Multi-game wrap-up, plus a declaration of love and video of my dog

Last night, after that awful Aeros game, I was in a bit of a hockey malaise. In fact, I really didn't watch much of the evening games until the exciting finish of the Blues/Sharks game.

But today, without an early game to sour my hockey mood, it was a great evening of games, requiring two laptops and a big screen TV and I still didn't get to watch everything.

Main games were Brusty and the Blades in Cinci and the Wild game against the Ducks.

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In contrast to some of the early games after he got to playing regularly, Brusty's defense kicked ass tonight, even saving his bacon big time a couple of times. One save, B made a stop that sent him sliding to the right of the net and one of his defensemen came in and basically laid on the goal line to stop a shot off the rebound.

It was heroic and the rest of the Blades are 100% back in my good graces for that gutsy, hard-working performance. I'm sure it was keeping them up at night that I was annoyed with their play last week.

Mark Dekanich was the Cinci goalie, and having just been sent down from Milwaukee on not so happy terms (he just hasn't been playing well and they wanted to see if he could come down and find his game a bit), he was loaded for bear and played extremely well.

Both he and Brusty only let in one goal a piece and it went to the shootout. B2 let in the first two and stopped the next two. However, nobody on the Blades was able to beat Dex, so the Blades came out of it with the pity point and Brusty was awarded the second star for the game.

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It was also a free CHL-TV night, and Jaegs was in goal for the Brahmas, so I wanted to see if I could finally get to watch him play. I only caught the third period, by which time it was 2-1 Brahmas.

He stopped 21 of 22 and didn't look tooooo busy in the third, but definitely had some good stops. He's lightning quick, that guy, and very technically sound. Unless there's an issue with thinking the game or something like that, it really does seem like his size is one of his very few detractors.

And when he's feeling good and on his game, it really DOESN'T matter. It's when he's not that it matters. All things being equal, an extra 2-3 inches on that leg or arm reach can make a difference if you're not totally square and have to resort to acrobatics.

Regardless, he seems to have found his groove, and skated away with the first star tonight against the IceRays.

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Since I was watching the Blades on my laptop, I had the Wild game on the big TV, but was only halfway watching it. Just kinda looked up when the announcers got loud or I heard a goal horn.

Never the less, it was one of those Mikko/Mittens nights where they just can't be stopped. It happens occasionally, and is amazing when it does. And how great is it to have two lines that have proven they can pretty much own a game on a given night?

I tend to try to be pretty balanced anymore, even when I'm just in fan mode. I already do enough to make myself look like a jackass, so why add fuel to the fire?

But sometimes you just have to quit worrying about getting run over by the bandwagon if you're wrong down the road, and just fucking fall in love with a player.

Hello Guillaume!

Lats won the shootout for the Wild, and I'm not sure he even broke a sweat doing it. He's a motherfuckin' gunslinger!

Found this funny Facebook page put together by angry Habs fans (is there any other kind?) spreading the hate (and the celebrating the trade).

I know I've been tough on Pouly through the years, but I seriously hope the MTL vipers don't get their fangs into him and fuck him up like they have so many others. He's had a tough enough time in the Minnesota system. It's time to nurture some success out of that kid. And frankly, even if Lats falls apart and Pouly becomes the next Gretzky, it's okay by me.

I have no investment in Lats at this point, but have spent many an hour over the last 3 years debating, discussing, contemplating, bemoaning and (albeit rarely) celebrating Pouly's development. I'd love to see that all come to fruition at some point.

Lats for PM!

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Aeros came out of SA with a point for making it to overtime, though they didn't last long. After Thursday, the point is fine. I'll watch the game later. Maybe. Meh.

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Joe O'Donnell waxed poetic about the Hockey Hall of Fame in his blog today. I almost teared up reading it, so I know for a fact I'll cry like a baby when I finally get to go. I might just have to stand outside and hug the building for a while. Seriously, I'm dying to go there.

My fiendish plan is to have us to go the Grey Cup game next year in Hamilton, and then I can go the HHOF in Toronto and everyone will have had an activity worth the cost of travel.

The fact that blew me away is that John Scott's jersey is in the HOF. That's pretty bitchin'!

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The snow here today was awesome. In case you missed it on Twitter or FB, here's my pup, Major, who thinks snow is "food from the sky" and spent half the day today walking around the back deck licking and scraping up snow in his mouth. Pretty funny stuff.



Ahh, my handsome orange guardian. What a great kid.

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Also, because I'm a glutton for punishment, I agreed to play Monday drop-in. Here's to kicking this strep and bronchitis by Sunday!

Actually I figure worst case scenario, I'll make it through Sunday and Monday and then if I have to bail on Tuesday, I don't feel badly about it since they always have too many goalies anyway.