The Hockey Thread - October

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

I was really upset yesterday. I was expecting better goaltending by a lot of the teams. I don't know if it's because of the new NHL but I just expected better performances by goalies and defense. Brodeur and McDonald played really well yesterday.

[garfieldsnose 0]

With the way the Rangers are starting out, I'm a little nervous about tonight's Flyers opener. Once again it seems like a Philly team's division may be the very best in their respective sport. This will be a true test, and I hope the Flyers can make it a good opening night in Philly.

[Nightwing 0]

It's Bagpipe Night in Canada!

[bob_barron 0]

All the Canadian medlaists being honoured at the Leafs-Habs game is awesome.

 

Though, it seems like there's always some ceremony before Leafs-Habs

[bob_barron 0]

What is Alex Trebeck is at the game.

 

Awesome

[Spaceman Spiff 0]

And, to the shock of nobody, Sarah Palin got boo'd in Philly. Although they kept music playing throughout her entire time on the ice in an attempt to drown out most of it.

[naiwf 0]

The Rangers were clearly angered by Palin's presence.

 

[Smartly Pretty 0]

The Rangers are awesome. I have a good feeling about this year.

[garfieldsnose 0]

Flyers making Philly proud.

 

Rangers are looking as quick as Pittsburgh did last year in the playoffs. I know the Flyers aren't this bad, so the Rangers are obviously really good.

[treble 0]

The Leafs suck.

 

81-1, baby!

[garfieldsnose 0]

Well, quite the season opener. This is pretty shitty. Good, even fight until Richards went down. We really need to pick it up.

[bob_barron 0]

What happened to the Leafs team that beat the Wings?

[bob_barron 0]

So I take the season is going to go more like tonight than Thursday?

[treble 0]

Every time I change the channel, the Habs score another goal.

[bob_barron 0]

Cujo!

[Matt Young 0]

Kings begin their quest to get out of the Western Conference cellar tomorrow night at 7. I'm excited for my first full season as a hockey fan.

That'll be really freaking tough. And your patience will be tested.

 

Anze Kopitar agreed to a contract extension, so I'll be happy for a while.

 

Hey, there's nowhere to go but up!

[CanadianChris 0]

What am I bid for Gerber? Anyone?

[bob_barron 0]

Carrie Millbank is really hot.

 

That's the highlight of the game, so far.

[Nightwing 0]

Were there a lot of Red Wings fans in Ottawa tonight? The place sounded a heckuva lot friendlier than I thought it would.

 

A better game, but still not up to speed. It's good to see second-tier guys like Franzen and Flip stepping up for the Wings.

[garfieldsnose 0]

Rangers win 4-3. Shitty since the Rangers were probably tired playing the back-to-back nights, and all the travel they've had to do this past week. Not shitty since the Flyers never quit and almost tied it numerous times, but those are the things they need to do to contend in this division. Digging a 4-0 hole in the first period will not see very many comebacks.

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

What am I bid for Gerber? Anyone?

 

I'll give you Jonas Hiller.

[Guest C*Z*E*C*H]

The Blackhawks look pretty damn overmatched out there, as in "demote yourselves to the OHL and give it a go against the Sudbury Wolves, they're more in your age group" overmatched. Granted, it's been two road games against a very good team and a very good Alex Ovechkin, and MSG's shitty ice isn't conducive to the Hawks' speed-oriented game, and that video-reviewed goal tonight was very very sketchy, and getting two clangers (one on the left post, one on the right, at that) in a row is just plain hard luck, but truth be told they seem like a bunch of kids playing against adults right now. They're playing hard, sure, but not hard enough, here in the league where they really DO give you credit for coming close in the form of the horseshit overtime loss. They couldn't even muster an almost-win. Where's the power play? There isn't one. Even with a man advantage, they look outnumbered. I have faith that they'll turn it around, because there's just way too much talent on this roster, but in the season where they're supposed to reclaim the top of the Chicago sports landscape for the first time in years, full televised schedule, radio coverage that finally bothers to present the games as something worth airing, to come out of the gate with two 4-2 losses is just plain scary, unthinkable, unacceptable. They had to fly out of the gate; expectations won't permit anything less. We're past the "just don't throw up on yourself before the end of the game" phase of Theo Fleury and Mark Bell, we're past the "just look promising" stuff of the last two years, now they have to be a contending team. Horrible buzzkill, especially coming off the involuntary bowel evacuation that was Chicago postseason baseball.

[bob_barron 0]

The Flames young skater falling over a chord has made my night.

[Matt Young 0]

1-0 Kings on a power play goal by Frolov less than 7 minutes in.

[Nightwing 0]

Luongo dived on that play? I think Conroy caught him pretty cleanly with his leg.

[Guest C*Z*E*C*H]

Okay, cool.

 

What really makes the loss sting was that Theodore could've been so easily had! Hawks got him right out of the gate with Toews-to-Versteeg at something like 26 seconds in. They scored a second one around the 10-minute mark and then allowed themselves to shut down while Theodore regained his composure. Giving the Hawks up to fiftysome minutes of play-not-to-lose was, in retrospect, brilliant strategy. They couldn't get anything past Washington traffic for about 30 minutes and three power plays. Dustin Byfuglien disappeared for like 15 minutes. If there's some positive to be gleaned from this, it's that Khabibulin wasn't awful, but the problem isn't that he's awful, he's just expensively mediocre. Jack Skille had a nice self-assist, too. There's a positive. Skille's good, but again, knew that.

[Nightwing 0]

Man, this Flames/Canucks game feels like it's going to get a bit crazy...

[the pinjockey 0]

Rangers win 4-3. Shitty since the Rangers were probably tired playing the back-to-back nights, and all the travel they've had to do this past week. Not shitty since the Flyers never quit and almost tied it numerous times, but those are the things they need to do to contend in this division. Digging a 4-0 hole in the first period will not see very many comebacks.

 

I am along the opposite thought line here. Facing a team that already had played three games before your own opener is not going to be a good thing and I think that is how it played out with the Rangers ready at the drop of the puck.

 

That said I don't know whether to be impressed or distressed that Luca Sbisa is the third best defenseman on the team at this moment. I really really like what I saw out of him once they saved him by taking him away from Kukkonen (jesus christ he sucked tonight), but an 18 year old being your #3 isn't a good thing.

 

Also, it is impressive that they couldn't even go a period into the season before lighting the fuse for a goalie controversy.

[the max 0]

Bruins made it interesting, which is all you can really ask for. Fernandez looked OK, not spectacular. Savard has three goals already, Kessel has two.

[Matt Young 0]

Between all the penalties and being outshot by a whopping 32-8 margin, it's a miracle the Kings are only down 2-1.

 

Oh, and the video quality on Fox Sports West is atrocious compared to the NHL Network. I have a 52" TV and it's hard to read the clock, it's so blurry.