The OAO NHL 2003-2004 Season Thread

[Guest Olympic Slam]

Why the hell would you do something stupid like that ? Especially when you're a team that needs all the help you can get.

 

Unless they've given up on this season...

 

Either way, Fleury really wasn't the same since playing for the Pens.

The Pens gave up on this season when they traded away everybody at the March deadline LAST season. The 03-04 Penguins are just supposed to finish out this season so they can live in a post-new CBA leauge. Anything more than 25 wins this year would have been gravy.

[starvenger 0]

I was following the IceCast and it looks like the Leafs-Sens game got pretty ugly towards the end. Or maybe that was just Domi. I'm sure Don Cherry loved all the last minute violence...

[treble 0]

Domi was wearing a visor tonight, so his little fight with Van Allen at the end gave him an extra 2 minutes. There were a few other little scraps, and I think the Leafs got another major in there with Domi's.

 

Oh well, Thursday's game in Ottawa should be fun, now.

[MrRant 0]

Some Leafs may sit over CBA

 

Toronto players may feel unanimity about how the collective bargaining agreement should be decided, but they're less uniform in their statements about the process.

 

Players' union representative Bryan McCabe, a defenseman for the Maple Leafs, told the Toronto Star for Friday's editions that an extended layoff is possible.

 

 

"The bottom line is, if they want a hard (salary) cap, we'll sit out for the rest of our lives," McCabe said. "If they're not going to budge off of that, there's really nowhere to go."

 

 

To goalie Trevor Kidd, such public statements aren't doing much good.

 

 

"Mute everything," he told the Toronto Sun for Friday's editions. "It's laughable. It's pretty tough to be optimistic when you look at the comments they are throwing at each other. Arguing through the media, whether one person said this or one person said that, it will go nowhere fast."

 

 

The agreement expires Sept. 15. Commissioner Gary Bettman and union head Bob Goodenow met in New York last week and attended a game together at Madison Square Garden. That broke a stalemate that existed since an Oct. 1 bargaining session in Toronto.

 

 

The league contends revenues have increased 163 percent while players salaries have jumped 252 percent since the current CBA took effect nearly 10 years ago.

 

 

The league also contends total losses amounted to nearly $300 million last season, just one of the figures the NHLPA doesn't believe. Plus, the players are concerned that owners want a hard salary cap.

 

 

"It's all in the semantics," McCabe told the Star. "They want to impose a system where we can't direct our marketplace. What's the point of having free agency if you can't go anywhere? Whatever way they put it, it's not a good deal for us."

 

 

And although Kidd said he prefers behind-the-scenes negotiations, he publicly agreed with his teammate.

 

 

"All you have to do is read the arguments in the paper to know there's going to be no hockey," Kidd told the Star. "We talk about the trust factor and it's a little bit frustrating when the NHL guy (league vice president Bill Daly) says that if we accept their offer, then they'll (show us the revenues). It's like, 'Trust us and sign the agreement first.' "

 

 

The players also point to their responsibility to the next generation.

 

 

"I think the players are more unified this time than the last time we went through this," Alexander Mogilny told the Star. "Nobody likes to miss time and lose money, but we have to remember that there were older players who did this for us and we've got to be grateful for that.

 

 

"We have to do whatever it takes to pass that on to the other guys who are coming up," Mogilny added.

 

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=1723551

[Guest Olympic Slam]

This thread needs a bump. I'll throw out a couple of today's news bits.....

 

Standings as of today

 

What's the deal with the Blues? How did they collapse so fast?

 

Also.....

The Blackhawks finished dead last in ESPN's SportsNation Rankings Again I ask, is there a more depressing organization in the NHL? Here's a full story on the "Wirtz" organiation in sports

[CanadianChris 0]

Standings as of today

 

What's the deal with the Blues? How did they collapse so fast?

WTF??? Weren't they first in the West a month or so ago?

 

Also.....

The Blackhawks finished dead last in ESPN's SportsNation Rankings  Again I ask, is there a more depressing organization in the NHL?

No, no there isn't.

 

Other news: Flyers G Robert Esche is out 3 weeks with a sprained knee. Words cannot express the great sympathy I feel for the entire Flyers organization for that news.

[the pinjockey 0]

The Flyers might actually have to make a goalie trade that we have needed for years now. As Esche got hurt last night and Hackett is still suffering from vertigo. They are just waiting on Esche's MRI results at this point to see how long he will be out. Any extended period and they'll have to do something.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

Standings as of today

 

What's the deal with the Blues? How did they collapse so fast?

WTF??? Weren't they first in the West a month or so ago?

 

Also.....

The Blackhawks finished dead last in ESPN's SportsNation Rankings  Again I ask, is there a more depressing organization in the NHL?

No, no there isn't.

 

Other news: Flyers G Robert Esche is out 3 weeks with a sprained knee. Words cannot express the great sympathy I feel for the entire Flyers organization for that news.

There are many rumors here in Buffalo popping back up for a Biron for Gagne trade.

 

Biron has been phenomenal since Noronen got hurt...and if the Sabres are finally going to move one of their goalies (they also have Ryan Miller in Rochester...who should end up better than the other two) now would be the time.

 

I'm not sure what's best for them. I've wanted them to deal a goalie for THREE YEARS now...but Biron has been better in the last couple weeks than he has EVER come close to playing IMO. Its possible that he's actually become a starting NHL goalie.

[Guest Olympic Slam]

My guess is that Clarke will make a serious bid for Kolzig. I'd bet Biron would get eaten alive in Philly. That place (along with Vancouver) is a goalie graveyard for whatever reason. I often wonder if goaltending is the real problem with the Flyers. It would have to be a hell of a coincidence for the blame to fall on Hextall, Snow, Boucher, Burke, Soderstrom, Wregget, Vanbiesbrouk, Roussel, Hextall (again), and Cechmanek each and every season. But hey, whose counting?

[treble 0]

Rafalski replaces Stevens in All Star Game, Niedermayer and Naslund are captains.

 

NEW YORK (Ticker) - Defenseman Brian Rafalski was added to the Eastern Conference All-Star team Tuesday, replacing injured New Jersey Devils teammate Scott Stevens.

 

Rafalski, 30, will be making his All-Star debut Sunday afternoon at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was added to the North America roster at the 2002 All-Star Game but missed the contest due to a knee injury.

 

Stevens was voted to the East starting lineup but has missed 12 games due to post-concussion syndrome. It would have been his 14th All-Star Game.

 

Devils defenseman Scott Niedermayer has assumed the team's captaincy in Stevens' absence and was given the same honor for the East All-Stars, the NHL announced Tuesday.

 

A 13-year veteran, Niedermayer is making his third All-Star appearance.

 

The West captain is Vancouver Canucks right wing Markus Naslund, who is making his fifth All-Star appearance.

It probably should have been McCabe or Chara instead of Rafalski, but I can understand wanting another Devil to replace Stevens and there are already enough Leafs and Sens on the team.

[treble 0]

And Tuesday seems to be becoming the day where the Leafs lose to teams they should be easily. Last week it was Carolina and tonight it was the Blackhawks.

 

At least the Sens lost, too.

[nl5xsk1 0]

It probably should have been McCabe or Chara instead of Rafalski, but I can understand wanting another Devil to replace Stevens and there are already enough Leafs and Sens on the team.

But there weren't enough Devils? While I do understand their logic (replace one Devil w/ another), I don't agree with it. Now it looks like the Devils have THREE of the top defensemen in the entire Eastern conference. While the Scotts are both very good, I just don't think of Rafalski as being among the Eastern elite.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

My guess is that Clarke will make a serious bid for Kolzig. I'd bet Biron would get eaten alive in Philly. That place (along with Vancouver) is a goalie graveyard for whatever reason. I often wonder if goaltending is the real problem with the Flyers. It would have to be a hell of a coincidence for the blame to fall on Hextall, Snow, Boucher, Burke, Soderstrom, Wregget, Vanbiesbrouk, Roussel, Hextall (again), and Cechmanek each and every season. But hey, whose counting?

We have the opposite problem in Buffalo.

 

We'll take anyone in the league who can score and turn them into nothing.

[the max 0]

The New York Rangers' season in a nutshell:

 

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=70994

[Red Baron 0]

Anyone read on TSN, that a Lawyer wants a NHL team in Hamilton.

 

Wont happen until Buffalo moves away

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

BUFFALO IS NOT MOVING ANYWHERE. THEY HAVE LOCAL OWNERSHIP FROM A BILLIONAIRE. THE NHL PURPOSELY HELD UP CHOOSING AN OWNER FOR A LONG TIME TO KEEP IT IN BUFFALO. ENOUGH WITH THE SABRES MOVING ALREADY.

[Guest Bottled Black]

The New York Rangers' season in a nutshell:

 

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=70994

I was there.. Few things to point out

 

1) I was sitting 5th row behind the Rangers bench, yet can not figure out how Sather calls himself a coach I did not see him talk to his players once.

2) Neil Smith was sitting in the row in front of me, a) as soon as they showed him on the big screen and he started getting cheered, they pulled the camera off him. b) His Stanley Cup ring could not have contained any more diamonds.

3)

The New York Rangers gave former goalie Mike Richter a silver-plated net

Nope it was Gold.

4) Adam Graves (My personal all time favorite Ranger) got a longer and louder Ovation than the Man of the Hour

[nl5xsk1 0]

Random thoughts, posted at once rather than in several individual posts:

 

1) No, Buffalo is not going anywhere, but that doesn't mean that Hamilton couldn't get a team while the Sabres still exist. Send the Penguins up there (even though I'd rather see them move to Quebec City)

 

2) The Rangers are a joke ... Slats is a horrible coach, and would have been smarter to hire a legit. coach to replace Trottier last year. Also, he should have kept his "small market mentality" that worked in Edmonton, compared to just trading for big money players.

 

3) The Sens just picked up Todd Simpson from the Ducks, so evidently they did want to get tougher. The guy racks up the PIM, so even though people were saying that they wouldn't get another Rob Ray (get a tough guy that will be a healthy scratch all postseason) it looks like they did anyways.

 

4) While the Leafs and Sens were concentrating on each other, the Bruins have snuck back into the chase. If Murray and Thornton stay hot, and Raycroft keeps standing on his head, I'll feel more confident going into the postseason than I have since the early 90s.

[Guest Olympic Slam]

More randomness......

 

1. Hamilton will never get an NHL team; the territory rights with the Sabres and Leafs are too much of an issue.

 

If there is a big move in the NHL (or god forbid another expansion team) it'll prolly be to one of these cities.........

- Portland, Oregon

- Winnipeg

- Las Vegas

- Houston

- Quebec City

 

2. The Blues lost AGAIN. (No wins in 8 games) What the hell happened? How long before we see a big trade? Who will get dumped? Who will be brought in? O'Neil? Kolzig?

 

3. ESPN column about who is on the trading block and the insanity (or lack thereof) of their contracts. Should be a good measure of who will get traded and who won't.

[DerangedHermit 0]

If I were Slats, I'd pull my losing ass out of the coaching spot and hire a somewhat competent coach (like Mike Keenan).

[The Czech Republic 0]

This is sort of random. I know the New York Islanders were unhappy with the Nassau Coliseum a while ago and probably still are. Do you think they'll get a new arena soon, possibly sharing the place the New York Nets are going to have in Brooklyn? That's on Long Island, technically. Or they could move to Staten Island. Hmm.

[treble 0]

So, how 'bout them Senators?

[Guest Bottled Black]

If I were Slats, I'd pull my losing ass out of the coaching spot and hire a somewhat competent coach (like Mike Keenan).

I'd wouldn't mind Keenan coming back, He did under questionable circumstances, but that was 10 years ago and having not made the playoffs in 6 years (going on 7) They need someone that's going to kick some ass behind the bench. Hell I wouldn't even mind bringing back Neil Smith as GM. But the most important thing they need is a Goalie. Dunham has been a HUGE dissapointment. And to think He'll probably make the US World Cup team this summer. Doesn't say much about the quality of US born goalies in the game today. Then after they get a goalie, they need a Defensive defensman. But since I'm a diehard Ranger fan, I'm sure none of the above will happen.

[Red Baron 0]

So, how 'bout them Senators?

That has a horrible game for both teams to play that shitty, Toronto got lucky thats about it really.

 

 

Other news Habs won, making it only 2 points behind Ottawa now, and Boston seems to be doing well.

 

 

Though Hossa...that was nasty.

[Dogbert 0]

It was funny to watch the highlights of Leafs/Sens on TSN. The Sens had, like, nobody left by the end of the game. Flu shots, anyone?

[CanadianChris 0]

I'm amazed the Senators even got one point out of that game, considering they only had fifteen skaters for most of the game. The fact that they did get a point can be attributed to the Leafs not showing up for the first half of the game, which was flat out embarassing. They should've gone five points up in the division and didn't.

[starvenger 0]

More randomness......

 

1. Hamilton will never get an NHL team; the territory rights with the Sabres and Leafs are too much of an issue.

 

If there is a big move in the NHL (or god forbid another expansion team) it'll prolly be to one of these cities.........

- Portland, Oregon

- Winnipeg

- Las Vegas

- Houston

- Quebec City

The issue with Hamilton is more with Buffalo than Toronto. Toronto's fan base is pretty solid, so they'd be more than willing to take the money and laugh all the way to the bank. But a significant amount of Buffalo's fanbase comes from the Hamilton/Niagra region, so losing that would be severely damaging to the Sabres.

 

I still laugh about Houston being considered for a franchise. The Stars were lightning in a bottle, and there's no way they could duplicate that success again in Texas, where football rules and people fool themselves by thinking that getting Roger Clemens is a good thing.

[nl5xsk1 0]

I'm amazed the Senators even got one point out of that game, considering they only had fifteen skaters for most of the game. The fact that they did get a point can be attributed to the Leafs not showing up for the first half of the game, which was flat out embarassing. They should've gone five points up in the division and didn't.

Actually, they wouldn't have gone up 5 points in the division, regardless if they'd won in regulation or not. The Bruins are only 2 points behind the Leafs now, and are ahead of the Sens. So, they could have gone up 5 points ahead of the Senators, but not 5 in the division.

[CanadianChris 0]

Wow, I didn't even see that.

 

So, the Senators are now sixth, which means their first round playoff opponent would be...the Lightning WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Hey, if you can't win a division, you may as well drop to sixth and get an easy opponent that way.

[treble 0]

Do you think the Sens need a new goalie, Chris, like a lot of people seem to be saying. Lalime didn't look so good on a few of the Leafs' goals last night, specifically the one where he chased Kaberle out of the net, which I think either Stajan or Sundin ended up putting in.