Sabel79

Willikers, those helmets are an abomination...

You have to be a special kind of masochist. I did it for years in soccer (I know, not apples to apples and nowhere near the level we’re talking about), finally hung up the gloves this past winter. Even when you’re hung out to dry and left with no chance, it burns when a goal goes in. All you can think about is what you could have done differently, and the hatred of that sinking feeling is what keeps you going, more than the thrill of pulling off a save you shouldn’t have been able to. I’m sure the mindset is similar for these guys.

I was at LaFontaine’s last game as a Sabre. November, ‘96 against the Flyers. He took what looked like a nothing check in the neutral zone and stayed down for what seemed like forever. I posted a video of him talking about it and everything that came after in some thread awhile ago (far too lazy to find it again), positively frightening. I was shocked when he didn’t hang it up after that. Not at all shocked when he accidentally ran into his own guy as a Ranger the next season and that’s what ended it. I’m sure KO is getting the absolute best care and advice possible, and he’s a grown-up who has to make his own decision about what’s best for him and his family, but I seriously had doubts about hockey in general, not just his involvement in it, watching him go down in that fight for a variety of reasons. The next one’s waiting to happen, at some point it has to stop being worth it. I’m not even talking about the money, he’ll get paid every penny one way or another. He’s obviously a proud dude with all the qualities that get someone this far in his field, but there are so many more considerations...

You can’t do the old Marion Hossa salary nosedive anymore, but the loophole is to pay out a good chunk of the contract in signing bonuses upfront, which get rolled into the overall cap hit.

Reading Housley’s post-gam comments. I find nothing to contradict the conclusion I came to awhile ago that he’s not the guy. Effectively: “It was a good game, minus all the bad stuff...” the roster is incomplete. Plenty of JAGs. Still, a higher standard is required. Still. If the coach is willing to accept less than the best, what are we even doing?

Or, spitballing here, keep his feet moving and stay in position like a ***** NHL defenseman would...

Half-assed from Risto there. Do these guys want Phil gone?

I know circumstances tonight required him to play, but Hunwick can probably just stay in the press box going forward.

It’s the right move, shame these a-holes into playing harder out there.

Larsson.... bad one, my dude.

Ugh. Need more first period. This one’s not going well.

After joking about it for years, we finally saw a Sabre stab himself with his own stick... JACK!!!!

I like the new wrinkle where they take turns tossing the puck behind their own net so one forechecker can keep them pegged back for about 30 seconds. Sheesh.

Oh, Ponmers...

Commodore has been grinding this particular axe for years now. Accused him of lying about his potential role on the Wings to convince him to sign as a FA and then treating him poorly. Meh.

If there’s a reason to do it (I don’t think there is, FTR) it’s that they’re pretty screwed salary-cap wise and need to bleed roster players to keep the core together. This is a draft-day move rather than now, but with a pending RFA you’d get a better price now. Still, nonsense.

They'd have to move almost $4 million to make the cap hit work in the short term, and probably more to make it work for next year. Somebody's coming off the roster to bring him in if it happens.

Happy to inform everyone that he did not disappoint... Aguero’s reaction might just be the best thing ever...

Some entertaining Eklund-worthy nonsense flying around right now... gonna be a fun 25 hours or so. (I don't think Risto goes anywhere)

League Cup final going on right now, Chelsea - Man City 0-0 in added time of extra time. Chelsea's keeper goes down injured for the second time in about five minutes, manager tries to sub him off and he flat out refuses to go. I have never seen that before. The absolute scenes.... Watch him screw up in the upcoming penalty shootout...

SEYMOUR!!!!! (with the feed).

Yes, but who’s out is yet to be determined.

I stared at it for awhile, I think there's a Carolina (or Ottawa maybe, can't tell) player between them.

Kaleta's about a foot off the ice, I think.