CarniStaal of the NHL #12 -- Reality Checks cashed while you wait!

Eric Staal’s been 21 for a week, the ‘Canes had their Dads’ Weekend, and it’s time for Carnival of the NHL #12—and I assure you that, unlike the drunken bums and crack dealers that Wade Amusements had working for them during the NC State Fair last month, I am 1) sober and 2) not the owner of a rap sheet a mile long (unless you count speeding tickets, but we won’t discuss me treating a ‘97 Chevy Cavalier like it’s a Saleen S8).

This carnival has no fanfare, no rides, no deep-fried Snickers bars (who came up with those, anyway?), just some good old hockey commentary of the "What the hell are you thinking? Are you thinking?" variety from those crazy kids out there in hockey blogland.

We’ll kick it off with CasonBlog, who wonders what the hell Keith Jones is smoking before OLN’s postgame shows.

Over at the Canucks Hockey Blog, JJ wonders what was going through the minds of the genii that came up with the “$75,000 Rule” in the new CBA when he examines the interesting saga of Rob McVicar’s and RJ Umberger’s callups to The Show.

Brushback over at Sidearm Delivery takes a couple shots at Pavel “Krispy Kreme” Brendl in this recap of a game between the Hartford Wolfpack and the Lowell Lock Monsters. Makes me wonder why the hell the dude was fourth overall pick in the first place (Krispy, not Brushback).

In the “Angry Fan Rants” building, Jason Kirk at Predators’ Den uncorks a spectacular rant about the folks that bash southern teams (specifically Los Predatores de Nashville).

Not to be outdone, puck_it pops off at people who slag the Hurricanes and the fans.

Mike Chen has no love for Doc Emrick (which breaks my heart, because I love Doc), and he has even less love for OLN’s crappy camera work. He also wonders WTF Calgary was thinking when they signed an over-the-hill Bryan Marchment.

Meanwhile, at the medical station--Christy over at Behind the Jersey wonders what it will take for players to start wearing visors, especially given what happened to Steve Yzerman and Kris Draper.

Jes Gölbez wonders the same thing. In fact, he wonders why it’s even a matter for debate.

Chris Rock once said, “Laws were made for a reason”. GrampaPinhead says, “There’s the law, and then there’s being a ticky-tack asshat.”

Fellow Caniac David Lee over at Red and Black Hockey gets all bent outta shape over Messrs. Fraser and Peel and their butchering of the calls in the recent Carolina-Toronto game (which, this time around, was not pre-empted by Rogers Sportsnet’s desire to show Neckcar to their viewers who reside north of 49). He also fires off a slapshot at the virtual head of former Hurricane Jeff O’Neill before the game.

Roddie Hassan over at A-Flat offers up His Top 5 list of alternatives to the shootout (which I loathe—the shootout, not the list).

And speaking of shootouts, over at Odd Man Rush there’s an amusing take on the shootout—which includes a funny exchange in the comments between me and OddManRush over OddMan's thinking that C H A R L O T T E spells “Raleigh”.

Matt over at The Battle of Alberta up and blasts Bob McKenzie for kissing Bettman’s ass re: the gag order rule that saw Pat Quinn fined for bitching. Not wanting to be left out of the fun, Michael Fedor joins in the pile-on.

A Quiet Girl takes a hard look at a very unpleasant aspect of junior hockey culture within the context of this blurblet about the Windsor Spitfires hazing incident (for which Spitfires coach Moe Mantha was suspended).

Grumpy ol’ Tom Benjamin at Canucks Corner has a few things to say about the state of fighting in the NHL these days.

I found this little gem about the current fear of hitting that plagues the NHL over at Puck Update. Very interesting (and, sadly, so true).

Unibrew over at Sisu Hockey about made me spray Diet Big K Cola all over my monitor with this hilarious entry where he asks Bristol “WTF are you thinking with this pronunciation guide?”

James Mirtle takes a hard look at Sid the Kid and says “he ain’t all that” and points out several rookies that are doing far better than El Sid is (at least at this stage of the season).

Eric McErlain says, “Why did this kid get Player of the Month for October, when Ovechkin pretty much kicked his ass?”

And finally, because every carnival has to have a midway, I include this link from Brett Mirtle--who says “Enough already!” to EA Sports about their NHL 06 title and the eleventy-billion and fifty-eight bells and whistles that it contains.

(My question to Brett is: WTF is up with the pinkness?)