The Boston Bruins are trying to get to the NHL playoffs. No problem, right?
After the season the Bruins have had, while we may doubt that they are strong Stanley Cup contenders, at least they’re sure to make it into the tournament, right? Sure! I just checked last week at a stats & simulation site who calculated that the Bruins had a 98% chance to make the playoffs. No problem, right?
Yep, everything is awesome!
Just to catch you folks up,
The Bruins had a heartbreaking loss Thursday night, and in their rear view mirror, the Flyers won and the Red Wings won.
That placed the Bruins at 3rd in the Atlantic division with 86 points in 75 games played.
The wild card teams NYI & Philly were now at 87Pts (72GP) and 85Pts (73GP) respectively
Behind them was Detroit at 85 points with 74 games played.
So if the Red Wings won their game in hand, and match the Bruins for the rest, the Bruins won’t even make the playoffs.
The Bruins’ odds of making the playoffs were 98% going into Wednesday’s Rangers game. They were still at 91.5% by lunchtime on Thursday. They woke up on Friday at 69.7%. And have had a 5 game losing streak.
(Playoff statistics from Sports Club Stats)
Yaaaaayyyyyy! Buy your playoff tickets now.
But wait! The Red Wings played Pittsburgh on Saturday, who clobbered them, 7-2! Then the Bruins played the Maple Leafs on Saturday night (which is apparently all right for a fight), and they started out slow, but then remembered a minor point — regular season games actualy count! They found their legs in the 2nd period, (let me repeat that: they found their game in the 2nd period) and came out of it with a 3-1 victory. Now they are 3 points up on that team who has a game in hand on them, and their playoff chances are back up to 86.3%. The Bruins’ magic number is 5.5 wins or Red Wings losses, and they get into the playoffs.
OK, guys, the party is back on!
Ok, perhaps we should reign in our enthusiasm just a little.
Better.
Playoffs?! No no not yet, but for some!
CRUSHING HOCKEY PUCK WITH HYDRAULIC PRESS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxDycguIWXI
Everything about this video is fantastic.
http://www.willitblend.com/videos/hockey-pucks
WOOO!!!! Adler Mannheim is getting an outdoor game next season!
http://www.adler-mannheim.de/news.php
Yesterday’s recording of Bearly on Topic was a blast.
Man it really was
It was a good time. We should think of creating an improv troupe that focuses only on hockey and the classics. What about Pride and Prejudice and Hockey Sticks? The Old Man and the Puck (that one’s about The Jagr).
A Tale of Two Sedins
Wuthering Fights
The Call of the Minnesota Wild
The Great Holtby
The Center in the Dive
Of Mice and D-Men
Jimmy Howard’s End
Claude, I, & Us.
Apparently this is a thing I can do.
we sticking to Modern Novels or is The Life of Paille allowed?
Life of Pi is a Modern Novel!
Most excellent. I am too tired right now. We should make a thread or table based on all our excellent New Hockey Classics Repertoire some time.
Love.
Damn, i meant for that to be I, Claude & Us. …meh.
I got it.
Dying.
The Ice Girls Cometh
Bravo, phony, bravo.
Can he sing?
Made a batch of doodle “uglies” yesterday:
http://i.imgur.com/VoCJgVL.png
http://i.imgur.com/vuKZxfm.png
I love this jersey.
http://i.imgur.com/vlS1o0q.png
Ylonen? Not Doan/Tkachuk/Numminen?
Numminen got the Buffaslug. And…er…Ylonen seemed funnier somehow.
I saw that after I posted. I’m shocked you didn’t give Miro the Buffaslug, being you and all.
Also I just pretty much only associate Numminen with the Yotes in my head, even though In know he played other places,
When I do Miro, he’s gonna be a Bruin.
Still a shame he was never a Devil. #MissedConnections
agreed.
None of the teams who had him ever did a “Hell Frozen Over” promotion, either. *smh*
sports.yahoo makes up for it w/ the “666” player number
Best intern ever.
This, I understand
And this one.
http://i.imgur.com/c5f67y4.png
I love the Mooterus. It was a really, really cool idea, or would have been if they’d stopped to think about what else it looked like
It was a great idea. Good color scheme too.
The color scheme is cool, but it looks like the bull gored a chili pepper.
And the mooterus.
You know im gonna keep bothering you till you make a Whalers one right?
Did them last week!
http://i.imgur.com/oBkYb9T.png
YAY!
Surprised you didn’t go with Shannaban.
Those are their uniforms from 1979-1980 when they joined the NHL. Their top scorers that season were Blaine Stoughton and Mike Rogers:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1979%E2%80%9380_Hartford_Whalers_season#Player_statistics
And wow, Stoughton had four excellent seasons with the Whalers:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaine_Stoughton#Career_statistics
Rogers had a few excellent seasons in the NHL, too:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Rogers_(ice_hockey)#Career_statistics
That whole late 70’s to early 80’s period is kinda like the land that hockey forgot. Some great players have been forgotten about due to the WHA-NHL overlap.
Y’know, there might be an article in there somewhere…
Yeah…Most people don’t even Recognise Hull as a Whaler.
Granted he played like…9 games…
Also lost in there are the European players from that period.. Not just the Eastern Bloc teams, but also the Scandinavians who took their time coming over here.
BUM BUM BUM BUMBUMBUMBUMBUM BUM BUM BUM BUMBUMBUMBUM BUUUUUUM
http://www.wejustscored.com/teams/hfd.html
Is Edmonton ever going to get it right?
I am confident that Chia can clean up the mess he inherited and gradually replace it with a new one.
I hope so. A team cannot be that laughably bad for this long. The analogy of being a C+ student w/ a helicopter mom was perfect though. (hopefully my edit worked)
The problem Chia has is that hes coming in at the wrong time in the salary arcs of many of these players for his management style. They need to win before the end of McDavid’s ELC or hes going to have to nuke the roster just to pay him
Yeah but based on that roster right now it might be wise for Chia to blow up that roster right now too.
That team is a classic case of “Yes, draft best available, but you have to do things after that, too.”
Its why I don’t really think the Bruins can realistically trade for a top Dman. Anyone of that description who is available can/will get us outbid by Chia when he throws either Eberle or RNH out as his bid
People keep saying that but the Oilers still haven’t done it.
RNH and Eberle have AAV’s of $6 million. Usually hard to trade that in-season, unless you are trading with Ottawa, who might think they’re playing Catan instead of managing an NHL team. Chia needs to move them towards some kind of success next season, so I bet one move at the draft this year
Agreed. Another big factor is teams being unsurprisingly unwilling to trade away defense.
This is very true. I bet they have a good trade in front of them with either the Isles (who still need to trade Hamonic) or the Jets (who have 3 top-4 [in their estimation, Tyler Myers isn’t really, but eh] RHD) So I think an Eberle for either Hamonic or Trouba would make sense for all parties. (or a 3-way trade that puts Hamonic in Winnipeg, which is the only ‘western Canadian team’ that actually makes a lick of sense for his reasons for asking for a trade)
I keep saying “we’re just one d-man away from being an actual good team,” – I don’t think we’ll manage to pick one up on the cheap, but I sure as hell hope one falls in our lap.
That said, I’m hoping Chiller / Carlo / O’Gara / Grizz / anybody turns out to be much more NHL ready than we thought.
Doubtful, but here’s hoping.
I have some mid-level signings in mind that might serve as a decent short term patch
I’m OK with this.
Please sign Liles to a one-year deal.
Sure. Cheap tho, pls
How are you doing on that, speaking of it
In progress. Ought to have a draft today, seeing as the rain says I shall not be hiking today
excellent. I’ll message you when I get out of work here shortly to bounce a few things off you
I think they need to start drafting team needs. Take the best player available, but that you need. If they don’t get #1 overall (because passing on Mathews is ridiculous) draft the best defenseman available.
You mean drafting “Hockey Jesus” won’t automatically redeem the team?
Or trade down to a position where the top d-man is. But yeah, I hear ya. Sure, drafting the best player available is almost always the right call but you have to factor in the potential cost of acquiring the player you need later. Add the usual caveat that it’s tougher with defenseman ’cause they take longer to develop.
Yeah but part of that “Taking the best player rule” is if he is a redundant piece on your team you look to trade him for what your team needs….for some reason they would rather just ruin the players and let them go once they cant afford them.
Totally agreed. Hindsight is 20-20, but wow they should have traded down from Yakupov.
Or at least one of the Hall/Yakupov/RNH picks.
Ryan Murray has been a bit of a bust too. The top of that draft was shit.
If they win the lottery
the NHL will take changing the rules seriouslyI just can’t see them not trading it for someone big. They are already really plugged up with top C- this is why an RNH trade, while stupid (hes a perfect complement to McDavid, Draisatl is the redundant one), is expected. Matthews just magnifies that particular insanity. They need to trade down, acquire a top D and draft the same, and stop this. They are the exception that proves the rule of BPAThe Oilers biggest roster problem has been screamingly obvious for years, and they keep failing to address it. I found it fascinating how everyone has been screaming about their goaltending forever, yet they had a promising goaltender in Dubnyk, whose stats turned out to be crap – then after moving he’s 3rd in Vezina voting the next 2 years. Then they pick up Scrivens, who’s tearing it up in LA and is suddenly posting GAA >3 in EDM, and they decide he isn’t good enough so Chia brings in Cam Talbot, whose numbers don’t look great, but he was on fire at the end of last year, and they decide he’s not really doing enough — at some point, you need to realize that your goaltending isn’t your problem – it’s that your defense is giving up stupid numbers of high probability shots. At least Chiarelli tried with Sekera.
But go ahead Oilers, you keep all those forwards. Any day now having no defense is bound to be successful.
It’s like the Flyers from the past two decades in a microcosm.
The thing is, they could have drafted best player available and traded for an actual need, or traded one of those 54 1st overall picks for a really good player to fill a role they’re lacking.
Who’s seriously lacking a center that could spare losing a top 2 defenseman?
I think Nashville is still a candidate tbh. Sure they got RyJo, but their #2 and #3 centres are both 36, and Johansen isn’t much of a 2-way guy. RNH would be a GREAT pickup for them, but would cost them Weber or Josi (I say trade Weber before his stats decline starts to show up on the eye test and it becomes impossible- plus his perceived value could land RNH plus a 1st
I’m trying to remember who it was, but I think it was Down Goes Brown that commented that Josi is really the Predley’s #1 d-man now.
Absolutely, and it isn’t really close at all. Plus, they have probably the best 2nd pairing in the league with Ellis-Ekholm
Anaheim’s D is gonna be terrifying starting next year-ish. Philly’s D is finally starting to shape up, too.
Philly’s D prospect ranks are insane. Provorov, Sanheim, Morin…. goddamn
And they have Medvedev (not a prospect, I realize)
hes like 33 and a UFA this summer. I’d not bother mentioning him tbh
Lord knows they’ll want him back. I don’t think it’s crazy.
This about the Yak asking for a trade news? Because of course Yak asked for a trade and power to him. The two coaches hes had there who worked for him (Ralph Kruger and Todd Nelson) were both shitcanned after less than a full season (the Kruger firing was stupid, as he had jsut lead Edmonton to their best season in recent memory, before and since, and was replaced by Dallas Eakins, who is only good at looking suspiciously like David Tennant)
That Oilers team sure is wibbly-wobbly.
So theres a whole mess of Masterton nominee talk on the twitters this morning. I think the Bruins’ nominee ought to be Marchand. Played all last season with a bum elbow that limited his movement bigtime, quietly got it fixed over the summer, and came back this season firing on all cylinders and taking on a bigger leadership role with the team.
Sorry…you say Masterson and i went baseball with it and got confused for a min.
One more week!
Masterton
S and T are alphabetical neighbors….that is my excuse and i stick with it.
you must have been thinking of Bat Masterton
This is the Masterton nomination version of the ::CarlShrug::
The Habs should nominate Therrien.
Correction:
The Bruins should nominate Therrien.
Can we give Therrien a duck boat parade?
If Bergevin doesn’t fire him, I suspect we need to send him an Edible Arrangement or something too.
Good morning, friends!
Another busy week on tap: More writing, the conference I’ve been planning for the last few months happens on Saturday, and it’s our prospective student weekend. Wheeeeeeee!
Saw Batman v Superman this weekend. I didn’t hate it, but it’s, well, really dumb in places.
Superman is such a bland concept and non-complex god-man that it makes it very hard to not be dumb. When your hero is only weakened by a hilariously flimsy deus ex machina, you are doing it wrong
Yeah. And Zach’s Synder’s Superman is even more boring. Well, he’s the living embodiment of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, and that’s just the worst.
I’m totally blind when it comes to comics so I might be way wrong here, but why are Batman & Superman fighting anyway? Aren’t they both in the Justice League?
1) Get a popular hero
2) Get another popular hero
3) ??????
4) Fight and PROFIT
Its dumb anyway, because Superman can just be all “yeah, no” and fart Batman clear out of existence
All it takes is one perfectly placed (well…maybe just placed) plot device, though.
Lame.
Most people would disagree, Batman has far superior intellect and is trained in combat. Yes If Batman makes one mistake he is doomed but Batman V. Superman is not as one sided as it seems. Plus Superman is weak to Magic, i am sure with all his money Batman could find some relic to fight him with other than the obvious Kryptonite.
Superman has another weakness. One he shares with all the straight guys out there…….women. Maybe that’s what the fight is about. Either over a woman or Batman is going to out Supes.
Superman can fly, but Batman can Kryptonite him to death. I don’t know.
Its basically the film equivalent to /r/whowouldwin
Because reasons:
http://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/points-of-conflict-in-batman-v-superman
This one’s my favorite. I’m #TeamBatman on this one:
I would kick Superman in the face after Batman kicks him in the face.
Holy crap, that’s funny! I nearly burst me white reading that.
Fucking autocorrect! Me shite! Nearly burst me shite. WTH?
They are both in the Justice League in the comics.
The movie was essentially the origin story for the Justice League. That movie is scheduled to come out next year.
It’s also the dumbest movie title ever. The two fight for all of about 15 total minutes (and the movie is 151 minutes long).
Problem is they should have just stuck with one plot device and done it well…and just brought the “pre-justice league” in separately in a different movie….yeah yeah i know they want to rush the JLA out ASAP but …comeon…do it right.
Yes indeed. Honestly, I’d rather them have skipped this one and moved right on to the pre-Justice League movie. The nods to the other members are the best part of this movie! I want more Aquaman!
The thing is- the complex moral conundrum that would come with being an omnipotent god-man can be dealt with is a realistic and relatable way- Dr Manhattan is a great example of this.
Some buddies of mine and I discussed this over magic cards recently (NNNEEEERRRRRDDDDSSSS)- how is it, even as a purely good being, that Superman doesn’t eventually feel the need to control and rule mankind in the name of good, to set things right? Don’t go firing anything about him being perfect and well intentioned, because human nature directs people with the best intentions that way all the damn time. Hell- the Judeo Christian version of God does EXACTLY THIS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE DAMN OLD TESTAMENT.
/SuperRant
Well, he was raised with human values so he will always have the inner conflict into his identity.
But Zach Synder picks the wrong conflict! Rather than it being a push/pull between his human and Kryptonian nature, it’s a struggle over whether or not he should intervene in human affairs. It’s shitty.
I just think that if you are going to go the Frank Miller route of Batman you just go and do it….don’t try to sample from different shit to make something you think will compete with Avengers.
Yes. I have to say, though, that I thought Affleck did a pretty good job. Way better than I expected.
Low bar and all that, but Affleck gets more abuse than he deserves.
Better director than actor though. (especially if hes not in his own films. Gone Baby Gone was the best of his directorial efforts)
Kinda surprised he hasn’t done more writing since goodwill hunting & the town & Gone Baby Gone have all done well.
Good to hear, that was one of the things going in that i was sill unsure of.
Win Wenders shit right there.
hahaha
Also, given that Snyder has said hes got a The Fountainhead project in the works (oh…. joy?) this Randian superman ethos is really, really spot on on for the Zack Snyder version of
UbermenschSupermanYeah. Supes and his dead father have a conversation on a mountain about halfway through the movie. It’s Randian masturbation.
The fact that he has no obvious character flaws makes him even more interesting to watch.</ s>Hey folks! Rain today and shitty weather tomorrow because fuck you HHG and fuck your vacation.
Goddammit. Coffee on tap. At least all those family members of mine had to go back to work and its no longer a 6 person clusterfuck here.
Doh!
No bueno. Sorry, pal.