NHL Thread

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

The Score Tonight, despite Sexireo and Micallef's RAMPANT use of bad similies, just elabourated on our Northwest theories with a few big things this week:

 

The Oil play four in six, all against NW division opponents. Vancouver play 11 of 13.

 

And I'm more and more worried about Atlanta with each day. Montreal's in the midst of five in seven, which makes the hot Thrashers(5-0 over Buffalo!) an even bigger bother. This would have been much easier to swallow if not for Tampa, who come back to earn a point, albeit with a 6-5 OT loss.

[Guest]

Anaheim beat Dallas. Shit.

[CanadianChris 0]

Buffalo is playing like absolute shit out there.

 

Keep playing like this, and they can fall right out of home-ice advantage.

Nah, Philly's not playing well enough.

[mike546 0]

Rangers and Philly at the Garden on Wednesday in a game that will basically decide the division if the Rangers win. If Philly loses to the Devs tomorrow and we beat them on wednesday, all we'd have to do is play .500 hockey and Philly would have to go like 12-2 to catch us.

[bob_barron 0]

Auld's been overworked, and I don't know about Noronen. The Canucks have three huge games against Edmonton, it might decide the season.

[Red Baron 0]

Habs getting some offence from the Defecemen, and Higgins. Damn Chris Higgins is amazing.

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

Anaheim beat Dallas. Shit.

 

So, how is Adam Deadmarsh night going? Joe Sakic for #1 star of the game.

[Guest]

Dump and chase every goddamn time down the ice. I hate this fucking coach so much. Another rental going the way of Straka, Jason Blake, Cliff Ronning and Anson Carter. FUCK.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Great quote from by former Oiler and current Canuck Anson Carter re: the first game tonight of a 3 straight series between the two:

 

"It's big, but it's not make or break. What if we win all 3, then lose the next ten?"

 

Proving his point is the fact that there's six points seperating Calgary and Vancouver (1-4) in the Northwest, and only 3 separating ninth place Vancouver and sixth place Colorado.

 

How old is Rod Brind A'mour? He looked probbaly 45 or 50 when i just saw him.

[KGB 0]

Brind'Amour is 35, turns 36 on August 9. I thought he was older, as well. This season has been a bit of a renaissance for him; he is scoring at almost a PPG for the first time in awhile and on his way to his first 30 goal season in 7 seasons; takes the top percentage of his team's faceoffs in the league, has 2nd best faceoff winning percentage in the league, and leads forwards in icetime. Just for the hell of it, I will include the top five for the latter three stats in this post:

 

AVERAGE TIME ON ICE, FORWARDS (minimum 30 games):

 

1 Rod Brind'Amour, Carolina........24:34

2 Ilya Kovalchuk, Atlanta.............22:24

3 Brad Richards, Tampa Bay........22:21

4 Marian Hossa, Atlanta..............21:39

5 Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa.......21:38

 

FACEOFF WINS PERCENTAGE (minimum 500 faceoffs taken)

 

1 Yanic Perreault, Nashville.........62.7 %

2 Rod Brind'Amour, Carolina........60.1 %

3 Joe Nieuwendyk, Florida...........58.9 %

4 Jarret Stoll, Edmonton..............58.5 %

5 Andy McDonald, Anaheim..........57.3 %

 

PERCENTAGE OF TEAM'S FACEOFFS TAKEN

 

1 Rod Brind'Amour, Carolina........44.7 %

2 Joe Thornton, BOS-SJ...............36.6 %

3 Mats Sundin, Toronto...............35.9 %

4 Bobby Holik, Atlanta.................35.0 %

5 Joe Sakic, Colorado..................33.6 %

5 John Madden, New Jersey........33.6 %

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

I'd say more impressive than his position stats you mentioned, are whom he's leading in those stats.

 

Things look good in Hogtown, with the Leafs, Islanders and Bruins all winning midway/at the end of the second.

 

Boy, imagine how different the connotations of that statement would have been ten days ago.

[Guest]

Florida's coming on STRONG.

[World's Worst Man 0]

Toronto beats Carolina 3-2. There's still hope yet. The two games vs. Montreal this week are going to be insane, playoff-level matches. Good stuff.

[Guest]

YES YES YES YES

 

The Kings fired Andy Murray and the sorry ass power play coach, as reported by TSN. THAT MADE MY WEEK!!!

 

Is this the latest into the season that a playoff team has fired their head coach?

[Brush with Greatness 0]

YES YES YES YES

 

The Kings fired Andy Murray and the sorry ass power play coach, as reported by TSN. THAT MADE MY WEEK!!!

 

Is this the latest into the season that a playoff team has fired their head coach?

 

For the record, the Devils fired Ftorek with about 8 games left in the 1999-2000 season and went on to win the Cup with Robinson behind the bench.

 

As for Andy Murray, I think you are somewhat delussional about how good they actually are.

 

If you look at their forwards, apart from Demitra, Frolov (who have both missed time) and Conroy, they have nothing up front. Armstrong, Belanger, Avery, Robitaille, Roenick, Brown, etc. are not a solid group of forwards.

 

Their defence isn't much better. Visnovsky is good, Norstrom isn't bad, and Corvo, Gleason, Dempsey and Miller are all functionable.

 

Mathieu Garon has been okay but hasn't exactly set the world on fire.

 

In fact, I would say that Edmonton, Vancouver, San Jose and Minnesota are all more talented teams than the Kings yet Murray has them right up there with them.

 

On paper, the Kings shouldn't be any better than a .500 team.

[Guest]

Sorry for the length ahead of time.

 

I'll go player by player, and where they should be as far as lines go, and what Murray had them at.

 

Demitra, Frolov and Conroy should be the 1st line, no gripe with that. Conroy's not a 1st line center in my opinion, but his style of play fits.

 

Suck:

Armstrong was on the 2nd line and 1st power play unit. In my mind, that's disgusting. He's a 4th line center at the very best, and Belanger is a 3rd line center. That's my biggest gripe with Murray. Roenick and Robitaille are the drizzling shits, Robitaille should be getting garbage PP time only and Roenick should be scratched.

 

Nathan Dempsey sucks and is only being dressed because Frolov and Demitra are out. Aaron Miller has sucked lately as well.

 

Good, but where Murray fucked up:

Parrish is good, but hasn't gotten any opportunity. I didn't understand the logic in trading for a PP garbage goal scorer, and playing him on the 2nd pp unit or not at all. He should be the 2nd line RW, and he's been a 3rd liner. Again, that's stupid.

 

Murray had Corvo and Visnovsky as a d pairing. That's a pure offensive pairing, and Corvo can't play d. Not good, but they both can score almost at will. Norstrom's been great this year, and Sopel actually looks good playing with him. I like Tim Gleason a lot, but he's also been hurt lately. Notice the trend of players being hurt? I'll get to that in a little while.

 

Dustin Brown is a future "once every couple of years all star", who's been playing the 2nd line. On a playoff team, that will not suffice. He is a good PP guy and a great hitter, I'll give him credit for that. 3rd liner at this moment.

 

My feelings on Avery are known. I love him. He is the spark that every team needs, and he's played great lately. No gripe with him or his line positioning, which is the 3rd line.

 

You did forget about Cammalleri, who has major gripes with Murray and hasn't been getting good ice time. He's been playing 4th line, and that simply isn't fair to him. He led the AHL last year in goal scoring and has been one of the only guys with the heart and drive that I wish everyone else could have. He should be a second liner, and will be a key trading piece if the Kings want to do something in that area. He can score, no doubt.

 

Garon's burned out. Plain and simple.

 

Now for the major problem, it's the system that they run. The system is the reason that the Kings have so many man games lost every year, Frolov and Demitra's injuries now excluded. Dump and chase does not work, and I hate that style with a passion. I don't expect it to change this season, but it will in the long term. The power play has been shit, and it's namely because of the guys out there. Murray's a better fit for a team like New Jersey. He is a good coach who's expiration date has come.

 

I think that the teams that you mentioned are very top-heavy sans Edmonton (and their problem is still goaltending). Vancouver, San Jose and Minnesota aren't very deep at this point. At all.

 

It's not a coincidence that the Kings played so good when everyone was healthy. The only team in the West that they haven't beat is Detroit, and their only problem is that they lack a true 1st line center. They wasted 5 million on Roenick this year. That was a HUGE mistake. I think they just need to open up the game a little bit and they'll be fine. This move should have happened at the Olympic break. I'm sick and tired of Murray fucking around with the players that can play, and either benching them in the case of Frolov, or demoting them to the 4th line. It's happened far too much.

 

If you don't think they're that good, that's fine. Neither is his record of 40 games over .500 in such a long tenure. The teams he had early in his tenure were great, there's no excuse for them not getting deeper. Hell, they had Felix Potvin playing good, but the problem was the lack of goalscoring. With guys like Palffy, Allison, Deadmarsh, Stumpel (when he was good), Murray, Schneider, Visnovsky and Boucher, why is that? The team was a Bryan Smolinski shot off the post from going to the Western Conference Finals. Since then, it's been downhill.

[nl5xsk1 0]

Good to see the Bruins play another 'meh' game and choke a 2 goal lead AND give up the game tying goal in the final 70 seconds. It was like the Byron Dafoe era all over again.

 

At this point, the B's should really be playing Raycroft like he's the #1 goaltender, and hope that he shows enough of his rookie-year form that a team wants to trade for him in the offseason. They have three decent Goalies (Toivenen, Thomas, & Raycroft) and should really try to move one of them for a decent position player. Toivenen's still hurt, so can't play, and Thomas would likely bring in less value than Raycroft. Raycroft is the one that makes the most sense to trade, and thus should be given some PT to show that he's worthy of acquiring.

 

Plus, it's not like the B's are making the postseason regardless of who's in net.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Christ, of all the games for the B's to lose from my perspective. Even with the Habs loss, I had considered the Thrashers game last night more important on the grounds that the Habs had a game at hand on the Thrash.

 

Vancouver takes the lead in the Oil series. There's no way I'll be on time for work Sunday. As I did two years ago, it'll be a seven hour Saturday night hockey marathon. Anyone remember game six and seven of their quarters two years ago? I got a combined seven hours sleep that weekend, being up to watch both games.

[CanadianChris 0]

You watch...the Sabres and Hurricanes are going to go to OT tonight, just to annoy me.

[KGB 0]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=159765

 

The agent for Toronto Maple Leaf goalie Ed Belfour says his client has medical advice not to play for the balance of this season because of problems with his bad back.

 

"It’s not encouraging for him to be playing again this season," Belfour’s agent Ron Salcer told TSN. "The doctors have told him that wouldn’t be wise, but it is his goal to get back playing again in the future. Eddie wants to continue playing (next season). He has a passion for the game. The doctors just don’t think he should be playing at this point. He’s going to work with the doctors to find out what his options are."

 

Salcer said one of those options could be surgery, which he underwent in the summer of 2004.

 

"That’s a possibility, yes," Salcer said of surgery. "But there may be other options too. We’ll have to wait and see."

 

Related Info

Habs, Leafs battle for playoff spot on TSN

The big question, though, is whether the Maple Leafs are on the same page with Belfour in terms of the medical advice.

 

It was not specified which "doctors" provided Belfour with the medical opinion and whether they’re associated with the Maple Leafs in any way.

 

Belfour is currently on the injured reserve list, which allows the Maple Leafs to recall a minor league neteminder without using one of their four call-ups.

 

At this point in time, Belfour apparently has not been designated as a Long-Term Injury (LTI).

 

Looks like Belfour is finished.

[World's Worst Man 0]

Can't say I care much at all. People can say what they will, but Belfour was terrible this year. If Toronto had gotten decent goaltending, they wouldn't be fighting tooth and nail for a playoff spot at this point. Too many games decided by 1 goal where Belfour gave up 1 or 2 stinker goals. They wouldn't be world beaters or anything, but they could at least be 8-10 points better than they are now, and only needing to maintain pace to make the playoffs. Oh well, you live by the sword you die by the sword I guess.

[Red Baron 0]

Decent goaltending??

 

How about defence period. Telqvist is doing all he can especially for bonehead McCabe, Pilar, Belak, Berg, Klee/Richardson

[KGB 0]

Decent goaltending??

 

How about defence period. Telqvist is doing all he can especially for bonehead McCabe, Pilar, Belak, Berg, Klee/Richardson

 

Heh. Yeah, that Pilar, he's been so bad you'd think he wasn't even playing.

[Brush with Greatness 0]

Call me crazy, but if I were a Leaf fan, Tellqvist wouldn't exactly be instilling confidence in me with tonights game.

[Red Baron 0]

But what are the odds of Montreal scoring four goals in one period.

 

Maybe if they had like Richard, Lafleur, Geffrion and all those guys on one super line.

[CanadianChris 0]

Thank you, New Jersey, for blowing a 4-1 lead in the 3rd and losing in a shootout to the Thrashers. Thank you sooooooooo much.

 

Atlanta is the one team I don't want to see in the first round. They scare the hell out of me.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Fuck you, New Jersey, for blowing a 4-1 lead in the 3rd and losing in a shootout to the Thrashers. Fuck you sooooooooo much.

 

Atlanta is the one team I don't want to see in the first round. I'd rather see the Habs.

 

Edited for selfishness

 

My grandfather and I, who have a traditon dating eight years of watching the Habs/Leafs whenever possible, put on an absolute symposium of swears tonight, as I would have preferred a Leafs win in OT. My grampa, a leafs fan, didn't like the score. And we certainly didn't like seeing the result get trumped either way by the Thrashers win.

 

I'd sell my genitals(hey, weirder stuff has been sold on EBay) to watch the Nucks-Oilers, which has been blacked out in my area.

[Red Baron 0]

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK

 

 

God Damn Shitty Fucking Devils.

[CanadianChris 0]

I'd sell my genitals(hey, weirder stuff has been sold on EBay) to watch the Nucks-Oilers, which has been blacked out in my area.

I can get that game, but there's no way I can stay up to watch the end of it. 2-1 Vancouver toward the end of the 2nd. Lot of emotion, much like a playoff atmosphere (which is understandable, given what the schedule wizards did).

 

EDIT: Make it 2-2. Carney got screened by the linesman on a turnover and beaten by Torres.

[bob_barron 0]

Make that 3-2.

 

I think the Canucks exist to torture me.