NHL Thread

[Guest nWoCHRISnWo]

Three teams are 3-0, and they're all Canadian.

 

I think barring injury, Spezza and Heatley will both be top 5 in the Art Ross race, with a pretty good chance at one of them winning it. They just CLICK. And adding to the hype or not, but damn, I don't think it's out of the question for Crosby to be a top 3 scorer in as little as two years.

[Red Baron 0]

Three games, three leads in third period, zero wins.

 

Who's to blame?

[the max 0]

Is that the Pens, baron? If so, I blame their defense and goaltending. Sebastien Caron isn't really THAT good, neither is Thibault.

[CanadianChris 0]

I think he was talking about the Leafs, Max.

 

I was at the game last night, and the Leafs should be proud they even had the lead in the 3rd. They fought really hard against a superior team and caught them in a horrible mental breakdown. The Sens were cruising through the game, except for the start of the second period when they got whistled for a bunch of penalties.

 

I don't think the Sens are going to lose many shootouts this season. Hasek's been his old brilliant self.

[smh810 0]

The Lightning sucked ass last night losing to the Bruins 4-2. Hopefully this will serve as a wake-up that they actually have to show-up to play every night. I'm not too concerned but they needed a game like this to get them to play hard against a surprising Buffalo team on Thursday

[the max 0]

I knew the Bolts were talented, but they have some guys (outside of the big four) that really surprised me. I was pretty impressed with their defensemen, especially Pratt.

[smh810 0]

Pratt and Cory Sarich are VERY underrated defensemen. Remember Pratt filled in admirably when Jassen Cullimore got hurt in the 03-04 postseason and the Lightning really didnt miss a beat.

[Dogbert 0]

BRYAN FUCKING MARCHMENT?

[Red Baron 0]

What ever they have to do to stop the bleeding.

 

I mean its not like they got the worst defenceman in the league.

[the max 0]

Crapitals @ Canes

Habs @ Thrashers

Nucks @ Wild

Preds @ Avs

Jackets @ Sharks

 

The girlfriend's favorite team is Vancouver, so with the absence of a Bruins game tonight, we'll be watching Nucks @ Wild. Gaborik was to make his return tonight, but has been sidelined by his groin injury. We'll probably check out Habs @ Thrashers to see Kovalchuk's return tonight, which should be a good game.

[The Czech Republic 0]

You know, I'm glad hockey is back and all that, but I'm not gonna lie, I can't get into it like I had gotten into it the last three seasons. Try as I may, I can't get excited about it as much as I did before, even though there's better play on the ice now than there was then. It just doesn't feel the same with that whole lost year.

[JustJoe2k5 0]

Hurricanes had a delayed penalty, so the goalie went to the bench. One Carolina player passes it out to Nic Wallin, who tries to skate around with it and ends up knocking it into the open net. Staal just scored to tie it up.

[CanadianChris 0]

Wow, the Canucks are getting pounded. 3-0 Wild after 2.

 

Of course, with the way games have been going, they could come back with 5 unanswered in the 3rd.

 

I think I'm going to go with Colorado over Chicago in my Survivor pool (pick one winner from all Fri/Sat/Sun games each week; can't pick the same team twice; lose once and you're out). Any other team that I would consider is on the road, and I'm really trying to avoid road games. Anyone disagree?

[Red Baron 0]

Yann Denis with the shutout? Who'd thought that was going to happen. I was nearly positive that Atlanta was going to romp the Habs tonight

[Red Baron 0]

I'll add that Sean Avery wins for the most boneheaded comment award with three outlandish comments so far this year.

[JustJoe2k5 0]

Hurricanes rallied after the play by Wallin. In the second and third periods they looked like a completely different hockey team, skated faster, hit harder, getting much more shots on net. Beat the Capitals 7-2 in the Hurricanes best overall game this season. Going into the game they were the only team in the NHL to have not scored a powerplay goal. I believe they had three powerplay goals in seven powerplay opportunities last night.

[nl5xsk1 0]

Best news I've heard all day:

 

Bruins sign Nick Boynton

The Boston Bruins have signed defenseman Nick Boynton to a one-year contract, it was announced today by Bruins General Manager Mike O'Connell. Boynton was the team's final unsigned Group II (restricted) free agent and, in keeping with club policy, terms of the contract were not released.

 

"We are very pleased to have Nick signed," said O'Connell. "He is one of the best young defensemen in the game, is a leader in our dressing room and we expect that he will play a big part in our team's success this season."

 

source: bostonbruins.com

 

Fan-fucking-tastic.

[Fartsauce 0]

Man am I ever glad I picked up Staal.

[the max 0]

Bruins win 5-2.

 

Joe didn't play tonight, as he's having back spasms or something. I like their speed, despite what people have been saying about them being slow. Their core players are all skilled, but some are just faster than others.

 

Raycroft looks good. The defense is still kind of...bleh. Dallman is kind of frustrating me, as is Andy Alberts. Bergeron looks very impressive thus far, however.

[Guest]

I'll add that Sean Avery wins for the most boneheaded comment award with three outlandish comments so far this year.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He's gotta be the biggest idiot in the league, even though he plays hard. I'd like to see someone kick his ass.

[the max 0]

Are you talking what happened between he and Georges Laroque? Or his "French hockey players are gutless" quip?

 

I'd pay real money to watch Laroque fuck him up.

[Guest]

I'd rather see Denis Gauthier do it, even though I'm a Kings fan.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Are you talking what happened between he and Georges Laroque? Or his "French hockey players are gutless" quip?

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yes.

[Fartsauce 0]

Canadian Press

 

10/13/2005 8:47:26 PM

 

EDMONTON (CP) - Edmonton Oilers forward Georges Laraque is standing by his assertion that Los Angeles Kings forward Sean Avery directed a racial slur at him, but says he's not about to seek atonement on the ice.

 

The league looked into the incident and decided that, because it had no corroborating evidence, it would not take any action against Avery. Avery has denied he made a racial slur.

 

During the second period of a game Edmonton lost 3-1 in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Laraque challenged Avery to fight after Avery jostled teammate Ales Hemsky. Avery declined and, according to Laraque, called him "a monkey."

 

"I knew the league wouldn't be able to do anything because there were no witnesses, but you want to tell them in case it ever happens in the future," Laraque said Thursday. "I'm not deaf.

 

"I heard it or I wouldn't have (reported it). This is pretty serious stuff, something you don't play around with."

 

 

 

The Kings and Oilers next meet in Edmonton on Dec. 23, and Laracque says he has no intention of going after Avery, and putting himself in jeopardy of being suspended.

 

"Guys like that are protected," he shrugged. "That's why you can't do anything.

 

"If it was the old fashioned way, maybe some guys would watch what they say. But with (the instigator rule), guys like that are protected, that's for sure. I don't want to be in a position where I miss half the season because of this. I'll just let the NHL deal with it."

 

Many players would like to see the instigator rule removed.

 

"I'm not one of those guys who says we should go back to the old rules," said the Oilers' Steve Staios. "I think the new rules are great for the game, great for the fans, but if they took out the instigator rule you'd see a big change in some players and I think you'd see it immediately. But I don't know if that's the image the NHL wants to portray."

 

Players have to take whatever is mouthed at them, adds Oilers forward Ethan Moreau.

 

"Whether we like it or not it's part of the game and you have to accept it," said Moreau. "You can always just grab a guy and start beating on him, but you have to be ready for the consequences.

 

"If Georges grabs him and breaks his face is it worth it? Probably not. Now he's suspended and loses part of his income. Does it make you feel that much better? Probably not."    Oilers head coach Craig MacTavish, who was told about the incident by Laraque at the conclusion of the game, confronted Avery in the Staples Center parkade. Several players also were in the parkade.

 

Avery denied directing a racial slur at Laraque during the tense confrontation. When confronted by Laraque moments after being questioned by MacTavish, Avery became agitated and issued another denial, this one laced with profanity. That's when things got tense.    With Avery and two Kings players, one being rookie George Parros, on one side and Laraque, surrounded by several teammates, on the other, the situation had the potential to get ugly. Cooler heads prevailed, however, and the scene ended without incident. The groups went their separate ways without any pushing, shoving or punches being thrown.

 

Laraque said he considered going after Avery on the ice after the alleged slur but, in the wake of the Todd Bertuzzi situation with Steve Moore, decided to let the NHL deal with it. Laraque talked to Oilers GM Kevin Lowe and NHL chief of operations Colin Campbell about the incident. Campbell then talked to the Oilers and Kings, but indicated he'd been unable to confirm either player's story and that no disciplinary action is planned at this time.

 

Avery was admonished by the NHL last month for comments he made regarding French players who play a tough game, but wear visors, after Phoenix's Denis Gauthier levelled teammate Jeremy Roenick.

 

Avery said the play was "typical of most French guys in our league with a visor on, running around and playing tough but not backing anything up." Avery later apologized.

[Dogbert 0]

That's more like it. The Flames FINALLY went out there and played their game.

 

There's a few logistical things to work out, but really, if they play like that every night, we'll be fine.

 

Sean Avery is a turd.

[Fartsauce 0]

Nice to see a Flames fan. I'm all for friendly rivalries (Unlike Leaf fans)

[Dogbert 0]

Nice to see a Flames fan. I'm all for friendly rivalries (Unlike Leaf fans)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Oh yeah. I can't wait for Saturday.

 

If we play like we can and the Oilers do the same... wow.

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

After a year of no NHL, the Nashville Predators acquired Paul Kariya and kept their core group of players and are undefeated so far. The mind boggles at that.

 

Ottawa is also undefeated.

[Guest Rrrsh]

I think guys like Avery add something to the game. The NHL doesnt have enough villians

[Fartsauce 0]

Yes but there is a certain way to go about it. Matthew Barnaby is hated in a good way for his antics and his trash talk on the ice. He doesn't go around calling negro athletes derogatory terms in the heat of battle. Avery is going to get his. If what he said was true and I have every reason to believe so, I hope he gets Bertuzzied.