It's official: as of right now, not a SINGLE PLAYER on the Columbus Blue Jackets has a positive plus/minus. Seven players have a 0 (even) rating, but three of those seven are GOALIES (and thus, do not count).

Go check for yourself.

Also, I nominate the Blue Jackets as the Team With the Most Odd Names:
- vyborny
- zherdev
- hrdina
- fritsche
- klesla
- suchy
- malhotra
- tollefsen
- goertzen
- balastik
- beauchemin

ALSO: KINGS VS. PREDATORS. Wow. I'd definitely tune in and watch their future matchups if this is how they're going to be. - posted by Rades @ 6:37:00 PM --

Jiri Fischer's seizure and collapse on the bench in Monday's game between Detroit and Nashville must have been pretty scary to see live on TV or in person at the arena. Not much to say on it except that Fischer's treatment is an unquestionably positive thing about the "new" NHL - that there be emergency medical personnel immediately present at rinkside. Currently there is no such rule for NHL practices, but I hope they change this. After all, if it could happen in a game with no real evident cause (ie, he didn't get slammed into the boards or hit in the chest with the puck or anything) it could definitely happen at a practice, too. - posted by Rades @ 7:12:00 PM --

LEAFS 5 CANADIENS 4 (OT)

Wow, what a game last night. Despite being outshot 18-4 in the first period, Toronto escaped the first period without allowing a goal. Belfour was solid as usual, although he let a couple weak ones. That didn't stop Hockey Night in Canada from naming him the first star of the game. The final shots count was 35-24 in favour of Montreal.

I knew the Leafs were among the slowest skating teams in the league, but never has it been more evident than this season with the new CBA. In the first period, Montreal just outskated them to everything, it was brutal.They definetely need more young blood in the lineup, because these older players just can't skate as fast. If not for Belfour, it could've easily been like 3-0 after the first.

The Colorado Avalanche could've used a similar performance from Aebischer. He played just terrible. On top of allowing three goals on eight shots, he let in a harmless looking shot from centre ice. It went off his glove and into the net. Calgary was lucky to win last night, although I give credit to Kipper for another solid game between the pipes. This team appears to be rebounding from a slow start to the season. - posted by Al @ 12:56:00 PM --

Flames 4, Canucks 3. HAHAHA! Flames sweep!

Also, I just realized something as I watched Alex Auld in net for the Canucks. Cloutier is of course, out with a concussion suffered after Nolan Baumgartner collided with him, sending Cloutier into the goalpost. Which means that Baumgartner is my official nominee for Canucks MVP for the entire season. Heck, if he had saved the Cloutier Concussion (that's its name, it's a special move) for the 1st round of the playoffs, the Canucks might actually make it somewhere for once. - posted by Rades @ 10:18:00 PM --

First Flames vs Canucks game I've been able to watch so far this year! So far it's FLAMES 1-0! HAHAHAHA! - posted by Rades @ 6:18:00 PM --

Wow, the Senators beat Buffalo 10-4 last night, with Havlat and Alfredsson both scoring four goals. That's crazy, and even crazier when you consider Heatley ALSO scored four goals against Toronto on Saturday. It was also Havlat's first game back from his five game suspension for kicking Hal Gill in the groin. He should get himself suspended more often. - posted by Rades @ 1:38:00 AM --

BURE RETIRES

Aw, Pavel Bure retired today. Officially, that is. He's been gone for 2 years, and his knees are shot. But man could he fly. He MADE the fabled Canucks playoff run so exciting. I watched a highlight reel of him yesterday and he scored some absolutely crazy goals. I've still got his Canucks #10 jersey somewhere (in black, of course), from back when the Canucks logo wasn't a brutal killer whale monstrosity.

Here's a link to the afore-mentioned Bure highlight clip. - posted by Rades @ 7:58:00 PM --