LTS

Parents... parents... the ungodly stupid parents. They are the problem. Coaches can at least be penalized. Parents are untouchable. It's getting sad. Did you know USA Hockey has now also made it illegal for players to bang their sticks on the boards? So.. you know. USA Hockey! WOOOO I video all my kid's hockey games, but it's not to question officials. It's because sometimes some really stupid stuff happens and if there's evidence it will be helpful.

Have you seen the country change much? That said, running the US and running a hockey team are in no way related whatsoever.

How long do you let someone build a team? I feel that when he came in he was surrounded by too many people with differing and bad agendas. Over the past few years we've seen an indication that he's now comfortable moving some of those people out. They are starting to assert their values on the front offices of the teams. Things don't change overnight, especially if one of the guys in charge really screwed things up. More importantly, you can't fire the owner, so what does it matter? He's the owner and will continue to be the owner. If he continues to screw it up then fans need to start leaving. If they do that then the team will lose money and he'll probably look to sell the team. It's far too early to judge where Botterill is going with this team. It's plausible that Housley was never intended to be the coach and that Krueger was who he wanted all along. The problem was Krueger was tied up in his soccer project and not ready to leave that. If Housley had panned out that would have been excellent. He didn't. It sucks for the fans, to be certain, but each new management structure can't make decisions based on the length of time the fans have suffered. That's how the cupboard was emptied with Murray. I'm just more patient. And frankly, I have no control over it. So I can choose to get bent over it or choose to hope it will get better. If I feel like Botterill can't get the job done then I'll stop paying attention to the team until they make a change.

I do think the fear of a penalty will make coaches think about challenging. Losing a timeout, usually, doesn't matter all that much. The double-minor will really hurt. If they ruled that the double minor was served as simultaneous minors it would be a 5-3 and I think that would be great. Let the opposite team choose. 5-4 for 4 or 5-3 for two. The sad truth is that they have to do this. They can't choose to ignore the video evidence because the vast majority of fans won't ignore it. Fans don't let the refs off the hook for making a mistake. If the NHL were to do so, the fans would hate on the NHL and they'd lose business. I was reading an article on ESPN yesterday talking about how everyone with cell phones are recording youth sports games and now using their video to get in the fact of officials in youth sports. They feel even more emboldened than they did before. If they'll do it in youth sports they will sure as heckfire go ballistic on professional officials.

Yes, judging by your name and your take, a few too many. ?

So, with your billion dollars you are going to go find a guy who claims to be good at drilling for gas. How are you going to find him? Interviews? You don't know what makes a successful executive for that role since you know nothing about it. You'll bring in some consultants and they'll have ties to other people and opinions on who you should hire. So you hire a guy based on your consultants. Do you just scurry off the Caribbean and not check in on what he's going with your money? What if your consultants steered you wrong. They steered you to a guy who worked really well in the Southern US but dealing with Northerners isn't a different beast. They don't like your Southern boy. So, you gotta fire him and start over. Now who do you listen to? The smart owner is going to eventually get the right guy. The entire time they are going to stay involved so they can learn more and more about the business they didn't know much about before. Eventually, they'll start to get it. Arrogance would be buying the team and not having hockey advisors help you on hiring and operating the team and going out and doing it all yourself. That hasn't happened.

The NHL could be a different landscape when he's up. But that said, if Dahlin is that kind of player, then you have to consider letting him walk. As great as any single player is, they are not worth destroying your cap structure. Marner is not going to win the Leafs a championship by himself. He didn't even get them out of the first round. No player is that good. Just like the Sharks going all stupid with Karlsson. If Dahlin demands big bucks and you can get 4 first rounders? I'd take it. Those first rounders can be kept for flipped back to build your TEAM. Frankly, I think Marner is a jackhole for the way he's handling things. Certainly his right, but he's not endearing himself to me. If I were the Leafs I would hope someone makes him an offer... it sets them up real nice for the next few years while solving their salary problems.

I really meant on this topic. Not using the ignore function. And yes, it is, but there are people who are going to ignore that information. They'll claim you are adhering to crazy apologist theories and choose to ignore that they are also clinging to their accusatory theories with equal strength. For people like you and me, we look at the information that surrounds the move itself and begin to think, no reasonable GM would do it unless there was something there. For others, they will just claim Botterill is that unreasonable GM. In the end, he's still going to believe that the Botterill vaccine causes autism.

You'll be happier just ignoring him. Honestly. He's clearly living up to his name and he's ground the axe so far his fingers are bleeding. He's not going to stop.

Ahh.. so he has a different IG from Twitter? Poor branding. ? Both of which are not the number he wears now.. he's a confused yute.

Isn't Jack Eichel's twitter @jackeichel15 ?

My son's HS hockey team is considering a model based on those Michigan uniforms. I happen to like the white look. It would need SOME blue in it however.

Most of what I have been told by my brewing pals is that Alchemist uses hop oil in their production and pouring the beer out into a glass will allow people to see evidence of that as opposed to keeping it in the can. I've not cared enough to test this theory.

And i might add, unless she's already entered her residency match, it might play into where he chooses to sign after next year as well. If she hasn't matched or whatever then someone should get talking to the Buffalo hospitals on taking her into the program and convincing her that Buffalo should be at the top of her list. ?

There's still more to melt?

As it was stated, but I'll clarify on Bales. He was a goalie coach. The Sabres made him an assistant so it's a promotion and that clears the way. Even if he just works with goalies. ?

I think the GT coach will make a big difference. It's not as much about ceiling of abilities but a bad coach can encourage the wrong behaviors in a goaltender.

The Capitals announce a new uniform for next season:

Please let this be true.

You think it's a bad way to judge athletes. That's fine. Why did so few other GM's jump on the acquire Ryan O'Reilly train? He had very low interest from the league. Is it because they only cared about his on-ice capabilities? Have we ever heard GMs, teammates, etc. talk about how another player is in the locker room, or their off-field/off-ice issues and how it can be disruptive to the team? What I care about, is what his parents have said of their own child that is completely contradictory of what their own child did. He's so mentally tough that he's the ONLY athlete I can recall ever saying that he lost his love of the game because of losing. Is there another one? Please, I'd love to find another one. I care about that, and the fact that when a really good hockey player could be had for peanuts, the number of GMs that came calling were next to none. Why? If ROR is so freakin' awesome why is it so few? If he's the kind of player that can LEAD A TEAM TO GREATNESS because he's now the Stanley Cup MVP, why wouldn't you trade to get that player? It doesn't make sense, UNLESS, there is a reason that is not rooted in the easily observed on-ice performance of one Ryan O'Reilly that kept GMs from going after him.

See my nearly immediate edit. I had omitted that. And it doesn't change the substance of what I posted. All of that and you went for the one thing I corrected before you even got a chance to post? Excellent.

Well, it was hashed about but it's because at least one of the kids didn't really like him? See below though. You think they are minor. But it only matters what the people who are involved think. That said, I read LeBrun's article today about the Ryan O'Reilly story and there were a few points I found interesting. His Mother His Father His Father Again From LeBrun What I read into those comments are. He felt people thought he was the problem and he was so "mentally tough" that he lost his love of the game. In Colorado, when they were losing and in Buffalo, he takes it personally. Yes, most players hate losing. Most don't talk about how they lose their love of the game however. In fact, I've never heard a player say that before. As we said, he takes on the personality of the team. He's not the guy to pull the team out of losing. But the real key for me was LeBrun's commentary. For a player everyone knew was available. For a player people all over are roasting the Sabres for trading away. Why was the interest so low in him? Do you not want to smack every other GM and say "Why didn't you go get ROR?" He was available for nothing. Despite all the this, the that, and the other things that are out there. I can't get over that a player so amazing. A player that makes such a difference. A player, that doesn't have his on-ice production questioned. Why would that player not be in demand by every franchise out there? At this point, I'm with Liger. The ROR discussion can continue, but I'm done with it. Not even when the Germans bomb Pearl Harbor!

I agree with his post game commentary. I think he had his games where he was all in as well. And then he had his games where he was not. I don't have a problem with Okposo honestly. Bogosian, I'm ambivalent. I don't think it really is. Last year, there was a point when Okposo made a comment about some players on the team being too high for the wins and too low for the losses. There have been other comments made about not getting too jacked up for wins and not letting the losses sting so much. I attribute much of that to Eichel as his play during the good times last year was noticeably better than his play outside of it. There are a litany of other things that get brought up over the past two years that also lead me to believe this. If I were arguing a case in a courtroom I'd pull it all together. But that's not the case. I am surprised nothing has come up, but that doesn't mean it's not there. I heard about some of the issues, but not specifics from someone who was in the locker room two years ago (not last year). But knowing that and hearing some of the statements last year it seems to align. That said, I heard stuff about ROR from someone in the locker room as well, and that certainly never came to light, but yet he was moved for a pile of scraps. Hmm.

Yes.. they are. It's not out of the gate mind you. But you monetize your travels you take while working and build it up. People travel, sure. Not everyone is going to have the appeal to people that you would have. That's how much you would make. Not how much woody would make. ?

Me either.. I just thought he went off the deep end. I saw the other post too.. I ignored that one.. but the second one baited me.