Plus Minus is a great stat: If someone references it to you, you automatically win your argument! What could be better?
PLUS: The Coyotes winning three in a row. Somehow, this team only does things in bunches. They opened the season by losing a bunch, then they won five in a row, then a losing streak etc.
PLUS: Christmas! We put our tree up in November!! We just love Christmas that much.
PLUS: The Strome for Schmaltz trade. I give it a PLUS just based on the fact that a huge trade went down midseason. We don't get nearly enough of those.
PLUS: Kurt Vile. His songs almost all sound the same. He has one vocal style and no range. But somehow every record he puts out is great. This must be why people like Jack Johnson, only difference is that Kurt Vile won't make you puke.
MINUS: Trading a player with Strome's talents and potential when his most common linemates are Lawson Crouse and Nick Cousins, and he is shooting 3% playing on the fourth line. Despite that, he was only percentage points from being the team's second highest points-per-minute player on the power play and he had a 53% CF rating.
The Coyotes are ran by a guy who used to run a stats company, so it's hard to believe he didn't know this and I have to credit him for having some kind of information I don't have. But, regardless, trading a player with his talent who is shooting 3% has a huge chance of backfiring.
MINUS: Peter Chiarelli getting to fire a coach in Edmonton. Sure, nothing wrong with Ken Hitchcock, but it's amazing that Chiarelli didn't also get fired. He is universally considered the worst GM in the NHL, his signature move is Hall for Larson - a move which I called the worst trade in NHL history the day it was made, and I have been proven 100% correct.
The fact that Chiarelli is still there means that Bob Nicholson needs to be fired too. What a joke.
MINUS: Also a joke: firing Ron Hextall but keeping Paul Holmgren. How long has Holgrom had to make the Flyers good? Holmgren once traded James van Riemsdyk for Luke Schenn and now thinks Dave Nonis might be a viable GM candidate. If you're considering hiring Dave Nonis, fire yourself.
Jesus. Ron Hextall should have fired him. The fact Paul Holmgren is still running a team in 2018 is preposterous. Dave Nonis? Chuck Fletcher? Come on, you could do better turning over operations to Gritty. What a joke. I thought Hextall was actually pretty good.
PLUS: William Nylander's new team friendly deal. As if the Leafs needed more fire power or more team friendly contracts!
MINUS: Brian Burke's insane commentary on the signing. They got to get this guy off the air. Almost all my hockey entertainment / reading comes from the Athletic and bloggers. The intermissions are unwatchable. Dave Poulin. Jeff O'Neil. Brian Burke it's a joke. Bad analysis, zero charisma and an entertainment value of zero.
TV needs to evolve. The intermissions on all three of the NHL's flagship broadcasts - TSN, Sportsnet and CBC , are unwatchable.
PLUS: Tom Wilson. Just kidding. This guy needs help. He is either a seriously disturbed and dangerous person, or he is a complete moron. Either way, he should be kicked out of the NHL. Enough is enough. Kick him out before someone gets seriously hurt.
PLUS: GLOW - the Gorgeous Woman of Wrestling. This is the best show on TV right now.
PLUS: Cutting this short to go and build my hockey rink. I had to shove the backyard free of snow twice already because after the first time my drill broke. Anyways, new drill, new attitude!
thanks for reading!