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That Sorokin save in OT was incredible. But after the Wings hit the bar, felt like they were going to score. The bobble was unfortunate and the Wings played that 2 on 1 to perfection.

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Thanks Chuck, E.L. and Harmy!

Yeah, the Wings played an incredible 3rd & OT. Think these 2 are going to be battling for a playoff spot. Should be a fun season.

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Isles score in Kuemper on their only two first period shots. Scored third goal on fifth shot of the game. Caps scored but it was called back due to goalie interference. Oshie was in the crease and his skate blocked Varlamov’s so he wasn’t in position for the shot.

Pelech left in the first period though. Stopped to lay a blue line check on a Cap, went down awkwardly, left right away holding his left hip/kidney area. Just as Mayfield came back … ug.

Holmstrom’s goal was a beaut!

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No word on Pelech, which is not good.

Isles held a press conference about their Feb 18th Met Life stadium series game. Their last outdoor game was 10 years ago! It doesn't feel anywhere near that long ago. Only Isles on that version of the team were Nelson and the entire 4th line. Matt Martin had long hair last time around. This "series" is weird. Philly vs NJ and then Isles vs Rangers. Last time around it was a round robin of Isles-Rangers-Devils. I like including the Flyers, but if they're going through all of that, have a whole weekend full of games. I don't know if they worry about the outdoor ice so much that they want limited games, or if it's to keep them more rare, keeping ticket prices higher. Either way, I wouldn't go to one unless the tix were free. Even then, not sure I'd go. Sit like 1/4 mile away and hope you can see something? Doesn't sound very appealing. I know a few people who went last time around and froze their asses off. Said they'd never go again.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Carolina tonight. Chance for revenge for Round 1 last spring.

Pelech is out for tonight, but is skating. That's great news. I was afraid he had a bad injury.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Fox out for NYR and Hughes out for NJ. Everything's coming up Milhouse! I mean..Long Island!

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The hockey might not be great, same with the view, but the atmosphere was a blast at both of the ones I went to. I'd absolutely go again.

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Thanks Chuck, E.L. and Harmy!

Okay, you're the first person I've heard say they enjoyed being at an outdoor game.
Our home rink was pretty much gifted an almost regulation sized rink that had been in someone's backyard*. They run it like Thanksgiving-early March most years. Everyone loved the idea of playing on it in the beginning, and now everyone hates it. I've heard quite a few people say "this is why rinks have been indoors for the past 50 years". It's covered now, so the sun isn't as much of a problem (although the roof only extends like 5' in each direction and they didn't take into account that the winter sun is low in the sky and would hit like 20' of ice, lengthwise, causing a soft side most days. I always think of the responses to that rink when I think about outdoor NHL games.

*The rink was in the backyard of a very wealthy person, and even though their neighbors were pretty far away, the noise of the refrigerant truck caused enough noise complaints to the town that they pretty much gave the rink away.

Actual Isles update- Pelech skated alone today. Stinks he won't play tonight, but it's great news that he is skating. I was afraid this would be a long term injury.



I don't hope for anyone** to get injured, but yeah, those injuries may help the Isles.

**Except Dale Hunter, even now. Fuck that guy.

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Isles managed to blow a 3-0 lead vs the Canes and lose in OT. Fucking incredible. Isles totally dominated the first period and left it with a 2-0 lead. Then they somehow managed to shit on their own plates and eat all that shit. Fucking amazing. On the OT winner their Aho had what seemed like an eternity with the puck all alone in the Isles' zone. Give a goal scorer that kind of time and space and they'll score. Two Canes goals were weird bounces, but 48 shots on 101 attempts is just too many.

Barzal was incredible for the first 2 periods. Said in an 1st intermission interview that he knew his last game had been weak, so he had to step up. Once he scored he seemed to back off a bit. Big mistake. Canes with 4 straight goals. 48 shots on Sorokin. Isles had 25 shots. I know Pelech is out but the collective D is fucking awful. Under Trotz the Isles played a pretty boring clamp down defensive system. Now they're trying to open up the offense a bit, but getting players points is costing the team points. Making the playoffs with a player maxing out at 65 points is fine. Having a guy get 95 points but missing the playoffs sucks. Lambert needs to figure out how to balance the O & D or just focus on D like Trotz did. This team isn't built for barn burning hockey. Even Sorokin can't handle 40+ shots/night and be expected to steal them all. 4 goals on 48 shots is still a 0.917 save %. That's above average but he takes the loss because the Isles could only put 3 past Raanta and his whopping 0.867 save%. Ha, Raanta had an 0.880 save % in this one, so they helped him raise his season average.

Another squandered home game. One point. Fuck that after having a 3-0 lead.

Home vs the Wild on Tuesday. Maybe they will figure out how to score or play D between now and then.

Stir fried dog shit.

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Barzal was fined $5k (max allowed) for his high stick to Tony Q'Angelo on Saturday night. He also got a penalty on the play. While I agree with the penalty and fine (even though Q'Angelo was leaning way down or he wouldn't have taken the stick to the head), and I'd gladly chip in towards the fine, it's really annoying that this happened against the Hurricanes, the same team that high sticked Mayfield in similar fashion last spring, which wasn't called or fined, and led to Carolina scoring the Game 1 OT winner. Just call the fucking games consistently. And enforce fines, etc the same as well. It's not that hard.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Barzal should have gotten paid $5,000 for whacking DeAngelo upside the head.

How's Horvat doing? Do you regret the trade?

Raty is not showing much in the AHL although he's still 20 so there is time. Beauvillier is a 3rd liner, and probably getting bumped to 4th line on the return of Teddy Bleuger. In his defense, its not that he played badly last spring or this year, the Nucks are just deep on the wings. The first rounder was turned into Hronek who has been so outstanding that we're quite happy with the trade.

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Shoresy, "It's called a sweater"

If I look at Horvat today, I like the trade. I know you usually have to give a big name guy a long contract, but 8 years for a guy who is 28, and very big money? Yikes. I hope that cap sky rockets. But I know it won't. So I'll probably like the trade for like 4-5 years, then start to hate it.

Beauvillier is streaky. I'd take him back. But not for Horvat. He does well in the playoffs. He finds another gear.
Raty- time will tell. He had a few moments where he looked really good and some times where I thought he'd never make it.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Pelech, Mayfield and Horvat all took maintenance days yesterday. Mayfield got slashed in the same ankle he'd hurt in game 1 in his first shift after returning. Looked like he was in a lot of pain from it, and I wonder if he would have stayed out another few days if Pelech hadn't gotten hurt. Horvat took a shot off the ankle too. If they're not ready to go tonight, this could be the start of the Capuano Era Annual November shit slide.

Wild tonight.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Isles shit the bed again, blowing a 2-1 lead and losing 4-2. Penalty after penalty to kill the momentum. So many highsticking calls. If I was Lambert I'd fill all their sticks with gravel and sand for tomorrow's practice.

And fucking fire John Useless Fuck MacLean. The PP is a flaming dumpster next to a fishing dock in mid-August. Fucking stinks like hell.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Isles fans calling for Lambert to be fired. I'd give him a warning by firing MacLean, who hasn't helped the PP much, if at all.
I've asked who is available; who they'd like to see replace Lambert. The answer I keep getting is Gallant.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

In the game vs the Wild, Engvall had a costly turnover (game losing goal), but was hardly bad in that game, or any game this year. One bad play. He's a healthy scratch tonight. Meanwhile, guys like Lee haven't done much all year but are staying in the lineup. Martin is playing like 5 minutes/night. You scratch Engvall? One of the best guys on the breakout and forecheck? WTF is Lambert doing?

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Isles with another stellar third period, giving up 3 goals. Bruins take it 5-2. Isles made it interesting for a minute when Holmstrom tied it at 2 with a SHG. Did I say a minute? I meant 40 seconds. 40 seconds later the Bruins got their 2nd PPG of the night and never looked back. Coyle with an ENG for the hat trick. Good thing Engvall was scratched! More moronic high sticking penalties. I would seriously fill all their sticks with gravel, sand and water tomorrow for practice. Bolduc was the last one tonight to get one, when it was 3-2. He's in danger of being waived to be sent down in favor of Salo or Cholowski. Or he should be. He's not looking like an NHL D-man. I know he's only 22, but he's just not mentally there. D breakdown and he was kind of victimized by a 2 on 1, and instead of covering the pass or the shot, he stood in the middle like a 10U player, hoping he could cover both. WTF? Who does that? Not an NHL D-man, that's who.

NHL .500 at 5-5-3. Could be worse, should be better.

*They just signed the guy to a 7 year deal. Benching him is risky, especially during the Moms' trip. All of their mothers are spending the week with the team. You'd think they'd put forth a much better effort to impress the women who dragged them to rinks at ungodly hours throughout their childhoods.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Idles (sic) drop one to the caps 4-1. I missed it. Fortunately.
Engvall and Lambert spoke before the game and he was in the lineup, which I think he needs to be*, but they sat Wahlstrom, who was just finding his groove. What the fucking fuck?

By all accounts, fans were loudly chanting "Fire Lambert" for much of the game. Players have said they don't want that kind of stuff at home games, but NYers gonna NY. Fans everywhere chant such things, but if you try to tell NYers what to do, expect them to loudly do the opposite. Fans pay big money to go to games and expect to see a winning team OR changes made immediately.

Oilers on Monday night to start a west coast trip. At least that game isn't too late- 8:30 start for me.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Cizikas ripped into fans, saying he has no time for the Fire Lambert chants. Said people should just stay home if that's the kind of stuff they're going to yell. Mark Parrish tried that when with the Isles. He wound up getting booed to the point that he apologized to the fans and said he realized they pay and can say what they want. Interesting timing for Cizikas, since the Isles are heading out for a 4 game west coast trip. Wonder if he'll think all is well and then get booed like crazy when they play at home again, or if he'll hear it on social media. He's been a beloved player for over 10 years so this would be new for him.

Lambert said he didn't hear the chants, as he blocks everything out. When told about them, he said he believes the message is still getting through to the team. The common response is "What's the message? Play 40 minutes?".

Fans are screaming for Gallant to be brought in.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.