"A Simple Case of Color Blindness"

LE COUPE DE STANLEY - The regular season has been completed. The 16-team playoff table has now been set. The Stanley Cup playoffs kicked off Wednesday, Apr. 11. It’s the best two months in all of sport, where every shift, every check and every play matters.

In the Eastern Conference, the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets and New Jersey Devils are all in it. As of this date Philadelphia and New Jersey have begun their summer vacations.

In the Western Conference, the Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights, Minnesota Wild, Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche all advanced. Colorado, Minnesota, Anaheim and Los Angeles have already been given the Queen of Spades.

The Los Angeles Kings were swept out of the tournament by a team that did not exist a year ago. The Anaheim Ducks were swept by a team they had passed in the Pacific Division standings during a late-season surge that fizzled when the playoffs began.

The 82-game regular season is essentially a rehearsal for the playoffs, when three-on-three overtime and the gimmicky shootout are replaced by unlimited, never-fraying, sudden-death play. There is nothing like the two-month test of will and pain thresholds, all to earn a slice of immortality and get your name etched on the Stanley Cup.

As we enter the second rounds of the Stanley Cup tournament, perhaps now is a good time to update our readers on the fine art of How to Talk Like a Hockey Player - Possibly more than any other sport, there is a unique culture that surrounds hockey. It’s a tightly knit group that is as dedicated to their sport as any in the world. As a result of this relationship, a unique corresponding ‘hockey slang’ has developed among players to describe hockey-specific things or events. If you’re not a member of the community, you would be clueless as to what hockey players are talking about when they use some of their off the wall terms.

Below you will find the common terms of hockey player lingo.

Barn: rink or arena.

Barn Burner: used to describe a game that is high scoring, fast paced, and exciting to watch.

Beauty/Beautician: a player on the team that’s talented both on the ice and off and loved by the rest of the team. Typically has great flow, great hands, can wheel ladies off the ice (see below), and always has some good locker room stories.

Biscuit: the puck.

Chiclets: teeth, usually used when describing the lack thereof for certain players.

Chirp: trash talk, directed toward an opponent, their bench or the refs.

Clapper: a slap shot, in reference to someone with a powerful slap shot or a slap shot that results in a goal.

Coast to Coast: a goal scored when a player starts the play near his own net.

Facewash: When a player sticks his gloves, palms first, into an opponent’s face just to annoy him.

Fishbowl: a helmet with a full plastic shield instead of a cage. Typically used as an insult in trash talk. Opinions vary widely on fishbowls, but if you wear one you’re likely one of the best players on the ice, or the worst.

Flow: great hockey hair, typically long that flows out of the helmet when the player skates.

For the Boys/FTB: used to describe any actions that the rest of the team enjoys or when a player makes a sacrifice for the team.

Gordie Howe Hat Trick: when players scores a goal, gets an assist and is in a fight, all in the same game.

Grinder: a player that populates the lower lines or lower pairings. Has hands of stone, but is physical and works hard when he’s out on the ice. Usually beloved by the rest of the team.

Grocery Stick: a player that sits on the bench the whole game between the forwards and defense, acting like a separator like the checkout line at the store. Also a duster, and maybe a bender.

Hey Hazzie, you shoot da puck pretty fair: The player has a hard and heavy shot. (Jacques Martin)

Hoser: another name for a loser, typically intended as an insult in trash talk. Comes from the early hockey days when the losing team had to hose down the ice with water after the game because the Zamboni had not been invented yet.

Jesus H Christ, maybe you haven’t seen my ID: I am your new roommate. (Bill “The Breeder” Reid).

Light the Lamp: to score a goal, in reference to the red light that goes on behind the net.

Lip Sweater: mustache, typically grown out during the month of November for the “Movember” cause to support male health issues.

Lumber: a hockey stick, named when sticks used to be made of wood.

Playmaker: a player known for great stickhandling and passing, not necessarily scoring.

Pylon: a player that is extremely slow out on the ice, and can easily be skated around. Likely a big guy. See: Mike Rathje, Derian Hatcher.

Ride the Pine: when a player spends the entire game sitting in the bench, and not getting any playing time. Usually reserved for benders and dusters.

The Show: the NHL, used in the context of “making it to The Show”.

Sieve: an awful goalie that has many holes to shoot through.

Snipe: a powerful or well-placed shot that results in a pretty goal. Every bar down shot is a snipe, but not every snipe goes bar down.

Simple case of color blindness: Player makes a pass to a member of the other team. (Howie Meeker)

Where Mama Keeps the Peanut Butter: goal scored in the uppermost part of the net.

You da da eh bye: No idea what this means??? (Paul “Caper” Gallagher)

Hockey player jargon is an ever-evolving language. Certain words will cease to be used, and new ones will become popular. But with this list as your basis, you’ll have at least have a simple understanding of hockey talk.

Enjoy the playoffs: The Swami has Nashville winning the Cup over Pittsburgh.

BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK – Birthday wishes and thoughts this week to Gene H. ….famous Father; Ashley Judd (50) Lexington, KY.; Joe Z. ….famous Jacob Javits Republican; Queen Elizabeth II (92) London, England.

POTUS WEEK -

•          Monday: Trump has lunch with Mike Pence. Trump and the First Lady host Macron and the French First Lady for a private dinner at Mt. Vernon.

•          Tuesday: Meetings all day with Macron. Trump has lunch with Defense Secretary James Mattis, and that evening hosts the Macrons for a state dinner.

•          Thursday: Trump and the First Lady host the "Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride." Trump will also welcome the press corps' children to the White House for "Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day."

•          Friday: Trump hosts Team USA — U.S. Olympic athletes — at the White House. He also hosts German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

COLLEGE CHRONICLES - High-school graduation rates continue to rise, but a new study by the Center for American Progress found that in 46 states a high-school diploma isn’t enough to qualify students to attend a public university.

A survey released on last week found that 36 percent of college and university students don’t have enough to eat, and nearly the same share don’t have a secure place to live, The Washington Post reports.

BOFA, CORNELL TEAM UP - Bank of America and Cornell University are joining forces to boost women entrepreneurs. At Thursday's session of the World Bank Group-IMF spring meeting, BofA Vice Chairman Anne Finucane announced the launch of the Bank of America Institute for Women's Entrepreneurship at Cornell, an "online learning portal that provides women entrepreneurs the skills, knowledge and resources to build, manage and scale a successful business."

Women are starting their own businesses at record rates, with nearly 11.6 million businesses bringing in more than $1.7 trillion in revenue annually. "Our signature collaboration with Cornell University demonstrates how we continue to deploy capital and invest in partnerships that advance women entrepreneurs and building thriving economies," Finucane added. BofA also invests in women by way of its Small Business Banking and Global Wealth and Investment Management businesses.

MARKET WEEK – The threat of a more restrictive U.S. trade policy is already having an impact on the economy, a development that stands to keep investors on edge after a period of stock market volatility.

President Donald Trump's announced tariffs on steel and aluminum, as well as his threat of further tariffs aimed at China, are driving up the cost of steel, according to the Federal Reserve's Beige Book of economic anecdotes from across the central bank's 12 districts, released Wednesday.

The Fed wrote: "There were widespread reports that steel prices rose, sometimes dramatically, due to the new tariff." That contrasted with the otherwise moderate pace of price increases.

It's not just economists watching for the impact of tariffs. When Mr. Trump announced the new trade policies last month, the stock market sold off sharply as investors fretted about an escalating back-and-forth between the U.S. and China. The market only recovered as those fears died down.

Now, the Beige Book shows, a firm in the Boston district reported that, "'thin gauge foil' is produced only in China and tariffs raised the price three-fold; the contact argued that 'these tariffs are now killing high-paying American manufacturing jobs and businesses.'"

Investors are predominantly worried that a trade war could drive up prices of goods or weigh on consumer confidence, both of which could hit companies and their share prices.

"If things got a little bit tit-for-tat, then there are, obviously, risks at a minimum that we need to be attentive to," said Martin Anstice, chief executive officer at Lam Research Corp., in a call with analysts this week. Mr. Anstice, whose Fremont, Calif.-based semiconductor company does some business in China, said his company hasn't seen an impact yet.

But there are broader concerns that an escalation of tariffs could hamper economic growth, an outcome that would further unnerve investors who are already on edge. Responding to an audience question at a speech on Wednesday, Federal Reserve Bank of New York President William Dudley said, "A tariff war would be a terrible, terrible outcome."

SWAMI’S WEEK TOP PICKS –

MLB Game of the Week – New York Yankees (11-9) at Los Angeles Angels (14-8), The Yanks come to town, Angels win 5 – 4.

Kentucky Derby - Bolt d'Oro To Win.

March 10 at Santa Anita saw one of the most thrilling finishes thus far on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Bolt d’Oro and McKinzie, two top Derby contenders, locked in a head-to-head stretch duel in the San Felipe Stakes (G2). McKinzie crossed the finish line first, but was disqualified following a stewards inquiry and placed second, making Bolt d’Oro the winner of the 1 1/16-mile race.

Bolt d’Oro earned 50 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby (G1) with the victory, and secured his spot in the starting gate for the Run for the Roses on May 5 at Churchill Downs. Bolt d’Oro won for the fourth time in five starts, which includes a pair of Grade 1 wins.

Season to Date (14 - 8)

ON THIS DATE - The old Tiger Stadium in Detroit and Fenway Park in Boston had their debuts 106 years ago, while the Chicago Cubs played their first game at what is now Wrigley Field 102 years ago.

DRIVING THE WEEK - Big week for European visitors to the White House. French President Emmanuel Macron arrives Monday for dinner followed by bilateral meetings, a joint press conference and the first State Dinner of Trump's presidency on Tuesday night. The Iran nuclear deal, and Macron's hopes to save it, will be high on the discussion list ... German Chancellor Angela Merkel visits the White House on Friday.

The American Bankers Association holds its annual summit, April 23-25, featuring remarks from Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), Reps. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) and Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Mo.) and Comptroller of the Currency Joseph Otting. ... Senate Finance has a hearing at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday on the tax bill ...

House Financial Services subcommittee has a hearing Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. on HUD and rental insurance ... House Energy and Commerce subcommittee has a hearing on Thursday at 10:15 a.m. on CFIUS.

BARBARA BUSH (1925-2018) - Barbara Bush was remembered as the 'first lady of the Greatest Generation' during a funeral Saturday attended by four former U.S. presidents and hundreds of other people who filled a Houston church with laughter as much as tears, with many recalling her quick wit and devotion to family. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush joked that his mother called her style of raising him and his siblings '"a benevolent dictatorship" - but honestly, it wasn't always benevolent.'

"She was widely admired for her plainspoken style during her husband George H.W. Bush's presidency and was known as 'The Enforcer' in her high-powered family. Jeb Bush said he could feel her presence Saturday inside the nation's largest Episcopal church and that she would likely have given him advice: 'Jeb, keep it short. Don't drag this out,' he said to chuckles.”

"He met her expectations with a speech lasting about seven minutes . He choked up at one point while addressing the roughly 1,500 people seated inside St. Martin's Episcopal Church, where his parents regularly worshipped, when saying his mother - known for her self-deprecating remarks about her wrinkles and white-gray hair - was 'beautiful' until the very end."

Invited to Barbara Bush's funeral was the owner of her favorite pizza restaurant. She wanted to include people who were a part of her life and she loved their restaurant. It was not all big names but all very important people to her.

A slice of history: a gathering of presidents and first ladies come together for Barbara Bush's funeral services.

Next Blog: Dear Rink Rats and identity politics.

Until next time, Adios

Claremont, California

April 23, 2018

#VIII-26-368

CARTOON OF THE WEEK – Tax Season Is Over, The New Yorker