“I Might Just Be A Hockey Fan In California” is a feature that is posted every Saturday here at the View From My Seats. There are plenty of things going on in the hockey world (and even the sports world); and you know everyone has an opinion. This is a place for some quick hits of the week that was.

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I might just be a hockey fan in California, but:

- We repeatedly heard how weird it was to see Peyton Manning in a different jersey. Something tells me Dominic Moore was shaking his head in disgust.

- When the Los Angeles Kings beat the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night, they because the third Pacific team to lead the division—on that day. The Kings started to day in 8th and ended up in 3rd. The Stars started the day in 3rd place, lost to the Canucks, and woke up tied with the Avalanche for the last spot. I know the league wanted parity, but this might be going overboard.

- Wasn’t it only a year ago when Evgeni Nabokov refused to play for the New York Islanders? Not only did he grow up and play this season, but he even signed a contract extension this week with the Islanders. What a difference a year makes.

- It’ll be interesting to see what the Nashville Predators are capable of once the “Radulov is back” circus dies down. On paper, this is the best team Nashville has ever had and Barry Trotz has always been known for getting the most out of his players. We’ll see how quickly they can come together as a team; but they better do it quick. Home-ice advantage at Bridgestone Arena would be huge.

- Speaking of the Radulov circus, didn’t it seem like Evgeni Malkin wanted to remind everyone who the best Russian on the ice was during the Predators/Penguins game? Forget that game—seemed like he wanted to remind everyone who the best Russian hockey player in the world is right now.

- It’s hard to believe that people in the Toronto media are calling for the Leafs to trade Phil Kessel. Remember when he was leading the league in goals? Or leading the league in scoring? The man is the lone bright spot on an otherwise disappointing team. There are plenty of problems, plenty of blame to go around, and plenty of changes that need to be made. But Kessel isn’t the problem.

- Full disclosure: I like Shane Doan. I love the way he plays and more importantly, I love the way he leads his team. I’ve interacted with him on more than one occasion and he’s one of the most honest, open players in the league. But all that being said, his elbow to the head of Jamie Benn was one of the cheapest hits I’ve seen all year. Good people can do bad things.

- How long before opposing fans start chanting at the Winnipeg Jets when they’re on the road?

I wonder what BC's Premier thinks of this...

- It’s time to give credit where credit is due. Despite having one of the most disappointing seasons for any player in recent memory (a contract year, no less) and enduring a divorce at the worst possible time, Dustin Penner has been playing well for the Kings over the last few weeks. Everyone’s been quick to hammer him when he falters—so here’s a little love for a guy who has been trying to get it together.

- In what world is it acceptable that Graham James only receives a two-year sentence? Stay classy Manitoba.

- Take a look at the Western Conference standings and you’ll see the St. Louis Blues sitting on top of the world—all while playing without Alex Steen and Andy McDonald. They might be a pretty good team when those two return to the lineup, which according to Ken Hitchcock, is sooner than later.

- I heard a funny story that the NHL was getting rid of staged fights. Then I watched a Rangers/Devils game. Because, you know, those three fights within the first three seconds of the game were within the normal flow of the game. I’m fine with the fights, I just have a problem with the league pretending that they care.

- So when are people going to start saying the Red Wings are just “regressing to the mean?” I understand that injuries to Jimmy Howard and Nicklas Lidstrom specifically are hampering the team, but we were told that injuries are already taken into account when the Minnesota Wild started their slide. Bottom line: injuries to the wrong players can kill a team.

- There’s no question that Duncan Keith’s hit was a dirty, high hit. But where was this outrage when Zach Bogosian launched himself into Andreas Nodl? And why was it originally a phone hearing (maximum five games) and changed to an in-person hearing after the “outrage” over the hit? Even before the ruling was handed down, it was clear that consistency was the last thing on Shanahan’s mind.

- One more thing about the Duncan Keith/Daniel Sedin hit. When Keith hits Sedin in Chicago, Illinois, I don’t give a rat’s ass what the BC Premier thinks of the hit.

- The Canadiens are going to buy-out Scott Gomez’s contract. This comes after the Rangers bought-out Chris Drury’s monster contract in the offseason. Glen Sather sure knows how to pick ‘em.

- Great to hear that Dallas Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan says that he’s never heard of anyone ever using a bounty system in the NHL. Then again, if he had, would he have said anything?

- The latest report is that the Islanders are increasingly likely to leave Long Island after their lease expires in 2015. The report makes sense and sheds light on another organizational situation. Clearly, the NHL is dragging out the situation in Phoenix as long as possible so the media can seamlessly go from one relocation story to another. So thoughtful.

- Jonathan Toews is out. Marcus Kruger is out. No wonder they Blackhawks are hesitant to put Patrick Kane or Patrick Sharp at center. Chicago centers are dropping like flies.

- On behalf of all fans around the world, can we please try to avoid another lockout? What’s the old saying? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me…

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Click here for our archive of past editions of our “I Might Just Be A Hockey Fan In California” feature.

“I Might Just Be A Hockey Fan In California” is a feature that is posted every Saturday here at the View From My Seats. There are plenty of things going on in the hockey world (and even the sports world); and you know everyone has an opinion. This is a place for some quick hits of the week that was.

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I might just be a hockey fan in California, but:

- Hard to take seriously? Kind of becoming a cartoon? If Sean Avery were anything other than a hockey player, he’d be Comic Sans. Wait—has anyone thrown a font into the Hudson?

- Do you know what the best part of Sidney Crosby’s return was on Thursday night? It was accompanied by Kris Letang’s return to the ice. (Sidenote: You wouldn’t have known it by the “National” broadcast presented by Root Sports, but the Rangers were playing the “comeback” game without their captain and Hart candidate goaltender. Just sayin’.)

- Talk about playing out the string… The Canucks would certainly like to earn the top seed in the West, but they’ve been assured at least the #2 seed since February. Then again, the 82-game regular season is simply prelude to what really matters in Vancouver. Keep that in mind when you see the Canucks playing uninspired hockey.

- Gary Bettman said “We told clubs to conduct business as usual,” at the GM meetings in Boca Raton. Fans in Edmonton begged him to reconsider.

- The City of Vancouver is reviewing their party plans for this year’s playoff run. A friendly suggestion: no lighters.

- How can the Red Wings be so good at home and so bad on the road? Everyone knows about their NHL record 23-game home winning streak this year; an impressive stat made more impressive by the fact that they were the best road team in the NHL last season. But this year? They’ll finish with a sub .500 road record for the first time since 1999! Don’t look now, but Nashville is threatening to steal home ice advantage in the first round as well.

- Jeff Carter scored his 200th goal this week. Gee, how much things can change between goals #180 and #200.

- Just imagine how much people would appreciate Marian Hossa if he wasn’t sharing the Chicago spotlight with fellow forwards Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Patrick Sharp. Then again, maybe this is the role he was destined to thrive in…

- With the Peyton Manning buzz and Heat success, the Panthers aren’t getting any coverage in South Florida. But you know what may help move the needed? A Southeast Division crown that is well-within reach for the Tallon’s group. Regardless, the tarps are gone.

- Good luck Justin Kloos. You have a promising NHL career ahead of you—but it’s pretty hard to top Mr. Hockey in Minnesota. You’re peaking pretty early.

- Curtis Glencross has picked the right time to get hot by scoring seven goals in seven games. If he wanted to get a little more publicity for his hot streak, he might want to consider changing his name to Sven Bartschi.

- Martin Brodeur extended his career victory mark to 651 wins—a full 100 wins more than Patrick Roy’s previous record. How many wins is that? Let’s put it this way: the two winningest, netminders (other than Brodeur) that are currently playing in the NHL are Roberto Luongo and Nikolai Khabibulin—and they have 663 wins combined.

- With everything that he’s been through throughout his career, Saku Koivu’s 1000th game means just a little bit more than most NHL milestones.

- Speaking of Finnish milestones in Anaheim, Teemu Selanne passing Jari Kurri in career points just seems like the next step in passing the torch. Kurri was the gold-standard for an entire generation of hockey players in Finland; Selanne is the gold-standard for the current generation.

- Matt Duchene lost drivers license? I didn’t start losing my license until I was 21-years-old.

- I can’t wait for the KHL game in Brooklyn next season. Maybe SKA Petersburg can sign Dwight Howard between now and next season.

"From now on, I will only play on one foot!"

- Steven Stamkos has 50 goals. Again. To put that in its proper perspective, Stamkos joins guys like Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Pavel Bure, Mike Bossy, Joe Nieuwendyk, and Alex Ovechkin to hit the 50-goal mark twice before their 23rd birthday. He was probably worth that 1st overall pick in 2008.

- With all of the things the general managers could have discussed this week, cracking down on “Too many men” was an issue executives could agree on. Yes, really. It’s kind of like Congress going after steroids instead. They have plenty of issues that are far more important than “too many men.”

- Cody Hodgson struggling just shows that Sabres lost trade, right? I’ll go ahead and wait a few years before I declare a winner on that swap of prospects.

- What’s more useful? Power Rankings or a helicopter with an ejector seat?

- Something I never really appreciated when I was younger was the Masterton Trophy. Nowadays, I absolutely love the Masterton and everything it represents. With guys like Max Pacioretty, Jordin Tootoo, and Colin Fraser battling back to from extreme circumstances, I wish there was a way to recognize all 30 nominees. Forget the endless game previews and recaps, these are the stories I want to read about.

- Can the Sens really catch the Bruins in the Northeast? Maybe a better question: are the Bruins in danger of missing the playoffs? Probably not, but March isn’t the best time for a four game losing streak.

- Remember how Avs GM Greg Sherman was absolutely hammered for the Semyon Varlamov trade in the offseason? They may or may not make the playoffs this season—but it wasn’t for Varlamov’s stellar play down the stretch, they wouldn’t even be in the conversation.

- Here’s a shocker: the Red Wings aren’t the same powerhouse with Nick Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk. Who knew that a seven-time Norris Trophy winner and the guy NHL players voted as the second best player in the league could be this important to a team?

- This just in: No Premiere Games from next year. Related: four unnamed teams just lost their built-in excuse for a slow start next season.

- On behalf of all fans around the world, can we please try to avoid another lockout? What’s the old saying? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me…

_________________________________________

Click here for our archive of past editions of our “I Might Just Be A Hockey Fan In California” feature.

“I Might Just Be A Hockey Fan In California” is a feature that is posted every Saturday here at the View From My Seats. There are plenty of things going on in the hockey world (and even the sports world); and you know everyone has an opinion. This is a place for some quick hits of the week that was.

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I might just be a hockey fan in California, but:

- It’s awesome that Bovada.lv has an official over/under line for the number of trades and number of players traded for this year’s deadline. For the record, they’ve set the over/under for number of trades at 22.5 and the number of players at 41. No truth to the rumor that TSN producers put money on the over.

- In what world is Marek Zidlicky worth three players and two draft picks?

- The Ducks are continuing to make a run towards the 8th seed, but what is wrong with Ryan Getzlaf? Not only is he struggling to produce goals (only scored 8 on the season), but his plus/minus is the worst of all forwards on the Ducks roster. And this is their #1 center and heart-and-soul captain? If he can find his way, they’ll be even more dangerous.

- With the way this season has gone for the Blue Jackets, would it surprise anyone if they lost the draft lottery despite having the worst record in the league? Losing Nail Yakupov would be the unfortunate cherry on top of their disastrous sundae.

- The most interesting facet of the Washington Capitals devastating stretch recently is the utter lack of explanation. Yes, they’ve been bad. But it seems like no one can really put their finger on the exact problem. That should be more worrisome than any issues they have on the ice.

- The Detroit Red Wings have made a name for themselves as being one of the smartest organizations in all of pro sports; but let’s not forget they just spent a 1st round draft pick on Kyle Quincey—a guy they lost for nothing on the waiver wire.

- Speaking of Quincey, talk about bad form for his comments on the way out of town. ESPN’s John Buccigross said there were some character issues with Quincey, then a day later he blasts his former organization and puts all of his former teammates in an extraordinarily uncomfortable situation. It doesn’t even matter if his comments are true—that’s just bad business. Stay classy Kyle Quincey.

- I don’t play fantasy hockey, but if I did, here would be my master strategy every single year: Draft Phil Kessel. At the end of December (when he’s near the league leaders in goals), trade him for Corey Perry (who loves the second half). In April, collect my winnings.

- Don’t look now, but the Phoenix Coyotes are tied with the San Jose Sharks for the Pacific Division lead (Sharks have two games in hand). Who in hell saw this coming a month ago?

- If Steve Ott is traded before the deadline, the Dallas Stars damn well better get a huge return for that guy. Aside from being incredibly versatile and a Grade A pest, he’s the heart and soul of that team. Oh, and the fans love him.

It looks like the Senators are really going to make the playoffs. If you saw this coming in September, you're a liar....

- The Ottawa Senators are really going to make the playoffs, aren’t they?

- Nothing is more misleading that seeing a team leading a division at this time of year, only to find out that they only lead by a single point and the opponents have FOUR games in hand. Don’t get comfortable in that top spot Jets fans.

- Team chemistry is an interesting animal. It’s amazing that a team like the New York Rangers could be leading the Eastern Conference—due in large part to their great chemistry—could be considering a huge disruption of the room for a single player. Rick Nash is a superstar difference-maker, but that’s a huge gamble for a tight-knit team in the middle of the season. In the offseason, it’s a completely different story.

- The Kings signing Willie Mitchell to a contract extension mere hours after Jack Johnson was shipped out of town demonstrates just how important the shutdown defenseman is to his team. It couldn’t have happened to a better guy.

- When I see some of the trade proposals at this time of year, I can actually feel the IQ points falling out of my ear.

- Props to the Minnesota Wild for signing Kyle Brodziak for the next three seasons. Every team in the league could use a guy like him.

- How can the Red Wings be so good at home, yet be so mediocre on the road. Better yet, how can this team be so average on the road when they were the best team on the road last season? Things that make you go Hmmmm…

- In more re-signing news, much respect to Jim Rutherford locking up both Tuomo Ruutu and Tim Gleason in the middle of the season. The Hurricanes may have slightly overspent for both players, but there’s no way they would have been able to replace those kinds of holes in free agency this summer. I know it’s more fun to spin the Wheel o’ Trade at the deadline, but those are the kinds of players that should be part of the solution going forward in Carolina.

- Absolutely love the Phoenix Coyotes trading for Antoine Vermette for their playoff push. The guy is a strong two-way forward who consistently chips in points and plays all 200 feet of the ice. He sounds like every other Coyotes player on the roster.

- On behalf of all fans around the world, can we please try to avoid another lockout? What’s the old saying? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me…

_________________________________________

Click here for our archive of past editions of our “I Might Just Be A Hockey Fan In California” feature.

“I Might Just Be A Hockey Fan In California” is a feature that is posted every Saturday here at the View From My Seats. There are plenty of things going on in the hockey world (and even the sports world); and you know everyone has an opinion. This is a place for some quick hits of the week that was.

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I might just be a hockey fan in California, but:

- I’m fairly confident Sam Gagner is going to have more points than the entire Los Angeles Kings team this month.

- If you thought Louis Leblanc had a lot of pressure in Montreal, just imagine what Blake Geoffrion is going to have to deal with when he makes it to the big club. The only way it could be worse is if he were a legacy player and French-Canadian.

- Nothing makes hockey players more a commodity than injuries around the trade deadline. “Oh, Tuomo Ruutu is hurt? Well, there goes his trade value for the Hurricanes.”

- Mike Ribeiro had this to say to the home crowd at American Airlines Center after his brilliant OT goal against the Calgary Flames this week: “Hopefully you guys can invite your friends so we can have more people here.” Funny thing: the Mavericks, Rangers, Cowboys, and even Horned Frogs seem to be doing just fine at the box office. Just like any other sport in just about any other market—more wins and more people will show up.

- Remember when the Blackhawks were the first team to 50 points? Now there are 11 teams above them in the league standings and the Red Wings are a full 13 points ahead of them in their own conference.

- On the other side of things, the Ducks have gone 14-2-3 in their last 19 games, yet they’re still in 13th place in the Western Conference. Just goes to show that it’s tough to move up in the standings; but if a team has a tragic losing streak, they’ll drop like a stone.

- Woltek Wolski: Remember that guy for the Rangers? Well, he’s back with the big club after a 2-week conditioning stint with the Connecticut Whale. Just imagine if Glen Sather was able to get something for the chronic underachiever. If they can get his salary off the books, there’s potential for the Rangers to get even better.

- How miserable is it to go on a road trip through the Central Division these days? St. Louis has a 25-4 mark and home—and it’s not even the best home record in the division. Aside from Detroit’s amazing 24-2-1 home record this season, the Blackhawks have the third best home record in the entire NHL (19-6-4). Remember that next time your team has a back-to-back against the Blues and Hawks and be thankful for any point you get.

- Speaking of the St. Louis Blues, just think about how good they’d be if Chris Stewart pulled it together and started playing like the guy who had 28 goals in only 62 games last year. For comparison’s sake, he’s sitting on only 11 goals through 54 games this year.

"Yeah, you can put my Jack Adams award right over there..."

- The Flames honored Al MacInnis by inducting him into their “Forever a Flame” program. Even though he’s the very first Calgary Flame to receive the honor, it still wasn’t enough for some people (media members) who complained that it wasn’t enough since they weren’t retiring his number. Get a life fellas, they’re honoring his entire Flames career—that’s all that matters.

- I have to give it up to the NHL for figuring out a way to make the Winter Classic at the Big House work. If they were hell bent on putting the game in Michigan, there’s no way they could have not included Michigan Stadium. Mix in some events at Comerica Park so Mike Ilitch can get paid and it looks like the ideal compromise. Lets here it for “out of the box” thinking!

- All that being said about the Winter Classic, who cares? Call me when HBO has confirmed that they’re doing another edition of 24/7.

- Everyone is focusing on the Flyers’ side of the Nicklas Grossman trade, but a little deeper under the surface shows just how good this deal is for the Dallas Stars. Grossman is a middle-pairing guy who is set to get a sizable raise (currently makes $1.625 million) when he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The Stars have been very happy with Mark Fistric’s development, Sheldon Souray is almost back in the lineup, and they still have Adam Pardy as a healthy scratch every night. GM Joe Nieuwendyk was able to pick up two quality draft picks for Grossman even though there is a good chance they would have lost him in the offseason anyway

- I will always associate the number 368 with Scott Gomez. Always.

- The Islanders goaltending situation never ceases to entertain. A couple of seasons ago, Dwayne Roloson was basically featured for the first half of the season before the organization was able to move the aging netminder to the Lightning. It was assumed that Evgeni Nabokov was acquired for the same reason when the Islanders picked him up off waivers as he was trying to return to North America with the Red Wings. But a funny thing happened on the way to a deadline deal—GM Garth Snow said that the Islanders won’t be selling Nabokov as they make their own run towards the final playoff spot. Now if someone wanted Rick DiPietro at the deadline, that might be a different story.

- Remember when there were people who thought that the “new NHL” had passed Ken Hitchcock by?

- For anyone who isn’t sure if there’s a place in hockey for fighting, you should have seen Shane Doan and Dustin Brown dropping the mitts in the Coyotes/Kings game on Thursday. Captain Shane Doan challenged captain Dustin Brown for hurting Rusty Klesla (with a clean hit). By the time the fight was over, both teams (and the every person in the building) could feel the intensity. The captains going at it brought the game to a whole new level.

- I’d like to take this opportunity to give a little respect to Mike Sillinger. If we’re talking about his claim to fame, the man’s days are clearly numbered. What do we mean? Dominic Moore was traded to the San Jose Sharks—the 9th team of his career. Sillinger set the bar at a lofty 12 teams, but it’s only a matter of time now.

- One of the best (albeit under reported) stories of the week had to be Andy McDonald making his return to the ice after missing 51 games with a concussion. Here’s to hoping he finds his bearings and thrives after having to endure months of intimidating uncertainty.

- Bruce Boudreau says that it takes about 300 games for an NHL defenseman to really start “getting it.” On that note: how many games as Cam Barker played played?

- On behalf of all fans around the world, can we please try to avoid another lockout? What’s the old saying? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me…

_________________________________________

Click here for our archive of past editions of our “I Might Just Be A Hockey Fan In California” feature.

“I Might Just Be A Hockey Fan In California” is a feature that is posted every Saturday here at the View From My Seats. There are plenty of things going on in the hockey world (and even the sports world); and you know everyone has an opinion. This is a place for some quick hits of the week that was.

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I might just be a hockey fan in California, but:

- Word from hockey insiders (read: Darren Dreger) is that Jeff Carter is available for any team willing to trade for him. What an absolute PR nightmare for the Blue Jackets—if they trade him for a package less than Jakub Voracek and Sean Couturier, he’ll get hammered. If they hold on to him, the small market club that has been losing money (and the second half this season won’t help), will have pay $33.5 million to a guy that has made it publically known that he doesn’t want to be there. I’m not sure how they win in this situation.

- Mike Yeo has done a great job with the Minnesota Wild this season. Remember that if/when the team takes a nosedive with Mikko Koivu, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, and Guillaume Latendresse all out of the lineup. Where’s Colton Gillies when you need him?

- Major props to Dallas management for signing Alex Goligoski to a four-year deal this week. The man has the potential to be the backbone of their blueline for the foreseeable future and knows how to run a power play. Mix in his age and every team could use a guy like that.

- Barry Trotz has done some impressive things in Nashville, but his nickname for Pekka Rinne might be the best thing he’s come up with for the Predators in his 14- year tenure. The nickname? The Eraser.

- Sticking with Pekka Rinne, how the hell the All-Star game feature six netminders and not include the best goaltender in the world? Want proof? He makes $7 million for a budget-constrained team and you don’t hear anybody complaining about his salary.

- Here was the word last week from Pens’ GM Ray Shero as Sidney Crosby was set to go see his specialist in Atlanta, “Sidney has made a lot of progress but he is still having some symptoms, so this is the next step in his recovery. Obviously he won’t be back in the lineup until he is symptom-free.” Remember, this is a guy that is still having motion and balance problems—and now he’s in L.A. visiting yet another specialist. So I’ll say it: have we seen the last of Crosby this season? More importantly, should we have seen the last of Crosby this season?

- So Ed Jovanovski gets hit by Daniel Paille, gets into a fight with Paille to defend his honor, breaks his hand on Paille’s face, and now has two-months of rehab before he can get back onto the ice for the Panthers’ stretch run. On in hockey is that the “smart” thing to do. (For the record: he did exactly what the Panthers organization and their fans expected him to do)

- ‘Tis the season for hockey fans to start wildly throwing names in hopes of making that deadline deal that will send them to the Promised Land. But for those in LA thinking that Jonathan Bernier would be the perfect trade bait, just remember—Pekka Rinne got paid $7 million per season and Jonathan Quick is going to be an unrestricted free agent after next season. Just a hunch, but he’ll probably command a raise over his current $1.8 million cap hit.

- On the flipside, is there any way the Canucks can afford the luxury of having Cory Schneider sitting on the bench during the playoff run; when they know they could have cashed him in for help on the ice? These are the moves you have to make when the Stanley Cup window is open.

- Everyone has been talking about Tim Thomas this week. It’s time they stopped—enough is enough.

- Speaking of goaltending, at what point do the Buffalo Sabres admit that Ryan Miller is a huge problem? He’s had an awful start to the season, but he wasn’t all that great down the stretch last season either. The entire team has struggled, but even if the rest of the team pulls it together, they aren’t going anywhere unless Miller starts looking like the Miller of old. Here’s the thing: I’m not sure he’ll ever look that way again.

- Here’s the thing that the Calgary media needs to understand: Darryl Sutter isn’t the warm and feely guy in front of the media. That’s just not how he rolls—it’s time to get over it.

- It’s January and there are a plethora of articles flowing from Edmonton talking about the rebuild, drafting, and if the Oilers are doing it the right way. I know they got off to a good start, but it sounds like the majority of the Oilogosphere is turning their attention to the future. Again.

- When you hear a coach saying stuff like, “it’s an opportunity for other guys to step up,” what he’s really saying is, “I really hope these guys can help us tread water until we get our big guns back into the lineup.”

- If Tomas Vokoun can continue to round into the goaltender the Caps thought they were getting when they signed him in the offseason, watch out. Just imagine what a Tomas Vokoun from last season could do with that kind of talent in front of him.

- When Kevin Poulin played against the Predators earlier this year, it was the Islanders fifth starting goaltender this year. You know what they always say: “if you have five starting goaltenders, you don’t have one.”

- It was interesting to see Ken Campbell of The Hockey News say that the Lightning’s struggles this season were somehow karmic payback for Tampa playing a trapping, defensive style of hockey with all of their offensive talent. Actually, it has far less to do the karmic stars and much more to do with their goaltenders watching pucks fly into the net faster than a Shea Weber slap shot.

- Check out what Stars coach Glen Gulutzan had to say about his team after a poor effort against Tampa Bay. “The only reason you prepare against Detroit, Boston, St. Louis is because you’ve got a little fear in your belly that you might get embarrassed. So you work and do the little things. It’s a sign of weakness if you can’t bring that little fear and that adrenaline in your game every night. You just think you’re too good.” You have to love the honesty of a rookie coach.

- A quick note to all the fans that think the refs hate your team: Stop it. Everyone knows that referees hate all 30 teams equally and when you complain that you’re getting screwed, you make the rest of your fanbase look stupid.

- It’s hard to put the Red Wings 17-game home winning streak in the proper context. It’s the best home streak in 36 years and they haven’t at Joe Louis Arena since people were eating Halloween candy. For historical purposes, they’re only three away from tying the NHL’s all-time record that was set in Bruins back in 1930 and tied by the Broad Street Bullies in 1976. Yeah, this is a pretty good run the Wings are on right now.

- On behalf of all fans around the world, can we please do everything possible to avoid another lockout?

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Click here for our archive of past editions of our “I Might Just Be A Hockey Fan In California” feature.