Is Rene Bourque a Major Impact in Calgary?

Okay, okay, over the last few months, I've been ripping the Calgary Flames. I've said they were not going to get into the playoffs and if they were, they would not get past the first round. But it seems that GM Darryl Sutter is not giving up. In fact, he signed one of his players to a new extension today. Rene Bourque, a forward with Calgary, signed a six-year, $20M deal to stay with Calgary. Now, here's the question. Is he going to be that kind of a player like Jarome Iginla? I would say yes. He can shoot and score like Jarome Iginla and he can get into fights a few times. But Calgary definitely needs some sort of hope and Darryl Sutter believes that Rene Bourque can bring this sort of intensity back into Pengrowth Saddledome where it actually needs it. It might work out and it might not. He could get traded sometime in the middle of the contract if it does not work out, or he could play with the Flames throughout those six years. I don't like Rene Bourque, but if Calgary thinks they can get production out of him, then I don't see a problem with it. Rene Bourque might be an impact player (like he is now), or could fall out in some years to come. Who knows? Maybe a miracle will happen and Rene Bourque will help this Flames team more.

Can Dallas count on Turco and Lehtonen in net?

Is there a way for the Dallas Stars to climb out of being outside the playoff picture and back into the slot to get their first playoff in two seasons? Well, we can either make good predictions on it or they are bad ideas on this. This all starts with Alex Auld. According to ESPNDallas.com's Richard Durrett, Alex Auld has been cut by the Stars and that the Stars will not likely trade Marty Turco. This was mentioned by general manager Joe Nieuwendyk and that Marty Turco is 4-1-1 in his last six games that went into the Olympic break. So, is this a good thing or is this a bad thing? Well, from my experience watching Marty Turco play, I've seen him go on hot streaks and then immediately give up and let teams beat him night after night. This might give Dallas some nightmares but it might also be some hope. He was a top ten goaltender a few seasons ago and he's still showing he can be up there. For Kari Lehtonen, I'm not sure what I'll see out of him. He'll probably do well, but he came from the Atlanta Thrashers, and the Thrashers do not have good goaltending there, having to rely on Johan Hedburg and Ondrej Pavelec, now that they've traded Lehtonen. But I bet Marty Turco can do a good job. Let's see how well he does and maybe he will get this team back to the playoffs. It's a matter of chance of trying to beat Detroit, Calgary, and Anaheim for the eighth seed and a chance to play the Sharks or Blackhawks.

Should Mikhail Grabovski Leave Toronto?

So, I've talked about the Toronto Maple Leafs. I've talked about the trades they were involved in that resulted in them getting J.S. Giguere from Anaheim and Dion Phaneuf from Calgary. What more could they get? Well, it's actually not a trade that they got. It was actually one of their players getting arrested. Mikhail Grabovski, a player who is with Toronto, got arrested in Vancouver after a street scuffle. He had been out since January 2nd with a broken wrist and was up in Vancouver to root for the Belarus hockey team. He was released on Saturday to his parents. Now here come the question. Is he a big problem now for Toronto and if he is, should he be traded or released? Well, I'm not sure on this one, but Grabovski has given himself a bad image on the hockey world. There is a possibility he will be traded due to this altercation, but let's not think that he will in fact be traded. There are many good teams out there for him, but with this type of publicity, it might affect how other teams look at him. We're not going to be sure what will happen until he is charged with involvement in this, but it will not bright and lively for him, unless he came overcome this altercation and get himself recovering from his wrist injury and playing on the ice again.

Is Khabibulin worth the risk for Edmonton?

Since when do people who've had recent surgery get arrested for DUI? Apparently, you can point to Edmonton Oilers goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin for being one of those people. He is facing DUI and speeding charges in Arizona. He has played for the Phoenix Coyotes for some time before jumping to other teams and finally landing in Edmonton. However, he still owns a home in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Now I ask this question: Should the Edmonton Oilers trade or release Nikolai Khabibulin for this? I would not think so, but you never know what Oilers management might pull up their sleeve. They have the worst record in the NHL and are sitting on the bottom with only 44 points. But this is not his fault. This terrible play started when Khabibulin was injured, and now Devan Dubnyk and Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers have been pulling the goaltender work for the Oilers. It is not safe to say they will be the goaltenders for the Oilers this season. After all, Khabibulin did sign a four-year deal with them in the off-season. I don't believe he will go anywhere, but this arrest might affect his return to Edmonton in the coming weeks. So let's not give you on Khabibulin yet. Even though he is facing charges, he can still produce, even when he comes back. It's just a matter of when the Edmonton Oilers will get back on track.

Did Toronto Actually Improve?

While we seem to believe that the trades which landed J.S. Giguere and Dion Phaneuf in Toronto actually gave hope to Leaf Nation, it didn't do it for the first few days. The Maple Leafs are 2-2 with their new acquisitions. But Giguere has been able to hold the fort in Toronto, posting two shutouts over the Devils and Senators before finally allowing one against the Sharks in a 3-2 loss at Air Canada Centre. We should credit Giguere with some brilliance over the last few days. But is Toronto actually a better team than we saw before? Absolutely. We have seen better play from their defense thanks to Dion Phaneuf, while the offense has picked themselves up and gotten a few goals into the net. They played well against the Sharks and even outcompeted them in some categories but it was the defense that broke down. So perhaps the defense is starting to fall apart. Or is it? Well, keep watching, and I'll do the same, because if the defense does fall apart again, it will make it very hard for the Maple Leafs to acquire the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference.

Saints vs. Colts: My Pick

So it has come down to this. All of America will be sitting down in their living rooms and on their coffee tables, piles and piles of food stacked from one end of the table to the other. They'll be watching the Colts and Saints get together at 3:00 PST to battle it out for the ultimate prize. That's right. It's the Super Bowl, the granddady of them all. So who's going to win? The Saints have come a long way and they want to give something back to New Orleans after the Hurricane Katrina disaster, while the Colts have won one before and they have Peyton Manning at quarterback. Drew Brees leads a spectacular New Orleans offense. So you want to know my pick? Well, there are many of my friends who have picked the Saints, becaus the think that the underdog will always win, which was the case for the Giants two superbowls ago. But I'm not going to go to the underdog here. I'm picking the Colts, because I think they have the most complete offense and defense. Sure Dwight Freeney is injured and is questionable to play, but I think he will and he'll do an outstanding job. Peyton Manning will also be great in this game. So let's kick up the feet, gather some food, and watch the Super Bowl. It's Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans in the Super Bowl!!

Kovalchuk Joins Devils, Chances for New Jersey

A team like the New Jersey Devils needed to make a move to try and keep pace with the Washington Capitals for the 1st seed in the Eastern Conference. They make that type of move Wednesday, where they acquired Ilya Kovalchuk in a deal with the Atlanta Thrashers that was a five-player deal. Does that mean much for the New Jersey Devils? Of course it does. Ilya Kovalchuk has 31 goals this season, and going to a team like New Jersey will certainly help him increase those chances of getting more goals and finally getting the Stanley Cup. I think New Jersey has definitely improved, but I still think the Washington Capitals will win this conference. It will be pretty close though. The East is not all that tough, and anybody could win the spot at the top. But right now, Kovalchuk brings experience and a plethora of goals for the Devils. Look for them to get far in the Stanley Cup. Right now, it's all about the wins for him and for the Devils.

Cloud Computing: Is There Some Issue?

So, cloud computing. Is it an issue or is it actually good for the future? Well, first, cloud computing is a term in computer science, which refers to any advances in client-server technology, some of which has occurred in the past few years. But many computers now are no longer being considered clients or servers. Clients have become servers and some servers have been made into handheld devices. Cloud computing also refers to the Internet, as most of the networks and important resources involved in the Internet are in a type of cloud. There have been several issues coming up. One of these issues involved a trademark case that was quickly dissolved, while another involved the Free Software Foundation. Maybe this will create some issues within the government and within the computer company. But who knows? Perhaps in a few years, it will either dissolve or create more issues.





For more information on cloud computing and other important issues about it: please refer to this site:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing

Ken Hitchcock Fired, What's Next for Columbus?

It appears as if Ken Hitchcock did all he could to try and turn the Blue Jackets into a winning team. However, when you don't win a lot of games or you blow games with the lead, there's a chance of being fired. Hitchcock was the victim. The defensive-minded coach was fired, less than a year after he took the Blue Jackets to their very first appearance in the NHL playoffs. This come on the heels of a 5-1 loss in Colorado just a few nights ago. Is this the right move? Possibly, as the interim coach Claude Noel takes over. I will be interested to see what happens to the team under Noel. Will they right the ship and get back into the playoff picture, or will they falter all together and miss the playoffs? Anybody is possible. If general manager Scott Howson knows what he's doing, it should be a big turnaround for the Blue Jackets. They have a date with the Dallas Stars tonight at Nationwide Arena and if they want to get back into the hunt, then the Stars are their first move.

What's Going Wrong or Right in Calgary?

Do the moves really add up for the Calgary Flames? For general manager Darryl Sutter, it seems as if it's working. Wrong! He might want to revisit the Flames' showdown with the Philadelphia Flyers Monday night. They were shut out 3-0 after blowing out Edmonton just a few days before. The new players that Sutter has implemented aren't really working out as of yet. Is he actually trying to avoid a second-half meltdown or did he just create one by getting rid of Phaneuf? Not only that, but after the game, he finished a deal with the New York Rangers that sent Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust there in exchange or Christopher Higgins and Ales Kotalik. Looks like this is either good or bad, mainly bad. I don't really believe that Calgary will get a lot of great wins, though they might sneak into the last playoff spot if Detroit somehow falls apart in the last few months of the season. It's gonna be a long road ahead for the Calgary Flames. They need to start winning and if they can't, look for more moves to come from the players AND from the front office.

Bears' New OC Equals Mike Martz

Okay, first of all, I did not know that Mike Martz was still in the league. After he was fired from his job with the 49ers, I thought he would take one of those head coaching jobs in college football. Well, how wrong was I. He came out of a cave and took the job as offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears. Well, here's what I will say. It'll be an interesting off-season for the Bears, especially Jay Cutler, who will have to cope with Mike Martz's system. Cutler did not have a great year last year, even though I think he's played well. But give Mike Martz a chance to turn his offense and Jay Cutler around. Just remember, he developed Kurt Warner into a terrific player and when he benched him, he made Marc Bulger a great player. He might not have done well with the Lions and 49ers, but I think he'll be able to turn around a bad Bears offense and change them for the better.