That left a blue-line Tuesday night comprised of guys battling for the sixth and seventh defenceman...

koopa kid — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:14:43 -0000

That left a blue-line Tuesday night comprised of guys battling for the sixth and seventh defenceman spots. Among that group, new Flames head coach Brent Sutter thought Anton Stralman stood out the most.

"I thought Stralman was very good tonight, he might have been the best player on the ice," Sutter said.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/oilers-give-quinn-winning-start/article1289265/

Wendel and White appearing at NHL10 release party

koopa kid — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 06:34:23 -0000

Wendel and White appearing at NHL10 release party

If you're anywhere near Yonge and Dundas tonight you might want to check it out. And if you don't want that sissy cab-beater Kane on your NHL10 cover, I've whipped up a couple new ones for you to get signed:
360 version
PS3 version

Leafs give Allison tryout

koopa kid — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:33:48 -0000

Leafs give Allison tryout

He's like the top 6 forward we never wanted.

Swedish truculance pt. 2.

koopa kid — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 06:45:47 -0000

Swedish truculance pt. 2.

Swedish Truculence pt. 1, in memory of the departed.

koopa kid — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 06:45:07 -0000

Swedish Truculence pt. 1, in memory of the departed.

Grabs-Kostitsyn feud over?

koopa kid — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 02:40:30 -0000

Grabs-Kostitsyn feud over?

Hat tip to Belarus from HFBoards for the link, translation by Google. It's a little hard to decipher, but you can get the gist of it.

Eh, I give them 5 minutes into the season before they're at each others throats.

I need a sign

koopa kid — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 22:46:01 -0000

Alright Marlies ~~bandwagoners~~ fans, their first home game of the season is tomorrow at 4. I'll be there, and I need ideas for a sign to take to the game. Remember, we have such notables on the team as:

Jiri "NSFW" Tlusty

Ryan "Boarding Major" Hollweg

Bates "Master" Battaglia

Justin "Meltdown in the Making" Pogge

On the Moose there's Jason "AHL Superstar" Krog and Cory "Will Never Start Over Luongo" Schneider.

So, any suggestions?

Leafs sign some untalented future bust.

koopa kid — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 05:47:36 -0000

Leafs sign some untalented future bust.

WOOOOOOOOO

Belarussian interview with Mikhail Grabovski

koopa kid — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 22:48:07 -0000

Editor's Note: Glove tap to koopa kid for tracking down this interview with Mikhail Grabovski. There are some hilarious answers as well as some very revealing ones about the current climate of the team.

I haven't seen this posted anywhere on here, forgive me if it has. Check out the broken translations. Hat tips go to Belarus from HFboards for the post and colonel_korn on SAS for the relay:

Mikhail Grabovski: Maybe he got his license suspended?

- When during preseason you were able to finds the back of the net, but at the start of regular season you were in scoring drought from Minsk it looked like "eternal bad luck". Did you dwell on it?
- Absolutely no. There is nothing eternal in life and so is bad luck. I waited it out. When you're being trusted it's easier to deal with temporal difficulties. And they trust me in Toronto.

- Is this the biggest difference between Ron Wilson and Guy Charbonneau?
- No, there are others. Ron is more experienced than Guy, he has brought his team to the Stanley Cup final. Also, he has different approach towards players: in Montreal our relationships were strictly businesslike. Here in Toronto coach takes an interest in his players life besides hockey, can have heart-to-heart talk with you and it prepossesses you. Finally, what's also nice is that Wilson - proponent of euro style of hockey. I have no idea where it comes from, but being a North American he allows us to improvise more. Oh and I already said about the trust.

- They trust you so much that it looks they pick players "for Grabovski" now, and not cover holes with you as it was before.
- Perhaps. But this is normal because i'm playing center. Recently looks like coached found optimal blend of our line - Kulemin and Hagman playing wings. Before Kolya (Kulemin) recovered from his injury they constantly shuffled my partners. Now burst of our line's offensive production I directly link to Kulemin's complete recovery.

- Especially "burst" goes along with your "fondness" towards Carolina. Four goals in two games in three days - it's big. Where such a love for Hurricanes comes from?
- How you can not love them if the name of the city is female's name. (Grabs laughs)

- Wait a sec... I hear some romantic notes. So, very soon we should discover you're no longer promising single.
- Oh, come on... Let's agree: you haven't asked - I haven't answerd, ok? Let's talk hockey only.

- As you wish. Then shed some light on if it was possible for you to wind up in Toronto's farm club during your drought?
- Impossible. The contract was put in the way that they could only trade me to some other NHL team. I've got enough of two way agreements. I've had a dilemma this summer: whether I play in the NHL or I come back to play in Russia.

- To put it this way one must be confident about what he can do.
- I've never had any problems with that. Always felt there is nothing extraterrestrial for me in the NHL and I could play some good hockey here. I now I think I'm proving this.

- Oh you're sure do. From now on You can only improve uour previous, even though modest personal record.
- Yes, but I'm more happy about my other record. My seventeen-twenty minutes a game - this is what I craved. Now, when I have it what else do I need?

- Well, how about comfort in life for example.
- I'm perfectly fine. I always liked Toronto as a city and Toronto as an NHL club. And these are not regular words and not regular due to management. I said it before, when playing for Montreal and Hamilton. There is a friendly team climate in Toronto. It is so encouraging: I feel myself as I felt before in Neftehimik (Russia). Look, it's very reminiscent of what I've had there: experienced coach, young team, complete trust.

- You can tell me whatever you want, but I won't believe Saturday's game against Canadiens was regular game for you.
- Of course it was a special game for me. But not because I hold grudge against my former team. It's the opposite, I made my first steps in the NHL playing with them and only for that I'm grateful to my former teammates and Gi Charbonneau. But I've had the same satisfaction from victory as if it was any other game, except that we lost to them one month ago 1:6 and it has strengthen it a bit.

- Ok, now let's talk about the most important: what was between you and Sergei? Was his charge a surprise for you?
- Oh, and there you go... Why all reporters, whether it's in Canada or back home have clung to this episode? Right in that game Kostopolus sent our player Van Rynn to hospital for more than a week. But, I feel like no one talks about this really unpleasant moment comparing to our trash talk.

- Illegal hits are common in the NHL. But clash of two out of total four countrymen in the NHL we couldn't leave unnoticed. Why would Sergei charged into you so viciously?
- It was hit like any other hit and I don't hold grudge for Sergei. It's NHL - anything happens here. But why he's mad at me, I don't understand. Maybe, he got his driver license suspended, maybe he has problems with his girlfriend - I don't know. But there is no my fault in his problems.

- One of the versions says you've said something to him. What was that?
- I don't remember exactly, but it was regular trash talk as it happens in cases like that. I told him to look at the scoreboard and said he was too young to fight me. Andrei (his older brother) didn't want to sort out our relationship as he's older and controls himself. But if someone so eager to engage into fist talk, we can always meet after season end in Minsk.

- Another thing you've said is the "I have no friends in Montreal". Also, some say Ponikarovski translated it the wrong way.
- I doubt it. Alexei's English is very good to be it this way. Other thing is reporters interpreted my words incorrectly: I meant I have no friends among opposing team on ice.

- Why you're using partners to translate it for you? Your English is not so good?
- Not so bad, but it's not ideal either. When one on one I speak decent, but right after game you colleagues surrounded me and I had to ask for my teammate's help.

- I guess you spend more time with Russian speaking guys after hockey games.
- And it's a wrong guess. This is a beauty of Toronto - they don't have team divided in groups by some features. We're all together. And it's good as my English is getting better because, for example, during road games I share the hotel room with Dominic Moore.

- By the way we're not disturbing him now with our conversation? It's 1am in the morning.
- No, it's ok. He went to visit his local relatives.

- You shouldn't feel yourself lonely in Toronto also because, If I'm not mistaken, here is the biggest Belorussian population in Canada. They have even Belorussian church.
- Seriously? I didn't know. I've heard they have many Ukrainians here, but I haven't met Belorussians so far. And I don't feel lonely at all. I have my relatives in Toronto too. My dad's cousin lives here. He's is my guide to the city.

- So, I see you're feel yourself comfortable here. What do you see in your future?
- Fight for the playoff berth. They don't demand it here right away as we're building new team. I hope to contribute. The more I contribute - the better.

Alright, so this is actually kinda lame...

koopa kid — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 07:45:53 -0000

Do I smell the occasion for a potential PPP meet and greet?

via www.torontomarlies.com

Justin Pogge, Mark Bell, Jeremy Williams, Ben Ondrus, plus a Wendel Clark bobblehead? Sign me up. Considering the Marl haven't topped 5K attendance in a season or so, we can't not get one.

The game is at 4, which leaves about enough time to find a bar and drink ourselves to death watching the Leafs play after the almost assured crushing loss by the Marlies. The Leafs will be playing the Blackhawks, so you know, the drinking will help.

SB Nation User Blog: koopa kid

That left a blue-line Tuesday night comprised of guys battling for the sixth and seventh defenceman...

Wendel and White appearing at NHL10 release party

Wendel and White appearing at NHL10 release party

Leafs give Allison tryout

Leafs give Allison tryout

Swedish truculance pt. 2.

Swedish Truculence pt. 1, in memory of the departed.

Grabs-Kostitsyn feud over?

Grabs-Kostitsyn feud over?

I need a sign

Leafs sign some untalented future bust.

Leafs sign some untalented future bust.

Belarussian interview with Mikhail Grabovski

Alright, so this is actually kinda lame...