Eleven

We've got them right where we want them. 100%.

There's a lot of "alternative facts" going around today. "My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with a girl who saw Thompson pass-out at 31 Flavors last night. I guess it's pretty serious..."

No, I'm not. Just because no other referee took care of the problem doesn't mean there wasn't a problem. It's the NHL, after all. His explanation was straightforward and he understands why the ref did what he did TODAY. He'll ask for clarification for Levi for the future. This isn't hard and it isn't a case of ambiguous speech, and it isn't even a real issue--are you sure it's "JohnC" and not "KellyanneC"?

No, it does not. He gave a straightforward explanation that you linked to, and it had to do with where Levi put the bottle, not whether it was upside down. Why are you making a puzzle out of something so simple? This isn't the issue and I have no idea why JohnC is suggesting that it is.

Granato's explanation in the press conference that YOU YOURSELF linked above is that Levi was putting his bottle on top of the net, thereby interfering with replay cameras, rather than using the holster on the back of the net.

The ref kept confiscating Levi's water bottle. EDIT--see also, now that I've listened to it:

Well that's better than you being elsewhere and having been right.

Nice finish. F the refs.

I think you know.

eww on that second one

No, it's all too believable.

And there we are.

Same number. The ref thinks it's his water.

Oh it'll happen.

Exactly. That was TEXTBOOK interference on Thompson, it went on for nearly five seconds, and no call.

SO we're not doing interference anymore?

Again, against any other team. Carolina's transition game is just way too fast and precise.

***** ... Off (him not you)

I'm thinking it's not the ribs, or else he wouldn't have done that particular celebratory move.

THOMPSON

I'd agree against almost any other team, but Carolina is just too fast in transition for these Sabres. They've got to peel back.

Aho just got away with one...

He is doing a nice job substituting for Thompson on the top line. Even I can acknowledge that. Whether I want him back next year, well, I'll leave that to the thread dedicated to that.

I don't love Rod Brind'Amour or the extra effort that goes into typing his stupid name. But I love the system his team plays. That transition game is incredible. And yes, it is very similar to Ruff's system, and yes, it relies upon better goaltending than what we have seen for most of this year. But the goaltending has arrived, and if I see Granato pulling his vanilla ***** again next year, I'm going to want him fired.

Why does it look like a magazine?