Eleven

Imma interrupt your smut show with the Kentucky Meat Shower of 1876: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/kentucky-meat-shower?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark

Excellent news. Probably because the team couldn't get an irregular jersey in time, amirite?

Gotcha

This is the part I don't get without some context; how was the goalie in harm's way?

Just look at Graham's twitter feed. There's too much to copy and paste, there's good fan dialogue in there, and there are a couple of words that you wouldn't want on this board.

Another good point. I have been in the room in Toronto where this stuff is inspected. (They inspect the AHL equipment there, too; when I was there, a Marlies goaltender's new pads were just sitting on a desk.)

Ok. That's fair.

Hey. It may not be what you wanted, but it wasn't lazy. You try searching for Jordan Binnington's mask in his first game, rather than putting it on everyone else! Because, believe me, I spent at least five minutes on it with various search terms. Not happening. Everything returns his first playoff game, first finals game, first whatever. Same for several other goalies; that was another five. I'm sorry--first, they didn't have the custom mask for him in time (11 days!) and now he's the prima donna for not having one? Dude. Time. For. Bed.

Because he's the goalie and he's the one who wants a custom mask. That's why they all have them--they're a little superstitious, a little stylistic, and it makes the game fun. I don't get what you're upset about, unless you think what follows this is a good look. (It isn't.) https://www.pinterest.com/pin/174655291773718634/ Did this instead. Now the first part of that is stupid, and I've commented on it; the second part is not, as has been explained by others numerous times.

Hey man, I get that you have high expectations. We all do. It's why we're all pissed off. But on this issue, your expectations just don't match reality. Getting one's first custom NHL mask in 11 days isn't a thing. Even the goalie would want to take some time, look at designs, etc.--and he still has to practice and get mentally ready to play his first NHL game in there, too, which is more important than the mask. I'd bet my farm (which doesn't exist, so it's really easy for me to bet it) that if JoJo wanted to wear a plain white, blue, or gold mask, the team would have found one in an instant.

Do you mean to say that Jack Campbell doesn't have a custom Leaves mask awaiting him in Toronto? The HORROR! (Sorry, Swampy. I still love you.)

We all know who he is and what his role was tonight. These guys like to take time with their masks and personalize them. And for all you know, there's something on the mask that is important to him, like the "Matty" thing was for Miller. I don't know what else to say. This is silly. Not in the NHL, but he was the unique one.

1. AHL goalies show up to play without NHL masks all the time. Just like all-star goalies at all sorts of levels use their regular team masks. Back when every goalie didn't have to have his own personal touch on a mask, yeah, they would have had a blue one in his size. That no longer is the case. Goalies get to put their own quirky BS on masks for whatever reason (I guess they're cool until they end up causing tempests in teapots like this) and it takes time. 2. This is so far removed from the real problems that the team should be concerned with. It's like a drowning man wondering where he can find a cigarette.

It takes a lot longer than two days for an NHL-level custom goalie mask. I think "the guy" that everyone goes to (Miller used him) takes several weeks.

Housley had basically the same ingredients. Maybe he had margarine instead of butter, or lemon juice instead of vinegar, but the concept is essentially the same and they both suck.

I had to look away for a minute--what was the reason?

If the team needs someone to sign off on Botterill's moves, then Botterill is not the right GM.

Nah. He's pretty objective when it comes to Buffalo. I've been reading him for a long time. This ^. I read this and hit "reply" before seeing the date. I really was hoping that there was some news, somewhere, that the team was starting to look elsewhere again.

Well maybe. It depends on what they launch the cats from.

According to Vogl, he may not be ready when training camp starts. And he has a three-team no-trade clause that kicks in in July. As in, once July comes, he gets to select only three teams to which he may be traded. Frankly, I didn't think this was one of Vogl's better efforts. If the article was "high-end players that the NHL might see moved at the deadline," maybe. But the Sabres? Yeah, Cirelli's really coming here. (Prove me wrong, Botterill, prove me wrong!)

He also threw Cirelli, Hertl, Kapanen, Gallagher, Laine and Kase into the mix. Why not McDavid, John?

I don't think it's tied to politics, though. Every time there's a significant virus outside of our country, the media gets all whipped up into a teen girl drama frenzy. Mad cows, SARS, ebola, whatever.

You are not.

It's because getting things right matters to them. They don't like to just make stuff up and then backfill, or worse, compound a bunch of lies. That's the Cult Leader's job.

"It's more than a little subpar, Mr. Hoover. It STINKS!"