Blog Friday (Part One)

Had a short Black Friday hounding opportunity and we'll also cover a box break from the Black Friday sale at Triple Cards up in Plano.  I hit up the store in the early afternoon, getting a Jumbo box of 13-14 Score Hockey, as well as two bonus Panini and Topps Black Friday packs. I also picked up two of their sig/GU mystery envelopes.  We'll get to all of that in a moment.

Later on, Gen and I went on down to the AAC as the Stanley Cup was on display, along with Stu Barnes signing autographs.  In addition to getting five cards signed by Stu (one with each team he played for), I also got The Keeper of the Cup, Phil Pritchard, to sign an index card for me (even adding "Keeper of the Cup" to it).

Am I the only one who found it to be in slightly questionable taste for the Stars to have Barnes as the signer for a night the Cup was on display when he was the only member of the Stars' Alumni Association to have played for the Sabres in 1999, the year the Stars beat them for the Cup?  Not complaining much, I've always liked Stu. Former Penguin.

Also, apparently Andrew Miller has convinced himself that he did nothing wrong. All of you who got dicked over by him are to blame in his mind. Typical criminal thinking. Apparently he also is back posting on TAC-- I've been told dallashockeyfan is his name there.

Anyways, the box break. I love the Score Jumbo packs from this season. 52 cards per pack, 10 packs per box, 4 hits per box. Not bad. The packs are arranged as two rows of five packs each. Let's take a look at everything that wasn't just a standard base card. We'll go front to back, left side then right side. Hits are in bold italics.

Pack One
Inserts: Sean Collins Hot Rookies Auto, D. Sedin Franchise
Gold: Shore Hot Rookies, Sharks TL, Korpikoski, Bryzgalov, Latendresse, Wingels, Alfredsson, Niemi
Hot Rookies: Coyle, Conacher, Schultz, Komarov
Team Leaders: Avs, Sabres
Season Highlights: Lecavalier
35 base cards

Pack Two
Inserts: Quick Netcam
Gold: Hickey Hot Rookies, Flames TL, Stralman, Pavelski, Orpik, Hanzal, Kreider, Oshie
Hot Rookies: McGinn, Yakupov, Brodin, Howden
Team Leaders: Blackhawks, Sharks
Season Highlights: Hossa
36 base

Pack Three
Inserts: Galchenyuk Future Franchise
Gold: Grant Hot Rookies, Senators TL, Karlsson, Stuart, Voracek, Silfverberg, Ekman-Larsson, B. Schenn
Hot Rookies: Nilstorp, Murphy, Collins, Dziurzynski
Team Leaders: Stars, Flyers
Season Highlights: Selanne
36 base

Pack Four
Inserts: Anaheim Ducks Team 8's (With jersey pieces of Cogliano, Rakell, Hiller, Etem, Perry, Vatanen, Ryan, Fasth), Grigorenko First Goal
Gold: Komarov Hot Rookies, Maple Leafs TL, Read, Lehner, Galiardi, Spezza, Burns, Vokoun
Hot Rookies: Arcobello, Mrazek, Spooner, Grubauer
Team Leaders: Wild, Blue Jackets
Season Highlights: Brodeur
29 base (Therefore, packs with a Team 8's card have 46 cards; those things are thick!)

Pack Five
Inserts: Nik Antropov Black Parallel, Anton Volchenkov Check It
Gold: Schroeder Hot Rookies, Hejduk SH, Hannan, Shattenkirk, B. Boyle, Smith, Kennedy, D. Boyle
Rookies: Pickard, Jordan, Oleksiak, Forsberg
Team Leaders: Lightning, Capitals
Season Highlights: Lecavalier
36 base

Pack Six
Inserts: Howden Future Team
Gold: Mrazek Hot Rookies, Flyers TL, Eller, Suter, Blum, Pominville, Hornqvist, Gaustad
Rookies: Grigorenko, Laughton, Kuemper, Vatanen
Team Leaders: Devils, Maple Leafs
Season Highlights: Marleau
36 base

Pack Seven
Inserts: Marleau Franchise
Gold: Campbell Hot Rookies, Bruins TL, Williams, Emelin, Henrique, Spaling, Price, Legwand
Rookies: Bordeleau, Lashoff, Bennett, Matteau
Team Leaders: Ducks, Blues
Season Highlights: Selanne
36 base

Pack Eight
Inserts: Tavares Red Back
Gold: Spooner Hot Rookies, Stars TL, Clarkson, Backstrom, Plekanec, Strait, Richards, Vermette
Rookies: Gryba, Hickey, Grant, Schroeder
Team Leaders: Penguins, Canadiens
Season Highlights: Crosby
36 base

Pack Nine
Inserts: Klasen Signature, Lundqvist Netcam
Gold: Thomas Hot Rookies, Devils TL, Klesla, Sheppard, Smith, Brassard, Morris, Iginla
Rookies: Roussel, Shore, Thomas, Campbell
Team Leaders: Red Wings, Coyotes
Season Highlights: Kings
35 base

Pack Ten
Inserts: Richter Netcam
Gold: Grubauer Hot Rookies, Jets TL, Gill, Salvador, Bouchard, Markov, Martin, Carter
Rookies: Huberdeau, Granlund, Redmond, Rakell
Team Leaders: Jets, Bruins
Season Highlights: Jagr
36 base

So, there you have it. If this collation figures across every box (unlikely, yet possible), your best bets for Team 8's are the 4th pack from the front on the left side, and for Red Backs pick the middle pack on the right.

The Black Friday packs didn't have much in them. The Panini one had a Miguel Cabrera base and a Yadier Molina Lava Flow. Topps had Spring Fever cards of Wally Joyner, Cabrera, Don Mattingly, Josh Hamilton, and Buster Posey.

The Auto/GU mystery envelopes had a Rick Krivda auto and a GU of Patrice Bergeron.

Stars practice tomorrow, hoping for the best...