Home, home on the ice!

So.  Title.  Not the best I've come up with.  Get over it.

Home opener for the K-Wings went better than I expected.  I lined up my ride to future games (For environmental reasons only, obviously.), got a few papers graded, sported my Penguin's pride, got reacquainted with the folks in my section...  Oh!  And I watched a pretty damn good hockey game.  Mostly.  Although the first power play left something to be desired.  Which we then got to see in the subsequent power plays.  Props.

The start of the game was a tad disjointed.  You know, what with the technical difficulties of getting the divisional and conference championship banners to come down.

Pretty trophy.  The banners finally made their way down sometime during the first period (I think...maybe it was the second...).  I totally brought my camera with me to the game and could have taken pictures.  But, I forgot.  As per usual.  Pretty sure I only took my eyes off the game to check the Pen's score (unfortunately not the outcome I wanted).  Also, I hate missing parts of the game.  (I have never been able to understand how people can get up in the middle of a period.  Hockey > need for gross arena food/beer.)  First game of the season meant we got to hear the Canadian National Anthem as well!  No offense to my own nationality, but it's soooo much better than ours.  (Not hard when ours originates as a drinking song.  Way to go, USA.)  When it stays in the same key all the way through, that is.  She did an admirable job and parts of it were really nice, but the switching keys in a couple spots...  Well, not part of the song.  Weirdly enough, no one thought to get the Cyclones out on the ice before the anthems were sung.

We DID get an introduction to the opening night roster. I'd done a little research (as previously mentioned) beforehand.  I'm pretty excited to see how our second goalie does.  Hopefully he'll get put in next weekend.  UPDATE:  Monsieur Clermont got the call to Albany.  Sneaky little Devil.  We've brought on Tom Schaul as the emergency bench-sitter.  He's an expert.  Also, he played for the University of Oklahoma.  (The only correct way to say that would've been to break into the "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKlahoma..." song.

Now imagine random people breaking out into song in the middle of a college campus.  Believe it or not, I have experienced this.  It's a little creepy.  Thank you, Presbyterian Youth Triennieum 2007.)  Returning to the topic at hand.

Maxime Clermont.  Wearing numero trente-cinq for the K-Wings, a sixth round draft pick by the Devils in 2010.  (Recently signed a three year entry-level contract with the Devs and got assigned HERE!  Maybe he'll be a yo-yo this season.)  And, obviously, he's French Canadian!  I have no idea why this is so exciting to me.  Maybe it's Fleury.  He's softened me up toward French Canadian goalies...  Totally valid.  Clermont is coming off a four year career in the Q, playing for the Gatineau Olympiques.  (For you Penguins fans, you should know this team.  Maxiiiiiiiiiiiime, as in Talbot, won two championships for them and captained them and won back-to-back Guy Lafleur trophies for playoff MVP.  2003-2004 season was also the season that Sidsters played for Rimouski.  Poor Max was second in like...everything that regular season.  But hey, who doesn't want to be second to Jesus?  Do your best to forget he plays for the Flyers now.)  Oh.  I was talking about the K-Wings, you say?  I was, wasn't I.  Well, then please ignore the fact that abou 75% of this paragraph was not about the Maxime Clermont.

Now, the players who DID play...  Brandon Svendsen was on fire.  Scored two goals and was soooo close to getting the HT until some silly, silly Cyclone gots himself all tangled up with Svendsen.  Not cool.  So Karlander took the empty net.

Fun facts about Svendsen's playing career:
1) He played a season in juniors with Teddy Purcell of the Tampa Bay Lightning (jerk-faces--obviously I still have some resentment there).
2) He played two seasons of college hockey with teammate, David Solway: Svendsen's junior and senior year.  For Bowling Green.  If that wasn't already obvious.
3) It is highly unlikely he will sit down here in the ECHL for an entire season or very long at all.  Especially since most of his time the last two years has been in the AHL and it certainly doesn't look like he's slumping.  As much as I'd like to keep him for our very own, I suppose furthering his hockey career is also important.  Damn him.

Oh Captain, my captain!

Am I overdoing it with the cliches yet?  Also, he's a lot harder to find appropriate pictures of.  By appropriate, I mean something not a head shot and not a photo shoot.  Wes O'Neill played exactly how I expected.  Well, physical, and...a fight to cap off the night.  It was a decent fight.  Obviously being in Kalamazoo brings out the best.  Fun fact: O'Neill fought more last season in the Zoo than in any other previous season of professional or junior hockey.  I have no idea why I keep talking about him and fighting, since he doesn't really do it all that often (unless you're comparing him to Zbynek Michalek--congrats on the goal in the Peg; at least one Pen scored--who has only had one professional fight in the AHL).  What else is there to say, except hopefully we'll keep our claws dug into O'Neill for a little longer than last season.  (I'm trying to come up with a nickname.  I can't call him Cappy, because that would obviously be sacrilegious.  And I can't call him Neiller, because that belongs to Nealer, AKA James Neal.)

Speaking of James Neal, I'd like to take a moment to profess my love and adoration.  I've been pretty excited for him since we got him at the deadline last season and am very happy that he's living up to, and surpassing, expectation.  Another fun fact (I've got a shitload of these.): James Neal's junior career?  He spent four years with the Plymouth Whalers.  With Andrew Fournier (BABYFACE!  I missed seeing you on the ice this weekend.).  And Ryan Nie.  For the first three years--he was then replaced by Michal Neuvirth.  Logically following this (get that...O'Neill--Neal--Plymouth Whalers--Babyface...), I decided it was time to see how Fourny is doing in Europe.  Thank you European leagues, because lookie at what I found.

Tip #1? Eliminate "uh."  Lolz.  There was another thing about him from Steelers TV, but it's mostly in Swedish.  I'm not that smart, and don't plan on translating it.  So far, he's got 12 points (4 G, 8 A) in 10 games with Olofstrom IK, who is sitting pretty at the top of their league.  Kudos.  (Also, I can't remember if this is in the above interview or the mostly Swedish one, but he says something about having worked construction all summer.  The life of a minor-league hockey player.)

The other D-man who stood out?  Elgin Reid. 

I DO remember watching him play for Florida last season and being impressed.  He must have been decent since I had hawkeyes on BabyJStaal for most of the time to see how he was shaping up and I still noticed Reid.  And he made himself known against Cincy.  Loverly.  OH!  Naughty.  (Get your mind out of the gutter.  Please.  We are not at marching band camp.)  Mr. Reid got himself into a bit of trouble last winter with a DUI.  Boozin', no cruisin', boy!  If you haven't figured it out yet, Elgin played a season in Wheeling.  He's holding the kid.  Who I'm led to believe is not his, but Erik Johnson's.  Who is standing to Elgin's left.

Obviously I should be taking notes at the games, because my memory sucks ass.  Or I should just be more on top of things and finish posts when I start them and post them in a timely fashion.  It would be really helpful if the K-Wings posted practice reports and game previews (I hearts you, Pen's communications dept!), but I realize that this is an ECHL team struggling to make money.  So, whatevs. 

JT the younger, aka Babyface Jr., aka Brian Kinney's BF, aka Justin Taylor looked decent out there.  He didn't stand out in a bad way, but, fair warning, I have some HIGH expectations for him this season.  (It was a little disconcerting to see him sporting number 93 on the ice and Taylor Ellington dressed in 23, but I'll get used to it.  Looks like 93 was his original number anyway.  Not that this has any affect whatsoever on his playing abilities.  Also, get it.  Taylor...Taylor!  I loled in my head at that one.  Mostly because I think I'm funnier than I really am.)

JT the older and Taylor.  Justin and Taylor.  Like I said, I think I'm clever.  They even have the same smile.  Creepy.  I refuse to put the Biebs and TSwift picture up here.  I can't have Bieber taking over.  Wrong.  (The only Bieber allowed is Jeff Skinner.  Thank the Cane's locker room chirping for that comparison.)  FUN FACT:  Babyface, Jr.'s first fight?  In the OHL against currently injured Penguin, Dustin Jeffrey.  I'm just now realizing that I may have posted this before, but I really don't care.  Totally worth watching again.

Nicely done, boyos. 

I think I'll hold off on more assessment until I've seen tomorrow night's game.  Pretty sure Babyface, Jr. is going to be my new favorite.  But, anything is possible.  Well.  Almost anything.  I doubt I'll get to watch my boy JStaalsy play in Kalamazoo.  Ever.  I hope I just jinxed that and made it a possibility.

For those of you wanting updates on the other former K-Wings:
Ryan Nie is playing for Lillehammer IK.  He's played all 11 games so far and is 5-6-0 (W-L-T).
Bryan Jurynec is playing for Coventry Blaze of the Elite League in the U.K.  I'm attempting to navigate through their website.  Because of the HUGE differences in how the league works, it's more confusing than the Swedish website.  Go figure.  More research...
So it's a 10 team league.  Somehow, Coventry is 6 and 3 on the season and they've played 13 games.  My kind of math.  (I'm guessing this has something to do with cup challenges (???) and other kinds of games.  No clue.  Foreign language.  You know, English.)  Jurynec has played 11 games, has 5 assists and, GET THIS, 52 penalty minutes.  Not surprised.  But, definitely curious...  Found it!
Game against Nottingham (First image that comes to mind?  Sheriff of Nottingham.  In the Disney version of Robin Hood.): 2 for instigating, 5 for fighting, 10 for misconduct, and 20 for a game misconduct.  And some lovely person was nice enough to video the fight.

Darryl Lloyd.  Oh man, I don't know how I MISSED this.  But, he's also playing in the Elite League.  For Belfast.  12 games, 1 goal, 4 assists, 32 penalty minutes.  I'm guessing he's got at least one fight under his belt...  Ok, seriously unsatisfying.  All minor penalties.  Boy needs to learn to play a little cleaner.  Oh wait, that's nothing new!  Though it looks like there's someone else on his team beating him out for dirtiest player.

Others:
-Brian McMillan (only played a handful of games) is playing in the CHL for the Allen Americans (affiliated with the Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche).  Their regular season home opener is Friday.
-Dean Strong may be returning to us.  I'm sure he hopes he doesn't, seeing as he's playing in Chicago in the AHL on a PTO.  He's played 2 games and is a -1.  (Fun fact #71.87: Matt Clackson is also playing for the Chicago Wolves.  As in former WMU player and Pittsburgh native.)
-Jay Sprague (almost doesn't count, what with his 4 games...) is playing in the CHL for the Tulsa Oilers.
-Aaron Clarke, who I quite liked, seems to have disappeared off the face of google.  At least, recently.  That's a hint.  If you know where/if he's playing this season, let me know.  Unless he's suddenly become a British footballer.
-Brady Leisenring has returned to Germany to play for ESV Kaufbeuren. He's in the same league in which he spent the 08-09 and 09-10 seasons.  7 games: 2 G, 5 A.
-Mike Sellitto was released from the Elmira Jackals last week, so he's looking for a job.  Lucks.
-Brian McGuirk.  I'm disappointed to have to tell y'all that he's no longer playing.  He's working as a trainer with Marc Bastarache in Salem, NH for Top Gun Hockey.  I suppose if that's what he likes to do, he should.
-Blake Friesen: M.I.A.  Lots of old info, but nothing new.  Maybe he's doing something with his college degree.
-John Kivisto (another 4-gamer) went to Michigan Tech.  Pretty sure that's all I can tell you.
-Jon Landry has a goal and an assist in 2 games with the Colorado Eagles (Welcome to the ECHL!).
-Steve Tarasuk has 1 assist in 2 games with the Ontario Reign, fellow ECHL team.
-Justin Coutu...out of a job?  No clue.  Apparently google CAN'T answer everything.  Shucks.
-Ryan McGinnis is a +1 in 2 games with the Florida Everblades, so we'll be seeing him again at some point this season.
-Corey Syvret's got 1 assist in 1 game with the Trenton Devils so far.  Wait, nix that.  Trenton Titans.  They're affiliated with the Flyers now, instead of the Devils.  And there was some sort of drams with management and such, I think...  So.  Trenton Titans.  (Let's be real, it's hard to take a step down from the Devils, but they managed it.)
-Mitch Versteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeg!  How could I have waited so far down the list???  I completely and unashamedly would like him BACK, please.  He's also in Trenton.  Poor guy.  Jersey.  Ugh.  I had such high hopes for him this season.  He'll just have to put that on hold until I can kill whoever I need to kill to get him back on the K-Wings roster.
-A.J. Thelen kind of makes my heart break.  I have no idea how I missed this last season.  I kinda wish he had gotten his act together a little more after the dismissal from MSU.  We'll never know.  The last I can tell, we had the rights to him back in July, but I can't seem to find any more recent info.  Just a lot of people whining about how he sucks.  (Bitter Minnesotans.)
We also had a string of emergency backup goalies.  They got to ride the bench.

I considered raving about the latest Penguins win here.  Oh, wait.  I'm going to.  Pens defeated Minny 4-2 on Tuesday.  Dupers was awesome.  Jordy was awesome.  The whole fucking team was awesome.  Neal was awesome.  TK was outtie with a concussion and probably will be for a while.  Most importantly: WINNER!  2 points in the books.  Here is some excellent proof of the boys' hard work:

Umm.  That.  Face.  Is.  Epic.  Obviously, this is not during the game.  Hence helmet-less Duper.  But, if that's the kind of face you have to make to have a stellar game, you go, Dupers! 

I thought this was eerily appropriate for this blog.  Pretty sure Staal can reach a puck on the opposite side of the ice without moving his feet.

Yes, you SHOULD be congratulating your goalie.  BJ was a rock in net.  As per usual.  There was a scary moment where it looked like he might be injured, but he got himself back up and finished the game.  He was getting a shitton of love from Steigey and Bob on Root Sports.  I think I heard the phrases "toughest goalie in the league" and "best pure back-up goalie in the league" mentioned.  That's right.  Because they're TRUE.

Music moment of the day: WEEZER!  In honor of the fact that Toledo is coming to town tomorrow night and Scott Shriner is from Toledo.

Fun fact about Scott Shriner?  The last band he played with in Toledo was called "The Great Barbeque Gods."  Umm.  Really?  Awesome.  This would be a good moment to thank my older (and best and only) sister for having such fantastic taste in music and introducing it to me.  If you'll note, "Buddy Holly" was released in 1994 when I wasn't quite six years old.

Peace outs.  Game tonight.  Go Pens!  Game tomorrow.  Go K-Wings!  Birthday Sunday.  Go me!  (23 on the 23rd.  How cool is that??)