A late Halloween treat

From the latest issue of ESPN Magazine:

Q: What was your favorite Halloween costume?

Ray Emery: I went as Tina Turner when I was 9 or 10. I wore stretch pants and fake breasts and a big wig. It was pretty embarrassing but funny. No singing, though.

Around the internets

Tarik breaks down the Caps loss against Jagr & Crew, and TSN serves up this tidbit from Hank:

''Another night at the office,'' Lundqvist said. ''It was an intense game. It felt like they were all over us a little bit.''

Ignoring his "another night at the office" quote, Hank is right - the Caps were all over them a bit. But after scoring 7 goals in their last game, they couldnt get anything over the crease this time around. No doubt that Lundqvist had something to do with that, but so did a PP that couldnt produce all night.

Around the internets

Tarik talks to Chris Clark (apparently it was closer to 80 stitches to put his almost severed ear back together) who is not playing tonight in NYC. He joins Tom Poti and Alex Semin on that list.

Corey talks about Brian Sutherby's new role this year, or lack thereof.

"I knew right away early on in camp — I only played in three exhibition
games out of seven, and I played well in those games — it was something that
seemed like it was already decided before the season started and before training
camp even started," Sutherby said. "It seems like there was a plan going into
training camp, and I wasn't a part of it."

Around the internets

Word on the street (well, the WaPo) is that Chris Clark, Alex Semin, and Tom Poti are all practicing in NYC, but no word yet on if any of them will play. Clark's ear required 60 stitches after it was hit by Ovie's slapshot.

And, the the NHLPA has finished another stage of its re-haul:

NHL players ratified a new constitution that significantly alters the way the union is governed, completing a lengthy review process that started with the dispute over the hiring of former executive director Ted Saskin.

The constitution, approved through a secret ballot and announced Tuesday, eliminates the National Hockey League Players' Association's executive committee, which was comprised of a president and six vice presidents.

In its place, the 30 club-player representatives will serve as equal voting members of an executive board.

UPDATE: Tarik says Clark, Semin and Poti are out. And, Clark also chipped a tooth in the game against the Canucks when Kevin Bikesa high sticked him. Ouch.

Dude, shut up

Canuck's D-man, Willie Mitchell, is upset with Coach Alain Vigneault for criticizing him to the media.

Yawn.

When a team is struggling (like the Canucks), certain types of Coaches (Like Alain Vigneault) criticize them in the media to motivate them (in fact, this is so common and obvious, I feel dumb even writing this sentence. Apparently Willie Mitchell has no similar feelings). It happens all the time - just ask John Tortorella or Mike Keenan. Its part of every single professional sport. So why oh why, is Willie Mitchell talking to the press about it? Players never win that battle, and even if the Coach is eventually fired, you look like another whiny athlete who cant take the heat, but can take millions in payroll.

But the best part is, Mitchell acknowledges that this is just Vingault's way of pushing his players.

"If people are unhappy with things, (as a) player you'd like to have that addressed," he said. "You don't like to hear about it through the media most of the time. That's his way of motivating I guess.

So if you know this is just a device your Coach is using to motivate you, why the hell are you picking a fight with him in the press? Can that really help the atmosphere in your locker room, when your team is already struggling and the press is beating on you?

Willie Mitchell, Cap Addiction staff has one thing to say to you: Dude, shut up.

On the Flyers

Scott Burnside has a pretty good piece on the Flyers, and their...enthusiasm...for hitting people in the head.

The NHL season is not yet a month old, and three times the Flyers have had to answer for how one of their own has gone AWOL and committed an indefensible act against another team's player.

[...]

Rest assured: If a Flyer, let's say, Daniel Briere, had been on the other end of any one of these three assaults, the team would be screaming blue murder.

Good point Scotty. Can you imagine the shrieks that would be coming from Paul Holmgren's office if Briere had been hit like that?

The bigger issue for me is one of respect -- as Marc Savard astutely points out. Every time the Flyers lay a reckless hit on another NHL'er, a hit that was bad enough to cause a Stage 3 concussion, a hit that causes people to lose their memory, or pass out for nearly a minute, they are disrespecting the game, and their comrades who play it with them. While Jones' hit might not have been as bad as Boulerice or Downie, it came from a team with a history of this type of behavior, and a GM who turns a blind eye. And thats just disrespectful.

around the internets

Tarik wraps up last night's win, while Corey and ESPN offers their take on it. Tarik's take on the injured Caps is not good:

Sutherby found himself in the lineup because of the Capitals' dire injury situation. They were again without three of their most important players, with Chris Clark, Alexander Semin and Tom Poti all suffering from various ailments.

Clark missed his second consecutive game after being struck on the left ear with an Ovechkin slap shot in the final minute of Friday's loss to Vancouver. Semin re-injured his left ankle in the first period of Saturday's loss in St. Louis and Poti has been slow to recover from a strained groin muscle that's sidelined him the past three games.

And some news on Ovie contract extension talks?

"I want to be here a long time," he said. "I don't like change of place. But you never know. You can sign contract right now and the next day you are traded. It's the NHL."

He added: "I want to be here. I like the organization. I like the fans."

Asked whether he expects to sign an extension soon, Ovechkin smiled and said: "Ask George." So I did. McPhee politely declined comment, as he always does on contract negotations.