#and also it's safe in the sense that if i imagine rinne and i getting destroyed at the casino i don't have to worry ab bein broke irl

[mishkakagehishka]

Jokes aside, i'm so happy i got connected to the people i did on here that i'm now so casual and normal ab the idea of yume. I knew i was gonna have so much fun here and i ammmmmm

[animebw]

Binge-Watching: Rinne no Lagrange S2, Episodes 1-3

Season 2, go! And already, we’re pulling out all the stops to make this show work better than ever before. Holy shit, we might just turn this thing around.

Back From the Brink

It’s safe to say I was not the biggest fan of Rinne no Lagrange’s first season. It wasn’t awful, but it was haphazard and mishandled in a pretty fundamental way, and it didn’t leave me much hope for the series’ future. When its flaws were this systemic and persistent, was there really any way to overcome them? So imagine my surprise when I popped on the first episode of season 2, and around the halfway point, I realized: I was enjoying myself. No, not only that: I was invested in where the story was going. I was interested in seeing what was going to happen next. And that feeling didn’t fade throughout these first three episodes. Of course, there’s still every chance all the old flaws will crop back up and ruin this promising start, and it’s not like this show suddenly got amazing. But with just a few smart decisions, it’s started sorting itself out into something with actual potential. Against all odds, season 2 of Rinne no Lagrange has accomplished something I thought impossible by the end of season 1: it’s made me excited to watch more Rinne no Lagrange. I’m on board again, and it feels great.

The smartest choice this season makes, in my opinion, is to really lean into the changes brought about by discovering alien life. The first season wasted a lot of time frittering around with lame slice-of-life fanservice material, and it took time away from the more potentially interesting plot stuff going on above our heads. Now, though, the intergalactic situation, Le Garite, De Metrio, the war and conflict and tension, all that stuff is literally going on above our heads, as garrison ships patrol the skies just above Kamogawa, and its impact is obvious. There’s a great scene early on in episode 1 where Madoka’s just chilling out with her friends at the seaside cafe run by Kirius and the gang, and they’re discussing how the political situation has inspired them to get more involved in politics as they head into their adult lives. Meanwhile, Madoka’s ruminating over how her own career goals feels kinda meaningless considering all the shit going on around her, and who she even wants to be when she graduates. It still feels like normal life, but you really get the sense of how this situation is changing the way normal life operates, the way normal people view their position in the world. There’s even a great little insert shot where we see a couple customers from Le Garite seemingly Instagramming their meals with space Iphones or whatever. In just one little conversation, you really get a feel for the consequences last season’s events have had, both on the world at large and the characters inhabiting it.

Between Two Worlds

Jumping off of that point, this season has an increased plot focus that balances the show’s time much more efficiently between downtime and forward momentum. Things aren’t just nebulously happening in the background until the story decides it’s time to move forward, Madoka and her friends are all right in the thick of things and influencing the narrative’s flow with their own actions. We learn more about the situation involving the two planets; apparently, there’s a catastrophic cosmic event approaching where Le Garite and De Metrio’s orbits will collide, resulting in the planets smashing into each other and being destroyed. This is the source of the conflict between them, and while it’s a little weird we’re only finding out such critical information now (and without much fanfare, they just kinda tell us), at least now we know where we stand. And the show makes a smart play to contrast the two powers by focusing on the differences between their leaders, who also happen to be Lan and Muginami’s big brothers. On the one hand, there’s Le Garite’s Diselmine, who wants to harness the Voxes’ power to destroy De Metrio and save his own planet. He’s putting Lan through intense experiments to try and unlock that power, and he’s overall very controlling of her, with very little concern for her well being. On the other hand, there’s our old pal Lord Villaguilio, who seems to have learned his lesson from last time. When Muginami goes rogue to try and reach Madoka, he happily covers for her and trusts her to do her own thing. It’s a direct contrast with Dizelmine, and he even acknowledges his intention is to “not do what Dizelmine would do.”

As I suspected at the beginning of the show, this battle is far more complicated than simply a good guy and a bad guy. This is a thorny situation with good people and absolute scumbags on both sides. Neither party deserves to be destroyed, but Dizel and Villa have become so locked in their ways (Dizel especially), it seems impossible to turn them away from the path of war. And the effect this has on Lan and Muginami is harsh. By the time they finally return to Kamogawa, they’ve found themselves on opposite sides of this war. Lan wants to protect Madoka from De Metrio, Muginami wants to protect her from Le Garite, both of them think the other is only going to hurt her, and neither of them think they have any other option. Their brothers are too stubborn to turn back now, too bloodthirsty to dissuade from fighting each other. What other choice do their sisters have but to carry out their will, even if it means surrendering to the tides of violence sweeping across the cosmos?

Hand in Hand

Luckily for everyone, Madoka isn’t about to stand for that shit. If there’s even the slightest chance Villa and Dizel can be talked down from fighting and find a common solution, she’s going to fight for it no matter what. And can I just say, this season is already doing a way better job utilizing Madoka’s character than the first season did. She’s a single-minded idiot, and while that’s her greatest weakness, it’s also her greatest strength; if there’s an opportunity she believes in, she’ll follow it to the end, whatever obstacles are in her way. And it honestly leads to some of this show’s must genuinely funny moments yet. When everyone’s still suspicious of each other and trying to suss each other out, she just straight-up opens a com line to Villa to casually ask him where Muginami is. And she’s completely nonplussed why anyone would find that weird (”Oh, Mr. Tadakoro. I’m on the phone.”) She’s trying to find her friends, of course she’d just ask outright! And then right after, Tadakoro says that since all the ships have been sent out, Madoka has no way to leave Pharos... only to cut directly to Madoka pulling herself back onto Kamogawa’s shores after swimming all the way back. Good lord, that had me cackling. This is the clearest and most consistent Madoka’s character has ever been; faced with a seemingly insurmountable situation, she rushes forward without concern for rules, regulations or norms for the sake of doing what she believes is right. And it makes her a blast to watch as she fights for the people she loves.

And yes, I do in fact mean the people she loves. Because hot off the heels of last season finale’s godawful excuse for queerbaiting, season 2 charges full ahead into full-on lesbian polycule territory, and it is fucking great. They literally all kissed each other! That happened! They smashed their lips together in every combination! Muginami even outright states how much she capital-L loves them both! And then we get Lan and Muginami holding hands as they watch Madoka undergo a grueling trial, comforting each other that they’ll all make it out okay! Fuck, even Asteria, the unfunny groping gremlin, turns a momentarily gag-inducing virgin comment into another confirmation of their shared love (”Who needs men when you three have each other, right?”)! And Madoka instantly one-ups her by sputtering, ”So what if Lan and Muginami are the only ones I’ve ever kissed? What’s wrong with that?!” WE’RE ACTUALLY GOING NO SUBTEXT WITH THIS BITCH! Holy shit, I cannot believe Rinne no Lagrange decided to be this brave. Already I’m a hundred times more invested in the central trio than I ever was in season 1. If this is the level of confidence I can expect from season 2, I might end up liking this show after all.

Odds and Ends

-These OPs really have no right being such bops.

-Robots! In! SPAAAAAAACE! God, this action is still cool.

-Man, I love how Array’s still in a maid outfit. Live your best life, pal.

-”Woof.” God dammit, Lan, I missed you too.

-”It’s good.” Augh, and holding back tears from tasting a real Kamogawa burger again... who gave you the right to make me feel things, show?

-”She shot right past them.” sdkjfhskjdfh a little rusty are we

-”You’re starting to think it’ll work out!” You ridiculous fucking dorks

-”Shut up! I’m a wolf!” Izo, I appreciate you.

-Okay but who orders that much shaved ice

-Oh my god they’re running a haunted houses you utter dorks

-”Can’t you just give us a break?” “That’s the spirit!” fucking lol

-Okay, using ridiculous yonic imagery to symbolize Asteria’s dirty talk is a million times funnier than anything she’s ever done. Fucking hell.

-Congrats, guys, you literally virgin-shamed her into possibly ending the world.

-”Don’t open the Rin-ne! I alone will suffice!” Okay, I need to fucking know what happened to Yurikano now.

-”Yurikano made some tasty sweets!” ...okay, I have no idea what to think anymore.

Aaaaa, it feels good to be excited about the shows I’m watching. See you next time!

[thrashermaxey]

Top 10 players that will not rebound

  At some point each season, you need to take stock of your fantasy team and try to figure out who isn’t going to work out anymore.

Now that we are two months into the season, we have a large enough sample size to get a good sense of which players just don’t have it this season. This doesn’t mean they are worthless in keeper pools, but in one-year leagues, it’s time to seriously consider whether these guys are worth even wasting a roster spot on.

While it is quite possible these guys can start to rebound, the numbers so far don’t look good. They are losing power-play ice time, dealing with multiple injuries or in the case of goaltenders, are losing starts.

Here are 10 players that will not rebound from their poor starts.

  10. Robby Fabbri

Fabbri is frustrating to own because he spends so much time on the injured reserve list, but the main problem with Fabbri is that when he is healthy, there’s no guarantee he can get meaningful top-six minutes or consistent power-play time. Fabbri is again injured, but will be re-evaluated in two weeks. Plus, the Blues are such a mess that it’s tough to own any St. Louis player. If Fabbri comes back around Christmas, don’t be in a rush to pick him up off the waiver wire or to try to trade for him.

  9. Jordan Eberle

Is it safe to say that Eberle has been one of the most disappointing players of the last seven years? There have been others who have been more disappointing in various seasons, but Eberle consistently disappoints year after year. This year, Eberle has 13 points and is on pace for only 38. One factor working against him rebounding is his ice time. He has been under 15:30 of ice time in six of the Islanders’ last 10 games. It is important to note that his top power-play spot hasn’t changed, but he has no man-advantage points in the last 15 games.

  8. Colton Parayko

Parayko is one of those players who everyone expects to break out every season, but it has yet to happen. Part of it is opportunity. He doesn’t get the top power-play minutes, and even when Alex Pietrangelo is removed from the number one unit, it’s Vince Dunn who goes into that spot. Parayko is still worth a spot in leagues that count hits and blocked shots, but is not a viable option in points-only pools.

  7. Juuse Saros

The problem with Saros isn’t that he isn’t a good goalie; it’s that he won’t get enough games to work through his issues. He’s allowed at least three goals in eight of 13 games this year. Pekka Rinne is the best goalie in the league this year, and Saros hasn’t done anything to prove he deserves more games, meaning he won’t be stealing starts anytime soon. Even his career stats are showing he’s an average goalie.

  6. Duncan Keith

At this stage, it’s a matter of how far you believe Keith can rebound. Last year he had 32 points and went scoreless for the first 57 games. This year, he’s on pace for 32 points and is scoreless in 31 games. In 15 games under Joel Quenneville, Keith had seven points, 27 shots, and averaged 22:45 minutes per game (2:34 on the power play). Under new head coach Jeremy Colliton, Keith has five points, 24 shots and is averaging 22:20 per game (1:11 on the power play). While everything is pretty much the same (and underwhelming), the worrying aspect is the decline in power-play time.

  5. Tyler Toffoli

It’s hard to imagine many of the Kings’ players bouncing back. Even though Toffoli’s ice time is a career high and he’s a mainstay on the second power-play unit, many of underlying stats don’t paint a pretty picture. His shot rate is the lowest it’s been since he was a rookie in 2013-14, his offensive zone starts are down significantly and is his five-on-five shooting percentage is also down.

  4. Jake DeBrusk

Many were hoping for big things from Debrusk this year, but it just hasn’t panned out. Michael Clifford did a great job explaining Debrusk’s season in Thursday’s ramblings. The Coles Notes version: He’s scoring goals, but not picking up assists. He’s also not picking up points on goals scored when he’s not on the ice. Finally, he’s not on the top power-play unit like many envisioned during the summer. When Patrice Bergeron went down with an injury on Nov. 16, Debrusk’s power-play time increased, but he hasn’t been able to pick up a power-play point in those 10 games. He also missed both games on the weekend with concussion syndromes.

  3. Kevin Shattenkirk

The problem with owning Shattenkirk is that he is the prototypical first-half player before suffering a major second-half decline. With him struggling significantly so far in the first half, what can we expect after the all-star break? Let’s not forget that his overall ice time and power play time is down this season, making it difficult for him to rebound. His offensive-zone starts and shots per game are also down.

  2. Jeff Carter

It’s always tough when a goal scorer starts to decline, because it is so abrupt. This season could be the first sign of that decline with the 33-year-old Carter. He is on pace for 16 goals, which would just barely eke out last year’s 13 goals. Of course, last year, he hit that amount in 27 games. His shot rate is also down, just under half a shot per game from last year. I mentioned this in the Toffoli section, but it would be best to stay from most Kings for the foreseeable future.

  1. Matt Murray

Sure, Murray is on injured reserve, but even when he returns, you can’t trust him on any level. You can’t trust him to stay healthy (he’s missed time with at least nine different injuries since the 2016 playoffs). You also can’t trust him to get wins or put up decent numbers. Almost every stat (goals against average, save percentage, quality starts percentage, winning percentage, etc.) has gotten worse every single season. Maybe the injuries are taking a toll on Murray’s game. He now has a career 2.71 GAA and a .913 SV %.

  from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-home/fantasy-hockey-top-10/top-10-players-that-will-not-rebound/

[junker-town]

Ranking the NHL’s best second-round playoff series according to science

Cancel everything and watch Preds-Blues.

So, that was fun.

We just capped off the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs on Sunday. It featured a record 18 overtimes. Yes. We are tired, too.

But no time for rest. The second round beckons, and it’s time to tell you which series you should pay attention to most.

(Spoiler: All of them.)

First, a recap: Check out the full NHL playoffs bracket right here! Or go read our first-round rankings and laugh at us.

So, onto our rankings. Remember, our methods are highly scientific and immune to all criticism.

St. Louis Blues vs Nashville Predators

Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Hatred Factor: Look, you get five points automatically in any Central Division playoff series. There’s no fondness in that basket of malcontents.

It also helps that these clubs are super-familiar with each other after five regular season games. Unlike the Senators-Rangers series, the sparks didn’t fly as frequently. But familiarity breeds discontent, and there’s plenty of pesky guys like Ryan Reaves and Cody McLeod to make this a tense affair. 7 out of 10.

Star factor: Automatic 6 points for P.K. Subban. Toss in Vladimir Tarasenko and ... okay, that might be it.

But P.K. 7 out of 10.

Freshness factor: First Preds-Blues playoff series in recent memory, since Nashville is usually the Blackhawks’ problem to deal with in the first round. So there’s some freshness for you. And it’s the first time P.K. Subban truly gets the national spotlight since his reign in Nashville began. It’s okay to get hyped for this newness. 9 out of 10.

Beard factor: It all hinges on whether Vernon Fiddler plays.

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Only then will this series jump to 12 out of 10. Because right now, with just Ryan Ellis ...

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

It’s just a 10 out of 10.

Anticipation factor: Please visit your doctor if you aren’t thrilled about this. Nashville just throttled the Chicago Blackhawks, guys. The Blues just throttled the Minnesota Wild, guys. You’ve got the playoffs’ hottest goalies in Jake Allen and Pekka Rinne backstopping two division rivals with great beards. C’mon. 10 out of 10.

Final rating: 8.6

Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Hatred Factor: Just look at that photo. They can’t stand each other.

Seriously, though: it’s hard to say how much of this rivalry is media-built. The NHL has rode the “Sid vs. Ovi” narrative into the ground for a decade, but do we really think they dislike each other? Nah.

But resentment? Sure. The core group of Caps have gone home early in the playoffs while the Penguins gathered deep runs and two Stanley Cups. The pair are constantly compared, even outside of Ovechkin and Crosby. Plus, just go back and watch the best game of the NHL season to get a sense of how competitive they get together.

Hatred? Maybe not, but enough to spark some serious motivation. 8 out of 10.

Star factor: Is this a question? Sidney Crosby. Alex Ovechkin. Braden Holtby. Evgeni Malkin. I could go on for days. 9 out of 10.

Freshness factor: Hard to believe, but the Caps and Pens have only met once in the playoffs in the Ovi/Crosby era: a 4-3 series win in the Conference Semi-Finals by the Penguins in 2009. 8 out of 10.

Beard factor: You know, I actually think T.J. Oshie is shaving.

John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

4 out of 10.

Anticipation factor: If this is the Capitals’ year to win the Cup, it’s only fair they run the gauntlet on the way to the top. Toronto gave them one hell of a scare, and now Ovechkin & Co. have to exorcise their Crosby & Co. demons. This could be the best series of the playoffs regardless of outcome. 10 out of 10.

Final rating: 7.8

Edmonton Oilers vs. Anaheim Ducks

Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

Hatred factor: Divison rivals, so sure. But there’s some ingredients here for further Sports Hatred Development:

a dash of Corey Perry

a table’s worth of Milan Lucic

a pinch of Andrew Cogliano-Jakob Silfverberg defensive responsibility frustration

two thousand cups of tired, grumpy fans complaining about west coast overtime games

Plus, imagine how mad the Ducks will be whenever they Patrick Maroon scores on them since they’re paying his contract. I bet players think about that stuff ALL THE TIME. 8 out of 10.

Star factor: Like we said in the first round, Ryan Getzlaf isn’t the star he once was. Nor is Corey Perry. Luckily Connor McDavid’s stardom already has orbits developing around it. 6 out of 10.

Freshness factor: The Ducks made the second round! It’s been, what, two years? This is the furthest the Oilers have made it in a decade, though. 6 out of 10.

Beard factor: Patrick Eaves makes up for everyone else.

Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images

10 out of 10.

Anticipation factor: You know what? This could be good. The Oilers made for a fun first round upset in San Jose, and the Ducks managed a few comeback wins in sweeping the Flames. As safe a bet to go seven games as any other second round series. 8 out of 10.

Final rating: 7.6

Ottawa Senators vs. New York Rangers

Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

Hatred Factor: Ehhhh. Does anyone really hate the Senators? Can you hate them? They were so inoffensive during the season.

Unless they played the Rangers. Their first two meetings featured 60 penalty minutes, and 10 of those were devoted to roughing minors.

Not to mention a few fights thrown in after big hits.

So, yeah. If anyone hates the Senators, it was the Rangers this season. 8 out of 10.

Star factor: Well, you’ve got Erik Karlsson and his fractured foot. You’ve got Henrik Lundqvist doing Henrik Lundqvist things. I guess you could count the aura of ORIGINAL SIX TEAM NEW YORK RANGERS as a star. 6 out of 10.

Freshness factor: Haven’t met in the playoffs in over a decade, so this is the first time we get to see Karlsson vs. Lundqvist. Both are semi-regular playoff contenders, though, so that hurts this score. 7 out of 10.

Beard factor: Karlsson’s goatee thing is still beautiful. Lundqvist looks as grizzled as ever. Don’t worry about them. But their teammates are holding their own, too.

Witness: Rick Nash.

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Witness: Bobby Ryan.

Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

We’ve got potential hair here, people. 7 out of 10.

Anticipation factor: I get why some people are out on this series. There aren’t many notable Senators other than Karlsson, and the Rangers are almost overly-familiar. But the Sens were unexpectedly really fun to watch in the first round, and the Rangers showed off a chippy side I didn’t predict. This could sneak up on you. 8 out of 10.

Final rating: 7.2