Live Sens Blogging : Opening night 07-08

I'll update this post with all my thoughts throughout the game...this is where you get the raw SilverSeven !

7:03 I refuse to watch the Habs-Canes pregame show and puck drop right now. Watching the Angels - Red Sox game instead. The season starts at 7h30....

7:15 I wonder if I should switch to TSN for the pre-game show...nah...Francona is now out to talk to Runge on the great Cabrera sweep tag to end the 2nd inning in Boston..

7:23 My girlfriend just called...she tells me the Habs are down 1-0 already...lol

7:29 Beckett strikes out Chone Figgins to end the top of the 3rd...time to switch to TSN...just in time to catch Duthie congratulating Murray on signing Heatley...sooo true...yes, yes, yes, congrats to new GM, Fisher and Heatley long-term in 3 weeks...woohoo !!!

7:38 OK, I hate pre-game shows. Especially this one tonight...when does this start...aaarrrghhhh ! Back to baseball, I'll zap back later.

7:40 Ramirez scores !!! 4-0 Sox. I will love to watch this series, my 2 fav teams in the AL going head-to-head...just cheering for some great baseball...

7:42 Just reading Alexander Nikulin's last blog entry right now while I wait.

7:44 Where's Jef08 ?

7:45 OK, Jef just shows up as the men line up for the opening faceoff.

7:54 First break...Heatley already has a big shift.

7:56 Vermette scores !!! Oh. que. oui. Gros but.

8:10 WTF we go to the break just as Redden is starting to go at it with Newbury.

8:27 First lesson of live blogging...have a fridge full of beer and food before the game. I had to go out to the store during the intermission (Moosehead and a 3-meat Delissio - just because there was this Stanley Cup promo on the pizza box). 1st intermission thoughts...Phillips is on a 2-game goal scoring streak...

8:51 1:05 2-man PP coming up...

FCP - Serge bets against Sens

I like poker. Quite a bit.

I started reading Daniel Negreanu's blog in 2005, pretty much the first blog I read ever. Well...about at the same time I started reading James Mirtle's blog.

OK, so, at FCP, I've been really enjoying reading through the forums.

The strategy forums are a goldmine of information. Among many other concepts, I've learned there about ev...expected value...at the heart of all poker decisions. A minute to learn, a lifetime to master...

Now the hockey forum is the nuts. I've been posting a lot there since 06. Daniel is in a crazy hockey pool they call the AHL and Serge is the GM of the Mustangs that compete with Negreanu's Cheap Thieves. Well Serge was active posting today in his full delusional Leaf fan form and he took $100 worth of bets that the Leafs will finish above the Sens in the standings this year. LOL !!!!!

Ball hockey : Sweat, Giguère, and Gatorade

Played in an old gym up on the second floor, it was just crazy heat and humidity.

I must have sweat about 5 pounds...with all of the gear it gets unbelievably hot. I'd guess 120F close to my skin... I've done Bikram in 100F heat and it did not feel this stifling.

Think 5 lbs is a lot, check this out : Giguere went to the Gatorade special research facility because he de-hydrated too much, and he loses 12 to 15 lbs a game.

First ever post : my hockey league starts in the fall of 07

Today though is a very soggy Friday afternoon in Montréal. I was outside just earlier to play some baseball with the roommate, and it was tough. Just soooo hot, plus the lactic acid buildup from last night's first hockey game.

We played a 90 minute practice / scrimmage with all the guys that will make up the 3 teams in the league. I'd guess nobody knows more than half the guys out on the ice. Even the 3 captains, really. They'll pick the teams this weekend and we'll see how all this shakes out for the coming season. I know I'll play with my buddy Nic, but who else, no clue.

Well, we were all 3 goalies there, so we each alternated taking a breather, switching back in 15 minutes or so later at the other end. You never really ever sit out in full gear playing rec hockey, so it was quite weird, actually. But, it absolutely feels good to get back onto the ice, woot !!!

Internet 2.0 is cool

Globesports.com rocks !!! It's a great example of how a mainstream media has adapted to the new online reality. I can read columns from tomorrow's paper as soon as they are ready to go. For free. Very cool. Bravo.

OK, it is still mainstream Toronto media, I admit it's kind of tough for a Sens fan to give these guys credit, but they are very good experienced reporters. James Mirtle is a sports desk staffer at the Globe & Mail, he has a very, very good blog that I've been reading for close to three years now. A must read for any hockey fan.

What will be the NHL salary cap next year ?

After last weekends draft, the focus now shifts towards July 1st and the UFA frenzy. But one essential question remains for every GM, how much cap space do they have for next year ? It makes a huuuge difference and we're really just going through this for the second summer in the new CBA...insanely weird. So go check out this piece from Tim Wharnsby over at globesports.com.

Also, this thread over at hfboards will be tracking the Sens cap situation all summer long.

Silver Seven's online capology resource is here...

Bonne Saint-Jean Baptiste !!!

Welcome all, today is the fête nationale des Québécois !!!

I'm getting my blogging persona going tonight, and I'm hoping this gets off the ground and generates some traffic. I'm absolutely certain people will enjoy if they keep on coming around.

Without further ado, here goes !