Here’s your bikini of the day from GetABikini.com

On Fan 590 Tonight-

- Grapeline with Don Cherry & Brian Williams at 4:45
- Bob McCown’s co-host from 5:00 to 7:00 is Jeff Blair
- David Shoalts, Mike Zeisberger, and Mike Cvitkovic on the roundtable

On 640 with Brady and Watters thanks to Mike S.:

- Dean Brown, broadcaster for the Ottawa Senators

- Jason Spezza

- Ron Wilson, head coach of the Leafs

- hockey insiders Darren Dreger & Scott Morrison at 6:10

Puck Drop: 7:00PM ET

The storyline is simple – It’s The Monster’s coming out party as Wilson has elected to go with the kid.  I was of the opinion that Wilson might go with Toskala to counter the media / fan backlash and to try to squash the “goalie controversy”….I’m glad he didn’t.  I’m looking forward to going to tonights game and seeing what this kid can do.  Is tonight going to be reminiscent of the night Felix The Cat started over Grant Fuhr?  Or when Palmateer came to the rescue when Wayne Thomas faltered?  We’ll see…it should be fun at the ACC tonight.

Projected Lines vs. Sens

The line-up below was provided by TSN – Ice Chips…mapleleafs.com did not post anything.  Neither Finger nor Mayers are listed as injured but do not appear to be in the line-up.  Kulemin is up and in for Primeau.

Forwards:

Stalberg – Stajan – Blake
Ponikarovsky – Grabovski – Hagman
Kulemin – Wallin – Stempniak
Rosehill – Mitchell – Orr

Defencemen:

Kaberle – Komisarek
Beauchemin – Schenn
White – Exelby

Goaltenders:
Gustavsson
Toskala

LT

Hats off to Ian Mendes for bring to reality what is gurgling as a freak show under the water in Ottawa.

Here is what you need to know in terms of background:

“There have been some hints from the Ottawa media that suggest several members plan on crashing Jason Spezza’s upcoming wedding in an attempt to force Dany Heatley to speak”

Give me a freaking break! I mean, when is enough enough? Seriously, there should be some times and some places where the media just isn’t welcome. We don’t need to get into the pro’s and con’s of the Clinton White House Years. However i tihnk one thing that I think we can all agree on is the way in which Slick Willie and Billary handled the press with respect to their daughter. Chelsea was hands off. There are times when the story just isn’t that important for god’s sake.

“Personally, I think as a media group we need to act with some class and show a little respect for someone’s special day. Unfortunately, those two words (class & respect) aren’t in many reporters’ vocabularies and it’s a big reason why we are wedged comfortably between telemarketers and personal injury lawyers on the scale of likable professionals.

If Heatley chooses not to speak to the media before his friend’s wedding, that does not constitute an open invitation for us to attend. I understand that Heatley is a legitimate story and everyone wants to hear his thoughts on why he might want to leave Ottawa. I firmly believe that he owes Senators fans an explanation at some point.

But there’s a time and a place for that to happen. And guess what? It’s not at somebody’s wedding. If you want to stake out the airport for his arrival, I think that’s fair game. Camp out for him at some local bars in case he hits the town? Knock yourself out and pretend you work for TMZ for a night. I don’t have an issue with it.”

Hats off to Mendes. He is right. There is a place, hard to believe where the story does begin and end. This is one place where the line should be drawn.

“If anything, we owe it to Spezza to leave this thing alone on his big day. Jason has been the most accommodating star to deal with from the media’s perspective. Jason has asked all of us to respect his privacy on his special day and not show up. He’s hired security to make sure no unauthorized guests (hint, hint, media) try to sneak in. He couldn’t make it any more clear: “I’m nice to you guys 364 days a year. Please give me one day off.” But I can’t shake the nagging feeling that pack journalism is going to rule the day. Everyone is going to be scared that the competition is going to get the scoop, so we better head to the wedding ourselves. Let me just say this: If a bunch of media show up to Jason Spezza’s wedding, don’t be surprised if another superstar wants a trade out of Ottawa at some point. And once again, us clueless members of the media will be wondering why.”

Funny I can’t shake the thought of Bruce Garrioch in a tuxedo outside the church waiting for a scoop. No seriously, if the media does indeed stake out the event after they have been asked by what appears to be a good guy then all bets are off. If I were Spezza and I asked for co-operation on my wedding day and I wasn’t left alone I would be pissed. It is fully expected that the photowhores will be there. That doesn’t mean the scribes have to lineup too. There will be non athletes and non-dignitaries at the event, gasp real ordinary people, and they and the Mrs. Spezza to be are entitled to some degree of privacy on one day.

Good job Ian, great post.

Speaking of privacy, I guess I would be remiss if I didn’t comment on the whole Erin Andrews thing. Andrews, for those of you who don’t know is a very successful and attractive ESPN reporter. She has been for lack of a better word, a shooting start at the network for several years. She covers many live events for ESPN and is good at what she does. Andews is, in addition to being good at what she does, an attractive woman:

Andrews has recently been a victim of our times. A perpetrator allegedly went to great lengths to booby trap Andrews’ hotel room and install a camera through a peephole. The video captured Andrews’ totally in the nude in her hotel room. The video has been all over the internet and of course as a result all over the news. The story has been featured on most of the main street news as well. While the stories all express outrage and compassion for Andrews most of the stories show the video! In addition, many of the outlets that ran to her defense have described previous Andrews stories using sexually suggestive language, capitalizing on our good looks to increase hits on their site. In fact many of the sites that are currently supporting her have gone so far as to say how great she looks in the video.

Now, what’s the saying about those who live in glass houses? I admit it. On a daily basis, Monday to Friday I post photos of attractive women in bikini’s. So, who the hell am I to judge what other sites are doing, posting or saying? I agree with anyone who attacks my position on that basis. However I will say this. Andrews’ like all of us should have an expectation of privacy in her hotel room or in her home for that matter. Photowhores caputre celebs in their daily lives, usually in some degree of public life. To rig a camera in someone hotel room to gain a video of that person while naked is so beyond creepy. Hell, it would “ALMOST” be more acceptable to have photoshopped her head on to a nude photo! Anyone who has ever leafed through an adult magazine (yes both of you reading this) can appreciate the psyche involved in “erotica”. There is, in my opinion nothing the least bit attractive to the video that resulted from this cowardly act.

We live in a train wreck society, so naturally the entire world is scouring to find the video. I am not going to stand on a perch and tell people not to. We all will do what we want to do regardless of what some idiot blogger says. I do think we as consumers can control what is acceptable or not through our voices and opinions to media outlets. I think that the liklihood of a copycat to this is high unless there is total outrage and reprehension to the act.(even still that probably won’t be enough). This story won’t go away as Andrews is seeking legal action against the guilty party(s). There are some great articles out there on the subject, too many to mention or list here. I do like the piece by Bruce Arthur in tomorrow’s National Post. You can read that here. If you want to read more, google Erin Andrews video and select the news tab.

TSM

Elliotte Friedman’s blog on the Vinny situation is as good a read as I have seen. The only thing missing from it is an accurate read on how dire things are in Tampa Bay. Elliott’s analysis of the current financial implications and the realities of a trade of this magnitude are bang on.

“So, how many teams are really in this race?

Montreal, for sure. Vancouver definitely could be. It has cap room and prospects. Toronto has cap room, but no prospects. It fits Edmonton’s profile, since the Oilers threw bags of cash at Jaromir Jagr and Marian Hossa. I also wonder about a Colorado, a Dallas, or an LA.”

Take the Leafs out of the picture. It’s not happening. Could you imagine Vinny in Vancouver with Sundin??? Almost happened in TO!

“Lecavalier is a great talent, and a durable one, too. Only twice in his nine seasons has he played less than 80 games – 68 in 2000-01 and 76 in 2001-02. Those two things are extremely attractive to any GM interested in anyone with a long-term deal. But you know what’s become even more important to these GMs? Flexibility.”

Damn straight. Look at the ducks current cap situation, ummmm, who made that mess again ?

“Other execs are wondering what Chicago is going to do with Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook – tough choices despite Nikolai Khabibulin’s $7 million per season clearing this summer. Even Detroit, the model franchise when it comes to drafting, developing and getting players to take hometown discounts, has team-altering decisions to make. Henrik Zetterberg, Marian Hossa, Johan Franzen and Jiri Hudler (restricted) are all up, and Zetterberg is testing the Red Wings’ limits. (They gave Hossa a one-year deal equal to Nicklas Lidstrom’s $7.45 million, and a 10-year, $75 million offer to Zetterberg has apparently been rejected.) The Lightning themselves are in this situation because of the Stanley Cup gifts awarded to three players, Lecavalier being one.”

Folks- this is why it is good to be a Maple Leaf fan right now. Keep your heads up. If Burke plays this right he is going to be able to have a buffet of choices for top players fairly soon. Be patient. Wait until the cap goes down, then watch teams squirm to get under the cap! This is going to be interesting as hell.

“Then, there is the economic collapse. Teams are under the impression that, at best, the cap will stay the same next season, before decreasing in 2010-11. From Oct. 1, 2007, until the financial lunacy began in mid-September, 37 NHL players signed contracts of at least five years in length. That’s an average of three per month. Since then, there have been three in total .”

That’s right. How would you like to the Isles with a goalie tied up for 13/15 more years who has suffered long term injuries of late. The goal is to build properly. Our building is full every night. MLSE is patient enough to get this built properly.

“Managers exhibiting buyer’s remorse are recognizing a painful reality – that if you want to trade one of these contracts, you’re going to have to make the kind of deal that is difficult to explain to your fans. What they’re hearing from potential partners is some variation of this: “If you want me to help you take this contract off your books, well then you’re going to have to take my brutal contract. Oh, you don’t want to do that? Well, you’re going to have to take something else I don’t want – like a middling prospect or a later-round draft pick. You’re not getting anything of value from me for an asset you’re desperately trying to get rid of.”

Keep an eye on guys like Jason Blake and even, gulp Sean Avery…..These are guys who’s contracts get moved in order to accommodate other moves.

The focus in the trade market has changed drastically.:

“As much as Senators fans are making Jason Spezza the scapegoat, how happy would they be if Bryan Murray traded him for a mid-level prospect and a draft pick that wouldn’t be in the first round? A couple of different executives said unless Murray is willing to take on an ugly contract in return – and he probably isn’t – he may not get much more for his best centre. If you believe the whispers, that’s why number 19 remains in the nation’s capital. A harsh reality for the Senators and their fans. But, if you think trading Spezza is going to bring in the players who will start an immediate turnaround, you’re mistaken.”

This is the reality of life in a cap world. In the NBA they talk of trading salary slots. The NHL is moving towards that. For those who love trades and banter, it’s boring as hell.

“Considering some pretty smart hockey people are now saying they knew about the captain’s availability a week ago, chances are the Lightning know all this already. They might as well roll up the sidewalks outside the rink if they screw up this one. Maybe they can’t afford to keep him. But they can’t afford to trade him for what’s being made available, either.”

I am not so sure on this one. If things are as bad as I am hearing (and who the hell am I?) then I cant imagine how bad things really are.

Under 50 days to go until the deadline…. Buckle up!

Something in the water tonight I think. A very strange evening as people saying all kinds of stuff making us raise our eyebrows…

Craig Hartsburg, “Those guys cost us the game, you try to trust your best players and they cost you the game, it’s happened before.” Those guys are Spezza and Alfredsson. Their line was a minus 10 tonight.

Folks, this guy is TOAST and he knows it. Stick a fork in him, he is done. The only question is, is this a solo execution or is Mr. Murray going with him? I would not be the least bit surprised that by the time I am sitting in my kids parent/teacher conference tomorrow am that this changeover is underway. Remember what the Sens owner did the Leafs dressing room after being beaten in the playoffs???? I wouldn’t want to see what his house looks like right now.

Watters: ” I wouldn’t trade Tomas Kaberle straight up for Dany Heatly”

Ummmmmm. Ummmmmm. There has to be more to this story. You know I am not a huge DH fan. I am not going to get into that again. I am alone in thinking that Brian Burke would make that move in a split second??? That would be a no-brainer. Would Wilbur trade Blake for DH? Hollweg?? Mayers??? Mayers, by the way had his best night as a leaf tonight.

Mike Brophy to Pat Quinn: “I know for a fact you didn’t talk with any other teams about coaching after leaving the maple leafs.
Darren Millard/Pat Quinn (Together): “BOSTON
Brophy/Quinn/Millard:” ____________________________________________”
Enough silence to leave force Pat Quinn, the guest to explain the Boston situation.

What the hell was Brophy thinking??? (I smell a minus/down arrow in the new media power rankings). Even my dog new about the Boston story. Good on Pat Quinn for rescuing the moment. Please land in Pittsburgh PQ.

The constant bickering, eye rolling between Nik Kyrpos and Bill Watter is PRICELESS….I would love to hear these guys off the record speaking about the other..By the looks in their respective eyes whenever the other is speaking is awesome!!! Seriously folks, watch a segment…

Oh, and what is the over on the number of mentions, comments, questions about Grabovsky getting fined/suspended for shoving the lineman? Will it be higher then the number of times Hogan mentions grey cup visits tomorrow, or the money references Richie MacLean makes on his show tomorrow? It says here Grabs gets fined, but not suspended (if anything at all).I for one think he played a great game by the way. Yeah he got too riled up, but at least he should a little bit of heart. Interesting clip seeing Brad May trying to pull him back a bit. I thought May looked AOK in Maple Leaf blue and white and not too bad in the fight either.