Since +/- is the NHL's worst stat, I thought it would make sense to appropriate it and make it useful as we review the best and worst of the past week in the NHL.
MINUS: To all the self-righteous people who'd complain about the integrity of hockey being in danger from people like me who cheer against our favorite teams in meaningless games so that we can have better players in the future and not have seasons like this happen again.
Meanwhile, in one of these meaningless games, Shane Doan viciously hits kris Letang when he's dangerously about ten feet from the boards on a play where the puck is about 100 feet away from them. Now Letang, a key cog on a team that is actually playing for something, might miss the Playoffs with a concussion and is lucky he wasn't hurt worse.
And what will happen? Probably nothing, maybe a slap on the wrist suspension for Doan for games he'd rather not play anyways and a loss of money he doesn't need.
So I don't know, but maybe before we start questioning the integrity of smart people looking at the big picture, the NHL could maybe start doing something to protect it's players?
Seems to me that on a scale of 1 to 100 (in terms of importance) the issue of tanking can be measured in integers while player safety should be an easy 100. But yet, what is the current hot topic? Exactly.
PLUS: The Coyotes lost.
MINUS: The Leafs won. And, isn't it ironic that they did it on the back of an otherwise useless player's hatrick? Gee, thanks for nothing Bozak.
PLUS: The new sitcom from Netflix The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt I love sitcoms and there hasn't been a good one in a while. All the ones I used to like are canceled and you should probably watch this show. It's no Arrested Development, but it's pretty
funny.
PLUS: Steve Holt!
MINUS: The price of beer at the Air Canada Centre. $12 for a $2 dollar can of beer is an abomination. Price gouging needs to be illegal and people should speak up against it. What a disrespectful way to steal money from your fans pockets.
I don't know about other arenas, but everyone in the Leafs Organization should be ashamed of themselves. You guys make billions of dollars off of your fans, you've provided an absolutely terrible product for most of the last fifty years and you ought to do something to make going to the arena a more enjoyable experience.
PLUS: Did you hear the X-Files are coming back? That is such great news. Although, I have to say, the last time they made a movie, it was weak because they didn't even mention the Alien Conspiracy, which, I don't know, I would figure that'd be all you'd really talk about if that happened? So hopefully they do this right. If they now what's good for them, they'll recruit me to write it.
MINUS: I watch way too much frigging TV.
PLUS:My new favorite player is San Fran's Madison Bumgarner. When asked if he regretted signing the most team friendly contract in baseball instead of testing free agency, Bumgarner laughed and said "I grew up poor, I guess I'm not playing for money." He also pointed out that what he has earned is more than he'll ever need.
PLUS:If you saw the end-to-end OEL goal last week, you might have seen an entire section of fans dressed in jerseys that were half Swedish Yellow and half Coyotes, but 100% Ekman-Larsson. Now, as if these guys weren't cool enough, in there midst was one solitary dude in a Canucks jersey.
It reminded me of the time my wife and I went to a Red Sox / Blue Jays game once at the Skydome and ended up sitting smack in the middle of an entire section of bussed in Red Sox fans. I don't think this story has a point, it was just kind of weird is all.
You can't actually see the OEL fans in this clip, but It's still worth watching that goal again.
MINUS:People actually petitioning to get George Stombo off of Hockey Night in Canada. These losers need to engage in some real political activities and stop wasting their time on meaningless B.S. Is Strobo great? Not really, I don't think he'a Ron Maclean, but it's not like he's hurting anyone or is really that bad.
Besides, at least he's a little different and interesting. You can't say that for Cox, Healy or anyone else on the struggling, horribly put together show. But I just think Strobo is the last guy to complain about - he's a host! At least he isn't actively dumbing people down like some of the other so called analysts.
Whether or not he returns next year, if you're signing a petition to change a hockey host, you need to look at your life and readjust those priorities.
PLUS: Me, you for reading this, my kids, my cat Pete, my wife and whatever is wrong with her that has allowed her to spend eleven years with me so far, Cito Gaston, the guy who plays Paul on Spin City, choose your own adventure books, anyone who still buys CDs and books in physical copies, trees, the number 42, the hilarious fact that virtually anything analogue is superior to anything digital in terms of quality, anyone who crosses the line when telling a joke, Don Dellilo and the movie Total Recall.
MINUS: Politically correct thought police, parking fees and when Pete bites me.
PLUS:The first round of the NHL Playoffs. Always the best time of year, even when you're a Coyotes and Leafs fan.
PLUS: The new Modest Mouse record and the fact that they wrote a song about the Arizona Coyotes.
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