Total Eclipse of the Splash

 

We see athletes chomping on mouth guards all the time. They are kind of uncomfortable, so flipping them off your teeth and gnawing on them, but I am concerned that Mark Scheifele hasn't gotten out enough in Winnipeg. Despite being precariously close to North Dakota, the city has both a thriving indigenous AND immigrant community, suggesting that there are options for really good food around town (I've never been). If he were a little bit further south, though, I would say yes, absolutely, your mouthguard is probably more flavorful than anything you might eat in town. 

Total Eclipse of the Splash

 

The Jets are hosting the Kraken tonight in Winnipeg! Come see Mark Scheifele at his most milquetoast! Based on the photo choice of a player that the Jets have had on their payroll, it had to have been a choice to pick a photo to promote this game in which he looked, I don't know, anxious? Maybe he isn't worried about the Kraken (and who would be?) but rather about tomorrow's game against the Flames, which has been branded 90's night. 

The 90s, famously, weren't great for the Jets. 

End of the season rooting interests

 There is a wide Gulf between the best teams in the NHL and the next tier. There is a long standing observation over how difficult it is to sustain the success of a season in which you won the President's Trophy, and carrying that through to success n the Playoff. At this point, since the team with the most points doesn't ever win the Cup, I think we can be happy if a team from this upper echelon wins it. 

There are 11 teams with more than 88 points, and 0 teams with between 83 and 88 points. There is also a gap between 89 to 93 points, and there are 8 teams with 93 points or more. Let's hope, then, that one of these 8 teams can win the Cup, and render the entire, long winded regular season valid. If you are a fan of one of the other 24 franchises, this is probably going to be difficult. To help, I have come up with 1 reason to root for every one of the top 8 squads.

1: Bruins - Do you like consistency? Well, these Bruins, like Brad Marchand or David Pastrnak or Charlie McAvoy have all been a part of the Bruins organization since 1976

2: Panthers - Last year, I picked the Panthers to win the Stanley Cup, feeling their all in attitude was laudable. Now a year later, I would still feel pretty good about myself if they won it all, and don't you want me to feel good about myself?

3: Rangers - Henrik Lundqvist still has close ties with the Rangers. Maybe you could get his number if he knows you are cheering for them? Or maybe you are just a fan of bad nicknames, then you can cheer for the Breadman, Artemi Panarin.

4: Hurricanes - Brent Burns  is still around and generally kicking but. He's been growing a playoff beard since he was 19, and it would be great to see if he would shave upon winning it all.

5: Avalanche - This is purely an "I like Denver" play, because Denver is lovely. The Avs won it two seasons ago, and the town got a little high on themselves, but still, a lovely town.

6: Stars - This is a tough sell for a fan from Minnesota, given the history, and the fact that the Wild aren't going to be in the postseason either, but here goes. Jake Oettinger and I have some common acquaintances, so that's pretty neat. 

7: Jets - This is the team for nearly every Canadian outside of Vancouver.

8: Canucks - This is the team for fans inside of Vancouver, or people who remember their last trip to the Final and the chaos that ensued in the city. Be safe, Vancouver.

So there you go, maybe you can use that handy guide to find the right choice for you. Or you can be a traditional Flyers fan and root against everyone. 

Good things come to those who wait

 

Hockey technically started Tuesday night, but Thursday is the night that the season started for almost everyone else. Almost everyone else. The Winnipeg Jets and Detroit Red Wings were made to wait until Friday for their first action of the season. Grueling! In other leagues, the last teams to get going are often expected to be near the top of the standings, and their games are showcased. Detroit and Winnipeg were probably just last. 

The Red Wings started their season on Friday night with the Montreal Canadiens. These are certainly Cadillacs of the NHL (to put it in automotive terms), classic teams that have name recognition. They are also not as high quality as they used to be. No real hockey fan will clamor for Red Wings and Canadiens over any other pairing of team, except for the history. The Habs are terrible, and while the Wings are rebuilding, they are certainly not there yet. 

The Jets also drew an Original 6 team, one of the teams you might want to see of that group. Perhaps not on the second half of two nights in a row. The Jets opened with the Rangers, and did so as the 2nd feature of a New York back to back. The Jets won, which is nice, but it wasn't like this was a premier game. The Rangers were already on game three after playing two good teams to start their season, and were operating at a reduced capacity. 

Fans of Winnipeg and Detroit were made to wait longer than any other organization to get their season started, and they ere given a couple of less than premier games. At the very least, let both Detroit and Winnipeg share the excitement of a mutual opening night. Instead, the two squads don't play until January, at which point I'm sure we will have forgotten what the teams have in common.

Aside from a position in the standings outside of the playoffs. I guess that is one thought. Sure, these teams got their season started last, but they will be some of the first teams to start their offseason.