Random thoughts on the NHL 2/7/06

[Blitzkrieg]

Ovechkin is a witch. Seriously, he's the most exciting player I've seen since Fedorov was a rookie. The guy can flat out play and he's serious about being a winner. The Caps may suck, but Ovechkin is young enough where he doesn't care. He comes to play.

So does Crosby, but he's only about 1/2 as competitive.


I still can't believe the Bruins traded Thornton. At least not for Brad Stuart and a bag of pucks... oddly enough they've played a bit better of late.


I always thought Palffy was a pussy. His midseason retirement was pretty chickenshite in my book. That, and he screwed my fantasy team.


What the hell is it about LA that causes NHL players to get hurt? Once again the Kings are among the most injured teams in the league.


I'm soo shocked that Lemieux retired... again.


Roenick should have retired at the end of the 2004 season. His bitching about not being selected to the US olympic team was a joke.


Janet Gretzky is still pretty hot. I pray that Wayne will not end up as the hockey equivalent of Pete Rose. What the hell was Tocchet thinking?


The Red Wings are good... again. However, they're probably the least physical team in the league. I see the Wings season like this: Win the division, maybe a playoff round, and get beat by the Flames or Predators because they were more physical and better in goal.


Why are Iginla's numbers down? Ask craig Conroy.


I hate the Blues, but what they have become is sad. There's nothing worse in sports than a team that cares about anything else but winning. Unwar the Blues "ownership" for screwing over some of the best fans in the league.


Khabibulin is one of the most overrated netminders I have ever seen. He sucks.


Speaking of sucking, how are Roberts and Neiwendyk doing in Florida?

[Cross Traffic]

I'm starting to believe that the Kings injuries are a direct result of Andy Murray's dump and chase system. He isn't using the NHL's new rules to the Kings advantage. A couple more losses in a row and he will be looking for a new employer.

Allowing 15 goals on the last 29 penalty kills is embarassing. Minnesota of all teams dropped 5 goals on 10 pp last night.

[JD]

I'm starting to believe that the Kings injuries are a direct result of Andy Murray's dump and chase system.

The Flames play dump and chase, probably moreso than any other team in the league, and they aren't subject to all these injuries... the difference is that Taylor drafts and signs pussies and figure skaters and expects them to play in that system. Maybe if Murray knew that was the system they were going to play, they shoulda held onto players like Laperriere.

As for Blitz' notion of Iginla missing Conroy, I would have to agree with that. Those two kind of grew together. Prior to Conroy's arrival in Calgary, Iginla was a 25 goal, 30 assist kind of guy. Conroy's first year in Calgary happened to be Iginla's big year. Now that Conroy is putting up big numbers in LA and Iginla is down from his expected production, you almost wonder who was the better player.... naw, maybe not! Sutter is shopping for a centreman, and I imagine he'll find one somewhere. If he doesn't, I don't expect the Flames to make it past 2 rounds in the playoffs.

[Shoalzie]

The Red Wings are good... again. However, they're probably the least physical team in the league. I see the Wings season like this: Win the division, maybe a playoff round, and get beat by the Flames or Predators because they were more physical and better in goal.

The Predators are pretty soft too and I thought I heard they are actually the smallest team in the league. They can skate but they aren't as tough as they were a couple years ago. They've adapted to the new NHL with speed and skill and aren't the same trap team they were before. Honestly, they're a Tomas Vokoun injury from being very ordinary...he's my pick for the Hart Trophy right now. The Wings outplayed the Predators in that two game set at the Joe a couple weeks ago but Vokoun won those games for them. I'm far from blown away by that team. Sullivan rules and Kariya is still a viable player but they're very average at the center position. The Wings are just as physical as the Predators...only thing is they don't drop the gloves anymore.

[d-townmike]

Avalanche, while still retaining their winning record, are playing with about as much effort as the Blues lately.

They are just showing almost no heart and giving their opponents easy wins specifically, and more recently, another gift to the Pink Wanks.

The defense is pretty much the ring leader in this fiasco. Budaj and Aebischer are excellent goalies, but most of the time, there is little or no help around him. Don't even get me started about the shootout.

Right now, Avs are very lucky to still have 70 points and we have gained some ground on teams like Datwat and Dallas, but it's going to be very tough especially with two of the three Canadian teams in our division still ahead of us.

I think the Avs will make the playoffs, but it'll just end up being a 4 game sweep in the first round against the Wankers or Stars.

[Funkywhiteboy]

Ovechkin is a witch. Seriously, he's the most exciting player I've seen since Fedorov was a rookie. The guy can flat out play and he's serious about being a winner. The Caps may suck, but Ovechkin is young enough where he doesn't care. He comes to play.

"May" suck? :wink:

[Shoalzie]

Budaj and Aebischer are excellent goalies, but most of the time, there is little or no help around him. Don't even get me started about the shootout.

Aebischer really is a solid goalie. He was the best player for the Avs in all four of the losses against the Wings. You're absolutely right about the Avs' blueline. You guys miss Foote badly. I think you've got enough skill up front to deal with the loss of Forsberg but you don't replace a workhorse like Foote.

[al?]

Jackman should know better.

He's lucky Iginla didn't hurt him.

[JD]

What he should really know better is that the only way to coax a decent game out of Iginla this year is to rile him up and make him fight.

He was a different player after that sequence.

Shame on the linesmen for not letting them throw the first time, though.

[Cicatrix]

Jackman should know better.

He's lucky Iginla didn't hurt him.

Damn right...that was a beauty hand switch Iggy made. Even the wife yelled "look out!" when he went southpaw.

[al?]

1/ Do you fukkers believe me now that Boston won that trade?

2/ The Flames and the Leafs are a 3 game slide/streak away from missing or making the playoffs respectively.

3/ 1st v. 2nd in the Northwest, is the difference between playing Nashville on the road or someone like Edmonton or Anaheim at home 1st round.

[JD]

2/ The Flames and the Leafs are a 3 game slide/streak away from missing or making the playoffs respectively.

Re: the Flames... uh, not really. The Flames would have to lose three in a row, and about four other teams would have to win 4 in a row. Tall order.

But good to see you've got your Flames-hater thinking cap on.

[al?]

Flame fan's arrogance is becoming untenable.

And all because of one goalie......

you act like you're the one stopping 40 shots a night.

[Shoalzie]

I'm not getting into the Kiprusoff thing again...the scariest thing for Calgary right now is that they're only 5 points out of 8th place. They'll need Kiprusoff to continue to play well because at this point, any team in the Northwest and who is battling for one of the final playoff spots can't afford a slump with only 15 games or so remaining. The Flames are a 3 or 4 game losing streak away from missing the playoffs. Look at the Canucks...they struggle and they're on the outside looking in. They were a Cup contender to some and they might miss the playoffs outright. Nothing is a sure thing in the NHL right now but Calgary does have Kiprusoff. He doesn't seem like a goalie who will lose back-to-back games so that puts the Flames in a favorable position to make the playoffs and hold onto the #3 in the West. As it stands...Detroit, Dallas and Nashville are pretty secure to have a top 4 seed and home ice in the first round. If you finish second in the Northwest, you'll have to start on the road and the Flames are only .500 away from the Saddledome. They have to win the division.

[Billdong]

Thought i should make a triumphant return.....

Anyways....

I dont see the Flames missing the playoffs.... even with a .500 record for the rest of the season the LA Kings would have to play at a 9-1-1 record or something similar to catch them. With Vancouver going backwards and Colorado in injury problems i dont think it is a question of making the playoffs.

Edit: Colorado would need a 8-4-1 record with the Flames playing 500 hockey to catch them.. The Oilers... a 9-3-3 record.... (THX to eagleeye at CP).

So basically, all the teams below Calgary have to play at a .650 to .833 clip for the Flames to miss out on the playoffs (if they play .500).

That being said, the Flames really do need to win the divsion. They cannot afford to play Dallas or Nashville in the first round. Of any team right now that I would like the Flames to play it would be Colorado. They just dont strike me as a team that is going to go far.

[Shoalzie]

Of any team right now that I would like the Flames to play it would be Colorado. They just dont strike me as a team that is going to go far.

Nothing would make me more exciting than to see the Avs fall to 8th place and have to face the Wings in the opening round. I'm with you, this team is very weak. Svatos is out, the defense is thin, Theodore will be very rusty when he returns with a only couple games left in the regular season and the Wings beat them in all 4 games this year. Also, they traded away the best player they had in those games...Aebischer.

Playing the Avs in the first round would also be the shortest possible trip between sites the Wings can get. The ideal route to the Finals for the Wings would be the Avs in the first round, the Predators in the second round and the Stars in the conference finals. They aren't an ancient team but the less travel the better.

[JD]

Flame fan's arrogance is becoming untenable.

The Flames falling out of a playoff spot is a longshot at best, nicely illustrated by Billdong. Not sure how you can perceive that as arrogance.

It's one of the benefits of all those years sitting in 9th place trying to figure out how your team can climb back into it, and each time realizing how hard it actually is to supplant one of the top 8. Anything more than a 3 point cushion at this point of the year is fairly comfortable, as long as the team can continue a .500 pace or better, which isn't much to ask in today's freebie-points-NHL.

[al?]

Why do the Canucks always have to have ugly uniforms?