Speaking of Halloween

Damn JAGS... what's up with your grill, son? Apparently Jaromir is taking Halloween to extremes this year... [SEE PIC]

-- TGOJ

Leave Wallpaper Jones Alone, Son

All you dopes (yeah, you know who you are Scott Burnside from ESPN) better leave Randy "Wallpaper" Jones alone. To even think that Wallpaper intentionally tried to disfigure Patty Bergeron with a vicious hit from behind is foolish... or downright silly, in fact.

Just look at my boy Wallpaper posing with a fan... you mean to tell me this chummy cat is capable of taking extreme measures like ex-cons Downie and Boulerice? Not.

Wallpaper is simply a grown gentleman trying to live his life. Unfortunately, he's being preyed on by hockey beat hacks who want to rehash the legend of the Broad Street Bullies so they have something of interest to scribble. You want to attack Downie and Boulerice with your pen, go for it, but don't rip the Wallpaper.

-- TGOJ

Hat Trick-or-Treat Biznitches

With Halloween right around the corner, one can only fathom if cinema horror icon, Freddy Kruger, was inspired by my dawg, and hockey hall of famer, Cy Denneny.

One of the better left wingers back in the day (1920's), Denneny's shot was rumored to be as deadly as Bobby Englund's scissorhands. Fred-KrUg looks tight rockin' the candy stripes, and no doubt, would've been a main contributor on those legendary Ottawa Silver Seven teams...

-- TGOJ

Cory Stillman

Is there a more under-appreciated Skill Player in the league than Cory Stillman? Tampa and Carolina can definitely attest to his value on their respective clubs. As one of the few players in NHL history that has won a Cup in back-to-back years with different teams he still flies under the radar. Both teams relied on the unheralded Stillman during their cup runs. He averaged over a point-per-game in those back-to-back seasons and was invaluable in the playoffs. He had 7 points in 21 games in a complimentary role with the Lightning. He followed that up with 26 points with nine goals, of which 3 were game winners, in 25 games during the Hurricanes run.

His injury-shortened season last year was as much to blame for the Canes missing the playoffs as any other excuse. He missed the first three games of the 07-08 season as Carolina came out of the gate 1-1-1.

Since he returned to the lineup, the Canes have gone 5-0-2. His valuable leadership and timely scoring have helped to balance Carolina's solid forward lines. In his 7 appearances, Stillman has 10 points with half coming with the man advantage, including 3 of his 4 goals.

His 4 goals have him second on the team even having missed 3 games already and with talented playmakers, Justin Williams and Rod Brind'Amour setting them up, Eric Staal and Cory should notch career high goal totals.

Before last years injury shortened season, Stillman had topped 21 goals in 7 of the previous 8 seasons with a high of 27 two times. With a veteran defense corps, a deep solid forward unit, and Cam Ward's steady maturation, the Hurricanes seem to be definite factor in the Eastern Conference playoff race and could even make another run at their second Cup in three years.

Da H8R

The Melrose/Tortorella Hybrid

If Barry Melrose and John Tortorella had a baby...

Flyers Start The Season Swinging

The Philadelphia Flyers may have been the laughing stock of the NHL in 2006-07, but after an offseason of retooling, the Broad Street Bullies have come out swinging early on. In the preseason, the Flyers looked as impressive on the fight card as they did on the score sheet. The new and improved Fly Boys did damage, scorers and pugilists alike, putting pucks in the net and opponents on stretchers. A pair of lengthy, 20-plus game suspensions to yahoos Jesse Boulerice and Steve Downie may have stole the ink at first, but excellent goaltending from Marty Biron and a more balanced offensive attack early in the regular season are the reasons the Flyers make headlines with each passing game.

Biron, or "Gaston" as he is referred to these days, looks like the solid goalie the Flyers have coveted for years between the pipes. Not since the crazed Mr. Bean (Roman Cechmanek) have the Flyers had a spectacular netminder capable of stealing games. This season Biron reminds me of Cechmanek-depressive during his good year(s), minus the Riddalin and uni-brow of course.

On offense, youngsters Mike Richards and Jeff Carter look legit, and offseason prize Daniel Briere has gelled nicely with Simon Gagne on the top scoring line. In fact, there hasn't been such an impressive French-Canadian duo in Philly since the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers tangled with Barry Horowitz and Steve Lombardi at the Spectrum in February of 1988.

On the blue line, heart-and-soul leader Jason Smith has been a rock and the rest of the defense has played poised and controlled hockey. So far the Flyers are playing some damn good hockey and look like a force to be reckoned with this season.

-- TGOJ

Toothless Tenacity

There are a few fashion statements that are synonymous with hockey players: the grizzly lumberjack look of Bryan Marchment and Jason Smith; the grey playoff beards of Scott Niedermayer and Ray Bourque; and the long hair blowing in the wind of Guy Lafleur and Gil Perreault.

These looks have been copied by many players, but it seems that more players in the NHL should take a page out of the books of the toothless Paul Stastny and Dany Heatley.

With both players missing teeth and their early season success, you have to ask yourself if there is a connection. They are threatening to set a trend that has dentists and oral surgeons sulking like Alex Cherepanov on draft day.

The toothless look makes players look mean and nasty. Lifelong instigator Tie Domi intentionally knocked his own pearly whites out as a child on the handle bars of his huffy in order to look like his idol and famous toothless warrior, Bobby Clarke.

The missing chiclet look appears to give these players superhuman ability. The 21 year old Stastny as of 10/18/07 is tied for the lead in points with 13 including 5 goals in 6 games. Dany Heatley already has 7 goals and 11 points in 7 games. These two toothless young guns will be putting on show all season long.

Trash Truck Time

Da Blues, Blackhawks, Predators, Blue Jackets, Desert Dogs, Oilers, Habs, Stars, Bruins and Hurricanes are ALL GARBAGE.