Neo

Well, I think we all agree that disappointing, or not, we’re certainly better than we’ve been in years. I make that point because the crowd’s louder on tv. I’d like someone who’s attended opinion. Is it louder, or re-mic’d?

Go CLAN!

Susanna Hoffs asking you what you’d like for breakfast ...

Welcome home .... and best wishes on your journey ... both. I’m glad you’re here.

Five separate sentences or thought fragments. One coherent post! I don't know where I am. I so enjoyed ZFG. I was PSYCHED for Disco Dan (as he was brought to life, literally created before our eyes, by GoDD). I have no answer. However, I am a Teddy Roosevelt fan. The man in the arena (ironic) is lonely. I keep JBot for two more if this year exceeds last (likely) and next year exceeds this. The trajectory in hockey, up and down, has a lesser slope than it does in football. Fantasy night: Beers in some tavern with Jbot, Beane, McDermott and Krueger.

I know nothing about this league! Sounds like fun with real fans. Ill look on YouTube.

Glasgow Clan. I’m all in. I am warming to “proper fights after dodgy hits”. Rodric MacJeanneret!

OK, I’ve puzzled and puzzled .... I would like to phone a friend. Oregon’s coach? Edit to add several hours later ... I just learned his name!

I’ll applaud if they do this. The fight after a clean hit annoys me, my team or not.

Man has a made for TV head coach voice.

Musings while waiting for tomorrow .. I wrote, above, that penalties and special teams will go a long way in determining who advances out of Group B, Um, no one advances out of Group Anything. The WJC cross pairs between A and B this year ... just like always. Ooops. Allow me to amend .. with an AGO ... taking penalties and special teams looms so very large in this tournament. Inexplicably, I saw no Group A games. I can’t wait to see the Swiss. They play that glorious underdog role in my hockey world. I recall them advancing a fifteen years ago, or so, by beating nearly everyone 2-1. They gave a loaded (duh?) Canadian squad a game, losing 3-1 I believe. Then there’s the team Nino Niederreiter carried on his back. Which Russian team shows up? This is my upset special, round one. The US draws Finland, the defending Champs. Finland finished behind Sweden (no surprise) and Switzerland (somewhat of a surprise) and ends up paired with second place USA. I am recalling a Sunday morning, nearly 40 years ago, when American and Finnish amateurs met for a hockey game. I was a freshman in college the morning after a Saturday night. I crawled to my buddy’s house and sat with three buddies ... the tension! I also recall Ristolainen’s signature goal. Love the Finns (ok, I love them all). HOORAY for the Czechs. Playoffs at home. Watch out, Sweden. An upset here would be special, but I don’t see it. Sweden is built to produce hockey players with a program designed to do that from age five, on. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve not yet seen this team. Canada draws Slovakia, a win with or without Lafrenière. Go Dylan .. we’re watching and cheering.

Happy New Year! I am old and my family is all out of town! It’s time for a bourbon and a couple of games of chess with some far away opponent ...

You could very well be right, truly. Twenty five Lightning players and coaches disagree. I know that the rest of the game (absent the spectacular shorty) was Tampa’s. And, to be clear. I want a tough team to play against, grit and grind and stick up for one another. I don’t think McCabe’s fight was any of that. I think it was more “they roasted me a few weeks ago, I’d better do something here”.

For a man of many words, I can be unclear. I get the Lightning broadcast here in Tampa. The post game show, with coaches, players and color guys, all kept coming back to the fight. In general, and with five different people providing five different articulations, the thought was that McCabe manufactured something in light of the Sabres current situation. Sergachev, on the other hand, tried to let it go, and then “tough guy’d” McCabe with jack hammers, changing the game. McCabe’s malice was inserted into a situation not calling for malice under the pressure of having to appear tough. Sergachev’s just arose inside him as someone “took liberties” with him.

This is a crazy night ...

Lightning TV ... Coach, players, Andreychuck color, replay after replay ... Sergachev v McCabe. One guy thought he had to ,,, the other guy stood up for himself. Sergachev was the team tough I want. McCabe (who I generally dig) was not.

I’m going to try to not sound like Yoda or Caine. Toughness that’s inserted never fares as well as toughness that arises.

With a lead ... this is the flip side of the “sign a tough guy and someone sits” coin.

So, Sergechev turns it around with his fight?

Happily, tomorrow is a holiday and I won’t have to listen to “what happened to your Sabres?”.

Retribution time ... send McCabe out to kick the butt of some Russian skill player ...

Hundred bucks says we get a powerplay ...

There’s some talent on that team.

Yeah, I don’t know if I’ve ever made a “refs stink” or “they get all the calls” post ... bit I feel one percolating inside me ...

Well, now .. I am, too!