DarthEbriate

Well, I guess this is a free time out. And then an actual time out. I still need to practice that intro. Alternately, hello Cleveland!

You go, Okposo!

Yup --- Vesey out with Jack and Sam (although that's not surprising given the lead), but it could definitely just be to give the rookie a little rest, too.

I want Okposo wearing a new top hat today.

We've almost got a dinner here. I wonder if Olofsson's leg is really tight/sore on the back-to-back. He's tentative today.

Gooooooolkposo!

Scary turnover, but the GLO line shuts it down.

Are we talking about Ewoks? Jawas? Ugnaughts? Whoever hit Risto put on a heck of a hit.

A little C&C to start the 3rd

Pekar Or Cozens (Yes, strictly going with who is in our system at the moment.)

Another strong GLO shift

Blergh.

That was a beautiful goal. Edit: For remembrance of Ray

Sickly keep, Dahlin. Too bad that didn't lead to a goal.

Nice little pass by Wheeler there. Treat this like a rancor, gotta kill it. And... that's nice way to kill it.

Wooohooo!

Ahhh... after 4 days of glorious, glorious sun (the first multi-day sunbreak since November) a front rolled in with hail and wind and ... more rain and gray. Let us abandon the yard work and embrace the hockey and beer today! Lock S-abres in attack position.

And score more goals than them. ?

He's a kid off his first helpful but significant surgery, learning the NA rinks, shuttling between teams/cities in a foreign country (likely without family), playing at a level above his current capacity (World Juniors and CHL and ECHL are well and good) but not the AHL. To coin a phrase: UPL K^6 will be fine and remains a top goalie prospect. As to having an extra bad game on just 13 shots faced --- we've seen that time and again in the NHL where a goalie faces no shots in 10 minutes and then boom... it's in the net. A sustained (if not overwhelming) attack seems like it's easier on the goalie to remain sharp. Once Ullmark is healthy again, the goalie structure goes back to sanity. JJ in the A; K^6 in the ECHL. (Barring a trade shakeup)

If Skinner picks up 28 goals in the final 20 games, we'll be yub nubbing ourselves into oblivion.

If they bookend the season with Oct-early/November and March/April runs then... we'll be entertained at the very least.

Looking at his career. 82 games played once. 10 this year, 64, 82, 54, 67, 72, 76 rookie, 11 cup of coffee. That's... Bogo level of games missed. He should certainly be affordable. Edit: Affordable meaning fairly easy to trade for. Still has the 4.1M next season (also affordable for a 2/3C tweener contract)

Whatever happened to Bjugstad? Seemed like he was part of that Panthers core that was up-and-coming and then just sorta... fell off. Is it just persistent injuries?

It would be the minimum easiest road. After today we're even with FLA in games played. If we assume that they flatline at a 5-4-1 average in their final 20, they'd get to 92 points. If we win today, and average 6-3-1 on our final 20, we'd get to 92; that's the 13-6-2. (We have games in hand with TOR and MTL so they'd both need to also flounder down the stretch). 92 points is possible, however unlikely. We need a streak in there and are more likely needing 94-96 points. The two games remaining vs. MTL and the 3/19 game at FLA absolutely must be wins.

Ayres' one is a wild story. Like a plucky young Moulson-wielder out to save the a planet from the cruel Empire. And his name doesn't even show up on ESPN's boxscore.