Sabel79

Just watched the Oilers recreate Sabrepede. While shorthanded. Good grief that team is a tire fire. I'm past being upset about McDavid and on to feeling sorry for him.

In the same vein, and just as tiresome, try hearing people's excuses for not coming to court. Everyone, from 19 year old idiots (because all 19 year-olds are idiots) to actual adults who appear to be able to function in society. One I heard yesterday: "I have alot of stuff going on, man..." Indeed.

I'd read that it was between Roanoke and Asheville. It does seem like Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina are absolutely lousy with breweries all of a sudden. Which is nice...

So evidently the Governor of Virginia will be in Roanoke today to announce that Deschutes will be opening a brewery / pub downtown. I'm wholly unfamiliar with their beer, anybody got anything?

The very name Gilmour incites rage in me. I can't even listen to Pink Floyd. That Varada soccer tackle from behind incident in Montreal just about sums it up. Absolute piece of festering garbage. Hated him in Calgary, really hated him in Toronto. Hated him in Chicago. Really really really hated him in Buffalo. Then he "retires" and winds up in Montreal. As I recall, the reaction from Laffs Nation was hilarious. Seriously, Doug and Jack Edwards are gonna be locked in that filthy bathroom together when I finally snap and recreate "Saw" Thank god Dumont came in that trade. Redeemed it immeasurably.

I can't argue with anything you've said, and having seen it happen once have no doubts that the league is wholly incapable of managing the big picture in re: actually fixing the product. The band-aids being discussed really won't stop the bleeding. The constituent franchises won't do anything about it, it's easier and cheaper (short term) to keep scoring down as much as possible. It'll eventually bite, but I doubt many in a position to say something now have the wherewithal or the desire to actually push for it. Parity, conformity, risk-averse possession hockey are now the norm. I still love the game and will be unable to quit it because I'm an idiot, but it's much less fun now. It's sad, I sometimes think back to the Lafontaine-Mogilny Axis of Awesome that I grew up watching and loving (for the better part of two seasons anyway) and am now fairly sure I'll never see again. Even OV and Crosby, who've been the tip of the elite or thereabouts for a decade now, aren't as fun to watch as Lemeiux, Gretzky, and on and on. Are they every bit as good as those guys? That argument could last awhile, but overall I'd say maybe. Are they skating through treacle in comparison to the space and time those guys got? Absolutely; and that was the bad old days of bench-clearing brawls and rampant thuggery.

One of the best games I think I've ever watched was a 0-0 tie between the Sabres and Colorado in 1996. Hasek and Roy absolutely dominating the game at each end. Was something to behold. Heck, a goal might have spoiled it. it's not the puck crossing the line, per se, that makes hockey exciting. It's all in the buildup. That's the problem now, everyone plays a system devoted to defense first, interference and obstruction are allowed way more than is sane, goalies are both more athletic and dressed up as Bibendum, it's an unholy stew of boredom. I've read a good deal of snark over the years from the hockey media about the changes to the game after the '04 lockout, but had the league held its nerve and kept the clampdown on interference, hooking, holding, et. al. in place, teams would have had to evolve and players would have learned. The endless trips to the penalty box would have stopped and the game would be more free-flowing and better for it. Making the nets bigger will inevitably just lead to more goals scored on point shots deflecting off of 17 people. More goals would result, but would the product be any better, in all honesty?

No Eichel, no party... Boo, I say.

Too late. It's why Bailey went down when he did, that was the deadline.

The only person more disappointed than I was when Edmonton won the lottery was, judging by his reaction, Connor McDavid himself. Maybe GMTM. And everyone else outside of Edmonton. Clavicle strength aside, he was the prize the tank trudged forward in search of. Eichel was/is a sensible insurance policy, one we almost failed to cash in on but for Mike Weber's bizzaro-stellar performance in that game vs Arizona. Happy to have Jack, he'll be outstanding thus making the tank worth it; onwards and upwards we go.

I have a hard time picturing GMTM in the locker room shrilly screaming "WE'RE LOSING!!!!"

Beautiful goal by Gionta there.

All even now. .

Odds on the the third period resembling the Federal League Finals?

Rob Ray attempting to pronounce "Beaulieu" might just be the most entertaining thing that's happened in this game so far.

Good lord Scrivens is an accident waiting to happen.

You are not alone.

It's a good thing the MSG feed looks like particularly grainy Paranormal Activity outtakes. Probably saves us a goal there because nobody could possibly tell where the puck was. (Yes, I know they get all feeds, just bitching about MSG)

Looking at it again Des got nowhere near it.

Nice feed by Kane. Antics by Des...

I see interference is still not a thing most of the time...

Just spitballing here, but does the "No" on expansion to Quebec as discussed really have to go any deeper than the sheer insanity of putting anther team in the east right now? The conferences are already lopsided, and unless Detroit and/or Columbus feel like going back to the West for old time's sake, the situation only gets worse. Add to that the very possible need for a landing pad in the near future for one of a couple franchises, and the situation gets more interesting. I've got no info to back this up, just something I've been mulling over.

I fully expect the Garland nomination, while he does appear to be quite qualified, to go nowhere. His age alone would seem to make the nomination negligent politically (or it would be if Obama thought for one second it'd go forward) while looking to be an olive branch of sorts to the frothier members of the Senate majority in terms of both short-termism and "moderate" appeal. Still, a non-starter. The next one will be interesting...

Jared Keeso was on the Marek/Wyshynski podcast last week (mercifully without Wyshynski). They talked about the show and played some clips. Was a good listen.

Was just there in December. Wallet is still angry with me, but it was worth it to watch the kiddo have a blast. Enjoy.