To be fair it has only been in fits and starts that the Chicago Tribune, who own the cubs, have put together half decent sides. They too are usually happy to just milk the cash cow. There has been a big improvement in recent seasons, but as the club is up for sale they have only done this to increase the value of the franchise rather than a genuine attempt to win the world series, imo.

As for leaf fans, I don't suppose I can comment that much and as you have first hand experience of them I will take your word for it. Maybe they have just grown to accept mediocracy.

Picking up on the Sundin issue that others have mentioned, I just feel sad at the way this has all turned out. Sundin has hung the leafs out to dry, he should have let them know what his plans were within weeks of the completion of last season. Even if Sundin had made the decision to move onto pastures new, his legacy would have been safe, just like Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor at the miami dolphins. Unfortunately, regardless of how this situation is resolved I feel his legacy will now be slightly tainted.

Great win last night. I have got it recorded and will watch it after the rugby later. I can't wait for tomorrow night's game either and the return of Don Cherry.

Swearing. He was training to swear. I was sat by the Bruins bench and during the second period Thornton came off ice on a line change he let a loud and very clearly audible, single word,"F**K".
Avs lost 5-4 and as the Boston fan sat next to me said "When a team is so outplayed and wins its usually because the winning teams goalie has played an exceptional game. Tonight our goalie was pretty average, your goalie was awfull" (5 goals on only 20 shots). That I think was a fair reflection.

You go nowhere in the NHL without a good N/M and the Avs don't have one,it's going to be up to the forwards to score enough for you to win games this season.

4 and 0 at the moment!

Not getting too far ahead of myself though. Got two tough games coming up, and then the Leafs.

Devils will always be a tough cookie, as will the Sabres after them. Still, we're playing some good, solid hockey and getting the results.

Which reminds me..........I REALLY need to order NASN back sometime soon.

Don't be expecting to watch HNIC. It looks like NASN or ESPN America as it is going to be re-branded in february, have not re-newed the CBC contract. I am waiting for a reply to an email I sent, but up to now all we have had is versus and fox coverage.

Yeah, I heard whisperings about NASN being rebranded into part of the ESPN franchise.

Can't believe they have not yet looked at renewing the CBC contract, it form quite a lot of NASN's current hockey output, with other matches broadcast on NBC, FOX and Versus.

Looking at the schedules on NASN.com the HNIC games are being shown on delay next sun and the week after its on live on NASN 2.I'm thinking it's the baseball playoffs that are messing up the HNIC schedules at the moment.

Sounds about right, thats normally how its gone over the years.

Let's hope so although at the moment I am not putting too much faith in their schedule. Up until Saturday the leafs and habs game was advertised as going to be on NASN 2 but they changed it to the red wings @ sens game, but used a US feed.

Not too fused that I missed the leafs game this week but really hope that we have not seen the last of HNIC on NASN.

Boston Bruins have traded defenseman Andrew Alberts to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for forward Ned Lukacevic and a fourth round pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. The 2009 fourth round pick becomes a 2009 third round pick if the Flyers resign Alberts at the end of his contract which expires on June 30, 2009.