The South Florida media (usually just myself and Steve Gorten since Brian Y. moved to the Davie Dolphins beat) votes on the Three Stars of each Panthers home game.
We sometimes disagree and sometimes the Panthers do what they want anyway. Since we vote with seven minutes left in a game, things change and since we're on deadline, the Panthers do what they think is right yet still credit us with the selection -- whether we want it (we don't) or not.
And then something happens like tonight.
Jay Bouwmeester, he of the one assist, was apparently named the first star of Friday night's game at The Billboard.
Apparently because that's what it says on the official game sheet.
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Only problem is, Jay wasn't selected as one of the top stars of the game so all you angry Panthers fans who thought this was some cruel joke cooked up by the two beat writers can relax.
This is just a mix up.
Here's what happened, as far as I can tell. Somehow, the top star got mixed up in the translation. The official three stars (and listen, Jay has a good case to be included here because there was really no true star tonight) were:
3. Kotalik (opening goal off Leopold's skate); 2. Vokoun (where would they be without him?) and 1. Giordano (had the game-winning goal, so why not).
This list was called up to the announcer's desk and was announced this way by PA guy Bill Murphy. But somehow Bouwmeester's name got typed into the scoreboard and put onto the official game sheet. How did this happen? The only thing I can think of is someone heard Calgary No. 5, looked at the roster and typed in No. 4 -- Bouwmeester.
Bouwmeester was not announced as the first star nor did he come out for the salute. But he is on the game sheet (for now) and I am hearing it from irate Panthers fans who thought I had something to do with it.
Well, Steve X. may have.
Just kidding. He didn't.
-- Washington D.C. can claim it has two hockey teams tonight as the Atlanta Thrashers are taking up residence because of the snow storm. Word is the Thrash are stranded for the night and will try and fly south sometime tomorrow. The Panthers are in Atlanta now, enjoying that terrific downtown nightlife I am sure.
Let's hope the Thrashers get out of town. Don't want to have to go back there for a makeup game.
Read somewhere tonight that the Penguins are going to bypass the local DC airports tomorrow (good idea says the guy stuck on a runway for 3 1/2 hours last weekend) and will land at Andrews Air Force Base so they can play the Caps on Sunday.
-- Just checking my Twitter while watching Planes, Trains and Automobiles and came across this note from
http://twitter.com/nhlrumor
This site says this an unconfirmed deal and it's too late for me to look into it -- and I'm flying in a few hours. So we'll see. Oh, yeah, the deal.
Rostislav Olesz and prospect Drew Shore (a center at the University of Denver who seems to be playing well for the Pioneers this season) to Edmonton for center Shawn Horcoff and a draft pick.
Horcoff, who has nine goals and 11 assists in 51 games this season, is signed through the next FIVE seasons averaging $5.5 million per. Ouch.
But, Olesz is signed for the next four years @ 3.125 mil per. One bad contract for another? I would think Edmonton would have to be taking something else Florida doesn't want back, or getting more coming east. Horcoff is going to be very, very, hard to move.
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