A Tired Saturday

I am pretty sure that my medical insurance won't cover a coffee intravenous bag this morning, but I could sure use one. I had a blast last night, and Jennifer of the Phoenix Zoo was part of the reason why. I'm sure she may be feeling it this morning too, but she appeared to be having a fantastic time as we, and several others, hung out last night. Needless to say, I am feeling the wrath of not sleeping right now. And it's 11AM in Portland, Oregon. Sometimes, I wonder why I put myself into these situations, but I know I'm a social animal. I like to have a good time. We had more laughs last night than what might be considered "normal", but normal is a relative term anyway. All in all, a very good wrap-up to a very good conference.

Because of that, today's entry is a mail-in. I'm taking it easy, and I'm going to link to others who have done some excellent work. Why? Because I need to go back to the hotel room and abuse the in-room coffee maker. Let's get this done.

• The Denver Post's Avalanche blog has images of Craig Anderson's new mask that he'll be wearing while guarding the net this season in Denver. The abominable snowman makes a return on Anderson's mask. What really caught my attention was the mask that the Yeti is wearing, and the mask that is displayed on the back plate. Apparently, it's "Jake", the Corvette racing mascot. Anderson's mask was painted by Bob Dillon who, according to the comments, is in auto detailing and painting. The mask is a tribute to Corvette racing, of which Craig Anderson must be a fan. Or he simply likes the logo.
• Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators is also sporting a new paint job on his mask for the upcoming season. On The Forecheck has one photo, so you can't see the whole thing just yet, but there is a comparison between last season and this season on there. And the new one looks a little fiercer.
• On The Forecheck also has images of the new Nashville alternate jersey, this time worn by actual Predators players. I like the traditional look, but I'm not so sure about the checkerboard pattern. It seems superfluous and unnecessary. However, matching the primary logo's colours to the new jersey actually makes it a little more ominous in my opinion. But then again, what's my opinion worth?
• Habs Inside/Out has the images of goaltender Carey Price's new mask design. This one honours the past 100 years of Canadiens' history, and I like it. It's subtle yet descriptive, and it really captures the essence of what being a Montreal Canadien is about: honour, respect, and tradition.
• George Johnson of the Calgary Herald takes Dion Phaneuf to task for throwing the big hit, but then failing to answer the call when a player wants to fight him. And Johnson has a point: if challenged, he should respond. The problem I have with this is that the open-ice hit that Phaneuf threw was clean, legal, and vicious - exactly what we, as fans, love to see. Now, no one wants to see Kyle Okposo carted away on a stretcher by any means, but NHL hockey is a violent sport. No one can deny that. But if Phaneuf has to fight someone after throwing what may be the best clean hit of the season, something is wrong with that picture. The code states that enforcers seek revenge for dirty plays, and this was not dirty by NHL standards. So why does he need to drop the gloves? Is Phaneuf not more valuable on the ice for the Flames than sitting in the box for five minutes and/or potentially breaking his hand in a fight?

I may examine this Phaneuf thing a little more tomorrow once my head clears of the sleep-induced cobwebs. Until then, I'm going to drink a pile of coffee to stay awake, or head back to the room, listen to some tunes, and drift back off into dreamland.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!