Riikka

* A lot of hockey players have similar names. But the Kraken just signed a Ryder Evers, but we already have a Ryker Evans. Most fans thought the signing was a typo and we'd just resigned Evans.

* It's now happened twice in one season that a Kraken player appeared to have a hat trick, only for it to be overturned. This time it was a very delayed change in goal credit. The worst part? Both times, the same player was a factor in the overturning: Matty Beniers. Poor Matty. I hope the Matty No Hatty nickname doesn't become a thing. But man, that is some insane lore.

Making it even worse is that McCann gave up a scoring opportunity to feed the puck to Ebs to give him a chance at a hat trick. Ebs scored! And then the earlier goal got overturned.

* I've started reading The Russian Five. The walk I took earlier was me going to used book stores trying to find a physical copy, a scuffed one if possible. I need a paper version to mark up. I usually hate making marks in books, but this is going to be an exception. There are lots of things talked about that I am going to want to look up later. What do you mean most of the defections happened at exhibition games in Portland? Why do we keep being a setting? Lane Lambert mention? Our Lane Lambert? Wait, the dad of my favorite player is a talent scout for the Red Wings... is he going to pop up next?

I'm listening on audiobook, which makes to hard to deal with names like Vyacheslav Kozlov. Also, that one thing the Habs pulled at a draft? I need to write down when / who / etc.

There is a certain fictional character who is an avid reader, but only reads hockey books. People tease him for it, but I get it. This stuff is amazing.

I can't believe I put off starting this to read Beartown. Nice to be reading an actual true story.

That if I am walking around without my camera I'll come across things like this:







At least I know the route for my next photo walk. I was out on an unsuccessful book errand, that I will probably talk about in another post when I get around to making it

I just had the very strange experience of reading Beartown by Fredrik Backman thinking it was based on a real case. I'd seen it referred to in multiple places as based on a real case. I didn't look up info about the book, because I figured if I did then info on the real case would pop up and be spoilers.

Beartown is not based on a true story. As soon as I finished it I went to check. Why is there some idea out there that it's based on a real case?

I don't typically read novels based on actual events / true crime cases. I don't mind shows or movies, but the degree to which novels show people's motivations and thoughts, the few times I've read novels based on actual crime I was creeped out by that. I made an exception because a lot of people seem to be reading it right now and I was curious. The story focused on a series of violent events around a youth hockey league in a small, dying town in Sweden.

The start of the book was compelling, even though the ways in which the author describes things is odd. A lot of the time, when he was going for a really dramatic description of something I was just like 'that doesn't make sense'. Towards the end of the book someone can't light a cigarette because their tears keep extinguishing the lighter. What? I... no...

It still started with really compelling pacing, writing, etc, but towards the end there are more and more fake outs about what happened, how people feel, who said what. Like he's set up a scene implying something horrible about someone, cut to another scene, then another, then come back and reveal additional context about the first scene making it read totally different! There is a Checkov's Gun hanging over the whole story from the opening, and by the end of the book I predicted both what would happen and how the author would try to fake out the reader first.

It's the start of a trilogy and I'll likely give the rest a miss.

Way later than expected, but the Backrooms film from A24 is finally coming!

* The US Women's hockey team had declined the invite to the White House and the State of the Union, which is good because there are a lot of Torrent players on that team. I did grab a ticket to the Pride game last week, hoping that the bus situation would work out. If Hillary Knight went right after I did that I'd crash out. I assume most players are more conservative than me, and also the PWHL is not the bastion of wokeness a lot of people try to sell it as, etc. There is a lot of nuance here that I'm not getting into, including reasons to think that yes, there are closeted players there, it's not lesbian nirvana. Also, fans doing instagram investigations to out them.

For the men's team, need to wait and see what happens.

While that was not the result I wanted...

Today's USA versus Canada game was a big deal because NHL players couldn't be in the Olympics for a while. Today was the most top talent on the ice that's been seen ever, because last time USA was in the Olympics we had far fewer NHL players on our roster. This was as close to 'just let all the best players play each other' as we've ever gotten.

Youtube short that is a visualization of the increasing parity between countries and comparing this year to the last time NHLers could play.

Finland takes bronze in men's hockey.

Damn, they came so close to taking out Canada and getting silver. Ah, well. Still, we've got squids taking home bronze and they were key players on their teams. Kaapo Kakko scored again.

(Kakko should be one of the Kraken's top scorers, but he was out most of the season with an injury and seemed to have the yips once he got back, was slow to get his groove back. This sidequest may have helped him a bit.)

I didn't watch the game, because I was at a write-in at Steeplejack.

Just in case you had any doubt that beer is a religion in Portland:


Damn, I need to go there with my real camera.

I considered catching the finals tomorrow, more to see the medal ceremony than the game, but the Fins already have their medals? They didn't wait and do them all at once like with the women's game?

Still sad that Finland didn't manage to take out Canada, despite that early lead. Still, some squids got bronze and overall squids had very good showings on their teams. Anyway, here's hoping Canada deletes USA tomorrow. I'm not really attached to Canada or any of their players, I just want USA's first line humiliated if possible. I can dream!

Due to a shift in strategy Babylon 5 has been pulled from youtube

So much for going through it Dracula Daily style.

* I am hoping to watch the Olympics Women's Hockey Gold Medal game tomorrow. Sports Bra is opening early.

* Finns made it to the next round! They have a decent chance at a medal.

* Sweden starting Markstrom again. They've got both of the Wild goalies, an amazing tendie duo, but every time I look at a game it's Markstrom. And right now Markstrom has only let in 1 of 31, so maybe it's the right call.

I'd hoped to catch the Wild goalies, but they only played Gus in some early round games and Wall not at all. (Technically, they are not out yet, but they are playing the US rn so...)

Actually, the game is surprisingly close, so this is now a liveblog. ( Read more... )