I was going to post something about Friday the 13th. Never mind.
37 thoughts on “May 13, 2014: Wait, No”
Wild Playoff Watch: Must-Win Edition
Game 6 tonight in Minnesota - 8:15 Central, CNBC
Some encouraging trends:
- The home team has won every game this series (5-0)
- The Wild haven't lost at home this entire postseason (5-0)
- The Wild have never lost an elimination game at home (4-0 all time)
- The Wild have a pretty good record at home when trailing in a playoff series (10-5 all time)
Note that tonight's Rangers-Penguins game begins a possible 4 days straight of Game 7s, it would just be impolite of the Wild-Blackhawks series to break that sequence.
My heart goes out to you and your family - I am sorry for your loss. I know it's cliche, but please don't hesitate to ask if there's anything we can do or help with.
Ditto. You and your family remain in our prayers.
Yes, free, please let us know how we can pitch in. Also, that's pretty cool that your son almost shares a name with the Screaming Eagle of Soul.
You haven't been far from my thoughts these past few days, and I'll continue to pray for your family. Peace be with you, friend.
Likewise.
It seems so...small to try [ed: "because space is limited"] to capture the essence of a soul in one brief paragraph. Nonetheless, you (or the obit writer) did an admirable job in sharing something of her, free.
[sorry if my point was not clear. I've experienced a couple of losses of elderly relatives lately, and been struck by the futility of one-paragraph obits to Speak for the Dead, so to speak; free's wife's obit paragraph was as lovely as it was heartbreaking; I'm just saying that we all deserve more of a life summary than what those space constraints give us]
I, too, have been thinking of you & your family often, free. My heart goes out to you all; may you find strength together.
Missed your post on Saturday morning. I'm so sorry for your loss, free.
You have my sincere sympathy and condolences, Free. It was a little shocking to see your FB post the other day and you've been in my thoughts ever since.
Some baseball positions as they have long been known are changing before our eyes. The cause is the infield shift, a phenomenon exploding this year as more teams are using statistical analysis and embracing a dynamic approach to previously static defenses.
“Someone will come up with something new,” Valentine said. “It will probably be Joe Maddon.”
With the infield shift increasing more, better hitters will use more techniques to foil it.
The list of teams this year (so far) who have used the shift more/less is SSS until more teams have faced a larger variety of other teams.
i wonder if Reusse is still referring to OPS as a made up stat.
Brass Tact update:
Last night, I uploaded my project for my "DMAC Module", the last piece of my actuarial education. If the graders like it enough, I'll be able to go to downtown waterfront Vancouver in late August and finally receive my FSA (some have compared it to a Doctoral degree, but my DMAC was nothing like a thesis). Yesterday was the deadline to guarantee that if I pass, I can go to Vancouver.
If I was late or if I have to revise it, my next opportunity is Suburban Dallas-FortWorth in December, which makes me cringe as it's a place I'm very uninterested in going to. Just about anywhere else would interest me more. Houston in August? Well I've heard the humidity is awful but I've never been there. I was in DFW 15 years ago (in March), and the timing is right in the crunch time of my life every year: Thanksgiving break and 55 days into the 75-day busy season at work and HPR's birthday and Christmas shopping.
here's sincerely hoping for that Vancouver trip for you. Dallas anytime is questionable. Unless you enjoy suburban sprawl, women with lacquered "Big Hair," searing heat, and a general lack of water.
The DFW hotel has a golf course next to it.
The Vancouver hotel has the Pacific Ocean and Stanley Park next to it.
I don't golf. I love wild spaces and bodies of water.
Stanley Park isn't exactly a "wild space" but I can give it a big thumbs up. The entire city, for that matter.
PS to beau: getting my thing done before midnight and then a taxi home tapped me of everything.
I'll definitely vote for the next round.
Does anybody want three tickets to the Twins game tonight? I'm too invested in the Wild at this point to miss watching game 6, but I'd hate to see good tickets go to waste. I don't remember where the seats are, but my dad bought them so I'm assuming that they're pretty decent.
"Want?" Yes. Though I can't use them.
If nobody here responds I have a good feeling of who might be into them. Email me if the WGOM doesn't find a home for them.
I'll have dugout seats to tonights game. Look for me on TV. I'll be the guy in a Twins cap.
I just had lunch with my mentor. I was mildly afraid that I'd never see him again. He was a tremendous influence both professionally and personally, and now he's a good friend. I've missed my daily encounter with the rod, but today I find myself very sad at his current state of affairs. He's set to retire in two years, but hates his boss with the intensity of a thousand suns. He's extremely talented and an great educator, but he's also beaten down by the system. He encouraged me to apply for his job when he's done, which gavee pause. It was great to see him, but also deeply troubling
Game 6 OT! And I wanted to go to bed.
I know, right!
Good thing Im not operating heavy machinery tomorrow cause my eyelids are going to be heavy.
God damnit
Who to root for now?
Blackhawks Rangers
Ducks
Kings
Canadiens Bruins
Dad is a big Habs fan, so I suppose I could root for them next for his sake. But we'll see how things shake out after the Kings/Ducks and Bruins/Canadiens series finish up.
the Kings have Gaborik, but also Dustin Brown
the Ducks have Teemu Selanne
I can kind of be talked into cheering for Montreal, because Canada should win a Cup once every twenty years.
Ooh, I forgot Selanne. I could root for him. From Deadspin today
Except Selanne's in the exact right place—not retired yet—and he has a pair of teammates whose ages [Smith-Pelly (21) & Gibson (20)] don't quite add up to his (43)
Subban and Gaborik are my favorite players left in the playoffs (I actually like Kane and Toews, but I'll need some time on that one).
Mostly, I'd like someone new to lift the cup. Tired of Kings/Blackhawks/Bruins.
effff
welp, hell of a series.
That was a shit way to go out. So many bounces that didn't go the Wild's way, and a terrible one to cap it off. Now I hope we get Chicago in the playoffs next season and run them into the ground.
This. And I'm all in on the Teemu victory tour.
When the Wild couldn't shoot, redirect or poke anything past Crawford in the furious first couple minutes of OT, in the darkest recesses of my heart, I somehow knew they were going to lose. I didn't spooky the Kane game-winner, but damn close. Felt like a combo gut-punch/inevitability/resignation to lose the series in OT that way.
I don't really care who wins though I'd love to see a Canadiens/Ducks finals. Unfortunately, I have to think if Vanek gets to the finals with Montreal, it could make it tougher to lure him to MN (which I'm all for at this point). But, if they go out in the second round (same as teh Wild) ...
Bryzgalov wasn't the reason they lost, either last night, or the series. But it's something they need to address and, unfortunately, Darcy's injury really cost them (and him) in terms of learning what he brings to the table.
"Top" Pending Free Agent Goalies (with Kuemper added)
Name
Age
Team
GP
MIN
W
L
O
GAA
SV%
Alex Stalock
26
SJS
24
1252
12
5
2
1.87
.932
Brian Elliott
29
STL
31
1624
18
6
2
1.96
.922
Chad Johnson
27
BOS
27
1511
17
4
3
2.10
.925
Jaroslav Halak
29
NYI
40
2238
24
9
4
2.23
.917
Thomas Greiss
28
PHX
25
1312
10
8
5
2.29
.920
Al Montoya
29
WPG
28
1541
13
8
3
2.30
.920
Darcy Kuemper
23
MIN
26
1480
12
8
4
2.43
.915
Jonas Hiller
32
ANA
50
2909
29
13
7
2.48
.911
Justin Peters
27
CAR
21
1225
7
9
4
2.50
.919
Martin Brodeur
42
NJD
39
2297
19
14
6
2.51
.901
Whether it's Bryz or somebody else off the scrap heap, that will leave the Wild with three goalies on one-way deals. Other than Vanek watch, the goalie situation will be the most interesting story line of the offseason.
Wild Playoff Watch: Must-Win Edition
Game 6 tonight in Minnesota - 8:15 Central, CNBC
Some encouraging trends:
- The home team has won every game this series (5-0)
- The Wild haven't lost at home this entire postseason (5-0)
- The Wild have never lost an elimination game at home (4-0 all time)
- The Wild have a pretty good record at home when trailing in a playoff series (10-5 all time)
Note that tonight's Rangers-Penguins game begins a possible 4 days straight of Game 7s, it would just be impolite of the Wild-Blackhawks series to break that sequence.
Here is a link to Elaine's obituary.
http://www.startribune.com/obituaries/detail/14078303/?fullname=elaine-h-carlson
My heart goes out to you and your family - I am sorry for your loss. I know it's cliche, but please don't hesitate to ask if there's anything we can do or help with.
Ditto. You and your family remain in our prayers.
Yes, free, please let us know how we can pitch in. Also, that's pretty cool that your son almost shares a name with the Screaming Eagle of Soul.
You haven't been far from my thoughts these past few days, and I'll continue to pray for your family. Peace be with you, friend.
Likewise.
It seems so...small to try [ed: "because space is limited"] to capture the essence of a soul in one brief paragraph. Nonetheless, you (or the obit writer) did an admirable job in sharing something of her, free.
[sorry if my point was not clear. I've experienced a couple of losses of elderly relatives lately, and been struck by the futility of one-paragraph obits to Speak for the Dead, so to speak; free's wife's obit paragraph was as lovely as it was heartbreaking; I'm just saying that we all deserve more of a life summary than what those space constraints give us]
I, too, have been thinking of you & your family often, free. My heart goes out to you all; may you find strength together.
Missed your post on Saturday morning. I'm so sorry for your loss, free.
You have my sincere sympathy and condolences, Free. It was a little shocking to see your FB post the other day and you've been in my thoughts ever since.
Here's an interesting article on the increasing popularity of the infield shift.
With the infield shift increasing more, better hitters will use more techniques to foil it.
The list of teams this year (so far) who have used the shift more/less is SSS until more teams have faced a larger variety of other teams.
i wonder if Reusse is still referring to OPS as a made up stat.
Brass Tact update:
Last night, I uploaded my project for my "DMAC Module", the last piece of my actuarial education. If the graders like it enough, I'll be able to go to downtown waterfront Vancouver in late August and finally receive my FSA (some have compared it to a Doctoral degree, but my DMAC was nothing like a thesis). Yesterday was the deadline to guarantee that if I pass, I can go to Vancouver.
If I was late or if I have to revise it, my next opportunity is Suburban Dallas-FortWorth in December, which makes me cringe as it's a place I'm very uninterested in going to. Just about anywhere else would interest me more. Houston in August? Well I've heard the humidity is awful but I've never been there. I was in DFW 15 years ago (in March), and the timing is right in the crunch time of my life every year: Thanksgiving break and 55 days into the 75-day busy season at work and HPR's birthday and Christmas shopping.
here's sincerely hoping for that Vancouver trip for you. Dallas anytime is questionable. Unless you enjoy suburban sprawl, women with lacquered "Big Hair," searing heat, and a general lack of water.
The DFW hotel has a golf course next to it.
The Vancouver hotel has the Pacific Ocean and Stanley Park next to it.
I don't golf. I love wild spaces and bodies of water.
Stanley Park isn't exactly a "wild space" but I can give it a big thumbs up. The entire city, for that matter.
PS to beau: getting my thing done before midnight and then a taxi home tapped me of everything.
I'll definitely vote for the next round.
Does anybody want three tickets to the Twins game tonight? I'm too invested in the Wild at this point to miss watching game 6, but I'd hate to see good tickets go to waste. I don't remember where the seats are, but my dad bought them so I'm assuming that they're pretty decent.
"Want?" Yes. Though I can't use them.
If nobody here responds I have a good feeling of who might be into them. Email me if the WGOM doesn't find a home for them.
I'll have dugout seats to tonights game. Look for me on TV. I'll be the guy in a Twins cap.
I just had lunch with my mentor. I was mildly afraid that I'd never see him again. He was a tremendous influence both professionally and personally, and now he's a good friend. I've missed my daily encounter with the rod, but today I find myself very sad at his current state of affairs. He's set to retire in two years, but hates his boss with the intensity of a thousand suns. He's extremely talented and an great educator, but he's also beaten down by the system. He encouraged me to apply for his job when he's done, which gavee pause. It was great to see him, but also deeply troubling
Game 6 OT! And I wanted to go to bed.
I know, right!
Good thing Im not operating heavy machinery tomorrow cause my eyelids are going to be heavy.
God damnit
Who to root for now?
BlackhawksRangersDucks
Kings
Canadiens
BruinsDad is a big Habs fan, so I suppose I could root for them next for his sake. But we'll see how things shake out after the Kings/Ducks and Bruins/Canadiens series finish up.
the Kings have Gaborik, but also Dustin Brown
the Ducks have Teemu Selanne
I can kind of be talked into cheering for Montreal, because Canada should win a Cup once every twenty years.
Ooh, I forgot Selanne. I could root for him. From Deadspin today
Subban and Gaborik are my favorite players left in the playoffs (I actually like Kane and Toews, but I'll need some time on that one).
Mostly, I'd like someone new to lift the cup. Tired of Kings/Blackhawks/Bruins.
effff
welp, hell of a series.
That was a shit way to go out. So many bounces that didn't go the Wild's way, and a terrible one to cap it off. Now I hope we get Chicago in the playoffs next season and run them into the ground.
This. And I'm all in on the Teemu victory tour.
When the Wild couldn't shoot, redirect or poke anything past Crawford in the furious first couple minutes of OT, in the darkest recesses of my heart, I somehow knew they were going to lose. I didn't spooky the Kane game-winner, but damn close. Felt like a combo gut-punch/inevitability/resignation to lose the series in OT that way.
I don't really care who wins though I'd love to see a Canadiens/Ducks finals. Unfortunately, I have to think if Vanek gets to the finals with Montreal, it could make it tougher to lure him to MN (which I'm all for at this point). But, if they go out in the second round (same as teh Wild) ...
Bryzgalov wasn't the reason they lost, either last night, or the series. But it's something they need to address and, unfortunately, Darcy's injury really cost them (and him) in terms of learning what he brings to the table.
"Top" Pending Free Agent Goalies (with Kuemper added)
Whether it's Bryz or somebody else off the scrap heap, that will leave the Wild with three goalies on one-way deals. Other than Vanek watch, the goalie situation will be the most interesting story line of the offseason.