That Aud Smell

A 3-guess approach. But we have a winner. Also, I really am quite ignorant of what’s going on out west. I knew this team was doing well, but, until just now (JUST NOW!), had no idea they have the top 2 scorers in the league.

River, stay away from my door! Hand up on that one. You’ll find many past posts of mine saying he’s just too low-hockey-IQ to be very good. I do wonder what’s happened. Coaching? Usage? Whatever. We’ll take it! That’s a helluva fact.

Saints be praised!

Haha. But no. Wait - is that a Toronto reference? If so, no.

Robyism?

What was Dahlin doing there?

I have one single legitimate source in the NHL. At a recent holiday function, I had a chance to catch up with him for a bit, and chew the fat. The one tidbit that I found absolutely fascinating: There are two high-level members of his team's FO who are actively campaigning with the GM to have him tell the coaches to play one of the team's young stars on a different line and/or in a modified role -- in an effort to tamp down production and control the next contract. I was flabbergasted. He said something to the effect of "don't fool yourself - this sort of **** goes on all the time. ... well, it goes on all the time in organizations that don't have their *** completely together, anyway."

This makes sense. As does this.

In the name of all that is good and holy: 2-goal win tonight. PLEASE. It's a cheeky blog entry. Are the 'Yotes really that banged up?

Didn't recognize the name of the song - but looked it up, and I KNOW THAT SONG.

Not junk. Cassettes were state of the art, in their time.

I mean ...

Interesting. I try to be judicious in citing to basic advanced stats like Corsi and Fenwick because, I am advised, the people who trade in #fancystats have moved so, so far past those metrics. It seems like dropping knowledge about cassette tapes in connection with songs being beamed to a Bluetooth speaker.

The Irish writer Brendan Behan was once quoted as saying that he felt Los Angeles was "a city with no navel." I have not spent much time in L.A. But it's Houston that fits that bill for me. It's just so dispersed and diffuse. There's so little there there.

Interesting. Hockey players are still as advertised, I suppose. I reckon they mostly know when they're playing well, or poorly. Still surprises me. I guess it shouldn't. The upshot: The kid from Eden likely has a sense that he played a solid game last night - came out a little ahead on chances for than against when he was on the ice. The basic metrics corroborate as much. (That's the whole idea, after all.)

Given that a player's on-ice SAT metrics are a significant factor/predictor in their ability to stay in the league and get paid, I'd bet dollars to donuts that players know how they're doing in that regard. If nothing else, their agents would keep them up to speed.

Agreed on the goalie academy bit. Just really well done. And I appreciate how the whole premise seemed to evolve organically from two Buffalo athletes with bright personalities and good senses of humour (White and Hutton).

Did the kid from Eden get the bad end of that hit? If so, I felt badly, as you KNOW that ~75% of his town was in the arena to see him. He can take solace from the assist he got on the first goal, and the fact that he was one of the few Kings players who had a positive Corsi.

Good post - each and every point. Next season, Mittlestadt's further development (fingers crossed) will be a big reason that the team takes a step forward. He's having a helluva time right now.

My main takeaway from the game last night is that Eichel is an absolute beast right now - a monster. He is rapidly growing into the role of undisputed 1C and Captain. Also: I think it's widely agreed that he's already shortened his stick. Good post. Agreed on that first one. On the second one, I think it's his heavy feet in small spaces that cause the concerns. Good post - agreed on all points. I really think there's something to the shorter stick having an effect on finishing (goals). He seems to have sorted that out. Or the puck luck is just coming his way a bit more.

Bulldog at WGR said something about him being close to a record American-born goalies. I think that's why he's still at it.

Time to get a W against a team they can and should beat. Let's go, Buffalo!!

Not totally unfair. You cut out the part where I said she’s a capable executive, though. Also, I consider my odes to her beauty pretty benign. They are more tame than how my sister talks about Justin Trudeau.

Holy moses. Amazing is right.

The months and years following 2.22.11 have quite taken the shine off my fascination with the former Ms Kerr. Too many uninspiring creative choices to recall at this point. I get the sense that she functions well as an executive. I just don't think she has a vision, or many ideas, that are interesting or compelling to me. Of course, if the team starts winning, then all of that stuff gets forgotten. She, of course, remains awfully purdy.