Your Tuesday Evening Open Thread & Final Remaining NHL Second Round Preview

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NFL Noise:

  • I guess it’s not tampering if you’re a player – Patrick Mahomes wants to see Aaron Rodgers in the AFC West.
    • “To have that challenge … two times a year, every single year would be a great, great opportunity.”
    • But given that the Packers are intent on calling his bluff, it’s likely a no-go until after the 2022 season, when they can get a lot more for him than they can right now.
      • And besides – Rodgers couldn’t even protect Miles Teller from getting jumped, so maybe he can’t see the whole field anymore.
  • In an effort to get more gritty, the Houston Texans – who I’m led to believe are a professional football team in Texas – signed former Patriots RB Rex Burkhead.
    • He will apparently be playing both as a third-string running back and on special teams.
  • Stefon Diggs did the Bills a solid & turned most of his 2021 salary into a signing bonus.
    • By converting more than $11.7 million of his base salary into a signing bonus, it saves the team roughly $8 million of salary-cap space.
      • Diggs was slated to make roughly $12.7 million in base salary in 2021; it’s now $990,000.
      • Buffalo now has $11,084,995 in cap space.
    • This is the same shit Brady would do for the Patriots each year just before his salary became vested.
      • So they could “make room” to buy another piece for Belichick’s puzzle.

And as an appetizer to the all-Canadian NHL discussion below, allow me to introduce you to the Edmonton Elks.

As we all know, the ex-Eskimos – although their website is still esks.com – changed their name after coming to the stunning realization that their name might have been considered derogatory by a not-insignificant percentage of the population. It certainly helped allay most of the die-hards/bigots that the [Redacteds] changed their’s first.

Anyway, I’m actually glad they kept the team’s classic look. I don’t need colours becoming the new “Two Roughriders?” joke about the CFL.


Before I start, just a few more from last night.

This one’s in memory of tWBS, who would have approved of the song choice,

https://twitter.com/MrBooth_7/status/1399540889631051776?s=20

Anyway, now that that’s over with, on to business.

North Division Finals: Winnipeg Jets (3) vs. Montreal Canadiens (4)

The series no one predicted is now the car crash people won’t be able to turn away from. The Jets took down the Oilers in four games, exposing them as frauds and exposing a portion of their fanbase as some of the worst online racists outside of the recent Gaza bombings. The Habs, meanwhile, just spent seven games destroying the Canadian sports media’s narrative of the Leafs being a team of destiny rather than a collection of overpaid frauds with no team coherence. Perversely, this might have been the result Gary Bettman wanted most, because it guarantees the Northern team gets quickly dispatched in the semifinals, and that he doesn’t have to listen to the demands of Canadian fans who want the Nordiques back.

Still, we must soldier on.

The Jets showed they have the necessary grit to hang with a better team. Blake Wheeler is still the big dog, but the component parts of the team all fit nicely into a three-line grouping that produced regular scoring & tight checking when required. The Habs, meanwhile, seemed to be making it up as they went along, with different heroes every night. If there was one consistent emerging narrative from their lineup, it’s the emergence of millenials Nick Suzuki, Cole Caulfield, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. All three are under 22, and play like they don’t care about tomorrow. A team led by guys who think they’re bulletproof will start thinking they all are, which as we know is different that thinking & playing like they’re entitled to something they didn’t earn.

But we all know this series will come down to goaltending. Connor Hellebuyck didn’t win the 2020 Vezina trophy out of nowhere. He’s been steadily improving every season he’s been in the league, and he’s been responsible more than anything or anyone else for the Jets’ rise to prominence. He’s that type of goalie who loves facing 35-40 shots a night, because it keeps him focused throughout the game, and that consistency has further helped develop his skills. He’s not Dominik Hasek, but he’s sure starting to look like him. On the other side, you have Carey Price, who has been doing the Connor Hellebuyck thing a decade longer for arguably a worse team. When Ken Dryden was the Habs goalie, he had guys like Lafleur & Robinson in front of him, and that got him six rings. Patrick Roy didn’t have as many advantages, but he still had a young Chris Chelois and the remnants of Denis Savard & Kirk Muller around him, so that’s how he got his first two. Carey Price has had literally no one on his team who could help drag them deep into the playoffs. Nearing the possible end of his career in Montreal, he must have thought he would never see the playoffs again, let alone advance past the first round. But competent forwards and a speedy defence allowed his usual playoff expertise to be rewarded for once.

Long story short: whichever goalie breaks first determines the winner. Be prepared – each game is going to be 2-1 or 1-0. Maybe keep a book handy.

Prediction: Jets in six.


Tonight’s sports:

  • NHL:
    • Tampa Bay at Carolina – 7:30pm | NBCSN / Sportsnet
  • NBA:
    • Celtics at Brooklyn – 7:30pm | TNT / TSN
      • Game 5 – Nets up 3-1
    • Trail Blazers at Nuggets – 9:00pm | NBATV / TSN4
      • Game 5 – series tied 2-2
    • Lakers at Suns – 10:00pm | TNT / TSN
      • Game 5 – series tied 2-2
  • MLB:
    • White Sox at Cleveland – 7:00pm | FS1
    • Miami at Toronto – 7:00pm | Sportsnet1

Another solid night of hot playoff action. Get thee to the comments!

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Beerguyrob
A Canadian man-child of indeterminate age, he stays young by selling alcohol at sporting events and yelling at the patrons he serves. Their rage nourishes his soul, and their tips pay for his numerous trips to various sporting events.
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Doktor Zymm

It’s odd how music about opiates is probably painful to listen to for those on opiates. There was something in Basketball Diaries about how he couldn’t listen to the full Velvet Underground Heroin with the violas when he needed to score, and I suspect someone with the itch would find this World Inferno song super irritating as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llTyo4djEK4

Last edited 3 years ago by Doktor Zymm
Doktor Zymm

Du bist ein lameo

Doktor Zymm

I’m in the uncanny valley, y’all are asleep.

Doktor Zymm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C895vF-fNRY

So M.I.A. is a refugee from the Sri Lankan civil war (the Tamil Tigers in northern Sri Lanka if you don’t recall)
In her first full length album she had these refugee education skits, which are fun musically no matter what, and why I originally liked them, but apparently they’re actually hilarious within the context of being a refugee in the UK. I have enough context that I ‘get it’ in a sort of academic way, but even though that’s a sad fucking way to get a joke, I appreciate her all the more now.

Doktor Zymm

Navy-strength rum, blackstrap bitters, mulling spices, soda. Okay, but liked the last drink better.
Also opening Japanese Heart Chiple Garlic Snax

TheRevanchist

I’m so bored with sports right now. When does the Euro start? And will the games be aired at a normal time instead of 4 in the morning? I might stay up for the Australian Open to watch Osaka dominate, but not soccer. I need it to be on during the day so I can eat wings and drink moderately until nap time.

Brick Meathook

I just listened to Beggar’s Banquet on headphones for the first time and the production is amazing, particularly this song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O8wa3vY1pM

Brick Meathook

Here’s a short clip from Sympathy For The Devil, a film by Jean Luc Godard. It alternates between long takes of the Rolling Stones developing and recording a song, which just happened to be “Sympathy For The Devil,” at Olympic Studios in London. These takes are alternated with single take Marxist skits that just can’t be described. The first time I saw the film I hated it except for the Rolling Stones parts; every time I saw it again I grew to love it more and more. Now I think it’s a genius work of filmmaking. It’s all long languid takes on dolly rail with the weirdest stuff in front of the camera. Watch the whole thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAjC2L4hKBM

Brick Meathook

Here’s the trailer for the 50th Anniversary 4K restoration:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juChsS5KvhQ

Brick Meathook

More wonderful Godard weirdness. The original title of the film was One + One but the producer changed it to Sympathy For The Devil after the recording process they filmed turned out to be a major hit. Godard reportedly punched the producer at a press conference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtb3gNSf4Gw

Doktor Zymm

Are there still bathrooms like that, or are they all cleaned up for my shitty generation?

Brick Meathook

You can still find those bathrooms.

Doktor Zymm

I think I’m just jaded because all the best worst bathrooms I have known are closed. No more Mars Bar, no more Mutiny. I guess Nuzbacks is still open, I wonder if they’ve bothered putting a lock on the ladies room door, or making it not just two toilets in a room.

Brick Meathook

The original 9:30 Club in Washington D.C. had delightful rest rooms. CBGB in New York did too.

Doktor Zymm

Only went to the new 9:30 (the old 9:30 farewell concert with the Smashing Pumpkins was my freshman year in high school and I would have killed to go, but no way in hell that was gonna happen). The ladies’ at CBs was fine. I remember seeing that throne toilet in the men’s every time I walked down the stairs, but don’t recall ever seeing a dude using it

BeefReeferLives

Such a great tune. Nicky Hopkins’ jangly piano runs make that song just that much better…

Last edited 3 years ago by BeefReeferLives
Doktor Zymm

Navy strength rum, Jamaican bitters, Grapefruit liqueur, soda.
Also, remembered I have two handles of Bombay Sapphire I bought at new years and haven’t touched yet. I need to stop drinking so much fancy wine and get gin-soaked instead.

Doktor Zymm

Oh! This is surprisingly good! Don’t notice the navy strengthness of the rum at all!

Doktor Zymm

The bitters def helps too, tempted to try one with the blackstrap bitters, but I probably don’t need another navy-strength rum drink tonight

Mr. Ayo

No one “needs” a first navy-strength drink, but that didn’t stop you then.

Doktor Zymm

Quiet tonight….perhaps, too quiet

Brocky

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TheRevanchist

It’s me. Sorry. Worried. Is blood supposed to be in my ejaculate? Hoping it’s just a passing trend that the kids are all doing these days, and somehow I am a cool kid.

Doktor Zymm

That’s probably a porn category, find a producer then milk it while you can

Brick Meathook

I ignored the hell out of 66% of this sign:

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TheRevanchist

The part in French?

Brocky

Friend: so you been watching the nhl playoffs?

Me: no, not really

Friend: why not?

Me: just hard for me to get invested with their being so many games per year

Friend: there aren’t that many

cut to me looking out the window at squirrels

Also, this

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Doktor Zymm

Squirrels are good climbers

Mr. Ayo

Most of them anyway.

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Brocky

I was gonna say this picture reminds me of a traumatic experience from my youth, but then I realized I would need more context:

I was like 8, and me and mom were visiting my great grandparents graves, and we came across a poor bird that had somehow gotten its head lodged in the small opening there. I tried for the better part of a half hour to free it, but my undeveloped arms couldn’t bend the iron.

Memory is a weird thing. Haven’t thought of that in a decade

TheRevanchist

This reminds me of a time, as well. You know that mesh that comes in swim trunks? Somehow my son’s scrotum got stuck in one of those tiny holes and he was in pain. Poor kid. We got him free without any harm, except emotionally.

Doktor Zymm

For a couple of hours yesterday I thought I was getting tired of champagne. Thank goodness that didn’t last *opens bottle of Blanc de Noirs*

SonOfSpam

Lakers down 30 at halftime?

THIS IS HOW WE WIN.

j/k see you next season

Brick Meathook

Montreal
March 14, 2020

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SonOfSpam

Which one did you take back to your hotel?

Mr. Ayo

Why not both?

Brick Meathook

This is me taking them home on the bus

TheRevanchist

Lots of support for his team.

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Senor Weaselo

Gotta say, the Dirt Giants are reminding me of me until the age of almost 27, in that they can manage to fuck up golden opportunities to score.

Gumbygirl

This is important, pay attention

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herodotus450

Speaking of Shenzen, a package I’ve ordered was recently “Inducted in the Logistics Network” according to my package tracking updates. Next stop Skull&Bones I guess.

Doktor Zymm

Your package is now brothers with my replacement BlackBerry!

SonOfSpam

Both Kings arenas plus Anaheim.

The heart of ice hockey in a way (that way being “not at all”)

Doktor Zymm

Hey y’all! I’m back in the USSA, and all set to watch some foreign ice sport!

SonOfSpam

You don’t know how lucky you are, boy.

Horatio Cornblower

Old Boston Garden. Hartford Civic Center.

I an still hear the “You play in a shopping mall” chant to this day.

ballsofsteelandfury

Buffalo has a population of a little over a quarter of a million.

Quebec and Hamilton have twice that. Regina and Saskatoon have a similar population.

Hell, LONDON FUCKING ONTARIO has 400K.

Why the fuck aren’t there NHL teams there?

herodotus450

Shenzen has like 40 million, where’s their team?

Horatio Cornblower

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You’ll give them ideas!

herodotus450

How about a joint team shared by Missoula Falls and Medicine Hat.

litre_cola

As log as Red Deer doesn’t get anything I am good. Med Hat is ok, Red Deer is the worst.

SonOfSpam

Buffalo has that one sauce. I think it’s some kind of mustard.

TheRevanchist

I’m not sure who here listens to The Dan Le Batard podcasts, but I’m excited about the 24 hour marathon this Friday.

https://twitter.com/LeBatardShow/status/1399897070207651840?s=20


Brick Meathook

Washington Capitals at the Capital Centre during their illustrious 11–59–10 second season (an improvement over their 8-67-5 inaugural season, still the worst in NHL history). The best part was a Minnesota North Star player who slid into the wall on his knees face first and was carried off on a stretcher. This impact was shown repeatedly on the then-novel JumboTron screens over center ice. I don’t remember anything else.

Dunstan

Neither does he.

BrettFavresColonoscopy

Man, I’m fucking tired

ballsofsteelandfury

Tired from fucking?

– Eternal Optimist

Doktor Zymm

That’s pretty much the translation of the Latin word ecfututa, most notably featured in the Catullus poem where he teases his friend about not introducing him to the harlot he’s secretly fucking

BrettFavresColonoscopy

All of this sounds better than being tired from work. Will see if I can change the cause later.

Dunstan

Current NHL arenas I’ve been to: Bell Centre, Saddledome, whatever Boston is calling its arena these days, Staples, the Pond, the Shark Tank.

Defunct NHL arenas: the Montreal Forum, Forum in Inglewood, the Winnipeg Arena.

Viva La Tabula Raza

I think I must have seen that Kings game at the Forum in Inglewood.

ballsofsteelandfury

If you remember yellow and purple jerseys, it was definitely in Inglewood.

ballsofsteelandfury

Follow up question: Were you up to no good?

Viva La Tabula Raza

Nah, I went with a buddy of mine and his family. At 15, it was pretty boring for an adolescent non-fan.

SonOfSpam

Really the only question that matters.

Brick Meathook

I almost bought the foreground picture at the Habs gift shop on the site of the old Montreal Forum.

”Trade me right fucking now!” (hangs up)

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Dunstan

Before I saw the picture, I thought it was going to be a Patrick Roy

Viva La Tabula Raza

Only ever seen a few hockey matches. I guess because I spent my young life abroad and in the southern tier states that didn’t have hockey at the time.
I did attend a Blackhawks at Kings matchup back about 1975 or so. San Antonio had some minor league teams over the last 25 years or so; Iguanas, Dragons, and Rampage (owned by the Spurs; bought out last year by Vegas and now will be known as the Henderson Silver Knights.

Dunstan

He’s that type of goalie who loves facing 35-40 shots a night”

Ahh, well, you see, the Habs will cleverly frustrate him with their technique of only getting 20-some shots a night, max.

herodotus450

Pro-tip for Leafs fans: if you squint a little, the Lightning could pass for the Maple Leafs.

ballsofsteelandfury

Let’s see if this Tampa-Carolina game is any good.

Seriously, why the fuck do these two franchises exist other than in Gary Bettman’s wet dreams? You’re telling me you can’t get Larry from Regina out to a game? Absolute bullshit.

herodotus450

Tampa and Carolina have what, 3 cups between them in the last 30 years compared to all of Cananda’s, let’s see, I have the number written down here somewhere…

ballsofsteelandfury

At least the Lightning were a proper expansion team and didn’t steal another city’s team.

Also, they did this, which was cool:
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ballsofsteelandfury

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Horatio Cornblower

Seems kinda unfair to expect her to block shots dressed like that.

Mr. Ayo

She’s dressed to take shots, at least.

Horatio Cornblower

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TheRevanchist

Huh. Apparently, if I get my Classic silver card certified, it’s worth selling.

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Horatio Cornblower

Tampa and Carolina were part of Bettman’s vaunted “Southern Expansion”, along with Florida and Arizona. It’s been working out great! Arizona is a mess and almost always in the conversation to get moved, usually to Hamilton; Florida and Carolina are routinely in the cellar for attendance, and I’m not sure how Tampa Bay is doing, but they have won two Cups, so yay for them, I guess.

herodotus450

Nashville and Atlanta are in there too, and at least one of them is still doing well.

Senor Weaselo

Well, when has a Southern strategy ever worked out?

Brick Meathook

Worked for Nixon in ‘68

Dunstan

Larry from Regina is still pissed that the Blues didn’t relocate to Saskatoon back in the 80s.

Dunstan

When the Blues won the Cup two years ago, there was a good retrospective on the “Saskatoon Blues” story. I had remembered it as being a legitimate possibility, but the story kind of threw cold water on that — it was probably never going to happen.