Checking Up on Last Year's Schedule...

Well, the 2009-10 schedule will be released very shortly (about 3:00, they say) and I figured what better day to talk about last year's schedule.

Last season, I wound up having a half-season package. I thought I would just have an 11-game plan, though, so I gave every game a "score" from 0 points to 3 points. The Rangers gave me a choice of four 11-game plans, and whichever had the most points, I would pick.

Turns out, they offered me a half-season plan after I already signed up for the 11-game plan, so I took the no-brainer: the plan with Adam Graves night and opening night.

Let's look back on what games I thought would be awesome or crappy, and how they actually turned out, shall we? ... ...

The 4 games I was most excited about were Opening Night vs. Chicago, Sean Avery's return game vs. Dallas in October, and the last two home games of the year, vs. Montreal and Philadelphia. These were the only 4 "3-point games." I did wind up going to all four.

The home opener was excellent, as it always it. Excitement, new players, great crowd, the Molly Wee Pub, a pretzel stick in my beer, and 2 points for a win.

Sean Avery's "return game" was horrendous. My friend Tom and I each had 4 beers on the train in and 4 at the bar. I had 2 at the game and he had 4. He passed out in the middle of the 2nd period, and I didn't wake him because it was so boring. Markus Naslund scored under a minute into the game on the power play, then the Rangers did n o t h i n g the rest of the game and lost 2-1. Horrible game, but we got Avery's autograph later (me on an Avery jersey, Tom on a Ryan Callahan jersey which he stained 10 minutes later with curry from his Halal sandwich).

The last 2 games of the year were great, also. The Canadiens game was good because a regulation win nearly clinched the playoffs for the Rangers. They were neck-and-neck with the Habs, and a big 3-1 win put them in position to clinch in the next game.

The game against Philly saw them clinch, keeping my friend Tom's streak of seeing them clinch in person alive.

So, 3 out of 4 games that I thought would be awesome, were indeed awesome.

(The reason I didn't give Adam Graves Night 3 points is because it wasn't announced when it was at the time of the post. Turns out, the game was horrible but the ceremony was great.)

Of the 3 games I gave no points to, one was a Sunday afternoon game against Philly. I was actually offered a very nice ticket to the game (but very expensive, purple seats, center ice, like $240) which I declined because I couldn't get off work. That game? A 5-2 stinker where Henrik Lundqvist was yanked early and the Rangers went down 5-0. I remember I was watching before I left for work and they were down 2-0. I switched channels, went back a moment later and it was 3-0. I switched channels for 3 more minutes and it was 5-0.

The best game I went to last year, off the top of my head, was a 4-1 win over the same Flyers. About 5,000 Philadelphia fans were in the building but Sean Avery scored 2 goals and those Flyers fans were hushed quickly.

One of my favorite parts of the schedule is seeing the road games and planning trips to see them. Two years ago, I did Boston, Montreal, Jersey, Philly, and of course the Coliseum.

Last year, I only did the Coliseum and Nashville, a game I had planned on going to. This year, they probably won't be there again (should be a home game versus the Predators, unless they play 2 games against them) but if they are, I'll be there. Great city, decent hockey atmosphere, clean building, and good memories since the Rangers won 4-2 after John Tortorella ripped everyone a new defecator after the 1st period. Plus, I was 3rd row from the ice.

Anyway, today should be the last exciting day of the summer for hockey fans until mid-September, when training camp kicks off.

I'll be working later but will probably write a little bit about what road games look interesting around midnight tonight.

Two things to expect? Lots of games against division rivals in the last 10 games (probably 8 of the last 10 will be against the Atlantic division); and no Islander-Ranger games on weekends (atleast not at the Coliseum).

Playoff Tickets...

I got my playoff ticket invoice today. Madison Square Garden is telling me that for $3,888, I can 2 tickets to 16 home playoff games. That assumes that not only will they have home ice advantage throughout the playoffs, but that every series will go 7 games. 

Home ice advantage? They aren't even technically in the playoff picture. They had two objectives today - get 2 points, and stop the Carolina Hurricanes from getting any points. They failed in both.

But don't worry. If I pay nearly four grand, anything left over from games not played or series (don't know the plural of "series") not played goes towards my tickets next year. 

All of this on a day when the offense thought Tom Renney was behind the bench. And to be honest, with all the ice time - and power play time - that Michal Rozsival and Wade Redden had, I thought Tom Renney was behind the bench. Wasn't one of his biggest problems his over-reliance on players who didn't ever help the offense? John Tortorella comes in claiming "change" and "hope" and "a better economy" and we get #33 passing the puck continuously and #6 getting busted on goals time and time and time again.

The first period of tonight's game was sporadically exciting but mostly boring. The second period I enjoyed, very fast, up-and-down. Steve Valiquette was excellent for most of the game. Sean Avery was a monster all game, especially on one shift when he left the penalty box and rocked 3 hits in 10 seconds. The 3rd period made me wish I hadn't napped earlier in the day. It was boring, horrendous hockey with uninspired play.

Wade Redden is making $6.5 million dollars this year (or enough to buy 3,433 people playoff tickets for all 16 home games). Maybe he can take some of that money, catch up with Dorothy, go to Emerald City, and buy some heart.

* * * 

I must say, as much as I hate the Hurricane's "cheerleaders," I hate the Versus broadcast even more. I appreciate that they take on hockey and lead in with shows about dead deer, but every Monday night game on that channel makes me cringe. The first 3 minutes were like watching a stop-motion movie (I think Coraline was more fluid than the Versus' choppy camerawork). I knew before the game that the Canadiens fired Guy Carbonneau, I didn't need everyone to tell me throughout the whole game and intermission. I can't stand hearing Eddie Olczyk being referred to as "Edzo." 

But above all else, I wish they would leave a non-commercial-time-out alone. Every time the whistle blew for an icing, penalty, or offsides, we were treated to the Marines.com Player of the Game (where you could find out for the 8th time that Rod Brind'amour was in his 600th game as a Hurricane). Or maybe it was the Bud Light Drinkability Stat of the Game. 

Ridiculous. Thankfully they only have 2 games left on Versus, and I'll be at one of them so I won't have to watch it. 

Notes Not From the Garden, 11/15/08...

A few things were apparent at the onset of the Rangers-Bruins game on Saturday night. First off, it was going to be a goaltending duel (much more exciting to watch than a pitching duel in baseball). Second, it was probably going to be a shootout (I prematurely predicted a 2-1 final score). Third, these two teams with their matching styles (speedy, good forwards, mediocre defense made better by excellent goaltending) would make for an intense, incredible playoff series. 

And fourth, we knew it would be a good game because I sold my tickets. I wind up going to stinkers like Dallas's crappy, sleepy win over the Rangers, and sell my tickets to Chris Drury's hat trick game against Tampa Bay and this exciting game

Ok, so a few notes. I'll keep it short so as not to bore anyone, and I'll try to keep it interesting since I assume most of you have seen the game already...

Dmitri Kalinin - Growing up, I wonder why Kalinin chose to be a defenseman. He is labeled as an offensive defenseman, has a pretty nice shot, always pinches on the point or brings the puck in deep on the rush, and he has shaky-at-best defensive ability. I think he would make a good 3rd or 4th line winger. That said, his defensive play has improved a lot since the first few games of the season, and he had a nice breakout pass on the game-tying goal.

Henrik Lundqvist - No goalie goes post-to-post quite as well as Lundqvist. And if given the choice in the shootout, there's not a goalie I would pick instead of him. He cannot possibly be faulted for Zdeno Chara's goal. He made a great save, then almost made a second.

Boston 2, Rangers 0 - There were 3 goats on the second goal by Boston. One obviously is Michal Rozsival, who is now responsible for another shorthanded goal against. Why is he still playing the points? His PPG to SHG ratio is now horrible, at atleast 2:3 or 2:4. The second goal was Kalinin, who is apparently afraid of the puck. Does he know his paychecks come at the same frequency regardless of whether or not he is injured? Instead of dropping down to block the puck like a real defensmen would do, he half-heartedly stuck his stick out. The shot still got off, and passed Lundqvist (aka goat #3). Again, Hank dropped too soon and the puck went over him. Again.

Zdeno Chara - As I once made fun of Chara, a friend of a friend who works for the Bruins told me how dedicated he is to his body. He is truly a mountain of a man. He works out religiously, doesn't drink, doesn't smoke. And it shows. For a big man, he is incredible flexible. However, Aaron Voros got by him today, and he took a necessary penalty. What is a necessary penalty? The answer is two-fold: It is one that saves a goal from possibly being scored and it is something the Rangers never take. A hooking call because Marek Malik is too slow (an outdated reference, I know), or a holding call because someone blows by Rozsival is not a good penalty. But Chara's slash on Voros might've saved a goal, and the Rangers power play is anemic anyway, so he had nothing to lose.

Ya know, Mike Milbury never should've traded him (and the second overall pick in 2001) for Alexei Yashin.

Tim Thomas  - I man-love Tim Thomas. He came into the league for 4 games at 28, then returned full-time at age 30, after hearing all of his life he would never be an NHL goalie. Then, he played great for Boston and they repaid the favor by signing Manny Fernandez. However, Thomas is still starting and is one of the best in the league this season.

Second Period - Regardless of the 2-goal defecit after the 2nd period, it was still a greatly exciting period. Of course, if the outcome of the game didn't give two points to the Rangers, I would not be saying that.

Chris Drury - I give him credit for taking abuse in front of the net. It's a necessary position for him to be in and he does it well. However, he needs to whip out that yellow board again in practice and try shooting OVER it instead of INTO it. He could've scored in the 2nd but instead shot it right at Thomas's pad. 

However, I fully retract my statement that he should be sent to Hartford. He played good all game, and his overtime pass to Ryan Callahan was why he was signed. He got knocked down, and stole the puck from 3 standing Bruin players, and passed it perfectly to Callahan. That was an All-Star play.

Wade Redden - The Rangers paid for a fast car and got a safe car instead. He has very few points and only 2 goals (none since 10/10 against Chicago), but he is a good first-passer, and has anchored the defense. Still, you can get the safety of a Volvo without paying for a Ferrari, knowwhatI'msayin? (He's overpaid. And 6 years is an awful long time.)

Dave Maloney? Really? - If Dave Maloney was chiming in on Sam and Joe's broadcast, who was doing the radio commentary? Hey, I get mad if John Giannone is filling in for Sam Rosen. I don't want Maloney filling in for... nobody. C'mon, Dave. I just want to see you talking to Ken Daneyko in the studio after the game.

Dan Marouelli - is a scumbag. Remember when Hank was continually crashed into in Washington and no penalties were given out but goals were scored on the same play? First off, his throat must be huge if he can swallow his whistle and not choke. Overtime, same play. Chuck Kobasew buzzsaws through Henrik and no penalty is called. Then, in the shootout, the puck clearly didn't cross the line, but he called it a goal. It wasn't even close. It hit the post and ended up in the crease. 

Come on, Dan. We know you hate the Rangers (maybe he's mad that Glen Sather, then-GM of his hometown Oilers, traded away Wayne Gretzky in 1988?), but like I said all of last season, don't make it so obvious. Don't force the game.

Notes From My Bed, 11/6/08...

In January of 2006, I went to see the Rangers against the Lightning at the Garden. The game, quite simply, was atrocious. A 0-0 game until the Rangers game up a goal in overtime. Boring, slow, horrendously played. 

Fast forward to November of 2008, and I have two tickets to see the Lightning again at the Garden. So, holding a grudge against the team from Tampa Bay, I sold my tickets to a friend and watched from my bed with my girlfriend and my chubby little dog.

Bad game to sell my tickets! Reminds me of when I sold my tickets to a Devils game in 2006 citing reasons such as the Devils were boring and I hate Martin Brodeur. The Rangers scored 3 goals in 90 seconds in that game and won 3-2.

Good Effort

The Rangers didn't just get lucky today, they outplayed Tampa Bay. Yes, they had some bad plays. A bad line change, a few bad penalties, some sloppy defense; they overcame those flaws with solid defense the rest of the game, hard work, good backchecking, and an offense that clicked more often than not.

Power Play Ineptitude

Gomez-Naslund-Drury-Redden-Rozsival were on the power play for 80 seconds and didn't score. Callahan-Dubinsky-Zherdev get on the ice, and 10 seconds later, put the Rangers up 1-0. If I were coach (which I am not and chances are will never be), I would immediately put the line that scored on the ice first for the next power play. But what does Tom Renney do? He puts the non-performing line back on the ice.

While the Rangers PP did click today, their 5-on-3 was atrocious again, until Chris Drury was in the right place at the right time for his 3rd goal. They consistently play too close to the net, which a) doesn't tire out the penalty killers like it should and b) gives them less room to shoot and more room for the shot to be blocked. If the point men played the blue line, the shots would be deflected more, the PKers would tire out faster, and rebounds would be plentiful. Instead, when a shot is blocked, it is easily cleared.

Hat Tricks

Drury finally had a great game. His second goal was a great one-timer (of which the Rangers need more instead of "setting up the shot"). His first of the game put the soon-to-be-a-backup Mike Smith on his rear and was a great play. His third goal was just good timing and a veteran's shot. A rookie might've missed that but he nailed a low-angle shot.

However, the captain's trio of goals wasn't the only hat trick of the night. Garden fan favorite and now Lightning defenseman #22 had what will now be known as a Marek Malik Hat Trick... two penalties and an assist!

Stunning Conclusion

All together, a very enjoyable game. Isn't that why we watch? Entertainment?

No. I watch so I can dance after a goal and make my dog crazy.

A very fun game to watch, five goals scored, a hat trick by a Ranger on home ice, Aaron Voros with two fights including punching the goalie's mask, a good team effort, a Melrose Mullet, and some great saves by Henrik Lundqvist that guaranteed two points for the good guys. What else can you ask for?

I Love America...

We're still here. Well, atleast I am. I can't say for sure as I haven't heard from Bryan in about two weeks. That's not a surprise seeing as the Gay Porn Stars Convention is in town and Bryan has a binder full of nude photos to get signed.

I'm waiting to do a post because I don't know where a notebook is that I need for data. To be honest, I haven't even looked for it. When I do though, oh, there will be a post.

I'm going to Atlantic City this weekend to recoup my losses in Las Vegas, so be prepared for a doozy of a data-crunching, prediction-killing post Sunday night.

My Ranger tickets arrived today. When you get an 11-game package, you get rubber bands around a stack of purple, boring tickets. If you get a half-season plan like I did, then you get two bound ticket books, one holding all the tickets for Seat 6, the other will all the tickets from Seat 7. Every ticket has a different picture as well. It's actually very cool except that one has a fat guy (not me) showing his crappy Rangers tattoo (not mine).

And while it's a far cry from having Marc Staal or Petr Prucha deliver tickets, the FedEx guy was a welcomed sight.

2 Things That Make Me Smile, 1 That Makes Me Mad...

Things That Make Me Happy

 by Zach

1) The Islanders must not have gotten the Rangers email about me getting a 22-game package for next season because they mailed my house (how did they get my address?) and told me that if I pay for my Islander package by October 1, I get an autographed Kyle Okposo stick. While I appreciate the offer, and it amuses me that Okposo hit on my friend at the beach, I politely declined their offer by ripping it up and tossing it in the trash.

2) The Islanders web site advertises "DP at NHL store." If there wasn't a picture of goalie Rick DiPietro, I would have been under the impression that EJ Hradek and Don LaGreca were double-teaming some poor female Washington Capitals fan at the corner of 6th and 47th in Times Square.

Thing That Makes Me Mad

 by Zach

1) I don't like to get political on this blog, even though I searched high and low for a picture of Sarah Palin in a Dayton Bombers (Columbus's ECHL team) jersey because I thought it was cool. 

But something made me very mad today. Did you know that Elliot Spitzer, former Governor of NY, passed a law a year ago decreeing it illegal in Nassau County for strippers to go topless on stage? Now, they have to wear pasties.

For the record, that was 6 months before he got de-credited -- for having unprotected sex with a high-end whore on multiple occasions.

In hockey terms, it's like Rick DiPietro enacting a law banning the curve of the blade of a forward's stick, while wearing oversized pads himself.

Or in real terms, it's like me passing a law saying strippers must wear pasties on stage.

Some people are such scumbags it amazes me. What a two-faced bastard. I didn't think he was such a douchebag when he was caught cheating on his wife (and breaking his own laws), but now I see him as an ego-maniacal hypocrite who only cares about getting his own nut off.

It's Friday...

1) Of the 4 Veteran S's, one has finally re-signed. Joe Sakic is back in Colorado, presumably for his last season. Now, if only Sundin, Selanne, and Shanahan would come to a decision. To be honest, I'm not losing sleep over it, but it would be nice to get a glimpse of how rosters are going to shape up for the 2008-09 season.

I don't think any of these guys will land on Broadway (not that there ever has been a Selanne-to-Rangers rumor), but it is a remote possibility, and some closure on the issue would be nice.

2) While I still think Florida is the most poorly run organization in the NHL, the LA Kings might be the winners of Worst Offseason Ever. While they did trade for Jarrett Stoll, they did not sign one unrestricted free agent this summer. They did lock up a few draft picks and restricted FAs, but they have just over $27M in payroll for the next season. I don't even know if that would have been enough to hit the Salary Cap floor in the season after the lockout, and it certainly isn't enough to hit the floor this year.

While they do have a big future (think of them as the Penguins from a few years back), they need to sign some veterans to overpriced contracts just because they need to add salary to meet the NHL's minimum requirements. I have been expecting a Glen Murray signing ever since he got released from Boston, and there are still a few other players out there who haven't signed on with an NHL club or jumped ship to Russia.

Okay, so their future isn't as bright as the Penguins, but they do have a plethora (nice word) of young talent on the club and in the pipeline, and they will have a lot of high draft picks this year too, as long as they sign veterans to one-year deals and then ship them off at the trade deadline.

3) Two thumbs down to whoever writes the ticker on the bottom of the screen on the NHL Network. Yesterday, I put the channel on at work (I'm a bartender) and it was a classic series between the Washington Capitals and the Rangers from 1991. Fantastic.

Anyway, I had turned it on to see if the Joe Sakic news had broken yet (I knew there was a press conference scheduled so he could announce his decision). The ticker listed what they have listed all summer, free agents on every team, in alphabetical order. Once again, this bored me to tears, because I know who they are, and most of the un-signed free agents left are middling, Ryan Hollweg type players who should be signed to two-way deals. Case in point: the Chicago Blackhawks signing a guy named Tim Brent is not news, nor was the fact that he was a free agent at one point.

Not only did they have this "news" feed scrolling the bottom of the TV, but they also had not updated it in over a week. They told me that Aaron Downey of the Red Wings was a free agent. Well, a quick glimpse at TSN shows me he re-signed on August 20th. Yesterday was the 28th. On top of that, did anyone besides his immediate family and close friends really care if Aaron Downey was still a free agent?

That's like CNN scrolling false facts on the bottom of their feed that nobody cared about even when the facts were true.

4) I did it. I signed up for a package. Didn't even hesitate. The Rangers emailed me, and 10 minutes later I was on the phone. I hesitated so little, in fact, that I forgot to ask how much the package was. Luckily, a letter with prices came, only to confirm my theory: prices had gone up. And why wouldn't they? I mean, the Rangers won 5 playoff games last season, including 2 at home in the Garden. So, why wouldn't Jackass Jim Dolan raise ticket prices?

Prices didn't go up the year after the lockout, not because of the lockout, but because the Rangers hadn't made the playoffs in 2003-04. Every year since, however, prices have steeply risen, and a ticket that would have cost $44 then now costs $60. I believe it's even more money if you don't have a package (I think someone else would pay $64.50 for my $60 tickets).

What kills me though is preseason. You would think that since those games don't sell out, they would give some tickets to real fans who can't afford them, or at least put preseason tickets on sale for like $30 for the $60 seats. I don't really want to go to the preseason game, but I will, because they make you get it when you get a package. It's fun to watch the young kids - I saw Marc Staal's first NHL point in a preseason game last year - but it's very expensive, not to mention it's an extra $14 for the train, I might have a beer, maybe a soggy pretzel, and now a preseason game featuring Brodie Dupont has cost me $100.

Your 2008-09 Islander Ticket Packages

While many have already written off the upcoming Islanders season as a colossal waste of time, the team itself isn't ready to make that determination. However, they are making a very concerted effort to get the fans involved, and their method for achieving that is through their extensive ticket options. Who needs individual ticket sales when you can pick one of their many partial plans?

In all seriousness, those of us who had to sit through the Mets organization telling us, "If you don't get a ticket plan, forget about going to Opening Day, the Subway Series, or the last game at Shea," are in for a serious treat. The Islanders are going out of their way to hook us up - God knows we deserve it - and actually do have something for everybody. The full list of plans, opponents, and discounts off face value can be found at the Islanders' website.

With that in mind, we here at The Rivalry, knowing that money and time are tight for a lot of people, have the highlights of the Islanders' offerings for your perusal. So here we go. Everyone knows what a full season package is. Boring. They also have first-half and second-half plans. Ooh. What new and exciting things do the Islanders' sales staff have in store for us?

- Full Season With Flexible Seating. This is pretty cool. You pay for a season ticket in the upper deck, but get moved down to the lower level for ten games. And it's not the crappy ten games you'd expect, either. You get Opening Night, all three Ranger games, and two each against the Devils and Flyers in the good seats. Oh, and you don't pay anything extra for the right to watch the Isles' best games in the lap of luxury. Not bad, eh?

- Flex 20 Plan. You're given 20 ticket vouchers and a slate of 25 games. You can mix and match them any way you'd like. For example, you can bring nineteen of your closest friends to one game, or you can go to twenty different games by yourself. Interesting.

- Weekday Choice Plan. You get all three Ranger games. You also get to pick twelve out of nineteen select weekday games, not to mention playoff options (stop laughing).

- Experience: Hockey Plan. Pick three out of five games you'd like to attend. But there's more. You get skating lessons at Iceworks, "Chalk Talk" with the team (whatever that is), and the right to - and this is a direct quote from the Islanders' site - "HIGH-FIVE the players on their way onto the ice". I'd like to see how someone in Row O of section 302 high-fives a player. I guess that's part of the plan's magic.

- Upgrade Plan. This one's sort of confusing, so bear with me. You pay for an upper-deck ticket, then bring it to the game, at which time you're given an upgrade to a lower-level seat. It doesn't apply to the Ranger game, but seven out of eight isn't bad. Who needs the same seat every game if you can sit with the high-rollers in the 100s for half the price? Given that two of the games are against Atlanta and Los Angeles, there should be plenty of great lower-level seating to be had.

- Big Value Plan. By far the steepest discount off face value available outside of full-season packages. And there's a reason for that - the first-half plan features games against Columbus, Dallas, and Vancouver; the second has games against Los Angeles, Carolina, and Colorado. If you've been clamoring to see the stars of the West, this one's for you. Or, if you just want to sit in the lower level and don't care who the Islanders play, hit up the Lower VIP End Zone section for $38 per game.

- Victory Plan. If anyone ever tells you gambling is illegal, just point them in the direction of this plan. The premise is this - if the Islanders win any of the games in this plan, you get a free ticket to another game. They disclose the tickets you'd be winning in advance, so it's not like they're giving you leftovers from a low-drawing night. The problem is, of the four games, three of the opposing teams won their divisions last year. Gulp.

OK. I'm broke, but I think even I can swing the Big Value Plan. And I just might go for it. For now, though, my friend Leslie got the Borrelli's All-Star Plan, which I'll mooch off of as often as possible. Hey, Islanders management, here's one - instead of giving us gift cards to Italian restaurants, why not give us a Hooters Plan? Or even a plan that guarantees ticketholders unlimited pretzel twists. Now that could be useful.

My Last Post...

This will be my last post for about a week on this blog. Tomorrow, I catch my pre-8 a.m. flight to Las Vegas.

Sorry to usurp Bryan's Gretzky DVD post (found below) but here is my wishlist for when I get back on Thursday:

- for Brett Favre to no longer be on the back page of the newspaper

- for hockey to become larger in popularity than basketball

Since neither of those will happen in the next 6 months, here is my back-up plan...

- for Mats Sundin to finally sign somewhere, so the hockey media can concentrate elsewhere

- for the Islanders to have signed a new coach, hopefully someone like Scott Gordon (as I write this, it's been reported that John Tortorella will no longer be considered)

- for Michael Phelps to be en route to 8 gold medals

- for the Rangers to have a definitive answer on Brendan Shanahan (I love Shanny, but I'm hoping the Rangers lean away from him this year)

- for the Rangers to clear up some roster space, maybe trading a middling player or two for a draft pick or a 7th defenseman (hey Dan Fritsche; how are you, Tomas Pock?)

- for enough season ticket holders to not renew their package at the Garden so I can move up (contrary to me telling everyone I wouldn't be renewing my package, I will be... just call me "Brett Kerry Edwards Sundin")

- for $5,000 extra cash in my pocket from playing craps and/or poker

- for Bryan to text me if anything huge, NHL-wise, goes down... unlikely!