Blue Jays

Sportsnet gears up for Blue Jays-NHL bonanza | The Star
"It’s a great problem to have," says Scott Moore, president of Sportsnet and Rogers NHL Properties. "It’ll be fun. There are some challenges, but I’ve been through the October schedule and I’m very confident we’ll be able to give viewers what they want."

At long last, Blue Jays back in playoffs after snapping lengthy drought | SI
"The longest playoff drought in the four major North American sports leagues no longer belongs to the Toronto Blue Jays. Via a fluke of the schedule, the Blue Jays actually clinched a playoff berth Friday night, but they made it official Saturday afternoon with a 10–8 win over the Rays." -- You're welcome, ok?

Blue Jays' new additions integral to playoff berth | ESPN
"David Price, acquired from the Detroit Tigers at midseason, has a 2.30 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP with the Blue Jays while compiling a 9-1 record." -- Yeah, but what's his Nae Nae?

Jose Bautista hits 2 home runs, Jays beat Rays | BBB
Because you can't say it over there: FUCK YEAH!

Who's up, Who's down: Blue Jays Batters | BBB
Neat.

Maple Leafs

Recap: Pre Habs 1, Pre Leafs 0 | PPP
"Quite frankly, this was a boring game. Apart from a couple good shifts by the Nylander line and one or two rushes from Gardiner, this Leafs team struggled to create much offensively, and since the Habs did too, this one turned into a bit of a sedative." -- I'll trade you this for the Tampa-Stars high event game that kinda proved that we'll use Gudlevskis and not Emery as backup. I'll let you look up the score yourselves.

Mike Babcock on quest to get Maple Leafs back to 'rightful place' | AP
This was a weird AP article with bad pacing that anyone in here could've written better. The funny part is that the Detroit headline for the same AP piece was, "Babcock and Leafs still adjusting to each other." Mhm.

Phaneuf takes first-round pick Mitch Marner under his wing | National Post
"For him to come up right away and introduce himself to me was kind of special," Marner said. "He said he’s always going to be there for me and help me out whenever I need it. It’s special having that kind of bond with a captain of an NHL team."

Easy decision for Shawn Matthias to join Maple Leafs | Toronto Sun
"Toronto was already on my list of teams to go to, but talking to (Babcock) and just seeing how much he wants to win ... that’s what it’s all about," the big forward said of his summer free-agent choice.

J.J. Piccinich – Toronto Maple Leafs OHL Prospect Preview | MLHS
"Unfortunately, last season turned out to be a tough one for Piccinich and his development. He suffered a fate not uncommon for many NCAA freshmen on high-end college teams."

Other NHL News

Brent Seabrook, Blackhawks strike 8-year contract extension | CBC.ca
Oooookay.

Robins hopes to turn concussion into positive | CSNNE.com
"The cruel hand of fate unfortunately stepped into Robins’ NHL dream as its wont to do and quickly transformed his personal success story into a dark, forbidding nightmare."

NHL coaches, players must adjust to wide-open nature of 3-on-3 overtime | Chicago Tribune
"In practice, 3-on-3 looks nothing like traditional hockey. The ice is about as wide open as Packers receivers against the Bears secondary, significantly more so than 4-on-4, with odd-man rushes the norm."

Stralman and family get a happily ever after with the Lightning | TBTimes
This is a lovely article by my pal Joe at the Times. It feels incredibly hopeful for people who suffer from respiratory issues.

Online Bullying

Five Tips For Dealing with Cyberbullies:

  • Don't respond. Don't retaliate.
  • Save all evidence. Never delete any communications. Be sure to keep electronic copies and print-outs in case things escalate. Keep records of ISP and law enforcement contacts. Do not alter the electronic communications.
  • If the person who is harassing you continues this behavior, contact their Internet Service Provider (ISP).
  • Save all information that contains even a hint of a threat and contact law enforcement
  • Block the harasser after you have made copies of all communication./

From The Branches