Afternoon everyone, sorry for the late start, but we've been wandering around all morning, bewildered by strange surroundings.
Yup, we've taken the show on the road today, firing up the French Immersion corporate jet (ok, it's actually an '83 Chevy Van Dura) to make the trek to far-off Ottawa.
This is what happens when there's no hockey or football or boxing or short-track speed skating to be covered. We kid, of course, Ottawa is part of our all-encompassing sweep.
Not too much to report from Sens world this morning following their rousing 2-1 victory over the Leafs.
Jason Spezza got the day off, nothing much new to report on the Sens injury situation.
The highight of practice was our old mucker Alex Kovalev switching sticks with youngster Nick Foligno for some one-timer drills - the kid nodded approvingly after whacking in a couple with Kovy's battle-axe (he uses one of the heavier and stiffer sticks in the NHL). Kovalev didn't seem as impressed with Foligno's stick.
We'll also be here today for Tavares-palooza tomorrow.
Unless we're too rattled to work, being so far from home and all out of our element, like.
Probably best to ask our minions to Greyhound us a care package with some fromage en grains and a Slovenia Deli spicy salami sandwich.
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When we left our beloved Quebec this morning, there seemed to exist a strange calm despite the Habs losing in Calgary - could it be our national psychosis over Les Glorieux is attenuating?
Nah, who's kidding who: it's that they're back in action tonight against the Canuckleheads.
Speaking of Tuesday's showing, it appears Jacques Martin has been practising his Mesmer the Magnificent bit.
Look into my eyes, Andrei Kostitsyn (who seems to have finally understood the season has started), you are feeling very sleepy, Josh Gorges (who was channelling his inner Paul Coffey), focus on this watch and only on this watch, Tomas Plekanec (who managed not to be intimidated by the apparently intimidating Dion "The Intimidator" Phaneuf on several occasions - he even knocked him over and generally played like an elite-level second-line centre).
Kyle Chipchura, Georges Laraque and Greg Stewart? They must have been playing cards or in the bog when Jacques went all Reveen on the dressing room.
But hey, not even Jesus could save everybody.
This space has a great deal of affection for the Chipper, but on the strength of last night's showing (-3, soft defence, mucho bad giveaways), one has to wonder if his days as a Hab are winding down.
We'd say the same about Stewart, whose left eyebrow gave Brandon Prust's fist a vicious beating, but he's there for grit, nothing else. And Laraque, well he's the heavyweight champeen, and guaranteed $1.5-million this season and next. Plus, he's in the union.
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Before we forget, there's also another water-cooler topic in La Belle Province today, pop warbler Jonathan Roy - the ex-Quebec Remparts backup goalie and son of you-know-who - has pleaded guilty to assaulting former Chicoutimi Sagueneens netminder Bobby Nadeau in a 2008 QMJHL playoff game.
Which to anyone who saw the video of Roy pounding a defenceless Nadeau (he had been instructed not to get involved in any fisticuffs), that sounds about right.
The plea is one of those refreshing times where the Important Persons Act (as the Gazoo's Doug Camilli memorably dubbed it) appears not to apply.