#thank you calee those were great questions <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[sergeifyodorov]

I know 4 nations is still a couple of months away but if you specifically were the gm choosing the roster right now, what would your team Canada look like? (I am also curious about the other teams but don’t want to overwhelm you) I always love hearing your hockey thoughts!

ooh sarahhhh LOVE this q... also lowkey thank u for only asking about Canada b/c i have not thought about the other rosters at all. to be honest

ok lets get into it

(13 F, 7 D, 3 G)

Forwards:

Already named to the roster: Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Brad Marchand, Connor McDavid, Brayden Point

I'm not entirely sure if I had complete control I would pick Marchand, who is both a) pretty far past his prime (even if he is one of those guys who doesn't really age like other players do) and b), not entirely That guy, but I digress. Eight more forwards to name.

Mitch Marner: Easily the best Canadian player not on this list. Since there's no salary cap for the roster and you can go wild by just picking Everyone Good, the most important note of roster construction in my mind is special teams; on any given team you should have ~2 units each of PP and PK, so eight-ish PP forwards and four-ish PK forwards. Some guys don't really do either, so it's always an extra asset to find a guy who is good at both. Mitch Marner is good at both. (And also good at basically everything else.)

Sam Reinhart: I don't like saying it, but I will

Mark Schiefele: I also don't like saying it

Dylan Strome: Here's where it gets interesting. No, I promise this is not a purely narrative choice, although I understand why one might think that. I shrimply love me a smart playmaking centre (yes his points totals are probably inflated by the Caps' really high oish% for him, but he is firmly Very Good and, even as a 4C, should be firmly considered for the 4N.)

Travis Konecny: Legitimately one of the best penalty killers in the league, and also just an all-around threat. Also also a lot of the guys who tend to be picked for 4N are natural centres (e.g. Sidney, NateMac, CMD, Pointer, Reinhart, Schiefele, and Strome are all centres) so it's nice to not have to worry in his case about if he's going to have to move to wing or not.

Connor Bedard: Oh my god I want to see what this kid can do with offensive deployment on wing and actual good teammates

John Tavares: Departing from my usual "don't pick players who are floating into their mid-thirties if you can possibly avoid it" to say that Guys. Johnnifer is still Good. Like, still really good. Chugging along at a point a game and very, very good in the faceoff dot (58%) type of good.

Seth Jarvis: Also firmly underrated IMHO; just because he is a little guy and a bit of a dork doesn't mean we shouldn't, like, remember that He's Good. Because he is.

Reserves: Steven Stamkos (always a power-play threat), Mat Barzal (competent teammates question part 2), Claude Giroux (we all know what his deal is)

Defencemen:

Already named to the roster: Cale Makar

Oh, boy, are we not great at this whole "developing defencemen" thing. Let's see who we can put together.

Josh Morrissey: Basically Morgan Rielly but a little better, I think? Solid shooter, Of-D, etc etc.

Thomas Chabot: Severely undernoticed considering that the Sens have been shit and ass the entire time he's played there. Not his fault, though. Also there's no other Francophones on this list I feel so we should really fix that. What IS Quebec Doing?

Brandt Clarke: Okay, we can have a little "developing defencemen." As a treat.

Evan Bouchard: Why are you booing me? I'm right.

Chris Tanev: Chris Tanev

Brandon Montour: There are probably one or two better options but I like him more TO BE HONEST. Picking the forwards is like a careful examination of PK ability and faceoff percentages and primary points per minute. Picking defencemen has been entirely vibes. I'm very, very sure the L and R balance is just Not There.

Reserves: Maveric Lamoureux (queb AND developing. dual threat), Devon Toews (considering literally everyone will beg for the makar-toews pairing), Shea Theodore (I guess)

Goaltenders:

Lol and Lmao, even

Logan Thompson: The man is the Capitals' starter, helped win Vegas a Cup, and is also lowkey hot sexy and hot and sexy. Starter!

Joey Daccord: Swiss, Canadian, and American, so I'm sure we could convince him to come to the dark side. (Especially since the USA has holy-fuck level goalie depth. Jake Oettinger is a third-stringer.)

Marc-Andre Fleury: Look, this forward core is good enough that it can win us a game 7-6 if we really need it to. I just think he's fun.

[oncejaw]

2, 11, 30 for the character questions !

@leastregrets​ (character solidifying)

2. Their mother? How do they think of her? What do they hate? Love? What influence - literal or imagined - did the mother have?

Marcel has a lot of love and affection for his mother, but truth be told, he has never been very close to her. He is always too happy (and used to) playing the part of the reliable older brother who doesn’t need much support or supervision, granting him a lot of trust and independance from his parents, but the downside is that their proximity is more superficial than anything. This became especially true after he and Porco joined the Warrior programme: out of their two parents, Marcel could see that their mother is noticeably more concerned (or less good at hiding it), whenever they tell her about their training; similarly, once Marcel received the Jaw, his mother always seems to be the one more openly displaying worry over him when he goes on missions. Sometimes, he even thinks there is a hint of guilt in his mother’s eyes. Perhaps it should bring him closer to her, but what really happens is the opposite: the rift keeps growing, and Marcel keeps growing out of his mother’s reach. As much as he loves his parents, there is distance and resentment on Marcel’s part; and with his mother specifically, the regret he sometimes perceives in her unfortunately serves more as oil over fire than anything else. 

11. How do they see themselves: as smart, as intelligent, uneducated?

Marcel doesn’t necessarily think of himself as intelligent - a quality he would much more recognise in Zeke or Pieck, but he does think of himself as relatively smart. He knows he is good at quickly processing information and quickly making sound and efficient decisions, good at connecting dots and seeing nuances, and at solving problems. Good at understanding and reading people, too. Street smart and people smart is how he would describe himself, both because he has been in situations where he could apply his sharp wits and see positive results, and because other people have told him so - even insisted on it. Of course, he is also a child - praise a child and he will beam, praise his qualities in a context that should be reserved to adults and he will find himself thinking he is their match, even if it is not the case nor should it be. Marcel may be smart, but if his wits are not complemented with experience and maturity? Being smart will not stop him from making poor choices while being convinced he is being clever about it.

30. Are they holding on to something in the past? Can he or she forgive?

For better or worse, Marcel is not a very forgiving boy. He can be, with his fellow Warriors and for small-ish offenses, but he is also a rather stubborn little boy, even if he might be more subtle about it than his brother. Just as mentioned above, he still resents his parents for having him and his brother go onto the Warriors programme, he also holds a grudge against them for leaving them alone so often, for so long, before their became honorary Marleyans. And of course, he harbours deep resentment towards the people in charge of the Warriors programme, who regularly put him and his friends through hell. Marcel holds the people around him, especially those who are responsible for him, his brother, and his friends, to high standards; standards he also holds himself to. The resentment he harbours the most, without a doubt, is against himself, for ruining both his brother’s and Reiner’s lives, and betraying both their trust, no matter how noble or desperate his intentions may have been. 

[hockeylvr59]

Secret Love Part 11 || Cale Makar

Requested: [ ] yes [x] no

Authors Note: So I really struggled writing Chapter 10...Chapter 11 however...took me like two days. So yeah...uh characters are still in Iceland, Days 3 and 4 sightseeing will be posted following this. As always all posts for this series can be found by searching the tag ‘038’ on my blog. Let me know what you think. 

Gif Credit: @j-compher​

Warnings: cursing, oral sex, smut, unprotected (on birth control but no condom) smut

Word Count: 3,819

~~~~~~

If you’d thought day two of your trip had involved a lot of driving, you were in for a rude awakening moving forward.

The morning of your third day in Iceland, you and Cale had slept in until around 8 am before getting up, heading down to breakfast, packing up and then checking out of the hotel. Before leaving Reykjavik, you stopped at a market to stock up on some drinks and snacks, then a gas station for a refill before finally hitting the road heading south.

After about an hour and 40 minute drive, you reached your first stop: Seljalandsfoss Waterfall. This waterfall was the perfect photo op because you could actually walk behind the falls. Taking some sillier but also sweet pictures, you continued on to another waterfall about a half hour away. From there, you stopped for lunch before Cale drove on to Dyrhólaey Nature Reserve.

The nature reserve was home to sea stacks and arches and the view from the upper trail was breathtaking. It had only been three days but already you were certain that Iceland was one of the most beautiful countries in the world.  After taking in the views from above, you headed to the lower trail and onto Reynisfjara beach.

There, black sand stretched in front of you as far as you could see. It was so different than any other beach you’d ever been on but it was honestly really, really cool. As cool as the sand was, the rock formations lining the beach were even cooler. After walking tucked into Cale’s side for a little bit you looked up at the cliffs to your left and immediately started freaking out. Jumping up and down, trying not to squeal, you tugged on Cale’s sleeve as if your previous actions hadn’t already gained his attention.

“What are you freaking out about?” Cale asked, mystified expression on his face.

“Puffins!” You squealed quietly, pure glee on your face. “They’re so cute!” The last thing you wanted to do was disturb the birds, but you were so excited to see them it was impossible to keep completely silent. Of course, you kept your distance, simply admiring them from afar.

Cale didn’t seem to know what to do with your reaction but he let you have your moment watching the birds, his lips pressed against the top of your head. As you headed back down the beach Cale rubbed his thumb against your side.

“I take you to see beautiful geological formations but it’s the birds you’re excited about.” He mused, shaking his head.

“Leave me alone.” You pouted. “You don’t just see puffins anywhere you know.” Lifting your chin, Cale kissed you softly.

“As long as you’re having fun and are excited about something I’m happy.” He insisted, his arm pulling you closer into his side.

It wasn’t a far drive to the village of Vik which Cale informed you was where you were staying for the night. Unlike yesterday where you had been going non-stop, not returning to your hotel until after 11pm, today you were already here and it was only late afternoon.

After checking into your hotel, you dropped off your bags and used the bathroom before heading into the village itself to park and walk around. Stopping into the tourist shop, you browsed around looking specifically at all of the locally made products. Eventually, you spotted a set of glass coasters made from the black sand of the beaches you’d just been on. Across the tops, various local scenes were painted. They were simple but beautiful and your fingers lingered across the tops of them.

“Those are nice.” Cale said, appearing over your shoulder suddenly.

“Yeah they are.” You agreed. Picking up two sets, Cale handed you one.

“We should get them. One for the house, one for my apartment.” Cale declared. “That way we both have something to remind us of this trip.”

“That’s really soft Cale.” You murmured.

“Don’t care.” He replied. Though you continued to look around, there wasn’t anything else that spoke to you as much as the set of coasters did and eventually you headed to the register to purchase them.

Walking around the village you took in how cute and quaint it was. Soon after your stomachs started complaining, you stumbled into a small restaurant. There you and Cale split a pizza with pesto for sauce, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, parma ham, topped with a balsamic glaze and parmesan cheese. It was delicious and you left feeling completely stuffed.

You’d called it an early night back at the hotel, settling for a movie on Netflix as you curled up together in bed. A relaxing evening was exactly what you needed to recharge and be ready to continue on your journey.

++

Day four of your trip started by filling up the gas tank and then embarking on an hour long drive to Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon.

Just before you reached the canyon, you encountered a small turn off which led you to a viewpoint. Climbing out of the car you walked up the pathway until you reached a platform. As far as the eye could see were moss covered rocks and it truly felt like you had stepped onto another planet.

“Are you sure we’re still on planet earth?” You whispered to Cale. Your boyfriend chuckled quietly in response, his hand resting on your hip. It seemed like the more time you spent alone together, not worried about who you saw or who saw you, the more reliant on physical touches each of you became. You’d never felt so comfortable just being with someone and thinking back on the times you’d seen Cale with Sara, you had a feeling the same could be said for him.

With more pictures clogging up your phones, you continued on to the Canyon itself. It was only a two-minute walk to the start of the canyon from the car and the moment you reached it your jaw dropped.

“Cale…” You whispered. You didn’t even have words to describe how beautiful this place was.

“Woah...sweetheart.” Cale’s thumbs brushed against your cheeks as he spoke and it wasn’t until he pulled you into his chest that you realized you were crying. “Shhh..give your brain a minute to process.” Cale assured you. His patience with you seemed neverending as his hands stroked your back until you finally calmed down.

“Sorry…” You mumbled, wiping frantically at your eyes when you finally pulled away.

“Nothing to be sorry about.” Cale insisted. “You’re allowed to be emotionally effected by things. It’s normal. Especially when it’s something as amazing as this.” Cale’s lips pressed gently to your forehead and he dropped his hand from your back to lace your fingers together. “You good to go walk?” He questioned.

It took about 45 minutes to walk all the way up to the top of the canyon and back and you stopped for pictures at various points along the way. You still couldn’t put into words the way this place made you feel; it was all so overwhelming in the best way. As you stood off to the side of the first viewpoint, away from the majority of other tourists, you tugged Cale’s hand until he was close enough you could wrap your arms around his neck.

“Thank you.” You murmured, kissing him lightly. “You always know exactly what I need, you’re always putting me first and taking care of me. It doesn’t go unnoticed, and you don’t know how much I appreciate it. You mean the world to me Cale...I don’t know if I’m quite as good at showing it as you are, but I hope you know that.”

“I do...know that…” Cale responded, kissing you again gently before pulling away, a fondness in his eyes that nearly sent you reeling. Dragging your fingers along his lower back you made up your mind to show him just how important he was to you once you were actually alone.

Back in the car, you munched on some of the snacks you’d brought in lieu of trying to find somewhere to stop for lunch. It took almost two hours to get to your next stop, the Jökulsárlón Iceberg Lagoon.

There, the two of you hopped on a boat tour where you got to taste a piece of 1,000 year old ice as you toured the lagoon. It was incredible to see first hand just how much ice was breaking off of the glacier and it made you more cognizant of the consequences of global climate change.

Right across the highway from the lagoon was Breiðamerkursandur or the diamond beach where fragments of ice wash up after floating from the lagoon out into the ocean. You made Cale climb onto an iceberg so you could take a picture of him and you got some great shots of all of the ice scattered along the shore. Despite the fact that it wasn’t all that cold outside, having been surrounded by ice for the past hour or two left you feeling chilly even if you had dressed in layers.

As you climbed in the car, Cale turned the heat on and you squeezed his knee in thanks. It was just a short drive to your hotel for the night and once you’d checked in, you shed a few layers before heading to the bar for a drink before dinner.

You’d retreated to your room around 6:30pm and Cale hopped in the shower first to clean up. While you waited for him to finish, you dug in your bag trying to decide what to grab for after your own shower. Thinking back to how you had promised yourself you were going to show Cale just how important he was, you unzipped a small compartment where you’d hidden the lingerie you’d bought.

Buying lingerie had been a spur of the moment decision possibly fueled by a few glasses of wine, and the thought of actually wearing it made you nervous. Your sex life with Cale had been fairly tame so far, nothing too out of the box. It had also been completely spontaneous on every occasion. You honestly had no idea how he would react to lingerie and though both sets were fairly tame in comparison to some sets you’d seen online, this was still something new and therefore nerve wracking.

Hearing the shower turn off, you jumped, your heart racing as you grabbed the more modest of the two sets. If you were going to do this, you were going to ease into it. Collecting your cosmetic bag, you hid the lingerie close to your chest.

Slipping into the bathroom as soon as Cale exited, you stripped out of your clothes and stepped into the shower trying not to overthink this. Focusing on shaving your legs and cleaning up served as a bit of a distraction but as you toweled off, your eyes landed back on the lingerie you’d placed on the counter.

You were certain you’d talk yourself out of this if you had to stare at yourself wearing the lingerie in the mirror for too long, so you started with your makeup, doing just a little bit more than you had been lately in order to make yourself feel confident and sexy. Blow drying your hair, you brushed it out before finally reaching for the lace and silk fabric.

Burgundy colored silk sat low on your hips, edged by black lace along both of your thighs. The same black lace covered your chest, ending at the bottom of your ribcage leaving your stomach exposed. It was...sensual but not over the top and when you slid the burgundy silk robe over it, you felt like you might actually be able to pull this off.

Reminding yourself that Cale had nearly lost his shit at the sight of you in a bikini the other night, you took a deep breath before opening the bathroom door and stepping out into the bedroom. Cale was sprawled out on the bed with just a pair of shorts slung low on his hips.

“What do you want to watch tonight?” Cale’s question was asked before he ever looked up at you, but when he did he blinked slowly. “That’s uh...that’s not your usual pajama set…” He murmured.

Blood pounding through your veins, you moved across the room to climb onto the bed beside him. Grabbing the remote from his hand, you turned the tv off before setting the remote aside.

“I was thinking about a different form of entertainment tonight…” You stated, your own voice sounding foreign in your ears. Sliding over Cale’s lap until you were straddling him, your hands ran down along his arms as his eyes did a slow once over of your body. “I think it’s time I take care of you for once.” You husked, raising an eyebrow. Cale hadn’t even seen what was under the robe yet and already he was slack jawed. The power you held over him in that moment sent a rush of adrenaline through you and you slid down the bed, tugging his shorts and boxers down with you.

“You good handsome?” You teased, lightly stroking your fingers over the length of his rapidly hardening dick. Cale couldn’t seem to speak, but he nodded his head and for now that was enough consent. Flicking your tongue along the slit of his cock, you stroked the length of him in your hand until a soft grunt fell from his lips. Only then did you hollow your cheeks, sinking down around him, taking as much of his length as you could down your throat. Bobbing slowly, you felt him twitch and when you pulled back to breathe you ran your tongue along the veins on the underside of his cock.

Following your instincts, plus Cale’s body language and verbal clues, you settled into a rhythm blowing your boyfriend for the first time. You’d seen and felt Cale orgasm enough to know when he was getting close as his body strained beneath you.

“Fuck. Babe. Stop.” Cale gasped, but peeking up at him you knew he didn’t actually want you to stop.

“We’ve got all night handsome...plenty of time for you to recover after coming down my throat.” You murmured before flicking your tongue through his slit again collecting all of his precum. Returning to your efforts, you cupped his balls as you sunk down his length. After just a minute, Cale came with a moan as he spilled down your throat and after swallowing you pulled off of him, sliding your tongue along his skin to clean him up. Cale’s cheeks were flushed as he tried to catch his breath and you slid up his body, settling yourself back over his lap.

“Who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend?” Cale gasped, his head falling forward to land against your shoulder. Kissing his head, you ran your fingers through his hair waiting for him to become more coherent.

“Just trying to take care of my man.” You hummed. “But if you’re complaining...you don’t have to see what’s under the robe.” As you spoke, you drew his hands up to the tie at your waist, leaving it for him to undo.

The speed at which Cale undid the bow told you that he wasn’t complaining at all and you let him push the robe from your shoulders, his eyes landing on you once more. His cheeks flushed further to match the color of your shorts and his eyes were wider than you’d ever seen them. You let him stare, watching as his tongue ran over his lips leaving them wet and shiny in the dim lighting of the hotel room.

“Fuck…” Cale breathed harshly, drawing out the word. “I must be dreaming right now.” He added. “You’re a fucking dream sweetheart.” Cale’s eyes ran slowly up and down your body like he wanted to memorize every inch. “You bought this for me?”

“I take it you like it?” You assumed, letting out a soft sigh in relief at his reaction.

“What do you think?” Cale grunted, pulling your hips to roll down against his cock which was already hard again.

Laughter bubbled from your chest in reaction and you cupped his cheek as you leaned in to kiss him deeply.

“Good to know lingerie is a hit with you.” You admitted. Cale’s eyes flashed with concern for just a moment before his hand fell to your hips, his thumbs brushing against your bare stomach.

“I don’t know whether I want you to keep this on or take it off.” He declared. Clearly he knew better than he thought he did, because as he spoke his hands slid up your sides, gently gripping the fabric and drawing it up and over your head. Half nude on top of him, Cale’s hands cupped your breasts as he pulled you into a desperate kiss.

“Can’t believe you’re mine…” He mumbled, pulling back. There was something about seeing him like this, flushed red, swollen lips, blissed out from one orgasm already that lit every primal need inside of you. As much as you were his, he was yours and god did you need him inside you.

“Please Cale…” You whimpered, rolling your hips against his.

“Shh…” He soothed, hands gliding across your ass. Sensing that he was going to try and flip you, you kept your weight centered firmly above him.

“I wanna be on top.” You pleaded. “Just need out of these shorts…”

Cale wasn’t responding quickly enough, so you pushed the fabric of your shorts off of your own hips, shifting as little as possible while attempting to kick them off and onto the floor.

“Let me…” You cut off Cale’s statement by raising your hips and lowering yourself onto his dick, a gasp spilling from your throat as you felt him slipping deep inside you.

“Yes…” You hissed, the stretch of your body around him filling you with a warmth and ache that you had missed so much. As you started shallowly leveraging yourself up before dropping back down your eyes met Cale’s deep azure orbs, the look in them heightening your arousal.

“So wet.” Cale eventually groaned. “My girl doesn’t even need foreplay after blowing me to be this soaking wet. Fuck.”

Though one of Cale’s hands fell to your hips, you were the one putting in all of the effort to fuck yourself on his cock.

“You’re so needy...fucking yourself...just using my body for your pleasure. So much for wanting to take care of me tonight.” Sinking down on him again, you purposely tightened your vaginal walls against him, drawing another moan from his chest.

“Hmm...I think me doing all the work...letting you cum inside me while you just lay there is taking pretty good care of you…” You corrected. Your thighs were starting to burn from bouncing on top of him but your orgasm was within arm’s reach and there was no way you were stopping before ensuring you both got to climax.

“My girl is close.” Cale groaned. “Cum for me sweetheart...let me feel that tight heat clamp down on me.”

Cale’s words pushed you over the edge and you sunk down on him in exhaustion as your body shook with your orgasm. Spurts of Cale’s semen filled you from deep inside and you whimpered at the feeling, warm from head to toe. As you collapsed against him, still connected intimately, Cale’s fingers played with the ends of your hair.

“I can’t get enough of you.” Cale whispered a few minutes later, his cock starting to harden inside of you again.

“Again?” You inquired, a little bit in disbelief that his rebound time was this fast.

“Only if you want to.” He assured you. “But I’ll take over, you can relax and enjoy this time.” This time when Cale attempted to roll the two of you over, you went willingly, staring up at him. Before moving, Cale settled your legs up over his shoulders and when he thrust inside of you, you cried out softly at the feeling of him brushing against your g-spot.

“I got you sweetheart...just tell me what you need.” Cale sighed, pleasure lacing his tone.

The sound of your skin smacking together and the squelch of your mixed bodily fluids rang in your ears.

“Talk to me…” You pleaded. “Like before.” You weren’t afraid to admit that hearing Cale dirty talk had pushed you so much closer to orgasm than you would have been otherwise.

“Yeah?” Cale breathed, his cheeks turning bright red again as you nodded. “You feel so good like this sweetheart. You’re even wetter than before. So tight too.” Every movement he made brushed against your g-spot and you couldn’t help the litany of noises that fell from your lips at the feeling.

“You like it when I fuck you like this huh?” He continued. “Your pussy stretches around me so nicely, just welcoming me inside. Do you like being fucked nice and deep like this? Feeling each ridge of me against your walls...feeling me spill deep inside you?” Crying out again, your head tossed back and forth against the pillow, your orgasm creeping up on you quickly.

“You do like feeling me spill inside of you don’t you? That’s why you wanted to stop using condoms. You like being skin to skin with me, feeling me raw you bare. You like being filled with my warm sticky cum, the way it drips out of you if I let it…”

Your vision went black for a moment as your orgasm crashed down on you hard. The muscles in your thighs spasmed painfully, but you barely noticed through the waves of pleasure that rippled through you, leaving you panting. As your body clenched around him again, you felt Cale spill inside of you for the second time tonight.

Carefully he pulled out of you before kissing your lips lightly.

“Be right back.” He declared, disappearing into the bathroom. He returned with a washcloth and after wiping down your thighs, he offered you a hand so that you could go to the bathroom yourself. When you returned to the bedroom, Cale handed you a t-shirt to wear before guiding you under the covers.

“So dirty talk huh…?” He chirped, his nose brushing against the top of your head.

“Shut up and turn the tv on Cale.” You replied, feeling heat flood your cheeks. Chuckling, Cale complied, but as he handed you the remote to pick a show he couldn’t help but get in the last word.

“It’s hot. I enjoyed it.” Shaking your head, you snuggled against him just basking in what was left of the afterglow.

“And for the record...you can always surprise me with lingerie. I’m definitely into that as well.”

Lingerie:

[persephones-bde]

Hihihi, is me :D. I present thee a prompt. So, any ship you wishhh. Person A meets the monster under their bed/in their closet, and Person B so happens to be this monster.

NATNAT!!! Hi my darling dear, I hope this suffices for your taste 💚

MARYA/HELENE

WC: 1252 words

This isn't stellar, but I loved this opportunity to be creative and explore some weird and funky world given I am really textbook with mine sjbsns so thank you nat!

*Warning: if you are someone who gets very paranoid, I advise reading with high caution*

Marya had, in her eyes, been an adult since she was ten years old. She'd done chores well before that- probably since she'd been old enough to know how to spell she'd been old enough to fold laundry. Marya had never known a childhood; she recalled the years of what they were supposed to be, but they were moreso overrun by obligations and babysitting than playing tag in the Park. It never bothered her because the words echoed in her ears every time someone commented on a TV show she had never seen. Marya recalled her father's hand on her shoulder while friends she'd loosely made played on the slide, "When you are older, Mar, you will be the one with a great job and à home that you love,"

At twenty-seven years old, she could not say the old man was wrong in the former. She wouldn't have said in the latter either. Until she began seeing the scratches, of course.

Scratches that dug into hardwood and that tore up furniture she hadnt even needed to buy and paint off the walls. "You know, I wouldn't have bought this house if the Real Estate Agent mentioned vandalism!" She shouted more out to the universe than anyone in particular, and she swore she heard it laughing back. Her parents may have taught her to cook, clean, file taxes-but they had never once taught her how to deal with what may as well have been a demon possessing her home.

Marya thought maybe she'd get used to it; for as well paying as her job was, drawing on money she didn't have to sell a home destroyed wasn't going to fare well. She didn't have that kind of wealth ready to throw around before she even reached the age of thirty. Doors were unlocked that had been checking multiple times, doors would slam, the list continued. Marya prétended it was a quirk more for her sanity than anything. Locks could be flimsy, couldn't they? Locks, however, did not explain the growling that came from her closet at night. She could not explain the soft glow that came through the shutters of her closet door. It did not explain the sound of nails scraping on wood. It did not explain her doorknob jingling in the middle of the night followed by inhuman roars. Marya had to pretend they didn't keep her up at night.

Marya did not have much of a childhood, but she did remember her peers words at that age. Kids crying over monsters under their bed always said if you pretended not to hear them they'd get bored. Marya never believed in monsters or demons. Maybe she never had the chance to open that door of creativity-maybe it was the isolation. Isolation. Being à little paranoid. All normal, adult things right?

But normal, adult things did not include the sound of loud, ferocious snarling followed by a bang on the closet door so loud she heard the door threaten to come off its hinges. But even when she was young, when children told these stories she'd never understood, they'd never mentioned noises quite like this. She felt à breeze over her shoulders and squeezed her eyes shut.

That night, at 3 in the morning, Marya prayed to God and decided to get new locks.

Marya ended up standing in front of her own door with the pièces to install à deadbolt on her bedroom door, four others already installed around the house.

The first thing Marya did when opening the door though was not a sigh of relief. No, it was a shriek.

"Oh, thank god,"

That was all it took. Marya had always considered herself a fighter. So why her feet were cemented to the floor, gaping as if she were staring à monster straight in the face probably would have been funny at one point. You know, if she were not staring a something straight in the face.

"Wow, you are a loud screamer," The voice was not the roar she expected, nor were they the body of one. "I just wanted to congratulate you, geez," This creature was stated cross legged on her bed, a blank expression on their face. But there was something unnervingly inhuman about them-about the grittiness of their voice-that made Marya consider crying all over again. She looked no older than Marya-a little slimmer and a little shorter if anything.

"Who-what-I-" There were a lot of places she could begin. Fortunately, whatever this being was, seemed like a talker as she leaned back on her elbows and extended her legs, crossing them at the ankles.

"You have taken so long to get new locks, dear," The creature clicked their tongue, almost condescendingly. As if Marya were a child. "Doing this-" She flicked her finger back to the closet Marya hadn't opened in months, "Has started to get taxing,"

"Uh..." The question Marya wanted to ask included a name and an explanation, but it was not what cale out of her mouth. "Why are you out here? Y-you're supposed to be in there,"

"Are you telling me how to do my job?" The creature questioned back with a snarl bare to her teeth. Marya, for as pale as she was naturally, seemed to turn a stark white at the shredders the seemingly Beautiful woman had. "If they saw me, they wouldn't be as afraid," A hand gestured flippantly up and down her body.

"They?" The creature nodded.

"Yeah, the ones that kept breaking in," She explained as if it were obvious, offering a roll of her eyes. The silence was long. "Oh, oh my God, you didn't know?"

"No!"

"Huh, well, lets just say good thing you got those locks,"

"The locks were to keep YOU out!"

"One: offensive," Helene tsked, "Two: you would literally be dead if it weren't for me, so..."

"Right," Marya's tone came out unconvinced, scowling. "You do realize you are a complete stranger in my house, right? You do see how weird this is?"

"Well in that case, my name is Helene. Does that help your nerves at all?"

"No, actually,"

"Well, how can I help then?"

"Explain why on earth youve been screeching while I'm trying to sleep?"

"It's scarier than me talking right now isn't it?" Helene questioned back immediately, eyebrows raised. She didn't get to speak to humans much, but this one had been fascinating. This one had been interesting since the moment she saw her. And seeing her now was all the more alluring; night vision was flattering on no one. "You know that the person living down the street kept breaking in, I thought?"

"No???"

"Ah, well, there's your mistake, dear," Helene patted a spot on the bed for the woman to sit beside her. "They were being creepy at you,"

"You mean towards,"

"Sorry, I don't normally just chat with your kind on a mattress," Helene rolled her eyes again, but couldn't help a small smile as Marya sat beside her. "They were being creepy Towards you, so I just let them know I had your back,"

"I don't know you,"

"So?"

"So why?"

"Because you have nice eyes," The way she spoke it so point blank-with such honesty-took Marya aback. "Maybe I will have to take them," Marya choked, scrambling off the bed with such franticness that she hit the ground hard. "I was kidding," Helene ammended quickly, eyes wide with concern. "About the second part. Your eyes really are stunning, I promise!"

[bomberlandia]

Part II: Ranking Every Bomber Since 2015

We finish Ranking Every Bomber Since 2015 with the final stretch, a selection of players who were consistent, dominated, and held the team together through a pretty dark era for the club. 

In Part II, we get into the meat of the rankings. Most of the names you’d expect to be here are here and the Top 20 is as you’d expect although no-one probably thought of Ridley before this year to be ranked among the likes of Dustin Fletcher and Dylan Shiel. 

Enough with the prelude. Let’s see where things finished up. 

Players Ranked from 38 to 1

38. Adam Cooney

37. Shaun McKernan 

36. Patrick Ambrose

35. Mason Redman

34. Travis Colyer

33. Mitch Brown

32. Conor McKenna

31. Sam Draper

30. Jake Stringer

JR: If luck will let it be, Sam Draper will evolve into one of Essendon’s greatest ruckman and will become a Top 15 player. I hope I have not jinxed it. His first year was a real treat. Aggression is his friend. I wrote about Mitch Brown and how underrated he is and I sometimes have those feelings where I wish he was back at Essendon but then realize he plays one good game followed by three games where you don’t even know he exists.  

DE: Some serviceable players here. McKenna was entering his prime, but having lived overseas myself I know how difficult it is to be so far from family and friends, so I sympathise with his need to return home. McKernan could have been anything, but again consistency was a killer. Could tear games apart, then be barely sighted the following week. Stringer is similar. 

29. Kyle Langford  

28. Heath Hocking

27. Jake Melksham

26. Ben Howlett 

25. David Myers 

24. Courtenay Dempsey 

23. Michael Hibberd  

22. Tom Bellchambers 

JR: My favourite Hocking games were when he tagged a key midfielder, like a Chris Judd and would blanket them. He was a brute who loved to tackle inside the centre square and packs that formed around stoppages. He was disciplined and a defensive-minded trier during a time when the Bombers lacked defensive hard nuts. Probably cut with the same physical cloth as a Hardwick or Solomon.

DE: Hocking, Howlett and Bellchambers were warriors for us during difficult times. Myers had such potential, but for some reason never seemed to be in favour enough with his coaches. I felt he could have been a game-breaker like Isaac Smith at Hawthorn if given the opportunities. Dempsey was exciting to watch when he was up and about. 

21. Orazio Fantasia 

20. Martin Gleeson

19. Darcy Parish 

18. Dylan Shiel

17. Dustin Fletcher

16. Jordan Ridley

JR: Fletcher will have greater stakes on other rankings we do. He was at the end of his career. Fantasia has been disappointing. He’s a weapon that possesses speed and goal-kicking sensibilities but not having a body that stands up to the rigours of AFL limits his progression in these rankings. Ridley went from unsighted to best and fairest winner in 12 months. He plays the game like a veteran which speaks to his calmness around the chaotic packs. Expect him to make inroads in years to come.

DE: The great Dustin Fletcher only falls down this list because he was at the tail end of his career. Otherwise, he’d be top-five. I reckon Gleeson was becoming a reliable and attacking defender before his injury, so hopefully he can regain his best form in 2021. Ridley will be top-five for years to come. Expect to see lots of kids, including my son Ernie, wearing No. 14 on their backs.

15. Adam Saad  

14. James Kelly 

13. Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti

12. Devon Smith   

11 Mark Baguely

JR: Kelly came out of retirement to play 40 games for Essendon during a raw period for the Bombers. He excelled in making good decisions across half back and had sublime skills. He was a mentor to the young core of kids. I think he gave the club more than the Bombers bargained for on and off the field. He left Geelong at the end of 2015, started in 2016 at Essendon and he’s still at Windy Hill.

DE: Baguely’s high ranking might surprise some, but I really rated him. I thought he gave his all for us over a long period, even if he did turn it over sometimes. If Walla can get fitter, I’d love to see him throwing his weight around in the centre square more often. With Fantasia departing, more pressure will come onto his strong shoulders. Kelly was another who earned his way into Bomber hearts for the role he played (on and off the field) during the dark days. 

10. Brent Stanton

JR: Stanton was a whipping boy for all things that went wrong on the field. Played during a period where the Bombers just weren’t very good. I think we undervalued his metres gained and the run and carry he provided. Instead we think about the costly turnovers. People laughed when he was given the no.5 jumper. But he became a pivotal piece to the team, a long servant, and loyal player. And those things mean something.

DE: I’ve settled on 10th place for Stanton with some trepidation. He was a favourite with coaches and teammates, but was one of my most frustrating players to watch as I felt he turned the ball over far too often. In the modern game, however, a player’s ability to run seems to outweigh their skill deficiencies. He wore the beloved No. 5, which never sat comfortably with me. But there was no denying he gave his all for our club, for which he should be commended.

9. Joe Daniher

JR: Is Joe going to regret leaving? When I think of his time at Essendon there’s only a few things that come to mind – Anzac Day 2017, the All-Australian nod, and his screamers. What won’t be missed: his set shot routine and (often) poor body language. He only played 15 games in the last three years but when fit, he’s unstoppable. I think there’s always going to be debate and question marks on where Joe fits when pitted against other Bombers. 

DE: Unimaginable to think Joe will not be wearing an Essendon guernsey anymore, given the family’s involvement. But since becoming injury-prone he’s been a huge disappointment and, in terms of on-field output, I’m fine with him leaving. At his peak, he could have been Buddy Franklin-like, but sitting on the fence while your teammate kicks for goal is embarrassing. Imagine if Roughy had done that at Hawthorn…Clarko would have sent him home to Leongatha! Thanks for your service, Joe, but thanks, too, for the salary cap room.

8. David Zaharakis

7. Cale Hooker

JR: Both players have been very good servants over a ten-year period – Zaharakis has played 217 games; Hooker 201 games. Zaharakis gets credit for being able to stay relevant, playing roles, and doing what the teams needs him to be. If this was my all-time favourite Essendon player’s list, Hooker would be higher. The fact he shares the backline with Hurley – a superstar- probably takes inches off his position on this list. His reported displeasure about Bellchambers not getting a farewell game and the joy he emits when he kicks a goal only shows how much he cares for the club. Hooksy is all-time.

DE: Zaka has at times been dynamic, with his outside run and good decision-making as good as any in the league. Hooker could have accepted a huge offer to joining Fremantle, but stuck by the club and deserves to see out his career a one-club player. Sometimes makes strange decisions, but overall has been a terrific defender (at times forward) for us over a long time. Forget the footage of him chasing Buddy – Hook has given his all for our club. What more can you ask of someone?

6. Andrew McGrath

5. Brendon Goddard 

JR: Goddard was a proven elite weapon with deadly foot skills before he came to Essendon. His leadership proved valuable to rebuilding and supplements teams. I wrote about Andrew McGrath’s incredible rise this year for Bomberlandia and covered his journey to the draft for Sportsnet. The two things that stand out are his athleticism and his leadership. His work around the ball is now elite. He’s only 22.

DE: McGrath will lead this list in the near future. His 2020 season was outstanding and, to me, he was our number-one leader through a difficult period as he showed a will to want to carry his teammates to victory week after week. Certain to replace Dyson in the near future and hold the position for a long time. Goddard could rub people the wrong way, but he showed us all what type of attitude you need to be a winner. A victim of poor circumstances when he arrived, but led the team admirably.

4. Dyson Heppell 

3. Michael Hurley

JR: Hurley is approaching 200 games (193) and his longevity has seen him become of the best defenders Essendon has ever produced. I still think about what would have happened if he stayed a forward. If you think of all the games the Bombers have played since 2015, Hurley has probably featured in the best in most of them. I reported on Heppell during his Gippsland Power days for the Pakenham Gazette. On the field he changed games, made good decisions and was gutsy. Most of all his teammates looked up to him. That continued when he joined Essendon.

DE: As a fellow Leongatha boy, have followed Dyson’s career closely. Popular with everyone, he’s been a decent leader during difficult times. But it’s time for a more ruthless skipper, like a Voss or a Hodge or a McGrath. Hopefully he can keep his body healthy for the rest of his career. Hurley has been a warrior for us, crashing packs and putting his body on the line year after year. At one point I felt he should be captain. Like Dyson, I hope he stays healthy and finishes his career in red and black.

2. Jobe Watson

JR: I thought Jobe would be too slow to play in the midfield but he proved me wrong. I thought he wasn’t elite enough and then he won a Brownlow. He spent his career proving people wrong. A stoic leader. Stood tall during the supplement’s saga which happened during the twilight of his career which makes him, as Dan put it, “one of the greats.”

DE: Jobe would have been No. 1, but he was at the end of his career when this list starts. One of the best of his generation, poorly treated during the dark days yet remained a strong leader throughout. If a Team of the Century was picked today, he’d be on the bench at least. One of the greats. That he emerged from his father’s shadow to carve out his own fine career is a testament to his determination. 

1. Zach Merrett

JR: What else needs to be said about Zach Merrett? The fact everyone was up-in-arms during the trade period at the thought of him going to a club like Carlton or Collingwood, says a lot about who he is and what he stands for. He’s been super consistent and reliable for a five-year stretch during a time where the Bombers haven’t been easy to read. I can only see McGrath or Josh Dunkley (if the club gets him) as two players that could surpass Merrett. Until that happens, it’s Zach Merrett over everyone. 

DE: While Zachy isn’t a game-breaker in the way a Patrick Dangerfield is at Geelong, he has undoubtedly been our most consistent player over the period in question. No frills, just gets the job done. But it shows our lack of top-end talent when Zach stands alone for the Bombers on league leaderboards for stats. 

_______________________________________

Historian Dr Dan Eddy is the author of 12 books, including “King Richard” and “Always Striving.” A life-long Bomber supporter, you can follow him on Twitter @DanEddyBooks35 and read his sports books at www.daneddybooks.com.  

[paradoxicalca]

r/hockey NHL Power Rankings Week 5: Presidential Losers Edition

/r/Hockey NHL Power Rankings Week Oct 28, 2019 - Nov 3, 2019Thank YouThank you to all of the volunteers doing the power rankings. Each ranker has their own system and have their own reasonings and analyis. It truly is a lot of work.RankersSpoilerOrganizersSpoilerVisualizationThe visualization contains historical data, so you can see how your team has done over time. Hopefully, we can run this for many years in hopes that we can see the rise and fall of teams by /r/hockey opinion.It automatically updates so feel free to bookmark. You can find it hereProcessHow does this work? Throughout the course of the week rankers are able to access an app that will allow them to rank teams. At the end of the period we calculate the average ranking for every team and collate all of the analysis provided by rankers.The app then generates a post that is first proofread and then posted to /r/hockey!Rankings (28/31 Rankers Reporting)Ranking (avg)TeamDeltaOverall RecordRecord This WeekComments1 (1.38)Boston Bruins110-1-22-0-0The Bruins and Sharks gave new meaning to "Hockey Fights Cancer" on Tuesday night. The game was 5-1 at the end of the second and the third period was so scrappy that the refs were giving out game misconducts like halloween candy to players on both teams and even a coach. The Sens game started great for Bruins with the Sens having too much man, giving the Bruins a PP which Pasta quickly scored on for his League-tying 13th. Shortly after, Backes and Sabourin had an unfortunate collision which caused Sabourin to be evacuated and Backes to leave the game. It is hard for players to continue after such an injury early in the game, but Marchand couldn't resist himself and had to do Brad Marchand things. This is the last light week for the Bruins until New Years where the Bruins will have 3-4 games a week.2 (2.41)Washington Capitals211-2-33-0-0The Caps won a tight one against the Leafs then SMOKED the Sabres, in what was the first Caps game DC watched in weeks. We were busy watching the Nats bring another title to the nation's newest title town. I'm still a little hungover from the parade. Anyway the caps are technically the best team in the league and subjectively kinda look like it. Carlson sonned the entire league for a month, Ovi's on pace for 60 goals, and our depth is actually a strength for the first time in years. This season's been a joy so far, the kind that reminds you why you like sports in the first place.3 (3.66)New York Islanders410-3-02-0-0Everything is going perfectly. Goaltending is as good as it was last year. Defense is limiting chances and Pelech looks like a top tier d-man getting paid like a #6. Barzal is doing the same things he always was, but results are now coming. Nelson dominated Brocktober. Bailey and Lee are living up to their contracts (shoutout to everyone on /r/hockey who said paying Bailey after having production this late in his career as a result of JT was Clarkson 2.0). Brassard moving to wing has proven to have ridiculous success (5 straight games with a goal). And the 4th line (TBFLIH is a 3rd line right now) is doing all you could ask for. Things are amazing.4 (5.21)Carolina Hurricanes29-4-12-1-05 (5.93)Edmonton Oilers-10-4-12-1-0Gave the Red WIngs their only regulation win in weeks, but we got some strong wins against the Blue Jackets and the Penguins. This team is performing far above it's expected level. This can be largely thanks to the some excellent play from Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen. The team undeniably needs more scoring from the bottom 6, but goals from Cobly Cave and Khaira this week has been a positive. THE player for the Oilers in the most recent stretch has been easily Drasaitl. The man is playing insanely well and is easily playing like the best player in the league. McDavid seems to be struggling a bit, but he's considered to be a generational talent for a reason. The man will be back to form soon enough. Insane that McDavid struggling is still leading the league in assists, and in 4th in the league for points. The powerplay has been chugging along at league 2nd best numbers, but the percentages are deceiving as we've gone 10% this week.6 (7.17)Buffalo Sabres-39-4-20-2-1Colin Miller shoots the puck 95% of the time he gets it in the offensive zone. Jack Eichel needs to be more like Colin Miller. The Buffalo Sabres need to stop trying to force passes through three or more defenders on the power play and in tight on the goalie. We put in a decent game against Washington and got frustrated against the Islanders. It should be noted that both of these teams have been playing extremely well as of late and we haven't been playing as well as we could be. We saw the first major line blender on Saturday and that should continue in Sweden. Hopefully two games at home should energize our young Swedes and turn this ship around.7 (7.31)Colorado Avalanche-68-4-20-2-1Injuries suck but great teams win even without key players. Avs just seem to be lacking energy since Rantanen and Landeskog have been out. They haven't looked awful but certainly not good enough to be a top team in the league. The Good News Mackinnon seems to be catching fire again. His point streak came to an end, but he is shooting a ton and creating chaos. Hopefully he manages to wake up the rest of team and get them going. Calder Watch: Cale Makar is still leading rookies in scoring, but looking a lot better, and starting to try and blow through opposing teams. Cannot wait for him to score an end to end goal he has been very close. This week has two divisional match ups and a game in Columbus. We need to win at least two to turn this ship around.8 (7.62)St. Louis Blues79-3-33-0-0Even though we have won 4 games in a row those wins were not against impressive teams and each one of them was closer than I would’ve liked. Tarasenko is clearly missed in those games and we need one of the young guys to step up to the plate.9 (9.41)Vancouver Canucks79-3-23-0-1Writing from security line in the airport so forgive me. Last week I said I wouldn't complain if the Canucks kept scoring 5 goals a game. So I won't. While I felt the Canucks' first game against Calgary more or less set that bar for how bad this team can look with a healthy lineup, this week has given us a pretty good glimpse into what they look like playing at their best. The Canucks were defensively sound and utter dominant in the offensive zone in every game this week, and they were rewarded for their efforts by every goaltender not named Gibson. Demko and Markstrom continue to be playing out of their minds, even if they are still prone to the occasional brainfart. How long can it last? Who knows - it's still early and hard to guess what the "new normal" may be for this club (they seem to be taking a step this season, but how big?) For now, it's just fun to see the goals pile up.10 (9.76)Nashville Predators-28-4-21-1-1Well that was an up-and-down week. The week started with Peks getting his second SO of the year against the Hawks, in a game that will appropriately get a redo in two weeks. Halloween saw the Flames come to town, in a game that can only be described by the word "epic". Yeah, we lost it in OT and I should probably be upset proving the most dangerous lead in hockey, but that was one of the most thrilling regular season games I've seen in a while. Seriously, do yourself a favour and watch the full game if you didn't see it live. Saturday against the Rangers saw Saros continue his swing back into form; unfortunately, it also saw the offense struggle to click and was the first game this season the Preds didn't score multiple goals. Continuing the dichotomous mood of the day, the Winter Classic jerseys were also revealed to both adoration and disdain. Errrr... yeah, usually I write these into some semblance of a point but I got nothing else so... [insert smooth, cohesive ending here]11 (11.1)Anaheim Ducks-9-6-12-0-1Congratulations to Getzlaf for playing in 1,000 NHL games. He has played in exactly half of the franchise’s 2,000 games. Definitely a number in the rafters whenever he wants to hang them up. In other news, Ritchie did a thing that wasn’t a penalty. He scored a goal! The ducks seem to play to the level of their opponent. Still should be an up and down season.12 (11.41)Vegas Golden Knights-38-5-20-0-2The Knights played only two games this week and both games are eerily similar. The Knights go in the third up by two controlling play for most of the game only to lose the lead after taking the foot off the gas in the third period and then losing in overtime. Vegas has all the talent to win in the league but they need to close out games like those. Questions are also surrounding the health of forward Alex Tuch as he left Saturday's game early with an upper body injury.13 (11.48)Arizona Coyotes-8-4-12-1-0We have come a long way in the past two years under Tocchet. It took 37 games two years ago to reach 8 wins on the season, now it took only 13. If Chayka’s gamble on paying players on future potential pays off this team will compete for years to come.14 (12.41)Pittsburgh Penguins-48-5-11-0-115 (14.45)Toronto Maple Leafs-37-5-31-0-1The Leafs got back Travis Dermott this week, but his effort with Matthews' two goal performance wasn't enough to beat Ovi's 4 point night, as they lost in OT, 4-3. After a few days of rest, the Leafs faced a tired Philly team, and it took 11 rounds of shootout before Andreas Johnsson secured the second point for Toronto. Marner/Matthews were flipped back to the sides they were on last season, which scored 1 in 8 (!!) powerplay opportunities vs. the capitals. The penalty kill also has been struggling, as it let up 2 goals on Saturday in Philly. Once the special teams are looking a little stronger, this team will be a lot more consistent, and rise up these rankings.16 (16.31)Calgary Flames28-7-22-2-0The Flames had a tough week with 4 road games and split them 2-2, including an exciting comeback win against Nashville. While the Flames still aren't at last years form, they have been putting in better effort and leaving fans a bit more optimistic.17 (16.48)Montreal Canadiens-7-5-22-1-0Can't complain with 4/6 points on a western road trip. Boys managed to win on the second half of a back to back even with their backup in net. Maybe a certain team would like to know the secret?18 (16.86)Florida Panthers17-3-42-1-0The Panthers have had the hardest schedule to open up the season and are in 3rd place in the Atlantic. It's not always pretty (like Huberdeau's mustache) but the job gets done (like Huberdeau's play). The week started terribly in Vancouver but they bounced back with wins over Colorado and Detroit. Next up will be a big challenge against the Caps and hopefully Trocheck and Matheson will be healthy by then.19 (17.52)Tampa Bay Lightning-56-5-21-2-0I'm hoping this week long break will help this team to wake up, because sometimes it really looks like they aren't trying. The PK is still abysmal, and with how many penalties the team is taking, that turns into a decent amount of goals for opposing teams.20 (17.76)Winnipeg Jets18-7-02-1-0Things are starting to look up in Winterpeg, 2-1 on the week, couple of hard fought back to back wins over San Jose and Vegas. With the high undoubtably being Lowry making Vegas look pretty dumb for paying a bonafide goon 3 mil a year to lose a staged fight vs an actual NHL caliber shut down centre. This team, while the record doesn’t look amazing, feels to be gaining some amount of momentum, and this maybe feels like the start of something really really good. The talent on the front end is undeniable, if the back end can keep things together, this is a good team. But knowing the Jets I’ll be writing next week about how they need to sell everything after going 0-321 (19.76)Philadelphia Flyers-16-5-21-1-1This week was an up and down week, but overall I'm alright with it. Got 3 out of 4 on a back to back between the devils whom we beat, and the leafs who took 11 ROUNDS IN THE SHOOTOUT TO FINALLY COME TO AN END LIKE JUST EXTEND 3V3 OVERTIME ALREADY and lost to. You'll notice I'm not referencing a certain game on tuesday because I've actually blocked out the memory of that game. Our young guns are doing well, Elliot should probably be the starter in a 1a 1b with Hart, and SANHEIM STAY ON YOUR SKATES YOU CANT KEEP FALLING OVER. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk. Praise Gritty22 (20.1)Dallas Stars47-8-13-0-023 (22.76)New York Rangers15-5-12-0-0As I said last week, we should expect the unexpected. Beating two solid teams comes with that apparently, but I won't complain. Calling up Chytil and Lindgren has worked out great. Fil has two goals in two games and Lindgren has played very well. This team is gonna continue to be confusing but hopefully they will continue to be entertaining.24 (22.76)Columbus Blue Jackets-25-6-30-2-1The good: Sonny Milano may actually be in the middle of a breakout season. If he can just not do stupid things he'd be a great middle-six player. Gavrikov has been a solid addition to our D pairings. The bad: Goaltending and defense. Defensive play in front of our two young goaltenders has been questionable at best. The goalies themselves are not two-time Vezina winning goalies either. The ugly: Scoring - The Jackets have 34 goals for in 14 games -- good for 27th in the NHL (along with 50 goals against, which is also 27th). We have 1 player in the top 100 in the league, and 2 in the top 200 in scoring so far. (Dubois with 6-4-10 for 86th and Cam with 3-4-7 for 183rd) Special teams - Honestly just getting sick of talking about this. Our power play is so bad it's comical. We're in the bottom 6 in both PK AND PP %, which no other team is.25 (24.69)Los Angeles Kings-5-9-01-1-0Started the week with a loss to Chicago, ended the week with a win against Chicago in a doozy of an OT game that Doughty finished off. Kings are still right about where people thought they would be so no big surprises yet.26 (25.97)Chicago Blackhawks14-6-31-1-1Dach is here to stay. Boqvist was recalled from Rockford. His first NHL goal was the Hawks' first by a defenseman at 5-on-5, becoming the last team to score as such. Also, Toews earned his first 5-on-5 point with a secondary assist on Boqvist's goal. Hawks' rookies that scored their 1st NHL goal in the 1st period of their 2nd game this season: Kubalik, Dach, Boqvist. The Hawks gave up 100 shots against in consecutive games (Tue @ NSH & Sat @ LAK). Scott Powers wrote, "The Blackhawks’ expected goals percentage was 22.65 against the Predators, according to Natural Stat Trick. That’s the lowest it’s been in the last five seasons." Seabrook was a healthy scratch for the 2nd consecutive game (Tue), but drew back into the lineup. On Saturday, the Hawks broke their drought of 22-consecutive PPs without a goal, and Crawford played his first game without giving up a PPG against. Lehner's streak of penalties killed ended at 25. He earned his 100th career win Sunday.27 (26.34)San Jose Sharks-44-10-10-3-0Another garbage week for the Sharks. This week is their last chance to turn it around, if they're still at the bottom of the pacific by the 20 game mark it's very unlikely we'll make the playoffs. This has been such a frustrating team to watch. There have been good games, so I know the team has it in them to play well, but Deboer's system is failing. It feels like a repeat of last season's start where our system of lots of point shots is failing us on defence without providing all the goals it did last year. The team is far better when we cycle in the offensive zone and use our forward talent instead of relying on Burns/Karl's point shots which cause too many turnovers. There's far too much talent on the roster to be doing so badly, it's time for Deboer to make some changes or Doug Wilson will have to.28 (26.52)New Jersey Devils13-5-41-0-2What is there to say at this point? This team is not winning as they should be. The Good: We managed to beat the Hurricanes, by some stroke of luck, and the Flyers game wasn't a complete dumpster fire. Vatanen has been playing very good offensive hockey and is currently 3rd in points on the team, and Zacha seems to finally be breaking into his own. The Bad: We keep blowing leads, we had leads in both the Bolts and Flyers losses. Oh and it's worth noting that in a 7 goal game, Stammer and Kuch combined for 0 points against us. Plus both our PP and PK are sitting near the bottom of the league. The Ugly: Blackwood has a 3-2-3 record (every win and OT loss) while sporting a 0.878 SV%. Yikes. Hall has 12 points and is point per game, but only has 2 goals. He really needs to be one of our finishing guys, currently the only guy over 5 goals is Palms at 6, and 3 came during his wasted hat trick against the Bolts.29 (26.97)Minnesota Wild-14-9-10-2-1Three losses for Minnesota this week and the boys knew how to treat their fans well by losing in a different fashion each time out. Every veteran looks like they've lost another step over the summer and any faithful fan courageous enough to watch night in and night out should be looking to add twelve steps to their life. Hey, at least we're getting some great Boudreau memes out of this nightmare.30 (28.07)Detroit Red Wings-4-10-11-2-0The amount of effort needed to put into this blurb might exceed the effort we have been seeing from our beloved Wings. The talk of the NHL town has come towards head coach Jeff Blashill as he occupies a chair set in the California wildfires. Yzerman most likely does not have a replacement as of yet and offered Blashill a two year extension at the start of the season so I would be surprised if he lets him go now. Here is the issue. Either Blashill is not making great game plans or the players are not executing them and going freestyle. The effort just seems very lazy from the team as of now so I will choose the latter. The power play goals seem to come from crisp passes and good positioning rather than luck, and the Wings are looking to make the right plays but it just seems like they are executing well at all. We shall watch with great interest to see if something changes.31 (29.31)Ottawa Senators-3-8-10-1-0The Good: Our Tank is on track, the Sharks are falling hard in the standings, and all the other teams we're competing with for 31st in the standings have at least 1 point this week. A great week for the Sennies game plan to #DernièrePourLafreniè. The Bad: Logan Brown going into week-to-week mode due to an unspecified injury and Sabourin suffering a particularly scary concussion put a serious damper on the Bruins game. Thankfully, Sabourin is being released from the hospital today thanks to some kind of miracle (and the world-class doctors of Boston). In further silver lining, this means in the next game we'll have a line with Mikkel Bødker and Bobby Ryan on it for maximum overtank to really keep us low in the standings. r/hockey NHL Power Rankings Week 5: Presidential Losers Edition Source

[podcastcoach]

Flattening the Podcast Learning Curve

Because of My Podcast - My Band Sold Out Our Kickstarter

1:30

Matt from the band EleventySeven tells how his band had "taken a break" for the better part of four years. They decided to get the band back together, but how are we going to get the word out about the band reforming, and reconnecting with their audience? By starting a podcast! They connected with their audience and reached their Kickstarter goal in just a few days

Check out the band's music and podcast at http://www.eleventysevenisalive.com/

How To Flatten Your Podcast Learning Curve

14:07

As someone with 20+ years in the education field, one of the things I do when I learn a new subject was to take a ton of notes on ANY question that came across my mind as I consumed content as a student. This week, I got into a subject that I had not dabbled in the early 1990's. To go from playing techmo bowl on the first nintendo to playing Madden 2018 on an Xbox One is a bit of a culture shock. This is a good thing. I'm WAAAY out of my comfort zone with a huge learning curve in front of me. So here are some tips on overcoming and managing learning curves.

Define Your Goal

It's not enough to join the School of Podcasting, your goal is to launch your podcast. I'm going to through in here that you need to Define Your Why. For example, if you're doing a solo show with no guests. There is no need to read up on creating a mix minus. Some might even say you don't even need to read up on a mixer. 

When you are first starting out, keep things simple.

The problem is you don't know what you don't know. This leads me to point number two.

2.  Talk to someone who is doing what you are doing.

As you don't know what you don't know, you need to find someone who can help you define the area you need to investigate and those you don't. There is one statement that I have seen from my chair and I believe to be very true. You will pay for your podcast in one of two currencies. You will pay with time searching for your answers, or you will pay with money paying someone to help you get to where you want to go. 

3. Make Sure You're Using Good Resource Material

There is a ton of GREAT material for FREE on YouTube. There is also a TON of outdated material that can steer you in the wrong direction. So when you do a search on YouTube currently there is a filter option in the upper right-hand corner that allows you to sort by upload date to have the latest videos at the top. There are tons of Facebook Groups, and other resources (meetup.com) where you can find a community of people who can answer some questions. However, be sure to check out who is answering your question. Every week I see tons of articles on the subject of podcasting written by people who apparently have no podcast. Check out this video

Also when you do find a good resource, use it. I've worked in different tech support departments,  and I know we are in a hurry to get going but ask anyone and they will tell you that most companies put a tremendous amount of effort into the "on-boarding" process (getting your customer setup). This typically includes some sort of welcome email, and in many cases a video. You need to read more than the email title, and if you are given resources, use them.

4. Break Your Goals into Tasks

As the old saying goes, "How do you eat an elephant?" The answer is one bit at a time. So once you understand where you want to go, you break your goal into smaller tasks. So you can take the goal of identifying your podcast and break it into the tasks of creating a list of five potential names, check domain availability, and perform a Google search to see if the name is in use. 

5. Don't Try to Learn it All In One Sitting

While you may be excited, when you try to do too much in too little a time, you can burn yourself out

6. Give Yourself a Timeline, but Don't Bite Off Your Face

Timelines can help you see the plan, and give you an idea of when your goal will be met. However, I've seen people make really bad decisions because they are way behind based on their self-made deadline. 

7. Set a Time to Work On Your Goal in a Focused Fashion

Set a specific time when you will work on your goal. When you are working on your podcast, turn off distractions (Facebook, Notifications on the Phone, YouTube). 

8. Track Your Progress

There is something that happens in the brain when you write something down. By writing down your goals, and your steps, you can then go back and check these off as you accomplish them

Help The Smith Girls

35:50

I only met Scott Smith once on the Podcasters Roundtable. I was deeply saddened that Scott shot and killed his wife, then turned the gun on himself leaving his two daughters. If you'd like to help these two children (every little helps) see https://www.gofundme.com/helpthesmithgirls

Spotify Now Available in Libsyn Dashboard to All Libsyn Customers

38:00

You can now get your show listed in Spotify if you are a Libsyn customer. Previously they were only approving a small percentage of the shows that were submitted. They say that once you add Spotify to your destinations, you should be able to see the show in the Spotify app in two weeks (I wouldn't be surprised if this doesn't get pushed back to four weeks as they are going to get a ton of podcast submissions. See https://support.libsyn.com/kb/spotify/

Libsyn has also launched their new stats interface which is completely mobile friendly

Be Part of the Ask Me Anything Episode 600

40:33

Episode 600 will be in January 2018. I'm looking for you to send in questions for me about anything but podcasting. I need them by January 1, 2018. See my contact page

Where Can You See Me

Podcon in Seatle December 9-10

February 8-10 Podfest.us in Florida

Social Media Marketing World

Mentioned On This Show

Speakpipe

Cale Neslon from Ham Radio 360

Music Radio Creative Jingles

Better Podcasting - Thanks for the Twinkies

Glenn The Geek at Horseradionetwork.com

Casey Kaen Loses it about Doing a Dog Death Dedication

  Let Me Help You Launch a Your Successful Podcast

Would you like One on One Consulting? Schedule a session

Want to learn at your own pace, and network with other podcasters. Join the School of Podcasting

Want to get started quick? Check out Podcasting in Six Weeks

Check out this episode!

[paradoxicalca]

(OC) Dundon DIYs the Hurricanes (An Alternate Reality)

(Previous parts of this series include: Re-Chiarelling the Oilers, Moneyballing the Sens, Covertly Tanking the Wild, and Frenchifying the Canadiens.)Part I"Okay losers listen up!"This wasn't the first time team owner Tom Dundon had greeted the Carolina Hurricanes' analytics department this way, but they did not know that this was the first time he had gotten the office number right on his first try. After a long season the marketing department and janitors were no longer taken aback by these frequent interruptions."I've just had a brilliant idea. No doubt we had a good season last year, couple sell outs, good shit all around. But we gotta bring it to the next level okay? Now answer this question: what sells in sports?"One brave analyst answered: "Winning?" "Superstars?" offered another.Dundon shook his head in disbelief. "What? No, sex, you nerds, ever have it? Sex sells. We've got eyeballs on these games now but to get people really caring about this team we need to get a full roster of real dimes. Handsome motherfuckers. What do hockey players call attractive people?"A pause."Sir, none of us have actually played hockey before.""I think the guys on Letterkenny call them rockets?"Dundon clapped and pointed at him. "Alright, there we go, we need more rockets in our locker room than fucking NASA." Then he turned around, kicked over a garbage can, and disappeared through the door.The analytics department wasted no time in devising algorithms and stats to quantify player attractiveness. Very quickly a vicious divide emerged between two measurements: the Cool or Rugged Sexiness Indicator (CORSI) and the Foxiness-Expressing Number which Indexes Cute Kings (FENWICK). It all came down to type and preference: CORSI adherents argued for strong, bearded, often Canadian players, while FENWICK fanatics extolled the virtues of prettier players, usually non-threatening Scandinavians. It was eventually acknowledged that these met at the Strapping, Handsome and Rather Pretty (SHARP) intersection, but nonetheless conflict still raged. After a day of furious debate it was decided that they would deliver Dundon a roster split between the three categories:Filip Forsberg (+6.5 FENWICK) - Tyler Seguin (+3.5 SHARP) - Brock Boeser (+4.7 SHARP) Gabriel Landeskog (+8.5 FENWICK) - Adam Henrique (+3.7 CORSI) - Leon Draisaitl (+5.6 SHARP) Tom Wilson (+4.3 CORSI) - Alex Wennberg (+7.5 FENWICK) - Blake Wheeler (+3.8 CORSI) Marcus Foligno (+3.4 CORSI) - Elias Lindholm (+5.6 FENWICK) - Andre Burakovsky (+3.4 FENWICK) Roman Josi (+7.4 FENWICK) - Erik Karlsson (+6.8 FENWICK) Shea Weber (+4.5 CORSI) - Kris Letang (+7.2 SHARP) Brady Skjei (+4.6 SHARP) - Erik Gudbranson (+3.9 CORSI) Henrik Lundqvist (+8.2 SHARP) Braden Holtby (+3.6 CORSI) Proud of themselves, but feeling somewhat uncomfortable, the analytics team printed out this list and called Dundon to come back and retrieve it.When he arrived he looked at it and smiled "Great work, alright, and this algorithm is all loaded on the computer over there?""Yes sir""Okay great, thanks guys, you're fired, best wishes"As each of the analysts grumpily gathered their laptops and Funko Pops into cardboard boxes and left PNC Arena, Dundon folded the list into a paper airplane and yelled "Hey Don! You still work for me?"The veteran manager walked into the office. "Yes, Tom, I still do."Dundon fired the paper airplane directly at Waddell's forehead and it fell to the floor. "This is a list of players, I'm gonna need you to trade for these guys ASAP, got it?"Waddell muttered through gritted teeth something like "...never in Atlanta...""Oh yeah you turtle-looking motherfucker? Well why don't you go and work for them then? You're fired, fuckface."By the end of the day, Dundon had fired everyone he could find in the building. Then he sat down at the computer that had the handsomeness algorithm loaded onto it. Google Chrome was open. These fuckers had been using the internet at work? He wished he could fire them again. But he noticed the website on the screen."What the hell is HFBoards?"_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Part IIThis site was incredible - Dundon didn't realize there were so many hockey fans. But here they all were, speculating on rumours, constructing rosters, and, most incredibly, proposing trades. He had been paying out the ass all year for front office staff and yet there were thousands of people on this website coming up with trades for free. He felt like a kid on Christmas morning - receiving gifts without having to give anything to anyone else. He completely forgot about the handsomeness list he'd asked for just a few hours before.Just then a social media intern who had been in the washroom when he dismissed the rest of her department poked her head into the room. Dundon immediately tried to fire her (he knew how to use Twitter, why was he paying someone to do it?) but it turned out she actually wasn't getting paid anything. So he recruited her to a new project."I need you to record every trade proposal our fans have made on this website this summer."And she did.1. Justin Faulk for Antti Raanta 2. James Riemer for Martin Jones (1 million retained) 3. Warren Foegele and a 2nd for Nikita Gusev "That's it? Alright well hold on, I'll get these done quick then."But when he called that lanky dork in Arizona whose name he couldn't remember and offered him the first deal, he was hung up on immediately. The same thing happened twice more."What the hell is going on?""Well," the intern started, "it seems like our fans might overvalue our players a bit.""We made the fucking third round, all our players should have value out the ass! How am I supposed to know how much I can get for these guys?""Well, there's a kind of thread on this forum called 'Value Of:' where you name a player and people tell you what they'd be willing to trade for them.""Perfect, make one of those and I'll start hitting the phones."​Edmonton Oilers @OilersNHLTRADE ALERT: The #Oil acquire D Dougie Hamilton from the #Canes in exchange for Jesse Puljujarvi and Kris Russell​Toronto Maple Leafs @MapleLeafs#Sportschek Transaction Alert: Maple Leafs have acquired D Brett Pesce, RW Teuvo Teravainen, and C Martin Necas from the Hurricanes in exchange for RW Mitch Marner​"This is so easy, no one's even trying to negotiate with me! I can't believe I kept that old fuck around for so long."​Montreal Canadiens @CanadiensMTLWELCOME TO MONTREAL @SebastianAho!#Habs receive C @SebastianAho in exchange for C Max Domi, D Cale Fleury, and a 2020 1st.Les #Habs reçoivent Sebastian Aho en échange de Max Domi, Cale Fleury et un choix de 1er ronde.​Vancouver Canucks @sabresWE HAVE A TRADE TO ANNOUNCE #GoCanucksGoCanucks have acquired RW Andrei Svechnikov from @NHLCanes in exchange for D Chris Tanev and a 2020 2nd round pick​Buffalo Sabres @sabresSabres have acquired D Jaccob Slavin from CAR for RW Sam Reinhart​Pittsburgh Penguins @penguinsThe Penguins have acquired D Trevor van Riemsdyk for D Jack Johnson #letsgopensEpilogueThat fall, the fans at PNC Arena thought they were buying tickets to hockey games, but what they got was even more impressive: a one-man show. They would hear Tom Dundon announce the starting lineups ("Why am I playing some asshole to read a script?") and sing the national anthem. ("This isn't a fucking talent show, and people say I have a great voice.") They'd see him run up and down the aisles serving popcorn and drinks, and even interact with children as the new mascot ("Look kid, you want a fuckin' high five or not? Okay, quit hugging me you fuckin' perv."). Long after the games were done, an exhausted Dundon could be found sweeping up trash. It almost wasn't worth it. But at the end of the night, when he looked at the balance sheet and the single employee expense - the NHL had refused his request to drive the Zamboni himself - he was filled with a quiet comfort.As the team tumbled down the standings, Dundon barely noticed. He didn't have much time to watch the games anyway, and he only looked at the scoreboard when one of the pixels went out and he had to fix it. But there came a point, with the season finally done, when he realized that he had barely had a second of free time all year. His hair was turning white from a lack of sleep. Worst of all, there hadn't been anyone to fire in months. But then he realized something else. As he walked into the bathroom with a mop, he stared at his gaunt face in the mirror, took a deep breath and whispered"You're fired"He suddenly felt an exhilarating freedom wash over him. Then he put down his mop, walked outside, breathed in fresh air for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, and just began to walk. He was never seen again.​Next time: Jim Rutherford decides to deal with his Tom Wilson problem once and for all. (OC) Dundon DIYs the Hurricanes (An Alternate Reality) Source