#Stellar Johansen

[spacespeckspod]

SPACE SPECKS Cast Announcements!

We definitely didn't steal these documents from the city. Don't even worry about it.

Lumi Oakes @lumoakes as Coral Johansen

Rawlyx @rawlyx as Gene Kelsey

Quills @quillsandpaper as Nora Elsinger

Finch Smallsies @smallsies as Sawyer Shepherd

Cat @adragoncat as Sparrow Winters

All character art was made by Rawlyx! You can read more about our (inter)stellar cast on our website. We'll be seeing y'all in the city very soon 🪐

[nine-lives-vintage-blog]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Vintage GLAM Johansen gold pumps from Bon Marche - Size 9.

[pigeons-svtfoe-au]

The Johansen siblings!

Stellar, Golden and Harpy!

High school, Middle school, and elementary

Fighting, and Announcement 

[sciencespies]

Astronomers May Have Found the Galaxy’s Youngest Planet

https://sciencespies.com/space/astronomers-may-have-found-the-galaxys-youngest-planet/

Astronomers May Have Found the Galaxy’s Youngest Planet

The Webb telescope soon will help measure the world, which may offer insights into how our own formed.

Over the last 30 years, astronomers have found more than 5,000 exoplanets, an eclectic menagerie of worlds far from our stellar neighborhood. The latest may be a mere infant.

In the journal The Astrophysical Journal Letters, scientists on Tuesday announced compelling evidence for a world just 1.5 million years old, making it one of the youngest planets ever found, perhaps the youngest.

This world — 395 light-years from Earth in the constellation Ophiuchus — is so young that its building blocks of gas and dust are still coming together. This planet is a newborn being cradled in the arms of its parent star.

“It is like looking at our own past,” said Myriam Benisty, an astronomer at the Institute of Planetology and Astrophysics of Grenoble in France and a co-author of the study.

As the suspected planet is shrouded by the matter that is making it, further telescopic observations will be required to confirm its existence. Presuming it isn’t rocky detritus masquerading as a planet, scientists can use it to better understand how worlds are made.

The torrent of newly discovered exoplanets has complicated or disproved longstanding theories of planet formation. But the location of this baby planet — firmly within the disk of primordial matter around its star — supports the idea that most planets spend much of their time growing up in a similar sort of nursery.

The discovery of the celestial pip suggests “all planetary systems have a common formation process,” said Anders Johansen, an astronomer at Lund University in Sweden who was not involved with the study. Despite the chaos of the cosmos, he said, “there is actually a lot of order” when it comes to crafting planets.

The team of scientists used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), a collection of 66 antennas acting in unison in Chile, to gather evidence of this exceedingly young world. Gas and dust orbits certain stars in so-called circumstellar disks. This material, which clumps together to form planets within these disks, emits radio waves that ALMA can detect.

Last year, Dr. Benisty and her colleagues used ALMA to make the first unambiguous detection of a halo of gas and dust orbiting an exoplanet: a circumplanetary foundry still making the world it shrouded, and perhaps a few moons too.

For the latest study, they pointed ALMA at AS 209, a star just a tad heavier than the sun. Just 1.5 million years of age, it has only recently started to burn hydrogen — the stellar equivalent of a toddler uttering its first words.

AS 209’s circumstellar disk was found to have several gaps. And in one such gap, ALMA detected the radio-wave signature of a planet-making tempest, gas that was presumably enveloping a Jupiter-like world still under construction.

The planet’s precise age won’t be resolved soon, but it’s likely to be very similar to its nascent star. But its youth is not the only thing piquing astronomers’ interests. It is also bafflingly far from its star. Neptune, the outermost planet in our solar system, is roughly 2.8 billion miles from the sun. This exoplanet is almost 19 billion miles away from its own star.

That raises questions about our own neck of the woods.

The size of the debris disk that forged Earth and the other planets is uncertain. “Maybe the disc was only slightly larger than Neptune’s orbit, and that is why Neptune is the outermost planet,” Dr. Johansen said. But perhaps our hub of planet-making matter was more like AS 209’s. If so, “we also cannot rule out that our own solar system has a planet beyond Neptune,” he said — perhaps the hypothesized Planet 9 that some astronomers suspect is lingering in distant darkness.

In the coming days, the James Webb Space Telescope will determine the mass of the planetary newborn and study its atmospheric chemistry. And by painting a detailed portrait of one of the youngest worlds known to science, these observations will inch us all closer to answering the ultimate question, said Jaehan Bae, an astronomer at the University of Florida and an author of the study: “Where did we come from?”

#Space

[laylaylamode]

"You've helped a whole lot."

"I'm glad to hear that."

Another ✨✨stellar✨✨ commission by @harchibudytgorichi of Breeze Johansen and Jia with Sol! The lieutenant and her squire are a force to be reckoned with on the battle field! Breeze belongs to @kururu418 !

[eurovisionfuntimes]

Eurovision 1995: My Ranking

The best way to describe this year is that the music played during the postcards is better than the song that follows it a vast majority of the time. Painful. I listened to every single one of the 60 songs in Romania’s selection this year, from beginning to end, yet I genuinely struggled to make it through all of these songs. Luckily the top four in my ranking is stellar, otherwise this crap year, coming in at 2.56 stars on average, is a waste of time.

FIVE STARS

1. Norway: Secret Garden - Nocturne

2. Greece: Elina Konstantopoulou - Pia prosefhi

3. Poland: Justyna - Sama

4. Spain: Anabel Conde - Vuelve conmigo

FOUR STARS

5. Slovenia: Darja Svajger - Prisluhni mi

THREE STARS

6. Malta: Mike Spiteri - Keep Me In Mind

7. Israel: Liora - Amen

8. Sweden: Jan Johansen - Se på mig

9. Croatia: Magazin & Lidija - Nostalgija

10. Russia: Philipp Kirkorov - Kolibelnaya dlay vulkana

11. Cyprus: Alexandros Panayi - Sti fotia

TWO STARS

12. Denmark: Aud Wilken - Från Mols til Skagen

13. Hungary: Csaba Szigeti - Új név egy régi ház falán

13. Turkey: Arzu Ece - Sev

14. France: Nathalie Santamaria - Il me donne rendez-vous

16. Bosnia and Herzegovina: Davor Popovic - Dvadeset prvi vijek

17. Portugal: Tó Cruz - Baunilha e chocolate

18. Germany: Stone & Stone - Verliebt in dich

19. Ireland: Eddie Friel - Dreamin'

ONE STAR

20. Belgium: Frédéric Etherlinck - La voix est libre

21. Iceland: Bo Halldórsson - Núna

22. Austria: Stella Jones - Die Welt dreht sich verkehrt

23. United Kingdom: Love City Groove - Love City Groove

[whatsfilming]

Harvest Love, part of Hallmark Channel’s Fall Harvest original movie series, filmed in British Columbia from July 24th to August 12th under the working title of Peared With a Kiss. The series features 6 new movies which were all filmed in Canada (5 filmed in BC) including: Falling For Vermont, Harvest Love, All of My Heart: Inn Love, Love Struck Cafe, A Harvest Wedding and Good Witch Spellbound (filmed in Ontario).

Harvest Love Storyline

To help cope with the recent loss of her husband, a Seattle-based surgeon named Luna tries to bury herself in work. Her strategy may have helped to distract her from the pain, but in the process it made her a less than stellar mother to her 9 year old son, Andy. To help make up for some lost time, Luna decides that a getaway is just what the doctor ordered for her and Andy.

Although Andy was reluctant at first, the two set out for a trip to Luna’s family pear farm in Pineview. Upon her return she’s surrounded by nostalgia. She hasn’t visited the farm in years, but she’s flooded with childhood memories and quickly begins to fall in love with the place all over again. And the farm may not be the only thing she winds up loving about being back home.

Luna meets Will, the man who has been managing her parents farm while they’ve been travelling abroad. They may not have gotten off to a great start, but eventually their feelings toward each other become undeniable. Despite how hard Luna tries to avoid the inevitable, Andy and Will start to build a bond, which may just be the icing on the cake. Things are going so well that Luna decides to stay in town for another week so she and Andy can attend the Pineview Fall Harvest Festival, one of the biggest events of the year in the small town.

Luna may still be on vacation, but she finds herself with the responsibility of helping with the harvest after Will gets stuck in Seattle on one of the most critical days of the season. Thanks to the lessons in honouring heritage that Will taught her, things go pretty smoothly. So much so that a competition for Overall Best Pear breaks out between Luna’s family farm and a former rival. In the end the town could find itself a new champion, and a new doctor.

Harvest Love Cast

Here’s a roundup of the cast of the movie, thanks in part to the movie’s IMDb page:

Actor Role You may know them from Ryan Paevey Will Nash Unleashing Mr. Darcy, General Hospital Jen Lilley Luna Gilson A Dash of Love, Days of Our Lives Brenden Sunderland Andy Gilson Lini Evans Grace Gilson Walking the Dog, Unleashing Mr. Darcy, Bates Motel Chiara Zanni Nicole Reed Ms. Matched, Garage Sale Mystery: The Beach Murder Aaron Craven Tom Reed Somewhere Between, Ties That Bind, The Convenient Groom Noel Johansen Ronald Somewhere Between, All of My Heart: Inn Love

Harvest Love Official Trailer

Where was Harvest Love Filmed?

Here are some of the filming locations where Harvest Love was spotted:

6624 Bradner Road (Abbotsford)

Thomas Haney Secondary School (Maple Ridge)

Ladner Village (Delta)

Aldor Acres Farm & Pumpkin Patch (Langley)

RELATED: Autumn in the Vineyard & Pumpkin Pie Wars From Hallmark’s Fall Harvest 2016

Don’t miss the premiere of Harvest Love tonight (Saturday, September 30, 2017) at 9pm on the Hallmark Channel in the US.

The post Harvest Love Filming Locations, Trailer and Premiere appeared first on What's Filming?.

[winterolympicssports2018-blog]

A Penguins-Predators rematch for the Stanley Cup looks likely

Click here for More Olympics Updates https://www.winterolympian.com/a-penguins-predators-rematch-for-the-stanley-cup-looks-likely/

A Penguins-Predators rematch for the Stanley Cup looks likely

Are we headed for another Stanley Cup final between the back-to-back-champion Pittsburgh Penguins and the team they defeated in the six-game final nine months ago, the Nashville Predators?

This certainly appears to be the case.

We’re not ignoring contenders like the Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights, Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins and other clubs that have put together stellar regular seasons, but no teams have performed as well as the Predators and Penguins since the calendar flipped to 2018.

Best records in 2018

Nashville (33 games) 24-4-5 — 53 points

Pittsburgh (32 games) 22-8-2 — 46 points

Minnesota (33 games) 21-8-4 — 46 points

Toronto (32 games) 20-7-5 — 45 points

Colorado (34 games) 20-9-5 — 45 points

Philadelphia (35 games) 21-11-3 — 5 points

San Jose (36 games) 20-11-5 — 45 points

Worst records in 2018

Vancouver (33 games) 9-20-4 — 22 points

Detroit (34 games) 11-19-4 — 26 points

N.Y. Islanders (33 games) 10-17-6 — 26 points

Chicago (35 games) 12-20-3 — 27 points

Montreal (33 games) 10-15-8 — 28 points

Carolina (34 games) 13-17-4 — 30 points

Edmonton (33 games) 14-17-2 — 30 points

The Penguins took their sweet time finding their groove this season. After a 4-1 loss on New Year’s Eve in Detroit, Pittsburgh was 22nd overall in the 31-team league and in danger of not making the playoffs. The loss of veterans like Chris Kunitz, Nick Bonino, Matt Cullen, Ron Hainsey and Trevor Daley appeared difficult to overcome.

But after three months of struggles, captain Sidney Crosby picked up his play and Evgeni Malkin has been brilliant and is now considered a strong Hart Trophy candidate. Phil Kessel also has been dazzling; with 10 games left on the docket, he only needs four points to post his career-best season.

Pittsburgh general manager Jim Rutherford worked his usual deadline magic, and the addition of Derick Brassard will be big in the playoffs. He played well for the Ottawa Senators in their march to the East final a year ago and contributed to the New York Rangers’ run to the 2013-14 Stanley Cup final.

The Penguins have even survived a nine-game absence from No. 1 goalie Matt Murray, who is due to return this week from a concussion.

Consistency in Tennessee

The Predators, on the other hand, have been a model of consistency this season and keep improving as the playoffs quickly approach. They are first overall as of Monday and appear destined to win the Presidents’ Trophy. They are currently on a 13-0-1 run — only the Bruins have had a longer point streak this season at 14-0-4 — and Nashville was the first team to clinch a playoff spot on Friday.

They added Bonino in the off-season and centre Kyle Turris through a trade last fall. Dependable defenceman Ryan Ellis returned to action from off-season knee surgery in early January.

Then former captain Mike Fisher unretired and veteran general manager David Poile added another piece in right wing Ryan Hartman from the Chicago Blackhawks at the trade deadline.

The Predators already have strong goaltending with Pekka Rinne and an outstanding defence corps with current captain Roman Josi, P.K. Subban, Ellis and Mattias Ekholm.

Now they have one of the strongest middles with Ryan Johansen, Turris, Bonino and Fisher to combat the Penguins’ capable group of Crosby, Malkin, Brassard and Riley Sheahan.

The NHL hasn’t had repeat Stanley Cup finalists since the Red Wings and Penguins clashed in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 championship series, with Detroit winning the first one and Pittsburgh taking the rematch.

The Penguins have exhibited resiliency this season. They won’t go easy. They have a shot at winning a third championship in a row, something that hasn’t been accomplished since the Islanders won four straight between 1979-80 and 1982-83.

The Predators, however, have improved their roster and have high hopes of duplicating what Pittsburgh did to Detroit nine years ago.

Source link

[televinita]

Library Triage

I’m stalled out on a book I am STUBBORN on wanting to finish, but it’s also my only novel despite the 10 things I have out of the library, so I am even more stuck in the mud and need to parse out what all I’ve got right now:

1. DVD: Breaking Dawn pt. 2: marked for return

2. DVD: Possession: Watched, but keeping it as long as I can because I remain fascinated by Lee’s character(s).

3. DVD: Leave No Trace: a movie I need to watch because its plot looks stellar, even though I wish with all my heart that it starred an actor I specifically loved.

4. DVD: Wonderfalls: I’m on, like, episode 4 because for some reason I have to poke and prod and push myself into each one, even though I enjoy myself once it starts.

5. DVD: X-Files, Fight the Future: this is like my 3rd time attempting to check it out. One of these times I will have to admit that I’m Not Yet Ready for the unique pleasure of experiencing it off VHS for the first time.

6. DVD: NCIS: LA, Season 9: maybe THIS time I will actually go through it, write myself a rundown of how I reacted to each episode / rank them, and finally be able to move forward on season 10 (which I watched the important bits of, but not all episodes, and none at all since the post-wedding one)

7. Small Victories: Recipes, Advice + Hundreds of Ideas for Home Cooking Triumphs - Julia Turshen: The first of some fat cookbooks-with-personal-anecdotes I checked out 6 weeks ago, ready to start indulging in summer, only to get pulled back into 2 weeks of work and then be distracted by a thousand high-priority-due-date library books.

8. Eat a Little Better: Great Flavor, Good Health, Better World - Sam Kass: Similar to above, but ready to return this one. Most of it’s too fancy & complicated for me to actually try and I have no interest in the author.

9. How to Hygge: The Nordic Secrets to a Happy Life - Signe Johansen: The most exciting one of all, which I’d been meaning to check out since winter. But also, feels like maybe it is a winter book.

Up next: I try to figure out a set of things I actually want to read before I spend the rest of this month trying and failing to push through the bad novel. I need something to switch off with! Ideally books I own that I was hoping to get rid of after reading.

[pigeons-svtfoe-au]

can you tell us more about the johansen siblings and their universe?

Stellar is a really strong gentleman, and likes to hang out with pals or his siblings If Harpy needs a princess to attend her party Stellar will be there with a dress and stuff

Golden is a calm boy that enjoys taking pictures of funny moments or news and stuff, he’s agile and not really strong compared to Stellar

Harpy is a really, happy girl that will be always seen running around, since her wings are too heavy for her, Stellar likes to take her with him when he goes to fly around the city or something sHe’s on the kids squad

In that universe, everything is the same except Star doesn’t exist

I’m thinking on putting them in the same universe as Amelie

[thrashermaxey]

Ramblings: Arvidsson Tricks, Puljujarvi on the Block, Nyquist, Hertl, & The Kanes (Jan. 16)

  Let’s start this off with some news out of Edmonton. Apparently, Peter Chiarelli is ready and willing to make a splash. Rumours have swirled of late that the Oilers are willing to move this year’s first-round selection to push for a playoff spot. And according to Elliott Freidman on the NHL Network, Jesse Puljujarvi has joined in on the fun as an official trade chip.

    Firstly, if ownership allows Chiarelli to destroy their future even further by dealing that pick or Puljujarvi, then there must no longer be any doubt; Chia has some disgusting dirt on Daryl Katz.

  Whatever happens in Edmonton (and I assume it’ll be an unmitigated disaster), Puljujarvi getting out of town seems like the best hope for his fantasy value moving forward. Either that or a locked in spot next to Connor McDavid. A scenario that does not appear to be in the cards.

  **

Speaking of the Oilers, their next opponent is the Canucks on Wednesday. Elias Pettersson skated by himself after practice again on Tuesday but Canucks’ head coach, Travis Green wasn’t willing to rule him out for Wednesday’s tilt just yet. At the very least, it appears as though the super rookie should be back for Friday against the Sabres.

  **

The bottoming out continued in Anaheim on Tuesday. The Ducks fell to the Red Wings 3-1 and are now winless in 12. They’ve collected just four points in the last month.

  The freefall is real.

  Rickard Rakell opened the scoring in the second frame with his seventh of the year. Rakell was skating on a new top line with Ryan Getzlaf and newly acquired Devin Shore for much of this one. That was due to Jakob Silfverberg leaving the game due to injury.

  There had been chatter that the soon-to-be UFA, Silfverberg was a trade chip as the Ducks fall further and further away from contending status. We’ll await word on the severity of the injury, but with the deadline less than six weeks out, it’ll be something to watch.

  Gus Nyquist scored the game-winner in this one. He’s maintaining his stellar campaign and looks like another potential mover this deadline. The 29-year-old is producing at the best point-per-game rate of his career (0.83) and all the metrics appear sustainable. His IPP is trending at a career-high 74.1 but that’s likely explained by his playing over 50 percent of his five-on-five ice with the burgeoning, Dylan Larkin.

  If Nyquist does indeed get moved, the potential for improvement is there, but so is the potential for a reduced role. He only sees a little over two minutes on the power play now, so he’s not overly reliant on PPPs. A move to a team like Pittsburgh would likely see his even-strength deployment improve but his PPTOI decrease. Conversely, a swap to a team like Edmonton would perhaps lead to a downgrade at evens but an increase on the power-play (assuming he doesn’t get the McDavid/Draisaitl juicer spot at five-on-five).

  These situations need to be closely monitored as you head into your own fantasy playoffs.

  **

The Panthers held a players-only meeting on Tuesday morning. The team had been struggling. The coaching staff appearing no longer to be shy in vocalizing their displeasure with some of the stars. Often a closed-door meeting will have a short-term impact on a slide.

  And this one did too, just not on the scoreboard.

  Florida was tuned up 5-1 by the Habs on Tuesday but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. The Panthers outshot the Canadiens 53-28 but ran into a brick wall named Antti Niemi.

  Here were the lines: 

  **

Shea Weber led the charge for Montreal with a power-play tally to go along with an even-strength assist.

  Don’t look now, but the Habs are tied with the Bruins for third in the Atlantic and are just one point behind the Maple Leafs. Granted the Habs have played more games than both of the teams they trail, but this has been a gutsy showing from a team many wrote off before puck drop in October.

  **

Have you purchased Dobber’s 11th Annual Midseason Fantasy Guide yet? Whether you’re going for a third straight Championship, looking to sneak into the playoffs, or preparing a full-scale rebuild, this guide has you covered.

  Purchase it here

  **

Viktor Arvidsson led the Predators to a 7-2 statement win over the Capitals. The Swedish buzzsaw recorded a hat trick and six shots on goal in this one. His third tally coming while shorthanded.

  Arvidsson is back to a point-per-game (24 in 24) and is the straw that stirs the drink in Nashville. I recommended you kick the tires on him a few weeks back to see if his limited games played would lower his perceived value. Here’s hoping you listened.

  Despite the lopsided final score, the Caps had a ton of grade-A chances. They were thwarted time and time again by the one known as Juicy Fruit. Juuse Saros stood tall (okay, that was too easy) stopping 26 of 28.

  The 23-year-old has been lights out the past month. He’s recorded a 0.971 save percentage in six appearances. Just what the doctor ordered as Nashville tries to limit Pekka Rinne’s workload heading into the spring fling.

  **

Two assists for Ryan Johansen brings him to 42 points on the season and 11 in his past eight games.

  Ditto for Mattias Ekholm, who for my money has been the Predators best blueliner for much of this season. He’s sporting a new career-high in points with 36 after tonight. And we’ve got 34 contests to go.

  **

Who’s the best netminder in Winnipeg? That should (and is) an easy answer. But my goodness has Laurent Brossoit played well for the Jets this season. The backup netminder had another stellar performance on Tuesday as he outduelled Marc-Andre Fleury by stopping 43 of 44 in Winnipeg’s 4-1 victory.

  That’s seven straight wins and a 0.943 save percentage for the former Oiler. Meanwhile, 2017-18 Vezina finalist, Connor Hellebuyck has been kicking it below league average for much of the campaign.

  Is a goalie controversy coming in Winnipeg? No. Probably not.

  **

Blake Wheeler kept his recent two-year hot streak rolling with two third period assists on Tuesday. He’s on pace for 107 points and yet just barely cracks the top 10 scorers in the league.

  If I couldn’t play fantasy hockey in the ‘80s and ‘90s when guys regularly topped 150 points, I’ll take this level of production as a nice consolation prize.

  **

In the loss, Brandon Pirri was amongst the top Golden Knights in power play deployment with 6:01 on the night. He continued to skate alongside Paul Stastny, Alex Tuch and Max Pacioretty on the power play. However, he was elevated to the top line with William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault at even-strength.

  Pirri scored an even-strength goal to bring his season total to eight goals and 12 points in 11 games. Somehow, he’s still available in a bucket load of leagues. Get this guy onto your roster and into the lineup to reap the heater.

  **

Thomas Chabot took part in a full practice on Tuesday morning and is looking good to return to the lineup against the Avalanche on Wednesday.

  **

The Rangers defeated the Hurricanes 6-2 in one of the early affairs. Mika Zibanejad led the way with two goals and two helpers, while another likely deadline mover in Mats Zuccarello added three assists.

  Dougie Hamilton didn’t skate on the team’s top power-play unit, but he did see the most PPTOI (3:52) of any Carolina skater. He managed four shots on goal in 22:35 of action – A nice change of pace after breaking the 20-minute barrier just once in the last 12 games.

  **

Andrei Vasilevskiy and Tampa Bay Lightning shutout the Stars 2-0 on Tuesday. Vas is now sporting an 18-5-2 record and a 0.925 save percentage. The former first-round selection has witnessed his numbers improve in four consecutive seasons. At 24 years old, he’s flirting with being a dominant asset.

  **

David Perron kept his hot play going with a goal that forced overtime against the Islanders. Make it 15 points over a 12-game run.

  Val Filppula won it in OT, and Robin Lehner picked up his 13th win of the season. The 27-year-old is sporting a 0.927 save percentage on the year. It’s been a fantastic turnaround.

  Jordan Binnington suffered his first taste of defeat in his young NHL career but was good again. He’s peeling starts away from the habitually untrustworthy Jake Allen. I’m not ready to anoint him as a true asset moving forward but he’s certainly worth a speculative add.

  The Blues find themselves just two points out of the Wildcard. At this point, they'll play whoever gives them the best chance to win. 

  **

The trio of Artemi Panarin, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Cam Atkinson was running around against New Jersey. Each member of the top line recorded a goal and an assist as the Blue Jackets defeated the Devils 4-1.

  It was Joonas Korpisalo who earned the victory – his third straight in the last week. Another potential goalie controversy? Again, probably not. But with Torts at the helm and Sergei Bobrovsky not on good terms with the antagonistic coach, anything could happen.

  **

Chicago is not a good team anymore. But Patrick Kane remains a tremendous player. The 30-year-old has 27 points in his last 14 games and 64 in 47 on the season. His 1.36 point-per-game output is the best of his illustrious career.

  {source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"Every time he touches the puck, something magic happens."<br><br>Is Patrick Kane playing his best hockey…ever? <a href="https://t.co/DcgIeE7Pdn">pic.twitter.com/DcgIeE7Pdn</a></p>— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSBlackhawks/status/1085210885642170376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}

    **

Speaking of Kanes, the Sharks and Penguins met in the late affair. I was looking forward to seeing some of the best players on the planet chuck some sauce around. However, this one was handled somewhat easily by San Jose.

  Evander Kane was a catalyst throughout assisting on each of Tomas Hertl's three tallies. Kane also added three hits and six shots on goal as the Sharks defeated the Pens 5-2. That's 14 points in the last nine games for Kane. 

  As for Hertl, he's up to 19 goals and 41 points in 43 contests. This is a player who lost significant chunks of time during two of his five campaigns. So this would count as his fourth full season. Right on cue for the breakout.

  Erik Karlsson broke his disastrous two-game pointless skid with his 39th assist. He trails only teammate, Brent Burns (43) for top amongst blueline distributors.

  Matt Murray snapped his nine-game win streak in this one. To be fair, it looked like the California sun drained the entire Pens lineup. 

  **

Looking for a buy-low option? Look no further than William Nylander. As Maple Leaf fans and fantasy owners pull out their hair watching him put up a paltry three points in 17 games, clever beasts can exploit the situation. Nylander has been deployed just 30-odd percent of his even-strength ice next to Auston Matthews so far this season but there are clear signs of good things to come.

   The 22-year-old leads the Leafs in Corsi For percentage (CF%) and Expected Goals For percentage (xGF%). He’s also fifth in the league in shot attempts per 60 and scoring chances per 60. Meanwhile, he’s shooting just 3.2 percent after living in the 10 percent range in his first two full seasons.

  A bump is coming. Buy-low while you can.

  **

Thanks for reading and feel free to follow me on Twitter @Hockey_Robinson

      from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-arvidsson-tricks-puljujarvi-on-the-block-nyquist-hertl-the-kanes-jan-16/

[razreads]

Challenge #35 ~ “A book where one of the main characters is royalty.”

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

My opinion in three sentences:

This book shocked me – I was expecting the standard, Medieval-esque royalty and warfare elements thrown into a fantasy world, but what I got was the start of a story on independence and self-belief that explored the impacts of political decision making. The plot twisted, turned, and didn’t drag, not least aided by the host of relatable and lovable characters. This undoubtedly has the potential for a stellar film (and I’m glad the rights have been picked up already.)

(Without spoiling anything) the best bit:

The literary elements certainly all came together in this novel, but I think what makes it stand out the most is its political awareness and the use of this as a focal point. Many novels of this strain are action-packed, full of fight scenes, victories and coincidences, whereas Johansen really examines the weight of decisions (and how black and white they really aren’t). This, for me, was both interesting and thought-provoking, and raised the book above its contemporaries.

A warning for the book:

One of the main side-plots centres around a traitor in the Queen’s Guard (and I will say no more). Only that the justification Johansen provides as to who the traitor is and why is not wholly convincing. I was not impressed with who it turned out to be.

Recommended for fans of:

     - Reached by Ally Condie      - The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa      - Prince’s Gambit by C.S. Pacat

[junker-town]

Predicting every NHL team’s most valuable player for the 2017-18 season

Who will be Team MVP for each of the league’s 31 franchises?

For all the talk about the importance of depth to winning championships, the NHL is still all about stars. The teams with the best players win the most games, and everything else is about trying to move the needle just a little bit.

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will lead the Oilers to contention, just like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have with the Penguins. The Maple Leafs will go as far as Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander can take them. For every team that has a reasonable shot at the 2018 Stanley Cup, there is a group of big name players you can point to as the source for that confidence.

Winning it all requires more than star power, from coaching to goaltending to luck, but it’s almost impossible to get into the party without it.

So with the start of the 2017-18 season just around the corner, here’s a look at who we think will be the most valuable player on each NHL team over the next nine months. Some of these choices were definitely more difficult than others.

Anaheim Ducks

Hampus Lindholm

For years, the Ducks were driven by their star forwards, but now it’s time for the defense to take over the lead. Lindholm may not be one of the biggest names among blue liners given he’s not a big point producer, but few players make a greater all-around impact when they’re on the ice. He’s a force in front of the net and consistently drives possession at even strength. Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler are among those who should give Lindholm a run for his money.

Arizona Coyotes

Oliver Ekman-Larsson

An easy choice given Ekman-Larsson has been the Coyotes’ best player for years. They added some good veterans this season in Derek Stepan, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Antti Raanta, but OEL remains the cornerstone until rookies Clayton Keller and Dylan Strome are ready.

Boston Bruins

Patrice Bergeron

Over the past six seasons, Bergeron has won the Selke Trophy, awarded to the league’s top defensive forward, four times. The other two years, he finished second in voting. Even at age 32, the center remains one of the league’s premier two-way players, a possession-driving force who also creates plays for his talented linemates.

Photo by Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images

Buffalo Sabres

Jack Eichel

The Sabres’ present and future are all about Eichel. The star center will be a restricted free agent next summer, so this season represents a huge opportunity for him to cement his argument for a monster extension. The good news for both him and the team is that Eichel looks positioned to blow up as one of the league’s next big stars. This was an easy choice.

Calgary Flames

Dougie Hamilton

The Flames are one of those teams with a ton of very good players, but no clear cornerstone. At forward, they got Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk, Mikael Backlund, Michael Frolik, and Sean Monahan. On defense, there’s Hamilton and Mark Girodano. It’s a ton of talent, and choosing one of them wasn’t easy. Hamilton was incredible last season, though, and could emerge as one of the league’s elite blue liners in a bigger role.

Carolina Hurricanes

Sebastian Aho

Much of the focus on the Hurricanes is directed at their impressive defense, and for good reason. But the main thing Carolina needs to get over the top is an elite forward, which Aho could be with the right luck. He was really good in the NHL at age 19, and could be gearing up for a breakout year. If that happens, Aho will be a game-changer for the Canes.

Chicago Blackhawks

Patrick Kane

The 2016 NHL MVP is an obvious choice, as good as Duncan Keith, Corey Crawford, Jonathan Toews, and Brandon Saad are. Kane remains one of the elite scorers in all of hockey, and while he’s not much of a two-way player, his offensive contributions are hard to match.

Colorado Avalanche

Nathan MacKinnon

If the Avalanche have another season like 2016-17, it’ll feel like nobody should be team MVP. But assuming Colorado doesn’t crash and burn again, MacKinnon should be much more productive in his fifth NHL season. The No. 1 pick in the 2013 draft still has huge potential, and even last season he was driving possession and generating shots.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Sergei Bobrovsky

The Blue Jackets’ turnaround was one of the league’s best stories last season. It’s not hard to see what the catalyst was. Bobrovsky went from a .908 save percentage in 37 starts in 2015-16 to a league-leading .931 save percentage in 63 starts in 2016-17. That totally transformed Columbus, and now Bobrovsky will try to keep it up.

Dallas Stars

Tyler Seguin

The Stars have a couple of standout forwards in Seguin and Jamie Benn, so picking the team MVP was more or less a choice between them. John Klingberg will need to rebound from a down year to get back into that conversation. We’ll go with Seguin, who generates shots like crazy, probably won’t shoot 8.6 percent again, and somehow doesn’t turn 26 until Jan. 31.

Detroit Red Wings

Tomas Tatar

The answer to this question is a good reflection of what’s wrong with the Red Wings. Henrik Zetterberg is coming off another great season, but he’ll be 37 soon. Mike Green’s peak ended years ago. Dylan Larkin needs to bounce back from a rough sophomore season. That leaves you with Tatar, Gustav Nyquist, and Anthony Mantha as your best options. Tatar has averaged 25 goals a season over the past three years, so at least he’s reliable.

Edmonton Oilers

Connor McDavid

Well, he’s the reigning NHL MVP. Probably fair to assume he’s going to be the Oilers’ MVP again, too.

Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images

Florida Panthers

Aleksander Barkov

Aaron Ekblad could bounce back from a disappointing second season to become one of the league’s elite defensemen soon, but that’s not a sure thing. Barkov, meanwhile, has established himself as one of the league’s top two-way centers over the past couple years.

Los Angeles Kings

Drew Doughty

The Kings changed their head coach and GM, but it’s mostly the same roster from last season. Unless top center Anze Kopitar can bounce back from a disappointing season, Doughty should have a pretty clear path to being the team’s best player. No skater in the NHL logged more minutes (2,226) last season.

Minnesota Wild

Devan Dubnyk

The Wild are built more on depth than sheer star power now that Ryan Suter and Zach Parise are no longer in their prime. Dubnyk is, however, with a .923 save percentage over the past three seasons. That puts him among the league’s best goaltenders, and if he repeats it, Minnesota will be tough to keep out of the playoffs despite a crowded conference.

Montreal Canadiens

Carey Price

Max Pacioretty is very good. Shea Weber is very good. Jonathan Drouin and Alex Galchenyuk could be very good. But Carey Price is Carey Price. He’s carried the Canadiens before, and he’ll do it again.

Nashville Predators

P.K. Subban

You could go five different ways here and it’d make sense. Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen, and Viktor Arvidsson are stellar forwards. Subban and Roman Josi are elite defensemen. Heck, Ryan Ellis would be in the mix if he was healthy to start the season. The choice is Subban, who does it all from the blue line, but this was a tough choice reflective of a team that just made the Stanley Cup Final.

New Jersey Devils

Taylor Hall

The Devils are a team largely devoid of good players. Hall is the main exception, and it stinks that he’s going to keep being underrated as a result of being on terrible teams. Hopefully Nico Hischier can blossom quickly and give him the linemate he deserves.

New York Islanders

John Tavares

Tavares has been the easy answer as the Islanders’ team MVP the past few years. That could end after this season with his looming free agency, although a good 2017-18 campaign would go a long way toward getting him locked up. Tavares put up 66 points last season, and now he’s got Jordan Eberle on his wing in a contract year. Bigger numbers could be on the way.

New York Rangers

Ryan McDonagh

For a long time, McDonagh had to carry around Dan Girardi as his partner. Now Girardi is in Tampa Bay, and McDonagh will have the chance to show what he can do with better support. Maybe he’ll disappoint, but partnering with Kevin Shattenkirk could lead to some major improvement in his numbers.

Ottawa Senators

Erik Karlsson

The only thing that would stop Karlsson from being the Senators’ team MVP is health. If that proves to be a real issue, it’d be a close call between Mark Stone and Mike Hoffman.

Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Philadelphia Flyers

Claude Giroux

Giroux has fallen off from the conversation around the game’s best forwards, and Philadelphia is experimenting with moving him to the wing this season. A point production trend of 86, 73, 67, and 58 over the past four years is worrisome, so it makes sense to try to figure out what’s gone wrong. Still, Giroux remains the engine behind the Flyers for now.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Sidney Crosby

It’s either Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, and, well, it’s Crosby. Malkin has missed at least 15 games in six of the past eight seasons, and he’s coming off a relative down year driving possession. Crosby remains a beast, and he’s missed just 16 games over the past four seasons combined.

San Jose Sharks

Brent Burns

The defending Norris Trophy winner has the inside path here. Patrick Marleau is gone, Joe Thornton is coming off a torn ACL, and as good as Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture are, Burns still outproduced them from the blue line last season.

St. Louis Blues

Vladimir Tarasenko

Tarasenko would be a bigger deal if he played in a bigger market. The winger has scored 116 goals over the past three seasons, which is second in the NHL behind Alex Ovechkin. He’s done it without an elite playmaking center, too, and now will get to see whether he can make a push to 50 goals with Brayden Schenn in the middle.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Victor Hedman

It’s incredible to think that Tampa Bay has Steven Stamkos, yet this felt like a call between Hedman and Nikita Kucherov. That’s how good those two have become, although we’ll go with Hedman given the Lightning’s lack of defensive depth. They could conceivably handle losing Kucherov for some time if Stamkos is healthy. Losing Hedman would throw the defense into total disarray.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Auston Matthews

Matthews scored 40 goals last season as a 19-year-old rookie. What’s next for the Leafs’ franchise player? Presumably another 40-goal season, and if things come together, a big playoff run. Considering he finished 11th in Hart Trophy voting last season, you know he’ll get a lot of love if Toronto keeps rising up the standings.

Vancouver Canucks

Daniel Sedin

It’s slim pickings for the Canucks, who have a mix of aging stars like the Sedin brothers and non-elite young players like Bo Horvat. Brock Boeser is the wild card for the season, and could end up emerging as a key contributor from Day 1. Daniel Sedin remains a solid player, though, and he didn’t get much puck luck last season. We’ll go with one last hurrah from Sedin, although the wheels could come off at age 37.

Vegas Golden Knights

Vadim Shipachyov

The Golden Knights’ first big addition, Shipachyov comes over from the KHL, where he was one of the league’s top players. The 30-year-old recorded 26 goals and 76 points in 50 games with SKA St. Petersburg last season, and looks to be Vegas’ top-line center to open the season.

Washington Capitals

Braden Holtby

Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom still make the Capitals go, but it’s Holtby who has become the foundation under which this team’s success is built. He’s one of the most reliable, durable goalies in the league with a .923 save percentage in 201 starts over the past three seasons. That kind of performance gives Washington a high baseline, and makes Holtby its most important player.

Winnipeg Jets

Mark Scheifele

Patrik Laine will be the Jets player everyone talks about for the next decade, but Scheifele should not be underestimated in the meantime. His steady progression into a superstar over the past few seasons is remarkable, and there’s little to reason it’s simply the result of Laine’s presence. They’ll drive each other to greatness, and rack up a stupid amount of goals in the process.

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Stanley Cup Playoffs - 5 Things We Learnt From Round 3

Any team has a chance in the NHL

We have seen it time and time again. Teams considered to have no hope winning the Cup, making a massive impact in the playoffs. 2012, LA finished 8th with 11 fewer wins than Vancouver and 95 points. That didn’t matter as they powered their way to their first Stanley Cup. Last season the Sharks finished with 98 points, 2 points above a wildcard position and also powered through to the Cup finals. This year is no exception. The Nashville Predators had a regular season that was well below expectations, especially with their list and the impressive playoffs they had last season. They finished with 94 points   points in regular season, the same as non-playoff teams Tampa Bay and The New York Islanders. Despite this, they have built with big wins, solid goaltending and timely goals. They are my pick to win the Cup. 

Penguins depth in net is unrivalled 

Entering the Conference Finals, Marc-Andre Fleury was arguably the best Pittsburgh Penguin. He made save after save against a tenacious Columbus Blue Jackets Squad, played very solidly against the Cup favourite Capitals and finally played an extremely solid game 1 and 2 of the Conference finals against the Senators including a shutout in game 2. These were Conn Smythe like performances right up until game 3 where he allowed 4 goals on 9 shots. That was the last we saw of his as Matt Murray has stepped up and never looked back. Murray currently holds 1.35 GAA and a 9.46 save percentage in the last 4 games of the series and will look to bring this stellar play and experience of last years Stanley Cup win. This is the best goaltending depth we have seen in a long time for a playoff team. 

Momentum definitely does not carry over from game to game

So far in the playoffs we have seen some absolutely massive wins by teams that have meant nothing come the follow up. It highlights just how important the first goal of every game is and the fact that any team can win entering a contest if they play the right way and back their ability. San Jose dismantled the Oilers in game 4 of the first round 7-0 only to lose a pivotal game 5, the Senators lost 7-0 to the Pens in game 5 to be put on the brink of elimination and responded with a huge win at home in game 6 and Edmonton smacked the Ducks 7-1 to avoid elimination and force game 7, only to lose 2-1 and be sent home. This was also seen consistently in the Washington v Pittsbiurgh series as both teams suffered big losses 6-2 and 5-2 in important games, however bounced back to win the next contest. It highlights how a big win does not change a series. Connor McDavid said it best, “They don't get two games winning 7-0.” 

Mike Sullivan has an insane ability to win

Mike Sullivan definitely knows how to win. He has won big games, important games and is currently undefeated in playoff series as the head coach of the Penguins. 7-0 in playoff series, 3-0 in game 7s, a winning record in playoff OT games and of course, the Stanley Cup win. He has a fantastic ability to get the most out of his playoffs, makes good choices when to make changes to his lineup and ultimately inspires his team to never give up. 

Nashville’s ability to play through injuries

Nashville just keep trucking along despite losing a number of key players consistently over the course of the playoffs. While the Penguins missed Crosby for 1 game, they have been relatively healthy and have gained players back. Despite this the Pens and Preds have used 23 players each through the course of the first 3 rounds. The injuries impacting the Preds however are far more devastating. Nashville have now lost their playoff leading scorer in Ryan Johansen, who providing great finishing and facilitation of the offense. Captain and fantastic two way center Mike Fisher has missed the last couple of games and is in doubt for the start of the finals. Finally Kevin Fiala who broke his leg horrifically at the beginning of the second round was playing some of the best hockey of his career. He was a driving factor both offensively and defensively for the Predators in their absolute dismantling of the Blackhawks. 

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I needed to go Copenhagen and Stockholm for work for 3 days and seized the opportunity to explore the Nordic cuisine.

This first one, Restaurant Kokkeriet*, actually was an added bonus as the dinner appointment with our advisers fell through. As I had been following Kokkeriet on Instagram for some time, I tried to get a last-minute reservation there for my former boss and myself and luckily succeeded!

About Kokkeriet: Restaurant Kokkeriet is located at Kronprinsessegade 64 in Copenhagen’s Nyboder quarter, a cosy and quiet neighbourhood which originated about 400 years ago for housing blocks built for the Danish navy.

Kokkeriet opened in 2001 (as Borups Kærlighed) and is run by Sammy Shafi, owner/ general manager/Head Sommelier, whilst the kitchen is managed by head-chef David Johansen who joined Kokkeriet in 2008. The restaurant started off in the classic French cuisine and received a Michelin star in 2006, but then decided to change the menu to Danish food. Kokkeriet describes its cooking as all 4 seasons, based on love, understanding and respect for the Danish gastronomy and heritage and the sincere intention to serve sublime Danish food reconstructed in the very best way. This change to Danish cuisine, however, resulted in the restaurant losing its Michelin star in 2007, but they regained it in 2009 and maintained it since.

It should be noted that just a few days after we visited, it was announced via Facebook that David Johansen will leave and the current assistant chef, Morten Krogholm, will take over as per April 1. Considering that Morten has worked in some of the best restaurants in Copenhagen, including Noma, it will be interesting how his take on the Kokkeriet philosophy will be.

About the menu/wine options: There is an 8-course and a 12-course (DKK 900/1.200 –  € 120/160) tasting menu with the option of an additional cheese course (DKK 175 / € 23,50). The Tuesday Special is getting a large menu for the price of the small menu, but the 4 additional dishes are actually still under construction, so you will be quizzed what you think of them. Nice idea to keep a full house on the usually slow day Tuesday and to get actual feedback from actual customers. We were there on a Tuesday, but we both thought that the 8-course tasting menu would be plenty.

As I was not feeling all too well (forbearance of a hay fever attack in the middle of the night), I resorted to the juice pairing (DKK 500/600 – € 67/81) rather than the wine pairing (DKK 800/1.000 – € 107/134).

About the food and drinks: As said, we started with delicious amuses of which the liquid Waldorf salad was a real stand out: an amazing and inventive non-alcoholic cocktail made from apple/celery sorbet ice, celery and grape juices and a couple of sprays of walnut oil. In your mind you could just check off all the different elements of a Waldorf salad whilst sipping it from the Martini glass…

hen eggs – parfait – skins

celery – apple – grape

cured beef – crispy potato – pickled cucumber

As part of the Kokkeriet cookbook, Thomas Vinterberg, the Danish director and one of the founders of the Dogma 95 collective, had written a preface, of which a part is mentioned as a quote on the Kokkeriet website:

“Humor in a becomingly serious and extremely ambitious context, as part of a well-planned sequence of servings with the aid and challenge of the best wines. Diverse, subtle and strong flavors reaching out to the farthest corners of the mouth and evoking strange associations. Celery, mushrooms, yellow peas and Brussels sprouts are recognised in the crowd. Danish classics, but here they skip, melt or crunch between your teeth, uniting with crab or duck in a way they have never done before. The familiar in the unknown.”

It is a spot-on description of the tastes, textures and wines that seems both far apart and yet come together in the end. Some impressions:

Langoustine – Kale – Skagen ham

Beetroot – Hay Cream – Truffle 

Pork cheek – Celery – Nut oil

Quail – Squid – Fermented Garlic

Cucumber – White Chocolate – Mint – Caviar

The humorous element really came through in the meringue shards from the last dessert that were made with activated charcoal, turning ones teeth and tongue black, resulting in much laughter at the various tables.

Lemon – Caramel – Sorrel

  The wine pairing for the small menu was the following: 2015 Sylvaner Trocken, Schätzel, Rheinhessen, Germany 2015 Grüner Veltliner, Weingut Weszeli, Langenlois, Kamptal, Austria 2014 Bourgogne Blanc, ”Les Sétilles”, Olivier Leflaive, France 2014 Baco Noir, Henry of Pelham, Ontario, Canada 2010 Pelago, Marche Rosso, Umani Ronche, Italy 2015 Herzog Rieslaner Auslese, Weingut Müller-Catoir, Pfalz, Germany

I got delicious glasses of Apple/Thyme, Apple/Celery, Apple/Ginger, Fresh Grape and Fresh Cranberry juices and was quite surprised about how well they paired with the food. Although the juices had some more sweetness and different acidity than you would normally find in wine, it was an enjoyable experiment.

The best dish of the day was the quenelle of beetroot tartare with spring onions and truffle vinaigrette finished with hay cream, tarragon and shiso leaves. It was just stellar. There were some minor things slightly off. We both thought that the langoustine, kale and ham dish was as a bit disjointed as the flavours were a too far off. The pork cheek was a bit salty for our taste as it almost leaned towards corned beef.

However, the overall experience at Kokkeriet was a very pleasant one: adventurous food and wines (the Canadian Baco Noir was a very surprising and vibrant wine), beautiful plating combined with a very professional service that is both personal and relaxed.

Around the World – Restaurant Kokkeriet*, Copenhagen, Denmark (March 2017) I needed to go Copenhagen and Stockholm for work for 3 days and seized the opportunity to explore the Nordic cuisine.