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↪ turkeytalk: I am inclined to agree. Everett used to have the legs to generate breakaways on his own, but I don’t see him finessing his way through people the way he used to back in 2016. But…Baptiste is still passing to him?? Like is this just a Novak vs Everett deal or is Baptiste a sleeper agent waiting?

↪ gobblegoals: watching LHB the past few months, I think he is at heart a playmaker. when he’s given the freedom to play his style, he does very well. he will make the best play regardless of outside factors (possible trade, trying to clinch a playoff spot, teammates with stupid bets, etc). so when the right play is to pass, he passes. if the right play is to shoot, he shoots.

↪ turkeytalk: So what you’re saying is Everett walks away with the W on this contest?

↪ gobblegoals: it’s a goal-scoring contest. yes. always yes. it’s Dylan fucking Everett.

abqturkeysnhl (December 1, 2023): The Turkeys have won again!! They beat the Calgary Cowfolk 2-0, both goals from Captain Dylan Everett The Turkeys are 2-0-1 on their road trip so far. Let’s keep the points rolling in!

↪ gobblegoals: told y’all. Never bet against my boy Everett re: goals.

↪ turkeytalk: There are still two games left. He’s tied with Novak. Baptiste has no goals.

abqturkeysnhl (December 3, 2023): The Turkeys have lost in Edmonton to the Mounties 4-7. The Turkeys round out their road trip in three nights versus the Manitoba Aviators.

↪ gobblegoals: how the fuck you lose a game where you score four goals?? like I understand that the other team scored seven (and holy crap, seven!?) but for real that’s insane. if you’d told me the Turkeys were going to score four times I’d assume a win.

↪ turkeytalk: Agreed, but you also need to take into account where those goals came from - all four were from the top line. Everett with 1, Baptiste with an exceptional 2 goals including a PPG, and Novak with one when they pulled the goalie (also insane - who pulls the goalie when you’re down by four in the regular season?). The other lines were nonexistent. You can’t win games long term if all four lines aren’t producing.

↪ gobblegoals: talk about insane - I thought that line had a bet to see who could score more. Everett’s the obvious choice, and yet they’re still passing to him?? like his goal in the first period was off of a B E A U T I F U L feed from LHB. And you expect Everett to take that shot when they go empty net, but he FAKES the shot to set up Novak for a goal. like they’re SUPPOSED to be playing selfish hockey but they’re not???

↪ turkeytalk: I have no idea if the bet thing is even true or what the terms are, but whatever’s going on, it’s sparked something in that top line and I am HERE for it. This whole bet is win-win-win, though I guess technically two of them will lose.

abqturkeysnhl (December 6, 2023): Last game of the road trip starts in an hour! Watch as Luc-Henri Baptiste announces the starting lineup in the locker room in French. Bonne chance, Turkeys!

[Video attached of Henri announcing player names with a heavy French accent.]

↪ luc-henri-sourit: je l’adore - mon dindon est enfin content

↪ gobblegoals: your WHAT!?

↪ luc-henri-sourit: dindon =

↪ gobblegoals: French is so weird and I love that for LHB, Monsieur Dindon

turkeytalk (December 6, 2023): After two periods, the Turkeys and Aviators are tied at 2-2. Both goals for the Turkeys are from Everett. For those who are tracking for the alleged Everett-Baptiste-Novak goal bet, that puts them at 5, 2, and 3 respectively.

↪ gobblegoals: this bet is crazy. there is no way that Baptiste or Novak could independently go head-to-head with Everett for goals, but then I thought….maybe it’s a combo? like LHB + Novak vs Everett? if so, they’re tied with 20 minutes left in the game…

↪ turkeytalk: omfg what if it IS Baptiste/Novak. That would be epic and much more on brand for Everett to want a “fair” contest. I’m gonna grab my popcorn for this nail biter. Do you think they’ll extend the bet if they leave Manitoba tied??

Henri won the face-off. He passed it back to Knox at the point and rushed into position. The Turkeys had a late power play opportunity against the Aviators. This was their chance.

Henri’s job was to hover near the boards near the right circle, there to grab loose pucks and feed them to the appropriate spot. There was Knox up at the blue line, Everett across the zone in the opposite circle, Novak up front to screen/harass the goalie, and lately it’d been Friedman in a bumper position, floating wherever he needed to go to make things open up. Henri had just gotten to His Spot when the puck got sent to him by Knox.

The Aviators were a good team with a bad penalty kill. Henri stickhandled as he considered his options, occasionally skating away from the pressure. The Aviators were too cautious, too scared of making a mistake so late in the game. If the Turkeys scored—Henri checked the scoreboard—with less than four minutes left, the game was likely over.

They didn’t attack as much as they had earlier, and Henri took full advantage. He liked this, when the puck was on his stick and the whole arena was waiting on him. It had used to feel like a huge burden, but on a line as stacked as this power play, it was a gift. He could take his time, think things through.

Novak was pushing and shoving in front of the crease. He was pretty good with deflections, but Henri wasn’t sure he could get a clean shot on net. If Henri decided to race out to the mid-slot, he could probably get that opportunity. That was a good plan, since it gave them three chances to score: Henri’s initial shot, Novak on the tip, and then Novak again on a rebound.

Knox was also open at the point. He had a much harder shot than Henri, though he tended to shoot high. Again, three scoring chances counting Novak working low.

Friedman was a gamble. He wasn’t on the power play to score. He was there because he moved a lot. He drew defenders, he created havoc, he made space for the rest of them. If there was a chance to pass to him, it was fleeting, and he would usually just pass it right back to Henri. No, Friedman wasn’t here to score. He was here because he was the perfect distraction. He made the other team forget that Dylan Everett was on the ice.

It was insanely dangerous to ignore Dylan Everett on the power play. Henri didn’t know the stats off the top of his head, but he knew Everett was in the top ten, possibly top five of all time power play goals. He was a generational talent with a skillset that mostly consisted of scoring goals. Lots and lots of goals. Again and again, on every goalie who’d ever suited up against him. And he was currently completely unguarded, standing sixty feet away and barely moving a muscle, as though hoping he remained invisible to the other team.

There wasn’t much of a passing lane. The Aviators weren’t snatching the puck from Henri, but they were actively closing off his path to the rest of his team. If he could just find the right opportunity to set Everett up…