NHL Thread

[Fartsauce 0]

If the Oilers ever get a number one goalie look out. They could be a real dangerous team in the playoffs.

 

It's a really exciting time to be an Oilers fan right now. This team can also be so much better which is the scary part. Some questionable defense (Cross, Ulanov) and sub-par goaltending have this team out of first right now. The Oilers need to make a trade for goaltending right now. One possible guy is Ryan Miller. I just don't see how that guy stays on with the Sabres after what Biron has done lately.

[The Czech Republic 0]

I also love how every game ends in a shootout after a tie in OT. Some people argue that it ruins the game if two teams are deadlocked after 65 minutes, but I like knowing that my team won or lost. Plus, you still get a point if you lose so no harm done. I think this is definitely going to make the playoff races interesting come April with teams picking up two points where previously they could only pick up one. Finally, they are keeping continuous OT for the playoffs and I'll love that so I've got a thumbs up for the new NHL.

"b-b-b-but both teams showed they were equal! FOOTBALL DON'T HAVE FIELD GOAL CONTESTS BLLALRGHGHGDSJKDJVKVIX"

 

I still say take it one step further and just go W-L.

[Kismet 0]

I was against the shootout when it was first brought up. As I type this I am watching the replay of the Detroit game on FSN Detroit. It's Detroit's' first shootout, and the entire crowd is standing. It ends with Osgood stonewalling Fedorov to win, and the crowd chanting Ozzy Ozzy. Some exciting stuff.

[Red Baron 0]

Montreal beat Ottawa?

 

You can tell that Montreal missed Kovalev in the last few weeks, hopefully they can turn it around in the new year.

 

Canada is also to set the olympic team today.

[Fartsauce 0]

*Crosses fingers that Ryan Smyth is announced for the team*

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

If the Oilers ever get a number one goalie look out. They could be a real dangerous team in the playoffs.

 

It's a really exciting time to be an Oilers fan right now. This team can also be so much better which is the scary part. Some questionable defense (Cross, Ulanov) and sub-par goaltending have this team out of first right now. The Oilers need to make a trade for goaltending right now. One possible guy is Ryan Miller. I just don't see how that guy stays on with the Sabres after what Biron has done lately.

 

 

I would bet my house and everything in it that Biron is the one to get traded.

 

I would make a smaller wager that no one gets dealt this year (they've had 3 injuries to goaltending already...and if they'd have moved anyone before this point they'd have been screwed this year)

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

Penguins hopefully getting a new arena in Pittsburgh.

 

http://www.pittsburghpenguins.com/team/fea...arts/1544.0.php

[CanadianChris 0]

Reports have Bertuzzi on the team (WTF???) and Crosby not.

[CanadianChris 0]

Team Canada:

 

Goal - Brodeur, Luongo, Turco

Defense - Blake, Foote, Jovanovski, Niedermayer, Pronger, Redden, Regehr

Forward - Bertuzzi, Doan, Draper, Gagne, Heatley, Iginla, Lecavalier, Nash, Richards, Sakic (captain), Smyth, St. Louis, Thornton

Taxi - McCabe, Spezza, Staal

[Guest]

I knew I was right about the goalies that they would take. Can't justify them taking Rob Blake over Phaneuf and I also think that Bertuzzi should be on the taxi squad with Spezza in the lineup. I can see that they took Bertuzzi so that they match up better against the Americans and the teams that want to grind it out.

 

EDIT: Rick Nash shouldn't be there either.

[RepoMan 0]

 

 

Also, do you guys still get Sabres games in Buffalo with Empire being dead.

 

MSG has picked up the Sabres for Upstate. We get MSG, FSNY, and Yes but no local sports channel

[Urban Warfare 0]

Spezza > Draper

[Guest]

2 things about Draper being taken.

 

1. They've got to have a grinding center, even though Marleau could probably play that role just as well.

 

2. Penalty killing.

[Vigo 0]

Yeah, but there are better players than Draper that could fill that role. The guy isn't even playing well this year yet he somehow makes it onto the team while more deserving guys don't.

[JustJoe2k5 0]

Guys like Sidney Crosby have plenty of Olympic Games in their future, no need to worry about it now.

[Fartsauce 0]

I may be dreaming but the Edmonton Oilers are now in a tie for first place in their division. Never would have thought it after they lost 7 straight at the beginning of the year.

[Guest]

The Kings beat Calgary 5-2 tonight without Roenick, Conroy or Belanger. That's a major ouch.

[Dogbert 0]

The Flames have looked awful ever since Stephane Yelle got injured. I hope for our sake that he's back on Friday in Vancouver.

[the max 0]

Dare I say that this home and home with Toronto is for Sully's job. They're 12th in the conference (with Florida) and are only ahead of Pittsburgh and Washington. Yikes. They have to come out and blow TO's doors off, especially tonight at home. If they manage to lose both games, I think Sully's gone before the new year.

[the max 0]

Well, they didn't blow TO's doors off, but an inspired effort by the Bruins tonight gets them a 4-1 win. Toivonen was excellent and I think he's made himself the clear #1 until proven otherwise. Even the defense was good, as TO's only goal was a laser from Czerkawski that Hannu got a piece of.

 

Zhamnov finally broke the ice (no pun intended) and scored his first of the season. Green and Primeau scored, as did Sturm late.

 

All in all, a good game tonight and let's hope to see another one tomorrow night.

[Guest]

Former Minister of Amateur sport Denis Coderre on Thursday lashed out at Team Canada's selection committee saying Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan should not represent Canada after reports he verbally slammed French Canadians.

 

''I believe truly that if you are going (to) the Olympic games, you're going under a flag and the values attached to it,'' Coderre said Thursday. ''And to have people like Todd Bertuzzi and Shane Doan... specifically Shane Doan because as you know, last December 13th at the hockey game against the Habs he said something pretty nasty against frenchmen and he used the F-word.''

 

At the end of the Coyotes' game in Montreal on Dec. 13, Doan was given a gross misconduct for verbally abusing referee Stephane Auger. Following the game, allegations swirled that Doan's comments may have been culturally related because the game was called by four francophone officials.

 

The NHL looked into the matter and didn't feel there was any problem and there was no discipline.

 

''It's totally unacceptable and I sent a letter to Bob Nicholson, the president of Hockey Canada, and I'm sending all the messages that I can to all my sports colleagues to send a clear message that as long as Mr. Doan doesn't apologize and show that he truly regrets his gesture that he shouldn't be there as a member of the team, period,'' said Coderre.

 

''If he doesn't make the appropriate apologies for his anti-francophone and intolerant statements, he should be expelled from the team,'' Coderre said in his letter to Nicholson. ''Mr. Doan has not only insulted our country's francophones, but the vast majority of Canadians.''

What is it with players saying bad things about French-Canadians?

[The Czech Republic 0]

Quebec has a proud tradition of Hockey Players That Everyone Wants To Beat The Ever-Loving Shit Out Of, and for good reasons: Patrick Roy was obnoxiously arrogant, Guy Carbonneau ratted out Marty McSorley's illegally curved blade, Claude Lemieux was the cheapest bastard ever, and so much more. Also, they wear visors, and that pisses off Don Cherry. When Don Cherry is pissed, apparently Canada is pissed.

[Guest]

Everything pisses off Don Cherry. Especially European players.

[Brush with Greatness 0]

2 things about Draper being taken.

 

1. They've got to have a grinding center, even though Marleau could probably play that role just as well.

 

2. Penalty killing.

 

You do realize that Draper has, by far, the worst plus-minus on the Red Wings, at a -6.

 

All of these "he works hard", "someone needs to penalty kill", etc. arguments are shit.

 

It's the FUCKING OLYMPICS! I don't think anyone is going to be taking the night off, and guys who maybe don't give as much as Draper and company regularly will be which will set them apart even further.

 

In regards to the penalty killing, figure it out. Don't tell me Sakic, Iginla, Richards, St. Louis, Thornton, etc. can't kill penalties, and do it well at that. If there's a five-on-three, I guarentee that it's going to be Sakic out there up front, and not Draper.

 

Let's not kid ourselves, they did not take the best players, but rather the players they like.

 

If you think Ryan Smyth would be on the team if he played for Florida or Carolina, you're out to lunch. Same goes with Shane Doan. Take a look at Eric Brewer for instance. He'd probably be close to making the team if he was on the Oilers, no mention of him whatsoever now that he's down in St. Louis.

 

There were so many big omissions this time around that I could arguably pick a team that could beat this Olympic team.

 

I mean, of the top 10 scoring Canadian players in the NHL, 7 were left off the team. Martin St. Louis and his fucking twelve goals in Tampa or Eric Staal and 24 goals in Carolina? Fuck, not much of a question to me.

[Guest]

You do realize that Draper has, by far, the worst plus-minus on the Red Wings, at a -6.

I don't like +/- as a stat. At all. Joe Corvo's +/- is in the 20's and he's nowhere near that good.

 

All of these "he works hard", "someone needs to penalty kill", etc. arguments are shit.

They aren't putting together an all-star team, they are putting together a hockey team.

 

It's the FUCKING OLYMPICS! I don't think anyone is going to be taking the night off, and guys who maybe don't give as much as Draper and company regularly will be which will set them apart even further.

Above statment qualifies.

 

In regards to the penalty killing, figure it out. Don't tell me Sakic, Iginla, Richards, St. Louis, Thornton, etc. can't kill penalties, and do it well at that. If there's a five-on-three, I guarentee that it's going to be Sakic out there up front, and not Draper.

I don't care where they put Draper, and if the team is supposed to be so good, his selection shouldn't matter.

 

Let's not kid ourselves, they did not take the best players, but rather the players they like.

Of course.

 

If you think Ryan Smyth would be on the team if he played for Florida or Carolina, you're out to lunch. Same goes with Shane Doan. Take a look at Eric Brewer for instance. He'd probably be close to making the team if he was on the Oilers, no mention of him whatsoever now that he's down in St. Louis.

Doan's only there because he plays for Gretzky. That's it. Ryan Smyth shouldn't be there either. Eric Brewer's been injured, that's why there's no mention of him.

 

There were so many big omissions this time around that I could arguably pick a team that could beat this Olympic team.

When you have a country with the talent pool that Canada does, that's likely to be the case.

 

I mean, of the top 10 scoring Canadian players in the NHL, 7 were left off the team. Martin St. Louis and his fucking twelve goals in Tampa or Eric Staal and 24 goals in Carolina? Fuck, not much of a question to me.

That's the way the process works. Young players like Staal rarely get that chance; Nash is the only really young guy, but he has experience in international competition.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Quebec has a proud tradition of Hockey Players That Everyone Wants To Beat The Ever-Loving Shit Out Of, and for good reasons: Patrick Roy was obnoxiously arrogant, Guy Carbonneau ratted out Marty McSorley's illegally curved blade, Claude Lemieux was the cheapest bastard ever, and so much more. Also, they wear visors, and that pisses off Don Cherry. When Don Cherry is pissed, apparently Canada is pissed.

 

Cherry isn't as beloved by Canadians as you might think.

 

I have to think most of Canada isn't as conservative as he is, and most Canadians are far more meek than that loudmouth.

[Guest cosbywasmurdered]

Doan's alleged comment was already investigated and he was exonarated by the NHL.

 

I don't know how people out East feel about Grapes, but he's pretty well loved out here.

[Fartsauce 0]

Anytime Cherry slams the french, it's a good thing. Wish the referendum of 92 would have actually happened.

[nl5xsk1 0]

RE: the debate over who made the Olympic team ... using a guy's NHL season stats as the be-all/end-all way to decide is a poor way to think things through. From what I've seen, Crosby isn't killing himself on D, and hasn't shown a huge willingness to drop and block a puck. In a tourney like the Olympics, you need the best all around players, and right now he's not that great of an all around player.

 

There were so many big omissions this time around that I could arguably pick a team that could beat this Olympic team.

Prove it. Name a team, of players that are willing to go (so you can't use Yzerman or Lemieux) and show us how you could name a team that's better than the one that was assembled.

 

RE: the Bruins game last night. I wish the B's could play TO more often. Something about the Leafs brings out the best in the team. A win tonight would give them a ton of momentum going into the holiday break. (small rant: it kills me to hear their announcers say that the games versus Washington or Florida are winnable. The B's aren't much better than either of those teams, so the announcers for the Caps or Panthers could be sayign the same thing about the Bruins.)

 

At this point, I'm not yet ready to be a fan of the Bruins again. There's too many players that I either don't like (Zhamnov, Gill, Fitzgerald) or am apathetic about (Isbister, Primeau, Tanabe) to really put my support behind them. Having said that, though, if MOC can get rid of some of the dead weight and replace it with players I care about ... and keep the nucleus of Boyes, Bergeron, Boynton, and re-sign Stuart ... I might find myself bleeding black and gold again next year.

[Red Baron 0]

Goal - Brodeur, Luongo, Turco

 

Probably one, two, three, not going to argue about the goalies.

 

Defense - Blake, Foote, Jovanovski, Niedermayer, Pronger, Redden, Regehr

 

While I can't say much about Blake who I think shouldn't be on the team, but if you have him and Pronger on one line, its going to be hard for the other countries to get pass them. Other than Niedermayer, every one can lay the body on the opposing team pretty good.

 

Forward -

 

Todd Bertuzzi, Shane Doan, Kris Draper and Ryan Smyth: These four will be the grinders on the team and will most likely be in the situations where to slow down the opposing team. If anyone is going to debate that they do not to be on the team is an idiot. To have a well rounded team, you need balance, and that means checking. No checking=no medal. We've learned that from Nagano.

 

Rick Nash: Should be on the taxi squad and put Spezza or Staal on instead, but if he is playing with Heatley and Thorton this might be the top scoring line for Team Canada.

 

Taxi - McCabe, Spezza, Staal: Know idea how/why is McCabe on the team where I could list three other D-Men instead of him.

 

Quebec has a proud tradition of Hockey Players That Everyone Wants To Beat The Ever-Loving Shit Out Of, and for good reasons: Patrick Roy was obnoxiously arrogant, Guy Carbonneau ratted out Marty McSorley's illegally curved blade, Claude Lemieux was the cheapest bastard ever, and so much more. Also, they wear visors, and that pisses off Don Cherry. When Don Cherry is pissed, apparently Canada is pissed.

 

Roy is the best goalie to ever play the game. He can be obnoxious. It was Jacques Demairs that called on McSorley's illegal stick and worked. Thats just good observation. Claude Lemieux was a dirty player, but you know you could count on him to score a clutch goal in the playoffs. Just because you have some problem with French players doesn't mean any player born in Quebec is bad, cheap and dirty. I could say the same thing for American players as well, but I'm not. So quit trying to add your input on anything if you don't know what you are talking about. Ass.