyone and that became a hassle.

Josh's idea hit home with coffee drinkers and has been put into practice at Dunkin Donuts. I'm not sure if other coffee shops will move towards the new lid design, but it seems like a good idea to me!

Riding A Mule For Eleven Years

Reports from TSN.ca and the Detroit Red Wings website state that Johan Franzen "The Mule" has reportedly signed a long term deal with figures undisclosed. This deal is in the ballpark of 11 years, so I'd hoping the annual cap hit will be low enough for the Wings to secure Marian Hossa's services for the near future as well. With Hank, Pav, and the Mule locked into long term deals, and Rafalski, Stuart and Kronwall patrolling the blueline 'till 2012 it looks like the Wings have a solid core of players for the near future. My only major concern still resides in goal.

I'll update this post with the length and value of the contract when proper numbers are released.

*UPDATE: Ansar Khan of Detroit's MLive.com has broken down the deal as an 11 year front loaded contract that averages approximately $3.9 million per season. Here's a portion of the official press release;

"Franzen was originally a third round draft pick (97th overall) of the Red Wings in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He is currently in his fourth season in the National Hockey League. In 69 games played this season, Franzen has already set career highs in goals (34), assists (25) and points (59). He burst into the NHL spotlight last March scoring 14 goals and adding four assists for 18 points in just 13 games. Six of Franzen's 14 goals were game-winning goals, eclipsing the franchise record of five in one month held by Gordie Howe and Zetterberg. 'Mule' would finish the 2007-08 regular season by scoring 15 goals over the final 16 games.

"Franzen's incredible run continued into the 2008 playoffs. He found the back of the net 13 times in just 16 postseason games. Along the way, he set or tied numerous franchise playoff records including most goals in one playoff year (13, with Zetterberg), most goals in one playoff series (9), most game-winning goals in one playoff year (5), longest playoff goal streak (5 games) and most three-goal games in one playoff series (2).''

At $3.9 million per season, the Wings may just have enough space to re-sign Hossa, if he continues to offer a Detroit Discount.

An Unsung Hero

I know I'm biased, but the numbers don't lie. Pavel Datsyuk deserves some serious recognition for his work, and even some serious consideration for the Hart Trophy (awarded to the NHL's MVP)

If I were a betting man, I'd say that Hart Trophy candidates will be Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, and Steve Mason. Mason is a goalie who might make a run for the Veznia (NHL's Best Goaltender) but probably won't capture the Hart... at least, not this year! My argument for Pavel won't be made as a Red Wings fan, but merely by presenting the stats on a level playing field. Nothing against Mason, but let me compare Malkin, Ovechkin, and Datsyuk in my argument.
(Yes, It's amost a lock that the NHL MVP will be from Russia)

• Malkin leads his team in points by 9, and Ovechkin leads his team in points by 23. Datsyuk leads his team by 25.
• Malkin is second on his team in +/- at +16, Ovechkin is sixth in Washington at +8, while Datsyuk leads Detroit by +5 and leads forwards on his team by +11 and his impressive +38 he leads the entire NHL.
• Both Malkin and Ovechkin play on the point on the power play, allowing them both play an extra 150-200 PP minutes so far this season. If you adjust that number so that all three have played 400 PP minutes, Ovechkin and Malkin would be tied with 104 points, and Datsyuk would be leading the league with 114.

Now elite players in the NHL have to overcome hooks, trips, elbows, and any other type of obstruction you can imagine. It takes a serious level of mental strength to avoid losing your cool and taking stupid penalties when that happens. When determining value to your team, you can't have your superstar in the penalty box.

• Malkin has spent 78 minutes in the penalty box, Ovechkin has been sent off for 70 minutes, while Datsyuk has spent just 20 minutes in the sin bin.

Even when comparing Malkin and Ovechkin's average Time On Ice (TOI) to Datsyuk, his TOI is sitting at 19:12, while the other two are averaging approx. 23 mins. Clearly Pavel Datsyuk is putting up MVP worthy numbers, while spending an average of 4 minutes less on the ice. (even with the high penalty minutes posted by Evgeni and Alex)

With Malkin poised to win the Art Ross (NHL Points Leader) and Ovechkin the favourite for the Rocket Richard Trophy (Most Goals) I think it's safe to assume one of these two will be awarded the Hart as well.

My money is on Ovechkin, but I wanted to make sure to give credit where credit is due.

Another Milestone

I've started to blog about this topic a few times, but wasn't going to do so until the Red Wings reached their 50th win this season. (Silly Superstitions) We've since notched our 51st win as the season winds down reaching another milestone.... a milestone 4 years in the making.

The Wings have recorded 50 wins for the fourth consecutive season. Now you'll hear the critics counter by saying a weak central division is the reason for all their victories and if they faced tougher opposition they wouldn't have reached 50 wins. Well this season has the potential for every team from the Central division could make the playoffs. Hows that for tough competition? With St. Louis and Nashville currently tied at 86 points, and gaining on Anaheim (88 pts) for the remaining 2 playoff spots, the possibility is there for all Central Division teams to qualify for the post season.

Only the 3rd team in NHL history to record 50 wins in four straight seasons, the 2006-09 Red Wings join the 71-74 Bruins, and the 76-79 Canadiens. As for coaching honours, Mike Babcock and Scotty Bowman are the only coaches to accomplish this feat.

Ch, Ch, Ch, CHIA..

The fine people who brought us the original Chia Pet back in 1982, have recently released their 13th wave of new Chia Pets. In the past we've been fortunate enough to see Chia Cats & Dogs, Chia Turtles, Rabbits, Cows and almost any other animal you can name. In 2000, Chia Pets branched off into popular cartoon characters such as Bugs Bunny, Garfield, Scooby Doo, Homer Simpson, and even a Chia Shrek.

In 2009, wave 13 offered a controversial Chia Pet that has been removed from several Walgreens shelves in Florida. Check out the Chia Obama. This latest Chia Pet stands as only 2nd living person to be enshrined in Chia Pet history, and the 1st person who wasn't a TV character.
(The first "Chia Person" was actually Mr. T of A-Team fame.)

Chia Obama comes in 2 variations. The first is 'Determined' Chia Obama, who's serious look comes with the powerful words "Yes We Can" on the side. Second, the 'Happy' Chia Obama, for those who like a playful President.

For only $25 you too can have your own mini Obama, and watch his green hair grow...

Back To Blogging

After a busy few days that resulted in zero new blog posts, I've returned to the keyboard to share my incoherent ramblings with anyone possessing the stamina to sift through it.

During the past few days I've been playing handy-man around the house spending time repairing an overflowing toilet, a roof that suffered some shingle loss due to extremely high winds, and building/re-wiring my workbench in the basement. Now I can't really complain because I did spend the majority of Sunday golfing at Pine Knot with Reuben, Kyle and Eric.

It was nice to shake the rust and get the first round of golf under my belt for the 2009 season. Since it was early in the season, the course was offering a price of $18 + temperature for the full 18 holes. Braving a balmy 3 degrees (when we teed off) it worked out to $21 per round + tax. A combination of nice weather on a weekend, and $21 dollar rounds resulted in a busy day on the links, and a typical 4 hours of golf, quickly escalated into a 6 hour session. I'm sure that round plus a trip or two to the driving range should be enough of a warm-up before we look to defend our back-to-back titles in the company golf tournament fast approaching.