Tilting at Windmills: May 2025

Friday, May 30, 2025

The annual ignore-it-if-you-want hockey post

So this year I made a more determined effort both to keep track of our stats, as well as mine as far back as I could for records I had at least part of. If you don't want to know what's going on, I understand. If for some odd reason you do, for the last several years, our family has competed with our international hockey teams. I don't adjust for relative strengths or different 'standings point' situations. I just call a win a win and a loss a loss, and make up the standings baseball-style. Everybody's equal in the Martin Hockey league. I have managed to gather our records as far back as the (2017-)2018 season, and our record holders are thus, along with this years' winners.

Mike Bossy Award (most goals, North America)

2018- Matthew Phillips, Victoria (WHL, Laurie), 55. Matthew spent last season with Colorado of the AHL.

2019- Justin Brazeau, North Bay (OHL, KC), 62. He spent this year in the NHL with Boston and Minnesota.

2020- Auston Matthews, Toronto (NHL, KC), 47.

2021- Matthews, 41.

2022- Matthews, 60.

2023- Matthew Maggio, Windsor (Chris, OHL), 54. Apparently, your name has to have a 'matthew' in it. This one spent the year at Bridgeport (AHL).

2024- Auston Matthews, 70 (we count playoffs).

2025- Nick Lardis, Brantford (OHL, Laurie), 82. Nick will be in the Chicago Blackhawks system next year.

The Ulf Nilsson Award (most goals, Europe)

2018- tie, Lasse Lassen, Herning (Denmark, Laurie) and Charles Bertrand, Karpat (Liiga, Laurie), 38. Lassen played 2 more years for Herning; Bertrand spent last season in Germany, but will return to Finland next season.

2019- Tobias Lindstrom, Valerenga (Norway, Scrappy-now Misty), 53. Tobias is still in Norway with Frsk-Asker.

2020- Julius Nattinen, Jyvaskyla (Liiga, Chris), 33. Julius is playing in Switzerland now.

2021- Brady Shaw, Esbjerg (Denmark, KC), 34. We'll be seeing him again soon.

2022- JJ Pichinich, Belfast (EIHL, Laurie), 36. JJ is still with the UK league's Giants.

2023- Scott Conway, Belfast, 39. He returned this year to the Giants after a year with my Slovak team, Dukla Trencin.

2024- Mattias From, Herning, 44. Mattias remains a mainstay of the Blue Foxes.

2025- Brady Shaw, Angers (France, Misty), 47. The ever moving Shaw will be going to Hungary next season.

Next up the leading point getters. In North America, that is the Wayne Gretzky Award:

2018- Matthew Phillips, 131.

2019- Justin Brazeau, 113.

2020-Arthur Kaliyev, Hamilton (now Brantford), 98. Arthur went to the Rangers after 3 seasons in LA.

2021- Brady Shaw, 72.

2022- Wyatt Johnston, Windsor, 124. Wyatt is starring with the Dallas Stars- aka this year's last team standing.

2023- Matthew Maggio, 110.

2024- Anthony Romani, North Bay, 115. Anthony will be playing College hockey at Michigan State next year.

2025- Ilya Protas, Windsor, 124. Ilya will be at least a step closer to joining his brother Alexei on the Washington capitals next year.

Now the goalies- in North America these are the Ken Dryden (save %) and Frankie Brimsek (shutuot) Awards:

2018- Antti Raanta (Arizona, NHL-Misty) and Samuel Hardy ((Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL, also Misty), .930; Pekka Rinne, Nashville (NHL, Laurie), 8.

2019- Robin Lehner, NY Islanders (Chris, NHL), .930; Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus (NHL, Kc's former team), 9.

2020- Shane Farkas, Victoria, ,929; Jiri Patera, Brandon (WHL, Chris) 5. Shane has been last three years at Mount Royal Univ.; Jiri is in the Vancouver system.

2021- Alex Nedjelkovic, Carolina (Laurie, NHL) .932; Semyon Varlamov, NY Islanders, 7.

2022- Ilya Sorokin, NY Islanders, .925; Daniel Hauser, Winnipeg Ice (now Wenatchee Wild, Misty, WHL), 8. Daniel will be plying his trade at Wisconsin next year.

2023-Nathan Darveau, Victoriaville (QMJHL, Shenan), .929; Sorokin, 6. Nathan was at the U. of Moncton this year.

2024- William Rosseau, Rouyn-Noranda, .924; Rousseau, 8. Most of William's year was at the ECHL level.

2025- Anthony Stollarz, Toronto, .926; Samuel Meloche, Rouyn-Noranda, 5.

On the European side, we have the Vladislav Tetriak, and Henrik Lundqvist Awards:

2018- Pavel Francouz, Traktor (KHL, Laurie), .946; Ervins Mustukovs, Sheffield (EIHL, Chris), 9. Francouz is the man for Colorado's Avalanche; Mustukovs is now in Estonia.

2019- Adam Vay, DVTK (Hungary, KC), .949; Leonardo Genoni, Bern (Swiss, Misty) and Ilya Konovalov, Lokomotiv (Chris, KHL), 10. Vay is now with KC's Slovak team, Poprad; Genoni is with Laurie's Swiss team, Zug; Konovalov is still in the KHL with Vladivostok.

2020- JP Lamoureaux, Salzburg (Austria, Misty), .946; Justus Annunen, Karpat, and Vasili Kosheckin, Magfnitogorsk (Misty, KHL), 6. JP has moved to my Austrian boys, VSV; Annunen is the backup for Laurie's Nashville Predators; and Kosheckin is still with Magnita.

2021- Matija Pintaric, Rouen (France, Chris), .938; shutouts were a 7-way tie with 5. Pintaric is now with rivals, Grenoble (KC).

2022- Sergei Bronnikov, Brest (Belarus, KC), .936; Mikhail Karnaukov, Molodechno (Belarus, Misty), 8. Sergei remains with Brest; Mikhail moved over to Neman Grodno.

2023- Antti Karjalainen, Jesenice (Alps, Shenan), .946; Henrik Holm, Stavanger (Norway, Chris) 17. Antti was with Laurie's French team, Gap, last year; Holm remains with the Oilers.

2024- Maxim, Malutin, Vitebsk (Shenan, Belarus), .935; Matthew Greenfield, Sheffield, 10.

2025- Henrik Ancs, Mogo (Misty, Latvia), .940; Roman Bobariko, Vitebsk, 12.

One more in the way of records I want to list before I do the top teams this year- the best record.

2018- DVTK, 66-17

2019-Rouyn-Noranda, 79-14

2020- Sherbrooke (Chris, QMJHL) 51-12

2021- Zug, 50-15

2022- Hamilton, 68-23

2023- Winnipeg Ice, 70-17

2024- Sheffield, 59-9

2025- Storhamar (Shenan, Norway) 53-9

Now let's look at the crowns we won. A Crown is a league regular season or playoff championship, a conference title, or a win in an out-of-league cup. This year:

Laurie collected crowns from Herning (Danish Cup, league title), Brantford (Conference title), Traktor (Conference) Belfast (league title, Challenge Cup).

Chris won Lokomotiv (League title, playoff Champs), and Cortina (Serie A Cup).

Misty bagged Angers (French Cup), Mogo (League title and playoff Champs), Brasov-Romania (league title), Salzburg (playoff Champs), Odense (playoff Champs), and Kometa Brno (playoff Champs).

KC racked up crowns with Sparta Prague (league title), Grenoble (league title and playoff Champs), Fribourg (Spengler Cup).

Shenan captured for Tychy (League title, Polish Cup, playoff Champs), Gyergoi (playoff Champs, Romanian Cup), Lausanne (league title), Storhamar (league title, playoff Champs).

So how many playoff and cup champs do we total? Let's see. Laurie has: Lyon (French Cup 18), Belfast (Challenge cup 18,19,22, 23,25), Banska Bystrica (18,19), Karpat (18), Hamilton (18, 22)Frolunda (Champions League 19,20, league 19), Augsburger (Dolmitan Cup 19), Zug (21,22), St John (Memorial Cup 22), Zemgale (22), Zhlobin (22), Katowice (Polish Super Cup 23), Herning (Danish Cup 23,24), Pardubice (Dolmitan Cup 23, 24), for a total of 25.

Chris has: Jyvaskyla (Champions League 18), Rouen (18, 23, 24), MAC Budapest (18)Trinec (19, 21, 22,23,24), Sheffield (Challenge Cup 20, 24, league 24), Sonderjyske (Continental Cup 20, Danish Cup 24), DEAC (Hungarian Cup 21,22, Hungarian Super Cup 23), Stavanger (22), Servette (23, Champions League 24), Cortina (Serie A 24,25, Italian Super Cup 24), Lokomotiv (25), for a total of 25.

Scrappy/Misty has: Rouyn-Noranda (Memorial Cup 19), Mogo (19, 24, 25), Bern (19), Asiago (Serie A Cup 20, 21, Italian Super Cup 21, Alps 22), Angers (French Cup 22), Salzburg (22, 23,24, 25), Munich (23), Magnitogorsk (24), Brasov-Hungary (24), Odense (25) for a total of 18.

KC has: DVTK (Hungarian Cup 18), Grenoble (19,22,25, French Cup 23, 24), Krakow (Polish Cup 21, Continental Cup 22, league 23), Shawinigan(22), Fribourg (Spengler Cup 24), for a total of 11.

Shenan has: Asiago* (Italian Super Cup 23), Vitebsk (Belarussian Cup 23), Tychy (Polish Cup 23, 24, 25, Polish Super Cup 24. League 25) Jesenice (23), Storhamar (24, 25), Gyergoi (Romanian Cup 25, League 25), for a total of 12. *Shenan joined us in 2023; at that point Asiago had left the Alps League for the main Austrian league. Misty took a new Alps team, and Shenan took Asiago in Austria.

And now, the top 20:

1- Storhamar, Shenan-Norway, 53-9

2- Grenoble, KC-France, 53-12

3- Lokomotiv, Chris-KHL 64-24

4- Mogo, Misty-Latvia 44-5

5- Angers, Misty-France 46-15

6- Tychy, Shenan-Poland 44-14

7- Salzburg, Misty-Austria 49-22

8- Traktor, Laurie-KHL 57-31

9- Herning, Laurie-Denmark 44-20

10- Windsor, Chris-OHL52-28

11- Zemgale, Laurie-Latvia 34-11

12- Vitebsk, Shenan-Belarus 51-28

13- Stavanger, Chris-Norway 40-18

14- Shawinigan, KC-QMJHL 47-25

15- Sparta Prague, KC-Czechia 49-27

16- tie Katowice, Laurie-Poland 39-18

tie Belfast, Laurie-EIHL 39-18

18- Toronto, KC-NHL 56-35

19- Brasov- Romania, Misty- Romania 29-9

20- Jesenice, Shenan-Alps, 41-21

And last but least, the bottom ten:

1- Fife, KC-EIHL 5-47

2- Podhale, Misty-Poland 1-39

3- Lida, Chris-Belarus 18-40

4- Sanok, Chris-Poland 7-37

5- Victoriaville, Shenan-QMJHL 17-47

6-DAB, Laurie-Hungary 6-32

7- Asiago, Shenan-Austria 12-36

8- Wenatchee, Misty-WHL 23-45

9- St John, Laurie-QMJHL 21-43

10- Nashville, Laurie-NHL 30-52

Pictures and music

This week, with the top of my chart basically the same and no time yesterday to type this up, you get a post that combines this week's music with yesterday's walk. As I said, the top moves not; Counting Crows remains #1 with Under The Aurora- #2 still Amira Elfeky with Forever Overdose- #3 remaining Sam Roberts Band and Brother Down...

Lots of blue cracks in the cloudy skies...

Robin watched us approach

We cut across the soccer pitches to the river

A lot of Raspberries doing well

Real Estate and Pink Sky climbs one to #4... Melissa Auf der Maur makes the big leap to #5 with Out Of Our Minds... and Cole Swindell slides down a pair to 6 with Spanish Moss.

Can she find the hidden trail?

Answer: no

I'm somewhat surprised they haven't mowed around the Duck Pond yet

I was going to say, "I have to look this up, I never saw it before"; but then I checked my records and found I'd said the same thing every year since 2014! BTW, it is a "hairy penstemon"...

Deradoorian and Set Me Free climbs 2 to #7; Evanescence's Afterlife slips 2 to #8.

By the way, this week starts the annual "Songs of Summer" competition; we'll see how long Counting Crows can hold their early lead!

Meanwhile at Scrappy's Landing...

No room for Daddy

For once, we saw the deer before she saw us... and all she did is turn her head as we passed, once she did

That leaves us with debuts at 9 and 10. At 9, the second M10 for Ace Frehley...

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Uh oh- doggies ahead

Nothing up at the Swamp

Daddy tries out the river

Doggie more interested in kids on bikes

And the other at #10 is the other song I brought in from Debbie Doglady's "Women That Rock" playlist- A bit off the beaten path for me, this is DalBello....

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I don't know as the dip in the river was worth all the work...

Doggie went fishing

Swallows over the cricket field

And yet another scene I seem to hit this time every year- the blossoms have begun to fall from the Tulip trees

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

Wednesday Bible Study: The questions of Grok, part 4

The fourth of the broad categories that the AI called Grok gets asked is, "what is the differences in the many religions, and who's right?" I had a deep and very complicated plan to attack this- but God said, "It's much easier than that." So, at the Spirit's urging, I am going to take what we already have learned about God, and His Son, Jesus Christ, and see how many other religions "pass the test."

So first off, we have discussed God as a Creator. As a Creator, He designed everything in the universe- from the amazing tiny viruses to the unimaginable galactic walls our telescopes and microscopes have discovered. I have shown you how what science has come to- the 'Big Bang'- is entirely Biblical. Based on this alone- never mind the layers of "Goldilocks Zones" that are required for life on earth- and we can say that creation required a Sovereign God. That knocks out atheists right from the start. But that isn't all. Religions that have multiple gods- the Greek and Roman and Norse mythologies, Hinduism, Shinto, among others- often include gods focused on petty things- sex, war, rivalries. Indeed they are so divided, they could not possibly have built the seamless universe that science points to with the laws of physics and the like. They are more like super-powered humans.

And that brings up an important point- What does God's sovereignty mean? If He could truly do all this, He is thus far, far beyond our understanding.

Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.

Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

John Adams once said something along the lines of, it is not only impossible, but wicked, for ants to seek to have understanding of God. He was, to paraphrase Jesus, not far from the Kingdom of God. But where he failed to take his own advice was being Unitarian- not believing Jesus was True God and True Man. Like many early (and current) Christian heresies, they simply reject the thought that God is not bound by being "either or" as we are. Their God is NOT big enough.

Other faiths go the other direction- God is a 'force', not a Person, creating the earth and simply sitting back and watching what happens. Taoism, despite it's glimmers of wisdom, fits in here. So would animism, and nature worship. But if you think logically, you would realize that, even with no other evidences- that would be like saying that electricity, just by being a force, could cause a EV car to 'become'. We live in a universe that required thought, plan, and action.

Plus there are those who combine many faiths: the Ba'hai, the Cao Dai of Vietnam, among others who have adapted several elements from everywhere. A pastor I listen to, on a recent broadcast, mentioned he had met a lady of the Ba'hai on a plane, and curious, he asked just what it was she believed.

"Everything", was her answer.

This kind of belief doesn't seem to lead to a cohesive view any more than having Zeus, Odin, and Shiva debating who created the world, and how, and why. Once again, the universe speaks out against that, And so does God:

1Co 14:33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.

Now let us enter the "people of the Book', as the Muslims might say. From a Christian point of view, we can look at this one passage of Scripture:

Gal 1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

Gal 1:9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

This directly eliminates Islam and Mormonism- both supposedly supplied by 'angels'- as well as Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Science, and so many others which were created whole cloth by misled men. But what about mainline churches?

A lot of Protestant groups have sidled over to pleasing the world outside. Like for example the UMC, they "change with the times" despite two very powerful warnings from the Bible they are supposed to follow:

Mal 3:5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.

Mal 3:6 “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.

Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

And then, the Roman church. For all the many failings here, that I have discussed ad nauseum in the past, the one main failing that derails the Roman church is their stubborn misinterpretation of this verse:

2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

This they use as an excuse to put traditions on a par with Scripture- and even above. They tell us that we must follow the interpretations of the Church Fathers, that they were the "holy men", and anyone else is 'doing it wrong'. And yet:

Act 17:10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.

Act 17:11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

It doesn't say these were "holy men", in the way the Roman church takes it; just "more noble", than the Jews that were lying about Paul and Silas out of jealousy.

The Jews are the bedrock faith- they were to pass on the oracles of God. So what happened? Sticking to just the facts, it was this:

Mat 13:11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

Mat 13:12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

Mat 13:13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

Mat 13:14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.”

Mat 13:15 For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’

Mat 13:16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.

Which leaves us here- with the Bible believing follower of Jesus Christ. Because, why would a God who needs nothing make a universe, but to have people who may believe and serve Him. And would He not leave His Word, for them to know Him, and how to serve Him? Nothing else even makes sense.