Winston

Imagine dark sitting on the end of the bench, donning full gear and a ballcap as he backs up Ullmark, posting regularly in the GDT. Hopefully they'd let him on the private wifi :D PS @Thwomp, I don't think I ever noticed that you're in Columbus! Is that new, or am I unobservant?

You've gotta put your ######s in a little more context. Otherwise I can decide what word is bleeped, and therefore I can decide whether or not I am offended ;)

100% on the same page. I took your comments to be a general sense. JW was very much "option b" in all of my scenarios. I don't fault anyone that was snippy back or poked fun at him.

There were 7349 PP opportunities in the NHL last season. That was 245/team. Almost exactly 3 chances per game. There have been 7556 opportunities in the NHL this season. That's 244/team so far. Again, right around 3 per game, but slightly up. The average PP% is up though, from 19.11% to 20.08%. Still not drastic though.

It's probably a personal and nostalgic thing, but I love parking a little ways out, walking to Pearl Street, then walking to the game in the cold. I know it's not for everyone. And I know that removing this piece of the puzzle will open up doors to the new casual fan without losing me as a hardcore fan. But still, I like to walk and be cold :P It's part of my routine here in Columbus too because I found a free lot not far away from Nationwide. I regularly chat with the cop manning the crosswalks after the games as I wait at long lights lol.

I got one of the RJ bobble heads for my birthday and I have it on my desk at work. My coworkers are not hockey fans, nor did they grow up in WNY. Needless to say, they don't get it

I'm not too upset about any of that. I LOVE Eichel with E-Rod instead of Girgy. Also glad that Nylander is with <insert name of player I care about> instead of <insert name of player that shouldn't even be on the Amerks next year> Him and Casey could be fun together. Interesting that he's playing LW. Haven't they had him at RW in Rochester all season? Sadly I don't get to catch any games. Can anyone confirm his regular wing position?

Absolutely a good idea. It's good to be the kid that says, "sure, sit at my table" instead of giving them the Forrest Gump bus treatment. I think we could all do a better job of communicating agreement as frequently as we communicate disagreement. Swamp makes an astute observation. Good stuff. FWIW, you were one of the first (if not the first) to make me feel welcome here. I know SDS doesn't like mega-threads. But some boards have a pinned "welcome thread" for new folks to post in. Something simple, like: Has SS ever had a welcome thread? Should we start paying NS for his role on the welcoming committee? Could we at least reimburse him for the cost of all the casserole ingredients?? (jk, I'm sure he writes it off ;) )

I think this is getting overblown. Think of SabreSpace as a microcosm of real life. You're in second grade. A new kid moves to town. He asks to sit at your lunch table, so you say sure. a) He's into the same sports that you are into, and even shares his snacks with you. b) He kicks you under the table, and tells you that your mom's sandwiches suck. You've lived in a neighborhood for 12 years when a young couple moves in next door. a) They wave hello as they get the paper in the morning, invite you over for a BBQ, and even shovel your part of the sidewalk when it snows. b) They blast their music at 2:00am and let their dog ###### in your yard. You're a longtime poster on SS when someone new signs up. a) They post in a couple game day threads, NS gives them a warm welcome, then they start their first thread about a solid topic. b) They drop by late at night, bash people over the head with their ctrl v/ctrl c hot takes, and when someone disagrees they resort to expletives. You're going to get a slow but friendly welcome to all of the As. You're going to get a swift and negative reaction to all the Bs. It's not a good ol' boys club or anything. It's just life!! I don't think SS is the anomaly. Perhaps TBD is the anomaly due to higher volume and higher turnover. Maybe that's why I love this place. I don't feel like a cog in the machine here. It takes some time to learn about posters and the mood around here. I'm sure that turns some people away if they are seeking a seamless entry into an anonymous world. I think places like Reddit, hell even HFboards are good for that. Around here, people actually get to know each other. The ones that are worth knowing will stick around. (and Gramps, I hope you don't think this is directed at you in a negative way. On the contrary, you're someone I think is worth knowing and I hope you stick around :) )

I'll echo this. I never felt like there was any ceiling that I had to break through to last as a poster. Several others have joined and made great contributions, even if they are unpopular opinions. It's how you react to disagreement. Even as an outsider, inside jokes only assure me that this is a place with personable posters that I'd like to interact with civilly. I think having a media presence here would be awesome. Valuable contributions are there to be made. But lately JW didn't come here to make valuable contributions. It seemed more like he came here to blow off steam and take a break from AP Style writing.

I would challenge WildCard to a football knowledge contest if I were you, jw

Yeah, I do too, but slim pickings.. Baptiste is already on his off wing in that lineup. Could slide him up, because Girgensons really hasn't done much to deserve a top 9 spot despite nice opportunities. I'm sure Girgy will stay stapled to Jack though. I just want someone that has the smarts to get in the right places. E-Rod has his gaffs, but he seems to have a knack for getting in positions to finish. Maybe not every time, but more often than Girgensons finds himself anywhere useful. Jack is the type that can see that and take advantage.

E-Rod-Eichel-Nylander Wilson-ROR-Reinhart Girgensons-Mittelstadt-Okposo Baptiste-Larsson-Pominville is what I would like to see. Nolan, Larsson, and Pouliot all deserve to watch the end of the season from the box. Larsson won't because he's a C and a pest. Pominville probably deserves a third line spot, but the right side gets crowded if that's where Nylander is playing.

We had four straight wins during the McEichel tank season. All one goal wins in mid-December. We actually won 10 of 13 game during that stretch. At the conclusion of that 4 game streak, we lost 18 of 19.

I didn’t see any explanation on Twitter, but I’ll dig. My guess: set aside the fact that it was dirty, it was also just a bonehead play from a team perspective. For a marginal player (which Hartnell is at this point) to singlehandedly swing a game... yeah, that would get your ass benched if I was a coach.

No DPS hearing is a joke. The Preds scratched him tonight against Tampa though. So at least a little bit is right in the world.

7 points is the most ever by a Sabre in a single game. You can probably guess who did it. Here’s a hint: it rhymes with 7

Yep, just looked it up. I gave Jack an extra point- it was indeed 2+2. And it was the day after Christmas, not the day before. I watched at a bar, so you’ll have to give me a break :P https://www.hockey-reference.com/boxscores/201512260BOS.html Anyways, 5 must be a new career high. But he should go for 6 anyway!

Gotcha. That probably makes the most sense, although it still isn’t a perfect measure. Hell of a way to help the team percentage.

I think it ties a career best. 2 goals and 3 helpers against Boston on Christmas Eve back in his rookie year, right?

Looked to me like Harnell finished high and did so intentionally. His body was definitely moving upward. And the primary point of contact appeared to be Hartnell’s shoulder to Antipin’s neck.

Interesting. So you could finish a game with a PP% far exceeding 100%. Never really gave it much thought before.

When it comes to PP stats (for example, PP%), how is a major like that scored? Is it still 1/1 regardless of whether they score 1, 2, or 17 goals? Or is it PP goals/ PP chances?

Don’t look now, but Jack is only one point off a PPG pace again. Can he pick it up in the third for a career-high 6 point effort?

You can finish your check. Absolutely. But finish it at the hip. Finishing it high, with an upward trajectory, main point of contact being the head/neck? Enjoy your early shower. And enjoy not needing to hit the shower for a few games as you serve a suspension.