Monday Links - Line Brawl Central

BLUES NEWS:

• Billy Plager, the youngest of the famed Plager Brothers, passed away early yesterday morning at the age of 70. Stick-taps to you, sir. [SLGT FanShots]
• The Blues seem to think they're gripping their sticks too tight. Personally, I seem to think they're playing like shit. But who am I to tell them that? I'm not the coach, after all. That's his job. Isn't it . . . ? [In the Slot / Lou Korac]
• Anyway. Jaden Schwartz resumed skating yesterday. He still isn't expected to return until after the All-Star break. [StL Today / Morning Skate]

KNOW YOUR ENEMY--THE OTTAWA SENATORS:

• For all the news and fan views on the Senators, you'll want to check out Silver Seven. [Silver Seven]
• They couldn't beat Those Fuckers Up North last night. A high-scoring team, the Sens have been shut out in two consecutive games. (Sound familiar?) [Ottawa Citizen]

SCORES AND SCHEDULE:

• Four games on Sunday. Defense was optional in Brooklyn yesterday. [NHL.com 01/03/2016]
• Five games tonight. There's that one in St. Louis that may or may not turn out well. [NHL.com 01/04/2016]

HOCKEY NEWS:

• John Scott goes to the 2016 All-Star Game as the punchline to a hockey joke. [The Sporting News]
• Lightning(s) forward Jonathan Drouin (through his agent) requested a trade from the Bolts over a month ago. Allan Walsh, always protecting the best interests of his clients! [Puck Daddy]
• The Panthers are hotter than . . . well, Miami. [SB Nation]
• University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux Shitsipping Crybabies Fighting Hawks forward Drake Caggiula absolutely fucking owned some poor Alabama-Huntsville power play point man on this shortie. [CBS Sports Eye on Hockey]
• A "suspicious man" in an off-site employee parking lot had swords, a meat cleaver and a stun gun in his vehicle by Gillette Stadium on Friday, the day of the Winter Classic. Well well well. [USA Today]
• Before their game with Ottawa, the Blackhawks officially loaned defenseman David Rundblad to the ZSC Lions of the Swiss League. This is better known as "That Team With Auston Matthews". Also, remember when Rundblad was traded for the pick that became Vladimir Tarasenko? Fun to win a trade . . . occasionally. [TSN]
• Then DURING their game with Ottawa, the Blackhawks traded Jeremy Morin to the Maple Leafs for Richard Panik. Seems like an overpay both ways. Which . . . yeah, that doesn't seem right, but for real, it might be. [Sportsnet]

OTHER SHIT:

• The Dolphins did my Broncos a solid yesterday, but in doing so, they made their own owner look like a bumbling turd in the owner's box. [SB Nation / #Lookit]
• A human's leg is not supposed to bend like that. And we wonder why NFL careers are so short, eh? [Deadspin]
• Schools are testing out the Finnish model of giving kids more recesses in school. Will it work? [nprED]
• Someone made a model of Bright Tree Village (AKA the Ewok Village) from Return of the Jedi . . . out of Legos! (Yub Nub!) [Nerdist]
• 25 facts about San Jose, apart from "It has hosted exactly as many Stanley Cup champion teams as St. Louis". [Mental Floss]
• It's winter, which means it's Polar Bear Plunge season! [Y! / AP]
• Bills kicker Dan Carpenter, a Montana alum, may not be the smartest tool in the box. [Deadspin / Screengrabber]

BEER OF THE DAY:

• It doesn't matter if you call 'em Scotch Ales or Wee Heavy's . . . you'll want to try the Snow & Tell from Kansas City's own Boulevard Brewing, if you can find it near you. It is durn tasty. [Untappd]

VIDEOS:

So, while Hildy was looking for a fitting video for Billy Plager, she found a couple Blues-Rangers brawls from the 70's and sent them along to me. And boy, were they humdingers:

Back when players had respect for the game and each other!

I guess respect was earned by seeing how many times you could get punched in the face without wanting to fight back.

As you saw, Hoosier Blue is back in service. He's scheduled for tomorrow's Links Factory shift. BluesMay returns Wednesday. I'm back Friday.