Like I said yesterday – this was much easier to type early than some generic Open Thread. Plus, I get to take shots at the Leafs!
Now, the North starts late because the Canucks – who aren’t even in the playoffs, or playing a playoff team – have to run out their schedule before the round-robin can begin up here. So if you are wondering why the Bruins & Caps played yesterday but the Leafs & Habs get until Thursday, it’s because Gary Bettman had to make NBC happy in the last year of its contract & give them a Sunday game. Since he doesn’t give two fucks about Canada
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HONDA WEST DIVISION
Colorado Avalanche (1) vs. St. Louis Blues (4)
- Monday, May 17, 10 p.m.: Blues at Avalanche/Golden Knights | NBCSN, SN1, TVAS
- Wednesday, May 19, 10:30 p.m.: Blues at Avalanche/Golden Knights | CNBC, SN360
- Friday, May 21, 9:30 p.m.: Avalanche/Golden Knights at Blues | USA, SN360, TVAS
- Sunday, May 23, TBD: Avalanche/Golden Knights at Blues | TBD
- *Tuesday, May 25, TBD: Blues at Avalanche/Golden Knights | TBD
- *Thursday, May 27, TBD: Avalanche/Golden Knights at Blues | TBD
- *Saturday, May 29, TBD: Blues at Avalanche/Golden Knights | TBD
Oh, this is gonna be good. Two high-powered teams who can absolutely light up the net. If this were 1986, it would be Flames-Oilers and the games would all end 6-5. The Avs are set to be the team of the next half-decade in the West. They are littered with talent from top to bottom, and Nathan MacKinnon should/will be leading the Canadian team at the next Olympics. St. Louis is still cruising off their Cup win from two years ago, and they’ve lost a few players from that core. But they still have Tarasenko & Ryan O’Reilly, so anything’s possible if they can shut down MacKinnon and Landeskog.
Prediction: Avs in six.
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Vegas Golden Knights (2) vs. Minnesota Wild (3)
- Sunday, May 16, 3 p.m.: Wild at Avalanche/Golden Knights | NBC, SN, TVAS
- Tuesday, May 18, 10 p.m.: Wild at Avalanche/Golden Knights | NBCSN, SN360, TVAS
- Thursday, May 20, 9:30 p.m.: Avalanche/Golden Knights at Wild | NBCSN, SN360, TVAS
- Saturday, May 22, 8 p.m.: Avalanche/Golden Knights at Wild | NBC, SN360, TVAS
- *Monday, May 24, TBD: Wild at Avalanche/Golden Knights | TBD
- *Wednesday, May 26, TBD: Avalanche/Golden Knights at Wild | TBD
- *Friday, May 28, TBD: Wild at Avalanche/Golden Knights | TBD
I don’t know what it is about the Wild that makes me dislike them so much. Is it their jerseys? Is it that they aren’t the North Stars? Is it that they had Jacques Lemaire as a coach – the man who ruined hockey in the late 90s with the Trap? It’s totally irrational, but they just… bug me as a franchise. So I can’t root for them.
Good thing they are running up against a Vegas team that feel justified in running everyone out of the building on their way to the Conference Finals. You just know the guys who own the Kraken are looking at this team’s evolution & drooling at the possibilities.
You just know the League is going to fuck them hard.
Prediction: Vegas in five.
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SCOTIA NORTH DIVISION
Toronto Maple Leafs (1) vs. Montreal Canadiens (4)
Sorry – force of habit.
- Thursday, May 20, 7:30 p.m.: Canadiens at Maple Leafs | NHLN, SN, CBC, TVAS
- Saturday, May 22, 7 p.m.: Canadiens at Maple Leafs | CNBC, SN, CBC, TVAS
- Monday, May 24, TBD: Maple Leafs at Canadiens | TBD
- Tuesday, May 25, TBD: Maple Leafs at Canadiens | TBD
- *Thursday, May 27, TBD: Canadiens at Maple Leafs | TBD
- *Saturday, May 29, TBD: Maple Leafs at Canadiens | TBD
- *Monday, May 31, TBD: Canadiens at Maple Leafs | TBD
Let’s break out the memes!
Now that that’s out of the way, I have to accept that the Leafs look pretty good. They have three solid lines, and were able to stay ahead of the Oilers for the whole season. The Habs are half-broken & missing their star players, and only got into the playoffs because the Canucks, Flames & Sens are all in Year ∞ of an ∞+1-year rebuilding plan. I hate Hate HATE the Leafs, but I can’t ignore the fact that they are destined for Round Two, where the media knob-slobbery will be too much to bear.
Prediction: Leafs in 5
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Edmonton Oilers (2) vs. Winnipeg Jets (3)
- Wednesday, May 19, 9 p.m.: Jets at Oilers | NBCSN, SN, CBC, TVAS
- Friday, May 21, 9 p.m.: Jets at Oilers | NBCSN, SN, CBC, TVAS
- Sunday, May 23, TBD: Oilers at Jets | TBD
- Monday, May 24, TBD: Oilers at Jets | TBD
- *Wednesday, May 26, TBD: Jets at Oilers | TBD
- *Friday, May 28, TBD: Oilers at Jets | TBD
- *Sunday, May 30, TBD: Jets at Oilers | TBD
I’m torn. I lived in Winnipeg for a time & have nothing but pleasant memories about the place, so I want them to do well. They traded Patrik Laine to Columbus but actually might’ve gotten the better of the deal when they got Pierre-Luc Dubois back. Their window for success is closing, so this might be their last, best shot at a Cup. And as a Canucks fan, I am pre-conditioned to hate the Oilers. But I also have to recognize that they are the North’s best chance to prevent the Leafs from getting to the semi-finals. Part of me also doesn’t want to see the Oilers waste the best years of McDavid’s career like the Packers did Rodgers.
Prediction: Oilers in six.
Tonight’s sports:
- NHL:
- Playoffs:
- Tampa Bay vs Florida – 7:30pm | NBCSN / Sportsnet
- Playing out the string:
- Vancouver at Calgary – 10:30pm | Sportsnet1 / NHLN
- Playoffs:
- NBA:
- Pacers vs. Raptors – 7:00pm | TSN
- Grizzlies vs. Warriors – 10:00pm | TSN2
- Futbol:
- MLS:
- Seattle vs. LAFC – 9:30pm | TSN
- MLS:
- MLB:
- St. Louis at San Diego – 7:00pm | ESPN / TSN3
While I very much enjoyed this book, and it opened my mind to new possibilities (especially the melding of CRISPR tech and yeast’s abilities) at points I thought the author was taking flights of fancy… https://images.penguinrandomhouse.com/cover/700jpg/9780525510321
Was in the Subsite’s artmines and come across this…http://www.subgenius.com/bigfist/pics11/VARIOUS_ARTISTS_1/images/CanadaSubsDrinking-Bucky.jpg
Horrible people, and C-squat is a horrible place, but great song and amazing bass line
https://youtu.be/WIOsw2wK4os
Rockin it in Perth http://radio.garden/listen/capital-community-radio-fm-101-7/juZVlqwa
This is one of the many reasons to love our northern neighbors
Yes, these are dumb, but if I actually have to deal with an idiot striptease santa this week that would actually be kinda great
Secret striptease crabs?
Please report back on what happens with that. I want to know about the dirty crab underworld
Chai Saw Danger for me. I’m glad it didn’t say “chainsaw danger” because I actually will be using a chainsaw this week.
Mmm, delicious spicy danger
Luxury corn words. Ummm… maize?
Gumby got chainsaw crabs energy. And he does!
I toured Chancellorsville Battlefield near Fredericksburg VA today.
These are photos of the dense woods known as “The Wilderness” and I don’t know if they convey just how dense they are. You can’t see more than ten yards into them, and the woodland is vast (broken only by plowed farmland which is still sparse).
On May 2 1863, Stonewall Jackson attacked through this woodland with his entire II Corps of 28,000 men, lined up a mile wide and a mile deep, and they charged through a mile of this stuff, hitting the completely unsuspecting Union right flank. This battle is still studied in military academies the world over to this day.
I stood next to The Wilderness and I can’t imagine one person walking through it let alone 28,000.
I don’t know about military actions, but it was fun as hell playing in similar terrain as a kid.
Nice. How many “real patriots” did you encounter?
Just me. I was the only one there.
The couple living a few houses down just had a brief argument (which ended with the guy driving off) and I could hear them all the way over here. It happens ever few months or so. I wish I could not care but I feel bad for their girl, who is about eight years old and an only child.
That does suck. Any way to befriend the kid? Hopefully she gets to do activities and even at 8 has a life outside the house
Oh, me and the kid are buddies. She always comes over to chat when I’m working out in the garage. She’s young enough that it’s not weird but I sure hope she doesn’t keep coming by when she’s 15 or so.
Nah, good influence never has to be weird unless you’re in a movie or the wrong branch of the Libertarian party
Mentioned before but Mare of Easttown on HBO is absolutely binge worthy.
There is nothing you can do to Kate Winslet to make her unattractive.
What about throwing a bucket of gravy on her?
[enters the mindset of a Clots fan]
Yeah, never mind, I can see how that would make things even worse.
Smoked a brisket.
What’s the inside look like?
Like this. A 36 hour sous vide & seven hours in the smoker.
Oh my.
It was yummy, especially when paired with an IPA for me & a cab sauv for WineWife.
The only thing that needs to be paired with is my mouth.
Hey, what about the Blackhawks?
What about them?
I don’t know, I only follow hockey when they might win something. Are they still in the league?
What about who?
I though Who was on first?
If I’m not mistaken, today was the lowest number of new coronavirus cases in the U.S. in over a year. OVER A YEAR!
[slaps America on the ass, hard]
https://thehardtimes.net/culture/worlds-oldest-millennial-dead-at-39/
R.I.P.
Pour out some mimosa for a homie
Gen Z says Millennials suck because of their skinny jeans. Millennials who remember JNCOs: Guffaw
The only jeans worth remembering are Bad Idea jeans.
I know we support teh troopz but Hippo, your BFIB camo hats are a disgrace.
FUCK
THE
LEAFS
“Calm down, we usually manage to fuck ourselves.” — Leafs
You’re free to do what you want in the forests
Take only photographs, leave only footprints and spunk on fallen leaves.
“HAHAHAHAHAHA YEAH!” – the fossil fuel industry
The Penguins lost today, didn’t they? Fuckers.
Yup… I’ve already switched from cautiously optimistic to full prophet of doom mode.
I cannot begin to describe how nice it was to see Essendon blow an 18 point lead but still manage to actually win the game.
I saw that live. Crazy ass game!
The GWS game was gut wrenching. I’m still not convinced Dusty’s goal should have counted.
Two part challenge, what year is this, and which blurry person is me?
This was taken in HS and you’re dressed in all black.
Both correct, although not particularly exact 🙂
1992 and you’re in black next to the dude in the chair with his leg crossed.
97 and yes!
That was my guess on you. As far as the year, I’ve learned never to guess a lady’s age.
I tried to triangulate based on my high school days and actually having met Dok and well shit. I was also basing my guess on hair and general dress of the crowd.
That and my goth days were in the late 80’s.
We were not a group particularly anchored in time. Also apparently not well anchored in quality film 🙂
Fair
I’m older than a geriatric millennial!
What a world.
The top part is tonight’s sacrifice to GAMBLOR! Whom I dislike today.
Everton losing to the twentieth place Blades cost me a four team parlay today. I survived Crystal Palace storming back, and Liverpool’s miracle, only to get dusted off by the toffees and Richarlison’s toddler puss laying down, AT HOME, to a relegated pile of shit that had 18 goals this whole SEASON before today, to lose 1-0. Fuck GAMBLOR! like a female Duggar.
Gary Bettman is the fucking worst.
I’m shocked that Vegas and Minnesota are scoreless and starting OT.
42 shots. 0 scores. Go home a loser.
Knights reliving my college days like a champ!