The Stig
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Post by The Stig on Oct 8, 2008 21:34:13 GMT -5
Puckheads gather!
The highlight of the preseason has to be the Flyers losing to their AHL affiliate!
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Oct 9, 2008 9:13:40 GMT -5
DAMMIT!
I wanted to start this thread today too. Curse you, Stig!!! ;D
Anyway (even though the season technically has already started), I have only one thing to say for today:
WOO-HOO!
This season is going to be very exciting. Last year, Detroit was head and shoulders above everyone, and I think that's the case again this year, but it is very difficult to repeat and there are any number of good teams that will challenge them.
I do like Dallas in the West. I know you hate him, Buffalo, and with good reason, but the addition of Avery I think will really help the Stars. San Jose will rack up a great record in the regular season, but I don't think they can threaten in the playoffs, unless they make a few moves during the regular season.
As right as you are about Pittsburgh and Montreal, I think the East is wide open. The difference between #1 and #8 in the East last year was only 10 points and (I think) 5 wins.
As for the Bruins, I am very stoked about them. Patrice Bergeron is back and playing well, and they didn't lose anything significant from last year. Their defense is coming along pretty well, still not a top defense but better. They will struggle with scoring compared to other teams in the division (especially Buffalo, I think), but I think they can make the playoffs again. And after last year, I am not ruling out anyone coming out of the east who can get into the post-season. I don't know if Boston can get another year out of Tim Thomas like he had last year, but the good news is that Tukka Rask looks ready, so hopefully Thomas will not have to shoulder as much of a burden this year.
I know the Bruins really wanted Hossa, but Michael Ryder from Montreal will be a good, solid addition.
The Flyers are also solid. I think they could push Pittsburgh at the top of the Atlantic, but we'll see. The Flyers have a tendency to follow good years with very bad ones.
If Detroit gets to the Finals, I think they will win it all again. But I think, despite all of their talent, it's going to be a rough go for them in the Western Conference playoffs, even though they'll almost certainly have the #1 seed, barring lots of injuries.
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CTHoya08
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Post by CTHoya08 on Oct 9, 2008 14:12:12 GMT -5
The Flyers losing to the Phantoms put a smile on my face.
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The Stig
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Post by The Stig on Oct 9, 2008 21:24:47 GMT -5
Clint Malarchuk must be one of the luckiest or unluckiest men ever, depending on how you look at it. Here's his latest bizarre freak injury: sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=3634678You have to be pretty unlucky to get your jugular cut by a skate and later accidentally shoot yourself in the face. At the same time, you have to be pretty darn lucky to survive both. |
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jgalt
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Post by jgalt on Oct 9, 2008 22:24:01 GMT -5
Clint Malarchuk must be one of the luckiest or unluckiest men ever, depending on how you look at it. Here's his latest bizarre freak injury: sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=3634678You have to be pretty unlucky to get your jugular cut by a skate and later accidentally shoot yourself in the face. At the same time, you have to be pretty darn lucky to survive both. Thats really horrible. Sounds like he will be alright. anyway, i was surprised to see the Leafs beat Detroit, especially on the night they raised the banner. did anyone see the game i dont get versus on campus? |
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Oct 10, 2008 8:26:36 GMT -5
Thats really horrible. Sounds like he will be alright. anyway, i was surprised to see the Leafs beat Detroit, especially on the night they raised the banner. did anyone see the game i dont get versus on campus? So now the Leafs are going to try and out-trap everyone? That game was ridiculously boring last night, the worst part being the trap-heavy strategy the Leafs looked like they were employing. I never minded the trap so much when the Devils did it because they still had a supremely talented team behind their boring style. If they weren't on their lock-down game, they could still try and out gun you. But based on what I saw from the Blue Jackets, Bruins, Wild, etc. last year, it looks more and more like the NHL is drifting back to that horribly dull pre-lockout style... teams with mediocre talent resorting to the most obnoxious of tactics (the trap) in an effort to win games. Ottawa is going to be down this year, so I'm a bit worried they're going to start trapping a bit. This could make the N'East division the league's most boring if you've got Montreal and Buffalo PLAYING HOCKEY and Toronto, Boston and Ottawa playing the trap. I'm just hoping an uptick in talent in Boston will allow them to play a brand of hockey that doesn't make your eyes bleed, and that Alfredson-Spezza-Heatley's style trumps whatever other shortcomings Ottawa's roster might have. EDIT: As long as guys like Hitchcock and Lemaire are still coaching, we'll be doomed. Oh, we'll make your eyes bleed alright, Buffalo. Just you wait! But not for the reason you're thinking. ;D (I have just given myself 10 lashes for using the "we" pronoun in reference to any sports team except Georgetown; consider me punished). As for Detroit -- and others -- last night, I can explain what happened pretty easily. Sloppy early season hockey, that's what happened. Detroit, Boston, Colorado and Anaheim (I didn't see the Vancouver-Calgary game, so I can't comment on that one) all made ridiculously careless turnovers in their defensive end throughout the evening. I went to bed last night thinking about how great a game Tim Thomas played....and he gave up four goals! But there were at least 8-10 chances where he bailed out his defense with great saves after they gave the puck to Colorado deep in their own zone. The defense has to get better. Chara was OK, everyone else sucked pretty bad. On the plus side, Boston was able to take advantage offensively when Colorado returned the favor. That is a good sign. Boston was outplayed overall last night, but they made the most of their offensive chances, and that is something that team needs. As for the availability of Versus, I don't know if they let you order NHL Center Ice on campus or not, but it is so ridiculously cheap that if you are a hockey fan and you don't order it, you're nuts. Split a few ways (if you're in a group apartment/house or something) it'll only come out to about $30-40 each to get every game for the entire season and post-season. Just a suggestion, but maybe you can't get that on campus. |
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mchoya
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Post by mchoya on Oct 10, 2008 9:26:31 GMT -5
I don't think you can buy Center Ice on-campus. You CAN buy the NHL's internet service, and it's pretty good. You can watch every out-of-market, non-Versus game (which is a minor problem because on-campus cable doesn't have Versus). I used it last year to get Rangers games, but switched to a Slingbox this year because there was no way I could justify paying for the NHL and MLB online package every year.
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jgalt
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Post by jgalt on Oct 10, 2008 20:52:18 GMT -5
i would order the online center ice package but i already waste enough time reading about hockey/gtown online and such that i dont think my grades could take it. i watched the highlights of the games from last night and i served well enough. as long as i get to watch my caps games i am fine, until the play offs where i want to watch every game.
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IDenj
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Post by IDenj on Oct 12, 2008 10:12:46 GMT -5
i think the sens will only go as far the goalies take them. gerber and auld need to show they can do it over the course of a season; so far they haven t. last nights game vs detroit showed they can keep the puck out of their own net, but giving the wings 41 shots is playing with fire.
detroit looks good, they just need to figure out who plays with who. the addition of marian hossa and the emergence of franzen is sick. i asked zetterberg if franzen called his goal last night. he laughed and said mule is going to get 50 this year. great.
buff and montreal are good and skilled but still small. east is wide open at this point. i wouldn t put my money on anyone yet.
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Post by StPetersburgHoya (Inactive) on Oct 12, 2008 10:48:55 GMT -5
I got roped into a fantasy hockey league by the guy who sits net to me in class - the draft is this week. Its two goalie league where it looks like goalies can score a lot of points. Any advice?
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The Stig
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Post by The Stig on Oct 12, 2008 10:54:05 GMT -5
I got roped into a fantasy hockey league by the guy who sits net to me in class - the draft is this week. Its two goalie league where it looks like goalies can score a lot of points. Any advice? Roberto Luongo. |
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IDenj
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Post by IDenj on Oct 13, 2008 9:04:08 GMT -5
and marty brodeur. actually i would take hank lundqvist before luongo. stats wise.
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The Stig
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Post by The Stig on Oct 14, 2008 12:44:30 GMT -5
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mchoya
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Post by mchoya on Oct 14, 2008 15:28:12 GMT -5
This tragedy has to be an unmitigated disaster for the KHL, especially because they are trying to compete with the NHL in pursuing top-level talent. Almost every question is now "Why was there no on-ice defibrillator" or "Why was there no ambulance in the stadium?" and these are questions that need to be answered. sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=3642466Also, in a purely selfish move, this news also dampens the good things I felt about the Rangers 5-0 start. |
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jgalt
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Post by jgalt on Oct 16, 2008 22:08:55 GMT -5
Great come back tonight by my caps. I really had resigned to accepting the loss after the third goal, they really showed no passion until the third period. This was the first game between the two clubs since Ovie and Corsby have been around that looked like a real rivalry and not just a one sided affair. Ovie dished out some major hits on Malkin- i really would like to know what happened to make them hate each other.
Anyone else see that game, the ice looked really slow in Mellon- the puck just didnt seem to want to go anywhere.
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Oct 17, 2008 9:41:51 GMT -5
Great come back tonight by my caps. I really had resigned to accepting the loss after the third goal, they really showed no passion until the third period. This was the first game between the two clubs since Ovie and Corsby have been around that looked like a real rivalry and not just a one sided affair. Ovie dished out some major hits on Malkin- i really would like to know what happened to make them hate each other. Anyone else see that game, the ice looked really slow in Mellon- the puck just didnt seem to want to go anywhere. Bad Zamboni. I don't think Ovechkin and Malkin hate each other. On the contrary, I think they're actaully supposed to be pretty good friends (despite an alleged bar fight involving Ovechkin and Malkin's agent). They have staged some really good competitions with each other, but that happens a lot in sports, you play really intensely against people you hate, but also against people you are close to, or who you've been teammates with in the past, as is the case with these two. But yes, great third period. |
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jgalt
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Post by jgalt on Oct 17, 2008 11:21:48 GMT -5
I heard something about there Agents fighting. Ive heard that it runs deeper than just the agents, but well never know for sure. I have always felt that the Ovie/Malkin match up was the better rivalry because of their more similar styles and that they are both score first kind of guys.
The season is off to a pretty exiting start so far. Good teams not looking so good (Pens, Flyers); Ok teams look pretty good (Buff); and the rangers off to a pretty good start. should be an exciting season.
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Oct 24, 2008 10:45:00 GMT -5
For someone who despises the shootout system, I don't think you should crow TOO much about that one.  However, I will give you this. If you look at previous years' NHL threads, you know that I have been high on Stafford for some time. That kid has nearly limitless potential and he is one of the most creative players down low that I have seen in a long time. Sorry he had to prove me right the other night. |
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Nov 12, 2008 16:00:10 GMT -5
Head to head points accumulated this season:
Boston: 3
Buffalo: 2
;D
But on a serious note, did anyone else watch that Red Wings-Penguins game yesterday? Holy crap, now if you can watch that and STILL not be a hockey fan, then you are just lost.
Not exactly what I'd call stellar defense or goaltending on either side (more like All-Star Game quality), but it was still unbelievably exciting.
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Nov 20, 2008 10:07:34 GMT -5
Behold the frozen juggernaut that is the Boston Bruins!!!!!!
;D
OK, I'm pretty much talking to myself here.
But screw it! I don't care. I was expecting a good season from the B's, that's for sure, but man, they have been playing well lately.
One of the only things that worries me is their third periods. They have twice blown two-goal leads in the third this year (to the Rangers and Sabres), blown one-goal leads a couple of times, and had a few close calls where they ALMOST blew a third period lead. That does not bode well for stretch run success.
Still, they are getting great production from their younger players (Blake Wheeler looks like he might have been one of the best steals of the off-season), goaltending is still solid (last night notwithstanding), and the defense is holding up. Plus, I don't think Patrice Bergeron's playing anywhere near his best hockey yet (though I have to accept the possibility that he might never get back to his previous level).
Long season though. A couple injuries and it could all collapse, but I am nothing but ecstatic at the performance thusfar.
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