#xgfs

[mikaellew]

Drawings of my story that I wrote and published :)

[amalgamasreal]

So unless we get a surprise in the last episode of the season we've seen all the Gundams that G-Witch has to offer (so far):

[vertigoartgore]

J-354 : All the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend songs, one episode at a time (12).

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend 1X12 : Josh and I Work on a Case !

Director: Steven Tsuchida — Writer: Aline Brosh McKenna & Rachel Bloom Aired: 2/22/2016 — Season: 1 — Episode: 12 — Nielsen ratings: 0.92 Description: Rebecca recruits Josh to help work on a case.

Song #33 :

"Group Hang" Performed by: Rebecca Bunch, Hector, White Josh, Bernard and Ken Writers: Rachel Bloom, Adam SchlesingerRebecca laments that her night alone with Josh turned into a 'Group hang'.

Song #34 :

"Cold Showers" Performed by: Rebecca Bunch (with Paula Proctor, Darryl Whitefeather and the tenants) Writers: Rachel Bloom, Adam SchlesingerRebecca convinces Josh's neighbors to join a class action lawsuit.

Next : Josh and I Go to Los Angeles !

[18x9]

benchrates models are far from perfect but as someone who goes out of my way to avoid watching nyr games this is kinda crazy to see bc the way rags fans talk about him you'd think k'andre miller had a -50 goal differential or something but no hes one of the top 15 penalty killers in the league and his contract is less than $4 mil? dude his goal differential is only -5 this year and thats with the 24-25 RANGERS who cant buy a win atp. he sounds like hes good wtf is the issue

[paxesoterica]

Gum Arl & Gum Lfh

The warcrime sisters

[pemakanjandanakal]

jxoin berminat free !

[sturniolo04]

Request—> Chris going for advice to Matt about how to finger/eat out a girl properly

(Not saying Chris would be bad but maybe there’s a couple of things he could work on or at least that was what the last girl he hooked up with said to him)

A/N: i hope you like it :)

Bf!Chris xGf!Fem!Reader

Chris never had a hard time pleasuring a girl that was until his last girlfriend, now his ex, said otherwise. It got so bad that it often resulted in her 'faking it' when they had sex most times. It wasn't until they finally ended up having an argument and her finally admitting that that had been the case the whole entire time of their relationship.

So fast forward to current time, Chris finally gaining more confidence to date again, and he finally started dating you. Although his confidence in pleasuring a girl still wasn't fully back to 100%. Every time you and him would be causally be making out, Chris would hit the brakes before it went any further.

"Okay we should probably go see what we are going to have for dinner, yeah"

he halts your guys actions breaking the heated kiss you were sharing.

" what chris"

you giggle as you try to lean back in to continue to make out with your boyfriend.

"baby you know i love you but you haven't eaten all day"

" chris you cant be serious"

you state simply looking into his glistening orbs showing no sign of lust what so ever puzzling you.

"what"

" i dont do it for you do i?"

you huff out getting off of his lap looking at him

"what no god no"

he lies as you let out a sigh believing him.

Chris hated lying to you so he knew he was eventually going to have to figure out this or get advice from someone and if he was going to get advice why not his own brother, Matt. Matt has been in the same relationship with the same girl for almost 2 years and they are sexually active enough to the point that it annoys him and Nick since the walls are so thin in their house. In reality, he must be doing something right.

"Matt i need to talk to you about something kind of embarrassing"

Chris states mumbling the last part quietly from pure embarrassment of him having to come to his older brother about this subject.

"okayy.. whats up"

matt replies unsurely looking up from his phone momentarily and then shifting his focus back to his phone as Chris took as seat across from him on the couch in their living room on the coffee table.

"so i need some advice on how pleasure a girl properly"

chris trails off as Matt quickly shifts his focus to his brother trying the see if he is being serious about this question.

"chris what the fuck why would you need advice on that you know what to do when it comes to-"

he replies shocked

" not neccessarily-i just want to make sure I am not going to blow it with her"

he states shyly referring to you.

" i just figured you would know something I don't because you and Becca are so annoyingly active with all that shit"

he trails off looking down and fumbling with his fingers.

"fuck you know what never mind this was stupid-"

chris states fully embarrassed attempting to get up and leave this conversation.

"wait no chris its not stupid it's just- i -nevermind so you want some advice"

matt stuttered with his reply as he thought of where to start.

"yeahh"

"okay so basically oh god- well i just start out by eating her out; you never just start with your fingers"

matt trails off uncomfortably with this conversation

"honestly the best thing is to just be super communicative with her; see what she likes dude but anyway- when you start first with eating her out just do a lot of figure eights and then occasionally fuck her with your tongue"

"okayyy"

Chris replies trying to fully understand where matt was going with this lesson

"yeah so when i guess she is wet enough then you can use your fingers and when that point comes you should use your ring and middle just cause its easier"

"middle and ring okayy"

" and you kind of want to curve them as you go in and out you don't want to go just straight in and out but also add your tongue on her clit occasionally that also makes them feel but I think that's all the advice I can give you"

he trails off causally scratching the back of his head.

" you sure i just dont want to blow it and if I do I'm blaming you then"

" you can blame me if you blow it because that probably means you were half listening to me"

matt rolls his eyes.

"yeah yeah whatever but thanks dude"

he responds before heading back to his room

"for sure i got you bro always"

[puckpocketed]

Excerpts from Hockey Analytics - Building xG models in Python by Lars Skytte, 18 May 2025 (archived)

Much of the maths escapes me, but I liked picking through this person's rationale - defining xG, their considerations as they built their model... whole thing is a fun read but I pulled what I liked <3

What are Expected Goals

Let’s start with the “What” – What is xG really? Here’s my broad definition:

“Expected Goals is the estimated number of goals based on a set of variables.”

All xG models I’ve seen in hockey haven been shot based. Meaning it’s an estimated value of each shot or a goal probability for each shot. However, I don’t necessarily think xG models should be limited to only shots. That’s why I’m using the broad definition of expected goals.

With the public data available we’re forced to base our xG models on shots. Though, with proprietary data you could possibly take a different route. I know that even the private xG models are shot-based, but I believe you could be more innovative with your approach.

The most obvious alternative would be to build a possession-based xG model – to create an estimate of what each possession is worth. So, instead of looking at shots created you would look at possessions created in dangerous areas. This would allow you to estimate the value when a possession starts and compare it to the value when the possession ends. Did the player add or lose xG through his possession?

You could also better describe defensive value. A possession breaking defensive event would be the difference between the opponent having possession of the puck and your team having possession of the puck.

[...]

Why do you need an xG model?

This leads us to the third and final question. Why do we need xG models? What are the purposes of the model(s)?

Let me start by saying I think the name expected goals is somewhat misleading. It leads us to believe that the only purpose of xG is to predict future goals. I think estimated goals would have been a better name.

It’s very important to understand the “Why”. You need to build/choose the xG model based on the questions you want answers to.

One of the ongoing discussions is whether or not you should include shooter talent in the xG model. It makes sense that a shot by Alex Ovechkin has a higher goal probability than a shot by Adam Pelech… But if the purpose is to describe shooter performance, then we can’t include shooter talent in the model, because that’s the very thing we’re trying to determine.

Generally, it’s important to understand the difference between descriptive modelling and predictive modelling. Do we want to describe past events, or do we want to predict future events?

So, probably one xG model isn’t enough. However, expected goals is often considered a single metric like fenwick or corsi, when in fact it can be many different things based on the input variables.

Here are some of the things xG can be used for and some modelling considerations:

Describe shooter performance (goals scored above expected) – The model should be fenwick- or corsi-based because hitting the net and not being blocked is a shooter skill.

Describe goaltender performance (GSAx) – Should only include shots on net, as I don’t think we should credit goaltenders for shot misses.

Describe shot creation/prevention (Think “Deserve To Win o’Meter” or xGF%) – Should be a fenwick- or corsi-based model and you should exclude empty net shots, as they will skew the data (or look at 5v5 data only).

Predict future results/goals – Should be a fenwick- or corsi-based model, and some the variables might need to be weighed slightly differently. I once saw some research that removing rebound shots increases the predictive power of an xG model. Probably because rebound shots typically have very high xG values but are still somewhat random.

Possession value added – If we were able to build a possession-based model, then we could calculate possession value added. How much value a player provides through his puck possessions.

[grantmentis]

what do you think is behind boston's scoring issues?

(a lot of the stats im referencing in this come from here)

So Boston has been pretty great defensively over the past two seasons, and this year no one has a smallr expected goals against than them. Despite this, they're still only at 46 xGF% because the offense has been that bad

I think it stems from a lot of their play in transition. They use uncreative breakouts that often lead to turnovers and every defender but Keller is playing so conservatively. They don really use the middle of the ice on breakouts and use a lot of right ups / having two forwards ahead for a stretch pass and its easy to defend against for most of their roster and is not great for possession (which is part of why their hit total is so high - they never have the puck!) They also play SO conservatively that they don't really support each other in the inevitable puck battles that come from these entries' and counteractively allow the opponent just a ton of space (there's a game against minnesota on the 8th and play right before minnesota scores first is kind of an example of this.) The end of the Montreal game on dec 30th is also a great example of this - they couldnt get through the zone at all! Once they are in the offensive zone, it sticks to a lot of low to high plays with shots that never get through and lead to the forward having to retrieve the puck against the boards and end up in board battles that they've been losing a lot of the time (in part because this is an exhausting style of hockey to play)

Tapani Bilka Knight line has been able to overcome this sytematic issue mostly because of their talents but could probably be doing more in a better situation, and the rest of the lineup hasn't been producing because of it and you're seeing good forwards like brandt and muller suffer because of it

[atwhughesversion]

excuse me while i post some ~fancy stats~ from the game tonight (from natural stat trick):

high danger chances were 16-7 for the canucks

xGF% (share of goals) for the canucks was 70% — expected goals were 3.18-1.84 in vancouver’s favour

scoring chances were 28-12 for the canucks

shot attempts were 55-41 for the canucks, and actual shots were 23–19

in conclusion: it’s a moral victory and i know dallas was on a back to back, but vancouver was statistically the better team offensively in every way but the scoreboard 😭

[mad-komet]

The Case For James Hagens

excerpt from Gabriel Foley on substack

Tough to follow up such high acclaim of Misa, but know I mean it when I say I feel every bit as strongly about James Hagens. He is on the fast-track to a top-end pro role and has been since he was 14. Hagens is every bit of an elite, two-way centerman - almost entirely on the back of just how differently he sees the game. He’s fundamentally sound and doesn’t let up space, but Hagens also processes at lightning speeds. He stays one step ahead of play, and has a uniquely keen sense of how to position his body to best make plays and get into space. He dominates the middle-lane with a consistent, cerebral, and effective style in all three zones.

I deeply contend the knocks against Hagens scoring. No, he’s not at the level of Eichel, Celebrini, or Fantilli - but he’s hardly far behind. Even scoring at a point-per-game pace ranks Hagens 10th among NCAA draft-eligibles since 2000 - between Kent Johnson at 9 (1.04) and Matty Beniers at 11 (1.00 in fewer games). Of course, both went on to be top-five picks.

Digging deeper into that scoring - Hagens scored 14.61 more even-strength points than the average for Hockey East forwards this season (min. 25 games). Pull that same number for all other players and he ranks sixth among draft-eligibles in college since 2023. Let’s see that in a visual:

A few young draftees slip through my filter here (Mustard, Adams, Eiserman) but it’s a nice visual - and helps back just how strong Hagens’ scoring looks relative to his peers.

But Hagens’ impact came on more than just the scoresheet - and the stats show it. Only one Boston College forward was on the puck more often than Hagens - Ryan Leonard - and the two are only separated by just 1 second of time on the puck. Hagens also had the BEST even-strength xGF% (expected-goals-for percentage) on the Eagles offense, and the third-best even-strength goal-differential.

I won’t belabor the stats, but he ranks as one of the best Eagles on both ends of the ice, and boasts the second-best xGA/60 of any of college’s draft eligible skaters since 2023 (behind Shane Vansaghi, another great player).

James Hagens stepped into a hard role this season. It was his job to fill the center role between a pair that had just spent three years with the same commander. The pair? Two star prospects already who stepped immediately into the NHL after the season ended. And y’know what? Hagens did great. In fact, he did better than great. BC’s top line generated 45.6% of the team’s goals this season - over 4% more than the line generated with Smith last season. Hagens added stellar off-puck and defensive metrics that Smith didn’t.

The point isn’t comparison, but justification. Hagens has performed level with, or better than, some seriously fantastic company. He did the same with the USNTDP last year. Against his peers internationally, Hagens is a damn record holder. Don’t forget his dazzling 22 points in seven games at World-U18s as an underage forward last year - the only mark higher than Gavin McKenna’s 20 points in as many games. Have we forgotten the company Hagens found himself in then!

To say it frank, I think Hagens’ special impact has shown itself time-and-time-again. He just matched the play of two wingers now in the NHL, and he’ll be confidently focused on making the NHL roster himself in just a few months. I say he does it.

Against a defenseman who - while elite - hasn’t played… give me the all-around high-impact forward. 10 times out of 10. Give me the two-way-forward over the play-driving defender… Clayton Keller over Mikhail Sergachev - to make a comparable of two guys in the same spot. Hagens is poised to fill whatever role he’s asked at the top level, and he’s done nothing but grow into his light on every stage so far.

[vertigoartgore]

J-357 : All the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, songs one episode at a time (9).

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend 1X09 : I'm Going to the Beach with Josh and His Friends !

Director: Kenny Ortega — Writer: Dan Gregor & Doug Mand Aired: 1/25/2016 — Season: One — Episode: 9 — Nielsen ratings: 0.88 Description: Rebecca rents a party bus to hang out with Josh and his friends at the beach.

Song #22 :

"I Have Friends (reprise)" Performed by: Rebecca Bunch Writers: Rachel Bloom, Adam SchlesingerRebecca ironically sings a song about her friends.

Song #23 :

"Women Gotta Stick Together" Performed by: Valencia Perez Writers: Rachel Bloom, Adam SchlesingerValencia sings about women helping each other out.

Song #24 :

"Sugar" Performed by: Squelcher Writers: David Isaac FeldsteinRebecca plays this song while performing a pole dance on the party bus.

Song #25 :

"West Covina (reprise II)" Performed by: Josh Chan and Rebecca Writers: Rachel Bloom, Adam SchlesingerJosh tells Rebecca she understands her decision.

Next : I'm Back at Camp with Josh !

[selkieshark]

Continuing my little gunpla review series, I wanna say thank you so much to everyone that liked and reblogged my Demi Trainer post! It means so much to me and every like I get on it makes me incredibly happy <3

This review is gonna be all about...

Gundam Lfrith Thorn

I wasn't expecting to build this kit so soon but I saw it in my local nerd store and I just had to pick it up, I really love the design on this one and I can't wait to tell yous all about it! Building this felt like an appropriate step-up from the Demi Trainer.

Lfrith Thorn in the Show

(Spoilers for Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury episode 12 and beyond ahead)

EDM-GA-02 Gundam Lfrith Thorn is a Gundam-type mobile suit developed by Ochs Earth Corporation for Dawn of Fold, the anti-spacian organisation. It's a heavily modified version of the XGF-01 Gundam Lfrith Pre-Production Model, which can be seen in the prologue episode of the show.

This Gundam is piloted by Norea Du Noc, a member of Dawn of Fold. She was trained from a young age to be a mobile suit pilot, and has strong ideals and a deep hatred of all spacians. She's a hot-headed earthian terrorist who believes in attaining the organisation's goals through violence. A perfect pilot for this offensive-oriented Gundam!

As I mentioned previously, Lfrith Thorn is a heavily modified version of the Lfrith Pre-Production Model, which allows the Lfrith Thorn to utilise GUND technology. It was created alongside the Lfrith Ur, and the two can be seen as sort of sisters, as one compensates for the other's weaknesses. It's a very cool dynamic that I really enjoyed seeing in the show!

Lfrith Thorn is seen multiple times throughout the show, but main appearances include episode 12, when it attacks Plant Quetta alongside the Lfrith Ur. It also appears in episode 14, fighting in the Rumble Ring and causing mayhem, once again alongside the Lfrith Ur. We see it once more in episode 20, when Norea goes on a rampage in Asticassia, before she is calmed down by Elan Ceres and her Gundam is subsequently destroyed by the security forces. Seeing this Gundam in action was always a pleasure to see in the show, and Norea's hot-headed yet focused personality really made it stand out as an effective combat mech, especially when paired with Lfrith Ur! I wish we got to see more of it but what we did see was an absolute treat.

The Design of Lfrith Thorn

I. LOVE. THIS. DESIGN. SO MUCH! It's so cool and it all makes sense for what this Gundam is supposed to achieve! It can look quite goofy, especially with those long arms and chunkier legs, but there's purpose to that design choice! Lfrith Thorn excels at offensive skirmishes and intense combat scenarios, providing heavy fire support to her sister, Lfrith Ur.

Lfrith Thorn comes equipped with a variety of weapons that allow it to adapt to any combat situation. It's primary weapon is the beam diffuse gun, a large firearm that fires energy scatter beams. It can be wielded with one hand or with both, allowing for more accurate and focused fire. Beam saber units are stored within the Lfrith Thorn's forearms, allowing for quick deployment when engaging in melee combat. It can also equip beam sabers on its hand if needed, though this Gundam is better suited for longer-range combat. A long and narrow shield can be seen on it's right arm, which can be used to deflect incoming fire, though it is not particularly effective due to how small it is. The huge cannon mounted on Lfrith Thorn's back is the phased array cannon. It fires a powerful beam which allows for wider-ranged attacks. This cannon is only operable when the Gundam's permet score reaches 3 or higher, making it a very risk-reward oriented weapon!

Considering how heavy all of these weapons are on this Gundam, it's very important for it to keep stable when fighting on the ground. This is where those goofy design choices I mentioned earlier come in! The heavy legs and longer arms result in a lower center of gravity, making the Lfrith Thorn more stable when providing fire support! The thrusters on it's rear waist also offer extra stability, being able to counter the recoil and pushback from sustained fire if needed. Even the feet are used for stability, being able to dig into any softer ground material the Lfrith Thorn may be standing on, and providing even more stability! Everything about this design is so coherent, despite it's inherent goofiness, and I absolutely am in love with it!

Naturally, one would compare the Lfrith Thorn and Lfrith Ur, as they are often seen in combat together. You can see the more support-oriented design philosophy of the Lfrith Thorn when looking at both Gundams side by side. Despite the heavy weaponry, the frame of the mech is visibly more lightweight, allowing the Lfrith Thorn to reposition more easily. The Lfrith Ur is meant to be on the frontline, while the Lfrith Thorn supports it from afar. It's an awesome dynamic and I think both Gundams are designed really well around this cooperation!

In the first section of this review I mentioned that the Lfrith Thorn is a modified version of the Gundam Lfrith Pre-Production Model, and you can definitely see some aspects of that design incorporated into this one! You can see this mainly in the body of the Gundam, as it retains that flatter, more extruded chest to house the pilot and shell unit. The back-mounted cannons are still present in both designs, though the cannons themselves are quite different between the Lfrith Thorn and the Pre-Production Model. You can also see a more refined version of the shoulder pads, as they are more exaggerated and armoured on the Lfrith Thorn.

Honestly, researching Lfrith Thorn led me down a very deep rabbit hole when it comes to design inspirations and origins and I feel like I could make a family tree that connects MANY of the Gundam designs in this show!

Building the Kit

Much like the Demi Trainer, this was super fun to build! I was so excited to finally build a Gundam, and this did not disappoint, for the most part!

A lot of the same satisfying aspects of building the kit itself that I mentioned in my Demi Trainer review can be said here too. Fitting all the pieces together, hearing the clicks and seeing it come together is extremely satisfying and enhances the experience a lot! The stickers on this kit are more complex, and you have more choice with them, namely being able to either put stickers on it that show the Lfrith Thorn with no permet score, or a high permet score. I decided to use the high permet score stickers of course, because that looks a lot cooler to me! I found these stickers really tough to put on, as some of them are really small and need a lot of precision to place properly, and this was only my second kit. I hadn't developed a strategy for placing stickers yet and it shows in some parts of my build.

The Lfrith Thorn kit comes with a few extra pieces that allow for some really neat customisability! For example, you have the option of using a closed hand, which allows the Lfrith Thorn to hold weapons, or an open hand, which can look dramatic and badass when posing it. Even that small amount of choice with the kit makes for a lot of different things you can do with it and I think that's awesome!

As much as I love Lfrith Thorn and as much as I enjoyed building this kit, I do have a few complaints with it. To start, I personally find that the head movement on this kit is very limited, and the head has fallen off of my kit many times when I was trying to pose it and make it look in certain directions. I understand there being limitations in the range of movement, but I find it to be a little bit too limited here. I also think that the beam sword pieces are a little too easy to bend, and I recommend taking extra good care to not put too much force on them when handling them. Mine are very slightly misshapen now, and while it's not too exaggerated, it still sucks to see.

Other than that though, the kit was super fun to build, and it's by far the easiest to pose when comparing all of the kits I've built so far! The stable design philosophy of the Lfrith Thorn actually translates really well to this kit, and it's noticeably more stable to pose than other kits! It was really cool to see honestly and noticing that inspired me to start this series in the first place, so thank you Lfrith Thorn!

Once again, thank you to everyone who liked and reblogged my previous post, seeing the attention my Demi Trainer review got inspired me to continue with this, and I want to make even more reviews and design studies now! As always, constructive criticism is welcome, as well as likes and reblogs!

I'm hoping to get those action base kits at some point so I can have more freedom in posing my kits, so look forward to that!

[hughesybear]

wow, Lekkerimäki scored his first NHL goal and absolutely nothing else of note happened in tonight’s game!

Canucks thoughts 11/14/2024:

At least Lekkerimäki’s parents were here for his first NHL goal! That was a wicked shot off a great feed from Miller to score on the first shot of the game - it helps that Lekkerimäki was left wide open because two Islanders were covering Miller for some reason.

Kind of hilarious. The rest of the game was also kind of hilarious, but in a bad way.

I accidentally fell asleep in the second intermission and woke up halfway through the third period, which matches the overall energy the Canucks brought to this game. They generated almost nothing offensively after Lekkerimäki’s goal, somehow entering the third period being outshot 24-6 (!!!). Their best moments of sustained offensive pressure came off of the Pettersson line and the Islanders’ final power play where Pettersson’s work on the penalty kill created havoc in the Islanders’ zone - the Canucks had the same number of shots on goal during that Islanders power play as they had during either of the first two periods. Another strong game from Pettersson where he was ripping one-timers on the power play and almost set up a Garland tap-in, another strange game from Miller punctuated by brutal bounces where he underperformed in CF% and xGF% and yet his line got the most offensive/neutral zone faceoffs. Experience Canucks hockey.

The second pair had another rough night. They had the lowest 5v5 CF% on the team (32% for Myers and 33% for Soucy), and they got split up temporarily because of some unfortunate defensive breakdowns, meaning it was another 27min night for Hughes and Hronek. The need for another top-four defenceman grows more prominent every game - Soucy and Myers haven’t been able to lean on Cole and Zadorov this year, and relying on Hughes and Hronek to take on this increased workload on a semi-regular basis is clearly negatively impacting both their games (no idea what Hronek was doing on the 4-1 goal, and we almost never see Hughes get rocked with a huge open-ice hit like he did tonight). The Canucks’ defensive success last season came off of their giant defencemen boxing out attackers, taking away dangerous passing lanes, and breaking up the opposing teams’ cycle as soon as possible, which just hasn’t happened enough this season.

At least Dak was back this game! He was making moves all night, including this setup for Räty in the slot. I have a feeling the lines are going to be shaken up at practice tomorrow, so we might see the return of the Life Line. He brings a punishing pace to the forecheck that this team needs to recapture in order to get back to being hard to play against.

Räty had an unfortunate turnover and failed box-out in the third period that led to a disallowed goal, but he’s been having a rough few games now. It sucks to say on his birthday, but it feels like it’s time for him to be sent down to Abbotsford to keep working on his game. Åman doesn’t make that turnover, and what this team needs right now is someone who can be steady in the defensive zone.

A Myers wrist shot goal after an Islanders empty-netter is probably the funniest way this game could have ended. It was nice to see Tocchet take accountability for the team’s play on home ice. He usually doesn’t get too high or too low after games no matter the result, so this media availability was an interesting one. I hope he’ll give the people what they want and let us see DeBrusk-Pettersson-Lekkerimäki next game!

[sergeifyodorov]

Okay, so I just got into hockey cause I started playing on a club team at college and I suck but I love it, and getting into watching the NHL is literally the first time I’ve ever cared about sports. Saw a video of Mitch Marner playing hockey with his dog and immediately became attached. Also, my hockey number is 61 so I think it’s fate.

Your post about the narrative of the 2015 draft is absolutely stuck in my brain because it reads like a story but it’s just life! It’s real! So can we talk about the real life tragedy that is Mitch Marner? Everyone who has ever played with him talks about how much he loves the game, how his joy is infectious. All he’s ever wanted is to be a Maple Leaf. And yet he’s stuck. Sometimes I want him to leave, to go somewhere where he isn’t the scapegoat. But he’s not gonna choose to, cause that would be giving up his dream. And if he gets traded, my heart would break for him. But say he does. If he plays badly, it’ll be seen as proof that he was never really good, it was just Matthews and Nylander and co. And if he plays well, they’ll say he never really cared about Toronto. So say he stays. He will never play well enough to please the Toronto media and fans, because they have built this mindset where every loss is because of him and every win is in spite of him. He’s on the NHL leaderboard in points, goals, assists, so they find the randomest of stats (what the hell is xGF%???). I often say he cannot win in terms of people hating whatever he says to the media, but in the grand scheme of things, this whole game, he cannot win. There’s that lingering idea online that because of some of his media comments, he doesn’t care about the team. Then in that playoff game, he feels so awful about the penalty that he cries. And they shit on him for that too. There is nothing he can do to appease them, because they do not want to be appeased. They need someone to blame, and they made their choice long ago on who that would be.

He’s just a kid who loves hockey and loves his city and it does not love him back. He cares SO MUCH that it gets in his own way. It’s like a freaking Shakespearean tragedy.

(PS, have you ever read the Beartown series by Fredrick Backman? It’s about a small hockey town and is absolutely gorgeously written and full of Narratives. Your posts remind me of it in the best way.)

I HAVE BEEN HUNTING FOR BEARTOWN it is NEXT on my reading list and i need to get into it... local library here i come!!!!

anyway back to mitchposting it's a fucking TRAGEDY bc like. he's the most nitpicked by far no matter how well or badly he's doing... willy a close second but mitch is the scapegoat so much more often and he takes it so much harder it's painful. like frankly nothing short of a conn smythe would stop ppl from hating on him -- and he could win the conn smythe one year and people would be complaining why he won't win it the next, or why he never had this gear in him the whole time. like he just... absolutely does not deserve it!!! jeez!!!!!