NHL Thread - November 2007

[CanadianChris]

Looks like this is the letdown game for the Senators. Three goals in a six-minute span for Washington in the second, and it's 3-1 after two.

I think this makes the Sens 0-2-2 in games I've been to. I should go more often.

I have a similar streak for Leaf games. They're 0-5 when I'm in attendance, including that awful 1-0 playoff game against Jersey a few years back.

[Guest Pizza Hut's Game Face]

Um, I think our new #1 goaltender is Pat Lalime. I have mixed feelings about this development. Patrick Kane racked up some points again, though, which is nice. Is it possible that he can split the Calder with Toews?

[treble]

Anyone else catch that rumour about Glenn Healy maybe being the next Leafs GM? Sounds crazy enough to be true.

[Guest]

I can't believe the Kings won that game. Kopitar is amazing.

[Guest Pizza Hut's Game Face]

Hawks beat the Red Wings for the third time. Toews and Kane did it again. When was the last time we had 20 points on Veterans' Day? Anyway, six-game circus trip coming up, gotta get at least six points out of that.

 

This actually made me feel kind of bad.

[AntiLeaf33]

Anyone else catch that rumour about Glenn Healy maybe being the next Leafs GM? Sounds crazy enough to be true.

 

Regarless of who it is, they really have to make a decision. Are they going to build for the future or try to win now? Seems like they are on the fence, which usually doesn't produce a hell of a lot of wins.

[Boxer]

Reports out of Toronto indicate that Sean Avery made a comment about Jason Blake's cancer.

[Nightwing]

Why can't the Wings beat the 'Hawks? Why?! I mean, I wouldn't mind it if they only games were lost all season were purely to the 'Hawks (Until we met them in the Playoffs, of course), but it's so weird that Detroit can beat what look to be better teams, and yet Chicago seems to have their number. Man...

 

Then again, as long as we continue to beat the Predators, I'll still be happy. God, I hate their fanbase so completely...

[Guest Pizza Hut's Game Face]

Why can't the Wings beat the 'Hawks? Why?!

In the first and second games, the Wings didn't take the Hawks seriously and got caught. Last night, the Hawks just played better. Also, the refs didn't give every call to the Wings and made them go on the penalty kill a few times. However, Henrik Zetterberg punched Jim Vandermeer in the face and didn't get a penalty. Oh well.

[Nightwing]

I'd agree with most of what you said, though the Wings get called plenty. Normally they're great on the Penalty Kill (I think they've consistently been in the Top 5 for the last decade or so), though their Short-Handed Goals are down a bit (Normally they have a bunch of them. This year, though, Chicago has 5, tied with Ottawa for the Top Spot). They certainly get enough of them for Homer, and with half of them being deserved.

[CanadianGuitarist]

Reports out of Toronto indicate that Sean Avery made a comment about Jason Blake's cancer.

 

Even if that's false, he's still my most-hated player in the league by far.

[Guest Pizza Hut's Game Face]

Hawks are still a few puzzle pieces away from being really scary. With Rocky's new "spend money to make money" policy, this may mean picking up some pieces as the season goes along, which will hopefully fare better than Theo Fleury. I think they'll be somewhere between the 6 and the 8 seed by the end of the year, though. Wings have a stranglehold on first, and the Jackets are on the upswing.

 

Early reviews are that the televised presentation was a big hit. Expanded studio coverage, high definition, all that good stuff. And most important of all, 19,045 at the game. Go crazy.

 

Reports out of Toronto indicate that Sean Avery made a comment about Jason Blake's cancer.

Oh fuck. A comment! Any specifics to render this news even remotely meaningful?

 

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski]

Question: Why did the Hawks beat the Wings?

Answer: Chris Osgood.

[Guest Pizza Hut's Game Face]

More Black Hawk musings:

 

Say, this Jason Williams fellow is kind of the dark horse of this bunch. Six goals and ten assists, just one point behind Lang and five behind Kane (team leader) and he rarely gets talked about as one of the key players. Probably because he was cursed with the name "Jason Williams." Tuomo Ruutu is finally developing into what was expected; he has a +8 scoring differential. Adam Burish's contributions "don't register on the stat sheet." Cam Barker is supposed to be big, but he hasn't made it out of Rockford yet. Duncan Keith has been good lately, but Brent Seabrook is still treading water. So many names for us all to learn.

 

I've heard Sergei Zubov's name thrown around as somebody who could be one of those much-needed puzzle pieces for the Hawks. I'll root for the Stars to totally fall off the face of the Earth between now and New Year's.

 

If there was a Foghat reunion concert in Tinley Park, I bet this guy was there.

[Nightwing]

Question: Why did the Hawks beat the Wings?

Answer: Chris Osgood.

 

You mean 8 win, 1.48 GA, .930 Chris Osgood?

 

Because I'm fairly certain that he isn't the problem. o.0

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=222731&hubname=

 

Two thoughts:

Good thing it's on satellite radio. There won't be any bleeps.

I hope XM hired the best screener on the planet because this will get ugly.

[Guest Pizza Hut's Game Face]

Rule 1: no calls from Winnipeg

[AntiLeaf33]

I wonder how many people are going to get cut off/hung up on for grilling Gary too hard?

[Nightwing]

"Inexplicably, XM subscriptions in Canada have tripled in the last week. What the hell is going on up there?"

[CanadianGuitarist]

Habs get two with a wildly entertaining OT win over the Leafs, and Calgary actually wins a game, 3-2 over the Wild.

[CanadianChris]

So there are apparently naked pictures of Leafs rookie Jiri Tlusty floating around on the internet.

 

I know many of the Leafs regularly get undressed by their opponents on the ice, but this is ridiculous. *rimshot*

[AntiLeaf33]

I wonder how long it will take for Price to become the Number 1 guy in Montreal and for Huet to find his way to the bench? Nothing against Huet, but the writing is on the wall, and every impressive start that Price has is only speeding up the inevitable

[CanadianGuitarist]

I wonder how long it will take for Price to become the Number 1 guy in Montreal and for Huet to find his way to the bench? Nothing against Huet, but the writing is on the wall, and every impressive start that Price has is only speeding up the inevitable

 

My roomate and I BUTT heads about this a lot. There's no question Price is the man of the future, but there's no need to force it, especially not in a city like Montreal. Cristobal Huet is a perfectly competent #1 and that's how it should be until, at least, the end of this year.

 

Anyone catch Wade Belak's ridiculously bad defence (hey, another rimshot) of Tlusty? "We'll defend him. We've all been caught with our pants down before."

 

Lecavalier has a five-point night in a 6-1 win over the Canes. That's his SIXTH straight multi-point game, and it gives him a two-point lead over Zetterberg and Sid the Kid.

[AntiLeaf33]

I don't see any problems with the Habs easing Price into the job like they are doing now. Have him and Huet play 50/50 so you are not over whelming the kid. Huet has done a great job since he has been with the Habs and I wouldn't want to see his efforts thrown aside for the new kid right away. If Price does get the Number 1 job, make him earn it from Huet.

[CanadianGuitarist]

Yes. The last line in particular.

[CanadianChris]

Jason Spezza is back for tonight's game against Buffalo. The Sens sent Nick Foligno to Binghamton to make room, which disappointed me a bit, but he's young and could use the regular work.

[Darthtiki]

Ducks take 2 straight against the Kings.

[CanadianGuitarist]

Ilya Bryzgalov has been waived, and the Ducks are calling up Jonas Hillier from Portland. TSN.ca's poll has Pittsburgh leading the way in "Who needs a goalie upgrade the most?"

 

EDIT: Wasn't Cincy Anaheim's AHL team?

[the max]

Ilya Bryzgalov has been waived, and the Ducks are calling up Jonas Hillier from Portland. TSN.ca's poll has Pittsburgh leading the way in "Who needs a goalie upgrade the most?"

 

EDIT: Wasn't Cincy Anaheim's AHL team?

 

Cincinnati moved to Rockford in 2005 and are now the Rockford Ice Hogs, Chicago's AHL affiliate. The Ducks signed an agreement with Portland that same year. I think it's a bit stupid to have a minor league affiliate in Maine when you're in southern California, but what do I know?

[Guest]

Bryzgalov on waivers is one of the dumbest moves I've seen in the post-lockout era.