The NHL Thread - October

[CanadianChris 0]

1. Who will win the Hart Trophy? Jaromir Jagr

 

2. Who will win the Vezina Trophy? Miikka Kiprusoff

 

3. Who will win the Calder Trophy? Evgeni Malkin

 

4. Who will win the Art Ross Trophy? Jaromir Jagr

 

5. Who will win the Richard Trophy? Alexander Ovechkin

 

6. What team had the best offseason? Bruins

 

7. What team had the worst offseason? Islanders

 

8. Which team will be the most improved over last year? Penguins

 

9. Which team will be the biggest disappointment? Canucks (again)

 

10. What was the best offseason move? Ducks sign Chris Pronger

 

11. What was the worst offseason move? DiPietro for 15

 

12. Who will make the playoffs that didn't last year? Kings, Thrashers

 

13. Who will not make the playoffs that did last year? Avalanche, Canadiens

 

14. Who would make your All-NHL first team? Kiprusoff, Thornton, Jagr, Ovechkin, Pronger, Lidstrom

 

15. Who will be the division winners? Ducks, Flames, Predators, Hurricanes, Sabres, Devils

 

16. Eastern Conference Final: Senators over Sabres

 

17. Western Conference Final: Flames over Ducks

 

18. Stanley Cup Final: Senators over Flames

 

19. Who will win the Conn Smythe Trophy? Jason Spezza

 

20. Make one bold prediction. Phoenix will be in the playoff hunt until the last day of the season.

[MrRant 0]

At least there seems to be a bit more HD games this year. Wish I could get CBC (CBUT) in HD but I guess I will just suffer with the fact I'm able to watch CBC.

[CanadianChris 0]

Before anything really happens tonight, let me just say how happy I am that Hal Gill stayed in the Northeast Division.

[CanadianChris 0]

The Penguins have been SOLD! to Jim Balsillie of Waterloo, Ontario (UW shout out!) for $175 million. His company, Research in Motion, invented the Blackberry, so he's got a bit of cash lying around.

 

Story

[JustJoe2k5 0]

Great game tonight between the Hurricanes and the Sabres. Even though the 'Canes lost, I can't really say that I was disappointed in their play because they looked great. They'll continue to build chemistry, Cory Stillman will return in a couple of months, Frantisek Kaberle will eventually return. I think they have a great shot to repeat the success they had last season.

 

I'll also add my Vezina darkhorse, Ryan Miller. He makes EVERY save look so easy.

[CanadianChris 0]

Well, some things never change...Sens beat the Leafs 4-1, and Hal Gill got absolutely embarrassed on the second goal.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Outside that Gil goal and a stupid penalty or two. the Leafs looked pretty good. They simply lost to the better team tonight.

[Guest Princess Leena]

Woo. Sabres. Their sweaters are so fucking ugly, though. Why on earth would you want to copy the Thrashers look.

 

Also, why is the season starting so early in a non-Olympic year.

[Lightning Flik 0]

Leena, they are doing this so the playoffs aren't gonna be overshadowed by anything supposedly.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Hasn't it pretty well always started (at least under Bettman's reign) the Wednesday before Thanksgiving?

[Red Baron 0]

I'll re-edit that Eric Staal will win the Art Ross.

 

 

I can see Treble and Barron finally realizing the pain on having Hal Gill on their team.

 

I feel bad for Raycroft.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

1-0-0

 

Go Sabres.

 

Can't wait to go to the home opener on Friday.

 

Hey Cam Ward...an almost healthy (still missing our biggest playmaker) Sabres team says eat your fucking banner and choke on it beacause you can not and will never stop Daniel Briere.

 

Fuck the Canes.

 

It's go time.

[the max 0]

Good games last night.

 

They only let up the one goal, but Phillips and Volchenkov weren't playing together very well for Ottawa. It'll probably take a few games to get used to each other, I suppose. Phillips is the veteran there and needs to better communicate with Volchenkov.

 

Also, I didn't see it mentioned, Chara was named the captain of the Bruins. No surprise there...but the surprise is that Bergeron will start the season with an 'A'. He wore one for one game last year and considered it an honor, so we'll see how he responds to it this year. All in all, I'm really liking the team this year once M. Stuart and Jurcina come back from injuries. I guess Ottawa's trying to spin the loss of Big Z as "well, he wasn't THAT good." TSN showed ice-time stats for Ottawa's defense last night during Ottawa v. Toronto...Ottawa's losing ~27 minutes a game. 27 minutes. And not of garbage time, but time against good players. He may have looked like he lost a step at times last year, but he's been busting his ass this off-season to get in better shape. Chara > Senators. There, I said it.

[JustJoe2k5 0]

1-0-0

 

Go Sabres.

 

Can't wait to go to the home opener on Friday.

 

Hey Cam Ward...an almost healthy (still missing our biggest playmaker) Sabres team says eat your fucking banner and choke on it beacause you can not and will never stop Daniel Briere.

 

Fuck the Canes.

 

It's go time.

 

Enjoy the regular season victory, the Stanley Cup still sits in the RBC Center.

 

I saw a competitive game that could have gone either way. It isn't like Buffalo dominated the game, pretty far from it. Carolina led about every statistical category, the puck just didn't bounce their way.

[CanadianChris 0]

They only let up the one goal, but Phillips and Volchenkov weren't playing together very well for Ottawa. It'll probably take a few games to get used to each other, I suppose. Phillips is the veteran there and needs to better communicate with Volchenkov.

They moved Phillips over to the right side, and he's having trouble adjusting, being a right-handed shooter. I was listening to the Sens pre-game, and they were saying that Volchenkov was even worse last year when they moved him on the right side (he's also right-handed), so they moved Phillips, who they assumed would be more dependable. Guess not.

 

When Corvo (a lefty) comes back, they'll probably have him on the right side with Phillips, move Volchenkov down with Preissing (whenever he comes back) and move Schubert back to forward. It sucks that Preissing went down, he was playing really well before the injury.

 

I guess Ottawa's trying to spin the loss of Big Z as "well, he wasn't THAT good." TSN showed ice-time stats for Ottawa's defense last night during Ottawa v. Toronto...Ottawa's losing ~27 minutes a game. 27 minutes. And not of garbage time, but time against good players. He may have looked like he lost a step at times last year, but he's been busting his ass this off-season to get in better shape. Chara > Senators. There, I said it.

I don't think they won't miss Chara at all, but I like the moves they made to replace him for far less cost. Corvo and Preissing are making less than half of what Chara makes. I don't think they'll combine to be as good as Chara, but for that price, you don't need them to be as good. They'll be good enough that Ottawa will still post a very good record.

 

The guy I don't think they'll miss is Havlat. He missed most of the season last year, the Sens still posted the best record in the East, and now everyone's saying he was a vital piece of the team? I don't think so.

[Guest Princess Leena]

1-0-0

 

Go Sabres.

 

Can't wait to go to the home opener on Friday.

 

Hey Cam Ward...an almost healthy (still missing our biggest playmaker) Sabres team says eat your fucking banner and choke on it beacause you can not and will never stop Daniel Briere.

 

Fuck the Canes.

 

It's go time.

 

Enjoy the regular season victory, the Stanley Cup still sits in the RBC Center.

 

I saw a competitive game that could have gone either way. It isn't like Buffalo dominated the game, pretty far from it. Carolina led about every statistical category, the puck just didn't bounce their way.

Are you starting again with the Sabre fans.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

Yes, what a prideful cup victory.

 

Facing a team short their biggest playmaker and 4 of their 6 defenseman and barely escaping in 7 in the ECF...

 

And then barely skating past a backup goaltender in 7 in the Cup finals.

 

If ever there was a team that just lucked into a friggin championship it is the 05-06 Carolina Hurricanes.

[Lightning Flik 0]

I'm sorry, but I agree with bps about Carolina. I'm not bitter about the loss in the Finals, considering we weren't supposed to be there, but you hafta admit that Carolina didn't really play like a Championship team in those two series. A championship team would've crushed a "weakened" Sabres and a "goaltender screwed" Oilers.

 

And really, they only won because they remained healthy when you got down to it. Not because they were superior, hence why they won't repeat. They'll be good, but no repeat in the making for them.

 

Battle of Alberta begins anew tonight! Round 1 is gonna happen, and I'm so hoping I get to see all of it (work till like 6pm, so I don't know if I'll make it home on time).

[Guest Felonies!]

I still can't get over how fucking shameful and humiliating to professional ice hockey it is that the Carolina Hurricanes won this thing.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

I'm sure I'll sound like a sour grapes fanboy here, but what if Koivu hadn't hurt in game 3? I think the Habs wouldn't have crumbled the way they did to the Canes.

The final eight consisted of two teams from California. The past two cups have gone to teams from south of the Mason Dixon line. You're right, Felonies, but Bettman has been laughing like Ted Dibiase on a crack binge for the last four months, I'm sure.

 

Max, didn't you mention that Chara was named captain a few weeks ago?

 

Battle of Alberta and Battle of Ontario tonight...and I'm working for 14 hours. TSN's got the late game, don't they? Or do they have Van-Det?

[nl5xsk1 0]

Max, didn't you mention that Chara was named captain a few weeks ago?

Chara getting the C has been expected for a long while now ... but it was only officially announced the other day. max probably referenced that it was inevitable and about to happen, or something along those lines.

[CanadianChris 0]

Battle of Alberta and Battle of Ontario tonight...and I'm working for 14 hours. TSN's got the late game, don't they? Or do they have Van-Det?

That sucks.

 

CBC has the all-Canadian doubleheader on the HNIC season premiere. The second game should be entertaining. The first should also be entertaining to me, but in a more perverse way.

 

TSN has no games. I'd imagine CBC has national exclusivity tonight, like they do on Saturdays.

[CanadianChris 0]

My God, this is disgusting. I don't remember the last time I saw this little effort out of the Senators. Gerber just looked awful.

[bob_barron 0]

The first should also be entertaining to me, but in a more perverse way.

 

Agreed. :-)

[KGB 0]

Damn you, Bob, I wanted to field that one.

The Sens haven't looked that good in either game so far. The Leafs played MUCH better tonight, they were skating and forechecking hard and outworked the Sens. Raycroft has looked alright so far, nothing like last year. I should note, though, that he wasn't really challenged on most of the shots he faced but he did the job.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Damn you, Bob, I wanted to field that one.

The Sens haven't looked that good in either game so far. The Leafs played MUCH better tonight, they were skating and forechecking hard and outworked the Sens. Raycroft has looked alright so far, nothing like last year. I should note, though, that he wasn't really challenged on most of the shots he faced but he did the job.

 

Get your laughs in now, Leafs fans. I'm sorry, but 8-0 still rings in my mind pretty clearly. I like Double C's chances in the end.

[CanadianChris 0]

The scores were rolling across the screen, and I did a double-take when the Chicago-Nashville score came by. Blackhawks won 8-6.

 

That would've been a mighty entertaining game.

[Lightning Flik 0]

Dear God, Petr Sykora has 2 goals already. And we've had 5 scoring chances on just 7 shots. Someone look out for the goal hunters known as the Oilers.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Keep dropping the jaw, CC. It's 6-1 Phoenix...even if that is over Long Island. By the way, the two teams you couldn't believe scored 14(fairly), scored more goals than Marc Denis had saves in a win. Nine.

 

Anyone see the Battle of Pennslyvania(just doesn't have the same ring, does it?) Pittsburgh won 4-0, but worth noting that Gagne had eight shots, Philly went 0 for 10 on the PP, and Fleury stopped 40. Just wondering how lucky the Pens got.

 

Shanny gets 599 and 600 in a Rangers win over the Caps. Jagr also scores, and he's up to 592.

 

And since I'm pretty well covering everything here, apart from Todd White's OT winner, get used to this:

 

Minny's first goal: Radivojevic, from Gaborik and Demitra.

Their second: Gaborik, from Radoivojevic and Demitra.

 

Yes, I'll admit to looking up how to spell Radivojevic. My best guess was Radiovoivic. Once during my telemarketing days, my shitty pronunciation was called upon by a customer(Mielocewicz). I proceeded to attempt Ponikarovsky and Stromboulopolous. I'm drunk.

[Red Baron 0]

Chicago scoring eight goals?

 

This probably hasn't happened since Bobby Hull was playing.