Practice Notes 5/5 Helenius with the Sabres

[Brawndo]

 

Edited May 5 by Brawndo

[inkman]

[Doohickie]

I wonder if the gray shirts are black aces?  If so, that would mean that was Levi in net.

[Derrico]

Whoa.  Hope no other injuries. 

[BullBuchanan]

14 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

I wonder if the gray shirts are black aces?  If so, that would mean that was Levi in net.

Those look like Ellis' pads.

[Chevyvanmiller]

16 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

I wonder if the gray shirts are black aces?  If so, that would mean that was Levi in net.

Looks too big to be Levi. My guess is it's Colten.

Edited May 5 by Chevyvanmiller

[Taro T]

18 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

I wonder if the gray shirts are black aces?  If so, that would mean that was Levi in net.

Doubt it.  They'd said the "black aces" were practicing on their own separately from the rest of the team.  The tweet said that Helenius was practicing with the team; if the black aces in general were already practicing with the team, why make special mention of Helenius and none of the others.  And having too many bodies on the ice can mess up the flow of drills.

[Porous Five Hole]

With Östlund out, it makes sense to involve Konsta as additional injury protection.  
 

He’s the only prospect who could potentially qualify for a top six role. Any other new injury solution would be something like promoting Greenway and drawing in Dunne/Pearson to the fourth line. And I’m being polite when I say that’s not…ideal. 

[Dude]

They listened!

[Porous Five Hole]

2 minutes ago, Dude said:

They listened!

He’s not going to play unless someone gets hurt. 

[Porous Five Hole]

BTW, how gnarly was that Danforth knee injury? We are coming up on seven months and he’s still not skating? I’m not asking because I want him in the lineup or anything. I just wonder what happened?

[K-9]

Helenius has great speed and I wouldn't be at all surprised if Lindy uses him against the Habs because of that. 

[darksabre]

31 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Doubt it.  They'd said the "black aces" were practicing on their own separately from the rest of the team.  The tweet said that Helenius was practicing with the team; if the black aces in general were already practicing with the team, why make special mention of Helenius and none of the others.  And having too many bodies on the ice can mess up the flow of drills.

I think we need to ban the use of this term, it's making me insane. No one has ever said it, it's made up. 

[inkman]

Just now, darksabre said:

I think we need to ban the use of this term, it's making me insane. No one has ever said it, it's made up. 

You are preaching to the choir. I started a whole thread about the term and posters were adamant it’s been used prolifically for decades. Nonsense. Just because it’s familiar to you doesn’t mean it’s ubiquitous. 

[Flashsabre]

21 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:

BTW, how gnarly was that Danforth knee injury? We are coming up on seven months and he’s still not skating? I’m not asking because I want him in the lineup or anything. I just wonder what happened?

I believe it was a broken knee cap so I don’t know if other problems within the knee were damaged as well

[BullBuchanan]

19 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:

BTW, how gnarly was that Danforth knee injury? We are coming up on seven months and he’s still not skating? I’m not asking because I want him in the lineup or anything. I just wonder what happened?

He's a 33 year old bottom line signing on a 1 year deal and has effectively no experience with the team. Even if he was healthy, he'd be a break glass in case of emergency player at best. 

[Flashsabre]

I’d love to get Carrick back and Konsta can play but I’d take Östlund back over both of them.

His playmaking was necessary for that PP to take off and he had 2 great games before the injury.

[Porous Five Hole]

Just now, BullBuchanan said:

He's a 33 year old bottom line signing on a 1 year deal and has effectively no experience with the team. Even if he was healthy, he'd be a break glass in case of emergency player at best. 

Incorrect, he signed for two years. As I said, it wasn’t for lineup considerations. I was just curious about how it has been seven months and he’s not skating yet. That must have been a brutal injury. 

[BullBuchanan]

3 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

I’d love to get Carrick back and Konsta can play but I’d take Östlund back over both of them.

His playmaking was necessary for that PP to take off and he had 2 great games before the injury.

Based on what we saw with Östlund, and Lindy's comments, I wouldn't be surprised if he can't come back at all this year, no matter how long it goes.

[Eleven]

31 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:

BTW, how gnarly was that Danforth knee injury? We are coming up on seven months and he’s still not skating? I’m not asking because I want him in the lineup or anything. I just wonder what happened?

You could ask that smart-ass calendar of yours.  Maybe it should answer a question for a change.

[GASabresIUFAN]

54 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:

BTW, how gnarly was that Danforth knee injury? We are coming up on seven months and he’s still not skating? I’m not asking because I want him in the lineup or anything. I just wonder what happened?

He busted his knee cap.  He has skated according to reports, but is still experiencing pain.

[Second Line Center]

 

[Big Guava]

Just now, Second Line Center said:

 

 

Hell yeah!!! Major news!! He gives us a legitimate scoring threat on the 4th line and makes it even harder to play against us now...

[Second Line Center]

 

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

https://www.dkpittsburghsports.com/2020/06/11/hockey-nhl-black-aces-why-called-history-eddie-shore-extra-players-stanley-cup-playoffs-tlh
 

History of the term “Black Aces”

“WHY ARE THEY CALLED BLACK ACES?

The term was coined in the 1940s by former Bruin Eddie Shore when he was the owner of the AHL's Springfield Indians. Shore used the term to refer to his extra players on the roster, players who were working their way back from injury or in the doghouse. The players would have to participate in practice drills like the rest of the roster, but they would also have to do maintenance around the arena. One of Shore's extra players, Don Cherry, wrote about the Black Aces in his book "Grapes: A Vintage View of Hockey."

"Anyone who crossed Shore became a 'Black Ace,' one of the many extras he kept on the squad - but wouldn't dress for punitive purposes," Cherry wrote. "The Black Aces had to work extra hard in practice and were always available to play should any of the regulars enrage Shore even more.  In addition to scrimmaging with the team, the Black Aces were required to do odd jobs around the arena such as painting seats, selling programs, making popcorn, and blowing up hundreds of balloons before the ice shows."

The name Black Aces refers to the "dead man's hand" in poker, which includes the black aces and black eights, and is considered unlucky after Old West gunfighter Wild Bill Hickok was murdered while holding that hand in a game of poker 1876.

Since the Black Aces were mostly comprised of players who were injured or in Shore's doghouse, Shore considered them down on their luck, and compared them to the unlucky black aces in the poker hand.

Today's Black Aces aren't as unlucky, and definitely don't have to do odd jobs around the arena. They have an important job: To remain game-ready in case the opportunity presents itself to step into a Stanley Cup playoff game.”

 

Edited May 5 by GASabresIUFAN