Hello all my loyal Billy Blogers out there! How are you all doing on freezing cold Saturday?! I hope well despite the brutal conditions. We all brag that we are Canadian and we can handle the cold but deep down every one of us on the first real cold day of the year are all whiners! Anyways I hope the Bigman can warm you up with my hot blog! That's right it has been a wile since I have checked in but the hit count keeps rising and rising and I think it HAS to be from all the peeps that go to this fine website! I know it can't be from the 33 fans on my C of Red facebook page or my friends on my personal facebook page! It has to be all of you that are here everyday who love this team. So I would like to say thank you!! and also if you do like my blog then please become a fan on my C of Red page because there is always something added there that you might not find on other fan or official pages.

Well I think I have done enough shameless self promotion for one day lets get to the good stuff! Well we are 18 games in and I usually say I can't judge a club until the 25 game mark but I think I am going to try anyways. Is this team right now a playoff team? No. Is this team going to improve? Possibly. What we have seen from this team has been what we have seen from this team the last few seasons, and that is a hit or miss team that has trouble icing a consistent effort every night. In my opinion we have some guys who play with pure heart, some who play for money and some who used to play with passion that have lost it.

(Disclaimer)

I am going to say what I believe and I'm not going to hold back and that's why I think all of you read my stuff because I say what I think. Some of you might think I'm throwing guys under the bus but I am not. I just am going to say what I see and I might be wrong and I will admit it if I am.

That being said I owe Olli a huge apology for being his #1 hater for a few seasons now. This guy I thought when he came here was overrated, overpaid and I said he had no heart. I was wrong. He has come in this season and been one of the pillars of this team. Like anything in life there are pillars and fillers and Olli has stepped up and worked his Finn a$$ off and has truly become a pillar. He has shown huge heart and a willingness to lead and he might not have the C but he is the leader of this team these days. That's right I said it! Olli is the leader because Iggy has lost his passion.

Now I will give some of you a few moments to gather yourselves and calm down... I know some of you are right angry at that statement but if you really look and see whats going on, on the ice anyone can see that Olli's line is the true #1 line! What makes a #1 line? Well it is the line that makes it happen every night and leads the charge and Iggy's line is not that line I'm sorry. Iggy is the face of the club and we all love him but love is not going to get us to the playoffs! Like I said before in my first blog I think...not sure but anyways I said Iggy should take a step back this season and let some of the younger guys step up. The reason I said that is because Iggy has lost his hunger for the game that he used to have. His fire is still there but it is low. Does he turn it up? Yes but it takes someone to really piss him off or when he feels the pressure of the team going down he will get going but that is not what we need.

We need players to come out every night and have the drive give it everything every night and have the hunger for the puck. Let me make something real clear! I am not saying get rid of Iggy I'm just saying he needs less ice time and he has to check his pride at the door for the team. This will give the younger guys a chance to shine and also give Iggy some opportunity's to be overlooked by the opposition. If he was out on a 3rd line then the other players on those 3rd lines would not be ready for him because they would never expect him to be on that line. I just know he would never do it because of his foolish pride. Iggy's pride is what might make us miss the playoffs again.

Well I didn't plan on going on and on about Iggy but sometimes when you are a writer the words take you and you just have to go with it. What I originally wanted to talk about was the people who are making it happen and the ones who are not. Since you guys don't have all day I will just say the names and will do another blog on them soon. Kipper, Olli, Geo, are playing with pure heart...the rest are not and that's how I see it. I love Iggy and like Kipper never want to see him go but he needs to step it up or let others do it for him. Leaders know when to do the right thing only Iggy knows if that is putting 100% of his focus into the team or letting others take over and being their guide. It is up to him. Until next time peeps I will catch you all on the flipside!

If you want to join my C of Red facebook page then here is a link for you guys! GFG!!! http://www.facebook.com/pages/C-of-Red/253935751309646