Miscellaney

• Finland beat Tre Kronor 4-0 to win Bronze in Worlds. Greatest news of the off season.

• My beloved Pens have made the Stanley Cup Finals, 5 short years after drafting Flower, and 3 short years after drafting the Kid. Ray Shero, you're doing it right.

• In addendum to the above, is someone keeping suicide watch in Army and Crush? Those poor, poor boys. Waddell better make it up to them by cutting the Thrashers' dead weight and bringing in some fresh faces. Some competent fresh faces, not just some yokels off the street. According to THN, we're looking for at least 2 top D-men.

That's pretty much all I've got. Let's go Pens!

Lehtonen hasn't quite refused World's... yet.

I will be the very first to admit that not only does my Finnish SUCK, but that I don't really have much Finnish to even call my own. So that said, I was "reading" an article about Kari in Ilta Sanomat, and with the help of a couple people, I discovered that maybe my Finnish isn't as awful as I thought. At least, reading it.

The article says that things are looking bleak for Suomi in net, with Toskala hurt, and Lehtonen not quite saying no yet, but carefully stating his hesitation to play because he doesn't want to risk injury before he signs a new contract. But then he indicated he does want to play, that it's an honor to put on his country's sweater and represent Suomi. So... we'll see.

Article here.

It's pretty interesting for him to say, considering how blunt he's been lately. Almost makes you wonder if he's fishing for word to get around that he wants a contract done before 7/1. By, say, 5/2. Well, Kari, you're in luck. I will totally step up to the plate and spread it around.

DW and other interested GMs; Lehtonen wants a deal and he wants it in the next 16 days. Make that happen.

17 days til World's.

Lehtonen NHL's 2nd ☆ ... and some video interviews!

Kari and 2 other dudes were named the NHL's Tres Etoiles for the week ending 23 December.

OK, OK. Gaborik was first and Jason "Am so" Arnott was 3rd. I have no idea what the did. I don't care. But Kari posted a 4-0-0 record, 1.96 GAA and .935 sv% this week. Which brings him to 6-6-0 with a 3.20 GAA and .903 sv% season.

And I know I promised this a few days ago, but today's some holiday or something. So. Merry Chrismukkah! Sorry the quality's kind of ... enh. I had to film it off the TV with my camera. Yeah, I'm ghetto. So what. You could be not watching it.

Look! Look how nice I am to you! I put up another video I had of Karppa, BUT! It's in Finnish. It's from World's this past summer (note the just-growing-in white hair?), and you know what? I know what I think is being said, but my Finnish kinda sucks. So to those Finns out there reading this (don't think I don't see your visits showing up in my site meter, person-in-Porvoo and satellite user in Finland!), help a lady out?

Anyway, this was shot in the hotel of the lobby in Moscow during World's. I think it was right after he was sick (and yet I believe he refused to give up his start when he was sick to Norrena). Also? I think it's kind of hilarious how EVERY answer he starts out with "....Nnn-no."



I MEAN, IF Y'ALL'RE GONNA CALL ME KARI CENTRAL, I AM GONNA DELIVER THE GOODS ON CHRISTMUKKAH, OKAY?

Merry Christmas, y'all!