Random thoughts...

• How in the hell can the Caps beat the Senators 4 times in a season but still cannot figure out how to beat the Panthers?


• I'd like to see the All-Star game played during the exhibition stage of the season. In this game I'd like competition... They don't have to kill one another but there should be something that gets them motivated. Money? A signed autograph of Jiri Tlusty? There's got to be something that gets them motivated to try and actually win.


• Had Mike Green scored on his race by Biron on Sunday, the Caps would have beat Philadelphia, and that goal would be run on SportsCenter every hour until Green was selected to the East team.

A top-five list that will never make Espo's show on XM. My top-five current most annoying players in the league. Some players I cannot stand because they're cheap, others because they whine:

5. Chris Neil -- The man can play hockey but incessantly runs his mouth which means that if you're watching on TV you have to look at his face and his mouth and gums.

4. Jarrko Ruutu -- Cheap shots galore are given in abundance from the Finnish pest

3. Sean Avery -- Another player who is actually pretty good and universally despised. I think it was Owen Nolan that was quoted as saying while he played for LA that even his own team hated him.

2. Ryan Hollweg -- Mr. Elbows runs around with his number 1 mission being to yap as much as possible in his 4:53 of hockey per night. I saw that he scored a couple of goals the other night. Wonders will never cease.

1. Darcy Tucker -- I'll enjoy watching the Leafs suffer as long as he is on that team. His yapping to the opposition while at the same time whining to the refs during games makes watching their games painful. Prior to his tenure with the Leafs, I liked them. After he leaves, I'll probably like them again. It's for this amazing ability to turn me off to an entire team that he takes top honors.

Honorable mentions: Ian Laperriere, Jordin Tootoo, Chris Pronger, Sidney Crosby, Jaromir Jagr
Some might call this list the "Players That You Friggin' Hate Unless They're On Your Team".

Thoughts?