I don't mean to go on a Rant here...

Some Game Day thought's before I sign off to cram my psyche and body with live sporting events, too much food/booze and a lot of football in the next 48 hours.

I miss Dennis Miller...but not on MNF - just the pool table and Tears for Fears playing

Thoughts on shitty Canadiens:

Ryan O'Byrne - where the hell did this guy come from? I feel like I haven't even heard his name in 3 games already against the Habs, and suddenly he's scoring on his own net to give the lowly Isle's a point and eventual SO victory? (see video here) This poor guy needs a hug and a Southwest flight to get away. Mercilessly, the frog fans boo'd the crap out of him even though the reply shows he CLEARLY didn't have a clue that a delayed penalty was in the works...thus the empty net. Though i gotta ask "WHY DONT YOU JUST WRAP IT AROUND THE FUCKING END BOARDS!!??"

Or Steal a purse?...

That's right...now I know why i've heard this clowns name before. Last February, O'Byrne and Tom Kostopoulos were arrested in Tampa for, wait for it, grand theft!

"The situation involving the players arose when a woman set her purse on the counter top inside the bar and then noticed it was missing before alerting security. The bar's bouncers allegedly saw O'Byrne outside with the purse and the woman's cellphone in his hands. He was questioned by police.

"They approached him and asked him what he was doing with her cellphone and her purse. He said it was his girlfriend's purse. They asked him what his girlfriend's name was and he couldn't provide the name of his girlfriend," Tampa Police Department spokesperson Andrea Davis told the CBC.

O'Byrne was detained and placed in the back of a police car. Davis said that's when the situation deteriorated.

"There were several other hockey players around. One of them was Kostopolous. Police kept telling them all to back up. Everyone did except for Kostopolous," Davis said."

This is just phenomenal. Way to add to the blue collar reputation of the sport, boys. Fuckin morons. Wouldn't back up? what?!? When your buddy is getting eyed by some dude at a bar and his friend tells you to back up - go ahead and say no. When your teammate inexplicably, albeit it drunkenly, robs a stranger's purse and a Cop tells you to back up, survey says, you back up. I can't decide which of these two is less inteligent (though the own goal is evidence against O'Byrne) so we're moving on.

Atlantic Division - Yikes! This group is good, son. Of the 5 teams, only one is under .500 (aforementioned Isles are 9-10-0-2) and the top 4 are all 4 games above water or better. Think about it: NY Rangers? Ugly game already this year; Pittsburgh? League's leading scorer and his name isn't Crosby; NJ Devils? Maybe they're the pretender here, but they're 4 games over .500 without the best goalie of a generation and a 14.1% PP (worst in the east); Philly? Best PP and most goals in the east...ugh.

Guess what though - with the exception of Friday's matinee, and a late December matchup against the Devils and Pens each, the Black and Gold are off the hook against this division until 2009.

Speaking of schedule...

December is one wiiierd month for our boys. Starting on December 1, we play nine (count 'em, NINE) games against the Southeast out of a thirteen for the month. Oh it gets better. We only play Washington once in there. So the lowlight's are on there way to the B's. Every "stretch" can be called a test for a team if you put it in the right context, but pursuant to the note i made last week about how the B's "played down" last year, this month coming up will be a test of that development for the home town club. It all caps off with a 5 game in 9 day run leading up to New Years...all on the road.

Hunwick - I think this kid is worthy of mention here. That damn Lucic kid keeps grabbing our headlines, but Matty the Hun is quietly proving to be a very serviceable fill in for Andrew Ference. Good thing, too, because Ference had rattled off some of his best hockey this season. Here's a side by side look at there performances this year.

Ference - 0 Goals, 7 assists, +9, 22:27 mins of Ice Time (avg) in 16 games
Hunwick - 2 Goals, 3 assists, +6, 13:02 mins of Ice Time (avg) in 9 games
Considering that Ference was third on the team in playing time, JUST below Wideman, and that Hunwick has stepped in on the PK alot, this is pretty impressive for a young kid who just the other night, was seen diligently fixing his own mistakes after a turnover in his own corner. We're gonna miss Ference for the next 6 weeks, no doubt - but i like the cut of Matt's jib so far.

As for tonight...well, the Swords are an interesting bunch. Miller's been an enigma lately (perhaps explained by this discussion group about whether or not he A. has a gf and B. might have asked two separate girls for their number at a recent Bills game - WOW). The guy is an all pro, regardless of giving up 7 goals last time out (and Lalime is NOT a better alternative for them) and the Sabres have now dropped 5 straight despite shooting like a bunch of Arab's with joy rounds; they outshot Philly 40-25 in a shutout loss for crips cripes. Interestingly, as ESPN points out, Fernandez is 5-0-1 lifetime against the Sabres, with that one loss coming earlier this season in a shootout.

So two big questions stand out tonight...

Which Ryan Miller shows up, and can the Bruins keep the Sabres shot-happy offense in check?

GNH to follow, as always. Enjoy your churduckin.