(missed edit) - With Craig Simpson, of course, accompanying Hughson.
Ah, gotcha. I’ve mostly been watching the Islanders and I watch the local broadcast.
Wow, I just looked up Milbury and there’s a lot of Islanders hate about him!
What do you think of Keith Jones?
Jones seems to get ragged on, but I don’t have the hugest problem with him (with partial Flyer bias - this fan. 
) He doesn’t try to be cute or asinine - more or less meat n’potatoes.
Also forgot to add about Milsy - (And the original gull-darned reason I came here to post about his recommended retirement!): in the past couple recent games he’s totally missed some noteworthy plays - the kind that colour commentators are supposed to be yakkin about. Some of them occurred as play continued on for a long time afterwards, without a whistle, but still, Milsy and the truck need to keep tabs on that shit, no matter how long ago a noteworthy play transpired.
So Tukka Rask just walked out this morning, the usual crap about his family. The NHL bubble has actually worked, so he’s full of shit.
Interesting to see what the real reason is.
Here’s a perhaps more nuanced version of the story. With kudos from the Bruins’ GM.
I’m sure the Bruins are furious with him but putting their best face forward. What is it with the Bruins and quitter goalies?
Anyway, Tukka can go home with his family and if there’s another toilet paper shortage he can use $100 bills. He still should be scorned by hockey fans regardless of team loyalty. I want the Bruins to lose, any team that has Brad Marchand is going to have my ire, but I want the best possible hockey.
Tuukka has acknowledged struggles with mental illness in the past and was not enthusiastic about entering the bubble in the first place. He has a 3 month old daughter at home.
I’m as disappointed as any Bruins’ fan but good on him for taking care of himself and his family first. I’ll welcome him back when he’s fit to commit to it, head to toe.
I think your attitude is admirable, @mtnmatt . I hope Tuukka can do what he needs to do without a lot of hateful remarks. As a fan of hockey I have enjoyed his skill for many years and can only wish him well.
The Canucks limp their way past defending Stanley Cup St. Louis to take a 2-0 lead in their series. A lot of the time it looked like strapping men (Blues) trouncing on effete waifs (well, you know who), way out-hitting them, but Van. managed to hang in there despite getting rag-dolled around, and blowing a 3-1 3rd period lead. Prior to then, St. Louis had failed to tally a 3rd period goal in four previous games.
The young Quinn Hughes on defense continues to impress - watch for 43 on the blue line if you catch Van. any time. Everything he does accelerates the pace of play, especially in advancing the Canucks out of their zone and into the opposing one - seeing him flying through neutral ice (past/though players) is near life-affirming, or Husey’s long, seeing-eye passes like the one to Bo Horvat to spring him for a one-on-one on Binny, 5-holin’im in overtime last night.
The Capitals are completely sleepwalking. I’m beginning to think they really should have paid Trotz whatever he wanted.
On the plus side, the Isles are one game away from the second round! They swept the Pens last year (and then got swept, sad emoji), but maybe they can avoid that fate this year.
Ovechkin was really absent today – he had one or to good shots, but otherwise, I hardly heard his name.
If Rask doesn’t want to play and is willing to give up the benefits of playing, fine. It’s just a job. If someone asked for leave from their job as a truck driver or accountant, no one would bitch about it.
I agree that he can stop playing this season if he wants to. However, the truck driver or accountant comparison is not really apt – it’s more like an actor walking out on a play in the middle of the season – sure, there’s a backup, but the backup isn’t as good and the actors work together to put on the show.
If a truck driver wants to stop, there are lots of other truck drivers that will do just as well. Actors and athletes are not as interchangeable as truck drivers and accountants.
However, his family has to come first, of course.
And a truck driver doesn’t have some sort of complex million dollar contract. In a perfect world, the Bruins would take every penny from Rask that they could. But they won’t because they’ll look like the villains going after the quitter ‘because his family.’
Dale Hawerchuk passes away at 57.
Or maybe they are human, and understand that he finds his family very important to him.
I’m sure most of the players have families that are important which is why they should despise a crybaby quitter who quit the team right before a game!
I assume he announces his retirement during the offseason.
And yet they don’t despise him. In fact, they support him. Consider that maybe you are the outlier here in your relative ranking of the importance of sports versus family.
The guy has a 4-month old infant. He was looking at over two months in the bubble away from his family. Maybe you don’t understand how important it is to be there to spend time with the kid and support your partner during that period. Your demand that he perform for you rather than spend that time at home is disgusting.
I think it’s great that the team publicly supports him, they’re stuck with it and have to play on just like he suffered an injury.
But, if I went to the bubble bar, I’m sure they’d describe him in language that would shock a sailor after a couple drinks.
I’m pretty sure they know him a hell of a lot better than you do.