LTS

Reread this thread. There are a lot of people wrong about a lot of things. Including me thinking this would be a double disappointment day. I'll take it all! Woo hoo.

Smelling salts are nasty but they certainly wake you up fast. I'm not saying they help performance but you definitely are jolted. I tried it once. My nose hated me and that was that.

Certainly snarky... and i posted this elsewhere and perhaps you saw it.. perhaps not. http://www.startribune.com/casey-mittelstadt-lifting-gophers-with-strong-start-to-college-career/454779223/

Do you mean this article? http://buffalonews.com/2017/12/28/world-juniors-ready-to-break-the-ice-with-first-outdoors-game/ (I searched pond hockey 2008). I see this quote Reading that article it doesn't seem to support your notion so my guess is that you are referring to another one that doesn't pop up with those search terms (there are only 2 articles, that one and one on Fehr and the NHLPA.) If you have a link I will read it.

Man. Just drop players on their in front of the net. That was horrible defense for Lehner.

No. I'm on my phone. I'll look for it. But I'm not sure how it refutes the story on the kids talking about playing on the pond and me referencing the number of rinks I know we have around here.

Can someone fire the MSG sound production people? The sound mix has been terrible this year. You can barely hear RJ,Dan, and Rob. The crowd is mixed too high. The radio listening is impossible. Also, noticed that RJ is calling a lot of road games this year and Dan is at home a lot. Is RJ on an unannounced farewell tour?

I guess the kids from Minnesota were all lying then?

Welcome to nearly every business on Earth.

Ok. The USA game has me pumped enough to not worry about this outcome. Let's go Buffalo.

Clearly missed the story on the kids talking about skating on the ponds at home? I'm sure they spend a lot of time on regular rinks but to assume they spend no time on backyard rinks is crazy. On my son's team there are at least 5 families who build their own rinks each year. We have had one in town regularly. We hit that often. Great game by Team USA. Perhaps the refs not calling a 5 minute major on that hit really got them motivated. Fun game to watch.

Is Pegula the loan marketing group on this? I would think the IIHF has a good level of involvement since it's their product.

Devils have done a great job of turning the team around in a short period of time. The management deserves a lot of credit. They could be like some teams who continually find ways to suck for long stretches... oh, they are playing one tonight! Well, it may be a double let down day in terms of hockey but I will still be watching...

Right now the coaching staff for Team USA should be finding more time for Middlestadt to be on the ice. I was amazed at how little I saw him last night. He made a bad drop pass on one play and had one bad turnover but overall he controls the puck when he's one the ice. They needed more of that against Slovakia. His goal was a thing of beauty and that's quite the definition of "My team needs a goal and *I* am going to make it happen." And then... they completely BLOW their coverage on the GWG from Slovakia. They were lost... sad.

No thanks on Duclair. He can't make it on the Coyotes after not making it on the Rangers. The Coyotes are horrible. They have to know the best they will get is some 5th round pick or another "change of scenery" guy who's also washed out. Why would you even bother to move him unless he's also no good for the team/locker room? That's red flags everywhere.

I will be watching this game one way or another today. (Family in town, but that's too bad they chose today to visit). I won't be there... too expensive for that game.

Yes. The goal would have counted and the clock set to 1:09 and they would have finished. The only time that doesn't happen is when you score the winning goal with your foot in the crease. I mean.. Because Buffalo right? It's humorous. If i look at the replay, I cannot SEE the puck can I? Technically if I cannot see the puck over the goal line then it's not enough evidence to over turn the call. I KNOW the puck was over the line because of everything that happens but I cannot SEE it. Whatever.. play better defense and that doesn't happen. The OT goal was horrible as well and I'll just go ahead and assume that no one asked Lehner "Hey, Robin. Were you still thinking about how the NHL screwed you over when Barzal took that shot?"

I watched a lot of Irv growing up in Buffalo. It was his ability that makes me hate all newscasters today. He was great.

He spent what.. 12 seasons in the AHL? Man.. imagine the way posters on this forum might have talked about him. :) Dude was insane.. then again any goalie playing without mask was insane, but his poke checks? C'mon.

They can drill another well. #amidoingthisright? :) Need to watch the game. It's a great hockey time right now.

Finally able to see the video. His in-person hearing should be to be handed his retirement papers. That was bush league. Girard came over to bump him and say something and Rinaldo just decided he wanted to hit someone. Wow.

When an owner fires a coach and GM at the same time it's usually because the owner wants the coach fired but the GM doesn't agree. He backed Bylsma as a coach. He might have had some criticism of how he was handling players but he didn't fire Bylsma after the season. He hedged and suggested how things could improve and then the supposed Eichel statement is put out there and boom Pegula pulled the trigger. IF? Let's put it this way. Simple decision tree planning... step 1, determine the draft outcome. There are 2 variables in the first decision, one option is 20% likely, second is 80% likely (no value given to a team winning but not picking McDavid or Murray not picking Eichel or McDavid). The plan then expands from there. I don't think there is any evidence that he had no plan. Does anyone think that? If so, based on what rationale? And yes, if it was stated that he only ever thought about getting McDavid and had no clue what to do if he didn't have a chance at him then I would agree with him being incompetent.

Thanks for the final ruling Judge Judy.

Good lord that's really taking a stat too far. It should be paired with the following. Of all the 1:1 attempts entering the zone against Ristolainen, how many times has be failed to break up the entry. This stat just says what other players do against him. If, in my head, I feel like I am going to get wrecked into the boards by Ristolainen, then I might just be dumping the puck in instead. How often do teams carry the puck in against the Sabres anyway? Finally, if the coach has the defensive wanting to let the players into the zone wide and protect the center of the ice then the fact that he doesn't break up a zone entry really isn't going to be on him, is it? So many other things to consider before you just apply that stat as gospel.

I think they pretty much know what they have at this point. I think some of the line juggling now is an attempt to showcase a player for a trade. Put them in a situation another team wants them for just to see how they play with a certain type of player. How does Girgensons play with Eichel and Reinhart? Does that translate how he plays with offensive minded players on another team? Possibly.