NHL Thread: January

[Red Baron 0]

discuss hockey for the new year

[Red Baron 0]

so Chris, your intake on Ottawa claiming Petr Nedved off waivers?

[Red Baron 0]

So lets see if Anaheim can be this great team by losing Chris Pronger for a considerable amount of time after a broken foot from last nights game.

[the max 0]

For what seems like the 15th time, the Bruins host the Leafs tonight.

 

No surprises on the Bruins part, Tim Thomas will likely make his usual 75 saves, including one from the Dominik Hasek collection to save the defense's ass after they fall asleep at the wheel in the third. Seriously. I had my doubts about Thomas being a #1 goaltender, but from what I've seen of him this season, he is. And not just by default. He's shown that he can excel with very few shots or a heavy shot count, he plays well under pressure and he has stolen a few games that the team had no business winning, including that Chicago game the other night. After Toivonen was housed by Nashville, I was a bit surprised to not see him return to Providence. Not because of his play, but to get him more game experience. He's not always going to play the "easier" teams when Thomas gets a night off. The Nashville game was his chance to play big boy hockey and he was shelled. It's getting close to the trade deadline and Chiarelli needs to decide what he's going to do about the goaltending. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying to trade Hannu. But if he thinks that Toivonen is going to be a serviceable backup down the stretch, he might want to rethink his position. Hannu's problem is mental right now.

 

All that said, I hope for competant refereeing tonight.

[CanadianChris 0]

so Chris, your intake on Ottawa claiming Petr Nedved off waivers?

They need SOMEBODY to play centre. Hopefully Nedved is still somewhat competent.

[Guest Princess Leena]

Sabres win again tonight.

 

Ottawa again on Wednesday. Kill.

[CanadianChris 0]

Buffalo should finally get some revenge.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

So lets see if Anaheim can be this great team by losing Chris Pronger for a considerable amount of time after a broken foot from last nights game.

Pronger hurts, no doubt, but the loss of BOTH starting goalies is what's going to measure this team's success over the next stretch.

[the max 0]

What a great game last night.

 

The Bruins weaknesses were completely exposed. Their inability to rack heads on the forecheck is something that needs to be addressed. Seems that about half of the forwards are afraid of making contact with defensemen. Bergeron and Savard are the only two forwards who throw hard checks in corners trying to get the puck. Both are the smaller players on the team and are arguably the only reason why the Bruins score anymore. Axelsson played one of the worst games he's ever played, Murray was invisible, Boyes looks lost at times in the offensive zone, Sturm is timid, etc.etc. And then, once they're exposed, they completely stop attacking and start a defensive shell. It basically becomes target practice on Thomas (who made 30 saves), and the rest of the team chasing everyone in the zone and playing the "icing" defense where they ice the puck and try to scamper off before the other team touches up.

[CanadianChris 0]

Sounds like it was 20 players against Chara.

[Guest]

Edmonton claimed Nedved. TSN and Eklund were wrong.

[the max 0]

Sounds like it was 20 players against Chara.

 

Even Big Z made some mistakes last night. But that's to be expected when he's pretty much playing half the game. Jason York, who I'm convinced is blackmailing Lewis, Chiarelli and the rest of Bruins management into not waiving him, or better yet buying him a one-way bus ticket back to Switzerland, was a -2 in only 10 minutes (of which 3-4 were special teams minutes). I cannot for the life of me figure out what he has done to warrant any playing time at all. He's a veteran. That's all I got. Meanwhile, Matt Lashoff and Mark Stuart (two of the biggest pieces of the Bruins future) are in Providence despite proving that they were at least capable of staying in the big leagues.

[Guest]

The US moves on to play Team Canada in the Semifinals of the WJC's.

[the max 0]

Toivonen was sent down to Providence. No word yet on whether or not he starts against Hartford tonight or Worcester on friday.

 

The Bruins recalled Phillippe Sauve. This means that Thomas had better walk around in a protective bubble, because Sauve can't stop a beach ball.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Steve Yzerman night in Hockeytown. CBC had a great opening package for him with not just famous goals, but a few clips highlighting both his heart and his integrity.

[treble 0]

That went on a little too long, I think. I don't think the owner's son really needed his own introduction.

[CanadianChris 0]

That went on a little too long, I think. I don't think the owner's son really needed his own introduction.

Well, we are talking about the guy who felt it necessary to have the name of pretty much every member of his family engraved on the Cup when they won it in 1997.

[Red Baron 0]

Habs get revenge on Tampa beating them 5-2. Pretty convincing win after the two game slide.

[Smartly Pretty 0]

Rangers win in a shootout. Lundqvist is 5-0 in shootouts now. Can anyone find a list of shootout records by goalie? Some of you are really stat people and know where to find that stuff.

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

I wish the Ducks management would have allowed the team to watch Steve Yzerman's retirement celebration. They should have shown respect to the Hall of Famer.

 

Also, I expected the Wings to be pumped up and the score to end with 8-0 or something high like that.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Canucks have won four straight(all against NW rivals, mind you) with last night's 3-2 win over Calgary. Within a week, we've seen three division leaders in the NorthWest.

 

Crosby's also the first to 60 points, netting two goals in a 3-0 win. He's also four goals off the Richard race, behind the 25 currently posted by Ovechkin and St. Louis.

[Red Baron 0]

Well my prediction of Crosby only having 60 points this season really went down the shitter.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Maybe Bertuzzi can borrow some from him to balance out our bold picks.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Here's three things to make you think:

 

1) Lemieux is meeting today with reps from Kansas City

2) Ottawa has traded for Mike Comrie

3) US leads Canada 1-0 late in the the second. Canada is 0-5 on the pp thus far. EDIT: 0-6. Only five shots on those six chances. Frazee is starting to look really good as Canada turns the heat up here in the third, but no two ways about it, the story of the game thus far has been how few quality chances the States have allowed.

[CanadianChris 0]

2) Ottawa has traded for Mike Comrie

VERY nice. And they only had to give up Kaigarodov, who was probably never going to play for Ottawa again anyway, so best to get something for him now.

[CanadianChris 0]

Canada scores!

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Fuck, as tense as I was for the last 120 minutes, OT is gonna kill me.

My lunch date just called, she's running late at least an hour

[Guest]

I'm just glad that the Kings have Jack Johnson and Trevor Lewis.

 

Sorry to brag.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

I'm just glad that the Kings have Jack Johnson and Trevor Lewis.

 

Sorry to brag.

 

No worries.

 

Canada just played ridiculously gusty for two minutes, killing a four-on-three. Perrott was on the ice the entire penalty kill, as only once did the puck get cleared out of Canadian territory, and even that was just beyond the blueline. Price made what seemed like ten saves during that two minute span.

 

Good Lord, they're going to a shoot-out.

[Guest]

This game has been nucking futs. The shootout has done nothing to change the status of this game, as a classic IMO.