WEEK 5 (thru Wednesday)

A virtual unknown prior to the season, Leon Draisaitl has 10 NHL points (4g, 6a) in his first six games. As a member of the Wild Ducks - signed two Saturday's ago - the twenty-year-old has been just as good, collecting 4.0 FHL points (1g, 2a) on Wednesday.

Boulder Flyers: 27.1
Wild Ducks: 25.4
Seemingly turning the corner after a 25.1 weekend, the Boulder Flyers are back in the crapper, a nothing Wednesday dropping the defending champs back into the FHL basement. The Wild Ducks meanwhile are all smiles - well, mostly all smiles - GM Collard's Draisaitl-invigorated squad now 1.7 behind GM Morgan's flew-into-a-glass-window birds.

Silicon Valley Slashers: 25.6
Badger Bob: 30.1
The first place Slashers netted 3.0 on Wednesday, increasing their lead in the overall standings to 7.5. After a monster Tuesday Badger Bob took Wednesday off, GM Chester's team now in 5th place, just 4.5 better than their Week 5 H2H rival.

Misconducts: 14.2
Polar Bears: 35.5
The Misconducts carded 4.2 on Wednesday but remain the owner of the weeks lowest score, the once seemingly unstoppable franchise now begging for points; 10.0 behind the 1st place Slashers and, H2H-wise, a still thick 21.3 behind the 2nd place Polar Bears.

Ice Cats: 20.6
Ice Hogs: 21.8
The Ice Hogs were good for 3.0 on day five of the seven day week, collecting enough points to lift themselves out of the basement. In 11th place overall, the Hogs are now better than the euthanized Ice Cats, GM Henry's 2-2 team leading GM Cutshall's undefeated squad by a scant 1.2.

Bluliners: 47.5
Redliners: 15.1
This match has officially been declared a rout, the Bluiners moving into 4th place overall with a 3.0 point Wednesday; GM Hamilton's four-time championship squad now just 15.5 shy of first place. Meanwhile the Redliners continue to flounder, GM Megan's team still lodged in 7th place, 38.6 back.

SC Cobras: 20.4
Between the Pipes: 25.0
The Pipes recorded the only point of the evening, GM Miller's team now 4.6 better than the SC Cobras. With just two days remaining in the week, Between the Pipes, 1-3, lead GM Murphy's 2-2 snakes by 4.6.

LINK: Standings

I've been a NHL fan now for 40 years or so.

And I CANNOT think of another NHL player in that time with the first name Leon!!! There may have been someone. My mind is pretty sharp when it comes to these things. Mental wheels are turning here. But no traction.

When you are flummoxed re: NHL, who do you call on for help in such a situation? The man who has shown some serious hockey history knowledge by bringing up Petr Klima and Alex Stojanov.

Badger Bob is shining the BLU SIGNAL (not to be confused with the Bat Signal) in the sky to the northwest of Trenton, NJ in hopes that BLULINERS in Motownland will see it and put his astute NHL mind to the situation. Help from all other GMs welcome as well!!!

"Machine Gun" Lanny McDonald, sure. Larry Hillman, gotcha. Logan Couture, OK. Lance Bouma, all over it.

Leon??? drawing a blank.

Only other pro athletes with Leon as first name I can think of off top of head Leon Spinks boxer, baseketball player Leon Wood and Leon "Daddy Wags" Wagner baseball player. (There was also baseball player Eddie Leon. But since last name doesn't count.) Am sure there was an NFL player with first name Leon.

Poetic goal by the Penguins tied the big game last night in Pittsburgh against Montreal 3-3 midway through the third period.

A pass by Sidney Crosby backward through his legs at center ice along right boards leads to a goal scorer's goal by Patric Hornqvist, wrist shot from left circle into right upper 90. Montreal goaltender Mike Condon had no chance.  

Crosby to Hornqvist. SCORE!!!

Shot by Hornqvist kinda reminded me of Guy Lafleur and Mike Bossy!!!

The pass by Crosby was only worth 1 point for the assist in FHL to Ice Hogs Dynasty. BUT it was worth the price of admission to the game!!!

(Fellow GMs, the goal in question starts at 3:10. I do not know how to separate the highlight I want from the overall highlight package from the game on www.nhl.com.

But since this was a HELLUVA game between two heavyweight teams, you may be interested to watch the entire highlight package. Fleury gave up a couple bad goals.)

# # #

Why I DO NOT like Mike Emrick as an announcer. (He is from Pittsburgh. So truth be told I DO NOT like all things Pittsburgh!!!)

On the play that led to the Hornqvist goal, Emrick said "Crosby soccer-ed it across..." This is nonsense. He'll also say things like "finesse-ed the puck ahead" and "fidget-ed past the defenseman." Enough already.

My advice to Emrick is the same that I have for Vin Scully, longtime announcer for Los Angeles Dodgers in baseball who lots of people think is great. JUST SHUT UP!!! We understand what is happening on the playing surface. If you do decide to speak, PLEASE don't try to be cute 7x24x365!!!

Penguins ended up winning 4-3 in OT, with Perron and Crosby scoring in the shootout.

Penguins now 10-5 after the 0-3 start.

Other Famous Leons

Leon Washington


Kings of Leon


Perhaps my favorite Leon.. I watched this movie probably 50 times as a kid..

Leon, the Gamemaster from Midnight Madness