NHL Thread

[Red Baron 0]

For Penguins fans, Michelle Therian is the head coach for them the rest of the season.

 

He's a great coach that shouldn't have been let go by Montreal, IMO.

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

It's unfortunate that it didn't work out for Edzo. Very likeable guy and seemed to get a good bit out of no talent last year.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

He must have been great to get talent out of nothing, considering there wasn't any NHL last year...

[Guest Ether]

It's unfortunate that it didn't work out for Edzo. Very likeable guy and seemed to get a good bit out of no talent last year.

 

KKK's sarcasm aside, the problem is that he didn't really get that much out of the talent, or lack of it, in 2003-2004. The Penguins still finished witht he worst record in the NHL that season. Fans like myself were deluded a bit because the Penguins finished strong in the end, and then signed all those names in the following offseasons.

 

Unless they believe than a new coach will get them to the playoffs, I would have preferred to see Olcyzk stay the whole season, evaluate him, and if he needed fired, fire him and then do a thorough search for a coach, something that the Penguins have not done for a long time. Having said that, I think Therrien is a good choice currently for the position. What I would like to see, and from what I've heard Therrien will provide this, is a more structured and more "boot-camp" style approach, instead of the coutry-club style atmosphere that has plagued this club for the better part of 15 years. It worked during the Cup years, but sure was maddening any time they were outworked in games. Here's hoping Mario actually embraces the new style.

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

That last part is key. I don't know that the vets will buy into an authoritarian style of coaching.

 

You're probably right. I liked Edzo mostly because of what he got out of the team in the end of the year in '03, which still was a last place team. He also seems generally likeable, and I'm not sure coaching is at fault for this year's failures. Either way, we'll see because Therrian has been blowing up the AHL. If he can't do anything with it, well, Craig Patrick needs to clean house.

[Fartsauce 0]

Oilers rallied in the 3rd and took it 5-3 over the Habs. I had nightmares of a 3rd straight shootout loss until the pp goal with a buck and a half left.

[Guest Amy Ace]

I think Edzo did a pretty decent job for not having any previous coaching experience at any level. Hopefully, bringing in a new coach with the season already in full-swing won't be too disruptive, and will eventually lead to us getting back to being a winning team.

 

However, the team might not be around much longer, its looking like the Pens might be leaving here when thier current contract with the Mellon Arena is up. I really hope they work out a solution to keep the team in town, tho. Cuz as a youngster, I wasn't really into football like I am now, or baseball, but I always watched hockey. I remember being about 4 or 5 years old, when they were the team to beat, with Jarg and Mario, winning the Cup and stuff, those were some of my favorite childhood memories. To see them leave town would just really suck, especially when the future's looking so good with Crosby and all.

[Guest]

If they leave, they will be going to a hotbed of hockey. Kansas City or Houston.

[the max 0]

KC apparently really wants a team. They have a state of the art building in the process of being constructed. They kind of got jobbed the last time they had a franchise (the team was very bad) so I'd think that KC would be a good fit.

 

 

 

And the Bruins get a nice win 3-2 over the Wild. I watched until the third, when I fell asleep and missed Sturm's winner. Raycroft looked very good at times and completely unfocused at others. He made some good saves and the goals that he let up were a result of a nice screen by Chouinard on a laser by Rolston and a rebound that he gave up.

[nl5xsk1 0]

No offense to KC (and I agree that they got shafted in the past) ... but if KC gets a team before Quebec City or Winnipeg I think that I'll officially question Bettman's sanity.

 

And, Max, I agree that it was a good one for the B's ... but I still have to wonder what team MOC is watching, and what games Sully is watching. The former I question because the players that he lost after last season are all playing better than the replacements that he picked up. Rolston & Knuble each have 26 pts, and Nylander has even more. Yet the new forwards (Scatchard, Isbister, McEachern, & Fitzgerald) would have a hard time reaching those totals COMBINED. Add in the pick-ups in the Thornton trade, and it's as if MOC's only goal is a team of 9 3rd liners and three legit forwards. The D that he lost (and I'm really only including the impact D-men like SOD & Gonchar) aren't necessarily lighting the league on fire ... but I'd take those two over Leetch & Tanabe any day of the year.

 

And Sully ... let's just say that he's making me question his decisions more and more each night. Slegr is the leading defensive scorer (and will likely finish #2 on the team in points from a D-man behind Leetch) ... yet he's the guy that sits against the Wild to let the penalty-riddled rookie back in the lineup. Yet Gill, who couldn't stop my mother from getting a shot on net, hasn't been healthy scratched once. And on top of that, Zhamnov (the alleged #1 center) went 1 for 11 in the face-off circle ... wouldn't it make sense to, I don't know, use either Muzz or Samsonov to take the face-offs? Nah, we'll just keep losing face-offs instead. (I have to laugh at the fact that Joe's inability to win ONE face-off against NJ was referenced as part of the reason why he was traded ... yet the overpaid Russian stiff can lose 90% of his without it even being mentioned. Keep drinking that kool-aid, NESN.)

[The Czech Republic 0]

KC apparently really wants a team. They have a state of the art building in the process of being constructed. They kind of got jobbed the last time they had a franchise (the team was very bad) so I'd think that KC would be a good fit.

They'd be the #3 team in town behind the Chiefs and the Royals, though. (fun fact: the Kansas City Scouts failed after two years, then failed after five in Denver, and we now know them as the Devils!) They'd be #4 in Houston, though I can't rank the Houston Sports Pecking Order, it seems like they treat all three with the same obnoxiousness. They shouldn't leave Pittsburgh at all, though.

[the max 0]

The Royals? Really? I think we could form a team of TSM'ers that could beat the Royals. I think if you get a good enough team (if Pittsburgh moves, Crosby and Fleury would be their main stars, coupled with Malkin coming in next year makes a very good albeit young team) in a new market, they'll support it. Take the Predators.

 

 

 

 

As for MOC and Sully, I think the higher ups are pulling strings on Sully. I don't think he wants to play Gill and I don't think he trusts him defensively. He put him with Stuart, a very responsible player in his own end probably hoping that some of that would wear off on Gill. Playing Zhamnov on the top line is questionable to me as well, since they have other players to put there in his place. And we all were pretty pissed when Rolston and Nylander were allowed to walk. You could almost excuse it as "well, we don't know what the cap is going to be, so why sign them?" but at the same time, they didn't even have to pay the players over the lockout, so not signing them was stupid in the long run. If the Bruins don't make the playoffs (which looks like a very real possibility) I would expect MOC to be shown the door. I don't know how much can be pushed onto Sully, since he's been given crap and told to build a cake, but I have a feeling that he could be the next coach axed.

[nl5xsk1 0]

Max, I agree with you that it's unfair to blame Sully for the way this season has gone ... he really was asked to make something out of nothing. But he's taken nothing and done NOTHING to make it better.

 

I can't even count how many times (pre-trade, obviously) that there would be a never ending series of LW on the top line ... even if it meant breaking up 2nd or 3rd lines that were playing well. And I'm not talking over several games - I'm talking over the course of ONE game. It'd start with Isbister, and then when that wasn't magical it'd be PJ, then Green, then a rookie, then Isbister again. It doesn't take a genius to realize that a line needs some time to gel.

[skullman80 0]

The Penguins will not leave Pittsburgh.

 

If they do...I will never watch hockey again, and I will never voluntarily spend another cent in the city of Pittsburgh ever again.

 

Mario has done all he can, it's up to the city/state now.

[Guest Amy Ace]

BTW- if you want to help the Pens stay in Pittsburgh check out this website- http://www.saveourpenguins.com/

Edited December 17, 2005 by Amy Ace

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

I'd love to see a team in Quebec City or Winnipeg again.

 

But not at the expense of a team in a decent hockey town with a good history and bright future.

 

Save the Pens.

 

By the way, the Habs are officially a shitty hockey team.

[Guest]

That Kings-Ducks game was exactly what Bettman had in mind with the rule changes. It looked like I was watching a videogame.

[CanadianChris 0]

Ottawa and Toronto, round 4 tonight. I'll be there. Hopefully we can get as good a game as the last one I was at (6-5 Sens in a shootout).

[nl5xsk1 0]

I'd love to see a team in Quebec City or Winnipeg again.

 

But not at the expense of a team in a decent hockey town with a good history and bright future.

 

Save the Pens.

 

By the way, the Habs are officially a shitty hockey team.

The precedent that Bettman has set has shown that he doesn't give a fuck about how good of a hockey town it is (Winnipeg, Quebec, Minneapolis) ... I wouldn't be surprised if he moved the Penguins.

 

That Kings-Ducks game was exactly what Bettman had in mind with the rule changes. It looked like I was watching a videogame.

How is that a good thing?!?

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

That Kings-Ducks game was exactly what Bettman had in mind with the rule changes. It looked like I was watching a videogame.

 

I know the Kings won/ But if I was playing this video game, the Ducks would have won and there would have been a lot of fighting.

[Kapoutman 0]

I'd love a team in Quebec City and Winnipeg, but the Pens should stay in Pittsburgh. If any team should move, it's teams like Anaheim or Carolina. They have troubles putting people in their arena, and their occupation average is rarely over 75%. Washington is the worst right now with 68% of the arena filled on average, so I guess they could be candidates too. I'm not sure which team has a strong financial backers though. I know that St-Louis has always stayed there despite barely ever filling the arena.

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

Anaheim just got new owners, so they won't be moving. Speaking of which, it is a new Californian tradition to complain about the new ownership of any team.

 

The Pond and the Ducks organization has been run poorly so far. You see, the owners of the Pond bought the Ducks during the lockout. The food service at the Pond is so slow. The Pond is not as luxorous as the Staples Center.

[Guest]

I'd love to see a team in Quebec City or Winnipeg again.

 

But not at the expense of a team in a decent hockey town with a good history and bright future.

 

Save the Pens.

 

By the way, the Habs are officially a shitty hockey team.

The precedent that Bettman has set has shown that he doesn't give a fuck about how good of a hockey town it is (Winnipeg, Quebec, Minneapolis) ... I wouldn't be surprised if he moved the Penguins.

 

That Kings-Ducks game was exactly what Bettman had in mind with the rule changes. It looked like I was watching a videogame.

How is that a good thing?!?

It's not. Only thing that was good about it was the hitting. The shootout sucks and there were too many scoring chances, with Garon standing on his head to keep it close.

[Dogbert 0]

Did anyone watch the TOR/OTT game tonight?

 

After a fight late in the third, the Corel Centre sound guys started playing Kurt Angle's theme music. Where the WWE crowds usually chant "You Suck," the Sens fans started chanting "Leafs Suck."

 

I didn't know so many Ontarians watched WWE. That might explain the Liberal love.

[Fartsauce 0]

If tonight wasn't any indication that Ottawa is the scariest team in the league, I don't know what is.

[KGB 0]

Did anyone watch the TOR/OTT game tonight?

 

After a fight late in the third, the Corel Centre sound guys started playing Kurt Angle's theme music. Where the WWE crowds usually chant "You Suck," the Sens fans started chanting "Leafs Suck."

 

I didn't know so many Ontarians watched WWE. That might explain the Liberal love.

 

It's true, it's true!

 

If it wasn't official before, it is now. (My) Toronto Maple Leafs suck!

Edited December 18, 2005 by KGB

[CanadianChris 0]

Did anyone watch the TOR/OTT game tonight?

 

After a fight late in the third, the Corel Centre sound guys started playing Kurt Angle's theme music. Where the WWE crowds usually chant "You Suck," the Sens fans started chanting "Leafs Suck."

 

I didn't know so many Ontarians watched WWE. That might explain the Liberal love.

I was there, and it was beautiful. I thought the chant was just in our section until I stopped and listened.

 

Even more beautiful was when we got a "Bellllllll-fouuuuuuur" chant going RIGHT BEFORE he gave up the fourth goal in the second.

[Brush with Greatness 0]

I dislike the Leafs but like Belfour and like the Sens, to an extent.

 

But, come playoff time, I have a feeling that if Toronto and Ottawa meet up, Eddie will be bringing it and Toronto will give them a series, if not knock them off.

[Fartsauce 0]

If you stayed up for the late game on HNIC, you got a treat. Awesome game by both teams. Canucks went up 2-0 early, Oilers tied it. Canucks went up 4-2 in the third but the Oilers tied it. Oilers win it in overtime on a goal by Mike Peca. Just awesome end to end action tonight.

[Guest]

I dislike the Leafs but like Belfour and like the Sens, to an extent.

 

But, come playoff time, I have a feeling that if Toronto and Ottawa meet up, Eddie will be bringing it and Toronto will give them a series, if not knock them off.

If the Sens lose Spezza or Heatley for any given period of time, they are in big trouble.