NHL Thread: November Edition

[Red Baron 0]

Started late, but its the 11th month now.

 

 

Discuss away.

 

 

Habs are up against Carolina tonight. Should be a good game, and hopefully some revenge since the playoffs last year.

[Guest Princess Leena]

The Sabres squash the lowly Bruins again tonight. Good times.

[Red Baron 0]

That game would be as ugly as the Buffalo/Phili game.

[the max 0]

3-1 Bruins after two. They're starting to find their speed and have played well physically the last two games. Phil Kessel does not look like a rookie in the offensive zone. He needs some work, yes, but he's looked excellent. Lewis finally reunited the BBS line and they've responded well. York and Dempsey are on the blueline, but even they've played well lately.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

3-1 Bruins after two. They're starting to find their speed and have played well physically the last two games. Phil Kessel does not look like a rookie in the offensive zone. He needs some work, yes, but he's looked excellent. Lewis finally reunited the BBS line and they've responded well. York and Dempsey are on the blueline, but even they've played well lately.

 

67 fucking dollars I bet on Buffalo. 4-2 Bruins with six to play. Mark this day on your calenders, gents (and Leena), never has a Mullen been so down about a Sabres loss.

 

4-0 Habs with five to play! Blues, Hawks, Isles and Panthers are up as well. It's a bonanza for those who list Rudy as their favourite movie.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

*re fucking neges*

 

Tie game in Beantown with 90 seconds left.

 

EDIT: Sabres win in a shootout. My payout makes having to listen to Rick Jenarette tolerable.

[Guest Princess Leena]

I don't miss hearing Rick.

 

They scored twice in the last 2:30 of regulation to tie it. Take the 2 points and run.

[the max 0]

Lewis had better tear them a new fucking asshole in that room after that display. Jesus fucking christ. You have a three goal lead on arguably the best skating team in the league, why not stop skating and go into a fucking defensive shell? A shell against a speedy team full of playmakers is like trying to catch flies by throwing cinder blocks at them.

 

Although I question Lewis. Axelsson as the second shooter in a shootout? PJ Axelsson? I think Dave Lewis and PJ Axelsson are in the midst of a homosexual love affair. It's the only explanation behind the playing time that Axelsson has been seeing. Let's see...Boyes, Savard, Kessel, Sturm...christ, even Mowers is a better option there.

 

And a big fuck you to the officials for that awesome non-call at the end of regulation. Nice to know that Gaustad is free to high-stick anyone he sees fit, especially the almost 7' defenseman. Brilliant. I guess the refs thought that tall people are just prone to random bleeding from the eyes. Must be the altitude or something.

 

I need to go lay down.

[CanadianChris 0]

Chara doesn't get many calls. He draws a whole bunch of extra penalties thanks to his size, though. Better get used to it.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Ok, i'll let my drunkenness subside for two discussion related topics:

 

1) A well-known Quebec lawyer is pleading with his province's Parliament to allow a Quebec vs. Canada best of three, with the winner getting into the 2008 Worlds. This strategy did nothing for Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe last winter during the campaign, and I suspect it'll be forgotten two days from now, especially with players like Lecavalier and Brodeur downplaying it. Discuss as you see fit.

 

2) There's been a lot of talk on TV and radio about Nonis' anti-schedule rant Monday. What's the answer? I had two thoughts, both of which don't work out. Is there an answer?

 

My two:

 

1) Three conferences of ten teams. An all eastern time zone conference, an all central, and a half-west/half-pacific. Granted, this can be adjusted to suit the lack of geography I just described, but that only gets back to the root of the problem. Plus, it re-inforces the problem of seeing the same teams. Does eight games between, say Ottawa and Toronto really develop a rivalry? Ontario might be a bad example, but I don't necessarily hate, say, Buffalo, despite playing them a fistful of times a season. I'm certainly not going to hate, say, Washington if I see them on my TV screen ten times a year.

 

2) Make the East and West conference akin to baseball's American and National League. Ultimately, this doesn't solve the problem of time zone inefficiency, and would make it even less likely for fans in Edmonton or Dallas to see Crosby or Ovechkin? Even if they adopted the alternate draft rule that basbeall has, can Chicago or Phoenix wait two or three years for a maruqee player to develop?

 

Ultimately, is Nonis fucked? Discuss.

[Guest]

They need to cut the divisional games to 6 per season, allot 5 of the 8 combined that are taken away to the teams from another conference so that everyone plays each other, and randomly spread the other three out. Say one more Detroit, Vancouver and St. Louis, for example.

 

Provided that works.

[the max 0]

Chara doesn't get many calls. He draws a whole bunch of extra penalties thanks to his size, though. Better get used to it.

 

I'm not saying he should have drawn a call per se, but when he's bleeding from the eye after a skirmish with Gaustad who fled the scene like he had just murdered someone...you'd expect that the refs would call it. People don't just randomly bleed from the eyes unless something has happened to them. Gaustad will get his though. Still 6 more games to go, buddy. You'll be getting an invitation to a punch in the face contest. And Andrew Alberts will try to end your life.

[the max 0]

They need to cut the divisional games to 6 per season, allot 5 of the 8 combined that are taken away to the teams from another conference so that everyone plays each other, and randomly spread the other three out. Say one more Detroit, Vancouver and St. Louis, for example.

 

Provided that works.

 

8 v. teams in your division = 32.

2 v. every other team in the league = 50.

 

No need to complicate it with 5 of the 8 combined to teams from another conference...yadayadayada.

[CanadianChris 0]

I never saw what was wrong with the pre-lockout schedule in the first place. You had plenty of divisional games (I think it was 5 against every team), and you visited most teams and most teams visited you. I think each team had one game only against two or three teams in the other conference each year.

 

Nonis is right -- rivalries are built through the playoffs. Ottawa vs. Toronto isn't a rivalry because we play them 8 times a year (12 if you throw in the exhibition games), it's a rivalry because we played them in the playoffs four times in five years. Ottawa-Toronto is a way bigger rivalry than Ottawa-Montreal for that very reason. We've never played Montreal in the playoffs, so the rivalry just isn't that heated, despite Montreal being closer than Toronto geographically.

 

I don't know why the NHL can't just copy the NBA schedule. The leagues have an identical divisional structure, and they play an identical number of games.

[Guest Princess Leena]

The main goal should be that every team plays at every arena. Fans should have the chance to see their favorite stars, and/or teams. I think that's a lot better than playing the same team 8 times a year. What does that prove?

[Guest]

The basketball way works better than the 2 vs every team in the league.

 

8 v. teams from the Pacific is not appealing to me as someone that buys a lot of individual game tickets. Those games are not easy games to put asses in the seats for non-hockey markets. I don't want to see the Yotes more than once, and neither do many other Kings fans.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Misc. from Thursday:

 

- Buffalo has reclaimed the league lead in points from Anaheim with their win tonight.

- Carolina being shutout tonight prevented Brind Amour from getting point #1,000. He's quietly fifth in league points, though.

- It's a day old, but Calgary (!) is tied for the league's cellar.

- Your division leaders: Buffalo, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Nashville, Anaheim, Minnesota. May the word parity never be misused again.

[KingPK 0]

Lewis had better tear them a new fucking asshole in that room after that display. Jesus fucking christ. You have a three goal lead on arguably the best skating team in the league, why not stop skating and go into a fucking defensive shell? A shell against a speedy team full of playmakers is like trying to catch flies by throwing cinder blocks at them.

 

I saw the final score on the Bottom Line during the WV-Louisville game, including a note about the 4-1 lead...and I just shook my head. It's like they inhaled the suck that the Celtics left after last night's game.

[the max 0]

Lewis had better tear them a new fucking asshole in that room after that display. Jesus fucking christ. You have a three goal lead on arguably the best skating team in the league, why not stop skating and go into a fucking defensive shell? A shell against a speedy team full of playmakers is like trying to catch flies by throwing cinder blocks at them.

 

I saw the final score on the Bottom Line during the WV-Louisville game, including a note about the 4-1 lead...and I just shook my head. It's like they inhaled the suck that the Celtics left after last night's game.

 

At least you didn't watch it. On Afinagenov's first goal, you could actually see the wheels fall off. Lewis should have called a timeout either after that goal or Afinagenov's second, which made it 4-3. Call timeout and starting ripping these guys. Instead, he purses his lips and shakes his head, like he's just been told that someone disagrees with him. Not that his defense is getting worn out.

 

And for the life of me I can't understand why Jurcina is in his doghouse. Young, motivated, good size, great shot from the point, has a bit to learn. Yet...Jason York is playing. Why?

[nl5xsk1 0]

Max, while watching that game, as soon as Buffalo scores to make it 4-2, I said to my friend, "Bruins lose in a shootout" ... she was all baffled, unsure why I was already predicting the two more Buffalo goals, let alone a shootout loss. When the GWG went over Thomas, she just looked at me and said, "You've been through this before, huh?"

 

Such a painful game ... I was all set to excitedly type up how Savard has already proven to be worth the $$ that they're paying him. His pass to PJ on that 2-1 couldn't have been more perfect, and he's showing me that him + Muzz is a strong start to a good second line. But then everything fell apart, and all I can think of is ANOTHER Bruins choke.

 

Although I question Lewis. Axelsson as the second shooter in a shootout? PJ Axelsson?

I couldn't agree more. I'd have gone Bergeron, Savard, Sturm (in that order) with Boyes & Muzz as 4 & 5 if needed. PJ's played well - he had a really pretty goal vs. Ottawa - but there's no reason to use him #2 in a shootout. Number 6 or 7, maybe ... but two?!?

[Red Baron 0]

Another shoot out Buffalo win, on a game that they don't deserve to win.

 

Oh they are going out in the first in the playoffs.

[Red Baron 0]

Two shorthanded goals in the Montreal/Carolina game, especially from one from Mike Komisarek!!!

 

I swear Montreal has 10 SHG so far this season.

[Red Baron 0]

Rumours swirling around that Daniel Alfredson might be traded to L.A.

[the max 0]

Max, while watching that game, as soon as Buffalo scores to make it 4-2, I said to my friend, "Bruins lose in a shootout" ... she was all baffled, unsure why I was already predicting the two more Buffalo goals, let alone a shootout loss. When the GWG went over Thomas, she just looked at me and said, "You've been through this before, huh?"

 

My gal and I had the same exchange when I noticed that Lewis didn't use his timeout. As soon as Afinogenov scored his second, I knew the game was over. It was further over after the Chara non-call, which would have given the Bruins a 4 minute 4-on-3 powerplay in overtime. Instead, Mara takes that stupid penalty and they have to kill one off.

 

Such a painful game ... I was all set to excitedly type up how Savard has already proven to be worth the $$ that they're paying him. His pass to PJ on that 2-1 couldn't have been more perfect, and he's showing me that him + Muzz is a strong start to a good second line. But then everything fell apart, and all I can think of is ANOTHER Bruins choke.

 

Well, Savard is still looking good. Before they stopped playing with 8 minutes to go, he was starting to jump up more and got a nice pass for a little breakaway.

[Red Baron 0]

When I saw the highlights, I think it was Buffalo's third goal, Thomas was really out of position. If we wasn't that far out, that would not be a goal.

 

Max or Niskie, does Boston need a goalie that has a bit more calibur than two green goalies.

[the max 0]

No, they need NHL caliber defensemen. York and Dempsey aren't even AHL defensemen at this point.

 

Thomas played very, very well on saturday against Ottawa and gave up some bad goals last night. What veteran goaltender is going to come in and do anything different? Nabokov? Ha! Overpaid and he's not even the #1 on his own team.

 

Lewis needs to make up his mind. I wouldn't mind seeing Toivonen put in and told to sink or swim. The Stuarts will be returning soon, which will hopefully get rid of York and Dempsey. Maybe Jurcina can leave the doghouse too.

 

Last night's starting defensive pairings:

 

Chara-Lashoff

Mara-Alberts

York-Dempsey

 

Compare that to once the teams are healthy:

 

Chara-B. Stuart

Mara-M. Stuart

Lashoff-Alberts

 

7th man Jurcina. Or 7th man Lashoff. Either way, once everyone is healthy, Brad Stuart is either the #2 defenseman or the centerpiece of a package to bring physicality to the top lines.

[Guest]

I feel bad that you had to see Dempsey play for your team in order to know how bad he really is.

[nl5xsk1 0]

I snipped a ton from your post, max, so mea culpa for such drastic cutting.

 

Maybe Jurcina can leave the doghouse too.

Does anyone even know what Jurcina did to get IN Lewis' doghouse? It seems that before the season a lot of us were drooling at the idea of him learning underneath Chara's expansive wings ... and now it's like Jurcina fell off the face of the earth.

 

7th man Jurcina. Or 7th man Lashoff. Either way, once everyone is healthy, Brad Stuart is either the #2 defenseman or the centerpiece of a package to bring physicality to the top lines.

I'm really starting to like Lashoff as a #7 d-man ... his pass last night to trigger the 2-on-1 wasn't something that a B's rookie d-man normally makes.

 

As long as York and Dempsey are off the ice, I'll be a happier B's fan.

 

And at this point, I doubt that they'll be able to re-sign Stuart. Trade him as soon as he's proven his health. I wonder if they packaged him with two other soon-to-be FA's, say Sturm and Primeau, what they could get in return. Nothing good, I'm presuming. I mean, who would trade a good player for those three guys?

[CanadianChris 0]

Rumours swirling around that Daniel Alfredson might be traded to L.A.

That was emphatically shot down before you even posted this.

[Red Baron 0]

Craig MacTavish got fined $10,000 for his remarks about last nights game against Dallas. First remark was when Roloson was interfered in the first period, and also when Hemsky goal was disallowed four seconds left in the game because of an "alleged" hand pass which there was no indication shown.