Monday Ice Water Cooler....

Written by Chris Wassel | 17 September 2007

Ah yes.....a bastion from the old days....cold water...and a nice size lake trout to eat. As trout season gets underway...all that means is hockey season is right on the horizon. The thrill of the catch is always what motivates me and the anticipation of hockey tonight...even if it is just Devils-Flyers preseason is still some good I-95 NHL action.

The Flyers have improved immensely with the signings of Timmonen and Briere..while the Devils have lost some players but have brought in a more physical presence than last year's squad who still won the Atlantic despite getting knocked around in the playoffs. The Devs' new benchwarmer is Kevin Weekes...hopefully he plays more than 12 games this year. More than likely Parise (not Zach) or Weekes will get the nod tonight...I would be surprised if Marty plays a period...if at all.

I am expecting a pretty good game tonight....not a lot of regulars will play on both sides...but the competitive urge will be there no question...and expect a fight or three. These teams do not like each other and it will show. With the weekend I had with my sports teams...I am hoping the Devils take the mantra and do something the others couldn't...and that is simply....WIN!

In other NHL type news....it has been rumored that Robert Esche will be extended an offer to attend Rangers camp. The sources are a little sketchy on this one but it wouldn't be a complete shock....I really thought the Rangers needed a defenseman...maybe Esche can play D? Either way it is never dull when Glen Sather is running the show. Sandis Ozolinsh has been invited to the Sharks camp....maybe he will teach the Sharks D....how to fire the puck at the net more....but at any rate...he is giving it another go with the NHL. As one of my fellow bloggers Hockeynutz has pointed out...it is amazing to see how many of these vets can't even find a job in the new NHL...it makes you wonder what the next CBA will have in store. Or better yet, why did we lose a year in hockey...but I digress.

Finally, just two things. One, Loren will be hopefully giving us a live recap of her time at the Ducks-Kings game next weekend....and it will end up on the blog come hell or high water. Two, Hockey Around The Horn is now going to start the process of looking for the best hockey minds...I am looking for judges and panelists right now....so let me know if you're interested. I hope everyone has a good week and enjoys it as the preseason really gets underway.