WEEK 20 (thru Monday)

The Bluliners spent five months building a beautiful structure but now that building is on the verge of collapse - it's foundation weakened significantly by injuries to Brent Burns and Mike Smith - GM Hamilton's once monstrous lead now only 31.8 points with seven weeks remaining in the season.

Misconducts: 10.0
Bluliners: 2.4­
Tied with Badger Bob for the league's best record, the Misconducts are hoping for a first round playoff bye. After one day the sun is shining on the Misconducts chances, John Carlson (1g, 1a) guiding his 13-6 team to an early 7.6 point lead over the 12-7 Bluliners.

Badger Bob: 8.3
Ice Hogs: 5.8­
A non-divisional duel with huge playoff implications as Grimson division leader Badger Bob does battle with the on-the-bubble Ice Hogs. Both teams found the scoreboard on Day 1, the 13-6 Bobs leading the 10-9 Hogs by 2.5.

Boulder Flyers: 3.2
Central Red Army: 6.7
Seemingly a lock to qualify for the playoffs the Central Red Army now find themselves on the bubble, GM Buker's squadron tied for the final playoff spot with a record of 10-9. To solidly their postseason chances they'll have to knock-off the bubbling Boulder Flyers, a non-playoff team they're currently leading by 3.5.

Wild Ducks: 0.0
Polar Bears: 15.6
Like the Central Red Army, the Polar Bears also find themselves teetering on the edge of the playoffs, the 10-9 squad in desperate need of a win. The just-out-of-the-playoffs Wild Ducks are also in need of a victory, a feat that was made more difficult after Monday, the Ducks trailing the Bears and their league-best opener by 15.6.

Ice Cats: 2.0
Vegas Vipers: 4.5
The Vegas Vipers have to win their final three games to have even a remote shot at qualifying for postseason play. The playoff-bound Ice Cats are sitting pretty, their eyes focused on the Bluliners and the Probert division crown. With one day in the books it's the Vipers by a forked-tongue, GM Miller's squad nursing a 2.5 point lead.

Mooses: 14.0
SC Cobras: 3.0­
Despite having no one at the helm the runaway Mooses continue to play well, a 14.0 point start providing the outta-the-playoffs Mooses with an 11.0 point lead over the outta-the-playoffs SC Cobras.

LINK: Standings

MorganWigge, having been in San Francisco just two weeks after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, I believe the photo you used in today's wrap-up to be of a home in the Marina District that sustained damage.

I walked extensively through the Marina District and may have gone right by this very home.

The Marina District is along San Francisco Bay just north of Fisherman's Wharf and just south of the Golden Gate Bridge. It is opposite of Alcatraz Island.

The Marina District was one of a number of areas claimed from the bay via landfill that allowed the city to grow.

It was in the Marina District that the earthquake caused the landfill to liquify. Gas mains ruptured and the big fire that was shown on television (real news, not fake news) occurred in the Marina District.

# # #

Now to tie this back into why we're all here, professional ice hockey.

There never has been a pro hockey team to my knowledge that played in the 7x7 mile box that is the City and County of San Francisco.

The California Seals of the NHL, renamed the California Golden Seals after the first season, 1967-68, played in Oakland at the Oakland/Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland before moving to Cleveland.

Below is a link to what at first glance looks like a pretty cool Web page on the NHL Seals. I'll give it a closer look when time allows.

http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nhl/caloak/seals

The San Francisco Spiders of the IHL played for one season -- 1995-96-- at the Cow Palace, which is located in Daly City, a southern surburb. Built in 1941, the building was originally called the California State Livestock Pavilion.

(If you are familiar with the famous chase scene in the Steve McQueen movie "Bullitt," the bad guys crashed into the gas station near where the Cow Palace is located. The building still stands. And yes, rodeos and 4H shows take place there.)



The Cow Palace for ice hockey:



I did attend some Spiders games. Saw HOF D Rod Langway playing for the Spiders as well as G Stephane Beauregard, whose main claim to fame was being traded in August 1992 by Buffalo with a fourth-round draft choice that turned out to be a decent player -- F Eriz Daze -- for DOMINIC HASEK!!! THAT'S A BAD TRADE FOR THE AGES FOR CHICAGO!!!

Beauregard did win the IHL MVP award in 1995-96 as a member of the Spiders.

Also, Bruce Boudreau, now coach of the Minnesota Wild, was an assistant coach of the Spiders.

The Spiders had a winning record and made the playoffs, losing a tough series in the first round. If I recall correctly, Spiders got the last seed in the bracket and lost to the top seed, Chicago Wolves, in four in a best-of-five.

The team folder after one season because not enough fans showed up. Sad because the San Jose Sharks showed that there are enough fans in the SF Bay Area to support a NHL team. The location and the arena may have been impediments for the Spiders.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Spiders

And last but not least, we have the original San Francisco Seals of the WHL (Western Hockey League). No cigar AGAIN as they too played at the Cow Palace. But it is interesting to note that the Seals won two WHL championships -- 1962-63 and 1963-64.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Seals_(ice_hockey)

Will conclude by noting that the San Jose Sharks played their first two seasons in the Cow Palace while the current arena in downtown San Jose was being constructed.

Let's Go Pens!!! wrote:

MorganWigge, having been in San Francisco just two weeks after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, I believe the photo you used in today's wrap-up to be of a home in the Marina District that sustained damage.

It may look like a home in the Marina District of San Francisco but it’s actually Bluliners Headquarters in Clinton Township, Michigan.

I gotcha MorganWigge. Can only wonder what happened to the Boulder Flyers sign that I've seen in other photos of the premises. Nothing good I am sure.

# # #

On a realistic note, as we know, performance of any fantasy sports team is cyclical. Gonna go through some hot spells and some cold spells through, in this case, six months of the NHL.

Am happy that my team has hung around even after enduring a trip to IR by top D Victor Hedman of Tampa Bay. Will see if B2 can continue to hang around after Anaheim G John Gibson left last night's game against Las Vegas after the second period due to what I've seen described in the media as "inadvertant contact" behind the net with a Las Vegas F.

If he could somehow make it back and play one more game this week, I'd be stoked. But right now have no clue.

Less than three hours until puck drop in the early games tonight. We're in the home stretch. So the importance of everything is magnified.