I want this post to have a countdown. I want to make silly former-Bruin references about how many days are left until the season opener. (Andrei Kovalenko! Brian Dobbin! Jay Henderson!) I want to start buying single-game tickets.

Can we please resolve this CBA thing already? Come on, son. I don't want to be more excited about football than about hockey this year. I like having my sports loves balance out.

After the jump, Down Goes Brown on the CBA, two new contract extensions, and the Caps' Michal Neuvirth gets feisty...

Bruins News:

• Bish is on a road trip in Ontario. Go read the Beartracks blog. I think he's visiting Tyler Seguin today. [Bruins]

NHL News:

• Michal Neuvirth did an interview in Czech, and it got translated into English...he's got some fighting words to dish out about his team. [RMNB]
• What can NHL negotiators learn from the NBA and NFL lockouts? [Down Goes Brown]
• Scott Hartnell signed a 6-year extension. [Philly]
• So did Carrie Underwood's husband. [On the Forecheck]
• Apparently if there's no lockout, the Rangers and Penguins are favorites to win the Cup. [NESN]
• The NHL will look at how to standardize penalties a little better. [Gazette]
• Tie Domi and Team Canada got into a bit of a kerfuffle with Team Sweden today. (use google translate) [Aftonbladet]