All very well said. I had a question for you: I've been watching the past games and it feels like the Stars have a "clearing the puck out of their own zone" problem, but I haven't been looking up any stats or keeping track. Have you been seeing the same? Feels like when the Stars gain possession in their own zone, they're only either clearing or carrying it out about ~65% of the time, which feels low for this team. Could be my own nerves of playoff hockey dissecting every wrong move, but curious if your more trained eye has noticed anything there.
Great article! Part of the fun of playing (as I recall), and most definitely of watching is seeing the intensity and emotional swings of 2 extremely good athletes and teams compete. The Refs have a tough job, for sure, but it is literally their job to keep the play “between the lines” or “between the whistles”… and ideally within that rarely seen book thus time of year… the rule book :))).
Thank you for pushing back on Russo's nonsense with a clear and incisive piece, Robert.
Here is (the Athletic's Minnesota Wild beat writer) Michael Russo,on the Duchene/Foligno incident on Twitter.
"Foligno down the runway bleeding. He blocked Duchene's shot and Foligno's head must have hit the ice when Duchene fell on him. Duchene came back and punched him. They called a major because they saw the blood and didn't know why, then rescind it completely and not even call the minor despite Duchene coming back and punching him well after the play while he was bleeding. You cannot make this stuff up."
Umm, Dear Mike, apparently, you can make this stuff up. You just proved you can. Even with 4K resolution replays that prove he purports a false narrative, there is no walk-back from Mike or any sense of him blatantly making shit up.
His post is still up and, this morning, Russo doubled down on saying the non-existent punch to Foligno, while he was down, took place in a national article.
Not one Wild fan has dissented on his baseless analysis. Not a one. Not that I have seen, anyway.
Yes, Myers needs to keep his elbows in. Yes, Benn needs to be more careful with his stick. Yes, Rantanen needs to stop commiting potentially dangerous stick fouls.
Yes, Foligno should have been suspended for WWE'ing Thomas Harley's head into the turnbuckle and then pounding his head into the ground for good measure as they fell.
All of these things can be true at once in a realism-based world.
However, a reporter blatantly lying while having a platform that connects him with 100's of thousands of fans who willfully believe his falsehoods is beyond anything approaching real journalism.
I didn't think a fanbase could be more blindly ovine at following their gingoistic shepherd's staff than Blues fans, but here we are.
It's like facts don't matter anymore. Maybe Russo can just ask AI to fabricate an AI video showing what he is fabricating in his own mind.
Heck, Russo could post that fake video Tweet right beside the, entirely made up, AI-fabricated female hostage story in Iran. The remarkable story of one single man who (only in his decrepit mind) saved eight non-existent human beings from certain execution.
Russo is right. You can't make this stuff up. But here we are...
All very well said. I had a question for you: I've been watching the past games and it feels like the Stars have a "clearing the puck out of their own zone" problem, but I haven't been looking up any stats or keeping track. Have you been seeing the same? Feels like when the Stars gain possession in their own zone, they're only either clearing or carrying it out about ~65% of the time, which feels low for this team. Could be my own nerves of playoff hockey dissecting every wrong move, but curious if your more trained eye has noticed anything there.
I agree. It's part of the reason I'm in awe of this team - which somehow finds a way to win anyway.
Great article! Part of the fun of playing (as I recall), and most definitely of watching is seeing the intensity and emotional swings of 2 extremely good athletes and teams compete. The Refs have a tough job, for sure, but it is literally their job to keep the play “between the lines” or “between the whistles”… and ideally within that rarely seen book thus time of year… the rule book :))).
Thank you for pushing back on Russo's nonsense with a clear and incisive piece, Robert.
Here is (the Athletic's Minnesota Wild beat writer) Michael Russo,on the Duchene/Foligno incident on Twitter.
"Foligno down the runway bleeding. He blocked Duchene's shot and Foligno's head must have hit the ice when Duchene fell on him. Duchene came back and punched him. They called a major because they saw the blood and didn't know why, then rescind it completely and not even call the minor despite Duchene coming back and punching him well after the play while he was bleeding. You cannot make this stuff up."
Umm, Dear Mike, apparently, you can make this stuff up. You just proved you can. Even with 4K resolution replays that prove he purports a false narrative, there is no walk-back from Mike or any sense of him blatantly making shit up.
His post is still up and, this morning, Russo doubled down on saying the non-existent punch to Foligno, while he was down, took place in a national article.
Not one Wild fan has dissented on his baseless analysis. Not a one. Not that I have seen, anyway.
Yes, Myers needs to keep his elbows in. Yes, Benn needs to be more careful with his stick. Yes, Rantanen needs to stop commiting potentially dangerous stick fouls.
Yes, Foligno should have been suspended for WWE'ing Thomas Harley's head into the turnbuckle and then pounding his head into the ground for good measure as they fell.
All of these things can be true at once in a realism-based world.
However, a reporter blatantly lying while having a platform that connects him with 100's of thousands of fans who willfully believe his falsehoods is beyond anything approaching real journalism.
I didn't think a fanbase could be more blindly ovine at following their gingoistic shepherd's staff than Blues fans, but here we are.
It's like facts don't matter anymore. Maybe Russo can just ask AI to fabricate an AI video showing what he is fabricating in his own mind.
Heck, Russo could post that fake video Tweet right beside the, entirely made up, AI-fabricated female hostage story in Iran. The remarkable story of one single man who (only in his decrepit mind) saved eight non-existent human beings from certain execution.
Russo is right. You can't make this stuff up. But here we are...
Stars in 6.
How is this guy a professional beat reporter? Sheesh. 🙄
I came here to point out that I have yet to see this supposed Duchene punch that Russo is claiming. So thanks for making it first in full detail