Christmas Links - Christmas In Killarney

Merry Goddamn Christmas to you all.

BLUES NEWS:

• Looking at whether or not Doug Armstrong actually IS the right GM for the Blues. [SLGT FanPosts]
• Taking a deeper look at the reasons to fire Ken Hitchcock and whether or not they're valid. [SLGT]
• Taking a look at Jake Allen, one of the best Blues goaltenders in a while, according to one staffer. [SLGT]
• The win at Boston was "just what the Blues needed". Still gave up a ton of shots, but okay! [In the Slot / Lou Korac]
• Confidence. Sure. I guess that's what you could call winning four of your last five while playing, for the most part, like shit. [StL Today]
• Because he's bleeding motherfucking insane, Bruins broadcaster Jack Edwards sang "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" while Ryan Reaves and Tyler Randell (#PeopleNamedTylerSuckAtSports) fought Tuesday. [SB Nation]

HOCKEY NEWS:

• No games yesterday. No games today. Merry Goddamn Christmas.
• We may some day be able to regrow lost teeth. Rejoice, hockey players! (S/T to CrossCheckRaise) [Mental Floss]
• Ryan Lambert takes on Steven Stamkos, All-Star voting, outdoor hockey weather and more in his Puck Daddy Countdown for the week. [Puck Daddy]
• Some dickheads over in Switzerland decided throwing rocks at a hockey team's bus was a good idea. [CBS Sports Eye on Hockey]
• P.K. Subban is the best. [USA Today / For the Win!]
• SCOC takes a look at the Team USA squad for the World Junior Championships, set to kick off in Helsinki, Finland tomorrow. [Stanley Cup of Chowder]
• Meanwhile, Steve Dangle takes a look at Team Canada, USA's first opponent in that tournament. [Sportsnet]
• A generational talent on a team that can't do much in the playoffs . . . gee, where have we seen this before? Oh, right. Anyway, this is regarding the Senators and Erik Karlsson, actually. [TSN]

OTHER SHIT:

• Just what exactly ARE the "Twelve Days of Christmas", anyway? [Mental Floss]
• A new slogan for Alaska: "America's Amsterdam, Except Colder". [NPR Business]
• Add Illinois to the list of states (now eight of them, by the way) declaring daily fantasy sports as a form of gambling and therefore illegal in its' current form. [Deadspin]
• Lightsaber wiper blades? Oh fuck yes. (By the way, the wife and I saw Episode VII on Wednesday night and IT IS AMAZING.) [Nerdist]
• The NFL is violent enough . . . getting a possible concussion after slipping in the shower? Yikes. [SB Nation / #Lookit]
• "See? It's a tree!" "Nice try, pal, we know where you bought it." [Y! / AP]

BEER OF THE DAY:

• The Nutcracker Ale, a Winter Warmer from the incredible Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City. Slàinte mhaith and Merry Christmas! [Untappd]

VIDEO:

The weather in Missouri is kinda reminding me of what "Christmas In Killarney" would be like, so . . . here are The Irish Rovers singing it:

Drink up!

BluesMay returns tomorrow. I return Sunday AND Monday.

And sorry for the Beyond Checkerdome delay. We hit a . . . non-technical snag. Episode 111 is recorded, though, and it will be headed your way later this morning.