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hlcreators · 4 years

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AUTHOR REC: haztobegood / @haztobegood

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to be so... (228)

Sex was the agreement; Harry’s heart was collateral.

The Problem (1.1k)

Harry's eyes fly open and he tosses the covers off, sitting up in bed. Looking at his crotch only confirms what he’d already known. His dick is missing!

Tumblr Drabbles and Ficlets (2.1k)

Love and Other Antidotes (16k)

Arrogant pop star Harry Styles is transformed into a cow by his bandmate Amy Z after a heated argument. Left in the back of a truck, Harry finds himself at a rural farm hours away from his band. Harry has three days to make it back to London and turn back into a human before his next show. His only chance to reclaim his glamorous life rests with a kind farmer named Louis. They must work together to find the antidote before Amy Z finishes him off and takes over the band.

Unplanned Circumstances (8.5k)

Zayn has worked his whole life to be one of the top spies in the Agency. When he returns from his latest mission, the unexpected reappearance of a one-night-stand could change everything.

Never Say Never (3.2k)

After a game of Never Have I Ever pulls back the curtain on Harry’s inexperience, the temptation to try something new is more than she can handle.

Nailed By Louis (6.3k)

It had started as a joke, just two months earlier. Louis had tried to make recipe from HarrySizzles Instagram account. It looked doable: no strange ingredients, no scary kitchen machinery. Just a simple layered lettuce salad. The result had been catastrophic. His friends had laughed so hard at the disgusting appearance of his salad, and after a few drinks, Louis had been convinced to start his own Instagram to track his food failures.

The Prince and The YouTuber (12k)

The Annual Rosendal Spring Gala hosted by the Royal Family is the most prestigious fundraiser in the country. When a problem with the honorary foundation arises, Crown Prince Louis Tomlinson must pick a new worthy foundation on short notice. He discovers the perfect replacement in an unlikely place, while watching his favorite YouTuber, Harrysparkles.

To Feel Your Desire (3.4k)

It had been far too long since Louis and Harry had time off together. Their busy schedules kept them apart for months, only having a day or two of rest before they jetted off to opposite ends of the world again. With all that time to himself, Harry had ample opportunities to dream up all the ways Louis could ravish him. One fantasy that stuck out the most was to dress up for Louis.

Ice Rink Chaos (500)

Louis has something big planned for her and Harry's date night at an ice rink.

To Wear Your Love (2.5k)

The years have gone by and the bandanas have worn thin. It was time for an upgrade and Louis had found the perfect replacement. The pearl necklace was bolder, so pretty, and undeniably feminine. Louis couldn’t wait to see the new day collar around Harry’s neck.

I Want To Be With You Everywhere (30k)

A Seed from the Cherished Tree A Cloud from the Mighty Summit A Flower from the Perpetual Volcano A Pearl from the Perceptive Lake A Love across the Faery Realms

Fae Proposals were a rare and ancient ritual. The presentation of the four Tokens to one’s mate would initiate a lifelong, inter-realm bond between their souls. But the Tokens could only be gathered if the lover could overcome the elements of all four Faery Realm Trials.

The Trials were dangerous, deadly even. But for Harry, Louis would risk it all.

Through The Static (666)

Louis pranked the crew before a concert after he found a two-way radio in his dressing room. But messing with the radio had an unintended consequence.

Take on Me (60k)

Actor Harry Styles is preparing for his next leading role as Antonius the Gladiator with the help of Louis Tomlinson, Hollywood’s top stunt coordinator. When the demands of Harry’s career get in the way of their training, the pair head to a secluded cabin to complete their training. Then, Louis begins to share senses with Harry. What is causing this mysterious connection and can Louis and Harry figure out how to stop it before they leave the cabin?

Backyard Outburst (500)

An argument while Harry and Louis are doing their fall yard work brings up an unexpected question.

Friday (2.9k)

Friday: Harry wraps up a stressful week.

Nothing less than mischief is to be expected when Niall, Liam, Zayn, Louis, and Harry spend forty hours a week in corporate hell. Welcome to One Direction Financial - The Right Direction for Your Money.

Thursday (1.5k)

Thursday: Louis can't find his stapler.

Wednesday (1.3k)

Wednesday: Liam gets caught texting at work.

Tuesday (1.2k)

Tuesday: Zayn has artist's block.

Monday (1.4k)

Monday: Niall is stuck in a meeting.

Market Blunder (500)

A walk through a farmers market leads to a new step in Louis and Harry's relationship.

Grey Matter (1.2k)

Louis tries something different to help him fall asleep.

To Assume (2.9k)

“You know, I don’t think spankings are going to cut it tonight. Not only did you disobey me, but I had to watch you all day, knowing what you were up to.” Harry’s jaw drops as he realizes that Louis had known all along. He’d walked himself right into the trap. He’d tripped the wire. He groans. This punishment was going to be so much more than he could anticipate.

Ex Cathedra (4.4k)

Harry nodded. “Yeah, but if the Church doesn’t accept me, how am I supposed to worship God?”

“Remember what Father Paul said?” Louis asked. “He said that while the church is a building where we gather to worship, your faith is your Church and no one can take that away from you. And besides, we do have a church.”

Written for Prompt #127: The misgiving that the Catholic Church might turn out to be right about everything after all.

Garden Carnage (500)

Clifford chases after a rabbit and Louis finally catches the attention the neighbor in the yellow house.

A Snapshot (1.1k)

That one time Harry’s photo was uploaded to Louis’ instagram.

Making Waves (30k)

After Louis Tomlinson, an arrogant millionaire, is thrown overboard and loses his memory, a mistreated employee convinces him that they are married. Thrust into an unfamiliar life he cannot remember, Louis must learn to live with his new husband and daughters and adjust to a less extravagant life.

Or, the one where Louis can’t remember, Harry needs money, and Niall has a plan. An Overboard AU.

The Undone and The Divine (4.2k)

Thirty seven love bites might be their new record, but then again, last night’s game had gone exceptionally well. Harry presses the pad of his thumb into one of the more prominent bruises along his collarbone, the pain grounding him as he recalls the events of the previous night.

Or the one where Harry flirts and Louis gets jealous, but it’s all part of their game.

Get Off and Vote (2.7k)

Niall lets out a loud laugh, “Hey, listen to this. You know how elections are Tuesday? It says the Babeland on the edge of campus is giving out free toys to the first 100 people that show their ‘I Voted’ sticker.”

“How patriotic.” Louis laughs. “Maybe I should go.”

Does it Look Devious or Something? (4.8k)

When someone complains about Louis’ new business, he must defend his sex toy shop to the city council.

Written for Prompt #231: The amazement at how much hot air people manage to produce.

Fixing to Thrill (4.5k)

“I’m never gonna finish fixing this car. It’s taking so long and I am so sick of it. Why can’t it just be fixed already?” Louis grumbles. Harry puts a comforting hand on Louis’ arm.

“Now that’s not true. Look how far you’ve come already. You’ll finish this car, even if it’s not as soon as you were hoping for.”

“But I’m not good enough at all this mechanical shit and every time I take two steps forward something throws me three steps back.” Louis drops his head into his crossed arms on the table, shrinking into the sudden surge of self doubt.

“I know it’s hard, but you’re smart. You’ll figure it out. You just need a good break from the car for a bit and then you’ll be back at it, alright?” Harry rubs his back soothingly.

Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong as Louis is fixing up his vintage Aston Martin V8 Vantage.

Written for Prompt #27. The thrill at the awesome sound of the eight-cylinder motor.

See it in Your Eyes (5.2k)

Niall drags Louis to a Tarot reading after a night out. Louis does not believe in fortune telling.

#writer appreciation week #1dsource #hljournal #fics #author rec

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f1-disaster-bi · 3 years

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6 kisses + 15 hugs for Sebchal Romantic please, I could use some happy right now☺️

Here you go! I hope you enjoy it, it’s my first time writing for this pairing and I loved every minute of it! Drop a kudos on AO3 or a like on this if you did!

Tender Embraces and Slow Kisses

Charles wanted to cry as he stared at the disaster around him.

The pans were smouldering in the sink, the pot was somehow burnt so badly that there was no saving it and he had had to toss it in the bin along with the food that had been in it.

The fire alarm had stopped beeping, but the kitchen still smelled of smoke and failure, and even though Charles knew Sebastian was no stranger to the smell of smoke working in F1, he didn’t think his boyfriend would like to return home to it after the disaster of the Imola Grand Prix.

Charles had seen the frustration and disappointment in his boyfriends’ eyes as he had entered the media pen.

Sebastian may have been smiling and joking with the interviewers, but Charles could see tension in his partners shoulders. He could see the tiredness that only came with the frustrations of a bad race result due to the car after you had given it your all.

It had hurt Charles, watching Sebastian struggle after being ousted by a team he loved dearly until that bitter goodbye, and it still hurt him now as he watched Sebastian be hit with penalties, as he struggled to get up the grid and the voice calling him washed up and overrated got louder in the media.

Charles had only glanced at twitter once while waiting for his flight to take off, having managed to change his flight to an earlier one, and what he had seen had made him want to cry. In the end he had turned the device off, not wanting to see the comparisons between himself and Sebastian that some people drew online. Or worse the ones saying there were more deserving drivers that should have gotten that Aston seat and Sebastian should step aside.

He had had the whole flight as he pretended to sleep, ignoring the others around him, to think of ways to cheer up his boyfriend.

He knew that Sebastian would come home and only want to celebrate Charles’s result and the amazing start he was having to his season. Maybe after a day or two Charles would wake up early with only Bruno in the bedroom snuggled into the warmth that Sebastian had left behind after feeding their pup, and instead he would find the older working on one of his cars or bikes in the garage where Charles would bring him coffee and sit silently listening to Sebastian’s music and handing him tools.

Unlike Charles, who liked to pout and rage in his drivers’ room after bad races, tossing stress balls off the walls and screaming his frustrations into a pillow before showering away the stress and frustration, Sebastian needed to work. He needed to feel a car or bike come to life under his gentle hands until things made sense once more, until he was ready to shrug everything off and give Charles that blinding smile that made his heart flutter and cheeks blush as he called him Schatz and pulled him from the floor back to their bed where they would curl up as they took turns reading to the other.

Despite knowing Sebastian would be fine, even if right now he was hurting as he waited for his own flight home, Charles felt the need to doing something for his boyfriend. He had wanted to surprise him and make a romantic dinner.

He had planned everything perfectly, arranged for everything he needed to be delivered that morning and had timed everything so that the food would be ready and waiting when Sebastian stepped through the door.

He had even ordered a cake, red velvet with buttercream frosting. Sebastian’s favourite as it was the one his mother made for him every birthday.

Charles had been willing to make food, but he didn’t want to mess with Sebastian’s favourite cake, ordering it instead from his boyfriend’s favourite bakery run by a lovely old lesbian couple that were always trying to sneak him and Sebastian extra treats.

Despite having everything planned, Charles had not accounted for Pierre calling him in frustration because he had taken Max’s offer of a ride home on his jet, only to have to sit next to Lando for the entirety of the flight. The Brit having decided to visit Max and Alex in Monaco for a week between the races, and Max had brought Daniel, the other two deep in conversation leaving Pierre to sit fuming beside Lando who had managed to spill water on him at one point.

And Charles, even though he could drive a Ferrari at top speeds and had the reflex skills to challenge a God due to his training, was easily distracted by any type of drama that Pierre always found himself in and had video called Pierre while waiting for the food to cook.

He hadn’t noticed it was burning until Pierre was asking him why there was smoke coming out of the kitchen and the fire alarm started blaring as he hung up on the other shocked driver.

By the time he had it under control, the little fire that had started put out with their mini-fire extinguisher kept in the press, he was left with burnt food, two pots in the bin and a frying pan steaming in the sink.

The only thing he had successfully managed to do was set the table with their fancy tablecloth that was a dark red with gold detailing and the table set that Sebastian’s mother had gifted them when Charles moved in. The cake sat tauntingly in the middle of the table.

Charles was so lost in his despair, staring at mess he had made and trying not to cry, that he hadn’t heard the front door until someone was speaking behind him.

‘Did you set fire to our kitchen? Were my brakes not enough fire drama for one weekend, sweetheart?’, Sebastian laughed behind him, startling Charles into jumping as he turned to face the other.

‘I….I didn’t mean to’, Charles defended, crossing his arms over his chest at the delighted look of fond exasperation that his boyfriend gave him.

Sebastian was leaning in the doorway between the kitchen and dining room, still wearing his team hoodie and a pair of fitted jeans (the best thing to come out of this Aston contract Charles had argued as he got rid of Sebastian’s jean shorts), just watching him with a soft look in his eyes.

‘Well I would hope you didn’t do it on purpose Schatz, otherwise we need to have a conversation about how you can target those skills at other places….maybe the FIA headquarters to start’, Sebastian joked, trying to lighten the mood as Charles pouted at him.

‘I know a few other drivers that would help me’, Charles joked back, thinking of Lance and Yuki’s penalty’s that had been handed out post-race.

‘Hm, but I can’t let you go to prison, can I?’, Sebastian sighed, smile bright as he stepped forward and held his hand out to Charles, ‘What would I do without you to cause trouble, hm?’.

Charles grumbled, but didn’t protest as he took Sebastian’s hand, letting the older tug him into a tender embrace with Sebastian’s arm around his waist holding him close. His free hand cradling the back of Charles’s head as if he were something precious to be treasure and pressing the other gently to rest his head on his shoulder, running fingers through his hair gently.

Charles felt himself relax for the first time since he had bid Sebastian goodbye in Italy, let himself hold Sebastian close with fingers curled in the soft hoodie he wore, and his nose tucked against the edge of the others jaw as they just held each other close.

‘I just wanted to make you a nice dinner to welcome you home and cheer you up, but I burnt everything’, Charles whispered, eyes closed and just feeling Sebastian’s chest rise against this own, their breaths in sync.

‘Thank you, Schatz, but I don’t need any fancy dinner or cake’, Sebastian smiled, dropping a kiss on Charles’s head, ‘I just need you’.

Charles felt his cheeks heat up, tucking his face into the others neck as Sebastian laughed gently at Charles’s shy reaction to the soft admittance.

‘Seb…’, Charles protested softly, yet holding the other closer as he peaked up at those blue eyes that sparkled with nothing but love and fondness for him. Even if he did set fire to their kitchen.

‘Charles, nothing beats coming home to you’, Sebastian smiled, tilting the others chin up to press a kiss to his forehead, ‘I love you, and I love that you wanted to do something nice for me, but all I need is you, Schatz’.

Charles stared at him in amazement at how easily he let his declaration of love roll of his tongue while Charles usually had to work his way up to saying the words to the other, forever doubting that Sebastian wouldn’t tire of him for being clingy or needy, yet at every turn this man surprised him.

‘I love you too’, Charles whispered back, moving his arms to loop around Sebastian’s neck and pull him into a kiss.

Unlike their other welcome home kisses, this one was slow and sweet. There was no rush as they held each other close as Sebastian let a hand press at the small of his back and the other cradle his head gently once more. Their kiss was drawn out, neither feeling the urge to speed it up or nip at the others lip to get things moving. Instead, it was languid, just the two of them lost in each other and letting their lips move together expressing all the words that got caught in their throats and never managed to find a way to the surface for fear of rejection.

Charles didn’t know how long they had stood there, wrapped in each other and trading long slow kisses. The other pushing in for more each time they pulled back until Sebastian pulled away, resting his forehead against Charles, and humming softly as he basked in the afterglow of the kiss. Both of them slightly breathless and not wanting to part.

Charles could have stayed there forever. Safe and warm in Sebastian’s arms, yet Sebastian’s voice once again.

‘If I leave you alone in the living while I shower and order food, are you going to somehow set the curtains or television on fire too, Schatz?’, Sebastian teased, pulling back to watch as Charles made an affronted noise, pushing the older away from him as he laughed at Charles’s offended pout.

‘Just for that, no cake for you!’, Charles pointed an accusing finger at Sebastian, ducking past the German’s outstretched arms trying to pull him into another hug and making a break for te cake sitting in the dining room.

‘Don’t be like that Schatz!’, Sebastian laughed, the kind of laughter that made Charles’s lips tug with a fond smile as the German driver followed him, pressing up against his back and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

Later as he curled up in Sebastian’s lap trading slow kisses that tasted of buttercream as one of his French soap operas played on Netflix in the background, Charles had to admit that tonight had turned out perfectly as Sebastian smiled into their kisses.

Although when he came home from the Portuguese Grand Prix to find the presses and fridge in the kitchen fitted with child-locks, and three more fire extinguishers on the counter Charles considered for a moment whether he truly wanted to spend his life with some with such a wicked sense of humour.

Especially when a grinning Sebastian gifted him a How to Cook cookbook for children.

#prompt request #sebchal #sebastian vettel #Charles Leclerc #formula one #f1 #formula one fic

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thrashermaxey · 5 years

Text

Ramblings: Thoughts on Murray, Jones, Marner, Byfuglien, Ehlers, some post-mortems and more (Apr 22)

***

Four teams were eliminated last week. Here are my thoughts on those teams, the players, and what the future holds…

Winnipeg Jets

First, kudos to Dustin Byfuglien, who reached deep down and pulled out some extra career mojo. He struggled with injuries all year and as a 34-year-old it has to be concerning. But production-wise, he’s been right there. His 0.74 points/gp this year was his best in seven seasons. He had eight points in six playoff games and was Winnipeg’s top player. His production next year will still be stellar, though I would not count on more than 65 games.

Disappointment of the first round for the Jets has to be Nik Ehlers, who went pointless. He actually has zero goals in 21 career playoff games. The entire campaign for Ehlers – his fourth, by the way – was a write-off thanks to a shoulder injury. I consider him a buy-low this summer and consider next year his true (potential) breakout season. Although I would stay away from him in next year’s playoff pool.

Was also disappointed in Jacob Trouba and Josh Morrissey – just one assist each in the six games. It’s as if they can’t thrive at the same time as Big Buff. If the Jets ever get all three of them going and divide the PP time evenly, the team would be hard to stop.

As a Patrik Laine owner in one of my leagues, I was happy to see him regain his mojo in the postseason. He still wasn’t quite the game-breaker he could be on a nightly basis, but definitely the one game he was massive. It’s enough to set my mind at ease that he’ll be fine. He has to be disgusted with his 50-point season and early playoff exit. If that doesn’t motivate him to push hard this summer, nothing will.

Of the eliminated teams, Winnipeg is in the best cap shape, looking at over $25 million in cap space, depending on where the cap is set. That’s a lot of flexibility even if they do have to fill a dozen roster spots with it.

I think we knew in our bones that this wouldn’t be Winnipeg’s year. We just didn’t have the confidence in this team that we had a year ago. All season long there were problems with consistency and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck never really found his mojo. But I believe in this team – the depth, the cap situation, and the goaltender. I think this season was just a learning experience and I am bullish on the Jets for 2019-20.

Calgary Flames

I was disappointed in the way Elias Lindholm had such a nosedive down the stretch and then in the postseason. He had nine points in the final 21 games of the campaign, giving him 11 points in the last 26 games that he played in all. This is a guy who finished with 78. On one hand, at 24 years of age he is still a player on the rise, not even at his prime yet. On the other hand, it’s as if opponents had him figured out. He was even removed from the big line later in the playoff series against St. Louis. I think his spot on that line is cemented, but I don’t believe he will repeat his 78-point season. I think he’ll get back there again in two or three years, but next year will be a small regression. And pay special attention to any signs of slowing down in the second half.

I was disappointed in the way Bill Peters switched things up when the playoffs started. The Flames went into the postseason on a roll and all of their lines were doing great. Auston Czarnik had 12 points in his last 25 games with minimal ice time. That’s great depth production, but he didn’t get a sniff of playoff time until Game 5 when he saw five minutes of action. I would have also had more patience with the 3M line and kept them together to the end. I understand swapping out Lindholm for Sam Bennett, who was their playoffs top scorer, but the 3M line to me needed another chance.

I like what I am seeing in rookie defenseman Rasmus Andersson. He had 15 of his 19 points in the second half, and he added two in five playoff games. His PP ice time was 2:39 per game in the postseason and I wonder if he will leapfrog TJ Brodie on the PP depth chart next season. At the very least he will take a step in that direction.

This summer the Flames will have about $12 million cap space depending on where the new cap will be. This will be needed to sign Matthew Tkachuk (at least $9 million, in my opinion, or close enough to it), Sam Bennett ($4 or $5?), Andrew Mangiapane ($2 million or more?). This team will need entry-level deals on the roster, meaning Juuso Valimaki will make the team, and likely Dillon Dube as well. Trading Czarnik and filling that spot with a minimum-salary earner would save another half million. A Czarnik trade to the right team would put him back on my radar. Trading Michael Frolik (one more year at $4.3 million) will help. But bottom line is they have to be kicking themselves over and over again for that James Neal signing – he has four more years at $5.75 million and he was scratched last game when they absolutely needed their best players in the game. Which means they don’t consider him one of their 23 best players.

Pittsburgh Penguins

During the last game I started thinking long and hard about the following. Is it time to do a mini-retool? The Pens can keep pushing with the Sidney Crosby – Evgeni Malkin duo and over the next three years perhaps they can win one more Cup with some lucky match-ups and timely hot streaks. Or they could trade Malkin, who will be 33 in the fall, and free up $9.5 million in cap space each of the next three years and likely bring in a tidy return. Instead of having a decent chance for the next three years, perhaps this would mean having one tough year, and then four or five years of competing. The Penguins have zero cap space this summer, unless the cap rises by a couple million bucks. But how on earth can they re-sign Zach Aston-Reese and Marcus Pettersson? A lot of ugly contracts on the books right now (Erik Gudbranson $4 million next two years, Jack Johnson $3.25 million next four years, and even Patric Hornqvist at $5.3 million next four years – he’s 32 years old). A full-blown rebuild will happen in two years if they don’t do a minor re-tool this summer, and I think a re-tool would need to involve a Malkin trade. But they’d have to be creative.

The Penguins were beat by a hot goalie and a sound system. Unlike with Tampa (below), I don’t put as much onus on the players. We can’t let them completely off the hook – Crosby and Jake Guentzel getting just one point is inexcusable, but in a four-game sweep against a red-hot goaltender this stuff happens. The real concern for Pittsburgh fans is that it’s a key season lost, when they are running out of key seasons (“key season” defined here as prime Malkin – Crosby years).

The Pens made an interesting signing on the weekend. Teams only get 50 contracts so using one on an undrafted European always catches my attention. And with the cap crunch this is especially true because they need as many minimum-salaried players as possible. Oula Palve is a 27-year-old from Finland who led his TPS team in scoring with 51 points in 53 games and he finished seventh in Liiga scoring. He is on Team Finland at the Worlds, but has not gotten into a game yet.

Tampa Bay Lightning

I think the most common explanation for this shocker is the right one – TBL coasted over the final month of the season and without that desperation game in March or April, they had trouble finding that fortitude when it was needed. Yes, preparation is on the coach, but these are professional players and they shouldn’t be left off the hook. That being said, while they did lose to a team that they beat by 30 points in the regular season, Columbus was not 30 points worse than them. From mid-March onward, their actual playoff roster started to mesh. The Blue Jackets added Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel, but as I noted last week they also added a player who has been much better than Dzingel over the past two months: Oliver Bjorkstrand. Last week I pointed out that Bjorkstrand scored at a 36-goal pace over his last 40 regular season and playoff games, and since he scored last game that actually gives him 19 goals in his last 41 games (so a 38-goal pace, after half a season).

What let the team down was the lack of leadership, desperation and clutch play of the forwards. With no exceptions. Erik Cernak, a rookie defenseman who wasn’t even in the league to start the season, led this team in playoff scoring with three points! Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Braden Point, JT Miller and the so-called playoff-clutch player Tyler Johnson all combined for two goals. They combined for 169 in the regular season. This team has a good, deep organization with what looks to be maybe $8 million in cap space this summer. Braden Point should get at least $10 million this summer (it would be far more, but since Kucherov recently signed for $9.5 I can’t see Point going too much higher). As of today, this team doesn’t have near the cap room. And with four UFA defensemen to sign or replace, and a couple of depth forwards to sign, that’s probably $5 or $6 million used up right there. The Lightning will probably move Alex Killorn, Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat or JT Miller – and likely two of those four. This would just mean an expanded role for Anthony Cirelli, Yanni Gourde and Mathieu Joseph, with a couple of kids moving up into the vacated depth roles. The conveyor belt that Steve Yzerman left behind can run successfully through this difficult summer – but won’t be able to sustain things if this happens again.

Alex Barre-Boulet is my pick to make the jump next year, joining a long list of smaller players (5-10, 170) that TB has brought along slowly, such as Tyler Johnson, Jonathan Marchessault and Yanni Gourde.

***

I heard on FAN590’s Ben Ennis show, JD Bunkis (I think it was him) said that Tampa Bay could not be excused for having two injured defensemen because “Columbus was without their best defenseman – Ryan Murray”. I normally wouldn’t choose this forum to argue that point, but then he was so insistent on this as fact that he repeated it four or five different times during the segment. And since I can’t raise an argument with a guy talking through my car speaker, I’ll do it here… because I can. It is a fact that Murray has had an amazing rebound season and let’s be honest it could be considered the first and only “good” season of his career. But Seth Jones is by far and away the best and most important defenseman on this team. Even if Murray could play 80 games, which he can’t – so why count on him as your “best” – he isn’t as strong as Jones in, well, most categories. Look at the player comparison tool of the two players here. Hits, BLKS, points, IPP, SOG are no contest, and even PKTOI is similar.

Anyway, Murray is a great No.4 or even a No.3 defenseman and good for 60 games per year, and as long as you don’t expect more than that, I think any team would be very happy with him. But Columbus is quite familiar with playing Murray-less games, certainly more familiar than Tampa Bay is in playing Hedman-less or Stralman-less games. So yes indeed Tampa Bay can use these blue-line injuries as a third explanation (read: excuse) on top of the two I already provided.

Tough to be a hockey fan in Canada as we watch our best Stanley Cup Playoffs representation in years go down the tubes in an awful hurry. Not in terms of bulk (i.e. just three teams made it), but in terms of true Cup contention. The Flames looked great and were my pick to come out of the West. The Jets have a bright future and if they could put it all together they would have done damage. The Leafs have a chance to deep now that Tampa Bay is out of the mix, but just when they have Boston on the ropes they let them crawl back.

I really liked Morgan Rielly’s game, both Friday and Sunday. It was a high-risk style but very entertaining. It cost the Leafs in giving the Bruins several huge chances, but I think it created more for the Leafs than it hurt and I’ll take that trade. He seemed to really take control, almost as if he felt responsible for Toronto’s entire offense.

Speaking of “entire offense”, how about Brad Marchand? Nine points in six games leads the Bruins. He’s had two three-point games in the last three, both were Boston wins. The Leafs are doing a fine job of shutting down David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron (four points in six games is probably the best you’re gonna do with those guys), but stifling Marchand will be key for Game 7 Tuesday. Also, the sky is blue and grass is green.

Mitch Marner had two points in Game 1 and looked as though he and John Tavares will just run rampant over the Bruins from that point onward. But Marner has just two points in five games since then as the Bruins have been effective in shutting him down. He has just one SOG in the last three games combined. The last time he was held to one shot over a three-game span was November 16-20, 2017.

Nothing to say about the Vegas – San Jose game as only three goals were scored and it went to double-overtime. I watched it, but nothing jumped out at me other than the surprise of a shorthanded goal being the game winner. It was the first time in NHL history that a multi-OT game was decided by a shorthanded goal.

With a 2OT game it’s always fun to look through the TOI totals of the players. Vegas managed to still keep their fourth line at 12 minutes of ice time, while William Karlsson was the only forward to reach 30 minutes at 30:25.

The Sharks kept things a little more balanced, with their fourth line hovering around 16 minutes (including Gustav Nyquist a forwards-low 15:38). Brent Burns led all players with 42:32 of ice time, as you would expect. The Sharks were outshot 59-29 so of course they were going to win the game, that always seems to be the way. And I trash on Martin Jones so much in this space that it’s only fair that I give him his props this week. An amazing performance that makes me wonder why he doesn’t do that more often.

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See you next Monday.

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-thoughts-on-murray-jones-marner-byfuglien-ehlers-some-post-mortems-and-more-apr-22/

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insert-witty-comment · 6 years

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I post a lot in here. Lately I noticed that I leave a lot of criticism of Stranger Things 2 (or Season 2 if you prefer). It's true that I like the original season better than the second for a pile of reasons I went into previously. However, I realized I left so much criticism and comparisons to season 1 that I'm coming off as a bit of a negative Nancy (tehehehe)!The truth is I loved and do love Stranger Things 2. I was so excited to watch it and left it feeling very satisfied. I felt it surpassed my own expectations for a sophomore season by a long ways. So I think given the amount of criticism I leveled at this season in comments on this sub, I may as well explain why I loved it if even just to keep it as a link for myself for later! So here we go!The continuity of the party!Right away in Season 1 we see all the boys together in some perfectly shot scenes in perfect sets. That arcade is so damn beautiful it makes me nostalgic for my real life history where I played games at the arcade (I'm now old enough that I remember the 90s, in which arcades were still awesome!). These four boys are a blessing to viewers and could not have been better cast! They are always entertaining!Noah Schnapp!If you pay even the slightest attention to Stranger Things 2, you can't miss Noah Schnapp's considerable contribution. Almost a stranger to us in the first season, Noah blows it out of the park in ST2. We meet him in ST2 as a kid kind of boxed in, with his life being dominated by others. That could be his mother's understandable preoccupation with his safety, or his need to report every episode to the people at the lab. He plays the role of an outsider - Zombie Boy - so perfectly. You see it on his face as he walks in and out of the school knowing people are talking about him.Then he has to portray possession. It's not just the task of actually portraying the act of possession itself on the field but the actual possession later as the shadow monster learns to slowly take over his brain. He has to portray both the evil and good side of Will and probably doesn't even know where the balance is scene by scene. Then, they asked him to portray a seizure. I have a sister with severe epilepsy, I can say that the out of control muscular spasms he shows as well as the expression on his face are scarily close to somebody who is experiencing a bad seizure.If that wasn't enough, they added in his exorcism scene where he has to portay a total lunatic, if as possessed by a demon exorcist-style. Yet, he manages it all. The boy out of shot all of the first season grabbed ST2 and made it his own.Noah Schnapp... the heart and soul of Stranger Things 2. Kudos young man, I've never seen a performance like that from someone so young!Winona and HarbourThe two adult leads on the show picked up right where they left off. Winona Ryder was a serious crush of mine as a kid (lol) and it's rare that when you become an adult and get into your 30s (which unfortunately I am) your crush can still be relevant. Well, it is. Winona is so damn talented and natural it is RIDICULOUS. I buy Joyce Byers. I buy that she would knife you to save her son, even though she's a small, almost frail looking single Mama. Her strength comes from the best place of all.. love.That face she had when she is embracing Will and looks at the picture of the Shadow Monster is just perfect. It is almost like she is daring it.. COME AT ME! Come at a Mama when you are threatening her cubs, I dare you! There's nothing like a mother's love and Joyce is a real mother, she'd walk through HELL for Will. I mean.. she did!David Harbour is proof that the best are so often overlooked. Even by his own admission his career has relegated him to being part of the background. He was in big productions, like The Equalizer with Denzel, but he is always the villain with the gun or just the extra guy. In the first season he showed the depth he truly has as we went on a journey from hating this terrible cop, to being glad this "asshole" is on the case because he is at least competent, to being heartbroken when he tells Joyce about his grief over Sarah, to being TOTALLY invested in his fate right to the end when he saves a little boy.In ST2, he comes back and does it again... by...Hopper and Eleven!I love that they showed us Hopper and Eleven's backstory to some degree. The small details can mean so much. When Hopper hears her behind him and turns to see her there, in the flesh, his immediate reaction is to take off his hat. This may seem like a small thing, but it is everything.If the cops show up at your house and they remove their hats, it likely means you aren't in trouble. It is done for respect. They are not there to enforce the law against you, rather they are there to inform you of something, probably something not good. It is respect, they are no authority in that moment, they are public servants there to help.When Hopper sees El his immediate reaction is to take off his hat. This is so adorable because she can't know what this means but it is everything to him. It is a signal to her that he is here to help. He is a friend. She is in no trouble at all. It is also clearly a relief to him having told Brenner where they are that she is still breathing.But they didn't keep it rosy and overload us with the MOMENT that is the "Hopper Dance", instead they show us conflict. In that conflict we see both sides of the argument. We see it from El's side and Hopper's side. She is cooked up, lonely and sick and tired of spending every day there. He cares only about her safety. They are bound to clash and they do, and when they do it isn't pretty. Both of them come across badly. She accuses him of being like Papa, and he acts rather childishly with the "wanna go back in the lab?" line. I do appreciate though that he stands up to and faces her power, he won't let her win by just being more powerful. In any case, it's a hard scene to watch and that's why it is good. It is honest!Their redemption scene in the car is also.. everything. El is only the second person we see him even acknowledge Sara's death with, after Joyce. I also adore that he gave her the bracelet.Oh and that shot at the end of S4 when he is in the tunnel with the flashlight and we flip upside down. God damn!!!Bob Newby, Superhero!I loved the Goonies as a boy and I loved (and still love) the Lord of the Rings as a teenager. To see Sean Aston join the the cast was awesome. On screen, he was perfect as Bob Newby, the nerdy guy who clearly loved Joyce and the boys and wanted to help whatever the cost. While the show made him almost seem a bit silly or maybe even pathetic in early moments, it showed his strength in Episode 8. In that episode, the strong stereotypical male lead, Hopper, was powerless to enable them to escape the lab. Instead, "Bob the Brain" was the one who could turn the power back on and use his programming knowledge to get them the hell out of there.I still won't say I liked the manner of his death, but his death at least was understandable. He undertook a serious mission and it was a success, except the part of coming out alive. The people he thought of first and foremost.. namely Joyce and Will.. left the lab alive and in good physical health.Bob may have been a character introduced to die so that they don't have to kill a main character.. but they pulled it off!Steve Harrington and Dustin Henderson!I just... I love this. I love how much Steve ends up liking Dustin. Clearly reluctant to help Dustin at first, Steve went way above and beyond the call of duty later. When he realized Dustin was right about Dart, he didn't run off. Just like he walked back in that house in the S1 finale and saved both Jonathan and Nancy, Steve stayed by Dustin's side right to the end.One little moment I love between them is when Steve pats Dustin on the head after putting the demodog in the Byers' refrigerator. He's "his boy" now. Dustin grew on Steve like he grew on all of us as we watched him in S1. Dustin could grow on anyone to be fair!The fact that they kept their budding friendship and "big brother / little brother" thing going right to the end is wonderful. I love that Steve saw this young boy who was struggling in some aspect of his social life even though he is clearly a smart kid, and decided to take him under his wing. I hope it continues into Season 3.I also love that while Steve's advice seems to have failed, it "sort of" worked. We see Dustin crushing on Nancy in the opening minutes of Season 1 and we get the impression he tries to get her attention every chance he gets. In the meantime, he has turned his attention to Max and isn't showing any outward interest toward Nancy. Then, while not chasing after his friend's older sister he ends up dancing with her at the Snow Ball. Which is no small deal! Did you see the look on the girl's faces? They are intrigued.. why is she dancing with him? WHAT DID WE MISS? Indeed Steve, "act like you don't care" worked in part for Dustin... except it was for the girl you are crushing on :PEl's refusal and Kali's portrayal in Episode 7So I am critical of Episode 7 for reasons I won't go into because this is about what I liked! Eleven's refusal to commit murder is HUGE for her character. She has killed before but in immediate defense of her life and freedom, or of those she cares about. That's reasonable! Kali wanted her to kill a man who hurt her mother for revenge, but upon seeing the children she would be depriving of a father figure she can't do it. She cannot do to them what he did to her, she is too good. She even stops Kali from doing it.This moral compass is a direct result of the people who influenced her in Hawkins. This includes Benny (RIP gentle bear!), the boys (especially Mike) and Hopper. She escaped and won the lottery when it comes to who to influence her. Mike berates her when she does wrong, like throwing Lucas across the field. Hopper resists her powers in an argument even though she could snap his neck in a rage. When she does wrong, it is not excused, she is told! She is yelled at. She also learned small, seemingly insignificant but important things like "friends don't lie". These are all part of the moral compass she has developed in the previous year.Unfortunately Kali doesn't seem to have benefited from similar influence. In fact, Kali comes across VERY badly. Not only does she kill at will, she has recruited lost people to do her bidding. They depend on her for survival, for protection and everything. They talk about her with the same reverence uttered about Marhshall Applewhite, David Koresh, Jim Jones, Charles Manson and so on. All of their followers believed them to be saviors. "We were dead. All of us. Kali saved us here, and in here".Those cult leaders also sought to manipulate their followers to believe the world was against them. Kali does this to Eleven directly. She even tries to poison the relationships Eleven made already, insisting they can't help her, even though they already have. There is a feeling of "only through me is there salvation and peace" about it.Kali has saved NOBODY. She has put her gang on an inevitable path toward death or imprisonment. It is only a matter of time. She also doesn't hesitate to use her power to try to psychologically influence Eleven. She shows her Brenner, understanding that El has been brainwashed to see this man, her handler, as her savior and protector. We also hear Axel tell Kali "I told you to stay out of my head" or words to that effect earlier, suggesting she doesn't have a problem using her power against the people around her.While I don't like episode 7 and make no bones about that... I appreciate they left Kali's true nature up to interpretation and redeemed Eleven before it was over!Max MayfieldI'll say it.. I like Max. At first I didn't see the point but on re-watch and thinking about it, she is no mere introduction for a love triangle. Instead, Max introduces real drama. She causes a rift with the boys because Mike doesn't want her there. She also dumps the boys as friends when she feels she was being mistreated.. and I respect that!She also is the person besides Eleven who makes Mike really SMILE. And I mean really SMILE. You may have missed it if you were focused on El finding Mike, but when Max is skating around Mike she breaks down his phony tough shell easily and he is smiling at her. He is moments away from accepting her as a friend and fellow party member until Eleven's jealousy interrupts them. This is probably the first time Mike smiled properly in a year and it's to her credit, because she under it all is a good person.She also plays a major role at the end potentially saving Steve's life (and Billy from life imprisonment?), but she manages to get herself and the boys to the tunnel to lure the demodogs away from Hopper and Eleven, which almost certainly saved Hopper's life and maybe even Eleven's.I'm looking forward to finding out what happened in California!The "pull out" line and the cookie eating!...... what can I say? There will always be an inner 12 year old in me who appreciates a little inappropriate innuendo etc. :PSo that's just some more positive thoughts on S2 from someone who constantly seems to be criticizing it. The way I see it, I wouldn't be criticizing so many aspects of it if I didn't care about it at all! But still, it is good to remember that I enjoyed it a lot.. and why!If you read all that.. god damn.. well done and thanks :P via /r/StrangerThings

#stranger things

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