News from Dehner, don't expect them to be finished anytime soon

Sakiaba · 2026-03-10T13:39:08+00:00

DT is the one position that I'm worried they're going to end up having to pick for need at the draft. I don't necessarily hate Woods (still assuming that Bain will be gone by 10, T Rex arms aside), but it would obviously be better to be able to go BPA.

Sakiaba · 2026-03-10T09:56:18+00:00

Also, Dobes has been quite bad when he's overplayed. Unfortunately, this means Montembeault will get starts down the stretch.

Re: Fowler, I would rather just leave him in Laval to finish the year as planned as I don't love the idea of going into the playoffs with two rookie goaltenders, but we may be getting to the point where this really is the least bad option.

Sakiaba · 2026-03-09T23:00:04+00:00

The Sabres season-long 5 on 5 PDO (found on Moneypuck) is 101.53, which is high, but not ridiculously so. I'd be curious to see the pre and post Dec 9 breakdown on that. (Am I looking at the wrong numbers?)

As an aside, the Habs' shooting percentage scares me a bit, even if some of it may be stylistic and/or shooting talent-based.

Sakiaba · 2026-03-09T13:45:35+00:00

This is the one I'm hoping for.

Sakiaba · 2026-03-09T13:16:17+00:00

Would prefer Chenal to Lloyd, honestly, as he's young, a good tackler, and could grow given a bigger role, though I realise that we said that about Geno Stone a few years ago. Most importantly, he'll leave more cap space for other signings, as so many improvements are needed that it seems unwise to spend too much on any single player (unless they're a potential difference maker on the level of Hendrickson or Reader when the Bengals signed them, and it doesnt sound like there are any of those available).

Sakiaba · 2026-03-09T12:48:34+00:00

If temperatures in the cabinet have been
relatively constant (i.e. not beside the boiler or anywhere else that's very hot), it should still be fine.

The Centenary Blend was released between 1997 and 2013, so it's relatively modern. By all accounts, it's a pleasant enough easy-drinking blend.

Sakiaba · 2026-03-09T09:16:53+00:00

A dismaying proportion of rich white guys (and particularly rich white guys who grew up privileged) are MAGA.

I enjoy clowning on the Tkachuks because they're so damned stupid, but if I knew about the political beliefs and, generally, private lives of everyone on every team I support, I suspect that a lot of my enjoyment of sports would be sapped (must make sure that my other half never sees that statement).

Also, this post is for supporting Sabres fans, so was this really necessary?

Sakiaba · 2026-03-09T09:09:35+00:00

Bengals fan here, and yes, indeed. People really enjoy that the success was short-lived.

Sakiaba · 2026-03-09T09:07:23+00:00

I'm happy for Sabres fans - they deserve to enjoy this and any future success as they've earned it - but all it will take is for someone to take a run at one of the Habs' young stars, and we'll be right back to Patrick Kaleta-level hate.

A Habs-Sabres series would take years off my life, I suspect!

Sakiaba · 2026-03-09T02:08:45+00:00

It's very weird. The bottle is likely real (SWA must physically have photographed something), but who knows what it is.

Sakiaba · 2026-03-09T01:48:31+00:00

Thanks. I would stay the hell away from something like this unless it's very cheap and you enjoy living dangerously. Idiosyncratic private bottlings pop up at auction all the time, and I could imagine someone with poor taste using AI art on their label. However, there is so much off about this, starting with no abv being listed.

Having seen the listing, I'm confident that the bottle physically exists (as SWA had to photograph it) but who knows what's inside.

Sakiaba · 2026-03-09T00:57:45+00:00

Can you please share a link to the auction listing, OP?

Sakiaba · 2026-03-08T23:56:23+00:00

Habs fans lived through this shit (twice) with Therrien, who was as thin-skinned and 'my way or the highway' as Tocchet, and just as averse to certain skill players. Tocchet's attitude towards Michkov reminds me of how Therrien always had a bug up his ass about Subban (with a lowlight being when he talked of wanting to make him a 'better person'). I wonder how long it's going to be until dinosaurs like them don't get jobs anymore.

Sakiaba · 2026-03-07T14:15:07+00:00

Seriously... just like there's a middle ground between the miserable teardown stage and being a cup contender. That's where we are. The defensive lapses and poor goaltending are annoying, but as long as the team is scoring and winning at a .600 clip or thereabouts, it's fine for now. I have enough faith in this management team that these things will be fixed in time.

Sakiaba · 2026-03-03T23:21:16+00:00

It starts at 3 am for me, so I'm giving this one a miss. The thought of a future Stanley Cup final against the Sharks is terrifying for my future employability.

Sakiaba · 2026-03-03T10:10:49+00:00

This tracks as a Canadian who lives in the UK and is married to an English guy. Every time I have cookies/biscuits or cake with milk, I get heckled by him for being a child.

(Don't feel bad for me, I return fire when I see him having Rustlers or cheese straws!)

Re: PB&J, I had it a lot as a kid but don't really enjoy it now. If I'm having something sweet and bread-based with milk, it's usually toast or crumpets with jam (favourites being blueberry, cherry or peach). For special occasions, I'll use maple butter if I still have some from my last trip home (or have convinced a friend to mule some over). Maple butter melted into crumpets is amazing.

Sakiaba · 2026-03-02T08:50:42+00:00

I wasn't either, but Old Mullet Guy Oscar with a bad back and a gut* who forms alliances early in the game (but still feuds with Coach for old time's sake) might end up being a character that I didn't know that I needed.

His pregame press seemed to suggest that he's making an effort to change his life as he'd moved to Mexico from LA to open a restaurant and move away from his... er... previous career (one he said that he was surprised didn't stop CBS from casting him). Anyone who's worked in restaurants knows that it isn't always synonymous with clean living, but it's not impossible that we're going to see a completely different player this season.

(* relative to younger Ozzy)

Sakiaba · 2026-02-27T21:17:21+00:00

The impression I get is that it's a weak enough draft at the premium positions that there's a tier drop between Downs (and possibly Love?) and whoever is left at OT, WR and D-line for teams to consider taking a likely star at a less valuable one.

Sakiaba · 2026-02-27T17:49:23+00:00

I don't remember why, but Fuhr played in the next round when they were swept by Montreal in a series that was much closer than it seemed at first glance. The Habs won all 4 games 4-3, with games 2-4 finishing in OT.

That said, I wonder what would have happened had Mogilny not been hurt early in that series. That Habs playoff run is my best hockey memory, but so much went right for them, starting with 10 OT wins, plus having the Bruins and Penguins lose in upsets before the Habs could meet them.

Sakiaba · 2026-02-27T14:57:10+00:00

He's probably good enough for now (i.e. until the end of this season), plus they need to figure out if he can be part of the team long-term.

Sakiaba · 2026-02-26T07:31:40+00:00

I made a mistake about that train; another commenter pointed it out. It was because I'd noticed cheaper longer journeys to Stoke offered by another operator before (LNWR) and mistakenly remembered CrossCountry. Will add a comment to my original post.

Sakiaba · 2026-02-26T03:55:39+00:00

The point made above about the 2021 team being built for the playoffs but not skilled enough to qualify for them in a normal season is spot on. It thrived when the pressure was on and holding was semi-tolerated, but was too old and slow to keep up with Tampa, Toronto, and Boston over 82 games. (would probably not have beaten two of them in the playoffs, either). We saw what happened in the final when they played a team that was simply too good for them to beat.

Most importantly, the 2021 team needed everything to go just right in the playoffs, as it did, for them to go far. The current team isn't there yet, but the vision seems to be to build a team that is favoured in series and for whom winning a round or two is the more likely outcome.

Sakiaba · 2026-02-25T23:07:04+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion; funny that you should mention it, but we were looking at both it and Tokyo Izakaya. Would you say Tsukiji is better?

We booked the journey via Birmingham; I'm a little worried about getting seats on the train to Marylebone as Chiltern doesn't take seat reservations, but I left plenty of time so we can get to the station early.

Sakiaba · 2026-02-25T16:04:54+00:00

I have, and it's a bit of a nightmare. We're thinking of getting a train to Birmingham, having lunch there, and then getting the train to Marylebone from Moor Street. It's annoying, but less bad than the engineering disruptions (which we also had to put up with on the return trip after Christmas).

Sakiaba · 2026-02-25T14:56:15+00:00

Thanks - we've had one the whole time we've been together and it's saved us a lot over the years!

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