At the museum I also caught Johnny hanging out with his work partner, Mary! Thought it was a nice coincidence to see them sitting together and with a townie cop nearby too. Maybe they're out celebrating busting the Beakers?

Jake Allen leads the #NJDevils onto the ice in Toronto. He starts against the Leafs.

Kahkonen backs up.

First period

#NJDevils starters versus Leafs:

⇥ Meier-Hischier-Bratt

⇥ Bahl-Marino

⇥ Allen

Stretch pass through the neutral zone hits Bertuzzi and he skates right up through the middle of the ice.

1-0 Leafs. Bertuzzi.

Tomas Nosek with a huge shot block on a Nylander shot. He plays out his shift but is struggling to get to the bench. He's staying on the bench but he's certainly wincing in pain.

LUKE! Tie game!

Hell of a shot!

I don't think Joseph Woll was expecting Luke Hughes to shoot from there, but he did and it was the #NJDevils first shot of the game.

It went in. It's tie game.

Jesper Bratt has reached 70 points this season, assisting on Luke Hughes' opening goal tonight in Toronto.

Nico Hischier gets the secondary assist.

Bahl-Nemec

Smith-Marino

Adding to this: the assist was Bratt's 47th of the season, which ties his career-high from the 2021-22 #NJDevils season.

L. Hughes earned his 40th PTS (9g-31a) for the 2023-24 campaign, which tied S. Niedermayer for the 3rd most PTS that a rookie blueliner earned in a single season for team history.

1.) W. Butcher: 44 PTS | 2017-18

2.) V. Fetisov: 42 PTS | 1989-90

Jake Allen putting in the acrobatic work.

Toronto has 17 shots with 6 minutes to play in the first period.

Jake Allen has turned away 16 of them.

This first period has been quite a ride in the #NJDevils defensive zone. Let me tell you.

Leafs up to 20 shots (coming from just about everywhere on the ice) but Jake Allen has been thwarting them away any which way he can.

2-1 #NJDevils !! Nico!!!

Leafs may have the 22-8 shot advantage but the #NJDevils have the 2-1 lead.

Nico Hischier ties Jack Hughes for the lead in goals for #NJDevils with his 24th of the season.

Goal is assisted by Jesper Bratt (his 71st point) and Timo Meier.

38 seconds left in the first and #NJDevils will go to the PK. It's Kevin Bahl to the box for roughing.

Taking the 2-1 lead into the second is huge for #NJDevils after giving up 26 shots to the Leafs.

But they'll have to really buckle down defensively in this second. You're lucky to have a 2-1 lead when you're outshot 26-8.

That's not sustainable.

End of one.

#NJDevils

🚨 L. Hughes (Bratt, Hischier)

🚨 Hischier (Bratt, Meier)

Shots 25-8

Second period

#NJDevils start the period with a big penalty kill.

Kevin Bahl is out of the box and we're back to even strength.

Nylander.

Tie game.

2-2.

3-2 Leafs. Matthews

59 goals for Auston Matthews

TIMO!

#NJDevils tie it right up at 3!

Timo Meier's 24th of the season ties the game at three and puts him in a three-way tie with Jack and Nico for team lead in goals.

13 goals in the month of March for #NJDevils Timo Meier.

#NJDevils PP coming up now.

Jack doing double-duty on the #NJDevils PP. He's on both units tonight.... at the moment anyways.

Jake Allen with a huge glove save on Pontus Holmberg keeps this tied at three.

That Willman goal makes it an even bigger save for Jake Allen.

He makes that save, the play goes down the other end of the ice and #NJDevils were able to take the 4-3 lead.

Marino going to be called for tripping.

1:15 left in the period and #NJDevils will have to defend their one-goal lead.

End of two.

#NJDevils with a 4-3 lead on the Leafs

1:✖️Bertuzzi (Domi. Brodie)

1: 🚨L. Hughes (Bratt, Hischier)

1:🚨Hischier (Bratt, Meier)

2: ✖️Nylander (Timmins, Knies)

2:✖️Matthews (Lyubushkin, Brodie)

2:🚨Meier (Bratt, Hischier)

2:🚨Willman (Tierney)

Shots: 35-20, TOR

Add an assist to your friend and mine, Curtis Lazar on Max Willman's goal.

Willman's goal now reads from Lazar and Tierney.

#NJDevils with another 45 seconds of PK time with Marino in the box.

Third period underway!

Johnny out of the box and #NJDevils are back to even strength.

#NJDevils power play because Bobby McMann just took a charge at Luke Hughes.

5-3 #NJDevils ! JACK!

Jack again. Ho. Hum.

#NJDevils win big in Toronto!

6-3!

The Devils "Big 4" in the last 15 Games :

- Timo Meier : 13G, 8A, 21P

- Nico Hischier : 5G, 14A, 19P

- Jack Hughes : 8G, 11A, 19P

- Jesper Bratt : 2G, 11A, 13P

That is 72 Points Combined 🤯

Lilith Pleasant (cont. 4//4)

After that, the man seemed to drop the conversation. She figured it was probably due to the fact that it was relatively hard to hold a conversation when you didn’t know any details. And she’d made Phee promise not to tell anyone, including Johnny. And if She’d told him immediately, as often was the case with boyfriends, he was doing a good job of hiding it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(end, Lilith)

Conjoined

Pairing: Ashley Jones/Jessica Smith

Summary:

Jessica and Ashley have always been inseparable.

Sample Text:

“I'm starting to wonder if you married me just for my last name.”

“Johnny, don't be ridiculous! I am proud to be Mrs. Smith, because I love you and I'm so excited to start our married lives together.”

“I'm sorry, Ashley. It's just that you and Jessica…”

Ashley sighed. “Here we go again...

thoughts on problematic fcs?

i have MANY thoughts on problematic fcs tbh. like y’all are rlly quick to label someone as problematic. lucky blue smith was considered problematic just bc he liked tr*mp (however now we’ve found he’s dating i belieb a 26 year old so that’ more problematic but this was before that). calling him problematic just bc of his political beliefs dilutes the meaning of the word. ur gonna call him problematic, then label someone like johnny d*pp the same thing ?? 2 hella different categories my friend. also, the MOST problematic ppl are the most common. it’s like y’all only hold ppl accountable for their problematic-ness if they’re not a popular fc (lookin @ u gigi n zayn n biebs)

the way i see it, as long as problematic fc doesn’t mind being roleplayed and doesn’t make ur rp partner(s) uncomfortable, it’s fine. just acknowledge their problematic-ness and say you don’t condone their problematic actions. after all, it’s just a face. you’re using them to flesh out your character. it doesn’t mean you like them or their actions, you think it’s the best person to play the role you’re trying to create (well tbh y’all just tryna use ur faves @ this point but whateva tickles ur peaches my friends). 

but srsly if y’all keep up this “ur fave is problematic” stuff for bullshit reasons, that’s gonna be the reason the rpc dies (as if it ain’t already dead lol).

New Look Sabres: GM 56 - NYI - Buy Me Tickets

Last game I acknowledged the high emotions of a playoff push on a fanbase like ours: so out of that picture for so many years now. Perhaps there is an added word along with that to say that when you talk shit to an opposing fanbase in a stretch like this it’s not personal, it’s just sport. There exists no better example of this than the New York Islanders. I don’t personally hate the droves of downstate kids who emerge from the area’s colleges and universities for a game like this. I do however resent the snootiness about your organization that fell ass-backwards onto a hot second half. Again, it’s not personal. This scenario is also true for Robin Lehner. Giving up the first round pick for him was why he always had a target on his back in Buffalo; from there on out he was never going to not hear it with every blown angle and wide open five hole. Yeah, the Sabres defense was bad then, not much better now, and evidently he had some personal addiction issues and let’s make this clear: God bless you, Robin Lehner. Hockey aside, getting your life together is great and everyone here in Buffalo is proud of you for that. It’s rad you probably see the playoffs on the island this spring. Also: thanks for not having a great night last night. With no further ado: Playoff Trash talk. Islanders, there would be a couple decent storylines in a playoff series between you and us. The first all New York matchup since 2007 when Maxim Afinogenov made the Rangers cry. We can agree on enjoying the Rangers’ misery but you better understand Robin Lehner is untested in the postseason with a propensity for giving up clutch goals. Anders Lee replacing Johnny T as Captain is like buying the discount cereal because milk gave you stomach problems. Your team plays at Barclays Center which is fitting for a team as forgettable as the Brooklyn Nets. The Sabres have less playoff experience but the Islanders have a way of never looking all that threatening in the postseason. The late season heroics will cool off and the Sabres win this series in 6. This game last night was probably supposed to be an L but I was there and got to enjoy the unlikely W. You expect a Winnipeg game but got a Minnesota game. If we’re going to make the playoffs you take wins like this and run. 2 points is 2 points but beating these guys should be a mental boost.

As the Sabres took the ice I got all riled up as the sound system played “Never too late.” Hell yeah, the Sabres aren’t done yet! The first ten minutes of this game however belonged to the Islanders. The Sabres hardly got four shots on goal before the midway point of the first period while the Islanders dominated the possession game. Linus Ullmark looked good from the start. It seemed like at some point the home team realized they were not done yet and woke up a bit. Jeff Skinner certainly did when he got the puck off the faceoff and looked around a forest of Islanders defenders and his own teammates before wiring a slapper past a screened Robin Lehner. 1-0 Sabres with 3:35 left in the first and I recall saying these words aloud: “Just please don’t give up the response goal now.” Tim Murray must still work for this club in the disappointment department because a couple minutes later that was exactly what happened. Rasmus Ristolainen was dispossessed or… just thought he had a quota of defensive zone giveaways to meet, and Casey Cizikas got the puck in the slot and shot it too fast for Ullmark. 1-1 and that was that for the first period. There was a small contingent of Islanders fans, right in that annoying golden age of 19-21, sitting a couple rows down from me. When Cizikas scored they chanted their “Yes, Yes, Yes” goal song and I got to admit I’m on the fence about that. On one hand it sounds awfully unique; on the other hand it does kind of sounds like you’re a three year old celebrating your mom making mac & cheese. I suppose I got no legs to stand on considering the Sabres just made some random 70s party rap their goal song. At the end of the first period I was not expecting anymore rap but was fully prepared for more yes’s. Let’s put it that way.

Those feelings are safer to have than the more bull-headed “the boys got this” in recent games. We were all pleasantly surprised in the second period. Well the Islanders were continuing doing a good job of boxing Buffalo out of the net-front the home team didn’t stop testing them there. Jeff Skinner and Jack Eichel teamed up in a wicked scoring opportunity that followed up the weirdest botched pass defensive zone turnover on the part of the visitors. That was at about 7 minutes into the middle frame and maybe by that point we started seeing chinks in the Islanders armor. It was not long after that opportunity when Jack Eichel and Jason Pominville came streaking in following an offensive zone turnover. Jack Eichel took the puck along the wall before getting it over to Pominville with perfect timing for him to just give it a little cheeky five-hole tap. Robin Lehner’s five-hole must be a parody account somewhere, right? Perhaps shockingly, the Sabres were now up 2-1. Every line was contributing to a better shots count this period for the Sabres but the CJ Smith – Vladimir Sabotka – Tage Thompson was surprisingly bad turning over the puck and generally just looking aimless in the offensive zone; bench Sabotka whenever you want, Phil. The only powerplay from either team came this period and it was in Buffalo’s favor. No luck there and you knew that. The Isles probably got more chances on the Sabres PP… woof. At some point in this stretch Rasmus Dahlin leveled Cal Clutterbuck in front of the Sabres net earning the Carubba Collision of the game. Nice. Some fans complained a lot at this game for how few calls there were. As long as it’s consistent I don’t mind and the whistles were overwhelmingly put away in this game. The defensive scheme looked better for Buffalo as this game went on and that’s a welcomed change if we’re going to make the playoffs.

The fact that Pominville scored the go-ahead goal was fun because I am about 60% certain I was sitting next to a couple Frenchmen really enjoying this game in their Sabres uniforms. However by the end of the game I am not exactly sure what language they were speaking as everyone there kind of exclaimed the same sounds of urgency. This 2-1 lead did not feel safe, especially as the Isles pushed hard in the third. The final frame felt prideful for all of us in the Linus Ullmark Fan Club. He looked like a starting goaltender in this third period, really the whole game. Eventually it would earn first star honors. He had one save against Clutterbuck that you look back on and understand hot it really saved this game for the Sabres. I don’t expect Housley to ever appoint him long-term starter explicitly but he’s getting the starts now and he’s staying hot against really good teams. That’s how you win a crease. You win games by scoring goals and although the skaters on this team have learned the dump-in and drop-pass a little more fervently than I would like they scored more goals than the visitors in the third. It was the hardest working fourth line in Hockey that yielded the insurance goal. Kyle Okposo got the puck in the slot from Zemgus Girgensons and shot it dead center on Lehner with about 2:25 left in regulation. The puck trickled through that five-hole and none other than Old man Larry Johan Larsson tapped it in: 3-1 Sabres. I’m down for Okposo’s permanent deployment on the fourth line pending his buyout in summer 2020 and I am so very down for Old Larry making his mark. The Larsson goal allowed us to breathe a sigh of relief and the boys in blue and gold played a little bit less desperately in the last two minutes. There was one Isles shot that rung off the crossbar but this one ended 3-1 in favor of the home team. I could do without chanting Lehner’s name but a win is a win and two points is two points. Nonetheless, if these are the kind of games the Sabres will play down the stretch then buy me tickets!

Speaking of tickets, the thing happened again: whether it’s pretty or not every Pegula-owned team wins when I am in attendance. What does that mean? It means buy me tickets. How many classes am I willing to miss for a Sabres playoff berth? There is no upper limit there. The Amerks won 7-1 the other night when I was there! Whether I’m there or not the Sabres got one more home game on this long home-stand Friday night against the Rangers: let’s sweep downstate, just for all the lovely downstate hockey fans that go to area colleges. It was uniquely satisfying watching those three obnoxious probably-UB-student Islanders fans leaving with a minute left in the game. Hey, it was 9:45ish at that point: they could have made it back to North Campus in time to get a late night snack at the Dining Hall. In the quest for the ever-elusive two-straight wins the other New York provides an excellent opportunity and one this Sabres team really ought to capitalize on if they’re going to be taken as serious playoff contenders down the stretch. Like, comment, and share because the Sabres ain’t done yet! If you can beat the Islanders right now you can win two in a row in the following game against the Rangers, right? Right? RIGHT!?

Thanks for reading.

P.S. My wife was having a rough day so she brought a book to read to this game. Apparently her mom brings books to baseball games. Am I mean for saying hockey is different? Or should you not bring a book to any sporting event?

r/hockey NHL Power Rankings Week 1: Toothless Sharks Edition

/r/Hockey NHL Power Rankings Week Sep 30, 2019 - Oct 6, 2019 (29/31 Rankers Reporting)Thank 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!RankingsRanking (avg)TeamDeltaOverall RecordRecord This WeekComments1 (3.09)Vegas Golden Knights-2-0-02-0-0Not a major surprise the Golden Knights came out with something to prove when they played the San Jose Sharks and out scored them 9-2 in two games to start the season. The Knights have clearly worked on their Penalty Kill allowing 0 goals while scoring 3 shorthanded goals themselves. The Golden Knights have only played against one team so far but they have a huge test on Tuesday as the Boston Bruins visits T-Mobile Arena. The Golden Knights are playing without two quality forwards in Cody Eakin and Alex Tuch, who got hurt during the preseason, and their number 1 defenseman, Nate Schmidt, who got hurt early during the season opener.2 (3.35)Boston Bruins-2-0-02-0-0The Bruins start the season on the road and picked up where they left off last season, playing a strong defensive game but not a high octane offense either. Two wins to start the season is great but the real test will be Vegas this Tuesday. With some new teammates and players still recovering from the long playoff run, it will take time to build chemistry and the anemic powerplay shows that. Halak got the first shutout in the League which bodes well for another 1a/1b season.3 (4.89)Toronto Maple Leafs-2-0-12-0-1Its the first week of the season and the leafs are showing they still have some rust to shake off. Going 2-0-1 is great espcially when we had a back to back but 10 goals against is not ideal. That being said the team has looked good. Auston Matthews once again getting off to an early start with 5 goals in 3 games. Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly also sitting with 5 points in 3 games. The offence is as usual clicking for the Leafs it's just a matter of getting things set on the defensive end and not taking dumb penalties. Despite this though the leafs have stilled walked away with 5 of a possible 6 points so I think it safe to say this has been a successful opening weeks for the buds.4 (5.56)Colorado Avalanche-2-0-02-0-0Start of a new season and Big Moose (Rantanen) is back! Avs have a lot of turnover from last season 8 different players starting from closing night of the regular season, though some of that is injuries. The new guys look good, but the Top Line is still flying. This defense is ridiculously young, only Johnson has more than 300 games played and 3 of them have less than 50 combined, mistakes will be made, but the hope is they learn from them and get better and better. Our depth is better this year, but chemistry still needs to be worked on, our second line cannot find its flow right now, but it has moments. Shout out to Grubauer already stealing a game against Minnesota. Oh and Calder watch Makar already has two assists through two games, oh and he played 22 minutes on opening night.5 (6.18)Carolina Hurricanes-3-0-03-0-0Hard to judge a team after only 1 week of play, but as the team is starting to gel around the newcomers, flashes of brilliance are starting to mainfest. Gardnier is looking like the #1 PP QB we have been lusting for, Haula has a nose for the net, Aho and Svech are looking brilliant, and Edmusson and Slavin are making the brilliant defensive plays we need of them.6 (6.35)Washington Capitals-2-0-12-0-1Even in the absence of Kuznetsoz the Caps are still one of the best teams in the league. Vrana seems poised to enter the next level this season which is good news as Ovechkin is starting the season off slow.7 (8.29)Tampa Bay Lightning-1-1-11-1-1Tampa looks different this season so far. While the new additions like Kevin Shattenkirk and Patrick Maroon seem to be plugging in very well, the team is having a lot of trouble staying out of the box, especially in key situations. That, combined with a low shot total, is resulting in some frustrating play, and has caused 2 bad losses. Hopefully this is just a slow start for the team, because if these penalties continue, it could be a long season.8 (8.29)Buffalo Sabres-2-0-02-0-0Players without a point after two games: Elite 2nd line winger Vladimir Sobotka, Johan Larsson, Jimmy Vesey, and Henri Jokiharju. Our fourth line has been on fire. Sam Reinhart looks like a top 10 passer in the league. The hype level is reaching heights never before seen, and there are two possible outcomes. First, the Sabres Sabres it all up, or second, the Jack Adams trophy is renamed in Ralph Krueger's honor. Don't let me down Buffalo.9 (9.47)St. Louis Blues-1-0-11-0-1Binnington looks good, Faulk seems to fit in, Blais and some other young players look primed to fill in the gaps in our roster, and Jaden Schwartz decided to avoid the early season slump from last season by scoring one last night!10 (11.09)New York Rangers-2-0-02-0-0Mika Zibanejad is a God. Ok we got that out of the way. This team is very fun to watch right now, but there are obviously still issues. The first line is very fun to watch and so is the first power play unit. Mika has 8 points in 2 games which is very exciting, but in terms of the rest of our centers, there isn't much to say. We need a true 2C but we should let one of the kids (Andersson, Chytil, Howden) grow in to the role rather than panic and just get a rental, even though Strome has been quite the opposite of good. The defensive side of things hasn't been as bad as projected also. I think we should stick with the pairings we played in game 2, but there will likely be a lot of shuffling. I'm looking forward to the rest of this season though! LGR11 (12.97)Nashville Predators-1-1-01-1-0Hockey's finally back, and it's time for the first (half) week of power rankings where everything's made up and the points don't matter. This offseason saw the Preds make some pretty major moves, which even after the limited sample size of 2 games are already making an impact. The biggest headline was of course the 1-2 combo of a trade that saw Subban go to NJ, freeing the cap space needed to sign UFA Duchene to a 7 year, $56m deal. The addition gives the Preds a solid 1a/1b, and Duchene has looked strong already posting 5 assists. Also significant was the hiring of Dan Lambert to run the PP, after a year where the Preds posted the 33rd worst PP% since the stat began being tracked in 1977. While only time will tell how the change in system works out, it has already looked promising in the preseason and first 2 games. Overall optimism is high, as this looks to be another year where the Preds will be a top contender in the West and hopefully make up for their first round exit in last year's playoffs.12 (13)Calgary Flames-1-1-01-1-0The curse continued for the Flames as they lost their 10th straight season opener. The team rebounded nicely against Vancouver, largely due to a great shutout performance from Rittich. Through 2 games Lucic has been mostly unnoticeable other than his 21 PIMs, but I don't think Flames fans expected much else. Thankfully, the Flames have enough firepower elsewhere, especially from Johnny Hockey whos started the season strong with 5 points through 2 games.13 (14.29)Anaheim Ducks-2-0-02-0-0The ducks are finally exciting to watch. Throw out your watch ability rankings and tune in for some high event hockey. In other news, Ondrej Kase is good and probably underrated. He leads the team in shots and was a driving force behind the ducks 3 goals against the sharks.14 (14.35)Edmonton Oilers-2-0-02-0-0The Oilers have come out this season swinging with a solid 2-0 first week. With wins against the Canucks and the Kings, both divisional opponents, the Oilers look poised to continue their positive efforts on the penalty kill to provide solid results on the final score line. Mike Smith has looked shaky, but the top line of McDavid, Draisaitl and Kassian has looked potent. The powerplay too with Klefbom and Neal has been dynamic. There are definite gaps with the loss of Larsson further exposing the lack of depth on defense, no scoring coming from the bottom 6, and close 1 goal games against teams unlikely to be in the running for playoffs come February. RNH is also distinctly missing from the score sheet. Cautious optimism is the way to go for now.15 (14.56)Montreal Canadiens-1-0-11-0-1Kept up with the best teams in the league, crazy fast and had a nice comeback win against the leafs (4-1). If the defense stabilizes, they will be a serious threat.16 (14.88)Florida Panthers-1-1-01-1-0The Panthers had two solid games and Bob and Hoffman stole the show during the home opener. Q's system will take some time to cement itself, but it's looking good.17 (15.47)Pittsburgh Penguins-1-1-01-1-018 (17.71)Philadelphia Flyers-1-0-01-0-0Thank goodness this only counts for the regular season and I dont have to address the HC Lausanne game. They played well against the blackhawks, with AV's system seeming to help us create chances. Hart looked good in net, giving up larger rebounds as the only real knock I had for him. Basically we won the first game, so its about to be an 82-0 season and a 16-0 playoff run. Gritty will hoist the cup soon. And his day with the cup will be glorious. Praise Gritty.19 (17.94)New York Islanders-1-1-01-1-0The biggest change this off-season was in net, with Varlamov replacing Lehner as the 1a. Varlamov didn't look fantastic but only let in 2 goals in his debut, with improvement surely to come as he settles into the Korn system with the tremendous defense in front of him. Greiss picked up where he left off last year, looking fantastic. Barzal continues to be a magician with the puck, Nelson still has a filthy wrister, and perhaps most importantly, the fourth line is looking completely healthy. Beauvillier has impressed in his two games, hoping to add consistency. Things to look for include Dobson making his debut, and what the Islanders end up doing with Hickey (consistent part of their blue-line for the last half-decade) and Ho-Sang (requested a trade) who are on their AHL affiliate while having the talent that would make some NHL rosters.20 (18.44)Detroit Red Wings-2-0-02-0-0The Bertuzzi-Larkin-Mantha line that broke through last season picked up where they left off in their weekend openers against Nashville and Dallas. Jimmy Howard is looking excellent and looks to have another season where he can give the Wings a chance to win any game as long as there’s effort from the skaters. Outside of the top line and goaltender the Wings look absolutely average especially without Andreas Athanasiou carrying a 2nd line. Outside of Hronek, the defense group looks slow and sometimes even lazy as they fail to exit the defensive zone on many attempts and produce too many unforced turnovers, giving opposing teams extended zone pressure. This team can definitely score and get their shots off however any opposing teams will not have trouble keeping up with the Wings on the scoreboard regardless of any lead the Wings have. If they keep scoring 4+ goals a game, they will have a chance at competing for a wild card spot this season.21 (19.62)Winnipeg Jets-1-2-01-2-0Little bit of good, lots of bad. Defensive depth seemed to be a real liability, Anthony Bitteto proved he was not a worthy NHL defenseman, Helly and Brossoit have yet to return to the forms we know they can get to and we have trailed for almost all of our 3 games. But, on the bright side, Laine and Connor seem to have real chemistry and are working well with Copp, and the top line of The Knife, Ehlers and Captain Wrench has been quite good. The Letestu/Bourque line has left lots to be desired, as their age has certainly shown through. For this team to succeed we need lots of 3rd Period vs New Jersey and much much less whole game vs the Islanders. One brighter note is that Kulikov has been a lot better than last season, and Heinola is also one of the lone bright spots on an inexperienced/unskilled back end.22 (21.71)Chicago Blackhawks-0-1-00-1-0The Blackhawks started on the wrong foot, losing 4-3 against the Flyers in Prague. Patrick Kane factored in every goal (1G, 2A). Alex DeBrincat signed a 3 year extension at $6.4M AAV. Team defense should hopefully improve when both Connor Murphy and Calvin de Haan recover from their groin injuries. Also, fans are excited to see if Kirby Dach can contribute this season after missing training camp with a concussion.23 (22.24)Dallas Stars-0-3-00-3-0There's many issues. Injuries. Slow starts or weak finishes. Key players not producing. But there's signs of life, and the pieces are still here. Monty has some work to do to make those pieces fit. More tough opponents next week, so things need to change sooner than later or this losing streak is bound to grow.24 (24.03)New Jersey Devils-0-1-10-1-1This week is a shitshow with rankings, so I personally put anyone with one game played near the lower middle simply for not enough data. Now onto the Devils. Oof. Nearly 2 full periods that went really well and then just everything just seemed to fall apart. We had a scare thinking Cory may have hurt himself again, but that seems to be averted and he was available in Buffalo. Speaking of Buffalo, damn I hope that game doesn't weigh too much on Blackwoods mind. Honestly, I'm just hoping that this is the struggle of having several new guys on the team all learning to play together. I don't want to believe that the Devils are in the bottom 10 of the league, but the last 4 periods they played certainly made it appear that they are.25 (24.94)Arizona Coyotes-0-2-00-2-0Two games into the season, the Coyotes are looking extremely good, despite the win %. The defense, which was 5th best in the NHL last season, is starting right where it left off, allowing only 1.5 GPG. Kuemper has been stellar as well, with a SV% of 94.5%. In regards to offense, the Coyotes are finding it, but are yet to convert; in fact, the only goal comes in the first game against Anaheim, courtesy of the Kessel-Keller-Stepan line. This being said, the Coyotes have outshot the opponent 68 to 55 in the first two showings (owning 54.3% of high danger scoring chances), especially flashing dominance against Boston, controlling possession the majority of the game. With a shot percentage of only 1.5% and a PDO at 94.7, the Coyotes can expect to start winning games at a high level, so long as they continue playing how they are playing.26 (25.91)San Jose Sharks-0-3-00-3-0Not much to say, just that the Sharks have looked awful so far this season. Everyone looks lazy. It feels like the Sharks want to recreate game 7 against Vegas by giving everyone 3 goal leads.27 (26.06)Los Angeles Kings-0-1-00-1-028 (26.38)Minnesota Wild-0-2-00-2-0The only real change from last season to this season is the aging process for the Minnesota Wild. Key signing Mats "Lizard" Zuccarello was just another step in that direction. It's very early, but Nashville and Colorado should fight for the Central title; Minnesota clearly looked outmatched and outskilled in these first two games. New GM Bill Guerin may get the green light to blow things up early if this is all the Wild have to offer for their on-ice product - and their off-ice product is not much better.29 (26.79)Vancouver Canucks-0-2-00-2-0The Canucks probably deserved better in their season opener vs. The Oilers, and they probably deserved exactly what they got on Saturday vs. the Flames. Thus far, the team has demonstrated that it can be quite exciting - even dominant. It has also demonstrated how difficult it is to compete in this league - even with a few shiny new pieces on your roster. Hopefully the announcement of the new Team Captain during Wednesday's home opener will bring about a much needed change of fortunes - because as Oilers and Buffalo fans can long attest, a prolonged skid to start the season can make it very difficult for a team of young guns to turn the corner.30 (28.03)Columbus Blue Jackets-0-2-00-2-0Not quite the start of the season the Jackets were hoping for. The youngest team in the league is going to have some growing pains, especially with our two unproven goaltenders. That being said, outside of the goaltending, the rookies have looked promising. Within the next few games, stuff will start to click.31 (30.09)Ottawa Senators-0-2-00-2-0Operation #DernièrePourLafrenière is moving forward swimmingly, with the Sens giving up the season's first hat trick to Zibby and looking nearly as bad as the Sharks on the PP. Chabot and White are signed up long term, so all that's left to do for the season is to lose a ton of games, let the kids get as much playing experience as possible, and watch hometown hero Scott Sabourin trigger some Leafs and Habs fans. Oh, and pray Eugene Melnyk's cash-flow problems to force a sale of the team. r/hockey NHL Power Rankings Week 1: Toothless Sharks Edition Source

Ramblings: The annual Dobby Awards. Also some playoff thoughts, Matthews vs. Marner and more (Apr 08)

Ramblings: The annual Dobby Awards. Also some playoff thoughts, Matthews vs. Marner and more (Apr 08)

***

Now available – the 13th annual Interactive Playoff Draft List. Order it here, download immediately. I updated this Sunday with the latest and will update it again before the playoffs start. Tons of notes and insight on this list as well as my own picks. If you bought the Ultimate Fantasy Pack in the summer, this will be included in that purchase. It is not included in the Keeper Fantasy Pack. I did update this Sunday morning and I had to update it again in the evening because there was a problem getting goalies to appear. That is fixed now.

*

First, join my NHL Bracket Challenge – the DobberHockey League of Winners.

Second, join my Dobbernomics playoff game. It’s free, it’s fun, and frankly it’s pretty challenging. You can put in your team right now under a salary cap, and then keep changing them around because transactions are unlimited until the playoffs begin.

*

For all the hype that Auston Matthews gets and Mitch Marner does not – Marner has kept up with him in production, and this year is out-producing him badly. Yes, injuries…but injuries are a part of a player’s value. Marner doesn’t seem to get hurt, Matthews seems to be a lock for missing 10 games or more just from his style of play. One thing I noticed in reviewing for playoff pools – Marner had nine points in seven games last spring while Matthews had just two. Matthews brings high value as an elite sniper with size and strength in the center position – a rare commodity. But isn’t Patrick Kane a pretty rare commodity, too? Yes, I’m comparing Marner to Kane. Marner deserves more dough than Matthews. Curious to see if he gets it. The reality is, the Leafs need both players.

You know who they don’t need? William Nylander. Still shaking my head over that “not trading Nylander” comment from Kyle Dubas. He’s a great top six forward, perhaps even a first liner. But there are several dozen of him in the league. Most definitely not a rare commodity. And if he costs the team keeping the likes of Andreas Johnsson or Kasperi Kapanen (I won’t even consider them losing Marner over keeping Nylander, I shudder), then that’s too big a sacrifice.

*

It’s still happening. Mark Stone joining Vegas’ 1B line hasn’t really helped that line, since it was already fairly productive. But it has had a huge impact on the 1A line. William Karlsson, Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault have been red hot over the past month. Since the trade deadline:

Marchessault – 17 points in 19 games (0.89 vs. 0.67 prior to that)

Karlsson – 17 points in 19 games (0.89 vs. 0.62)

Smith – 18 points in 18 games (1.00 vs. 0.63)

Stone – 11 points in 18 games (0.61 vs. 1.05)

Stastny – 17 points in 17 games (1.00 vs. 0.76)

Pacioretty – 8 points in 16 games (0.50 vs. 0.64)

Tuch – 9 points in 19 games (0.47 vs. 0.78)

A lot of this can be explained. Tuch’s dropoff is from his being bumped from the second line. The top line, or 1A, was heavily defended against in the first half, with the opposition shutting them down and thus giving themselves the best chance to win. But with Stone there, how do you focus on anyone else? Stone has the most talent and is the biggest game breaker. How do you put your best shutdown D on the Karlsson line and leave Stone free to do as he will? You can’t. And I’m curious to see if he can step up his game and boost that line’s production in the playoffs. Right now I’m more bullish on the Karlsson line when it comes to drafting in playoff pools.

*

You can so very clearly see which GMs weren’t thinking ahead and adapting, simply by looking at the overall scoring. Scoring is up this year. By a lot: 3.01 goals per game and that’s up over the 3.00 mark for the first time since 2006.. The top scoring team has 325 goals. Twenty-five teams have at least 225 goals. And then Anaheim, Los Angeles, Dallas, Minnesota and Arizona have fewer than 215? The Ducks didn’t even reach 200? Talk about being caught sleeping. With more of the net being visible thanks to smaller goalie pads, the clutching and grabbing by slower, bigger players no longer works. Now it’s about speed, and puck movement starting at D. Arizona recognizes this and are moving towards it. Minnesota also seems to suddenly get it, based on their Deadline moves. The Ducks have a solid prospect pipeline so there’s still hope there. But what of Los Angeles? Things could actually get worse there before they get better.

 *

This year’s Dobby’s!

Biggest Fantasy Surprise: Erik Gustafsson. Of course. This one is probably unanimous. To hit the 60-point mark as a defenseman when we weren’t even sure if he’d be a regular roster player is pretty fantastic. Six defensemen reached 60 points this season and a virtual unknown was one of them. Runner-Up: Jordan Binnington. Winnington indeed.

Lucky Linemate Award: While much of the prognosticators and journalists were going nuts over Calgary’s signing of James Neal, crowning him a potential comeback player and already christening him as Johnny Gaudreau’s linemate…I held firm on my belief in this year’s winner Elias Lindholm. As a right-shot and a backup centerman who could take faceoffs when needed, it was just too good a fit. Why would Calgary bother making that trade if not to put Lindholm on the big line? I didn’t waver and in fact traded one of my 12 keepers last summer to sub Lindholm as a keeper in his place (Clayton Keller). Just one point in his last nine games prevented him from reaching 80 points (he hit 78). Runner-Up: Cam Atkinson, who also fell short of a milestone, stopping at 69 points thanks to just six points in the last 14 games. He did hit 41 goals though.

Second-Half Stud Award: Patrick Kane’s 59 points in 39 games tied Nikita Kucherov in scoring since January 5. It was also a nice jump from his already-solid first-half pace of 51 points in 42 games. Runner-Up: Sean Couturier, who had 47 points in the last 42 games after starting out with 29 in 38. This was despite managing just three points and going minus-9 in the final seven contests.

Cha-Ching Player Trade Award: Dylan Strome. Six points in 20 games for Arizona, then off to Chicago where he picked up 51 in 58. Runner-Up: Ryan Donato. He had 16 points in 22 games after the trade. But unlike with Strome, we were still fairly comfortable with Donato eventually coming around. The trade just expedited things. Donato ended the season with just one point in seven games and minus-8, so by no means is 2019-20 guaranteed to be “the year” for him.

Second-Half Swoon Award: Patrik Laine had 20 measly points in the last 49 games after starting the season with 30 in 33. Runner-Up: Jeff Skinner was a revelation with 44 points in 45 games to start the year. He was going to demolish his career high of 63 points, no question about it. That is, until he didn’t. Just 19 in his last 37 to finish up with, you guessed it, 63 points. Congrats to anyone who traded either of these players in January.

Fantasy Player of the Year: Andrei Vasilevskiy. It’s not a coincidence that the teams that won each of my leagues that involve goalies, owned Vas. As I noted to one GM when we were discussing the fairness of the goalie points system in that league: “Owning Vasilevskiy under these rules right now is like owning Gretzky in 1986.” He only played 53 games thanks to a broken foot, and yet he still managed 39 wins. If healthy all year, he may have taken a run at 50. He also boasted a 0.925 SV% in an era where goaltenders don’t really do that very often. Runner-Up: Nikita Kucherov, who finished with 128 points, 12 more than the next player and the highest total in 23 years.

Fantasy Rookie of the Year: Jordan Winnington. I wrestled with this one for a long time because I’m a huge Elias Pettersson fan and feel he will be an elite player. As in – Top 5 in the league. Meanwhile, Binnington could Jim Carrey his way out of the NHL and become this massive bust. But we’ll always remember this year. In the end, I asked myself – which rookie did the most to help a fantasy owner win. And frankly, Winnington turned more than a few fantasy squads around on his own this year. So even though I would much sooner own Runner-Up Pettersson and Honorable Mention Rasmus Dahlin by a wide, wide, ridiculously wide margin in keeper leagues – Binnington has to be the ROY in fantasy hockey.

Fourth Year Magic Award: Dylan Larkin teased in Year 3 with 63 points and then took another huge step this season with 73. This is quite the feat when you consider that no other Detroit player reached 55. Runner-Up: Max Domi jumped from 45 points in his third year to 72. He was a big reason why the Habs made it to Game 81 before finally being eliminated from the playoffs.

Best Cap Bargain: Only one player was paid less than $10,000 per point scored, and that was Brayden Point. He had 92 points on a $650,000 salary, for just over $7,000 each. Runner-Up: Alex DeBrincat.

Cy Young Award: Viktor Arvidsson only played 58 games but he still managed 34 goals. But he had just 14 assists. Runner-Up: Tie between Jeff Skinner (40-23) and Cam Atkinson (41-28).

The Power-Play Crutch: Keith Yandle wins this one because nobody relied more heavily on the man advantage for his production than the Florida defenseman. He had just 23 points at even strength, but a whopping 39 on the power play. Nobody was even close to that ratio here. Runner-Up, and a distant one: Mike Hoffman who was at 35 for ES and 35 on the PP.

I hope you enjoyed this year’s Dobby’s!

*

Two other players I looked at for a fantasy boost after being traded: Tanner Pearson (the second time he was dealt), Jordan Weal (the second time he was dealt) and Jared McCann. In 19 games with Vancouver, Pearson had 12 points. Not great, but still quite the improvement. It looks even better, though, when you see that he ended the year with nine points in nine games. He showed great chemistry with Bo Horvat towards the end and I think he can get back to that 45-to-55 potential we saw in him earlier.

Jordan Weal has teased us at the end of the season like this before. And the last time he did it, he was set to become a UFA and earned himself a two-year, one-way contract. I think his progress was derailed by the Flyers lucking into the draft lottery win and adding Nolan Patrick to the lineup. It nudged Weal down the roster and he hasn’t done much of anything since. Here he is, set to become a UFA again and he ends things in Montreal with eight points in nine games. What kind of contract he earns from that should determine how much of a chance he will get. And to be fair – he had plenty of top-six opportunities in Arizona, but couldn’t find the chemistry. He is clearly a guy who will lean on chemistry with a talented player for his points.

And McCann, of course, had that wonderful run as Sidney Crosby’s linemate and picking up 10 points in eight games just after the deadline. But the magic seemed to vanish as he managed just four points in the final 12 contests. Next year could almost be considered his fourth (he played 29 games in 2016-17), so that definitely nudges me towards drafting him in the summer as a sleeper pick. He has played 244 career games so it’s right in that wheelhouse for a breakout.

*

I didn’t know that Joe Thornton had 29 points in his last 33 games. He’s sailing into the postseason truly on a roll and if you like the Sharks to go deep, you may want to nudge him up your playoff draft lists.

*

The reason I am not a big fan of Alex Nylander in keeper leagues – injuries. He had himself a nice season this year taking a big step forward in his pro career after a couple of steps backward. But he had a different injury wipe out two of his training camps, back-to-back, and then finally getting an opportunity with Buffalo that looks as though he is there to stay – and he gets hurt again. If every time he gets some sort of opportunity or gets on a role he suffers an injury, he’s never going to get going. There are too many other prospects to roll the dice on, so I’ll leave the younger Nylander to someone else.

I just realized I’m kinda trashing on both Nylander brothers today. Time to write something nice: Both have tremendous upside and I really like William as a potential first-liner – no matter what team he plays for. In fact I think it’s better for both him and the Leafs if he went somewhere else. He would flourish elsewhere, and they would address some serious needs. I also don’t rule out Alex as a potential top sixer, to be clear what I wrote above was that other GMs can take a chance on him, I will look at other prospects who aren’t getting hurt.

*

See you next Monday. Good luck in your playoff pool drafts, and that link again for the Draft List is here.

    from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-the-annual-dobby-awards-also-some-playoff-thoughts-matthews-vs-marner-and-more-apr-08/

"What??? It is not a good time right now-"

"You're under arrest, Mr. Beaker, on suspicion of child maltreatment, false imprisionment, and criminal battery."

"Ridiculous."

"Where is your wife?"

"That's what I'd like to know!! She was gone when I woke up this morning, and-"

"Well, it looks like we're going to have some questions for you about that, too. Cuff him, Mary."

“Thunder Jim Wade”, by Henry Kuttner

[Thunder Jim Wade] called himself a trouble-shooter. But he had a habit of seeking trouble, and smashing it with a cold, ruthless fury that had given him both name and reputation. His past was shrouded in mystery. Years before he had flashed on the scene like a comet—a comet whose mission was to destroy such men as Duke Solent.

Many had wondered whence Wade had come. But not even “Dirk” Marat and “Red” Argyle, Jim’s aides, knew that. Red was a burly giant with gnarled hands like knotted oak roots, and incredibly deft fingers. And Dirk was a small, innocent-looking chap with blond hair and black eyebrows, and one great passion. That was for cold steel. He could handle guns, but preferred to work with knives.

They helped Wade in his work—which was to smash crime and evil. Together they had wrecked opium rings, slave trades, pearl thievery, and a hundred other unscrupulous activities. 

Kuttner, Henry. Thunder Jim Wade: The Complete Series (pp. 11-12). Altus Press. Kindle Edition.

*     *     *      *      *

In his namesake novella, Thunder Jim Wade arrives at Singapore to discover the whereabouts of his missing agent. During his investigation, he discovers that the agent was kidnapped while snooping into the disappearance of an archaeologist. After freeing the agent, Wade learns that criminal mastermind Duke Solent had captured both men and is on his way to Africa to find a mythical city and a missing treasure. From the clues, Wade discerns that the city in question is his childhood home, the last city of Cretan civilization hidden from the world inside a lost valley. Now Wade and his friends must foil Solent’s designs before this lost city is destroyed.

The Shadow’s breakout success in the 1930s spawned a new genre, the hero pulp. Filled with incorruptible men of vengeance and adventure, these heroes quickly spread throughout the pulp magazines. Except one. When Weird Tales published the adventures of Paul Ernst’s Doctor Satan, the readership revolted, driving out any story with so much as a hint of the hero pulp to it. However, in 1941, Henry Kuttner, one of science fiction’s grandmasters, turned to the genre, penning five novellas about Thunder Jim Wade, a South Seas hero in the mold of Doc Savage, despite the cape and tights that Thrilling Adventures‘ cover artists depicted him in. Unfortunately, the audience of the time considered Thunder Jim Wade to be a cheap Doc Savage knock-off, and Kuttner’s hero never found the sales needed to justify further adventures. 

The “cheap Doc Savage knock-off” accusation are not entirely without merit. Like Doc, Thunder Jim Wade is a man of science, action, and justice. His pals Dirk and Red resemble Doc Savage’s close friends Monk, Ham, Long Tom, Johnny, and Renny, but while Doc’s team combine technical expertise with brawn, Dirk and Red are blue collar bruisers by comparison. A Pacific island serves as Jim’s Fortress of Solitude, conveniently lifted from Doc’s inventory, alongside the treasure of a lost civilization that enables Thunder Jim Wade’s war on crime. And it is no coincidence that Thunder Jim’s first adventure, like Doc’s The Man of Bronze, sent him to a lost valley civilization.

2012’s revival places Thunder Jim Wade in more fitting clothes to Kuttner’s South Seas setting than Thrilling Adventures’ superhero cape.

But the comparisons to Doc Savage are low hanging fruit, for Kuttner also mined The Shadow for material. Like Kent Allard, Thunder Jim spent time living among an isolated people, learning their ways and sworn to their protection from outside threats. Thunder Jim learned hypnosis and other mental arts from an exotic Asian people, employs disguises as convincing as The Shadow’s, runs an extensive network of named agents, and is as skilled an aviator as the Knight of Darkness. And Wade’s attitude towards the criminals he fights leans closer to The Shadow’s retribution than Doc’s rehabilitation.

But these strong resonances to these pulp heroes weighs lightly on Thunder Jim, little more than trappings instead of actual substance. Kuttner’s major innovation was to move his pulp hero out of New York, closer to the exotic lands of adventure of the Pacific, Asia, and Africa. In the process, Kuttner’s Singapore, likely no more real than a China Marine’s lurid sea stories, has a verisimilitude that the common underworld pulp tale–and the novella’s Cretan civilization–lacked. At the same time, Thunder Jim is diminished compared to his inspirations, merely human compared to the larger than life Doc Savage and the Shadow. Despite having a wide variety of knowledge and skills at his disposal, Thunder Jim relies instead on the direct approach and muscle-power. Among the many features emulated from Dent, Kuttner did not mimic the constant refrain of how peculiar and exemplary his hero is, and thus Thunder Jim seems to be ordinary for a pulp hero if not outright miscast, a two-fisted street detective that wandered into the wrong magazine. Also missing is the stage magic-inspired misdirection of the hero pulps; the realism and anti-Gothic tastes of Kuttner’s Campbelline circle of friends did not lend itself to the dramatic tricks that filled the hero magazines, as Babette Rosmund’s later editorial stints in charge of Doc Savage and The Shadow would prove.

But Thunder Jim Wade might not be entirely Kuttner’s creation. In 1941, he was newly wed to Catherine “C. L.” Moore, and, by merit of being the more prolific of the two writers, the breadwinner for their family. Thunder Jim Wade was not the first of his departures from science fiction to more lucrative writings, nor would it be his last, as science fiction in the 1940s was not a large enough market to support full-time writers alone. (Like many Campbelline era science fiction writers, Kuttner would turn to screenwriting, and eventually leave the genre entirely..) And entering the potentially lucrative hero pulps meant becoming a hired gun as a writer. Even Walter Gibson and Lester Dent worked with committees to develop their heroes’ adventures, and the editorial constraints of the lesser magazines could be even tighter. It is likely that the more derivative elements were editorial diktat.

Likewise, it is also probable that the contributions of his wife and frequent collaborator Catherine were minimal, too. Which is a shame. A touch of the stylings of Northwest Smith, akin to those in her story “Black Thirst”, would have livened both Thunder Jim Wade and his foster Cretan home.

Although competently written, as a hero pulp, “Thunder Jim Wade” adheres closely to the tropes and formulae of the genre, but misses the spirit. As such, the novella satisfies neither fans of the genre or fans of Kuttner’s science fiction and fantasy. But it still occasionally shines with flashes of brilliance, and none more brightly than its opening setting of Singapore.

“Thunder Jim Wade”, by Henry Kuttner published first on http://ift.tt/2zdiasi

Johnny Smith, April Year 2

He heard Lilith in the background, “I don’t mind if he wants to stay in his pajamas Phee… it’s your guy’s house….Unless… Oh, does he sleep... naked?” he heard her giggle, and rolled his eyes.

“Ophelia, baby…” He tried again.

“Pleeeeease”

He sighed. “Alright, Alright. I might get dressed. Still keep her downstairs though...

Before the family had time to react to Circe's dissapearance, there was a knock at the door.

"You ready, Lieutenant?"

"As I'll ever be, I guess." Johnny gulped. Asking questions was one thing but actually making arrests was an entirely different matter. Sometimes this job scared the crap out of him. Thank God he had Mary here for backup.

"Open up, Mr. Beaker!" she called, "it's the police!"

Calypso was searching the lab for her mother, and gasped when she stumbled on the scene in their hallway. "Daddy! What's going on?"

"Calypso, hi. Sorry you have to see this," Johnny stumbled over his words. "Do you know where your mother is right now?"

"I..."

"Quiet, dearest. We don't want to say anything to them."

"Yeah... yeah! Not without a lawyer present. Me and Daddy know our rights."

"Great. Well, in case y'all need a reminder, Lieutenant Smith here's going to read you yours."

"Wait!!" Calypso lost her composure as she watched her father handcuffed, trying desperately to think. There must be a legal loophole, or something! Something to get Daddy out of this. "What about, um-"

"Don't worry, dearest. They won't be able to keep me long. They don't have enough evidence."

"You must be having your birthday party soon, right? My sister Jess had hers just last-"

"Daddy told me I'm not to talk to cops." Maybe she shouldn't have let him in, either.

"Well, maybe he can come and speak to me himself. I was just wondering about your oldest sister. She just had a birthday too, if I recall right."

"I don't have an older sister!" Calypso lied quickly. Did- did this police man know about Testee? She was always told to never talk about Testee having lived here! "You're thinking of Cruella. She's little-r than me and she's off at summer camp right now."

Leiutenant Smith took one last look around, before turning to leave. Loki was tempted, for a moment, to lure him into the experimentation quarters, lock the door, and leave him there to rot. But it would surely rouse suspicion, for Smith to go missing mid-investigation. The rest of the force would be here in no time.

This was going to be troublesome to resove.