Hockeyhead

Calgary’s Jarome Iginla figured himself in on all four of the Flames’ goals in last night’s 4-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Iginla had scored only two goals in his last 19 games before sniping a couple in last night’s contest, he added two helpers as well.  He’s not heating up, he’s on fire!

Ilya Kovalchuk’s Lip:

So I’m watching The Score’s Hardcore Hockey Talk and it occurs to me that Ilya Kovalchuk has been pretty hot lately (10 goals in his last 8 games). I’d chalk it up to the outside possibility of him being dealt to play with a playoff team, but Steve Ludzik had a better explanation:

Kovalchuk has his lip tucked back in, he had his lip hangin’ out.”

I have no idea what that means, but I’ll take it.  Speaking of lips, check out those smoochers on his wife:

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For all those dickless suit-wearing assholes that plan on booing Mats Sundin when he returns to the ACC in Toronto tonight, you should be ashamed of yourselves.  I mean c’mon, the guy gave your lifeless team 13 years of his life and never once did he complain when management repeatedly stumbled to build a winner around him, or when Doug Gilmour, Phil Housley, and Ron Francis were brought in well past their collective prime for a “Cup run”.

Sundin defended himself in this morning’s Toronto Star, which he shouldn’t have to do in the first place:

I honestly don’t understand it, this (accusation) of being a traitor. I certainly don’t look at myself that way. When I stayed with the team at the deadline, it was because I didn’t think it was appropriate for the captain to leave. We were still fighting for a playoff spot and I honestly believed, at that point, it could happen.”

The only traitors in this situation are the back-stabbing fans that are going to boo their once celebrated hero, rather than stand up and applaud the guy for keeping a franchise relevant while management had failed to.

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The off-ice happenings around the Montreal Canadiens are getting much more attention this week than their on-ice struggles.  With this latest report of possible arrests and dealings with a known criminal , it’s not surprising that the Habs have looked a little bit detached on the ice lately.  The Kostitsyn brothers are apparently close buds with Pasquale Mangiola, who is facing some charges for drug-trafficking and possession of illegal weapons.  What the mother of fuck is going on with this team?

Speaking of criminals, the legendary Godfather of Habs’ criminal activity Guy Lafleur had some choice words for his former club and their handling of the Alex Kovalev situation:

If I were in (Alex Kovalev’s) skates, I’d have played my last game for the Canadiens.  No player with his talent would accept being humiliated like that. … I don’t know what (Bob) Gainey is trying to prove in front of everybody.”

Burrows Finds Home With Sedins:

The never-ending search for a winger to roll with Henrik and Daniel Sedin may be over, former ECHL’er Alex Burrows has 6 points in three games with the brothers.  Burrows has been a pleasant surprise this season for the Canucks (and me fantasy squad) and has increased his stock with his elevated play of late.  He’s got 3 shorthanded markers on the season, and he’s not afraid to drop the mitts for a dance either.  Burrows and the Sedin twinkles put a combined 9 points on the board in last night’s victory over the Ottawa Senators.

If there was any doubt that Luke Schenn will be an NHL stud:

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Let me be the first to say congratulations to Ken Hitchcock on reaching the the milestone of 500 wins as a coach in the NHL.  With tonight’s shootout victory over the bumbling Toronto Maple Leafs, the Columbus Blue Jackets look poised to battle down the stretch for their first ever playoff appearance.

Hitchcock’s feat is even more remarkable considering he spent the first half of his career as a manager in the WWE for the Undertaker, where he amassed a pretty lofty total of wins as well.  Well done Kenny boy.

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Deny, deny, deny.  It’s denials all around with regard to the rumours of Jaromir Jagr returning to the NHL to play for the Edmonton Oilers.  According to ESPN, both team president Kevin Lowe and GM Steve Tambellini denied that the Oilers had intentions to bring Jagr back from Russia for this season or next.  Jagr’s former representation, Pat Brisson and J.P. Barry said they had no knowledge of any negotiations.

This brings us back to the plausible possibility that all this was started by Gary Bettman himself in an effor to lure Jagr back to some struggling U.S. market in hopes of giving a shot of credibility a shitty team in the sunbelt.  Bettman of course chose Edmonton as his target to fuel the rumours because he believes that Canada does not have the internet.  We here at Hockeyhead made multiple attempts at contacting the Bettman camp, but were repeatedly denied a chance to speak to him.  His assistant clearly stated that, “Gary doesn’t speak with Canadian bloggers because Canadians don’t have the internet.”

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We’re now 364 days away from puck drop at the 2010 Olympics and like any common douchebag would do for TV ratings, Pierre McGuire has chosen Canada’s Olympic squad a year in advance devoid of any use of logic or realistic adjectives.  Here is the list of “breathtaking” Monsters.

We here at Hockeyhead aren’t going to sound off Pierre’s act of douchebaggery like one would assume.  No, it would be premature (something I’m sure Pierre knows a little bit about) to even suggest a roster of any kind a year in advance of a tournament, but Pierre used this method during his days as head-coach of the Hartford Whalers.  Management and ownership was rather upset that Pierre had announced that Robert Petrovicky would be his number 1 snuggle buddy, and that is why he failed.  It’s also why he now calls games from ice level: TSN lets him think that he’s “coaching”.

Who are we kidding, we’ve got to take a shot at that sniveling little faux hawk-wearing weasel Marc Savard.  Sorry Bruins fans, he’s just not that into you.

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Jason Blake needs to get himself some sunshine, either that or a potent dose of Vitamin D.  Blake may be scoring his way out of Toronto, either a friend of mine or a surly Brian Burke himself told me that the Edmonton Oilers may have interest in Blake.  It would make sense, Brian Burke could reunite himself with his lost love: Dustin Penner.

According to Joe Ross at thescore.com’s NHL Rumours, the Leafs may have some interest in the Blue Jackets’ Rostislav Klesla.  Columbus surely has interest in acquiring a defenseman that can boost their 30th ranked powerplay… like Tomas Kaberle and his broken paw.

With last night’s win the Maple Leafs now sit 12 points out of a playoff spot.  The Leafs are one of 7 teams that have not made the playoffs in the post-lockout era, Columbus, Phoenix, Chicago, St. Louis, Florida, and Los Angeles are the others.   The Blue Jackets, Blackhawks, and Panthers all currently have a grasp on a playoff spot, the Kings and Coyotes sit 4 and 5 points out respectively.  The lowly St. Louis Blues are 7 points out.  The Toronto Maple Leafs are bad, accept it, Burke is going to sell the farm.

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