Thorny

Tuch certainly not to blame for that particular horrid giveaway

We need to win more face offs on the PP

Important save from EC

Ya, there’s gonna be enough space for an Elephant or a few in that Room until this team shows they can make the playoffs. Seems pretty karmatic to me

Good work KO

Whatchya doin Tage

He employed the principles of gravity

Please win

Have no reason to doubt KA currently. I expect he targets some added d depth in the summer and yes, jury is out on Stillman

Very poignant segment on sportsnet just now detailing what drives Freddie Freeman. spoiler alert: it’s his Mom. lots of onions being cut apparently

According to NHL.com’s recent panel Power is still our front runner, fwiw: finished 3rd in the ranking actually

I thought about the two years thing too but I think that was just linguistically functional. “How much we’ve grown in 2 years under KA’s plan” was the context so it was an “imagine if it keeps going” thing more than a “check back in 2 years” thing, specifically. Imo i still think there’s an internal goal of playoffs next season. Just because there are macro goals (perennial contender) doesn’t mean they can’t/don’t understand that progress can be measured in important sign posts along the way. It’s not miss-miss-miss-CUPS, at some point you need to make the playoffs as the next step. It’s KA’s 4th year as GM next year, 3rd under The Plan. Failure to make the playoffs in that sort of timeframe would be indicative of a plan....well, not going to plan Never mind the potential opportunity cost lost considering our very top guys are committing prime seasons to record, as we speak

Intentionally overselling, ya

I know, right? You can see the point where Stanley literally decides to go for the full-on piggy back, elevating his skates off the ice. He crushes him

Dahlin was really good under Botterill. We’re talking historically good rookie season w/Calder nomination followed up with a pretty good sophomore frame at 19 (40 in 56) Thompson was all of 20 at the start of the only season he was here under Botterill and played a total of 65 games Also Cozens wasn’t even in the NHL. He doesn’t get credit for the selection? Way too black and white here imo

I suppose that’s one good reason to roster a no talent 7’2 Logan Stanley. He can simply crush and injure the best player of the team you are chasing for a playoff spot what a killer for the wild. Far and away their best player, gone for 3-4 weeks

They should honestly do it. Placebo affects are real

My sincerest apologies Fixed

Oh whoops sorry I though it came off a cereal box thanks for the clarification

About the refs swallowing their whistles? its real dumb. its still my number 1 key, and I think it’s vital: we need the game played by the rules here b/c it’s not like KA built this team, for THIS season, with an eye for playoff type hockey in mind (though, it should add some impetus for his work this offseason). There’s still almost a quarter season left - I’m hoping re: official tonight it’s more along the lines of Ritchie Regular-Season

Fair enough, but, cooperating under the terms of your logic - don’t we play them again this season? Surely that game presents just as critical an opportunity? I can’t see winning that being presented as a “bridge too far”, it’s WELL within the realm of possibility, so I still don’t get the “it’s not over, but really it’s over” line of thought I digress

^i dunno if that’s a fair assessment of Montour?

I’m omitting the penguins b/c I don’t think we catch them You are conflating two distinct things. Given the field, it’s not been “likely” we make the playoffs..well really maybe EVER, statistically, this season. That’s how “the field” works. But there’s a difference between it being likely and reasonably possible. We are still very much, realistically, statistically in it - - - Your statement about the isles being able to “win the games we haven’t” doesn’t even make sense. You mean, 1 game? Up until which point we performed better this season than they had? Statistically? Story isn’t written yet. We might miss, but if so, it’s still not correct that we are functionally out of it, at this time

Botterill seemed to be really good at some things and quite oddly terrible at others. I don’t think he was a good GM ( proof pudding) but there’s no denying that at least in terms of the designation of WHO initially brought the players into the fold, Botterill is currently responsible for more of the best players on the team than anyone else It’s an Adams roster assembled via the talent Botterill (and even Murray) got from being terrible. Said this earlier, over such a long stretch we’ve finally cobbled together some really good players, over multiple iterations of rebuild. The GM standing, at the end, who gets the team into the playoffs is the one that gets (and deserves) the credit, though

3 Keys to the Game: 1. Referees do not swallow their whistles 2. Comrie provides average, to good, goaltending 3. Thompson and Dahlin find the scoresheet