First of all, Happy Halloween.  Hope you gets lots of candy!

Tonight - the Chicago Blackhawks come crawling into town.  LITERALLY!

Losers of three straight shutouts, the team that will probably end up near the bottom of the league comes in real pissed off, I’m sure.  Also - this is the first time that AA (Adrian Aucoin) comes to the Coliseum since he left the team for bigger money.  Bet he wishes he didn’t???  He is the captain of an Original Six team, but right now, it should be five!  The Hawks, thanks to old idiotic ownership, and a clueless GM, are so far down the food chain in the windy city, that 40% capacity are attending games in the United Center.  They have lost Martin Havlat (and his 6.5 million $ salary) to injury for 3 months.  Michael Handzus is out for the year.  The “Bulin” wall is hurt, and a lot of players are strangely enough not playing to potential.

And now they come to Nassau to clear up the problems…

Doesnt it ALWAYS seem to be, that we cure all other teams problems.  We gave Ottawa their first road win when they started; now they beat us almost all the time!  I can go on and on and on.

For the continuation of futility, we have to POUNCE on these guys IMMEDIATELY.  Put pressure on their D, get shots into Boucher, and set the tone.  These guys were embarassed on Versus last night, and they want to take it out on the next opponent.  We have to counter that, and put the team back on their heels.  If you want to make a final statement from this home stand, now is the time.  You want to show that it was a positive stand, make it so.

Keeping fingers, toes and anything else crossed….

Gary

RAMBLING time. - if you saw the Ranger/Coyote game Saturday night, you saw that the Blueshirts looked pretty good.  They played on all cylinders, they were getting contributions from all 4 lines and 3 defensive pairs.  Just a good effort.  And how to they add onto that?  With probably the poorest showing of the season, against the Kings.  They made the Rangers look like a Central Hockey League team.  Can’t you tell, that I am deeply saddened by this?  Sorry my Ranger fan friends, this is not directed at you, but for all the media that after Saturday night’s game, annointed the Rangers as turning the corner and on their way to a Canyon of Heroes parade.  One game does not do it, stupid!  To make matters worse, they now have San Jose and Anaheim on back-to-back nights.  BRILLIANT! 

Man, has Pittsburgh looked real good or what?  They even had to keep young Mr. Staal up as a result of his stellar play in the first nine games.  Someone said on the TSN coverage of the Leafs game last night, that because of the opportunity to market Mr. Crosby, that he does not expect to see him in a Pens uniform anytime after his 25th birthday.  Makes you go hmmmm?

Well, we better beat the Hawks tonight, or it will be embarassing beyond belief!!!

G