Wednesday Links - Oh, Hello Chicago!

Fuck Chicago.

BLUES NEWS:

• The Blues and Blackhawks square off for the first time since December tonight, and it'll be nationally-televised. Yes, an actual RIVALRY on Wednesday Night Rivalry! Shocking! That and more from Lou. [In The Slot / Lou Korac]
• DanGNR wanted me to remind you all that there will be a SLGT GDT at Cousin Hugo's in Maplewood. Be there! Drink beer! Eat food! Make LOUD NOISES! Oh . . . and Fuck Chicago. [THIS HAS BEEN A LINKLESS PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT]
• Apparently, Jets coach Paul Maurice was all pissy-pants about David Backes getting awarded a goal on the empty-net breakaway because, essentially, "it wasn't a penalty". Well, it WAS a penalty, and because the infraction was judged to occur when he had a step ahead of the defender, he was awarded a penalty shot, and since there was no goalie in the net, by rule, David Backes--instead of being awarded a penalty shot--was awarded a goal. So fuck you, Paul. Hildy says as much without . . . well, the saltiness. [SLGT]
• Also . . . this recap of the 100-plus minutes worth of penalties logged by the Blues and Jets on Monday that ended up costing Chris Porter a goal is pretty good, apart perhaps from the unneeded dig at Maxim Lapierre (I mean, seriously, look at who was on the ice for the Jets and who everyone ELSE squared off with . . . who in THE fuck else is Lappy gonna pair up with . . . Dustin Byfuglien? Fuckin' please, man.) (S/T to CrossCheckRaise) [The Hockey News]
• St. Louis Game Time: The Paper was a bit late in getting out Monday night. A reader had his theories and posted his Top 11 Reasons why. Good on ya, dvdvrhs. [SLGT FanPosts]
• Also, I completely forgot to mention this yesterday in my drunken stupor ahead of links-posting . . . but the Blues signed 2013 draft pick Thomas Vannelli to an entry-level deal Monday. B-Dubs has more. [SLGT]

KNOW YOUR ENEMY--THE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS:

• Two sites to point you toward for Blackhawks news tonight . . . first, SBN has Second City Hockey. [Second City Hockey]
• Second, but certainly not least, check out the gang at The Committed Indian, who are about as drunk and surly as we are. [The Committed Indian]
• The Blackhawks will be coming off an overtime loss last night to the suddenly-hot Flyers, giving up a goal to Claude Giroux with five ticks left in overtime. Fuck Chicago. McClure's recap. [The Committed Indian]
• Tonight's game is for the Conference III Title Belt, as the Blues claimed that Wednesday over the Jets (and J.R. will have a Tale Of The Tape at CIII later this morning) . . . [III Communication]
• . . . but the loser gets the Conference III Crown of Shit, which the Blackhawks have held since before the All-Star Olympic Break. [III Communication]

HOCKEY NEWS:

• Ten games last night, and all ended in finals. Boy, some of these scores . . . [NHL.com 03/18/14]
• Four games tonight. Bet you only care about one. (Though, surely, you may also want to see what happens in that Avalanche(s)-Jets game.) [NHL.com 03/19/14]
• How do you determine if an NHL goal actually counts? Megalodon over at the Battle of California has unearthed a handy dandy flow chart. [Battle of California]
• Missed this yesterday . . . Ryan Lambert makes the case for the Bruins giving Zdeno Chara a bit of rest down the stretch in his What We Learned piece. [Puck Daddy]
• This Toronto columnist doesn't believe the NHL is expanding. But of course he doesn't. But I'm telling you, the only way you're ever going to get me to like Gary Bettman for a few minutes is by putting a team in Seattle. HEAR ME, GARY?! [Globe & Mail]
• Y'know, maybe it's time to stop paying attention to . . . oh, I dunno . . . EVERYTHING Ken Campbell writes. Though I tell ya, his columns work as SPECTACULAR cannon fodder. Right, Greg Wyshynski? [Puck Daddy]
• The NHL is considering a system to eliminate teams "tanking" for a high pick with changes to its' draft lottery. I, for one, would welcome this. That and more in Elliotte Friedman's always-great 30 Thoughts piece. [CBC]
• The Wild(s), who possess former Islanders forwards Matt Moulson and Nino Niederreiter, destroyed the Long Island representatives last night. And they chanted "WE WANT MOULSON!" by game's end (Well, he DID score two goals in the game). Things are NOT good on the Isle. [Puck Daddy]
• The KHL and Donbass Donetsk, the league's lone Ukrainian team, have finally OFFICIALLY determined it unsafe to play home games there. Well gee, I coulda told 'em that. [R-Sport]

OTHER SHIT:

• This can happen. At the gas station at the place I work at, a few months ago they accidentally put diesel fuel in the unleaded tank. So yeah, that's gonna fuck up some engines. [Y! Odd News]
• The first two games of the NCAA Basketball Tournament were played last night and two more will be played tonight before the insanity REALLY begins on Thursday. Last night's results . . . North Carolina State defeated Xavier and advance to play the Saint Louis University Billikens (GO BILLS!) while Albany defeated Mt. St. Mary's and advance to (PROBABLY) get slaughtered by Florida. [SB Nation]
• Speaking of basketball . . . former Illinois assistant Jimmy Collins had his career virtually destroyed by Bruce Pearl, who accepted the head basketball coaching position at Auburn yesterday. Collins has moved on and says he's not surprised, but boy, I'm still pissed with Pearl. Here's the full story on Pearl's "first con job" (and a look at why I will never, EVER root for a team coached by him). [Deadspin]
• Why are we obsessed with Game of Thrones? This writer gives two strong reasons. But I give one reason . . . Why the fuck not? [io9]

VIDEOS:

First, a compilation of drunk people doing stupid shit. Or as I called it when I was in college . . . Friday. (S/T to Childhood Trauma):

*FACEPLANT*

Next, the greatest Denver Broncos vlogger of all fucking time. (S/T to my cousin Seth, who said he thought of me when he sent me this yesterday):

Yep. This is totally how I'd do a vlog if I were a Broncos vlogger. Instead, I podcast and write links. Wooooooo!

Send links and videos or go fuck yourself #TeamSheikie:

• gtdonutking AT gmail DOT com
• @KingDonutI

Not sure if you heard this earlier, so I'll say it again . . . Fuck Chicago.

Also, check us out later for news and notes on tonight's game. And Beyond Checkerdome Episode 35, which comes out this afternoon.

And . . . Fuck Chicago.

LET'S GO BLUES.