Anticipaaaaaation

by Anne

Is there much worse than waking up on what will probably be the last really gorgeous day of the year feeling like dirt? I stayed home from work and slept a few more hours. I feel a little better but not 100%. Listen, self, you best be better by tomorrow. Tomorrow is when we pick apples, drink waaaayyy too much apple cider, and then watch meaningless hockey with very meaningful beer.

On the actually writing about actual hockey actually:

I'm morally opposed to season previews, so I am not going to read any and I'm certainly not writing one. I just have a response to those who have written or tweeted them.

WHY, please tell me WHY is it that every year for the last few years, several hockey writers and insiders pick the previous season's Cup Champion to repeat? Are they just caught up in the post-coital glow of the Cup parade? Specifically related to this year: Have none of them noticed the unmitigated hemorrhaging of players from the Chicago Blackhawks roster? Whenever pressed to respond to the notion that the team might suffer from the loss of players this off-season, their go-to argument is to get smug and superior and say things like "Come on, are you going to bet against a team that has Kane, Toews, Sharp, Keith, and Seabrook?" And my response is: "Yes, yes I am." That group of players is undoubtedly talented and it's unlikely the Blackhawks will be a draft lottery team, but where would the Blackhawks have been last season with out Dustin Byfuglien's post-season play? Kris Versteeg and Andrew Ladd were no slouches. Ben Eager and Adam Burish might have been offensively useless but they played roles on the team and were a big part of team chemistry, Burish especially. Their goaltending situation hasn't drastically improved. I probably would've taken a young Niemi over a nearly over-the-hill Turco. To make them shoo-ins for a repeat is just ridiculous. The Red Wings didn't repeat despite those predictions, the Penguins didn't despite theirs, and those teams were far more in-tact the year following their win than these Blackhawks.

I refuse to predict who will win the Stanley Cup before the season starts because that's absolutely ridiculous but I won't be betting a lot of money on the Blackhawks.

Attending Saturday night's game and sitting in the first row of the 300 level will be me, MK, her fiancee Cory, and my friend Allison. Good times shall be had by all. I also ordered the tickets to the Kings game on 11/19. Center ice, 300 level, row 1. SO EXCITED!! :D :D If you couldn't tell, first row of the 300 level is my favorite place to sit. Actually it's my 2nd favorite. My favorite would be the last row of the lower bowl. I sat there once and it was awesome. But those tickets are $$$$ so I went with the also expensive 300 level I tickets. Yay!

LET'S GO BUFF-A-LO!!