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 Stephen Brunt
- Bob Mccown takes calls
- Roundtable with guests Gord Kirke and Bruce Arthur

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

- Pat Quinn, head coach of the Oilers
- Ron Wilson, head coach of the Leafs
- hockey insiders Darren Dreger & Scott Morrison at 6:10

Here’s your bikini of the day from bikinibeat.org:

On Fan 590 Tonight- thanks to Mike S.

- open phones with Rob Faulds from 4:05 to 4:40
- co-host from 5:00 to 7:00 is Jim Kelley
- Dave shoalts
-Jack armstrong
-Pat quinn
-Peter montopoli
-Peter keating

On 640 with Brady and Watters:

440 Josh Bailey, New York Islanders

510 Brian Duff, NHL Network

610 Inside The NHL w/ Scott Morrison

640 Chuck Fletcher, Minnesota Wild GM

Dust off those Edmonton Oiler jersey’s, Pat Quinn has a new gig, as head coach of the Edmonton Oilers. Wow what a staff too, he has Tom Renney as an assistant!

Press conference will be later today. Count me as a HUGE Pat Quinn fan. The guy has it all, character and class. I do have one large knock on him and many may disagree, but I truly believe that he allowed the Maple Leafs to become a country club, unaccountable group. I think much of what Fletcher and Wilson and now, Wilson and Burke had to clean up was the atmosphere that Quinn, if nothing else allowed to exist here in Toronto. Having said that I like the guy, the coach and will root for the Oilers.

By the way, it says here that in some time, Quinn will be the GM and Renney the coach, but that’s putting the wagon before the horse. I know Lowe is higher then GM, as Tambellini has that role right now, but these types of situations seem to follow Pat around.

Good luck and congrats to Pat Quinn- I will be at the Leafs Oilers first home game!

TSM

No real shocker here, as JFJ has been told he will not be interviewed for the vacant GM post with the Minnesota Wild.

“The short list includes Pittsburgh Penguins assistant GM Chuck Fletcher, TSN and NBC color analyst Pierre McGuire, longtime NHL GM and coach Pat Quinn, Nashville Predators assistant GM Paul Fenton and Wild acting GM Tom Lynn.”

That from one of my favorite hockey writers, Michael Russo. Fenton surprises me because when Craig Leopold bought the Wild, as part of his deal he was apparently prevented from hiring any Predator employee. Unless the Pred’s have given him permission to do so, then all bets are off. Chuck Fletcher was with Florida under all sorts of different regimes and is a great guy with respectful pedigree. Quinn, surprises me only in that I thought he really would want to only coach. I can’t speak to Lynn’s credentials at all. McGuire is the most intriguing name on the list. If you want to build a team from the draft up, I can’t think of anyone alive who knows more about junior aged players and up coming drafts then Pierre. How that translates into the ability to run a franchise is anyone’s guess. This will certainly be an interesting hire unfold.

Poor JFJ, still stuck as a scout. Question is can he confirm or deny that to be the case?

TSM

Russo is here

Man is it quiet out there. Trying to find some gems from here in Detroit about what is going on in the big smoke hasn’t been easy. It sounds like the Buds played well last night. I liked the quote from Wilson saying that this isn’t the work of a Stanley Cup contender that even bad teams put together games like this. Fair enough comment. To me it suggests just how bad the Penguins are. Why it took the Penguins so long to fire their coach and why Pat Quinn isn’t coaching that team is beyond me. It

I will say it again as I dumped on him a lot earlier. Good on Jason Blake for getting his 21st goal. I didn’t see the guy getting 5 let alone 21. He has put his head down and worked very hard.

So, just how much of an idiot is Really Rosie from the Star?

“But in the past fortnight, after being called out – or challenged, depending on your perspective – by GM Brian Burke, the lifetime Leaf has shown a bit of blood rising. Perhaps he’s even shown enough to propel himself out of town by the trade deadline, should his currency have escalated sufficiently.” “What (Burke said) … well, that’s his opinion. I can only try to control what happens on the ice.” Still, it’s the opinion that counts most. And, frankly, Antropov is deluding himself if he honestly believes that Toronto is a tough environment for a hockey player. This city is mush compared to the unforgiving likes of Montreal and Boston and Philadelphia. Antropov might find that out shortly.”

The only opinion accounts is those of opposing GM’s when they decide what to offer for Antropov’s value. What Burke thinks at this point is almost irrelevant. He has said he isn’t resigning the guy! As for Antropov showing a bit of blood rising??? Give me a break….

Read Really Rosie here

Interesting to see Larry Brooks take on Wade Redden. Here is a look at what Brooks wrote on July 2 and what he wrote today.

July 2:

“Glen Sather wouldn’t give Avery an extra $4M over four years – Page Six Sean is believed on his way to either Detroit or Dallas – but the GM instead lavished a six-year contract worth $6.5M per on 31-year-old Wade Redden, a reasonably dependable puck-moving defenseman who had a dreadful 2007-08 in Ottawa and has never been regarded as a game-changer over 11 seasons with the Senators.”

February 15:

“Wade Redden is Glen Sather’s Folly. That has become painfully obvious fewer than 60 games into a six-year, $39 million contract that stands as the worst in the history of the NHL, if not in the history of hard-cap pro sports. With skills declining so precipitously over the last three seasons that if he played baseball, one would deduce that he had built his previously admirable career resume on PED’s, the 31-year-old defenseman is the GM’s Greatest Mistake, far more substantial than Stephane Quintal or Theo Fleury or Bobby Holik, or any of those pre-lockout signings that all came with erasers.”

Read Brooks here…

Further support for the no dumber animal on this planet then the professional athlete theory of mine…

“Authorities say Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch has been arrested in Southern California on a weapons possession charge. Culver City police said in a statement Sunday that Lynch was arrested after officers confronted him and two other men in a car and found a loaded firearm in the vehicle. Lynch was arrested Wednesday for possession of a concealed firearm after officers determined the gun belonged to him. He was released that night on $35,000 bail. Culver City police did not immediately return a phone message seeking information about why officers first confronted Lynch and his companions.Lynch’s lawyer, M. Gerald Schwartzbach, said his client was not involved in a traffic accident and was in California visiting friends.”

Read Lynch here

So the Buds take on Darcy Tucker and his Avalanche. Everyone is talking to Darcy and Raycroft, trying to get a meaningful quote. So far the masses have been unsuccessful. Darcy hasn’t taken the bait, at least not as of yet. There really is no pressure to, the game is out west, not here in Toronto. However, one would think that certain things would start to get to #16. Jeff Blair hits the nail right on the head with this assessment:

“And that was it. No invective. No apparent bitterness. Nada. It seems to bother Tucker naught that, more than lack of performance, he was turfed out of town because of a realization the Leafs could not change the culture of their dressing room without getting rid of a guy whose whiny, yappy, on-ice demeanour worked when the club was having success but had become a carnival sideshow as the team’s fortunes plummeted. So it’s likely that Smyth wasn’t lying when he lauded Tucker as a player who “has brought energy to our lineup” and who “says something when it needs to be said.”

The question is, why were things so toxic in the Leafs locker-room? Why did the likes of McCabe, Tucker, Raycroft and Sundin(maybe) have to go to change the atmosphere? What the hell was going on. Once again we have to look between the answers to see the truth. It is not what is being said, it is what is not being said. Brady asked Tucker for a comment on the name Muskoka Five. Tucker’s only comment was that he knew who created that name. The undertone there is that the name should be taken with a grain of salt because of who created the name. The who, in this case is as interesting as the name itself. Sources have told TSM for a long time that the person who first used the term to describe those maple leafs who were refusing to waive their no trade clauses was none other then ex-maple leaf Tie Domi. How strange. How intriguing. Another fan favorite allegedly coins a pretty damn derogatory term to a bunch of guys who used to be his teammates. Why, would Domi do that to Tucker, McCabe, Sundin, Kaberle and Kubina?????? What was going on back in the day?

The tone in Tucker’s voice with respect to the “creator” of the term was so negative, you could feel the hatred. Wilbur was laughing uncontrollably when Darcy said it. The old boys network at play again..The evidence in this case is so clear, the question is why, as in why did this happen and why didn’t management put an end to it years ago? The stories around about the divided room years ago, the toxic state of it, with Corson, Roberts, Domi, Travis Green, Tucker all taking sides in the factions. What was Quinn doing? What started it? The rumored stories of the hatred between Tucker and Domi are the stuff of legends. It’s too bad Domi isn’t on TSN anymore. It’s too bad the game isn’t in Toronto. I would love to hear what Tie would have to say about Darcy’s return. It seems to me that the dressing room back in the day was about as mature as my 4 year old daughter’s kindergarten room. The good news for Joe Public is that as time goes on, more people talk and more stories get told. From what is swirling now, it would be legendary to see the likes of Domi and Tucker under the same roof.

Wow- something is in the water today? No no, not the Leafs, a good game and a shutout loss…too bad we picked up a point. The Raptors? Hell no, the way I figure they are going to be right in the thick of the John Tavares lottery. Once again I am totally puzzled by the media… It’s like one big Seinfeld episode, except I don’t care for many of the characters, actually the only similarity is that their articles are about nothing… NOTHING…

First, Berger writes a totally useless article about Matt Stajan wanting more noise at the ACC. This is news how? No really, has any player ever not wanted that? The fact that team isn’t that strong at home has nothing to do with the fans. It has everything to with character. That isn’t a shot against Stajan. It’s the whole group. The team that Sundin, McCabe, Tucker lead wasn’t very good at home either. It’s not easy playing here in Toronto in front of the home crowd, it takes character to do it well. When a player messes up he hears about it. Sometimes unmercifully . So to hear that one guy would like more noise is totally irrelevant and not the least bit newsworthy. To write an entire blog about it????? Come on Howie, how about a review of the All Star Official uniforms, I gave you everything you need. Hell, as a member of the media you can probably get a preview too- you got the scoop on the 3rd jerseys after all.

What’s worse then Berger writing about Stajan asking for more noise, Paul Hunter of the Star writing the EXACT same story…. Complete with the same predictable Dave Winfield analogy. Tomorrow, whichever station books Winfield to talk about asking for noise wins the prize. Come on folks…this is really pathetic.

Then, Hunter’s buddy Damien wrote a totally useless article about Luke Schenn. Let’s see, he thinks, maybe, Burke wouldn’t have kept Schenn up had he been GM at the beginning of the season. Wow! How interesting. Funny, because I don’t think Burke would have resigned Ed Belfour after the lockout if he were GM back then either. Oh yeah, and under the same relevance theme is my favorite, Pat Quinn wouldn’t have yanked Toskala in favor of Joseph for the shootout like Wilson did earlier this year. The usual Damien anti-leaf article is, about, n o t h i n g. A new reader wrote a funny post about LT’s post today being both the argument and the counter-argument…Damien did the exact same thing here:

“the decision to keep the 18-year-old defenceman in the big leagues this season has certainly not been a disaster. In fact, in a season that has become increasingly gloomy, Schenn has been one of the bright notes all year. ” He likes him…..

“What will never be known, of course, is what it has cost the Leafs to keep Schenn in the NHL this season rather than returning him to Kelowna of the Western Hockey League for another season of competing against his peers. ” He doesn’t…

“Perhaps nothing, and it’s true, Schenn has rarely looked outclassed in the NHL this season, and the manner in which he shrugged off a 12-game absence due to a knee problem was a sign of maturity. On Wednesday night he was paired with Ian White most of the night and out against Boston’s tricky line of David Krejci, Mike Ryder and Blake Wheeler, a challenging assignment against the Eastern Conference’s top squad. ” He likes him….

“At the same time, particularly for a player drafted fifth overall, and one for whom the Leafs traded away first, second and third round picks in order to position themselves to get him, there haven’t been many signs of offensive potential. ” He doesn’t

“What the Leafs don’t know is whether this is the Luke Richardson story all over again. Richardson was the seventh overall pick in 1987 and played for the Leafs as 18-year-old, actually potting four goals in his rookie season.The club maintained over and over that, like Schenn now, Richardson had offensive potential that he’d shown as a junior in Peterborough. But it never shone through in the NHL, and Richardson never managed more than 21 points in a season. ” Ummmm, he doesn’t like him…

“Would the Leafs be happy if Schenn turned out to be Richardson? Somewhat, but it wouldn’t be the kind of home run they’d hoped to hit with such a high pick. He’ll never be a bust, it would seem, and the Leafs can only hope he might one day be an all-star.” He likes him

“Schenn hasn’t been eaten alive by the pressure of playing on a weak team in this hockey-mad city, and that’s a good sign. There’s obvious poise, and a willingness to play a physical game and even stand up for teammates, commodities in short supply on the current edition of the Leafs. ” He Likes him

“The older Schenn boy, meanwhile, is still learning as he goes in the world’s top hockey league. He was solid for two periods Wednesday night, but with less than seven minutes to play he was schooled by Bruins blueliner Dennis Wideman on a rush, then was caught napping when Marc Savard hit Zdeno Chara with a goalmouth pass to tie the game 3-3 and create overtime.” He doesn’t…

“He’s a big kid finding his way in a tough league. Whether he should have been in the league so young or not, no one can argue he’s a big part of the Leafs’ future.” WHAT- That’s it???? That’s the conclusion??? Talk about 3 minutes of my life I will never get back… What kind of crock this is. The headline is Burke Likely Would Have Sent Schenn Down..there is no quote from Burke, it’s Damien’s hunch. I know, Damien didn’t write the headline… Talk about an article about NOTHING!!!

Then, to top it all off, the guy I think had really been rising to the top wrote a totally useless article. Jeff’ Blair’s piece in the globe is about 19 segments too long. I actually think I captured the gist in 1 paragraph in a post yesterday. Blair wrote an entire page on the losing records of our teams! An entire page. Complete with quotes from Beeston and Burke. Get this:

“”One of the problems the city has right now is that nobody’s excelling,” said Blue Jays interim chief executive officer Paul Beeston, a committed Toronto booster.” Ummmmm YA THINK???? This from a guy I REALLY like (Beeston)….This from the guy who has “just about finished the Blue Jays President job description”….. What I think Beeston meant was, that the problem is the teams in cities not named Toronto score more points then those teams from Toronto!

“When will the bulls run rampant again in the Toronto sports market? Not soon. Let’s be honest. Of the current crop of Maple Leafs, it’s hard to imagine general manager Brian Burke wanting anybody other than Luke Schenn around in two or three years.” Ok, I am waiting for something I don’t already now…..

“The Raptors have, what, three legitimate NBA starters (four when Jermaine O’Neal’s healthy) and a bunch of guys who wouldn’t be a first option off a contender’s bench? Andrea Bargnani looks to be developing the way general manager Bryan Colangelo expected, but the Raptors have always seemed a day late and a dollar short, and that sometimes happens when you just give away a franchise player such as Vince Carter.” Uh huh, and????

“The Blue Jays’ window of opportunity — created when the late Ted Rogers made his famous three-year commitment — turned out not to be as wide as anticipated because, with the game’s revenue explosion, a $90-million payroll didn’t buy as much as it once did and the Blue Jays didn’t have enough high-calibre young players to fill in when injuries hit.” The part with the news, the actual original thought is coming right?

“Those are some of the reasons for the drought. The good news is no cause is lost, as is clearly demonstrated by what’s happened in Boston since the Patriots won their first of three Super Bowls in 2001. The Red Sox — the Red Sox! — ended the Curse of the Bambino and won their first World Series in 86 years and the Celtics won the 2008 NBA title, and don’t look now, but the Bruins, who haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1972, are leading the NHL Eastern Conference.” TIME…that’s what you got Jeff? TIME, so this drought will end because the coin that has landed 1 million straight times on heads will eventually fall to tails????? Because it just has to???? Sorry, I had hoped you could do better then this ending:

“Mostly, though, it’s a hungry market. Kicked in the pocketbook, its psyche battered, and tired of having to go through it all again after the TSX closes. Hey buddy … got a win?”

So the Leafs lost in a shutout, earned one too many points, but that is ok. The Raptors got shelled…stick a fork in their season…the TV show Lost started and I am confused as ever….and I am going to bed disappointed by 4 brutal articles… Here’s hoping tomorrow’s a better day

Berger is here
Cox is http://www.thestar.com/Sports/Hockey/article/575293
Hunter is here
Blair is here

“Therrien is on thin ice. While former Toronto coach Pat Quinn is considered the top candidate to replace Therrien, TSN analyst Pierre McGuire shouldn’t be ruled out as a possible replacement.” Bruce Garrioch

“Aside from moving the obvious candidates, general manager Brian Burke is going to have to decide which of his future second-line centres, Matt Stajan or Mikhail Grabovski, have to go. You can keep one, but it’s superfluous to hang on to both” Steve Simmons

“After all the damage, internally and externally, you have to feel good for Jason Blake, who finally is playing the kind of hockey that made him rich”Steve Simmons

First the Garrioch quote. I am confused. Is this a joke. When was the last time McGuire coached? Do people not remember what just happened with Melrose? I don’t see Mcguire giving up the tv gig anytime soon.

I totally agree with Simmon’s on the first quote. I will address this in a later post….

Lastly, I do feel good for Blake. It looks like someone has finally gotten inside his head and forced him to work. It is nice to see a guy coming close to his expected performance. Given that he is, the minute you can unload him for prospects or picks Burke should….

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.

Thanks to the folks at Kukla’s Korner for this one. A Pittsburgh Radio host is apparently reporting that the Pens are “contemplating” bringing in PQ to replace Michel Therrien. The report goes on to say that had the Pens lost to the Thrashers a move would have already been made.

I hope PQ ends up in Pittsburgh