I'm watching the College Football Playoff and have my eyes on the Miami Hurricanes. They're facing the Texas A&M Aggies, who are part of a football conference that Romeo, Michigan, absolutely adores: the SEC. You'd think that the conference was the greatest thing since sliced bread, considering how Disney hypes them up.
Well, the Hurricanes had a fourth-quarter lead, 10-3. Sure, the Aggies were driving. But the Big Ten has the last two championships. Ohio State and Michigan have carried the load, with the conference looking to win three straight. As I'm watching the game...
Sorry, Mickey Mouse. But your biases have no power here. The ACC just beat you in the College Football Playoff.
Anyways, it's too early to be thinking about the playoffs in the hockey world. Anything can happen in the upcoming months, whether it's a hot team emerging or a sudden collapse. Here's hoping that it doesn't happen in Las Vegas and that it plagues a city like... Edmonton. Yeah, sounds about right.
Let's look at what's happening around the league and see where the Golden Knights stand. That includes Vegas validating itself as the "Greater Expansion Story" by remaining atop the Pacific Division and some disheartening news.
Shea Theodore and Jack Eichel are dealing with injuries, which hurts the Vegas Golden Knights
In case you haven't heard, the Vegas Golden Knights were dealt a bad hand this week (like me). They lost Jack Eichel to a savage illness, keeping him off the Alberta road trip. But that's not all.
Shea Theodore is out on a week-to-week basis with an upper-body injury. That's a massive hit for the blue line, considering that he's done well on both ends of the ice. You lose 16 assists and more offense alongside William Karlsson, hurting your depth in the process.
The "Greater Expansion Story" deals Mason Marchment as the Seattle Kraken wave the white flag
On a positive note for Golden Knights fans, it appears that the Seattle Kraken are waving the white flag. They sent Mason Marchment to the Columbus Blue Jackets for two draft picks, signaling that the "Greater Expansion Story" resides in Las Vegas.
Entering Saturday's slate of games, the Kraken were dead-last in the Pacific Division with 30 points. That's even worse than the Calgary Flames (32) and the Quinn Hughes-less Vancouver Canucks (31). One has to wonder if Ron Francis was truly in over his head with taking the ol' "Howard Lincoln" approach.
The Anaheim Ducks get throttled by the Dallas Stars on Friday
Vegas's biggest rival for the Pacific Division crown got mollywapped on Friday. No, we're not talking about the Edmonton Oilers, although Golden Knights fans wish that were the case. It was the Anaheim Ducks, who lost to the Dallas Stars, 8-3.
What's more is that the Stars had as many shots on goal as the Ducks (25). Suddenly, Anaheim has lost four of its last five games, leaving fans in Disneyland wonder if this is the same ol' Ducks again. Whatever the case, Golden Knights fans are hoping that momentum carries over through the weekend.
It would lessen the blow of the injuries that Vegas has sustained this season. That's especially true with that dreaded month looming large... January.