Quick Hits (From Behind): Scrabble Edition

Quick Hits (From Behind) is an irregular feature on Pass it To Bulis, wherein two hockey fans chip in their thoughts on current hockey news and get assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct.

With the inaugural Scrabble Battle now in the books, and the surreal fog of yesterday's visit to Canuck Place now worn off (aided by the fact I overslept for work this morning), it seems the only thing left to do is file and alphabetize the memories.

PITB will have a full write-up with photos and video with all our thoughts and observations on the event sometime next week (and Skeeter is furiously preparing an IWTG) but, for now, we'll leave things in the hands of the capable writers at the Vancouver Province, Vancouver Sun, and Canucks.com. After the jump, a special Scrabble edition of the Quick Hits (From Behind):

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• Canucks' Tanner Glass Rises to Scrabble Challenge -- Ed Willes, the Province

Ed Willes was in the room for the whole event, occasionally chiming in with amusing remarks or tallying up the score faster than I could. He claims he comes from a Scrabble family, but even he seemed downright impressed to learn that "doughy" had a comparative form. I think I could take him. Anyhow, Willes's article is today's must-read. And, if for some reason, the Internet's not your cuppa tea, you can find this piece on the front page of the Province. Good thing there's no news today.

“Basically, the plan was to challenge him, then make fun of him when he turned us down,” said Mooney, one of the founders of the Pass it to Bulis website and the driving force behind the event.

He ruined the joke. But created something worthwhile in its place.

Wednesday at Canuck Place, Glass, the Canucks’ irrepressible fourth-line winger, faced off against Mooney in the first-ever Canucks’ Scrabble Battle and, friends, if that picture doesn’t get your adrenaline flowing, there’s something wrong.

OK, in all honesty, it doesn’t seem like two-man Scrabble will catch on as a spectator event, but if the action was less than riveting, it succeeded in raising $8,000 for the charity.

Less than riveting? Tanner spelled MENSWEAR! That's insane. From where I'm sitting, Scrabble is far more entertaining than poker. Mind you, where I'm sitting, at least in the photo below, is across from Tanner Glass, playing Scrabble. That is to say, I'm biased; it's pretty entertaining from there.

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• Friendly War of Words -- Derek Jory, Canucks.com

Awesome Canucks.com writer Derek Jory was also there, and his article takes you through some of the moves in a little more depth.

In the Game’s Room at Canuck Place, Glass and Mooney sat opposite each other for 45 minutes, sweat trickling down their foreheads, deadlocked in the friendliest war of words around.

It started with Glass making the first move, the benefactor of having earned more pledges than Mooney by a count of $2,435 to $1,565, and maneuvering his way through letters BAIOWRE, he played WEAR for 14 points. And they were off to the races.

It was difficult to predict how this game would unfold being there live – would it be like watching paint dry or was drama in the tiles – but before anyone had time to digest the first move and wait around for a second, Mooney replied with WAITER, playing down off the w from wear, for 18 points.

If you're wondering, the BAIOWRE is also the name of the Scott Baio fan club I belonged to as a child. But you can't play proper nouns anyway.

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• Canucks Scrabble Photo Gallery

Make sure you check out all the photos in the Canucks Scrabble photo gallery, all of which manage to capture my good side, except for below. If you're wondering, my best angles are the back of my head and not pictured.

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• Canucks' Scrabble Battle With Glass No Pushover For Local Blogger -- Ian Walker, Puckworld

And finally, Ian Walker decides to take the antagonistic route, needling me for winning by such a narrow margin.

For a guy talking a heck of a lot of smack going into the Scrabble Battle, blogger Harrison Mooney of should consider himself lucky. Mooney defeated Tanner Glass 344-314 at the inaugural event at Canucks Place. If not for two blank chips used to form the word 'doughier,' which resulted in a score of 76 points, it could well have been a different story.

“I thought he was going to be a lot better than he was,” said Glass.

To Ian, I say, a win is a win, Walker. Additionally, Harrison Mooney does not take kindly to people pointing out the gross exaggeration of his boasting. This calls for a vendetta.

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Quick Hits (From Behind)

Quick Hits (From Behind) is an irregular feature on Pass it To Bulis, wherein two hockey fans chip in their thoughts on current hockey news and get assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct.

Hi there! Do you like links? Because PITB's got a handful of good reads to help you with your chronic e-somnambulism. But come back here when you're done. We need you.

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• The Eh Factor - I Have a Confession Regarding Matt Cooke

Nowadays, he's a gutless puke, but there was a time when Matt Cooke was a fan favourite player in Vancouver. Give Charron credit for bravely being the first former Cooke acolyte to admit the dirty truth:

I used to be a huge Matt Cooke fan when he was with the Canucks, but that was before he morphed into the Matt Cooke he is today. There was a time when he was a pest, but he didn't hit dirty, he just annoyed. There was a time when, in the wake of the Todd Bertuzzi suspension, Matt Cooke was moved to his spot on the Canucks' top line with Brendan Morrison and Markus Naslund and scored three goals and was a +9 during a six game winning streak which won the Canucks the division title

[...] Matt Cooke was once what Alex Burrows is right now: a marginal top line player who was a fan favourite. Burrows isn't dirty, just annoying if you're wearing a different jersey, and this is what Matt Cooke used to be, and, while I hate the 'pest' role, a lot of players do it very effectively without putting anyone but themselves in danger.

Oh my, Matt, how things have changed.

Charron is spot on about Cooke once being what Burrows is now, and fans love those sorts of players: underdogs who find chemistry with the stars and find an invaluable niche filling gaps. I've gone on record that Alex Burrows is my favourite player (or was, before a certain fourth-line winger agreed to Scrabble me), and Matt Cooke once was for a lot of the same reasons. I'm not so into him now.

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• Head to the Net - This is Why You Should Appreciate Sami Salo

We like to poke fun at Sami Salo's injury history (it's sort of remarkable). But HTTN points out the guts and resolve it takes to rehabilitate that many debilitating injuries. He deserves a ton of credit for working his way back, especially at his age. HTTN:

At the age of 36, [Salo] has suffered no fewer than 40 injuries during his hockey playing career. The latest of which is a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in the off-season, which to this point still offers no guarantee of a complete recovery.

Salo is not like me – just another person who’s into an active, healthy lifestyle. We’re talking about a professional athlete, someone who has dedicated his entire life to playing hockey, and whose sport has only given back grief.

Everytime Salo has been injured, it has been gut-check time. Will he have it in him to perform the rehab necessary to repair this injury? After the muscles, tendons, and bones are healed, will he be willing to get his body back into the same shape it was in before? We’re not talking about good shape, or excellent shape, we’re talking elite athlete shape.

We often forget the humanity of the athletes for whom we cheer. Salo had to be even more frustrated than the fans were with this latest freak accident, but rather than show him support or root for his return, we grumbled about his cap hit and wished the injury-prone blight away. And, of course, al he did instead was work his ass off to get back when he could have safely retired without anybody batting an eye. Great work by HTTN.

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• Elliotte Friedman - Time For Kessel to Step Up, Plus 30 thoughts

Friedman's 30 thoughts are always a must-read, and this week's installment is no exception. But I'm particularly interested in thought #4, which sounds suspiciously like a speculation made by PITB at the beginning of the season. Friedman:

No one was happier about Henrik Sedin's Hart Trophy victory than brother Daniel. I would wager, however, that part of the motivation for Daniel's spectacular season is Henrik owning that hardware. They are fiercely competitive with each other (in a good way) and Daniel undoubtedly doesn't like Henrik having one up on him.

The phrase you are looking for, Elliotte, is out for blood, and the praise you are looking for is rightly ours. Fork it over, pal.

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• Tim Campbell - Moose lineup a moving target

If you think the injuries, cap issues, and the looming trade deadline are throwing the Canucks' roster into a bit of a tizzy, consider the poor Manitoba Moose, who have to deal with all the same issues as well as another hockey team taking their players. Imagine having to worry about the roster of two hockey teams at once. Sometimes we forget that every prospect who gets a brief sniff of the NHL is actually a vital part of the Moose's core. Campbell also details how Alex Edler and Sami Salo's injuries have effected the Moose, and how Chris Tanev's return would be welcome. I'm particularly interested in Lorne Henning's indication that Tanev has too much potential to stay with the team just to sit:

If Andrew Alberts is ready to go after his latest injury setback, and there were indications that could have been in last night's late game, then the Canucks will have eight defencemen with Salo's return.

And that leaves open the possibility of Tanev's return to the Moose.

"Andrew Alberts is coming back, too, so we're going to have a lot of defencemen," Canucks assistant GM Lorne Henning said Monday. "Chris has played very well but if everybody's back, chances are we'll want him to keep playing. He's played phenomenal."

Unfortunately for Moose fans, he jinxed everything and the Keith Ballard injury knocked the Canucks back down a guy. It also complicated things for both organizations' plans for Tanev. The Canucks and the Moose want him to play somewhere, but if Salo returns to starting roster on Saturday, Tanev will effectively be the Canucks' seventh healthy defenseman. What do they do with him at this point? Ballard and Edler are a long way off. Provided nobody else gets hurt, how long do the Canucks let Tanev sit in the press box without game action? If I were Rome and Alberts, I'd watch it, because every shaky outing is an excuse to get Tanev back in the lineup. Should keep both guys on their toes.

Quick Hits (From Behind)

Quick Hits (From Behind) is an irregular feature on Pass it To Bulis, wherein two hockey fans chip in their thoughts on current hockey news and get assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct.


Perhaps you've noticed the influx of Canucks-related stories on NHL.com. It'd be hard not to, especially since the team has been featured in numerous stories. Why is this? Well, it might be because the Canucks are the best team in the NHL, and deserving of the coverage; or maybe because the Canucks recently had three players named to the All-Star game; or maybe it's because the NHL (and NHL.com) offices are in New York, and it's easier to cover a team when they come to you. Hint: it's the last one. If you're too busy to navigate NHL.com, PITB's collected all the Canucks coverage for you right here:

• Kesler Growing Into an Offensive Force -- Dave Lozo, NHL.com

Ryan Kesler is a sexy player these days. He's an All-star point-per-game center now, and contrasted with how unsexy the Sedins are, (and some sexy photographs) it makes sense that he'd get some attention. Here's Kesler, discussing why he's two goals away from his career-high at the midway point of the season:

"I'm getting a couple more greasy ones," Kesler said. "I'm shooting a lot more. I think that's the biggest thing. I'm going to those dirty areas to score and getting the greasy ones and getting some deflections and also using my shot.

• Sitdown With Sedins Reveals Subtle Differences -- Dan Rosen, NHL.com

We've already psychoanalyzed this one enough, but it's worth a second read-through because it's easy to find evidence Daniel Sedin has been plotting to kill his brother for years.

• Canucks are More Than Just the Sedin Twins -- Dan Rosen, NHL.com

Seeing as the whole team is in town, the staff at NHL.com have also reached out to the complementary guys, like Mason Raymond and Kevin Bieksa. In this article, Dan Rosen discusses the depth of the Canucks and their locker room chemistry. My favourite revelation? Kesler's a hip hop guy. No surprise there. Livonia's not too far from 8 Mile. Although it surprises me than Daniel Sedin doesn't like rap music. He seems so thuggin'.

When the Canucks win -- and that's often -- Daniel said Kesler and Luongo usually take turns as the dressing room D.J.

"It's usually pretty bad music," he said. "It's loud. It's rap, I would say. It's not for me."

• Bieksa Sees His Team ready For Cup Run -- Mike G. Morreale, NHL.com

Wherein Kevin Bieksa sits down and discusses his team's hardships, his personal hardships, and indicates that both are a thing of the past. I find it interesting that Bieksa's difficulties so mirror the team's. When he's playing well, we win. When he's not, we lose. Is it possible that the success of this season rides on Kevin Bieksa's shoulders? Perish the thought. Bieksa:

"Mentally, I've learned to deal with the injuries and the trade talk … that's been happening the last couple of years, but I've received good advice from some veteran guys about that type of thing," Bieksa said. "I thought this summer was a little bit easier to deal with. It's prioritizing now. I have two kids, so I'm busy in the summer. I don't have time to read or worry about that kind of stuff, so I took care of my own business in the summer and have fun doing it."

• Raymond's Spinorama Goal a Product of Confidence -- Adam Kimelman, NHL.com

From the ridiculous files, Mason Raymond's spin move the other night was just dazzling enough to be the focal point of this story. I've already mentioned I think the spinorama hullaballoo is a bit overcelebrated. But whatever.

I find it a touch silly how pissy goaltenders get over this move. Recall Nikolai Khabibulin punching Ryan Shannon in the back of the head for it, Dan Ellis complaining because Omark spun at center ice, and even Kevin Poulin calling Raymond a showoff. Seriously? Are goaltenders aware that the shootout is a skills competition? Do they know they're allowed to show off too (Carey Price aside)? I guess goalies think it's cheap, like being Oddjob when playing Goldeneye on multiplayer mode. Still seems like a lot of fuss for what is not the cheekiest move in shootout history. According to Raymond, even Luongo hates it:

"I always joke with Louie (Roberto Luongo), he hates when I do it," said Raymond. "He always tries to give me a shot or something."

• NHL Videocenter! There's also a ton of stuff at the NHL Videocenter, including the Sedin twins newlywed game, a second (!!!) interview with Mason Raymond about the spinorama, and some goofy roundtable stuff with other Canucks about roommates and whatnot. All worth watching.

Quick Hits (From Behind)

Quick Hits (From Behind) is an irregular feature on Pass it To Bulis, wherein two hockey fans chip in their thoughts on current hockey news and get assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct.


So I'm sick today, which means I don't have the energy for my daily dose of supreme bloggery. Instead, here are some links from around the blogosphere to entertain you in my time of illness.

• P.K. Subban Benching a Shame as NHL Conformity Wins Out -- Cam Cole, Vancouver Sun

Cole hits the nail on the head with regards to the P.K. Subban situation. As I and Angie Lewis debated, even though Darren Pang's slip of the tongue doesn't make him a racist, there are still some lingering problems with the way Subban's being handled. Cole:

He was quotable. He was fun-loving. He was cocky. He chirped at opposing players more famous than himself. He refused to bow and kiss the hems of their robes just because he was a rookie. He drew the ire of Sidney Crosby and Mike Richards and eventually — though he was playing like a Calder Trophy candidate most nights — this outrageous non-conformity of his could no longer be tolerated by the world's dullest hockey coach, Jacques Martin.

So off to the Habs' press box went P.K. Subban, and let that be a lesson to him.

When he returns, hopefully it will be with no personality at all.

For the man who loves more sports than just hockey:

• The 2011 NFL Lockout: When America Descended Into Madness -- Jon Bois, SB Nation

Having just gone through this as a hockey fan, I can understand the apprehension of football fans, taunted with the terror of a football-less season. I understand it more since there's talk of another NHL lockout soon. Bois:

Eli "Hot Rod" Manning sniff't the November airs for sign's of distress. Every city needs a hero, and as though a hero store that was out of heroes, Gotham City was in need of a hero.

Suddenly: Bedlam. The shrieks of a thousand crying childs, emanating from Death Street. (It isn't actually called Death Street; however; metaphor.) Hot Rod Manning got in his Hot Rod and Hit The Gas. His tires produced a Literal plum of smoke as he careened toward the scene of the crime.

And then there's this bizarre thing:

• Hockey Cats Are Back! -- Scott Herkes, Houses of the Hockey

I recommend this for the following reasons: first, one of the photos features Keith Ballard. Second, that photo looks like this:

Quick Hits (From Behind)

Quick Hits (From Behind) is a semi-regular feature on Pass it To Bulis, wherein two hockey fans chip in their thoughts on current hockey news and get assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct.

• Those Sexy, Sexy Green Men

Wait, that should read "sexual."

Interesting read from Russell Smith of the Globe and Mail that turns the newfound obsession with the Green Men and their ilk into an article on fetishism, public exhibitionism, and social mores. I pointed out the oddity of the "green girl" on HNIC being on the receiving end of a sexual comment while the males have not a little while back, but Russell Smith has pulled the sexuality right out into the open.

• Why Tony Gallagher's "Wonderings" Are Not News

You know what happens when you assume things, Tony? Assumptions. Huzzah for more pointless speculation from Tony "Debbie Downer" Gallagher.

• SOB Promises a Meaner Performance

I should hope so. But keep it between the whistles; don't respond to the garbage after the whistle, the stuff that's just meant to rile you up. But lay out some hits, get mean in front of the net, and battle hard along the boards. Both SOB and Kevin Bieksa need to step up their physical game. Bieksa is at his best when he's pissed off: hopefully the Monday night loss will be enough to get him angry.

• Vancouver Cabbies, Beware

Vancouver 24 Hours is getting some attention for their amusing front page news encouraging Vancouver residents to tip their cabbies in dimes so they'll have the correct amount in change if Patrick Kane happens along. Adam Johns calls it "outdated and unnecessary," but if that's the case, so are references to Luongo's tears and Wellwood's weight, and you don't see those stopping any time soon.

• HNIC is Falling Apart and Don Cherry's the Only One Who Cares

Spot on blog post from Jonathan Willis at Hockey or Die. Quite frankly, Hockey Night in Canada coverage has been slipping for years. The fact that Mike Milbury still has a job in hockey is baffling to me. The fact is, CBC lacks legitimate hockey analysts, ones that can break down a play in an informative, yet entertaining way. Hardcore hockey fans will not learn anything new from the between-period segments: Harrison and I would frequently just fast forward through them when watching a game on PVR until we started watching them more often for the blog. Things haven't changed.

Hrudey occasionally has something interesting to say, but his dalliances with the CNN-style video screen are more distracting than anything else. The iDesk is a poorly conceived attempt to incorporate new media, more frequently leading to the pointless e-mail quoting that led to Don Cherry's mini-rant. PJ Stock is sometimes entertaining, sometimes grating, but he's not being paid to be an analyst. Mike Milbury, the worst GM the NHL has ever seen, is. Hockey Night in Canada is CBC's flagship program, their big draw on Saturdays, and it doesn't reflect that fact.