BattleTech - The Board Game of Armored Combat
Off Topic and Technical Support => Off Topic => Topic started by: JadeHellbringer on 30 June 2023, 17:51:32
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New league year, new thread. Congrats one last time to the Vegas Golden Knights for buying a perfectly good Stanley Cup championship. Now, let's start free agency!
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Last thread, "I just hope the Caps don't become as unwatchable as the Nats are currently."
This thread...Oh well.
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Positive spin: If the Nats can convert just a handful of those men on base into RBIs they will finish higher the standings than the Mets. Con: They draft in a worse position than the Mets. Conclusion: The Mets should reach out to Vega's management on the correct way to buy a championship.
Vegas wrapped up Adin Hill for a steal. Even if he turns up a dud next year it won't be an anchor on their cap.
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I know there's age differences (6 years) and differences in contract length, but which would you want Adin Hill at a cap hit of 4.9 or Darcy Kuemper at a hit of 5.25?
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Columbus officially made Mike Babcock their new head coach (ninth in team history, which seems like a lot). With his proven track record of not being worth a damn at developing young players and alienating veterans, he'll be a fantastic choice for a team hip-deep in a long rebuild, I'm sure.
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Kind of surprised nobody commented on the draft.
The Habs made a splash a at the draft again, but in completely the wrong way. Their first-round pick at this year's draft will be remembered not so much for the pick itself, but for the way in which it was announced:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDmT9uOc88E (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDmT9uOc88E)
Just looks like a really bad omen.
In any event, they obviously felt there were too many uncertainties surrounding Matvei Michkov and decided to let another team--in this case the Flyers--take the risk.
If it's your pick, and all the top forwards have already been taken, what do you go with? Somebody who projects to be at best a second-line winger or a top-line playmaker (but not a scorer), or somebody who you really think will be a mobile stud defenceman of the kind Vegas used so well in the playoffs?
cheers,
Gabe
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I know there's age differences (6 years) and differences in contract length, but which would you want Adin Hill at a cap hit of 4.9 or Darcy Kuemper at a hit of 5.25?
Honestly neither. But if I have to make a choice it would be Hill. Retaining one of Samsonov or Vanecek would have been my ideal rather than letting them both go before the start of last season.
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So a Maine guy Dumoulin (https://www.wmtw.com/article/biddeford-native-dumoulin-signs-with-seattle-kraken/44407639) signs with Seattle Kraken, leaving Pittsburgh.
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New league year, new thread. Congrats one last time to the Vegas Golden Knights for buying a perfectly good Stanley Cup championship. Now, let's start free agency!
Nobody will ever buy a Cup with as much disdain for everyone else in this league as that team that won it in 2002. :D
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The Pittsburgh Penguins would like to formally introduce their new member on defense Mr. William Butcher.
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Talk about a painful free agency last hope here Bergeron and Krecji come back for one more ride
Leafs look like they've got a decent start to a team even with their overpaid stars
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Signing Ryan Reeves was an awful idea and I'm mixed emotions on the Kampf deal as well. I get it that they want to keep him for a few years as there likely to lose someone much for valuable in the next year to UFA, but I think the are overpaying him. My early prognostication unless they can get of Murray (because otherwise they will be clearing cap space elsewhere) is this team is good enough to loose in 6 games rather than 7 next year.
I like most of Boston's moves to this point. They still need to work a couple things out, but I don't think it's a given who finishes first in that division next year.
Pittsburgh has (unfortunately for me) had a pretty good off season with the UFAs they brought in. I don't think signing Jarry to term was a great idea, but I guess the alternatives wouldn't have been much better this year.
Not much to say about my Caps. They pretty much hindered in making any big signing until they can figure out what the future holds for Backstrom. Signing Pacioretty to a low risk contracts was awesome. I expect if he plays though he will be flipped elsewhere by the end of the season. Fingers crossed that some of the Calder Cup champs can make the team and contribute next season.
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Some interesting trades / signings in the past week.
The Reeves signing is definitely for too much. Don't know what they thought they were addressing there. I have no idea of they had hoped to keep O'Reilly, but signing for 4 years in Nashville shows he was certainly ready to settle in where he saw a fit. Schenn is a loss for them too.
Chicago will have a different look next year ... maybe even be watchable?
I pay a fair amount of attention to the Jets and I like their restraint so far ... they got quite a haul from LA in return for Pierre-Luc Dubois, and then the Wheeler buy-out was done very smoothly, with all accounts seeming to say everything was worked out with mutual respect and communication between the parties. Good moves for Winnipeg. If PLD still has another level that could be amazing for the Kings, and the Rangers made a really low-risk move to bring Wheeler on. Pleasant hockiness all around.
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Some interesting trades / signings in the past week.
The Reeves signing is definitely for too much. Don't know what they thought they were addressing there. I have no idea of they had hoped to keep O'Reilly, but signing for 4 years in Nashville shows he was certainly ready to settle in where he saw a fit. Schenn is a loss for them too.
I'm not certain why Nashville signed RO'R for 4 years with them being at the start of a rebuild. The contract isn't horrible on amount or term it just seems out of place.
My assumption is some sort of long term outlook that with a lack of a NMC it would be easier to flip him at a later date for assets. Same with their signing of Luke Schenn.
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Nashville signing ROR for 4 years gives them a veteran center, possibly a 1C, and the term may have been what they needed to sign him after they couldn't work out a deal for Kuznetsov.
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I have the impression that the Preds think this isn't a rebuild so much as a retooling, staying competitive while bringing in new blood. I'm... not all that confident that they're in that situation right now, personally- I'm looking around the West and trying to find a way that they compete for a playoff spot next year, let alone win a series- but if that's where management is at, moves like this make some sense.
Again, I don't think they do, but I'm not Barry Trotz.
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I'm not as big a fan of DeBrincat as everyone around me in Michigan is. But I hope I'm wrong and he maintains that scoring touch that he's got.
Talk about a painful free agency last hope here Bergeron and Krecji come back for one more ride
Leafs look like they've got a decent start to a team even with their overpaid stars
Bertuzzi unceremoniously going to Toronto was a surprise, even though I had read several times that the B's would not be signing him. Bluster happens in negotiations, and I thought that was the case. I figured Boston would think about all they gave up to acquire him and make something work.
Nope.
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Major trade of the weekend and probably the biggest one we are going to see for the off season has the Red Wings trading for Alex DeBrincat. In exchange the sent a 1st round pick, a 4th round pick, Dominik Kubalik, and Donovan Sebrango. The two picks have some conditions to them for next year's draft.
This trade probably ends up being a win/win trade and with the scuttlebutt being that DeBrincat seemed only to be interested in going to Detroit it is a decent haul. I don't think the trade appreciably increases the chances that either team finishes 8th in the conference this season however it bodes well for both teams farther down the road.
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I'm not as big a fan of DeBrincat as everyone around me in Michigan is. But I hope I'm wrong and he maintains that scoring touch that he's got.
My expectation for him is around 30 goals a season. I do believe though most other people are going to think that is a failure if it pans out that way. 65-68 points. I'd also expect him to be on ice for quite a few goals against too.
Bertuzzi unceremoniously going to Toronto was a surprise, even though I had read several times that the B's would not be signing him. Bluster happens in negotiations, and I thought that was the case. I figured Boston would think about all they gave up to acquire him and make something work.
Relative to the rest of the Bruins roster the $5.5 million he received would be out of wack compared to what ownership pays the rest of rank and file. I think Toronto probably overpaid him, but that environment should allow him to meet or exceed his prior career numbers. That should set up him up for a better long term deal next year even if it ends up inflated in the scope of next year's market.
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Even considering possible LTIR candidates Toronto is over the cap, so it will be interesting to see who goes where to make room.
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Even considering possible LTIR candidates Toronto is over the cap, so it will be interesting to see who goes where to make room.
With Nylander asking for $10M, I know where I'd start on trimming things down.
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funny thing is he's just asking what the other 3 got (Matthews, Tavares, Marner). Even if he got 10M he'd still rank 4th behind them in cap hit.
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Sounds like Alex Galchenyuk had quite a night.
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Detroit loading up on 1 year contracts to be prepared to possibly scoop up any high-profile players that slide next season.
(Trying not to look sideways at Toronto)
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Sounds like Alex Galchenyuk had quite a night.
Man... I mean he was on his, what, eighth team in a decade? After being a high first-round pick? Dude has to be up there with Alexander Daigle and Nail Yakupov as colossal draft busts at this point.
If there was even a chance he was going to stay on an NHL roster- Arizona or otherwise- this news ended it. A player who puts up 30 might get another chance after problems like this (Kane comes to mind... actually, pick a Kane, now that I think of it). But a guy with gobs of talent and zero intention to use any of it, bouncing from team to team showing he has no motivation whatsoever, and now has this hanging over him? We've seen the last of him in the NHL- if he avoids jail, he's KHL-bound.
What a shame. You watch him and sometimes there's a flash of that player that got picked in the draft as a can't-miss prospect, and usually he's just skating in figure-eights. Living here in the Washington area, I saw a lot of Alex Semin during his career here, and same idea- sometimes he would do things that would make your jaw drop in awe, and you'd know in the back of your mind that he did something amazing, so he's going to take the next couple of weeks off from doing anything resembling effort.
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Man... I mean he was on his, what, eighth team in a decade? After being a high first-round pick? Dude has to be up there with Alexander Daigle and Nail Yakupov as colossal draft busts at this point.
Funny you should mention Yakupov.....they were both drafted 2012 -- Yakupov 1st, and Galchenyuk 3rd.
...and yikes -- 2012 was not a strong draft year:
https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl2012e.html
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Sounds like Alex Galchenyuk had quite a night.
I think he had to know the outcome of this - if you want to stay in a given country, you don't say something like that to a law enforcement officer.
This was career suicide-by-cop. He wanted to find a way to give up, and boy he did a bang up job finding it.
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Funny you should mention Yakupov.....they were both drafted 2012 -- Yakupov 1st, and Galchenyuk 3rd.
...and yikes -- 2012 was not a strong draft year:
https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl2012e.html
Dang, the Washington scouts did their job well. Of the top 20 in points, 3 of them were drafted by Washington. If only the GM hadn't screwed things up.
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Dang, the Washington scouts did their job well. Of the top 20 in points, 3 of them were drafted by Washington. If only the GM hadn't screwed things up.
SHHHHHH. Good lord, man! If my wife heard you mention... that whole incident... she'd go into a frothing rage again and I'd have to sleep on the damned couch!
Suffice to say, she is NOT a Martin Erat fan. :lipsrsealed:
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Suffice to say, she is NOT a Martin Erat fan. :lipsrsealed:
At some point there will be a Stadium Series game between the Caps and the Preds and I'm 100% going to be there just boo Martin Erat during the alumni game.
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If a tension breaker is needed, here's Bobby Hull and Gordie Howe wearing each other's jersey...
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At some point there will be a Stadium Series game between the Caps and the Preds and I'm 100% going to be there just boo Martin Erat during the alumni game.
That seems unnecessarily mean.
Poor guy, just trying to sell beer and snacks to the crowd and he's getting booed like that. Very unprofessional of you, I expect better. :tongue:
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thought this was interesting...
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I'm not certain where the numbers are sourced from and would be curious to know. I manually and added all the numbers together for the Red Wings first, the the Blues, and finally the Avs.
Detroit was on point if one is counting to the 99-2000 season. The other two were slightly off (Av's by 1 game and St. Louis my double digits). In spite of the math being off somewhere I'd say that the NHL's goal of parity has been successful.
Also apparent is how awful Chicago was for many years and even LA that each have multiple cups between them and they aren't anywhere near the top of the list. Good drafting and cap management can eventually win a Stanley Cup or at least a year in and year out 40 win season.
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Yes, I was looking at the lower tier and noticed some odd discrepancies. Not my best find.
So I'll make up for it with this piece of heretical hockey hokum, lol...
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wow Patrice Bergeron (https://wgme.com/sports/content/patrice-bergeron-cleary-retirement-center-captain-providence-ahl-nhl-ice-hockey) retires.
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I think it's officially the end of an era in Boston. Patrice Bergeron is one of the all-time great defensive forwards as defined by the criteria for the Selke Trophy, with a "high standard of offense".
Respect those who have earned it, regardless of what jersey they wear.
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When the news broke, someone on Reddit immediately asked if hockey fans at-large thought Bergeron belonged in the Hall. I know I'm a bit biased, but holy shit people, how many Selke trophies does someone have to win to get a nomination?
So obviously it's a sad day for Boston fans, and it's a hole that no one is going to really fill the way he did- that kind of award display case doesn't come along often. But that's for next year's Bruins to deal with- for now, I'm just grateful to have had nearly two decades to enjoy watching this guy. Time comes for us all- this was always coming, one day. It just happened to be now.
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There really wasn't another choice. The new B's cappie is none other than Brad Marchand.
It was inevitable.
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Matt Murray going on LTIR is certainly a convenient turn of events for the Leafs and their salary cap issues.
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Something is rotten in Toronto - and we're not talking about Bettman or the officiating (Not right now, anyway...).
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Is it shady? Hell yes.
Is it legal? Yes. Because the league looked at these antics a few years ago with Tampa's stashing of Kucherov, shrugged, and said 'no problem'. So now we have teams doing it as a standard course- Toronto is just the latest. Tampa, Vegas, and Boston all have pulled similar shenanigans, even Philly (though being as bad as they've been, no one cared).
I wish it was a loophole that got closed off, but the league is, for whatever reason, happy to let teams pull this- so, expect Toronto to not only get any flak for it, but expect them to keep doing it if they can while they try to get that cap mess under control again.
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Yep - a totally legal loophole.
Crazy that the Leafs make some clearly overpaid contracts that don't help the team (Reaves ... Klingberg ... even Domi for that matter) and then pull off something so perfectly Machiavellian like this.
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It's a loophole for sure. And it does help teams that are up tight against the cap.
But it probably should be closed one day, and GM's should make up for the closure by being more responsible with handing out contracts.
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Congratulation to Matt Murry on his promotion to 'gate-keeper' of Robida's Island. Orientation starts Wednesday with your person trainer and guide Jofreey Lupul.
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Liut's mask gives me the notion that he kills opposing forwards and collects their hockey sticks. :smilie_character_pirate2:
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Toronto signed all the goalies! hahahaha
And Dubbas was bound and determined to bring in Erik Karlsson, somewhere, one way or another. It was already WIN NOW in the Pitt before Dubster arrived. Acquisition of Karlsson forces the creation of an all-new level of WIN NOW.
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The buzz about a MIN/PIT trade to bring Fleury back for one more run has been gaining some steam since the Karlsson trade as well. I... don't necessarily think they're a Cup team, either way, but one last 'band back together' run isn't the worst idea- after all, that's what last year was pegged as for Boston, and while it didn't work out in the end, it was a hell of a run on the way there.
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First Fleury, now it's a whole bunch of talk about Jagr coming to Pitt for one last season, at age 51.
If this happens, it's insane, and not in that positive way the younger crowds use that particular descriptor.
Getting the Band Back Together is one thing, farewell tours tend to be hits.
This is like saying the drummer's uncle will be running around on stage too.
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First Fleury, now it's a whole bunch of talk about Jagr coming to Pitt for one last season, at age 51.
I briefly saw this headline elsewhere. I always assumed though it was for an official retirement and reconciliation.
I always assumed though keeping his own personal team in business to be the top priority.
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I briefly saw this headline elsewhere. I always assumed though it was for an official retirement and reconciliation.
I always assumed though keeping his own personal team in business to be the top priority.
I saw it for two or three days but now it's been a minute since I've heard a peep about it.
All three of the articles I read said 1 year contract at league minimum. I also would have expected a standard 1 day contract to retire officially from the NHL as a Pen. That's why it stood out to me.
Anyway, it may have been internet smoke. It really doesn't matter - even if he signed for a year at minimum, he would still probably outclass a lot of other 4th line players in the league, even at age 51.
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Anyway, it may have been internet smoke. It really doesn't matter - even if he signed for a year at minimum, he would still probably outclass a lot of other 4th line players in the league, even at age 51.
They have to delay it until Gordie Howe's coffin is reinforced to prevent him from rising up to sign with another team and keep ahead of Jagr.
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They have to delay it until Gordie Howe's coffin is reinforced to prevent him from rising up to sign with another team and keep ahead of Jagr.
With the crap going on in the world, I guess I would not be surprised to see Gordie Howe materialize on the ice complete with a fiery hockey stick, regardless. So the reinforced coffin may be too little too late.
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The voice of the Buffalo Sabres Rick Jeanneret has passed away at 81 :(
https://sports.yahoo.com/legendary-sabres-broadcaster-rick-jeanneret-031621961.html
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RIP. This news made it to the Red Wings newsfeed as well.
Hockey is a community as well as a sport.
The voice of the Buffalo Sabres Rick Jeanneret has passed away at 81 :(
https://sports.yahoo.com/legendary-sabres-broadcaster-rick-jeanneret-031621961.html
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Surprised nobody commented on:
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/how-matthews-maple-leafs-settled-on-deal-he-could-demand-a-whole-lot-more/ (https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/how-matthews-maple-leafs-settled-on-deal-he-could-demand-a-whole-lot-more/)
Very good for him obviously, but don't see how this helps the Leafs' cap woes.
Cheers,
Gabe
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Trade rumblings. Aftershock of Gabe's post.
Mathews' new extension will facilitate Nylander being moved to NYI for Pageau.
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Trade rumblings. Aftershock of Gabe's post.
Mathews' new extension will facilitate Nylander being moved to NYI for Pageau.
That seems like a steal for the Islanders if that is the case. Pageau give some cap relief I suppose, but isn't in the in the same stratosphere.
Also I think it's an incredible leap of faith for the Leafs. % mil for a 40 pt guy isn't a great investment. Certainly the talent on the Leafs would be the best he's ever been surrounded by. He'd have to hit 50 points or more to get good value out of Pageau and don't think that's realistic.
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That seems like a steal for the Islanders if that is the case. Pageau give some cap relief I suppose, but isn't in the in the same stratosphere.
Also I think it's an incredible leap of faith for the Leafs. % mil for a 40 pt guy isn't a great investment. Certainly the talent on the Leafs would be the best he's ever been surrounded by. He'd have to hit 50 points or more to get good value out of Pageau and don't think that's realistic.
It's just a rumbling. I'm also hearing Nylander to Montreal for Caufield.
Both would give some relief to Toronto's cap situation, both seem far-fetched. But the Leafs WILL need to do something about their topheavy roster. Nylander could net them much, but Toronto can't afford that. Also the bidding war would need to heat up, and the other GM's are all smelling blood so how much heat is questionable. Still, this is something that warrants keeping an eye on.
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Apparently Chris Chelios' number is not retired. However that will be remedied soon. I remember him most for his time on the Blackhawks however he was only there 9 out of his 26 seasons. Which I guess is yet more proof that I'm getting old and my memory is horrible for thinking he was there for a longer period of time.
https://sports.yahoo.com/blackhawks-retire-former-captain-chris-033500358.html (https://sports.yahoo.com/blackhawks-retire-former-captain-chris-033500358.html)
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Apparently Chris Chelios' number is not retired. However that will be remedied soon. I remember him most for his time on the Blackhawks however he was only there 9 out of his 26 seasons. Which I guess is yet more proof that I'm getting old and my memory is horrible for thinking he was there for a longer period of time.
https://sports.yahoo.com/blackhawks-retire-former-captain-chris-033500358.html (https://sports.yahoo.com/blackhawks-retire-former-captain-chris-033500358.html)
I still remember when he was in Montreal, and the announcers there pronounced his name as "Kee-lee-ohs".
Which to be honest looks like it could be perfectly right, as well. I myself have a hard ch in my own surname.
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I still remember when he was in Montreal
His last season in Montreal would have been the season or two before I started paying attention to hockey. I missed out on watching that whole portion of his career. Not that I likely wouldn't have seen much here in the states other than highlights.
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We catch Canadian broadcasts easily here in southeast Michigan, so I saw lots of Leafs, Oilers and Habs games as much as I saw Red Wings games in the 1980's.
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I still remember when he was in Montreal, and the announcers there pronounced his name as "Kee-lee-ohs".
Which to be honest looks like it could be perfectly right, as well. I myself have a hard ch in my own surname.
There's a history of that with Habs broadcasts. Somewhere I still have the recording of the playoff game in '86 in which the reporter asked the question on everyone's mind, "who is Patrick Roo-ah?"
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There's a history of that with Habs broadcasts. Somewhere I still have the recording of the playoff game in '86 in which the reporter asked the question on everyone's mind, "who is Patrick Roo-ah?"
That's actually hilarious that the French Canadians themselves didn't pronounce his name the way he likes it.
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Babcock resigned before he could be fired.
https://www.bing.com/news/search?q=Mike+Babcock+Resigns&qpvt=mike+babcock+resigns&FORM=EWRE
All I have to say is that was quick!
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To his credit, that means he got out of Columbus with a .500 record, which is a hell of a lot better than any other Blue Jackets coach has done.
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I still remember when he was in Montreal, and the announcers there pronounced his name as "Kee-lee-ohs".
Which to be honest looks like it could be perfectly right, as well. I myself have a hard ch in my own surname.
Actually, even that is not correct. The family name was originally "Tselios" (Τσέλιος) but his father Gus opted to change the English spelling after immigrating to the U.S. To come off as "kee-lee-ohs" it would have to be something like "κύλιος". (Chris' cousin Nikos still uses the more accurate Romanization). The English play-by-play guys that I remember always used the "tch" sound.
The French announcers did better with Italian names, e.g., for Dino Ciccarelli ("chee-kah-ray-lee" as opposed to "sissa-relli").
That's actually hilarious that the French Canadians themselves didn't pronounce his name the way he likes it.
That's just a side effect of trying to split a monosyllabic name into two syllables for emphatic effect :grin:
cheers,
Gabe
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I was actually justifying the Habs' broadcast team's choice of pronunciation.
But on the flip side, the antics of Montreal's announcers are amusing for sure!
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See attachment.
Now imagine the 300+ comments on that thread! The funny part is that many agreed. The sticking points were how washed up would he be when it finally happens, and how many years would Toronto pay him after he retired.
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I called it! (To be fair, a lot of people called it.)
https://www.cbssports.com/nhl/news/bruins-name-brad-marchand-27th-captain-in-franchise-history-following-patrice-bergergons-retirement/
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2026 is when CMD contract is up. John Tavares' 11 mil will be off the books by then (I can't imagine they re-sign him for the same cash). Seems like it could be possible sooner rather than later.
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2026 is when CMD contract is up. John Tavares' 11 mil will be off the books by then (I can't imagine they re-sign him for the same cash). Seems like it could be possible sooner rather than later.
You're a details guy, and I'm glad for this opinion.
Getting McDavid during meaningful years would very possibly also mean that other quality players would sign for a discount for the chance at a serious run at the Cup.
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I called it! (To be fair, a lot of people called it.)
https://www.cbssports.com/nhl/news/bruins-name-brad-marchand-27th-captain-in-franchise-history-following-patrice-bergergons-retirement/
At first I wanted to say that's just wrong in so many ways, not even a Lego Master Builder could fix it.
However, I do think he has matured...a bit...over the past couple of seasons. And at age 35, how long can we expect him to keep playing?
cheers,
Gabe
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not even a Lego Master Builder could fix it.
(Snip and snip)
That's a good one! This can be applied to a lot of BS on the internet, as well.
But I do agree - speaking as a Detroit fan, no one can stand this guy! How long has he antagonized people? I know for a fact I have asked Hellbie on these NHL threads here on bg.battletech about what his general problem/malfunction is. Hellbie was just jovial and glad Marchand was on his team IIRC. And I don't blame him.
I can't blame him. My Red Wings have supported the likes of Sean Avery, the boo hiss Todd Bertuzzi, and let's go on before that to a certain infamous Bob Probert. While these players are all different and in different eras, I still have to acknowledge that a player like Marchand deserves the nod after so many years of faithful service.
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Huh, the Blackhawks are going without a captain this year.
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But I do agree - speaking as a Detroit fan, no one can stand this guy! How long has he antagonized people? I know for a fact I have asked Hellbie on these NHL threads here on bg.battletech about what his general problem/malfunction is. Hellbie was just jovial and glad Marchand was on his team IIRC. And I don't blame him.
I can't blame him. My Red Wings have supported the likes of Sean Avery, the boo hiss Todd Bertuzzi, and let's go on before that to a certain infamous Bob Probert. While these players are all different and in different eras, I still have to acknowledge that a player like Marchand deserves the nod after so many years of faithful service.
I'm absolutely positive this entered into the thinking of the Bruins' FO when they selected Marchand as captain. Yeah he may be a jerk, but he's OUR jerk, and we don't give a flying <BLEEP> about what any other markets in the league think!
cheers,
Gabe
[/quote]
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Marchand's tenacity, determination and skill are all the Bruins are going to need this year, its not going to be an easy year moving on from Bergy and he's the perfect one to pick them up. He's got the fire and experience they need great choice
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Trevor Zegras may be on the move shortly... sounds like the Ducks' latest offer sheet is garbage, and he's scrubbed them from his social media as of today. I doubt he gets moved before the season, but he's instantly the star of the trade deadline if nothing changes.
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re: Marchand as a C....
there are a number of different roles that a captain fills, including some like:
- the locker room (keeping it in line, keeping it focused, keeping the effort/work level high)
- the community (representing the team during the local hospital charity drive, being the fall guy for local media)
- the relationship with the refs on the ice
- {other roles}
I'm sure he'll fill some of these just fine and others maybe not so much. He's no Bergeron or Chara, that much is certain (and in the sense that's a negative, it's not really a dig at *him* so much as a reflection of where the Bruins are at).
It will be interesting to see how the regular season goes for Boston (but will anyone really care this year?! like, what does their regular season even mean?) and how any playoff action plays out.
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Marchand is defiant and will get in your face win or lose, so that may be just what they need in a leader this season.
But now for an attachment below. I only have two Red Wings jerseys. One is an Yzerman that I've had since last millennium.
The other is #16 Vladdy Konstantinov.
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So as many of you know, I'm a Denver native, and was a late-teen during the best days of the Avs/Wings rivalry, and have a distinct memory of shouting at Konstantinov at one point during the Lemieux fracas that I 'hope you get hit by a truck!', in an edgy teen kind of way. Obviously that's not QUITE what happened, but there was a strong feeling of guilt there for a while afterwards regardless.
And even as diehard anti-Detroit as I was (and still kind of am- my 'Red Wings Suck' puck is on a shelf next to me with my 'in progress' miniature painting), I won't lie, watching him get wheeled around the ice with the Cup in his wheelchair the next year is one of my absolute favorite hockey moments.
It's hard to remember sometimes, with all that happened to him and all the years since, just how good that guy really was. It was a different era, so it's hard to compare him to modern defensemen like Makar or Fox, but in his day he was a top-ten defenseman, which made him so readily-hateable for an Avs fan. Dude was GOOD- tough, great at causing turnovers (I distinctly remember him absolutely turning Valeri Kamensky inside-out during one playoff game), just everything you could want on your blue line. That he wasn't quite Norris caliber back then speaks less of him and more of how next-level guys like Bourque and Leetch really were in those days.
Truly one of the greats of his era, and if he'd finished his career out he'd probably have gone to the Hall like so many of his other Red Wing cohorts.
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...and so it begins!
Bedard gets his NHL first!!
Matthews gets his first three.
Boeser gets his first ....four (game still in progress).
Fun!
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As first games go I was very happy with the Bruins
Not the first goal, or the 1st Power Play unit but the team looked good, dominated possession, both goalies played well leading to a tight game, newbies did okay
Blackhawks could be a playoff team
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As first games go, I was NOT happy with the Habs. They lost a game they should've won and also lost an opportunity to humiliate the Leafs in Toronto. And they let Auston Matthews score three (even if 2 of them came at 6-on-5).
Positives:
--Off-season acquisition Alex Newhook scored twice.
--Juraj Slafkovsky played his best game yet in a Habs uniform, even if he didn't score.
--Arber Xhekaj took down Ryan Reaves (after what should've been a boarding call on the latter). Reaves apparently declined a rematch.
cheers,
Gabe
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Well, I was skeptical about D-Cat's scoring impact for the Wings after he was acquired this off-season. I'm glad to see he went above and beyond most people's expectations, including my own.
He's currently at 8 points in 4 games, including 5 goals.
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Overall Detroit's off season's moves have thus far paid off. It's only 6 games into the season but Detroit has looked pretty damn good thus far. Eventually they are going to stumble. However it might not seem as far fetched now as it did at the end of last season that Wings could be a WC team by the end of the season as long as injuries don't get in the way.
Meanwhile in Washington....
On second thought let's not talk about them. Or at least hold off until there is something to talk about out productively.
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Ovi still has a good shot at the career goals scored record. But that's little consolation to fans.
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Check out David Savard's Black Knight-like (Python-esque, not BT!) defensive effort as he loses a skate blade during a Habs penalty kill vs. the Sabres:
(3rd video from top):
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/gallagher-canadiens-veterans-lead-the-way-in-win-over-sabres/ (https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/gallagher-canadiens-veterans-lead-the-way-in-win-over-sabres/)
(Habs won 3-1 thanks largely to Jake Allen)
cheers,
Gabe
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SIXTEEN GAMES today. It boggles the mind. Fantasy owners, lament your benching choices.
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Wings vs the Kraken! Bring it on!
As for this "Frozen Frenzy", all I have to say is...
Bett-Man
'Tis a silly guy, lol...
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I really hate ESPN
Matthew Poitras OMG what a talent
Fingers crossed for Jakub Lauko, he took a skate to face and close to the eye tonight in Blackhawks game
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Skate blades. One of the dangers to the game we love, and one that we can't mitigate without neutering the game. Wishing him luck.
And as for my Wings, I guess we should respect Seattle more, and count ourselves lucky we got out with a point.
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Wings vs the Kraken! Bring it on!
As for this "Frozen Frenzy", all I have to say is...
Bett-Man
'Tis a silly guy, lol...
I mean, the idea is decent, though the 'every 15 minutes' start times were irritating.
I also can't fault him for starting it on the same day as the NLCS Game 7, since there was no way of knowing that was going to happen, let alone that day. But... he DID know the NBA's opening night was the same night as his grand experiment, and any thunder he was going for would be sapped by that. Obviously, to avoid college and pro football nights, it needed to be a Tuesday or Wednesday, but what was wrong with last week, before the NBA got going?
Ah well. Hey, did you know that the last time the Bruins started 6-0 was before WWII? Even last year's ridiculous show-stopper team didn't do it. Bonus, now they've played Chicago twice in the first month of the season, and we don't have to listen to the Bedard slobbering by ESPN's announcers anymore. Win-win.
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Skate blades. One of the dangers to the game we love, and one that we can't mitigate without neutering the game. Wishing him luck.
And as for my Wings, I guess we should respect Seattle more, and count ourselves lucky we got out with a point.
Update from Bruins is it won't look good for a while but it missed the eye cutting near the corner
Yeah ESPN was horrific, even PK Subban who I thought was alright previously was just so bad last night everytime someone spoke about a game or player it was almost like "oh I know him, ask me a question about him"
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ESPN's hockey coverage has been spotty at best, and god-awful more often. The actual game-calls have been okay, so long as Bedard isn't playing (otherwise it's fan-gushing nonsense all night), but the studio crew is just embarrassing to watch.
(Rumors that they're hoping to replace the ailing Barry Melrose- best of luck to him- with Pierre MacGuire make me want to drink a can of paint.)
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Pierre should be in a technical role.
And when everyone was pointing out how bad Subban was and still is, ESPN decided to shake things up by letting go Chris Chelios - who in my opinion is basically "Don Cherry +" but without the double-breasted suits. He's opinionated, has no problem being a blunt a-hole, yet he's entertaining and he has about a million anecdotes and stories all pulled from his own experience. He's a frequent guest on the Spittin' Chicklets podcast and the like.
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So glad Boston and Colorado finally lost.
Someone please beat Vegas already.
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Buffalo
#LOL
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Haha damn shows the mess in Buffalo
Vegas to... Blackhawks really :shocked: all the teams have 1 L now
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I wrote off the Red Wings after the second period this evening. Apparently I made a mistake in doing so.
Bumped into this on accident this evening:
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/luongo-nearly-traded-bruins-before-canucks (https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/luongo-nearly-traded-bruins-before-canucks)
And congratulations to Joe Thornton on his retirement.
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Yes, congrats to Joe Thornton. He tried to hang around as long as he could, yet he still played to a pretty high level whereas so many others who try to hang around that long embarrass themselves.
And I had to work tonight at the industrial lab, so I missed the Wings' game. Looks like it was a good one.
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Comeback win for the Bruins against Panthers
1st period Panthers played like it was a playoff game with a 2-0 lead
Then the Bruins started to play and they successfully turned it around 3-2 win in OT
Charlie McAvoy must be looking at a suspension though a hit to the head, the replay showing he saw the other player and lifted the shoulder which connected. He recieved a game penalty in game
Matt Poitras has finished his 9 game trial I'm guessing he stays as the 19 year old looks ready for the NHL
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Once again, it sucks to be the Sens (at least at an organizational level):
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/senators-fire-gm-pierre-dorion-in-wake-of-dadonov-trade-controversy/ (https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/senators-fire-gm-pierre-dorion-in-wake-of-dadonov-trade-controversy/)
Pierre Dorion fired by new owner Michael Andlauer, ostensibly for his role in L'Affaire Dadonov and the Shane Pinto double debacle (failing to sign Pinto and not supervising his gambling activities--Pinto, BTW, has been suspended for half the season for that).
For failing to disclose Dadonov's no-trade list when they traded him to Vegas (who then tried to trade him to the Ducks, one of the teams on that list), the Sens forfeit their first-round draft pick in ONE of 2024, '25, or '26.
cheers,
Gabe
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For failing to disclose Dadonov's no-trade list when they traded him to Vegas (who then tried to trade him to the Ducks, one of the teams on that list), the Sens forfeit their first-round draft pick in ONE of 2024, '25, or '26.
The two things I find interesting about this whole is situation is that the Sens apparently have the choice of which year they forfeit the pick and that Andlauer's public critique of the process/outcome hasn't resulted in any pushback or additional penalties from the league.
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How long do the Sens have to declare which pick they will lose?
Anyway, I found yet another graphic that was interesting... see attachment. Or not, because pretty much everyone here knows how good Mike Bossy was.
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The two things I find interesting about this whole is situation is that the Sens apparently have the choice of which year they forfeit the pick and that Andlauer's public critique of the process/outcome hasn't resulted in any pushback or additional penalties from the league.
It seems to create a perverse incentive for the Sens to NOT tank in any of the years preceding those drafts, because tanking would result in getting a high pick they would have to forfeit. The better they do, the less damage from the forfeiture.
cheers,
Gabe
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How long do the Sens have to declare which pick they will lose?
According to Sportsnet, "Ottawa will give up its first-round pick in either 2024, 2025 or 2026 and has until 24 hours after the draft lottery each of the next two years to decide."
cheers,
Gabe
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Auston Matthews has 11 goals.
The entire San Jose Jellyfish team has 12.
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SHARKS WIN! SHARKS WIN!
This is not a drill, they actually won a game!
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SHARKS WIN! SHARKS WIN!
This is not a drill, they actually won a game!
(https://i.imgflip.com/40x8eo.jpg)
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One of the biggest surprises for me so far is the Oilers, and now that San Jose is on their longest win streak of the season, it will be interesting to see how the Thursday match up between those two juggernauts plays out.
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One of the biggest surprises for me so far is the Oilers, and now that San Jose is on their longest win streak of the season, it will be interesting to see how the Thursday match up between those two juggernauts plays out.
The Oilers are bizarre. We knew the Sharks would be bad- maybe not THIS bad, but bad. But the Oilers? This looks like the Oilers of ten years ago, angling for another first-overall pick, rather than the flawed-but-flashy team we've seen the past few years under McDavid and Draisaitl. It's the same flaws as always killing them- goaltending and blue-line, over and over, with no fix- but the offense in past years has bailed them out a bit- this year, that's not going great either. Depth is a huge problem outside of that top line. They shouldn't be nearly THIS bad, but the issues that are behind it have been there for a long time. (That there was a belief that Jack Campbell was the fix in net long-term was always folly.)
My big surprise has been Boston, if you'll pardon my homer-ism. Last year's mutant season was bizarre, with a sour ending that lead to the loss of both top centers to retirement- it would have been perfectly understandable to see the Bruins stumble a bit out of the gate as they learned to adjust to post-Bergeron/Krecji life. But, same as last year when several players were on IR to start off, it doesn't seem to be bothering them a bit- Swayman has been excellent in net, the defense has been solid despite being banged-up (or suspended, MACAVOY), and they're getting solid contributions up and down the lineup on the attack. Is it sustainable, could this be a repeat of last year's run? No. I wouldn't dare even dream it. But, these were the weeks that I figured they'd struggle to figure out their identity, and all they've done is get every point in the standings save for three (one to Anaheim and two to Detroit) as of this writing. I'm staggered.
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Toronto is already souring on Tyler Bertuzzi, but then Toronto Fan has no patience.
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So rebs, that was a pretty nice tilt between the Habs and Wings tonight, eh? :grin: :evil: Too bad for the Wings that Reimer cost them the game in OT . Otherwise a pretty even, back-and-forth matchup.
It would be nice for the Habs if Cole Caufield could remember how to score at 5 on 5, though.
Cheers,
Gabe
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One of the biggest surprises for me so far is the Oilers, and now that San Jose is on their longest win streak of the season, it will be interesting to see how the Thursday match up between those two juggernauts plays out.
hahahaha - oilers are SO bad
(...and because I said that ... queue the Cup winning turn around)
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So rebs, that was a pretty nice tilt between the Habs and Wings tonight, eh? :grin: :evil: Too bad for the Wings that Reimer cost them the game in OT . Otherwise a pretty even, back-and-forth matchup.
It would be nice for the Habs if Cole Caufield could remember how to score at 5 on 5, though.
Cheers,
Gabe
The highlights were interesting, but I was at work so I missed it. However, I'm off the next 6 to 8 weeks for my fooot surgery so now I'll be on top of the games a lot more.
Since you're a Habs fan, I'm sure you're used to Reimer blowing games from his days as a Leaf.
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The Oilers are bizarre. We knew the Sharks would be bad- maybe not THIS bad, but bad. But the Oilers? This looks like the Oilers of ten years ago, angling for another first-overall pick, rather than the flawed-but-flashy team we've seen the past few years under McDavid and Draisaitl. It's the same flaws as always killing them- goaltending and blue-line, over and over, with no fix- but the offense in past years has bailed them out a bit- this year, that's not going great either. Depth is a huge problem outside of that top line. They shouldn't be nearly THIS bad, but the issues that are behind it have been there for a long time. (That there was a belief that Jack Campbell was the fix in net long-term was always folly.)
The Oilers FO have lowered the boom and sent Jay Woodcroft packing:
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/oilers-fire-head-coach-jay-woodcroft-after-slow-start-to-season/ (https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/oilers-fire-head-coach-jay-woodcroft-after-slow-start-to-season/)
And I thought that their 4-1 win over the Kraken on Saturday would've prolonged his career there by at least one more game. Usually a head coach gets canned after a LOSS...
EDIT: My take is that there must've been some kind of cancer in the room, and Woodcroft lost them. It's almost like they were playing badly to get him fired...I say that because we've seen this in Montreal over the past decade...
My big surprise has been Boston, if you'll pardon my homer-ism. Last year's mutant season was bizarre, with a sour ending that lead to the loss of both top centers to retirement- it would have been perfectly understandable to see the Bruins stumble a bit out of the gate as they learned to adjust to post-Bergeron/Krecji life. But, same as last year when several players were on IR to start off, it doesn't seem to be bothering them a bit- Swayman has been excellent in net, the defense has been solid despite being banged-up (or suspended, MACAVOY), and they're getting solid contributions up and down the lineup on the attack. Is it sustainable, could this be a repeat of last year's run? No. I wouldn't dare even dream it. But, these were the weeks that I figured they'd struggle to figure out their identity, and all they've done is get every point in the standings save for three (one to Anaheim and two to Detroit) as of this writing. I'm staggered.
And one to Montreal, as of this writing :evil:
Seriously, Jim Montgomery must be like the modern-day Jacques Lemaire. Not in the sense that he plays the trap, but he has gotten his players to buy into a pretty selfless, team defence-first system that they execute to a tee, and it's something you don't need superstar players to make work (in fact, such players might actually be detrimental to such a system). And Ullmark+Swayman = Brodeur, to extend the analogy.
cheers,
Gabe
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Toronto is already souring on Tyler Bertuzzi, but then Toronto Fan has no patience.
I honestly didn't expect a whole lot out of him or Reeves when Toronto acquired him. He's actually has more points than I expected him to at this point in the season.
The Bruins are surprising me, but when you look at their numbers then I guess it isn't to much of a surprise. Their scoring is top heavy and they aren't scoring anywhere at the level they did in season's prior. But defense and goaltending has been outstanding. As long as that top line doesn't get hurt the rest of the division all a muddled mess and they could easily sustain it.
The Oilers lost to the Canucks 3 times this year (which is putting together a good season thus far). I thought that might cause them to fire the coach. But it was the Sharks that put them over the edge and rightly so. That squad is wretched.
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Nevermind that Edmonton was its own All-Star Team at the time...
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Colorado has been fun. There are two Avalanche teams- the one that rolls over and lets teams beat on them 4-0, and the crazed animals that go out and beat up a team 8-2. There seems to be no middle ground, no 3-2 win or loss, just blowouts either direction.
I don't know what to make of them at this point- they're too talented to be anything but a Cup contender when it all comes down to it, but they sure don't play like it some nights. Jared Bednar must be ready to scream at this point.
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And then the Red Wings.
This new, young team is at a tipping point. Some nights they can compete with the best and even win when they probably shouldn't have won. Then other nights they look like a feeder team.
All in all, it's good. But there's grumbling about how a lot of folks think this rebuilding process should be faster, but then there was grumbling all through the 90's about the Wings not winning. Fans are fans, and I know I've said it before - they can't be allowed to run the team or rush the process. Let Yzerman do his job. If he has erred, it's probably been on the side of caution, so we still need patience.
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And then the Red Wings.
This new, young team is at a tipping point. Some nights they can compete with the best and even win when they probably shouldn't have won. Then other nights they look like a feeder team.
All in all, it's good. But there's grumbling about how a lot of folks think this rebuilding process should be faster, but then there was grumbling all through the 90's about the Wings not winning. Fans are fans, and I know I've said it before - they can't be allowed to run the team or rush the process. Let Yzerman do his job. If he has erred, it's probably been on the side of caution, so we still need patience.
To be fair, too, there have been some really weird decisions made along the way as the rebuild has trundled along under Yzerman- goaltending in particular has seen some really, really weird choices made, and of course the whole Vrana thing was an enormous swing-and-miss (not that losing Mantha was a huge blow- he's been a ghost in Washington most nights). I don't blame Detroit fans for getting a little antsy at this point, honestly- that rebuild has been going on since before Zetterberg left, realistically, and here we are years later having watched other rebuilds like the Avs and Blues result in Cups, other teams at least returning to prominence and competitiveness (Oilers, Panthers) during that time, and of course the whole Vegas business. At some point, the famed YzerPlan has to pay off- and if this year isn't it, how many more years are fans expected to accept 'average' as a result?
There's 'trust the process', and then there's 'show me progress'. At this point, Wings fans can be forgiven if they're straying further into the latter camp. As an outside observer, I'm certainly underwhelmed so far.
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To be fair, too, there have been some really weird decisions made along the way as the rebuild has trundled along under Yzerman- goaltending in particular has seen some really, really weird choices made, and of course the whole Vrana thing was an enormous swing-and-miss (not that losing Mantha was a huge blow- he's been a ghost in Washington most nights). I don't blame Detroit fans for getting a little antsy at this point, honestly- that rebuild has been going on since before Zetterberg left, realistically, and here we are years later having watched other rebuilds like the Avs and Blues result in Cups, other teams at least returning to prominence and competitiveness (Oilers, Panthers) during that time, and of course the whole Vegas business. At some point, the famed YzerPlan has to pay off- and if this year isn't it, how many more years are fans expected to accept 'average' as a result?
There's 'trust the process', and then there's 'show me progress'. At this point, Wings fans can be forgiven if they're straying further into the latter camp. As an outside observer, I'm certainly underwhelmed so far.
Ken Holland's plan of "rebuilding on the fly" only depleted us of depth while we spent the same money on salaries as during our championship runs. Year after year of mediocrity cheated us out of having better chances at higher draft picks and higher quality prospects. Look at Edmonton and Florida bottoming out for so long. Holland and ownership wanted to extend the Red Wings' playoff streak but at a high cost that we're still paying. (Edmonton fired Holland's choice of coach and the team president brought in his own choice for HC here in Holland's last contract year. Edmonton just might be getting tired of Holland's lack of results with the talent he inherited.)
The goaltending decisions are pretty bad. Reimer is a showcase example of that! Until we see Cossa, I'm questioning that too.
Our free agent signings this year were better (with the exception of Reimer), but last year he seemed to jump the gun. We could have saved that cap space.
If Yzerman is fired, and the Red Wings get led in a different direction, we'll still be in the same predicament. So I am still behind seeing if he can do here what he did in Tampa. But that's me, and I've been lucky enough to see plenty of winning hockey here in Detroit.
But as you are saying, I'm acutely aware that Yzerman has yet to add to the legacy of winning hockey in Detroit as a GM.
Edit - @Hellbie... I did my best to elaborate my position. But I can't argue with your points because deep down I agree too. But changing horse midstream isn't going to yield results that would please the spoiled Wings fanbase. If Yzerman is gone in two years or so, I'll deserve to be told "should have happened sooner".
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Nah, I mean I'm not saying 'fire this idiot', because that's not helpful either- going through GMs every couple of years is what kept killing the Panthers for so long (for example). Let a guy get his system in place and build- and accept that things may take a while to get looking good.
But.
At some point, after a few years, there has to be at least some tangible movement. A direction, able to point and say 'we were HERE, and now we're HERE, and that may not look like a lot, but it means we're aiming to be HERE in a few more years, and that looks an awful lot like a Cup run." Colorado comes to mind- as god-awful as they were when Roy quit, Sakic was under fire, but he stuck to his plan- the team stuck by him- and the result was draft picks that turned into great players, veterans that filled positions that needed filling, and things went pretty well.
The other side of that is sticking with a guy for too long, who either has lost sight of the plan he had (think Chiarelli in Boston), or had no idea what he was doing when he got hired to begin with (...Chiarelli in Edmonton). The damage from that can be far longer-term than abandoning a bad plan and restarting from scratch. I'm pretty sure, to my dismay, that we're seeing that play out in real-time in Columbus, where ownership grumbled, the GM made panic-moves to save his own ass in that lockdown-bubble year, and the result was a thrilling defeat of Tampa... then all those rentals left town, and there's no plan after that. Draft picks got sent out to get those guys like Duchene to begin with, bad contracts went out to guys like Laine and Gaudreau, and the only plan at this point feels like 'save my own job' rather than building a reasonably-competitive team. Same idea- Kekalainen should have been shown the door a couple of years ago, and whomever comes in to replace him (assuming they finally ditch his ass) will have a long, difficult road to... I almost said 'rebuild' this team, but honestly I'm not sure Columbus has ever been built to begin with since entering the league, can't really 'rebuild'.
Is Detroit closer right now to where Boston was in 2009-10, where things weren't great but they were on the right track, and the results finally started coming in a year or so later? Or are they more on that Columbus track of thowing things at the wall and hoping they stick? I really don't know, and I'd wager no one- Yzerman included- really does. But it feels like there should be a bit more out of the Wings at this point for all the hype and time, and while their start to this season looked good they've cooled considerably since. Another year of missing the playoffs- or even a first-round shellacking by a high-ranked team like Toronto or Boston- and the Wings may need to really ask themselves if it's time to figure out where to go from here.
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Decisive action, resolute in course. But with accountability, and honesty in self-assessment. We just need to not be hasty. Have a plan in place before burning/blowing up the bridge.
And I knew you weren't suggesting an immediate firing, Hellbie. But that's being screamed around here increasingly. And basically fans here have always been that way. (Not so different from many other impatient fanbases, really.)
Example Time:
When I was a kid and my friend's mom drove us to school, we would hear the radio personalities talking about the Wings' game from the night before, usually while taking callers' opinions. I'm talking 1994, 1995, etc... and here are examples of what we would hear every morning after a loss (or even after a win):
"Scotty Bowman doesn't know how to coach in the modern era! My [insert misogynistic cliche] could coach better than him!"
"Yzerman should have been traded last year!"
or
"Vernon is a has-been." Or that comment's little brother: "Osgood is weak!"
It's not as bad now because we're not dealing with a three decade cup drought going on four decades like we were back then. No one had a good idea of what living with great hockey was at the time, we only knew emotional responses fueled by stories from older generations about great hockey teams from a different era.
But it's still starting to get bad here. Lots of people were expecting us to become Tampa Bay 2.0. But a lot of luck with prospects developing well has to go your way for it to work out like that. It hasn't gone that way.
But I agree, not even Yzerman knows if this is all going to work. He's trying, and I hope he gets a breakthrough, finds a good opportunity to increase our talent through trade, or signings, or surprise prospects coming through, because it's starting to look bleak for him. This is him facing adversity like he's never seen before as a GM, and we as fans have to live through the process too.
I'd just hate to see him ran from town before the ship comes in. But on the other hand, if it all keeps like it is now, we'll wish we had moved sooner instead of sticking by him simply because he was a great player for us, while he keeps us mired in mediocrity where we never get to pick our McDavid or Bedard or Hughes.
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I'd just hate to see him ran from town before the ship comes in. But on the other hand, if it all keeps like it is now, we'll wish we had moved sooner instead of sticking by him simply because he was a great player for us, while he keeps us mired in mediocrity where we never get to pick our McDavid or Bedard or Hughes.
If he's run out of town right, there should be 30 other owners prepared to fire their GM to hire good ole Stevie. While he's far from the Wings icing a contender the team is in a far better place now vs. 36 months ago. They have plenty of caps space to make a deal and if the team takes a nose dive there are 4 expiring contracts that he could probably flip for draft picks.
I'm sure that's not what a number of Wings fans want to hear but theirs is probably the most tightest division in hockey and at least since the start of the season there aren't to many games they haven't been in start to finish. I'm sure that's not what they want to see either, but it's a positive step in the right direction.
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If he's run out of town right, there should be 30 other owners prepared to fire their GM to hire good ole Stevie. While he's far from the Wings icing a contender the team is in a far better place now vs. 36 months ago. They have plenty of caps space to make a deal and if the team takes a nose dive there are 4 expiring contracts that he could probably flip for draft picks.
I'm sure that's not what a number of Wings fans want to hear but theirs is probably the most tightest division in hockey and at least since the start of the season there aren't to many games they haven't been in start to finish. I'm sure that's not what they want to see either, but it's a positive step in the right direction.
But you know I already agree that fans want things that might seem like a positive and immediate change but are actually counterproductive long-term at the very least, and at worst are totally self-defeating.
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Red Wings bounce back after a poor Global Series, and offer up a fine game tonight! They shut out New Jersey 0 - 4.
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Wings are on a roll! They took down Boston 5 - 2. Marchand put a nasty crosscheck on the Ghost Bear, but dude wouldn't die...
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Oooohhhh, Bruins get spanked for the third game in a row! Is this the start of a trend?
cheers,
Gabe
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Oooohhhh, Bruins get spanked for the third game in a row! Is this the start of a trend?
We can hope.
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Nobody likes rumors, but I'm hearing more and more to drop any "your mom" jokes whilst in the Blackhawks locker room.
Probably nothing, but without much more info from the famously secretive organization about why the sudden reversal regarding Cory Perry, people are running with it. And Cory Perry is earning entirely too much respect from around the web.
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Last Panthers/Senators player allowed in the game, please turn out the lights when you leave.
Check those penalty minutes out if you get time- at one point in the mid-3rd, every player on the ice- EVERYONE- was issued a 10-minute misconduct penalty. I'm not sure I've ever seen that happen.
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I thought you meant just every Senator. Nope! EVERYONE. Referee Jinjiro Kurita said all of them.
In other news, it's happening. Elliotte Freidman (seems to be the real one and not the fake ones that are allowed to cause havoc online) just announced that Patrick Kane will be a Red Wing.
He still has to fully recover from hip surgery that no one has ever come back from successfully. He'll need to be cleared to play. I would like to hope that a Larkin/DeBrincat/Kane line will be a terror on ice, but I don't know what to expect.
Edit:
One year deal for Kane.
https://theathletic.com/5095789/2023/11/28/patrick-kane-red-wings-contract/
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Last Panthers/Senators player allowed in the game, please turn out the lights when you leave.
Check those penalty minutes out if you get time- at one point in the mid-3rd, every player on the ice- EVERYONE- was issued a 10-minute misconduct penalty. I'm not sure I've ever seen that happen.
Wait how does everyone get a 10-minute misconduct penalty?????
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Wait how does everyone get a 10-minute misconduct penalty?????
Refs had seen enough and wanted to send a serious message- and that message was a resounding 'all of you GO AWAY'. I'm not aware of anything quite to this extent happening at a pro level- we had a couple of times where entire teams were disqualified when I played as a younger idiot, but even that was rare (and in our case, well-deserved a couple of times). Should be interesting the next time these two face each other.
I thought you meant just every Senator. Nope! EVERYONE. Referee Jinjiro Kurita said all of them.
In other news, it's happening. Elliot Freidman (seems to be the real one and not the fake ones that are allowed to cause havoc online) just announced the Patrick Kane will be a Red Wing.
He still has to fully recover from hip surgery that no one has ever come back from successfully. He'll need to be cleared to play. I would like to hope that a Larkin/DeBrincat/Kane line will be a terror on ice, but I don't know what to expect.
Edit:
One year deal for Kane.
https://theathletic.com/5095789/2023/11/28/patrick-kane-red-wings-contract/
OK, so... if this was a few years ago, I'd be impressed. Buuuut... that was a major procedure Kane just had done a few months ago. The same one Nicklas Backstrom had. I live in the D.C. area, I married a Caps fan, I see a lot of that team (because she hides the remote), and he just... made the right call by walking away. He wasn't able to skate anymore, not the way an NHL player needs to. Not even 'not as fast as he used to', he wasn't able to do much of anything at all out there. It was a career-killer, and he just needed a few games on it to learn it himself.
Now, Kane isn't Backstrom, of course, and who knows, he may come back from it same as ever, but... it's a big gamble to take. Detroit's not paying much here- $2.5M for one year isn't bad. But if fans are expecting Kane to step out there like it's 2015 and start lighting the lamp every game... honestly if he's playing by New Years I'll be impressed. If he puts up fourth-liner numbers by season's end, that's almost astonishing to me.
None of that is to say that he's a bad hockey player, mind you- my opinions of him as a person aside, he has a resume that most players would dream of, and is a surefire first-ballot Hall candidate when he hangs it up. But after this surgery, what really is left to come out on the ice in red pajamas? Is he able to do much at this point, or will this be another Backstrom situation in which he plays a few games and realizes 'oh, shit, actually...'?
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Wait how does everyone get a 10-minute misconduct penalty?????
Even better-how do they fit them all in the penalty box? It must look like a phone booth from a college campus in the 60s.
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Even better-how do they fit them all in the penalty box? It must look like a phone booth from a college campus in the 60s.
The misconducts meant that, with less than 10 minutes left anyway, these were ejections.
The benches, however, were luxuriously roomy for the remaining players. :grin:
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OK, so... if this was a few years ago, I'd be impressed. Buuuut... that was a major procedure Kane just had done a few months ago. The same one Nicklas Backstrom had. I live in the D.C. area, I married a Caps fan, I see a lot of that team (because she hides the remote), and he just... made the right call by walking away. He wasn't able to skate anymore, not the way an NHL player needs to. Not even 'not as fast as he used to', he wasn't able to do much of anything at all out there. It was a career-killer, and he just needed a few games on it to learn it himself.
Now, Kane isn't Backstrom, of course, and who knows, he may come back from it same as ever, but... it's a big gamble to take. Detroit's not paying much here- $2.5M for one year isn't bad. But if fans are expecting Kane to step out there like it's 2015 and start lighting the lamp every game... honestly if he's playing by New Years I'll be impressed. If he puts up fourth-liner numbers by season's end, that's almost astonishing to me.
None of that is to say that he's a bad hockey player, mind you- my opinions of him as a person aside, he has a resume that most players would dream of, and is a surefire first-ballot Hall candidate when he hangs it up. But after this surgery, what really is left to come out on the ice in red pajamas? Is he able to do much at this point, or will this be another Backstrom situation in which he plays a few games and realizes 'oh, shit, actually...'?
Well, he won't have a long flight home if he finds that his newly resurfaced hip is like sandpaper on sandpaper. He can drive if he likes. I would personally drive through Canada to get to Buffalo via the bridges near Niagara, but that's just me - no one should be subjected to Ohio unless absolutely necessary.
Seriously, though. It's a gamble on Kane, no doubt. But with Kane we now have seven players who will be UFA's in 2024. If this fails and worse, if the Red Wings implode this season, we can do a lot to change this team before next season.
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Whatever Corey Perry actually did (the rumors flying around the internet are almost certainly false, so don't buy into any of that), it was apparently serious enough for the Hawks to put him on waivers for the purposes of getting rid of him. Bear in mind that substance abuse issues and even spousal issues are generally grounds for the Player Assistance to be involved, rather than being cut, so it seems unlikely that this is drug/alcohol related. Whatever the issue is, we'll have to wait to hear- despite the team's promises of being more transparent following the mess a couple of years ago, the Hawks are currently very tight-lipped about the whole thing.
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Whatever Corey Perry actually did (the rumors flying around the internet are almost certainly false, so don't buy into any of that), it was apparently serious enough for the Hawks to put him on waivers for the purposes of getting rid of him. Bear in mind that substance abuse issues and even spousal issues are generally grounds for the Player Assistance to be involved, rather than being cut, so it seems unlikely that this is drug/alcohol related. Whatever the issue is, we'll have to wait to hear- despite the team's promises of being more transparent following the mess a couple of years ago, the Hawks are currently very tight-lipped about the whole thing.
The 'hawks have put their selves into this situation, and by extension, their prized 1st over-all draft pick and his family.
We live in a very sad age where if something is amusing to people (which admittedly, the rumor mill can be), some people are likely to clutch onto an idea they like, and whether it's true or not, they'll glom onto it like it's a sacred core tenet of a cherished religion.
The Cory Perry situation is a perfect example of that. The more the Blackhawks ownership tries to deny the rumors, the more a certain strain of the populace will clutch on to it because in their eyes "it must be true".
I think Chicago knows this, that's why they have been very tight-lipped about it. But it backfired because of a combination of things:
One, because of Chicago's reputation for covering things up and botching sensitive situations.
And two, because the internet brings out the worst in people since no one has to be accountable anymore, the ultimate example of this being that everyone is encouraged to blame other people for all of their problems, regardless of whether or not you know them or they know you or even have anything to do with you.
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Whatever Corey Perry actually did (the rumors flying around the internet are almost certainly false, so don't buy into any of that), it was apparently serious enough for the Hawks to put him on waivers for the purposes of getting rid of him. Bear in mind that substance abuse issues and even spousal issues are generally grounds for the Player Assistance to be involved, rather than being cut, so it seems unlikely that this is drug/alcohol related. Whatever the issue is, we'll have to wait to hear- despite the team's promises of being more transparent following the mess a couple of years ago, the Hawks are currently very tight-lipped about the whole thing.
They found a cheese-shaped piece of foam headware in his locker.
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This morning the Blackhawks finally are beginning to open up about it. Seems the incident was with an employee, not a teammate or their family. But if it warranted this response, it sounds to me to be career-ending and disgusting. It was probably legal reasons that so little was said until now, and still only a few hints about the true nature of the situation are known to the public.
But the rumor explosion on the internet needs to be noted and held as an example of how powerful the internet is. While I admit I did get some laughs out of it, I also won't lie that I was glad not to be at the center of the shitstorm as Bedard and his poor mom have been - and through no fault of their own. Tense, frustrated, and horribly awkward only begin to describe how they must feel.
They found a cheese-shaped piece of foam headware in his locker.
Is this the icing on the cake, or the fromage on the burger?
Edit:
Aaaaaaand.... He's gone. Perry cleared waivers and is now a UFA.
Edit II Electric something or other:
NHL launches their very own investigation into the Corey Perry issue.
https://www.hockeyunplugged.com/chicago-blackhawks/NHL-Launches-Full-Blown-Investigation-On-Corey-Perry
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Nothing cures a three-game losing skid like a game against San Jose, apparently.
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Nothing cures a three-game losing skid like a game against San Jose, apparently.
Another game with great officiating :rolleyes:
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Nothing cures a three-game losing skid like a game against San Jose, apparently.
Are the Sharks trying to do what the 'Hawks did last year?
cheers,
Gabe
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Are the Sharks trying to do what the 'Hawks did last year?
cheers,
Gabe
Looks like it, but between the draft lottery and the Shark's luck, they'll end up with the 5th pick.
And in sad news.... Here's why Larkin missed a few games. I'll let the linked article below speak.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nhl/detroit-red-wings-captain-dylan-larkin-wife-and-i-lost-baby-due-in-april/ar-AA1kRd1F
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Are the Sharks trying to do what the 'Hawks did last year?
cheers,
Gabe
They still haven't noticed that a generational talent isn't on the draft menu this year....
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https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nhl/despicable-act-scumbag-move-austin-watson-s-last-second-shot-hitting-jeremy-lauzon-has-fans-demanding-action-against-lightning-winger/ar-AA1lbuZN?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=8ec124f296524f01932004de7865a0bf&ei=57
This is some garbage straight out of Sega Genesis hockey. Nailed by a slapshot. I'm all for whatever happens to Auston Watson.
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So he fired a shot at the buzzer and hit someone with it? Yeah, that's... there's no RULE against that, but it's not really okay either- I used to get shots fired at me in net after the buzzer as an 'oops', and it was always cause for shoving and whitewashing. (On one occasion, the buzzer went off, I had enough time to grab a gulp of water and get halfway to the bench, and THEN got hit in the shoulder with a shot, because he 'didn't hear the horn, sorry!'. The short version is that we both were ejected for the discussion that followed. :rolleyes )
There's not much you could do in terms of league discipline- no rules were broken- but I'll bet Watson's happy to have Nashville on the schedule only on rare occasions, because the next game against them is going to require a head on a swivel.
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I'm perfectly fine with universal retribution. :smilie_happy_thumbup:
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So did he aim the shot at him or just snap a shot?
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I'm perfectly fine with universal retribution. :smilie_happy_thumbup:
Um, like what David Perron tried to do to Artem Zub...?
(even though neither of them were involved in the play that injured Larkin)
cheers,
Gabe
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Um, like what David Perron tried to do to Artem Zub...?
(even though neither of them were involved in the play that injured Larkin)
cheers,
Gabe
If it was Perron on Mathieu Joseph, yes.
Perron trying to take Zub's head off was pointless and stupid.
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If it was Perron on Mathieu Joseph, yes.
Perron trying to take Zub's head off was pointless and stupid.
And the league agrees with you:
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/red-wings-perron-suspended-six-games-for-cross-checking-senators-zub/ (https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/red-wings-perron-suspended-six-games-for-cross-checking-senators-zub/)
If he had gone after Joseph instead, it probably would've come to the same thing; the key here appears to be intent to injure. The Wings come away being the only losers here, out both Larkin (indefinite) and Perron (six games).
Why Joseph didn't also get tossed in that game is mystifying.
cheers,
Gabe
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Reports are back - Larkin has no signs of concussion, which is huge. Neck is probably a bit sore. I keep hearing he'll miss a week, but it's a big week. 4 games.
And the league agrees with you:
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/red-wings-perron-suspended-six-games-for-cross-checking-senators-zub/ (https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/red-wings-perron-suspended-six-games-for-cross-checking-senators-zub/)
If he had gone after Joseph instead, it probably would've come to the same thing; the key here appears to be intent to injure. The Wings come away being the only losers here, out both Larkin (indefinite) and Perron (six games).
Why Joseph didn't also get tossed in that game is mystifying.
cheers,
Gabe
I get that emotions and tempers run high, but Zub actually appeared to show concern for Larkin being face down on the ice. Perron is a grown-ass man as they say, he should have held back. It's not the last time we'll see the Sens and Joseph.
As for the last part, yeah, the league didn't even do a review. Just two minor penalties and called it a day.
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Blues fire head coach Berube. But the consensus is that they should have shitcanned the GM.
In other news, struggling head coaches around the league will be a little more nervous now that they can possibly be replaced by Berube.
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Blues fire head coach Berube. But the consensus is that they should have shitcanned the GM.
I'm going to disagree. Berube's team has underachieved and while Armstrong is part of the problem, he's given them fairly reasonable roster the past few season and especially in the last 2 years they have played well below their expectations.
As to where Berube might land my random thoughts on this are Pittsburgh and my random Dark Horse, Seatttle.
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I'm going to disagree.
StL ownership agrees with you. But their house is going to need to be cleared sooner or later. They may be waiting for the right replacement to become available.
Good news out of Detroit is despite conflicting reports regarding the severity of Larkin's injuries, he's been taking morning skates with the team and seems to be fine.
I'm still betting that neck is a bit on the tender side, though. But good for him that he can cover it up and skate with a smile like nothing happened.
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The Sens' restructuring under new ownership continues as they've given D.J. Smith his walking papers:
https://www.sportsnet.ca/tag/senators-fire-d-j-smith/ (https://www.sportsnet.ca/tag/senators-fire-d-j-smith/)
However, I think they've taken a big step back by deciding to bring back Jacques Martin as head coach (even if interim).
More interesting is bringing on Daniel Alfredsson as an assistant.
Whether this is enough to right the ship in Ottawa remains to be seen.
cheers,
Gabe
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Good news out of Detroit is despite conflicting reports regarding the severity of Larkin's injuries, he's been taking morning skates with the team and seems to be fine.
I'm still betting that neck is a bit on the tender side, though. But good for him that he can cover it up and skate with a smile like nothing happened.
Hey, he even managed an assist tonight! Too bad the Wings went down against the *Ducks*.
cheers,
Gabe
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I'm going to disagree. Berube's team has underachieved and while Armstrong is part of the problem, he's given them fairly reasonable roster the past few season and especially in the last 2 years they have played well below their expectations.
As to where Berube might land my random thoughts on this are Pittsburgh and my random Dark Horse, Seatttle.
I'll respectfully disagree with your disagreement. That the Blues have looked at the last couple of years of Jordan Binnington and said "yeah, that's the guy we want in our net, cut the straight jacket straps and start the national anthem!", that's unacceptable. There's holes in the rest of the roster, no doubt, and that's sometimes the price of winning a championship- it unravels quickly over the next couple of years oftentimes (hi, Avalanche!). But for the Blues to be content with their goaltending as it stands, that should have resulted in a GM change LAST summer, let alone over this past one.
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Hey, Toronto? You okay, fellas? Need an ice pack? Advil? Maybe a goalie who can stop a puck now and then?
We're all just worried about you, and we want you to be okay. :evil:
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Obvious Red Wings breakdown after acquiring Patrick Kane is obvious.
Anyway, here's Bobby Hull and Gordie Howe in their WHA uniforms having a nice pre-game chat by the looks of it.
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Question, as I've really not been seriously following any sport this year.. But what going on the Bruins and Jack Edwards?
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Red Wings broke the slump. But it wasn't the best way to go about it. They jumped up to a huge lead, then blew it and almost gave the game away to the Flyers and had to win in a shootout. Kaner got 2 goals and an assist. That was good to see. But the rest of the season is looking hazy if this is how things are going to go.
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Question, as I've really not been seriously following any sport this year.. But what going on the Bruins and Jack Edwards?
According to a post he made on Twitter, he's on his first family holiday vacation in 17 years.
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According to a post he made on Twitter, he's on his first family holiday vacation in 17 years.
good for him, I was afraid I missed something. Not like NESN might randomly drop good people for no reason.. Don Orsillo :police: :cool: :angry:
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Welcome to the big leagues Connor Bedard, where nobody, not even up-and-coming generational talents, is safe:
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/blackhawks-star-rookie-bedard-out-with-fractured-jaw/ (https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/blackhawks-star-rookie-bedard-out-with-fractured-jaw/)
Not like the 'Hawks weren't already in full tank mode, but this just gives them more incentive to just totally let the bottom fall out.
(And man, do I feel bad for Luke Richardson.)
cheers,
Gabe
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I don't know that there is going to be a whole lot of postivites for the Caps to talk about for the remainder of the season as they seem to be trending in a downward trajectory again. Max Pacioretty scored his first goal as a Cap last night and in the first in quite some time comming back from injury. Hopefully the first of many to come regardless of where he continues to play long term.
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Well...life on Long Island sure looks like it's going to get a lot more interesting...
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/islanders-hire-patrick-roy-to-replace-lane-lambert-as-head-coach/ (https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/islanders-hire-patrick-roy-to-replace-lane-lambert-as-head-coach/)
Cheers,
Gabe
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Well...life on Long Island sure looks like it's going to get a lot more interesting...
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/islanders-hire-patrick-roy-to-replace-lane-lambert-as-head-coach/ (https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/islanders-hire-patrick-roy-to-replace-lane-lambert-as-head-coach/)
I've been out all afternoon and just saw this. I assume Lamoriello may have lost his marbles.
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Somewhere tonight, Hellbie must've been beside himself with glee. But not because of the Patrick Roy news.
:angry: :angry:
Habs, a hockey game is **THREE** periods long. You are supposed to show up for ALL THREE.
Especially if it's against the @#%&*$! Bruins!!!!
Still, what they managed was better than not showing up at all against the Sharks and Sens. And Cole Caufield is finally on a roll, so at least there's that.
cheers,
Gabe
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Well... for those not in the loop, welcome to Hockey Canada and the NHL's horrible, awful, no-good 'you have to be kidding' day.
Five members of the Hockey Canada 2018 squad have been asked to turn themselves in as the investigation into sexual assault continues- four of those players are NHLers now, and have been granted leaves-of-absence (and likely won't be welcome to return from those leaves after this is all done). The remaining player is in the Swiss leagues and has also begun the process of returning for these proceedings. This looks VERY bad.
It's worse though, because there's strong possibility that members of the coaching staff and other players may have been aware of all of this at the time and covered it up. Those people could also be in some deep shit in the coming weeks if those allegations can be proven. If you haven't looked at the roster from that 2018 squad, it's like a who's-who of modern NHL talent. The ramifications of this on the sport could be enormous.
For now, we know little really- it will be a very long and ugly process before this gets resolved... and until then, much like the dismayingly-similar Blackhawks scandal, all we can do is wait and watch hockey take yet another off-ice black eye.
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Please, oh please, don't ask me to explain what prompted Brendan Gallagher to do THIS to the Isles' Adam Pelech:
(watch the video in the link)
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/canadiens-gallagher-suspended-five-games-for-illegal-check-to-the-head/ (https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/canadiens-gallagher-suspended-five-games-for-illegal-check-to-the-head/)
Gally has been a favourite whipping boy of refs for years now because of his net-crashing style of play, but to my knowledge, he has never laid such an obvious, dirty POS hit like this before. Probably got off relatively easy because it's his first such offense. However, it does continue a worrisome trend this season of him taking dumb, inopportune penalties late in games that end up changing the complexion of the game or costing the Habs a (regulation) win, which very nearly happened this time--the Isles scored twice on the ensuing 5-minute PP (Gally was ejected) and tied it up, with the Habs only pulling out a win thanks to a late go-ahead goal. Really don't know what Gally was thinking (if he was thinking at all).
As for Pelech, I read that this is his second concussion this season. Pretty dangerous. I do hope he's OK.
cheers,
Gabe
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Would someone please go beat the ****** Oilers? Just... show me it can still be done?
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Well... for those not in the loop, welcome to Hockey Canada and the NHL's horrible, awful, no-good 'you have to be kidding' day.
Five members of the Hockey Canada 2018 junior squad have been asked to turn themselves in as the investigation into sexual assault
FTFY.
continues- four of those players are NHLers now, and have been granted leaves-of-absence (and likely won't be welcome to return from those leaves after this is all done). The remaining player is in the Swiss leagues and has also begun the process of returning for these proceedings. This looks VERY bad.
That player, Alex Formenton (a former Sen), has turned himself in to the police in London, Ontario, and is the only one who has publicly named himself so far.
It's worse though, because there's strong possibility that members of the coaching staff and other players may have been aware of all of this at the time and covered it up. Those people could also be in some deep shit in the coming weeks if those allegations can be proven. If you haven't looked at the roster from that 2018 squad, it's like a who's-who of modern NHL talent. The ramifications of this on the sport could be enormous.
For now, we know little really- it will be a very long and ugly process before this gets resolved... and until then, much like the dismayingly-similar Blackhawks scandal, all we can do is wait and watch hockey take yet another off-ice black eye.
The ramifications are already enormous, at least for Hockey Canada. Not only did Hockey Canada already pay a settlement to the accuser, it was revealed that they had for years been setting aside money to deal with exactly these kinds of situations.
And yes, a lot of players from that squad with recognizable names, some of whom have become linchpins of their current teams.
cheers,
Gabe
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Would someone please go beat the ****** Oilers? Just... show me it can still be done?
There is hope on the horizon, the Bruins play the Oilers twice next month.
Also it says quite a bit about how bad the Oilers were earlier in the season that this winning streak has pulled them into third place in their division.
I expected Vancouver to fall off a cliff by now, but it hasn't happened, yet.
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There is hope on the horizon, the Bruins play the Oilers twice next month.
Also it says quite a bit about how bad the Oilers were earlier in the season that this winning streak has pulled them into third place in their division.
I expected Vancouver to fall off a cliff by now, but it hasn't happened, yet.
I have no idea what to make of the Canucks- it feels like they shouldn't be THIS good... it also felt like last year shouldn't have been that bad. Somewhere in the middle seems fair, but here we are- was Rick Tocchet that big of a change to get this kind of improvement? (Or, conversely, was Bruce Boudreu that big of a problem? Seems unlikely, but again, here we are). I'll be curious to see how they handle the playoffs, since it appears they're all but a lock at this point.
Somewhat the same for the Oilers, honestly- are they really this good, or are they correcting that god-awful start and they're kind of a B-level team? I'm just not sold on their goaltending or blue line enough to call them a real contender in the West the way I can with Vegas or Colorado.
Also, what the hell happened to the Kings? They were rolling, right up until they suddenly weren't.
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Also, what the hell happened to the Kings? They were rolling, right up until they suddenly weren't.
They're finally feeling the effects of unloading an entire line to get an overpriced crybaby who's no better than a 3rd liner on that team...?
cheers,
Gabe
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I have no idea what to make of the Canucks- it feels like they shouldn't be THIS good... it also felt like last year shouldn't have been that bad. Somewhere in the middle seems fair, but here we are- was Rick Tocchet that big of a change to get this kind of improvement? (Or, conversely, was Bruce Boudreu that big of a problem? Seems unlikely, but again, here we are). I'll be curious to see how they handle the playoffs, since it appears they're all but a lock at this point.
Somewhat the same for the Oilers, honestly- are they really this good, or are they correcting that god-awful start and they're kind of a B-level team? I'm just not sold on their goaltending or blue line enough to call them a real contender in the West the way I can with Vegas or Colorado.
I submit to you that the Avs, Oilers, and 'Nucks are all essentially one-line teams that have what it takes to get TO the playoffs, but not THROUGH them (please note that this is not the same as saying they'll all make shocking first-round exits). Vegas, by contrast, is still built for the playoffs, and I fully expect them to get to the finals again.
And I'd put money on that...if I had any extra...
cheers,
Gabe
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They're finally feeling the effects of unloading an entire line to get an overpriced crybaby who's no better than a 3rd liner on that team...?
While PLD underperforming is definitely an issue so has the rest of that team for the last month and a half. They are not 'Caps' bad when it comes to offense, but they put a lot more pucks in the net earlier in the season.
Also, what the hell happened to the Kings? They were rolling, right up until they suddenly weren't.
The wheels came off the Cam Talbot reclamation project.
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The Kings have decided they had enough losing and fired McLellan.
https://sports.yahoo.com/column-kings-fire-coach-todd-165848203.html (https://sports.yahoo.com/column-kings-fire-coach-todd-165848203.html)
Also Cam Talbot is apparently an All-Star which I didn't realize until I read that article.
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More moves this afternoon. Sean Monahan to the Jets for a first and a conditional 3rd. Seems a bit more tame a move when compared to the Canucks/Flames trade but a good solid when for both the Jets now and the Habs later.
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More moves this afternoon. Sean Monahan to the Jets for a first and a conditional 3rd. Seems a bit more tame a move when compared to the Canucks/Flames trade but a good solid when for both the Jets now and the Habs later.
Yeah, and the condition to get that 3rd is that the Jets win the Cup. Think THAT'S going to happen?
Farewell Mony, you were good for us while you were here...I wish YOU well, but as for the Jets...just can't bring myself to cheer for them as "Canada's Team" while S**tflea is still there. WE WILL NOT FORGET 2021!!! :angry: :angry:
I'd sooner they crater and make the first-rounder as high as possible for the Habs.
cheers,
Gabe
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I maybe enjoyed this All-Star weekend!! It was basically not horrible, and some good fun all round -- that said ... it's done and the final IMPORTANT stretch can get going!
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It seems the All Star break arrived at the absolute worst time for Edmonton. That's oil she wrote. :smiley_boxers:
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Anyone who doesn't appreciate the recent Marc-André Fleury 100th game night is a rotten human - he just seems like such a happy, lovely person. :smiley:
And in other NHL news, at the top of the league the Bruins and Canucks have both had some strange games....
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Dear Morgan Reilly,
What the hell was THAT?
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Dear Morgan Reilly,
What the hell was THAT?
Another example of "The Code" at work, apparently.
Cheers,
Gabe
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He is extremely lucky he only received a 5 game suspension.
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*poking the post-ASG Bruins with a stick*
Do stuff.
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It looks like the Stars did some stuff last night....
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It looks like the Stars did some stuff last night....
As did the Jackets, though not of the on-ice variety:
https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets-fire-gm-jarmo-kekalainen-davidson-assumes-interim-role-1.2076366 (https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets-fire-gm-jarmo-kekalainen-davidson-assumes-interim-role-1.2076366)
cheers,
Gabe
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As did the Jackets, though not of the on-ice variety:
https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets-fire-gm-jarmo-kekalainen-davidson-assumes-interim-role-1.2076366 (https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets-fire-gm-jarmo-kekalainen-davidson-assumes-interim-role-1.2076366)
This was long overdue. Now I just need the Caps to follow through and fire GMBM. That is not likely to happen until the off season though.
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The last time I checked in on the Canucks/Wild last night, it was 5-2 Vancouver.
What. The. Hell.
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The last time I checked in on the Canucks/Wild last night, it was 5-2 Vancouver.
What. The. Hell.
Taking three consecutive penalties in the space of less than three minutes is asking for bad things to happen.
That was what led the Wild back into the game.
cheers,
Gabe
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Hi all,
Not directly related to the actual sport, but yesterday while listening to the play by play of the Habs vs. Pens, I heard something I've never heard before on a Habs radio broadcast: a female play-by-play announcer. It was Kenzie Lalonde, TSN's (nominal) beat reporter for the Habs. She is quite competent on PBP; I've heard her call women's games before (like the Canada/U.S. Rivalry Series) but this is the first time I've heard her (or any woman, for that matter) call an NHL regular season men's game, even on radio.
What about you guys? Have any of you ever heard a woman call PBP on your local NHL broadcasts (radio, TV, or otherwise)?
Cheers,
Gabe
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I feel like once on CBC or SportsNet, years ago, I saw Cassie Campbell-Pascall do play-by-play, but that was as she was there and the scheduled play-by-play person (man) was suddenly sick, so she filled in. She was already an experienced commentator/broadcaster (beyond being a star of the game) at that stage and did a good job. I couldn't tell you when/where/teams (so maybe my brain made it all up? :undecided: )
In other fun off-ice news, I wonder how many Gretzky rookie cards could be found in this bundle?!
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/rare-sask-gretzky-hockey-cards-sold-for-millions-1.7125262
(....and god knows the game has had enough "not-fun" off ice news recently, so again we can be amazed at the Great One!)
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This has certainly been a February to forget if you're a Boston fan...
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It was awesome to see Kaner being welcomed back to Chicago so warmly the other night. I say this remembering how mercilessly Chelios was booed back when he made his return to Chicago. Pretty amazing how winning a few Cups can suck the toxins right out of a fanbase. At least for a time.
In other news...
(https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/428652664_10229496844098575_6083460998385036642_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=dd5e9f&_nc_ohc=VHZEQ84xvn4AX888PM3&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfD3SzoGpcB9_gl5lZXD6NPOuGAmoZq4Ibcwd-8mvd-D-A&oe=65E3423A)
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It was awesome to see Kaner being welcomed back to Chicago so warmly the other night. I say this remembering how mercilessly Chelios was booed back when he made his return to Chicago.
To be fair the context of then vs. now the Blackhawks and Red Wings were divisional rivals. I honestly didn't remember the circumstances very well I thought he signed with Red Wings in the off season, but it said he was traded to the Wings.
Meanwhile Maricopa and Pima Co. keep giving Bettman and NHL the middle finger.
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Lindy Ruff has been relieved of his duties in NJ. In related news, NJ still needs a goalie.
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Did the Jackets really walk in and kick the Knights in the teeth like that? Wow.
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Did the Jackets really walk in and kick the Knights in the teeth like that? Wow.
Yep. Vegas isn't play well these days and if they hadn't banked up points one might think they would miss the playoffs. Which is still possible, but the teams outside the playoff bubble looking at catching up to the WC spots are 5 points or more behind.
Columbus more often than not isn't going to going to blow out another team, but they have the talent to do it and did just that to Vegas.
*Update- Anthony Mantha traded to Vegas for a 2nd and 4th round pick over the few drafts. We will get to grade this one in a few years. For now though a decent return on and temporarily closes the book on one of those hockey trades that haven't completely worked out for their respective teams.
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Did the Jackets really walk in and kick the Knights in the teeth like that? Wow.
The same Jackets that just lost 5-3 to the Pens? Yep. Even the best teams can show up unprepared or take their opponents too lightly.
cheers,
Gabe
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Habs end the Preds' win streak at eight, thanks to an incredibly fluky goal by David Savard and a disallowed Preds goal that let them get to OT.
https://www.rds.ca/videos/hockey/lnh/canadiens/canadiens-ben-voyons-dont-quel-but-chanceux-de-david-savard-lnh-3.1440570 (https://www.rds.ca/videos/hockey/lnh/canadiens/canadiens-ben-voyons-dont-quel-but-chanceux-de-david-savard-lnh-3.1440570)
Also, it would appear that Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield have switched roles.
cheers,
Gabe
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Busy afternoon on the trade front:
Tarasenko to FL
Walker and Mittelstadt to the AVs. Mittelstadt is an RFA after this season which is intriguing.
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Meanwhile Maricopa and Pima Co. keep giving Bettman and NHL the middle finger.
I hope they somehow, someway, end up back in Canada. Just to make the circle complete, and to give the crowd in Quebec City another chance.
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Jake Guetzil is now a Hurricane. It was pretty massive so here is the link:
https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/carolina-hurricanes-acquire-f-jake-guentzel-from-pittsburgh-penguins-f-bunting-prospects-picks-1.2086544 (https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/carolina-hurricanes-acquire-f-jake-guentzel-from-pittsburgh-penguins-f-bunting-prospects-picks-1.2086544)
Still waiting for a goalie to be traded.
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Holy crap, guys... I don't even know where to start on the past 24 hours or so of trades. Guentzel, Maroon, Kuznetsov, Zucker... and there's more coming, based on the cap-clearing moves the Avalanche have been making, among others.
And we have just shy of 24 hours to go before the deadline.
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Hertl to Vegas was not something I saw happening. Once again Vegas will be squeezing every bit out of that cap space this year and once again will need to dump some salary when they get to the end of the season.
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Wow.
Per Boston sports radio, Bruins attempted a trade with the Kings to send Linus Ullmark out there- Linus nixed the trade via his NTC because he didn't want to be moved out to the west coast and away from his family.
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Once again Vegas will be squeezing every bit out of that cap space this year and once again will need to dump some salary when they get to the end of the season.
That is one of weirdest things about the NHL.
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That is one of weirdest things about the NHL.
It's really only a recent trend in the past 5 years that Vegas or any other team that I can remember stretching things as far as possible in the regular season and dealing with it in the off season.
In other news today NJ traded for 2 sub par goalies while sending another out the other way. I can't imagine anything good comming out of this. Probably a sign an eldrich horror is working the front office behind the scenes.
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Wings stand pat, opting to not give up draft picks, and also to keep developing our own talent from within. We can add to our depth, we can possibly find a gem worth keeping long-term. Or we can develop the kind of guys that other teams will trade their own draft picks to us in order to acquire.
It's a good place to be.
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I have to think the trade demands of teams willing to deal a quality goalie were pretty high considering how few were dealt. There isn't a significant name in the UFA goalie pool this off season to be had so the Red Wings are going to take on a vet they'd be in a better position in the off season to do it. I still think they will make the playoffs, but this little mini slide for both them and Tampa Bay are on atm has given the Islanders a shot of sneaking into a WC spot.
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I’m non-commital. I want to see the Wings return to the playoffs, but I also know that with injuries and certain other dynamics in play it, chances can swing either way.
It’s something the Lions taught me - hope for the best but don’t be surprised when the worst keeps happening.
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Could be worse... you could have been outscored 15-1 in your last three games.
...hello, Pittsburgh.
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That is worse. Though Wings stats over the last 5 games are only marginally better.
But, those Pittsburgh execs have a hard job ahead of blowing up what's left of those great teams just to try and get what they can toward a rebuild.
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Habs delivered the ugliest shutout win I've ever seen, getting in all their offense on a shell-shocked Elvis Merzlikins in the first six minutes and then praying that Cayden Primeau could carry them the rest of the way. And he stood tall, actually having to work this time for his second shutout this season (the first having come in a game where the Ducks made it clear from the opening puck drop that they were mailing it
in). If he can keep displaying this form, then he'll have finally proven he belongs in the NHL (even if only as a backup).
Final shots: 41-23 Jackets.
Final score: 3-0 Habs.
Cheers,
Gabe
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Upward of 13 no trade/movement clauses will make blowing up the current Pens roster problematic.
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Totally agreed. Also, I think they would be loyal to Crosby, Malkin, and LeTang regardless, and probably let them stay as long as they want and retire there. Which is admirable. But problematic, like you said.
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Chris Simon died. He was 52 according to the link below.
While it isn't mentioned what caused his death, it does note that he suffered from CET. He played the game rough, I don't need to elaborate on that.
RIP
https://www.hockeyfeed.com/nhl-news/former-nhl-enforcer-chris-simon-dies-at-52?fbclid=IwAR36M5rk6gy3X84eZ7ngOn0Q2fRfQeMSeXUtAatMfj29y0h2pORhIb92DiU
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Chris Simon died. He was 52 according to the link below.
Another that left us far to early. He was my favorite Cap during the time he was here and in 99-2000 he potted 29 goals and led the team in what turned ou to be a down year for Peter Bondra. May he rest in peace.
In a more up-beat note, there are multiple games with playoff ramifications tonight:
Washington vs Detroit for what is currently the WC2. The winner of this has control of their playoff seeding for the forseeable future.
Rangers vs Flyers. Rangers win they stay on top in the division and Flyers could potentially be dropped to the WC2 if the Caps win.
Hurricanes vs Pens. A Hurricanes win and a Ranger loss they would leap frog back into the lead of the Metro.
Bruins vs Panthers. This is the big game of the night. Any hopes that Boston has to win the division require they win this game and preferably in regulation.
Stars and Avs are both involved in games against teams with losing records. Dallas really needs to win and the Avs to lose in order to move into first place. Avs currently own the first few tie breaks in the event they would have the same amount of points at the end of the season.
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Another that left us far to early. He was my favorite Cap during the time he was here and in 99-2000 he potted 29 goals and led the team in what turned ou to be a down year for Peter Bondra. May he rest in peace.
Got to say, Simon was my second favorite Av after Joe Sakic.
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The last wild card spot in the East has five teams circling it (four of whom also could claim the third spot in the Metro)- Islanders, Capitals, Flyers, Red Wings, and Penguins. And at this point I really have no idea who's going to get in. A week ago I'd have said the Capitals were in the best spot for it, but after a couple of shockingly-lackluster performances this week (including last night's 4-1 bed-soiling against their hated rivals in Pittsburgh)... they'd have to really show me something to get me back on board in believing they can make this work. It's amazing, watching them right now- a team that has clawed its way into a spot like this despite being deadline sellers, making noise all winter long, and when they get to a point where they can put their foot down and start getting rid of, say, the PENGUINS of all teams... they wilt. Losing that game would have essentially ended the Penguins' season- not officially, but the climb would have been too much to realistically climb. Instead, they're even closer in the rear view of the rest of the pack now, and the Caps are the ones looking like they might be lunch meat.
My wife is a diehard Caps fan, and got tickets at Christmas to the home game coming up against Boston (yes, I'll be in black and yellow), and honestly we started wondering if it was going to be important as a preview of a playoff round between us the following week, or at least a game the Caps could potentially clinch their playoff spot with. Now, it has all the hallmarks of the kind of game that no one cares about- a home squad eliminated and just running out the clock before they can go home, and a visiting Boston squad resting guys before the real war breaks out a few days later. Bummer.
But, on the bright side, the remaining teams in the hunt are in for a heck of a finish, Pittsburgh included. From a hockey fan perspective, that's going to be a lot of fun to watch.
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If the Wings get in, it's by luck.
But people who think Larkin is unimportant to the team have to eat crow whether they like it or not - the guy goes out with an injury and the Wings fell apart for the next three weeks.
Anyway, I'm bushed. Got barely any sleep last night and had to mind all kinds of business all day. And it's been a long one. Life is beautiful. :smilie_happy_thumbup:
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I need the playoffs to start ASAP and truly wish their was no 2nd wild card. None of theses team in contention for the last spot look like they could win a single playoff game.
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Sadly, this is true. Without assessing anyone other teams, the Red Wings have been exposed, and it's not pretty. At all.
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Looks like the 'Yotes' days in the Arizona desert are indeed numbered:
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/arizona-coyotes-players-told-team-is-moving-to-utah/ (https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/arizona-coyotes-players-told-team-is-moving-to-utah/)
Move could go through as soon as the day after the regular season ends.
Cheers,
Gabe
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June 28th is likely the day everyone finds out for certain. I'd read elsewhere about the land auction listed in that article. However the way public land auctions are handled in AZ made it seem like the chances of the auction happening before the team's hand is forced into a decision unlikely that they would stay in AZ. This at least seems to give them a very small chance they could stay rather than a move be announced at the draft.
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And if they do move to Salt Lake the new team name better be the Shakers :cheesy:
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That rumor seems to have traction. I found this written an hour ago. The article is attributed to Stephen Whyno who was previoulsly a Caps beat reporter. So it looks like we may hear an announcement by next week.
https://sports.yahoo.com/coyotes-sale-utah-jazz-owner-231832630.html (https://sports.yahoo.com/coyotes-sale-utah-jazz-owner-231832630.html)
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After today we know all 8 teams in the West and have a pretty good idea of who the top two seeds will likely be after Vancouver's next game. The East has the top 6 figured out and now we just have to figure out who the Wild Cards slots are at the bottom and who is going to be the top seeds based on the outcome of the Ranger's Ottawa game tomorrow. As for that Boston v Washington game, both teams have motivation to win rather than play it out. It shoulld be a pretty interesting game.
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Headed downtown in a few hours for Bruins/Capitals. My white B's jersey is ready to get thrown on after work, my wife's red Ovechkin jersey is already on her.
She needs these points desperately to avoid being bored next week. I... honestly don't know that winning this helps Boston all that much in the grand scheme of things, but I'm petty enough to want her to go home sad.
Go B's. :evil:
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Boston wins tonight and it locks up the division. In combination with a Rangers regulation loss still leaves the Bruins with a shot at the number 1 seed in the conference.
An Islanders win secures a playoff spot.
A Red Wings regulation loss tonight will eliminate them in the case of a future tie breaker.
Pittsburgh is playing against Nashville in a where they need to win and Nashville might want to lose if want less jet lag from travel during the playoffs.
Kings win makes it more likely they are facing Edmonton in the playoffs rather than playing the Canucks or Stars.
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After the dust settles from last night the Rangers locked up the President's trophy. A Florida win makes the Bruins last game of the season still have an impact on the division title.
If the Caps win tonight they are the 8th seed. The Flyers can only make the playoffs if they win in regulation. In a close game that means we should have some 6th attacker action in a late game tie.
The Red Wings have to win tonight. The other permutations we will leave until later.
All that said I will be shocked if the Caps pull off the victory tonight.
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As I predicted, the Wings only get into the postseason by luck.
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The hockey gods are fickle this evening.
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Fickle they are.
Oh well. Wings received a lesson about building better depth and taking grit seriously again, like we did back in the hallowed days of The Grind Line. Let's go with it and look forward to the draft and free agency.
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All that said I will be shocked if the Caps pull off the victory tonight.
I guess you're shocked then, aren't you? :evil:
As I predicted, the Wings only get into the postseason by luck.
**offers rebs a hankie**
Tough position for me. On the one hand, I was hoping to finally be able to deliver on my promise to you from 2021.
On the other hand, it would've been very nice to see the Habs win their last game of the season at home--though doing so would've knocked the Wings out regardless of the outcome of the Caps/Flyers game, and then I don't think you'd want any promises from me. ;)
In the end, the Habs did what they had to do in solidifying their position for the draft lottery, and the Wings did what they had to do by winning both games--too bad the Caps didn't play along.
Now, next season, Detroit should make it if only by the skin of their teeth, and the Habs should be a bubble team...if they can learn to actually play with and defend a lead.
cheers,
Gabe
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**offers rebs a hankie**
Tough position for me. On the one hand, I was hoping to finally be able to deliver on my promise to you from 2021.
On the other hand, it would've been very nice to see the Habs win their last game of the season at home--though doing so would've knocked the Wings out regardless of the outcome of the Caps/Flyers game, and then I don't think you'd want any promises from me. ;)
In the end, the Habs did what they had to do in solidifying their position for the draft lottery, and the Wings did what they had to do by winning both games--too bad the Caps didn't play along.
Now, next season, Detroit should make it if only by the skin of their teeth, and the Habs should be a bubble team...if they can learn to actually play with and defend a lead.
cheers,
Gabe
Should I keep the hankie, or did it have sentimental value? azn
We lost as soon as we couldn't buy a win with Larks out on injury.
If the Habs had beaten us the other night, I would simply be saying the same thing (basically) a little sooner.
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So...with the regular season done...who would I like to see go all the way and take home the Cup, if it can't be the Habs?
Leafs? NEVER!!!
Bruins? NEVER!!!
Jets? Well, they've got Sean Monahan and Tyler Toffoli now...unfortunately, Mark Scheifele is still there. So...just...no.
Canucks? Oilers?
Which one is Canada best hope for bringing the Cup north of the border since...1993?
I have my doubts that either of these teams is built for the playoffs. Neither one has any players I really hate.
Sentimentally, I'm old enough to remember the Oilers' glory days...so...um...yeah. Go Oil. Better them than the Leafs, anyway.
And it's pretty much McDavid's last chance to prove he's the greatest player of his generation (as an Oiler, anyway).
cheers,
Gabe
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Agreed about the Leafs. On some other online platform I saw a Leafs Nation rep saying that Toronto was living rent free in everyone's heads. (Guess what fun was being had before they said that, and at who's expense... hahaha) Had to remind them that rent free doesn't win Cups or elections.
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Should I keep the hankie, or did it have sentimental value? azn
Nah, it's a keeper. :) Go ahead.
We lost as soon as we couldn't buy a win with Larks out on injury.
If the Habs had beaten us the other night, I would simply be saying the same thing (basically) a little sooner.
I never saw such a funereal victory celebration after Kane put it away in the shootout...I think Reimer was the only one who didn't already know.
Always have to say next year will be better...I think the Wings have more reason to be optimistic.
cheers,
Gabe
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Oh yes, overlooked in all this was the NHL debut of Logan Mailloux for the Habs tonight. Whatever his past indiscretions, he has become a linchpin player for the Laval Rocket (the Habs' AHL team) and was rewarded with his first taste of the big show, when there was a very real possibility it wouldn't happen. The Habs' season is over though :cry:, and so Mailloux goes back to the Rocket who have a must-win B2B against Belleville (the Sens' farm club and the Rocket's arch-rivals) if they're going to see the AHL playoffs.
cheers,
Gabe
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I guess you're shocked then, aren't you? :e
I was indeed. I only caught the last 10 minutes of the game while in my car. Props to Play by play making the empty net goal a whole lot more dramatic and interesting than it was on the replay.
Other outcomes of the day:
Buffalo fired their head coach.
Pittsburgh is playing a meaningless game 82.
LA and Vegas are still playing for seeding.
And last but not least we have the Bruins vs Leafs matchup that everybody not named Jadehellbringer and Steve Dangle wanted in the first round. As soon as I get home tonight I will change my avatar to something that will no longer mess with Bruins' mojo.
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Well I'm rooting for Boston this round too. B stands for Bag those Leafs!
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Given the outcome of last night's games I have updated my avatar. I likely will never have to change it again :grin:
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No more Coyotes. Bring on the Utah Shakers!
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6000 season tickets sold in Utah there's a market there
Whole new franchise coyotes are fully gone until an expansion
2 days until Boston whip the leafs
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OH BOY HERE I GO PREDICTING AGAIN
Vegas @ Dallas: This is a really interesting matchup, with the Knights... ah, 'stacked' (cough) roster facing a really underrated Stars squad. I know the Stars just won the whole West, but it feels like they're still under the radar a bit compared to teams like the Avs and Oilers, but a big series from guys like Hintz and Robertson, and heroics from Oettinger, could make this a very dangerous series for a Vegas team that... I admit a lot of it is that I'm tired of the cap shenanigans, but I just don't have any real feeling that this team is going to make a deep run this time. Something's off here. It's weird to call the top team in the conference winning in the first round an 'upset', but... you know what I mean. Dallas in six
Colorado @ Winnipeg: Nathan MacKinnon is not human. I refuse to believe it. We've just witnessed the greatest season in franchise history by one guy, and when you consider some of the names that have played for them, that's one hell of a statement. But... no Landeskog still (I'm not really sure we'll ever see him again at this point), and it feels like the supporting cast isn't as strong overall as the past couple of years. Winnipeg is a team built around shutting down a high-flying offense, starting in net, and this is going to be a tough challenge for both teams. But... you cannot stop the Big Mac, only hope to slow him down. Colorado in five
Nashville @ Vancouver: Remember back when the Canucks were the laughingstock of the NHL? Like, a YEAR ago? I was pretty uninterested in Rick Tocchet as a head coach, but the results speak for themselves- and of course, having a very scary offense backed by a young goalie in Demko who finally seems to have come into his own certainly doesn't hurt. Nashville, meanwhile, is a hard team to figure out- there doesn't seem to be a lot there to love, and yet they've run all over their opposition since New Years. This despite struggles in net (not something we say often about the Preds!). I'm not convinced that their momentum can overcome raw talent though- but this is a tough one to call. Vancouver in six
Los Angeles @ Edmonton: Every year there's a push to crown the Oilers before the show even starts, because THIS time is the year. This one... feels like it might finally be it, honestly. And a big chunk of that comes from finally adding a third ridiculous offensive talent to the McDavid/Draisaitl show in Hyman. If they can get consistent goaltending, defense, and some help from other lines... it's still a lot to ask long-term, but for THIS round it's probably enough to overcome a Kings team that just hasn't impressed me enough. It also needs to be a success this time, because there might not be a lot more chances for this Oilers build to keep falling short. Oilers in four
Tampa @ Florida: The Battle Of The Panhandle is renewed, and this time it feels like the roles are a bit reversed, with the strong Panthers holding off an attack from a Tampa team that doesn't feel as scary as past years... or do they? Stamkos had a great season, and no one notices because Kucherov was out of ****** control all year long- turns out not stashing him on IR for the last few months of a season is good for him! This is a really tough series to call, but Florida's grit to me gives them a very slight edge. Guys like Tkachuk are built for this time of year, drawing penalties and scoring on the man advantage they create- it worked all spring last year, and I don't see a reason it won't this time. Florida in seven
Toronto @ Boston: AAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA- OK, ok, had to get that out of the way. Honestly, and you won't believe this, but I'm worrying about this one. Toronto isn't a great team- stacked up top, and to their credit the Samsonov experiment's second act has paid off surprisingly well. But there's not a great bottom-six, and their defense is just trash. But... Boston hasn't looked great lately. Part of that was finishing with a couple of games that they didn't really care about- they seemed to just want to get off the ice this week without injuries and didn't care about seeding, and after last year's Ulmark injury derailed things for them it's probably the right move. But it makes for a tough team to feel confident in going into the postseason like this, and I'm genuinely worried that the Leafs' raw offensive power might be too much for the Bruins' vaunted defense and goaltending tandem this time. Just... not enough to pick against them. Boston in seven
Washington @ Rangers: I can't think of ever having seen a race to the finish between multiple teams playing hot-potato with a playoff spot the way we just saw. It was like no one really wanted to get that last wild card, and were desperately trying to miss out. The 'loser' of it, in the end, were the Capitals, a team with an absolutely wretched goal differential, stuck staring down one of the best teams we've seen in a good while in New York. The Rags have scoring, defense, goaltending, special teams, it's a genuinely impressive team this time around. The Capitals... Lindgren has been a pretty surprising story in goal, and Ovechkin's awakening after Christmas has been nice to see, but there's not a ton here to feel confident about. Sorry, Caps fans, but the reward for winning this week is to be a Big Apple speed bump. New York in four
Islanders @ Carolina: HELLBIE UPSET SPECIAL! The Canes are a team designed from the keel up to win this time of year, and yet every time I watch them they just feel... off, somewhere. I can't quite put my finger on it- goaltending hasn't been a strong suit, but injury has been a big part of that. Just... something has me looking at them as another past-few-years Oilers team, seemingly fantastic but deeply flawed under the surface. They're not- at least not as openly- but I'm having a lot of trouble looking at them, despite all the firepower, and feeling confident. The Islanders are an openly wretched team with talent but no direction- they've never inspired confidence all year long, and despite the coaching change they still seem adrift most nights- someone will win this, why not make it fun and throw a little chaos into things? New York in seven
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6000 season tickets sold in Utah there's a market there
14k capacity for hockey (with plans to increase that capacity by another 3k) according to wiki. Winipeg's arena is I believe the smallest capacity in the league is around 15300. So small by NHL standards however it isn't college arena small.
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My super picks without at a whole lot of commentary (Hellbie beat me to it).
Vegas vs Dallas: It's that time of the year again where the warden looks the other direction and all the refugees from Robidas island run free down the strip and maybe something comes of it. I don't honestly know if Logan Thompson can carry this team in the post season. I say that because I don't think Adian Hill is healthy. Pound a healthy Vegas team can go toe to toe with Dallas. I just don't think they are going to be healthy. Dallas in 6
Colorado vs. Winnipeg: The defensive bulwark vs the offensive juggernaut. I'm going to make the mistake, yet again, of picking the Jets. I just don't think the goal tending in Colorado is good enough this year to carry them out of the first round. Winnipeg in 7
Nashville vs Vancouver: There is nothing scary about Nashville on paper, but they won 47 games. That's pretty good and better than a couple of those divisional 3 seeds. They have vets with a ring out there and enough grit that I don't think they are going to easily beaten. 'Nucks in 6
Los Angeles vs Edmonton: I'm not predisposed to Edmonton just walking over the Kings. That's probably what will happen, but both teams were really, really good and also really, really awful at stretches too (both firing their HC's). The Kings have an offense that is less potent but deeper. Connor Mcjesus and Leo are probably going to be over 9000 for this round so it will be the Oilers in 7.
Tampa Bay vs Florida: Tampa Bay has been really solid in the second half, but Florida has been consistant nearly all season. Tampa has all the rings, but I think Florida is sure thing unless injuries hit them hard. Florida in 6
Toronto vs Bruins: I'm not sure how many good things I can say about Toronto. Goaltending has been an issue for several years and they have yet to address it. Sure they have an excellent offense, but that hasn't gotten them anywhere. Nylander might not be playing in game 1. Bruins, while they have been slumping recently, have Patrick Maroon. As we all know that's Toronto's kryptonite. Bruins in 5
Washington vs NY Rangers: Charlie 'Halak' Lindgren stands tall over the Blueshirts with the broken stick of his brother Ryan Lindgren like he was Dikembe Mutombo. I'll leave the rest of the series up to your imagination Rangers in 5
NY Islanders vs Carolina: I have no idea what the hell is going to happen. I'm just going to assume the Hurricanes might have bought enough duct tape and bubble wrap this year to keep their goalies safe and healthy (haha) Hurricanes in 5
My first to final round prognostication is a Florida vs Dallas final.
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Fat Guy's pathetic picks:
Vegas in 5
Colorado in 6
Nashville in 7
Edmonton in 6
Florida in 6
Toronto in 7 - Fat Guy's upset special! :evil:
New York in 4
Carolina in 6
You can see why I don't bet.
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First game of the Stanley Cup Playoff Season. It’s a good day. I’m not even going to waste anyone’s time with predictions, but I will say I’ll keep an eye on Nashville, and I like the earlier prediction of Florida v Dallas…. and I’ll say after last year, I’d be happy if Florida could take it all. But man this time of year is so much fun because of all the possibilities.
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No more Coyotes. Bring on the Utah Shakers!
Ear to the ground and I hear rumblings of
SALT LAKE LATTER DAY SKATES.
I’ll show myself out now.
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Ear to the ground and I hear rumblings of
SALT LAKE LATTER DAY SKATES.
I’ll show myself out now.
Boo this man! BOOOOO!!!
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Ear to the ground and I hear rumblings of
SALT LAKE LATTER DAY SKATES.
I’ll show myself out now.
(https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.7c455c9bfc150104075065b7c738c32f?rik=0hnEVwNgwNeK1A&riu=http%3a%2f%2fwww.reactiongifs.com%2fr%2f2012%2f05%2fget-out.gif&ehk=5zRE7X0MsYBrGE7hH1u8f865pEuUBHUJRFuChtx8ies%3d&risl=&pid=ImgRaw&r=0)
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Toronto @ Boston: AAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA- OK, ok, had to get that out of the way. Honestly, and you won't believe this, but I'm worrying about this one. Toronto isn't a great team- stacked up top, and to their credit the Samsonov experiment's second act has paid off surprisingly well. But there's not a great bottom-six, and their defense is just trash. But... Boston hasn't looked great lately. Part of that was finishing with a couple of games that they didn't really care about- they seemed to just want to get off the ice this week without injuries and didn't care about seeding, and after last year's Ulmark injury derailed things for them it's probably the right move. But it makes for a tough team to feel confident in going into the postseason like this, and I'm genuinely worried that the Leafs' raw offensive power might be too much for the Bruins' vaunted defense and goaltending tandem this time. Just... not enough to pick against them. Boston in seven
If nothing else, the Bruins should feel highly motivated to avenge last year's epic collapse against the Cats. I think they will pull through--even this year, the Leafs simply don't have the Panthers' raw grit and that's going to make all the difference IMO.
cheers,
Gabe
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Rangers up 1-0. Zibanejad and company made it look easy there in the second.
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Colorado @ Winnipeg, Game 1: Where we're going, we don't NEED goalies.
Holy shit, what a mess of a game. I loved every minute of it- not the outcome I wanted, obviously, but even in the dying seconds it looked like it was still very much in question.
But... if you're the Avs, and you lit the likely Vezina-winner this season for six goals... and you lost? You've got to be looking at your own net and wondering if you screwed up with Georgiev at this point. I know it's one game, but that was as bad of a performance as a goalie has ever put on in a playoff game. If he looked any worse in net last night, he'd have been made an honorary Philadelphia Flyer.
If he struggles like that in the next game, the Avs have to really look themselves in the mirror- is an untested backup (remember, Fancouz is gone) a potential move? Yeah, he might suck, but... is that worse than the current option? The Avs are still stacked elsewhere, they could win this series if they can get even average goaltending, is that going to come from someone else?
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To you more in the know hockey guys, which is the strongest looking Canadian Team (best chance to play for/win the cup?
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I place from best to worst like this:
Winnipeg
Vancouver
Edmonton
Toronto
My reason for thinking that is an important cog goes down Winnipeg could still win game in and game out. The other three not so much. That said if Toronto lost one of their big guns for their whole series they are likely SOL.
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Thanks. I’ve just been waiting to see a Canadian Team win it all. I’ll pry hang on Winnipeg’s bandwagon.
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Stateside, I'm liking the Rangers this year for some reason. I think they have what it takes to win a cup provided they get some luck and a good wind at their back.
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I honestly believe any of the non wildcard teams could make the Eastern Conference final. In the case of the Maple Leafs though it has nothing to do with defense or goaltending. I won't be surprised if the ECF comes down to the Rangers and the Panthers. Carolina vs Flordia wouldn't be a stunner either as long as the Hurricanes' goalies stay healthy.
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It is very much like that. I'm just picking NYR as my horse. Even if they were facing the Canes or Boston, no matter. Win or lose.
...Wilson of all players tried to make it close tonight! Who let him practice hockey enough to contribute to the game??? azn
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It is very much like that. I'm just picking NYR as my horse. Even if they were facing the Canes or Boston, no matter. Win or lose.
...Wilson of all players tried to make it close tonight! Who let him practice hockey enough to contribute to the game??? azn
Credit to the guy, I married a Caps fan, so I see a lot of Wilson around here. Dude's good- like, 'this is a franchise player' good. He's a pest, for sure, and he has that nasty habit of getting thrown out of games that he never has shaken, but he's not alone in that regard. He's Brad Marchand with an extra few inches of height, or a Tkachuk with a few years more seasoning. Playing right on the edge of what's allowed, driving opponents nuts with his antics, and making goalies absolutely miserable with his shot. Any NHL defenseman mistaking Tom Wilson for a mere goon is in for a rough night.
I may not like the guy- at all- but I have nothing but (grudging) respect for his game.
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Definitely not got the exposure to the guy as a player here. His reputation reminds me a little of Claude Lemieux. So that's good but also not so good, lol...
Clearly, he's no Claude, though
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My first to final round prognostication is a Florida vs Dallas final.
Half of this pick still looks pretty good right now.
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Definitely not got the exposure to the guy as a player here. His reputation reminds me a little of Claude Lemieux. So that's good but also not so good, lol...
Clearly, he's no Claude, though
I have to agree Tom is no Claude. I will say though if Tom was on a more talented team in his career he's probably contributing more scoring department vs with his fist. I wouldn't necessarily want to see him on the ice against the Caps, but he'd have more value trading him to a contender where he'd likely benefit from a deeper roster.
Toronto's best years with Marner and Matthews are probably going to go to waste. It's still TBD for Draisaital and McDavid. However could you imagine as a 2nd or depth winger on either of those teams. It's somewhat frightning and he could probably pot 60 points year in and year out.
Anyone got any good ideas of something to watch after the Bruins close out the Leafs on Tuesday? It appears that the whole of the Eastern Conference 1st round will be wrapped up by then.
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As a Caps fan it pains me to say this:
Can this game please end so we can get to the Avs/Jets game?
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Not a lot of excitement beyond the first period for NYR vs the Caps.
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(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d0/b0/d7/d0b0d711dd8a88c792b5980eff7d87df.jpg)
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Thank goodness that didn't last longer. Now I can concern myself with how much of a drop off they are likely to experience next season.
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I wish you all luck, Firesprocket. EDITED Next couple seasons will be the biggest "Will 8 overtake Gretzky?!?!" years yet, and probably the biggest seasons of the all time goal chase. If he stays healthy. And damn, can Ovi try to play with some feeling? Or helping to make things more meaningful on ice.
If he takes any longer, it drags on him, not Gretzky. I hope it doesn't come to that for anyone's sake. Like the Mike Gartner and other biggest anti-climactic chases ever.
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Well... might something interesting be happening with the Bruins vs. Leafs?
Just about a year ago, the Bruins were up 3-1 in a series where the opponent looked done for...
Cheers,
Gabe
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(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d0/b0/d7/d0b0d711dd8a88c792b5980eff7d87df.jpg)
What are you going to do when Ovi goes to a new team, or even better, retires?
Cheers,
Gabe
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All criticism aside, we're not going to get any record chase like the all-time goals scored in the NHL record Ovi is aiming at. If he hangs on and is relevant for two more seasons, it will be something in and of itself. Something positive for the sport. So I'm curious to see what he decides next.
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Well... might something interesting be happening with the Bruins vs. Leafs?
Just about a year ago, the Bruins were up 3-1 in a series where the opponent looked done for...
If Boston keeps playing like they did last night, the Leafs got this.
What are you gyto do when Ovi goes to a new team, or even better, retires?
If he switches teams I'm sure someone will update the meme.
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New year, same old Jets. They're the Leafs of the Western Conference!
I feel bad for Sean Monahan and Tyler Toffoli, but that's what you get for playing on a team with Mark Scheifele.
Cheers,
Gabe
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Quick thoughts on my two teams last night:
Bruins: Expected... kind of. The Leafs were against the wall, not just the end of their season but the end of their TEAM. Losing another first round series almost certainly means an enormous overhauls in Toronto, with key people (coaches especially) likely out the door. This is it, this is the Leafs core as we know it on the line, so they were always going to show up with their A-level game. Anything less only justifies the teardown to follow. That said, the B's were shockingly bad in the first 30 minutes or so- two shots on net in the first period of a playoff game? TWO? And yet the team that laid that egg still went to OT and nearly won it. I'm not worried right now- I think a more even effort closes things out on Thursday.
Avalanche: Good lord. Just... they took the likely-Vezina winner behind the woodshed and beat the tar out of him five games in a row. I can't think of the last time I watched a top-tier goalie get absolutely torched like that. I noted before that this was less of an ass-kicking of the Jets and more of a warning to every other team left in the playoffs, and while the Stars and Knights are tied at this writing, both have to be looking ahead a little and raising their eyebrows. Dallas at least has a very good goalie in Oettinger- Vegas, I have zero faith in their ability to stop the Avs. Maybe keep up in high-scoring games, but not STOP them.
Side note, Cale Makar. Since 2005, only four defensemen have more playoff points than Makar does- Hedman, Keith, Letang, Carlson. That's it, those four. Now, part of that means the Avs have made deep playoff runs for him to get points in, same as the others, but... he's ahead in that time period of other deep-playoff defensemen like Doughty, Chara, MacAvoy, etc., and of the four ahead of him, three are surefire Hall of Fame players (sorry, Carlson).
The big one? Makar made his debut in 2019.
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Wooh, the first period of tonight's Leafs/Bruins contest unfolded much like the last game's. It seems to me the Leafs have found a way to turn the Bruins' own game against them...?
cheers,
Gabe
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If the Finals come down to NYR and the Avs, I would honestly have to root for the Rangers to win a game. Just one.
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If Boston keeps playing like they did last night, the Leafs got this.
The momentum has definitely shifted. Once again, the Bruins are heading to a Game 7 having failed to close out an opponent they had a commanding lead over. The Leafs have the memory of last year's first-round success (however fleeting) to build on. They've now realized they can not just match the Bruins defensively, but actually intimidate them. Anyone else catch the way Max Domi pushed Brad Marchand down, with no pushback afterwards? Is it just me, or have the Leafs actually been playing better with Matthews out of the lineup?
cheers,
Gabe
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Leafs fans think they do it just to set up the bigger disappointment later for maximum drama. Okay, not literally, but they have prior art. A lot of prior art
https://theathletic.com/5468599/2024/05/02/maple-leafs-playoffs-come-back/
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In the past two 1st periods, Boston has three shots on goal.
THREE. In two opening periods.
They may win Game 7. They will not DESERVE to win Game 7. That's absolutely astounding, for an NHL team in the playoffs to come out that flat two games in a row, in elimination games against an archrival, both home and away.
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With round 1 winding down, my only prediction is now Colorado vs NYR Finals. Bring on round 2.
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Until it actually happens I'm incapable of believing Leafs capable of winning a series against the Bruins. The Bruins are capable of so much more and if they don't find that gear then absolutely don't deserve to go to the second round. Except for Swayman. Swayman is why they should in the second round.
Second round starts tomorrow and the Rangers vs Hurricanes is a difficult one to pick. NY won the series 2-1. Both wins were by a single game. Meanwhile Carolina blew the doors off of NY in their only win which wasn't after the trade deadline. Essentially you have 2 teams that are by and large the equal to the other. If the Panters weren't in the other bracket and potentially a conference final opponent this would be a conference final worthy game.
Even looking down the stat lines of both teams they seem evenly matched.
I'll give it to Carolina in 7. However it's razor thing margin. These are just 2 bomber teams and 1 of them unfortunatly has to lose.
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President's Trophy Curse time. Canes in six. And while we're at it, Oilers in five.
I'll pick the other two when they're final, but I think Boston is completing the collapse tonight. :evil:
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And there we have it. Undeserved win for the Bruins, debatably undeserved exit for the Leafs. Pasta challenged to step up by his coach and he does it when it counts. But, when I saw that Samsonov was getting the start because Joseph Woll was hurt, I knew that it was done for the Leafs one way or another.
Cats in six.
Cheers,
Gabe
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Think there's still going to be a housecleaning in Toronto? Much better effort the last three games, but still another first-round exit...
cheers,
Gabe
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Think there's still going to be a housecleaning in Toronto? Much better effort the last three games, but still another first-round exit...
At this point I don't see how they can't look at cleaning house. How much do you clean out for the failure vs. the need to clear out some salary for other players?
Nylander didn't play the first 3 games of the series but when he did play he was effective. So one could spin he was a potentially flip a game and that's all they needed. I think they have to flip the coaching staff and they need to bring in at least one new goalie.
If they flip a forward I wouldn't be surprised. It's the nuclear option and one that would take some excessive string pulling because of NTCs.
The Leafs IMO didn't quit in game 7. But they got beat by one of the best players in the NHL who made a heads up play which may or may not have been aided by a solid home ice bounce.
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The Leafs IMO didn't quit in game 7. But they got beat by one of the best players in the NHL who made a heads up play which may or may not have been aided by a solid home ice bounce.
That's old time hockey. Officials have always been central.
It's over, and the Leafs are bagged by the curb.
People are allowed to complain, true, but time marches on regardless of how one spends their finite energies. Time to do something to shake up the team, but something smart. They can't just make moves to make them, that's how some future champ acquires Matthews for three prospects who don't really ever pan out for the Toronto Maple Leafs franchise.
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Well shit, Leafs almost pulled it off. :sad:
Panthers in six.
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It's up for diagestion. The annual Maple Leafs euology (40 mins long).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeqL6-iV4PQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeqL6-iV4PQ)
Without completely spoiling the ending, his conclusions are probably correct on what will likely unfold this off season.
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See ya next season, Mr. and Mrs. LTIR!
:evil: :grin:
Cheers,
Gabe
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With Vegas formally condemned to the regions of the 9th green the rest of my second round picks look like this:
(previously picked Carolina in 7)
Florida in 6. Swayman is the reason they get 2.
Stars in 7. Have to stay true to that prior to first round pick. If not for that fact the Avs have plenty of reasons why they can win this series.
Oilers in 6. I can't conceive a back up's back up stonewalling the Oilers. If this were the Leafs the Canucks were playing I'd say it's anyone's game.
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I already picked the other 3 up thread, so Stars in 6.
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OH BOY HERE I GO PREDICTING AGAIN
Vegas @ Dallas: This is a really interesting matchup, with the Knights... ah, 'stacked' (cough) roster facing a really underrated Stars squad. I know the Stars just won the whole West, but it feels like they're still under the radar a bit compared to teams like the Avs and Oilers, but a big series from guys like Hintz and Robertson, and heroics from Oettinger, could make this a very dangerous series for a Vegas team that... I admit a lot of it is that I'm tired of the cap shenanigans, but I just don't have any real feeling that this team is going to make a deep run this time. Something's off here. It's weird to call the top team in the conference winning in the first round an 'upset', but... you know what I mean. Dallas in six OK, one game off, but I had a good feeling about the Stars in this series. I will say that while I still think Vegas is playing some blatant games with the cap, Mark Stone never did look right in this series- whether that's because something was really wrong and he got rushed back, or he was out of conditioning after sitting for several weeks, who's to say? But he looked very unwell overall- so did the Knights in-general the last couple of games. Dallas is rolling at just the right time.
Colorado @ Winnipeg: Nathan MacKinnon is not human. I refuse to believe it. We've just witnessed the greatest season in franchise history by one guy, and when you consider some of the names that have played for them, that's one hell of a statement. But... no Landeskog still (I'm not really sure we'll ever see him again at this point), and it feels like the supporting cast isn't as strong overall as the past couple of years. Winnipeg is a team built around shutting down a high-flying offense, starting in net, and this is going to be a tough challenge for both teams. But... you cannot stop the Big Mac, only hope to slow him down. Colorado in five Got that one dead-on, but holy crap, who among us foresaw the beatdown poor Hellebucyk got subjected to? The Avs are firing on all cylinders right now- this is a terrifying team that ran a very good Jets team up one side and down the other. Very impressed.
Nashville @ Vancouver: Remember back when the Canucks were the laughingstock of the NHL? Like, a YEAR ago? I was pretty uninterested in Rick Tocchet as a head coach, but the results speak for themselves- and of course, having a very scary offense backed by a young goalie in Demko who finally seems to have come into his own certainly doesn't hurt. Nashville, meanwhile, is a hard team to figure out- there doesn't seem to be a lot there to love, and yet they've run all over their opposition since New Years. This despite struggles in net (not something we say often about the Preds!). I'm not convinced that their momentum can overcome raw talent though- but this is a tough one to call. Vancouver in six I'm looking good so far here! Nashville had some very unfortunate bounces go against them, but that massive late-game collapse mid-round was a blow they never were able to recover from. The Canucks need to figure out who's going to play in net, with the injuries piling up at the wrong time- Demko sounds like he's going to be ready soon, but I'd wager he's not 100%. Just in time for an offense-minded second round, great.
Los Angeles @ Edmonton: Every year there's a push to crown the Oilers before the show even starts, because THIS time is the year. This one... feels like it might finally be it, honestly. And a big chunk of that comes from finally adding a third ridiculous offensive talent to the McDavid/Draisaitl show in Hyman. If they can get consistent goaltending, defense, and some help from other lines... it's still a lot to ask long-term, but for THIS round it's probably enough to overcome a Kings team that just hasn't impressed me enough. It also needs to be a success this time, because there might not be a lot more chances for this Oilers build to keep falling short. Oilers in four The Kings are starting to feel like the Leafs- they keep running into the same team, and the results keep looking the same. I won't pretend to have watched a lot of this series- I can't pull that kind of 11PM start time these days- but there was never a realistic chance for Los Angeles- that they did as well as they did was honestly a win.
Tampa @ Florida: The Battle Of The Panhandle is renewed, and this time it feels like the roles are a bit reversed, with the strong Panthers holding off an attack from a Tampa team that doesn't feel as scary as past years... or do they? Stamkos had a great season, and no one notices because Kucherov was out of ****** control all year long- turns out not stashing him on IR for the last few months of a season is good for him! This is a really tough series to call, but Florida's grit to me gives them a very slight edge. Guys like Tkachuk are built for this time of year, drawing penalties and scoring on the man advantage they create- it worked all spring last year, and I don't see a reason it won't this time. Florida in seven I really thought Tampa would put up a better fight than that. They're on the decline from the superteam they were a few years ago, but still... that was a whuppin'. Florida looks scary as hell, and to make a statement like that against your archrivals upstate is a big flashing 'OUR YEAR' sign. I'll be interested to see what the Lightning look like next year after all this.
Toronto @ Boston: AAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA- OK, ok, had to get that out of the way. Honestly, and you won't believe this, but I'm worrying about this one. Toronto isn't a great team- stacked up top, and to their credit the Samsonov experiment's second act has paid off surprisingly well. But there's not a great bottom-six, and their defense is just trash. But... Boston hasn't looked great lately. Part of that was finishing with a couple of games that they didn't really care about- they seemed to just want to get off the ice this week without injuries and didn't care about seeding, and after last year's Ulmark injury derailed things for them it's probably the right move. But it makes for a tough team to feel confident in going into the postseason like this, and I'm genuinely worried that the Leafs' raw offensive power might be too much for the Bruins' vaunted defense and goaltending tandem this time. Just... not enough to pick against them. Boston in seven It was ugly, it was nerve-wracking, it was a seven-game series that should have only been five if not for a couple of astonishing stinkers by Boston in 5 and 6... but the long tradition of booting the Leafs out in the first round continues. Like Tampa, the Leafs have a LOT of question marks about how things look going into next year, and it's hard to imagine them keeping this core together any further. Tough-fought series, but the results were the same- lack of offense.
Washington @ Rangers: I can't think of ever having seen a race to the finish between multiple teams playing hot-potato with a playoff spot the way we just saw. It was like no one really wanted to get that last wild card, and were desperately trying to miss out. The 'loser' of it, in the end, were the Capitals, a team with an absolutely wretched goal differential, stuck staring down one of the best teams we've seen in a good while in New York. The Rags have scoring, defense, goaltending, special teams, it's a genuinely impressive team this time around. The Capitals... Lindgren has been a pretty surprising story in goal, and Ovechkin's awakening after Christmas has been nice to see, but there's not a ton here to feel confident about. Sorry, Caps fans, but the reward for winning this week is to be a Big Apple speed bump. New York in four This wasn't even competitive. The Caps looked totally gassed from the moment Game 1 started, and never really got going against the Rags' juggernaut. Not much more to be said... other than 'Ovechkin, where art thou?'
Islanders @ Carolina: HELLBIE UPSET SPECIAL! The Canes are a team designed from the keel up to win this time of year, and yet every time I watch them they just feel... off, somewhere. I can't quite put my finger on it- goaltending hasn't been a strong suit, but injury has been a big part of that. Just... something has me looking at them as another past-few-years Oilers team, seemingly fantastic but deeply flawed under the surface. They're not- at least not as openly- but I'm having a lot of trouble looking at them, despite all the firepower, and feeling confident. The Islanders are an openly wretched team with talent but no direction- they've never inspired confidence all year long, and despite the coaching change they still seem adrift most nights- someone will win this, why not make it fun and throw a little chaos into things? New York in seven I almost went 8-for-8! Damn you, Isles! Kudos to Freddie Anderson for regaining top-tier form (I didn't know for a while if he'd even play again), a sound and undramatic thumping by the Canes- I'm still not 100% sold on them as a legit deep-run team, but they at least took care of business here. A bigger threat awaits...
I'll keep it briefer for Round 2:
Colorado in 6
Vancouver in 6
Boston in 7
New York in 5
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I'll keep it briefer for Round 2:
Colorado in 6
Vancouver in 6
Boston in 7
New York in 5
I've seen the Bruins-Leafs series described derisively by some (jaded fans, mostly) as a playoff choking competition :lipsrsealed:
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Brendan Shanahan, popular though he may be, may have to take the hit for this Leafs build foundering like it has. That's the rumbling.
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Brendan Shanahan, popular though he may be, may have to take the hit for this Leafs build foundering like it has. That's the rumbling.
He's been there for a decade or so, but he still hasn't found where Hellbie hid his dice in the facilities :grin:
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Well...that was certainly not the expected outcome. But not entirely surprising. Rested
often = rusty. Will be interesting to see how ( or if) the Cats rebound from this.
Cheers,
Gabe
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I've seen the Bruins-Leafs series described derisively by some (jaded fans, mostly) as a playoff choking competition :lipsrsealed:
I can't remember what I had for breakfast, but I can tell you where I was when the 2012-2013 Maple Leafs lost in game 7 :grin:
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He's been there for a decade or so, but he still hasn't found where Hellbie hid his dice in the facilities :grin:
Impressive! Means somebody is actually using them whilst thinking an orange-red 2d6 pair from a gas station outside of Spokane in the never-to-be-used-except-if the-opponent-needs-to-borrow-them drawer are the real snake eyes boxes.
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Impressive! Means somebody is actually using them whilst thinking an orange-red 2d6 pair from a gas station outside of Spokane in the never-to-be-used-except-if the-opponent-needs-to-borrow-them drawer are the real snake eyes boxes.
Pfffft. Fool. Imagine thinking there's only ONE set of Hellbie Dice. I've got an entire bag, marked with a biohazard logo. In particular, I'm fond of the swirled-green set that say 'SON OF A BITCH' on the '1' side.
(The Spokane set were translucent-blue, by the way. I hope they suffered.)
I can't remember what I had for breakfast, but I can tell you where I was when the 2012-2013 Maple Leafs lost in game 7 :grin:
100% with you there. I had given up completely and was getting ready for bed when it was suddenly no longer a Toronto blowout, and I got that little glimmer of hope that one should never get in that situation, because it never turns out well... and then, suddenly...
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Outsiders can't understand that it's an energy, and not any single set of dice.
Anyway... well, it looks like the Canes were more than a match for the Rangers in the first period tonight. But it's a long series until it's over. Let's see how it plays out.
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Rangers held on and took it from the Canes in OT.
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Stars were up 3-0 when I went to bed...and they LOST?!
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Stars were up 3-0 when I went to bed...and they LOST?!
It was in OT, so they still get one point.
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(https://media1.tenor.com/m/SFUlelqpWBoAAAAC/monkey-rimshot-unimpressed.gif)
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We're all dead right there sometimes :smilie_happy_thumbup:
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I think it is safe to say that the Panthers came ready to play tonight.
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I think it is safe to say that the Panthers came ready to play tonight.
1
This was more what I expected. But WTF was that third period? Bruins just completely lost their cool, if not their nerve. Six players from each team tossed with misconducts. Total of what, 134 minutes in penalties assessed? Pasta and Tkachuk mixing it up, seemingly by mutual agreement?
Are they going to start Game 3 with a line brawl?
They keep going at each other like this the whole series, the eventual winner won't have anything left in the tank for the conference final.
Cheers,
Gabe
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If I didn't know any better, I'd say the bad blood from last year kind of carried over a little this year. I honestly figured we'd see the Panthers get a little more feisty after the first game got out of hand, but better late than never. I will wager Game 3 is a VERY tightly-called affair.
Hard to gain a feel for the series outside of that so far- with two blowouts, neither team seems to have a clear advantage so far over the other.
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To nobody's great surprise, Sheldon Keefe is done as Leafs head coach:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-maple-leafs-sheldon-keefe-fired-1.7198701 (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-maple-leafs-sheldon-keefe-fired-1.7198701)
Cheers,
Gabe
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It was in OT, so they still get one point.
So they came out ahead of the Oilers then!
This round does seem to be rather high-scoring for the playoffs though.
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Florida - Boston is a cool new rivalry for a new era. They just can't stand each other.
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Just like that, the 'Canes are on the brink. They've been outplaying the Rags in just about every category except the one that really counts...pucks in the net...
Cheers,
Gabe
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Rangers are going for that flawless post season.
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List of team names up for vote for the fka Coyotes:
https://sports.yahoo.com/ice-outlaws-yeti-among-20-options-fans-can-vote-on-to-name-utahs-nhl-team-014410345.html (https://sports.yahoo.com/ice-outlaws-yeti-among-20-options-fans-can-vote-on-to-name-utahs-nhl-team-014410345.html)
Can't say I'm really fond of any of them. Mountaineers would be cool if WVA didn't already have that name. Utah HC is fine, but I don't know how that translates to hearing it over broadcast.
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Just like that, the 'Canes are on the brink. They've been outplaying the Rags in just about every category except the one that really counts...pucks in the net...
Cheers,
Gabe
One thing - Shesterkin is learning how to really backstop and not just play. That is a big part of it too. Grant Fuhr only needed to be as good as Grant Fuhr (which still was great, I'm not shading him). I think if Iggy can be as good as Iggy during the right post season, and the right parts of the regular one, this guy will win a Cup or two. If not this year then somewhere else some other time.
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Stars almost blew a big lead again.
Almost.
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As of this morning, the Rangers have been shorthanded 28 times in the playoffs.
They're outscoring their opponents 3-2 in those situations.
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Shesterkin has pretty much singlehandedly won the last two games.