Some guys in Togo* tuning up for the Brier.  https://www.facebook.com/579126330/videos/pcb.10160359429451331/1128607652062627

* birthplace of Ted Hampson, btw. 

Edit: Ooops!! Looks like I was mixed up.  A subsequent post has additional info: 

"Some of our volunteer ice makers trying out their ice!

All ready for the Togo Funspiel next week!

There’s still time to enter your rink! "

Oh yeah… Billy Strings & Marley
instagram.com/reel/C7J5sIVLwaM...wbDJiaw==

Looks like it's time once again!

IF the Jets sign Toews, which will be the worse deal, <<  that, or Jays / Scherzer?  Now, I could understand IF it was Devon Toews, but .....  .

Edit ... do you suppose the Jets / Jays have been reading about the '67 Maple Laffs??

You mean the over the hill gang that won TO’s last Cup? Ya never know/no.
J. Toews was a great player,, I hope whatever illness he had is gone now,, but it’ll still be a huge climb back to NHL shape. Maybe a face-off specialist and bench-warmer. He could talk Byfuglein out of retirement,, maybe even Dennis Hull....

https://youtu.be/Q_UtJYwCgsY?si=PPEC9cDm6AjDwqB9

.... 

.... what's next???

.

I have this dude in my Beehive collection(?). 

I always thought he looked a bit on the slim side.

Hockeydb.com lists him at 5'10" / 150 lbs.

[Translation just for you Chuck ... 178 cm. / 68 kg.    ]

... but, but, but,  they list "Lorne" Worsley at 5'7" / 155 lbs.  [Ya, maybe in high school!!!]

That was some show the Tkachuk boys put on last night, eh?

eagleisland

They were as good as it gets. 
“ Although Kreider, Trocheck and Nelson may be viewed a surprise picks, forwards Tage Thompson (Buffalo Sabres), Cole Caufield (Montreal Canadiens) and Jason Robertson (Dallas Stars) were left off after they appeared to be in the running for a spot.

“You look at the names that are on the screen right now like, this is an incredible group,” U.S. general manager Bill Guerin said on “NHL on TNT” on Wednesday. “This is as good as it's ever been….”

quote:

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Originally posted by chuckv97

“You look at the names that are on the screen right now like, this is an incredible group,” U.S. general manager Bill Guerin said on “NHL on TNT” on Wednesday. “This is as good as it's ever been….”

---

I think the same can be said about all four teams. The players themselves are over the moon about this, some saying this is the most fun they've ever had.

At all bodes well, because going forward we alternate Olmpics and an actual World Cup every two years.

A superb game between Sweden and Finland just finished. Finland won in OT. And an even better game on tap tonight when it's Canada v. USA.

This is absolutely awesome hockey, played by the world's best! And I must admit I'm hoping to see Brad Marchand across the red like from the Tkachuk brothers. Talk about a Battle of the Pests!

Mr. Nice

... I think I sense a sense of humo(u)r, and when his playing days are over, I figure there's b-i-g potential as a coach.

From NHL World >> my Facebook >> BHO:

Brad Marchand was asked how to stop Canada’s first power-play unit, which consists of Makar, McDavid, Reinhart, MacKinnon, and Crosby.

"I would probably put three goalies in the net and just let them try to do the job."

quote:

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Originally posted by chuckv97

Mr. Nice

---

What most of North American hockey fans (outside of Noo Wingland) have missed is:

1) Marchand has grown tremendously, both as a player and a human being, in the last four or five years. That's a function of input from Chara and Bergeron (the latter an especially close friend).

2) That if the rumors of trading him are true (and I wouldn't blame him if he accepted a trade to a legit Cup contender), the next city with him on their team will embrace him. Oh, sure, they'll make noise, but they'll embrace him. Marchand is one of those players you hate until he's on your team. I feel the same way about the Tkachuck brothers.

3) Marchand may be a rat, but he's also a) arguably the most skilled and 2) funniest rats ever to play the game. Listen to him mic'd up if you haven't. He's not just chirping. He's chirping and doing a standup routine at the sme time.

Not sure that when he retires, he'll be a coach. But he'll be one of the best color analysts ever to talk the game. The guy is hilarious.

And by the way... just look at that babe he's married to. Spectacular. And it ain't because he's a handsome dude. because he most certainly isn't.

Oh, I don’t mind him,, he’s just easy to pick on. For a small guy he plays like he’s 250 lbs

quote:

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Originally posted by chuckv97

Oh, I don’t mind him,, he’s just easy to pick on. For a small guy he plays like he’s 250 lbs

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To put it into Bluegrass parlance, "Half bear, other half cat."

About the boo’ing of the SS Banner…

and,, no Makar tonight, that's a big loss

I based his coaching potential pretty much solely on his "three goalies" quip.  

A great game, except for the final 3 minutes..lol. . Nothing like 3 fights to get the blood boiling.
The USA team did a fine job stifling the speedsters McDavid and McKinnon. Too bad Binnington let in a softie , but he was good after that. I noticed lots of Guentzel and Eichel.

I don't like to see serious injury, and I don't know what might have led up to it, but IF this [i.e. for the guy on the wrong end of the punch] https://www.instagram.com/oldtime_hockey/reel/Cvxgi1xAKnr/ happened to players that fight for the sake of fighting,* I'd think I'd accept it as karma.

* eg. stuff like "sending a message," getting some "energy" into the team/building, etc. [And I realize that the NHL is a part of entertainment, so I suppose a teensy-weensy bit of responsibility should fall on somebody other than the players.]

But, over-all, yes 'twas a good, fast, entertaining game.  

Is Binnington developing his own style of "flopping"?   Instead of sideways, it appears to me that he dives forward more frequently that is warranted/advisable leaving him a bit vulnerable.   I haven't paid enuff attention to know whether this is something recent ... or if my imagination is working overtime.

That was Nick Kypreos that got knocked out ,, he also got drilled in a fight I saw towards the end of his career. He said some time ago, almost in tears, that those concussions haunted him. I don’t know if the 3 fights had anything to do with the boo’ing of the American anthem and of the introduction of the USA team, but I did read that M Tkachuk said he didn’t like the boo'ng when asked previously. So guess who was the first to drop the gloves.
I’m not familiar enough with Binnington’s style ,, unfortunately he gave up a softie on that first goal.

I'm pretty sure I heard N.K. say he accepted it, because he was [all along] aware of the risk.

Edit: ... Or maybe my imagination is working overtime.  

quote:

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Originally posted by Owen

I'm pretty sure I heard N.K. say he accepted it, because he was [all along] aware of the risk.

Edit: ... Or maybe my imagination is working overtime.  

---

Yes, he did,, he's not against fighting,, but it took a toll on him , for sure,  I keep thinking of the Boogaard, Rypien, Belak, and Simon deaths/suicides. One hard punch yesterday with a guy being off-balance could have ended or severely hampered an all-star's career. 

Kind of a snoozer in this afternoon's Canada/Finland game, though the Finns did make things interesting in the last few minutes.

I do not expect much from tonight's USA/SWE game. SWE has nothing to play for; USA has no reason to risk injury.

Thursday night should be fun. I think Thursday's USA/CAN game might have been one of the greatest games ever played. Thursday's game could be even better - though I expect it to be a bit more cerebral and a bit less bang-bang-thump-thump.

I have little doubt that the NHL comes out a winner with this series. I get the idea that the teams aren't exactly excited about their highly-paid stars potentially getting hurt. OTOH, the ratings for this series are dramatic. A whole buncha new fans are on the way...