Half an Octopus Away

It went down to the final minutes in Detroit, but a Daniel Cleary goal put the Red Wings half way to another Stanley Cup with a 4-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks. The Carolina Hurricanes went to the seventh game and overtime to down the Boston Bruins in the upset of the round when Scott Walker, who sucker punched Aaron Ward a few days earlier, scored the winner near the end of the first overtime period to put the 'Canes through with a 3-2 win. And speaking of Ward's, this country is a little out of whack when people are discussing whether Ward should be the starting Canadian Olympic goalie because of his performance this year. There's a load of time between now and February people, let it breathe and see who the hot hand is then. Poll question to the right. Have a feeling this one will be heavily slanted in one direction..never in the history of the NBA has a team come back from a 3-0 deficit. How is that even possible?...Jason Taylor has returned to the Miami Dolphins after a year in which he went to Dancing With The Stars, feuded with Dolphins bossman Bill Parcells and was traded to Washington. Time heals wounds, or the Tuna has softened, or getting a guy only a couple years removed from defensive player of the year for $1.5 million is a worthy bargain and gamble. I'm thinking the latter...the first streaker in the history of the New York Mets CitiField spent 8-years planning the deed. Awesome...it is official: Chad Ochocinco is now a Cincinnati Bengal - officially - and will be rocking that jersey this year...Toronto FC: Coach killers. A day after dominating the Montreal Impact, the Impact ditched their head coach John Limniatis...in an interview with A-Rod conducted by the great Steve Simmons, A-Rod almost comes off as a normal guy comfortable. If so, look the hell out. A-Rod's constant pressure cooker has kept him from being even better than he is over the years in more than one opinion. And, turns out he's become a big hockey fan...speaking of the New York Yankees, they won 3-2 last night after Godzilla Matsui went yard in the 8th to take the series 2-1. In other Blue Jays news, the hottest selling item at merchandise booths at home games this year, to the tune of 6,000 plus a game over last year: outfits that leave you decked out as an empty seat...when the LA Lakers are struggling to close out a decimated Houston Rocket team, you have to start thinking they're not going to get it done. The Rockets staved off elimination with an easy 95-80 win. Charles Barkley's Denver call, at least for the West, is looking better by the minute. The Lakeshow are going to game 7. Also going to a seventh are the Boston Celtics and the Orlando "Panic", as one caller to the Jim Rome Show dubbed them in honour of their coach, Stan Van Jeremy (aka "The Master of Panic" or M.O.P. as Shaq glossed him)...tonight, playing the Toronto Blue Jays at -128. Good luck, back tomorrow early with your Man United Takes The Title edition.

After yesterday's knockout of 2009, here's perhaps the best submission you'll see in MMA this year, courtesy of SW.