KarateKen

Vegas took their first loss under Tortz, but it was a SO loss, so they still got standings point. The Utah Mammoth have clinched their first playoff spot in their third season after moving from Arizona.

In the NCAA Frozen Four, Denver defeated the #1 team in the country, Michigan, 4-3 in double overtime. It was a heck of a game! Denver will face Wisconsin, who upset the #2 team in the country, North Dakota, 2-1. The Championship game is on Saturday in Las Vegas, so you have to be there to see it live. Of course you can watch it on TV also. It starts at 5pm on ESPN if you are interested. Denver and Wisconsin, two underdogs playing for the national title.

I thought it was the best one yet. I am going to lobby @Patrickto make it a real feature.

Out of nowhere I am craving a Big Mac and a McFlurry. No idea why....

Well @sensei8 the Knights are 3-0-0 since the coaching change. Do you like Tortorella? The Ducks, Oilers, and Knights now all are at 77 games played and are separated by one point! Ducks and Oilers have 87, Knights 86. That is going down to the wire. My Minnesota Wild are back in the playoffs, getting ready for another first round exit I am guessing. Here are the other teams that have clinched spots since my last post: Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Montreal, and Carolina. The following teams have been eliminated: Blackhawks, Canucks, Panthers, Rangers, and Maple Leafs. The following teams are not in, but are in good position: Penguins, Flyers, Bruins, Islanders, and Senators in the east. In the west, Utah, Nashville, and LA. Teams that are in contention but are on the outside: Red Wings, Blue Jackets, Capitals, Sharks, Jets and Blues. Teams that are not eliminated but won't make it: Devils, Flames, and Kraken. Playoffs start in less than two weeks

It is a quick read. I am not aware of an updated one. I read this book about 15 years ago and decided to again since his passing. Fun fact: The Chuck Norris jokes were started in 2005 by a then high school student on Long Island named Ian Spector. He posted a few online one night before going to bed and woke up the next morning to the jokes having 10,000 views. It immediately took off and Ian wrote a book about the Chuck Norris facts, then Norris himself wrote a book about it. Norris loved the jokes and the memes.

I took it again, this time with a previous school in mind and gave several different answers. Again, it was a McDojo. Has anyone gotten one that wasn't a McDojo?

I am happy to see the outpour of Chuck Norris tribute songs that have shown up on YouTube since his passing. I know they are mostly AI generated but some of them are catchy.

Chuck Norris Facts Book by Chuck Norris

The Winnipeg Jets had a bad start to the season but have been turning things around, and after tonight's win against Chicago they are only one point out of the final playoff spot. The Kraken lost to the Oilers, and Seattle has 75 points, still withing striking distance for the playoffs for sure, but these teams on the outside need all the points they can get. It is not just winning the games; you have to pass other teams that are in front of you and the fewer games that are left the tougher that is to do. The Kraken would have to pass the Sharks, Kings, Jets, and Predators to get into that 8th spot. They have been the beneficiary of a weak Pacific division but have not been able to take advantage thus far. They have nine games left to make a run. The Buffalo Sabers won tonight and have now reached 100 points, tying them for second best in the league with Carolina and Dallas. The Sabers playoff drought of 14 years will end, though they are not officially in the playoffs yet, they will be locking up a spot any day. Big game Wednesday night between the Blues and Kings in Los Angles. Both teams are on the outside looking in right now but could still get into the playoffs. The Kings are in a better position with 76 points; the Blues have 73.

I like it! I took the quiz though and found I might be training at a McDojo. This is going to be a fun feature.

It has been a tough season for the Panthers. Maybe back-to-back titles and three consecutive trips to the Stanely Cup Finals have caught up with them. Panthers have 73 points and are holding the basement in the Atlantic division. They will not make the playoffs and will have to get ready for next season. I have not followed the team much, so I am not sure what the struggle has been. Panthers are not alone in disappointing seasons. The Maple Leafs fired GM Brad Treliving tonight. It's been a long year in Toronto, only a two points ahead of the Panthers in the Atlantic. The Maple Leafs have continued to underachieve and now their top player is out with an ACL tear. In a situation like that you can only hope that Matthews is ready to go at the start of next season. The anger towards Treliving started last summer when he traded Mitch Marner to the Golden Knights, and Ryan Reaves to the Sharks, thinking that Reaves was no longer an NHL caliber player, however Reaves has been playing in the Sharks lineup all season. Maple Leafs might be getting ready to rebuild. In the games tonight the winner were the Penguins, Avalanche, Sharks, Maple Leafs, and Golden Knights. Ducks do get an OT point in their loss to the Leafs.

Feel better Bob, we are all rooting for you

With only eight games left in the regular season, the Vegas Golden Knights have fired head coach Bruce Cassidy and replaced him with John Tortorella. Cassidy did a good job as head coach, imo, leading the Knights to the playoffs in his first three seasons, and was on pace to do that again this year. Cassidy helped the team win their first Stanley Cup in 2023. However, the struggles the team has had this season were enough to get him fired. Vegas has only had a franchise for nine seasons, and this is their fourth head coach, even though they have been in the playoffs in seven of their eight previous years, twice to the finals, and four times in the conference finals. Right now, Vegas is third in the Pacific, which is enough for the playoffs, but they have been inconsistent all year and without being in the worst division in hockey they would be out of contention. Vegas expects to be a contender every year, and they seem to have little patience when things are not going well. Maybe this will be the kick in the pants the team needs going into the playoffs. Or maybe it will backfire. We will have to wait and see.

Chuck Norris and Walker Texas Ranger memorabilia is flying off the shelves. Ebay and other websites are seeing a surge in people selling merch and autographs since his passing last week. The cost of the merch is up to three times what it would have been the day before his death. The demand and value of autographs go up right after a celebrity dies, and we are seeing that. If you are considering purchasing autographed merchandise please be careful, there are lots of fakes out there. Be sure that the autograph is verified by either PSA. JSA, or Beckett. PSA is considered the gold standard, with JSA and Beckett coming in just behind them. These brands have websites where you can check for authenticity. Any item verified by these outlets will have a sticker with an item number that can be checked on their website. They also often come with a card and/or a letter, depending on the item, but they all have a number. For non-autographed items I have seen a lot of action figures and clothing, including a Walker Texas Ranger jean jacket that was going for 1,000 dollars.