2011 All-Star Game in Raleigh

The All-Star Game is coming up this weekend. I will watch it, as I have every year (post-lockout). What I'm looking forward to most is the Skills Competition tomorrow and the Guardian Project during the second intermission on Sunday.

Here's a few facts about this ASG:
-Chicago and Vancouver each have 3 forwards in the game, CHI also has 1 D-man (the most among individuals represented).
-Buffalo, Edmonton, Florida, and NYI have only 1 rookie participating this weekend.
-Calgary, with Iginla's withdrawl, have no players represented in Raleigh.
-Peter Laviolette will not coach former coachee Eric Staal, Ward still a possibilty.
-Chara has won the Hardest Shot three years in a row (MacInnis holds 4 in-a-row record).
-The last ASG two brothers played in at the same time; 2000 (Pavel, Valeri Bure).
-Two former ASG MVPs are playing in this years game, Briere and Eric Staal.
-Just five goalies and two defenseman have been named MVP since it's 1962 inception.
-Philadelphia has had one MVP; 1980, Reggie Leach.
-Panini will release Score redemption cards at the game; the cards have special ASG2011 logos on them.

Two Players in the News

Two stories about former NHLers have hit recently and I will decide who is right in their respective arguments.

First off, Evgeni Nabokov. Nabby was a mainstay in the Sharks
crease for a decade and was recently signed by Detroit. The Islanders being douchebags, understandable douchebags (but douchebags nonetheless), claimed him off waivers. Here's an idea Snow, it's called using your own scouting team and finding your own damn goalie. Evgeni was in the right, he wanted to go to Detroit (that is probably why he signed there in the first place), and he's not gonna find himself a Ring on the Island. Sure it was a little disrespectful, but let's look at this on the bright side, at least he's not Avery.

Evaluation: Nabokov 1 - Islanders 0

Next one. Peter Forsberg, former Flyer, is attempting yet another NHL comeback. Pete, I love ya, but seriously. If you are gonna comeback and it's not just another 'maybe, maybe not', then I can't wait to see you back where you belong. But when you're foot is healthy enough for NHL ice-time remember one thing, Garth Snow might snatch you up on the waiver wire.

Evaluation: Forsberg 1 - Garth Snow -2

In all of my yelling I forgot Snow was at one time a Flyer. But he was also a penguin and a mistake as a GM. All in favor to move the Islanders to Quebec, say I.

2nd-Half Predictions

So I was already proven wrong by "The Great 8", Doughty, and Stamkos. Yet Carey Price is still playing great (I hope I predicted that one wrong).

West:

1 - Vancouver*
2 - Dallas*
3 - Detroit*
4 - Chicago
5 - San Jose
6 - Los Angeles
7 - Colorado
8 - Anaheim

---

9 - Nashville
10 - Phoenix
11 - St. Louis
12 - Minnesota
13 - Calgary
14 - Columbus
15 - Edmonton

---

East:
1 - Philadelphia*
2 - Washington*
3 - Montreal*
4 - pittsburgh
5 - Tampa Bay
6 - Boston
7 - Carolina
8 - Atlanta

---

9 - New York Rangers
10 - Buffalo
11 - Ottawa
12 - Florida
13 - New York Islanders
14 - Toronto
15 - new jersey

So there ya go. Last year I predicted only 7 correct teams in the second half, and the year before, 14. I already see problems with it, but it's on paper (and the internet), so be it.

Pre-Game Report

I've sort of not been a Flyers blogger lately, so...



Tonight the Flyers face Boston for the third time this season. So far, the Flyers have been outscored 4-2. Yet, this has turned out to be a road-winning series thus far, which bodes well for Philly. The Flyers stank Power Play is tied at 17.2% with the Bruins this season. Also, Philly hasn't lost this calendar year.



Chris Pronger has been cleared to practice and is looking to get back into game action on Tuesday versus the Caps. Nik Zherdev didn't play Tuesday and is day-to-day. Milan Lucic is still out and will not play tonight.

The Guardian Project

The NHL has sold out, yes. But this is just a weird idea, as is the Fantasy Draft (which I'm still not sure what it is). But, as a Flyers blogger I feel obligated to link this video. The 'Penguin' and the 'Blackhawk' are neither a penguin nor a blackhawk. The King looks like a solid character, but the hair on the 'Hurricane' is just... The 'Flame' could be cool and so could the 'Thrasher'. The 'Duck' I'm sure is going to be lame and so is the 'Maple Leaf'. The 'Devil' could actually be kinda cool. While the 'Islander' and 'Ranger' will be the worst superheroes since She-Hulk and the Funky Flashman. The 'Flyer' looks funny, yet badass. So, I don't even know anymore.

Jim Jackson Gave us a Shoutout

During the first period against the Devils tonight, Jim Jackson mentioned that Sestito was from Rome, NY and followed up with, "... which is near Utica, NY," Jones then said, "That's where you're from isn't it?" J.J. said it's nice in the summer. Jones- I've been there in the winter, and it was cold. A nice little shoutout from one of our Hometown braodcaster, Jim Jackson.

A Few Random Packs

First off, two score retails packs.

Pack 1:
450-Mike Komisarek
422-Barrett Jackman
39-Saku Koivu
370-Scottie Upshall
1-Joe Sakic Season Highlights
508-Justin Mercier
458-Alexandre Burrows Glossy


A rookie and a really nice card of Sakic's '19' being lifted to the rafters, plus a former Flyer.


Pack 2:
445-Kris Versteeg
483-Karl Alzner
345-Sergei Gonchar
229-Tomas Vokoun
285-Shea Weber
501-Nazem Kadri
367-Shane Doan Glossy


One down, one to go. The Kadri and the Subban 'Hot Rookies' are the ones to get.


2008-09 Upper Deck Series 1:
99-Andrei Kostitsyn

15-Pavel Kubina

30-Erik Johnson

79-Brendan Witt

197-Francois Beauchemin

186-Chuck Kobasew

170-Dion Phaneuf

HT8-Vincent Lecavalier Hat Trick Heroes


I didn't really collect this set so these cards are all 'new' to me. Plus the Phaneuf picture rocks.

2009-10 UD Victory Pack 1:
37-Eric Staal
68-Johan Franzen
219-Riku Helenius Rookie
109-Max Pacioretty
20-Clarke MacArthur
196-Alexander Semin

Pacioretty is the only new card I pulled from this pack. I already had two Helenius'.

Pack 2:
13-David Krejci
114-Shea Weber
GB36-Shane Doan Game Breakers
21-Derek Roy
160-#87
198-Sergei Fedorov

Roy and Doan are new, the rest are doubles.





P.S. Does anyone know if Score is gonna have a series 2 update?

The pictures will all appear in a period of days.

Pack Breakin' for the Holidays

I have enough shirts to last me through two weeks.
I have enough pants.
I even own a drawer full of underwear.
So when Christmas comes around and people ask me "Hey. What do you want for Christmas?" I think of all the great cards out there, like Bobrovsky's Young Guns and vintage parallel or maybe Bobrovsky's OPC and OPC vintage parallel. All together I received 418 cards and I still have some junk wax era cards coming from Dave and Adam's Card World. Altogether, it's been a great holiday.


(My new laptop is okay too.)

2010-11 Black Diamond Pack Breaks

The first cards I will be sharing with you are the six packs of Black Diamond I opened. I have never been a huge fan of the set, due to it being more high end than the sets I ussually look to buy. I would scan every card but they are way too shiny and it looks awful.

Pack 1:
83-T.J. Oshie
47-Jamie Langenbrunner
81-Scott Hartnell
7-Ville Leino
34-Blake Wheeler

Two Flyers in a pack is the best I've done in a while. I usually have a hell of a time trying to pull a Flyer. A good pack. Okay, mediocre pack. No. Good pack.

Pack 2:
52-J.S. Giguere
72-Jakub Voracek
107-Ilya Bryzgalov Double Diamond
62-Rene Bourque
68-Joe Pavelski

Sweet, a double diamond.

Pack 3:
88-Saku Koivu
73-Alex Burrows
20-Nik Antropov
76-Rick Dipietro
64-Victor Hedman

Another okay pack.

Pack 4:
65-Tomas Kaberle
67-Mike Fisher
209-Oliver Ekman-Larsson Rookie Gems Quad Diamond
46-Tim Gleason
42-Brendan Morrow

Three olympians, and a pretty awesome rookie card.

Pack 5:
14-Dustin Brown
44-Kari Lehtonen
82-Ryan Malone
8-Marty Turco
37-Jonas Hiller

A native Ithacan, and three goalies.

Pack 6:
5-Olli Jokinen
86-Vaclav Vinny Prospal
150-Marc-Andre Fleury Triple Diamond
69-Guillaume Latendresse
21-Patrick Sharp

Two former Flyers and a dude I hate on a pretty good card.


Not bad... stay tuned for more breaks...

Merry Christmas

It's been awhile. I have a new less irritating computor so I can actually blog consistantly now. I have opened many a pack since I've last blogged. I'll start posting tommorow.