MattPie

Didn't Boston win in 2011 with no one you'd call a pure goal scorer? They didn't have a "top line center".

Man, GWAR has really toned it down.

I don't know what 2 on 2 would look like, but I'd be game to see it. I'm pretty much with you on the rest. Maybe not the rink if you're actually calling penalties.

Truth. Granted, Eichel is 15 years younger and not an out of shape network engineer, but when I got it a few years back I barely moved for several days and didn't feel right for a couple weeks. We'll see if I end up testing this, though, one of my visiting Nephews (aged 4) can barely walk and has been tossing up everything today. They're going home, but the damage may be done.

Is it an nom de plume for Amerks6 or Donner the Hutt?

Interesting. I can't think of too many examples of this being applied though; how many instances are there (if I'm reading this right) where the player signs a contract during the last year of his existing deal, but then is traded before the new contract takes effect (July 1st, give or take)?

It would think it would be too. Maybe a better question: when a player has an NMC and then allows a trade, the language is usually "waive their NMC". Is that a permanent waive or just for that trade?

My wife is quite taken aback too, she just heard. We went there several times when we were dating. One night, I drove the 6 hours from Philly and went straight to the bar, getting there at 11:30 or so. MrsPie used to have an apartment just down the street from there. :(

Represent! I'm waiting for a good time to pull out "Legwand's ancestor was named LeGrand, but had a lisp."

Groan, terrible joke. Which is why I laughed.

Corporations are people now, so make them pay income tax. And like actual people, they pay income tax on where they "work" and not where they list their home address.

Exagerly. If the NHL was going to mess with the draft, they weren't going to put him in Edmonton. They'd screw Buffalo by putting him in FLA, ARZ, or a big city.

On supermarkets: it's also worth noting that in a lot of low-income areas the cost to buy a super-market sized piece of land would be prohibitive. Even if the FF left, I think you'd see more bodega-type stores which may not be that much better. On college: I'm troubled with the concept of government-sponsed college, but I'm open to seeing if it would work. I think you'd need to maintain some sort of academic standards and caps to the yearly cost. My wife and I were discussing this, and probably the biggest benefit to college is being exposed to other people and other viewpoints. Most people don't understand someone from a "group" they've never interacted with. Thought experiment: mandatory service. In some countries (Israel, Finland to name two) you're required to do a year or two of military service after "high school". I'm not saying military cause that would be weird, but I think there MAY be benefits of a year of mandatory service in the military, something like Americorps, Peace Corps, or college. I know it won't happen in the US (and I'm not even sold that it should), but I think forcing late-teens out of their comfort zone isn't a terrible idea. At the very least, it'd force teens to define their world view on their own terms rather than parroting what their parents/village/etc. say.

On the slang: never heard of it; somehow I doubt Rob Ray is trolling Urban Dictionary for things to say on the air. This seems a lot like getting mad at my kid's talking dog toy that says something about a "Rainbow Party". I'm choosing to assume that it's just a coincidence. Even if the developer (or in this case, Rob Ray) knew what he was saying, only a few people are going to take O-fence and even that can be waved off as being reasonable within the context. If I'm talking about washing machines and mention "top loader", you can bet that I didn't mean the urban dictionary definition. Now if Rob Ray keeps slipping these slangy things into the broadcast I reserve the right to change my mind, just like watching the video of Krieder run into goalies; I started out thinking "nah, he was pushed" to "yeah, this is happening enough that it's not a coincidence".

I'm not sure the travel time of a Risto slapper from center line to the blue line is that significant, but I'd certainly entertain the change to see what happens. Note that I'm talking about the play where the D slaps the puck in just as he crosses the center line. I could see some advantage if the possessing play holds longer than that. during 5 on 5, however, I'd think the defending team would drop a man back to cover Eichel and then line 4 up across the red line. The advantage to the defenders is the possessing player can't just fire the puck if he's not going to get to the red line, or it'll be icing. I think calling interference would be easier to implement.

Oh, I got you now. I'm not sure that's hugely different than a current dump in, however. Eichel is skating towards the blue line, Risto crosses center and fires it in. Sounds like a play we see a dozen times per night.

Interesting idea, although I think that would be someone (Hitchcock) would create a system where the non-possession team lines up across the center line, challenges, and only has to take a couple strides to fire the puck back into the opposing end. It's the trap with less risk of icing the puck.

I think we're painting with a broad brush here and it comes down to the individual player to a certain degree. There will be players that think, "man, going 3-8 sucked, maybe I'm no good" and there will be players that say, "3-8 sucks, I NEVER want to be in that situation again, I'm working my ass off this summer to make sure of it". The difference will be the leadership next year that whips them into shape.

In the form of a "Clue!" accusation, this is the first for me: A Sun Workstation, somewhere on the third floor of Bell Hall, with NCSA Mosaic.

:( IRC. WWIVnet (or local network IceNET) if you want to go to non-Internet communications. Those were the bad old days.

It'd be interesting to see the league say any players with NMCs are automatically on your protected list, you can't leave all the NMCs "unprotected" and protect the rest. It'd hose Buffalo as Moulson (as the example du jour) would eat a slot and we wouldn't be able to protect Girgensons (or some other combination). Also, I wonder how partial NMCs will be applied.

He does seem like a good choice. It will be interesting to see what excuse the Republicans come up with for blocking his nomination.

If this doesn't give people pause about Trump, I don't know what will. http://freebeacon.com/blog/only-garbage-people-order-steaks-well-done/

Philly has a pretty extensive rail (and other) trail system, which makes sense since this area had tons of train lines during the golden age. when complete, the Chester Valley Trail and Schuykill Trail could take me almost the entirety of the 50 miles into Philly; the only part I know isn't covered is the 9 miles from my house to Downingtown. The Schuykill Trail is planned to be 140 miles from Philly To Hanmburg, PA. Another long-distance trail is the C&O Canal Towpath and Great Alleghany Passage, which combined connect DC and Pittsburgh (300+ miles). That's some serious stuff.

Sounds like the opposite from the last paragraph, where they might have a minimum salary of the exposed players.