Really?

So according to this article on Yahoo!, the NHL has been busy the past ten days.

Five (5) suspensions and four (4) fines?! Really!? I have to wonder at the conduct of players when this is what the past 10 days looks like.

It could be worse, but it could be better.

In other news, Atlanta isn't doing too bad. They've won 3 of 5 games. Yay! (And yes, Ben Eager did score a goal and get an assist in one game!)

The Rangers....have won one game. I won't say much beyond they lost to the Islanders and I take that as an insult.

The Blackhawks? Won 4 of 7. So not too bad. But they lost their first game and that had to sting.

The Flyers have won two games out of five. They're doing better than their Stanley Cup rivals but not by much. Though I do have to give them a pat on the back for beating the Pens in their first game of the season. (We'll ignore the fact that the Pens game back with a vengeance in their second meeting of the season.)

And finally... the Red Wings.... have won 3 of 5 just like the Thrashers. I'm not happy they beat the Hawks but eh.

I think the Stars have the best record, winning 4 of 5 games. Yay for Adam Burish! Though, his goal was in the game they lost. I still support the team he's on.

Gotta love a lawsuit.

According to an Internet article from the Sun-Sentinel, the Miami Heat filed a lawsuit against Clear Channel Broadcasting. The Heat are claiming that Clear Channel has not lived up to the terms of their contract.

As stated in their contract, the broadcasting company is supposed to offer to the Heat what it offers to any other sports team it has a contract with. The Heat say that Clear Channel has been giving the Dolphins more coverage and airing their games on the FM station 105.9 while bumping the Heat to the AM station 940.

Can I just say, "What the heck people?!" Did they honestly think the Heat wouldn't notice that they were getting shafted? The basketball team was smart to sign such a juicy contract. I support their decision to sue and terminate the contract. Why do business with someone who isn't going to live up to their word?

I'm not a basketball fan by any means, but this just screamed at me when I saw it. I can't get past the fact that a company would be so stupid as to do something so obviously against a contract they have signed.

What the heck is this mess?!

Somewhat old news since it happened last month...well at the end of last month on the 27th.

But these Habs players are going INSANE.

Fighting is part of hockey. But the fights need to be fair. Not two vet players practically JUMPING a newer member of the league.

Utterly ricidulous I tell you.

Michael Cammelleri is making me want to burn my Canadiens shirt. I got it during a spring break trip but now I'm kind of regretting that fact.

I don't know what is in the air wafting around their ice, but it needs to get fixed and fast.

As a fan of the game I do not want stuff like this tainting the sport for new fans. Sure it's a rough sport but at the end of the day most of the players are still friends.

Act like you have some class people. Not like you just licked a crack rock before steppin' out on the ice.

NHL Regular Season

So the regular season starts tomorrow.

Games I will be watching for:

Flyers v Pens @ 7 pm

Blackhawks v Avs @ 10 pm

Ways to watch? Both games are slated to come on Versus so that's a plus. I haven't been able to make my mom see the benefits of getting the NHL channels via Comcast...yet. I still have faith that it will happen before I move out. It has to happen.

Also, there will be an ESPN gamecast up for each game. I can't resist and it gives me time to re-yell at players for stupid things.

The match ups during the Flyers/Pens game will be interesting. I'm looking forward to some trash talking and all around rough play. From the Flyers at least.

I don't put much into the Pens. In fact my enthusiastic donations mount to a whopping negative 2,000. If I don't respect your captain, I don't respect your team. The Staal brother is the only reason I can type the team name.

I actually spent a good portion of my Monday ticked off over a friend's opinion of the Pens. It's a fact that if you like the NY Rangers, you don't like the Pens. The way Lundy and that excuse for a captain go at it is proof enough. You're either backing the goal or bailing the "captain" out of a fight. His mouth gets him into the mess, his fists should get him out.

Rant over. For now.

The Blackhawks/Avs game will be extra interesting. The Hawks are starting this season out with a lot of new faces. Their winning team was split because of salary cap issues (which sucks a LOT).

I don't follow the Avs so no comments there. They looked good in the few games I saw of theirs last season though.

Friday's games you ask?

Thrashers v Caps @ 7:30 pm

This will be the most interesting game of my week. It falls on my mom's birthday. I don't think I will make it to the game because of a family dinner but believe you me that I will be getting texts to my phone and trying to hold my screams at the dinner table.

Ironically, I got into it with that same friend mentioned above over Ovechkin. Once I heard he like these two overrated players, I knew something was up. I wanted to smack the stupid out of him but I resisted. Plus he was saved by distance since this was a text message conversation.

He'll never know how lucky he was that day.

I'll be honest. I look forward to seeing Ben Eager on the ice. He's a blue-eyed hunk of man meat that I can't help but squeal inwardly over. I also want to see my other former Blackhawks. I've fallen in love with the Thrashers during the off season so of course I want to see them all play.

As for the Caps...well they were at the top of their division last season but they were ousted from the playoffs in the initial rounds. That has to mean something.

I'm hoping the Thrashers can pull a W even though they lost all their preseason games. Something I still haven't really recovered from, mind you.

Other games I'll be watching for:

Rangers v Sabres @ 7 pm Saturday the 9th (Killed it in the preseason!)

Stars v Islanders @ 7 pm same day

After these games, my routine starts over with the Thrashers/Lightning game at 7:30 pm on Saturday.

Hopefully I can keep track of all the games to give y'all a faithful telling of events.

I'm sure you'll get my faithful ranting either way it goes.

See you on the other side!