Cheap shot of the year goes to Cam Janssen

Welcome to Fort Albany, where, sans wife and boy, I have continued my hockey viewing in earnest. I have watched a game every day since for 10 straight days. Last night I watched the Atlanta Thrashers defeat the Ottawa Senators 4-2, rallying for 3 goals in third to do so. It was truly a bizarre game, mainly because the ice was so bad that completing a pass was a major challenge. There’s still something I don’t like about the Senators. They just don’t seem to play with much urgency. Is it just me, or are Alfredsson, Spezza and Redden overrated? I am tempted to include Heatley in that category, but he does have 40 goals this season after scoring 50 last year.

I wished I could have watched the Leafs-Devils game, but Star Choice blacks out all the games in the "Leafs Region", much to my chagrin. The lowlight of the game was the inexplicable cheap shot Cam Janssen perpetrated on Tomas Kaberle, sending him off the ice on a stretcher. Good gracious, that was vicious - and there was no penalty called on the play because it was so far behind the play. Kaberle had just delivered a pass up ice from his own blueline when Janssen came at him late and delivered what appeared to be an elbow to his head. It may have been a shoulder - I will have to check the replay again. At any rate, it was ridiculously late, and it was a complete blindside. Kaberle couldn’t see him coming at all. It reminded me somewhat of Domi’s hit on Niedermayer in the 2001 playoffs. I haven’t heard any analysis on the hit yet, so this is my unfiltered opinion. Janssen should be suspended, no question. But for how many games? I would say this a 15-gamer, minimum. The league obviously has a duty to protect its players. Anything less, in my opinion, is a farce.

Diet update: I weighed in on Thursday and have lost another pound. That makes 2 pounds in four weeks. Sure, it’s not like the pounds are falling off me, but 2 pounds a month over several months is my aim. Most importantly, my changed eating habits haven’t left me famished. I am finding that a fruit salad or jello is just as satisfying as ice cream; purefied water is just as good as pop or other sugared beverages; fruit is a good replacement for granola bars; eggs make a better lunch than canned foods or processed meats. I haven’t increased my exercise yet. I am hoping to get back into running once the weather gets nice. Rex, the marathon runner, has offered to run with me, but I would not be able to keep up.