silent_jay

..

Nikilidstrom

I just wanna know where all the Montreal gloom and doomers are now who were so mad at their team because they got rid of Halak and kept Price, which was going to ruin the team. They were all ready to string Price up from a post a few months ago, now they'd pay to kiss his feet. The Habs may have alot of fans, but they are some of the most fair weather SOBs on the planet.

Leto

Hah! 3-1 ... Hah!

---------- Post added at 08:06 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:05 AM ----------

Hah! I say!


fucking A.

__________________
You said you didn't give a fuck about hockey
And I never saw someone say that before
You held my hand and we walked home the long way
You were loosening my grip on Bobby Orr

http://dune.wikia.com/wiki/Leto_Atreides_I

Jetée

Hey guys. Long time, no speak (since last season).

I had a semi-simple question to ask you, and I wanted to see what you guys thought about it.

In your subjective opinion, (however researched or off-the-top-of-the-dome it may be) which are the top 10-12 most potent offenses in the league right now (and possibly going forward)? I know that no offense is ever perfect, and at times, can be subject to poor performances or the odd shutout every once in a while, but if given the choice, in order, which would be the top 10 scoring offenses you would not want your team to run into, night after night?


I made a premilinary listing about a month about ago, although maybe it's changed now. I'm looking forward to see what comparea and what contrasts. Additionally, last week I went over the various NHL awards and their histories, and it got me to thinking (in relation): are there any truly "elite" defensive-minded teams right now? A big part of this has to do witha team's starting goalie, and the rotation of the backup netminder, as well as his supporting cast, (aggressive defensemen, not-too-many power-play chances allowed, front-line scoring and holding the lead, etc.) but this is also something I thought might interest the discussion.

In my opinion, there is something to the goalie tandem behind the Pens, (Rask and Tim Thomas) Jonathan Quick, the rookie Bobrovsky, and recently, the play of the Thrasher's Pavlec, that has me thinking these are some very bright, and near-shutdown-type goalies, possibly the very five best that no opposing coach would want to face when they are on point. There are others perhaps, and you might not even have two of the above in your personal ranking of the top goalies, and I'm probably only looking at it right now, not just going forward into the second half of the season and beyond, so I could very well be wrong by this time in February.

__________________
As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world (that is the myth of the Atomic Age) as in being able to remake ourselves.

—Mohandas K. Gandhi

Nikilidstrom

Flyers
Capitals
Lightning
Wings
San Jose
Chicago

everyone else is hit or miss as far as offense. Pittsburgh, while successful, is very top heavy and succeptable to a tight D, and Colorado is very young and goes on streaks. Vancoucer up until recently has had a tough time getting their offense going, but have potential.

as far as goalies, Thomas and Price are on fire, and Quick is very steady. Pavlec is a surprise considering his inconsistency last season. Miller is still elite, but Buffalo's defense has been sold off over the last couple of seasons, so he has a tough road ahead. Hiller is in that same boat, great player on an OK team.

But as far as defense and goalies go, yes there are some good ones, but overall their success is do mostly to the watered down talent pool that exists in the league. Too many teams, and too little elite level scoring to go around. So no matter how much they change the goalie equipment, remove lines, and supe-up sticks, scoring is not going to rise by much because its hard to put together a complete line of elite talent anymore, much less a team full of it.

Jetée

Thanks for adding your thoughts on the matter, Nikilidstrom.

It turns out, even after a few weeks' time, my presumptous listing of the NHL's best scoring offenses, actually falls in line very similarly with what you detailed. (For the record, here is what I jotted down, in no particular - "power rankings" - order: Was, TB, Phi, Det, Van, Col, Chi, SJ, NYR, Pit, Bos)

At this point in time, or maybe it's just me flip-flopping a bit, I did once have the Kings as an offense to be feared, and I think the Thrashers have been hot for what seems like a month now.

The one team that has me perplexed, though, is Montreal. I can't define them. Are they a just-as-good scoring offense as those above, or is their defense (read as: Carey Price) making them look a heck of a whole let better than what they may lack in scoring touch? Perhaps a mixture of both? Could this actually be one of the finer examples of a "balanced" team, both in offense and defense, thus far into this NHL season? (tho to be honest, about researching offense, my head spins when it comes to evaluating the effectiveness of individual "lines", 1-4, for each team - they shift from game to game, week to week too much for me to notice too much, other than most of the talent seems to be concentrated onto the first two.)

To re-address the goalie question I offered previously, in my biased opinion, I can only name three teams for which I feel can win any night, against any team, based on their goalies alone (or the rotation of them therein) are: Boston, Montreal, & suprisingly, even to me, Nashville at this point, is eye-opening. (In the first month, though, I would have definitely included St. Louis as well, and maybe Pittsburgh, too.)


But, what am I talking about? Everything is still up in the air, and things can change quick enough in the NHL, especially since there is still about 3/5 of a season left to go (and that's not even factoring in the unpredictability that comes when the playoffs start).

__________________
As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world (that is the myth of the Atomic Age) as in being able to remake ourselves.

—Mohandas K. Gandhi

Fly

don't we all get a little cocky after a couple wobbly pops eh jay..........


and i wasn't gonna say the Leafs suck man cuz.....they blow.

__________________
BASTARD

SterlingStudios

silent_jay

..

Fly

Canucks are on fire.........i say keep Schneider in the net.

__________________
BASTARD

SterlingStudios

Leto

The WJH game last night was epic. Too bad the Canadians & Americans couldn't meet in the gold medal match. the Russians are our old nemesis, and I'd rather face them than the pesky Swedes, that's for sure eh?


Canadian fans turn HSBC Arena into Buffalo, Ontario - City & Region - The Buffalo News



Team moves to final game with 4-1 win a year after losing championship to Americans


By Jay Tokasz

NEWS STAFF REPORTER

Published:January 4, 2011, 5:50 AM



The sign waved by Team Canada fans Rob Hamilton and Devin Ellis on Wednesday night in HSBC Arena summed it up pretty well: "We might be in Buffalo, but this is Canada's House."

Canadians from across the vast northern expanse celebrated wildly inside and outside the arena following Canada's dominating 4-1 victory over the United States in the semifinals of the World Junior Hockey Championship.

The win propelled Canada into the finals Wednesday against Russia and avenged a defeat at the hands of the Americans in last year's gold medal game in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

"It's been a long year after the overtime loss last year," said Deryl MacInnes, both of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. "We've been waiting 12 months for this game to come up."

Draped in a Canadian flag, Scott McKenzie of Edmonton, Alberta, joined thousands of his countrymen in a full-throated rendition of "O Canada" following the game.

"Unbelievable. It was so one-sided. We won every battle. Our goalie showed up," said McKenzie, his voice hoarse from cheering all night.

Superfans James Wiebe, Garret Johnson and Joel Duda showed up in skintight Canadian flag body suits that also covered their faces.

The three drove 36 hours from Alberta for the tournament and were ecstatic with the results so far.

"It was fantastic. The best thing that could happen," Wiebe said.

If the Canadian players overwhelmed the U.S. team on the ice, their fans did the same in the stands, as the blur of red and white Canada jerseys in and around the arena attested.

Annette Fisher, a hockey fan from Colden, felt like she'd been transported to Saskatoon as she stepped into the tent party outside the arena.

"Did anybody mention this is the first time they felt outnumbered in their own country?" Fisher wondered. "It's just a sea of red."

Reporters and tournament officials expected the crowd to be decidedly pro-Canada, anywhere from 60 to 75 percent Canadian.

But by the time the puck dropped, that figure seemed even higher, with Canada fans appearing to outnumber U.S. fans by a 10-to-1 ratio for the rematch of last year's gold medal game.

"You didn't realize this was Buffalo, Ontario?" remarked Ron Mathurin of Ottawa, Ont. "I expected a lot more American fans. That sea of red is just like being on Canadian soil."

Most of those U.S. fans had filtered out of the arena long before the final horn sounded, allowing the Canadians to party unfettered.

"Buffalo became the biggest city in Canada tonight, let me tell you," Wiebe said.

Wearing their blue USA jerseys, Rick Gilmartin and his wife, Nancy, were serenaded by chants of "Bye-bye" as they exited the arena.

"It was 10 percent American and 90 percent Canadian," said Rick Gilmartin. "We're in our own country, and we're the minority."

Jeff Douglas anticipated a big Canadian crowd, but he didn't expect he and his son to be the only Americans at a bar near the arena shortly before game time, and the absoluteness of red in the arena seats.

"I was taken aback by the total outnumberedness. It was overwhelming," Douglas said. "It just proves that hockey is still a Canadian sport."

Team Canada seemed to feed off what amounted to home-ice advantage. With the raucous crowd waving flags and providing momentum, the Canadians jumped to a quick 2-0 lead in the first period.

"This was karma," said Hamilton, recalling last year's humiliating loss on home turf.

American fans didn't seem too upset by the loss.

Matt Mang of Kenmore went up to the Alberta guys wearing the body suits and asked if they would pose for a picture with him.

His father, Andy, said he enjoyed the enthusiasm of the Canadians and the passion they showed for their team.

"That's all part of the fun. It's one of the reasons I wanted to come down here," he said.

Before the game, Paul Markiewicz and his son, Ryan, 14, seemed a bit out of place in their USA gear under the arena party tent. "That's all right. It's been that way all week," said the elder Markiewicz, who drove from Erie, Pa.

The Markiewiczes and other U.S. fans got booed heading up the escalators in the arena -- a not-so-subtle reminder that Canadians hadn't put last year's loss behind them.

Bill Miller, wearing an old USA World Juniors jersey, traded good-natured jabs with groups of Canadians who had gathered under the tent hours before game time.

Miller was one of the few U.S. fans who attended nearly all of the games, despite being so badly outnumbered by Canada fans.

Why?

"It's great hockey," he said.

Besides, he added, "nobody's been giving us a hard time."

Some Canada fans expressed surprise and disappointment in their U.S. counterparts.

"It's a shame," said Daniel Bornstein of Montreal. "It would've been better to see more Americans coming out, trying to promote hockey."

Bornstein and his friends did their best to drum up a rivalry with the few U.S. fans they encountered.

The game-time atmosphere was equivalent to that of a Buffalo Sabres home playoff game -- at least for the Canada fans. "It means everything," Bornstein said of the tournament. "This is like the Stanley Cup finals."

People who attended multiple tournament games were struck by the much larger Canadian fan base. Roughly 63 percent of the all-session and day-pass tickets were bought by Canadians.

Why more interest from Canada, for a tournament played on American ice?

"Junior hockey is woven into the fiber of Canada's culture to a very significant degree," said George Kuhn, a writer covering the tournament for Sports & Leisure magazine.

Some of the Canadian interest has been fueled by the TSN network in Canada, which has turned this into a must-see event. Last year's Canada-USA final was seen by an estimated 5.4 million fans in Canada.

Ryan Molloy, 19, of Niagara Falls, Ont., considers himself a fan of junior hockey more than the NHL.

"It seems like the rivalries are more intense," said Cameron Ellis, 19, also of Niagara Falls, Ont. "It's like they're playing harder because they're trying to prove themselves at the national level."

News Staff Reporter Gene Warner contributed to this story.

jtokasz@buffnews.com null

__________________
You said you didn't give a fuck about hockey
And I never saw someone say that before
You held my hand and we walked home the long way
You were loosening my grip on Bobby Orr

http://dune.wikia.com/wiki/Leto_Atreides_I

silent_jay

..

Nikilidstrom

Does seem pretty harmless, especially in this context. I'm fine with making a big deal out of it when coaches put up money for running a select player, but this doesn't hurt anybody.

silent_jay

..

Leto

As I heard it, the tradition is that if a team member returns to play against their old team, he pins some cash to the bulletin board, and whoever gets the winning goal against that team (supposing they win) gets the cash.

In this case, it was the coach (Ron Wilson) playing against his old team (the Sharks). Ron put up $600 (i heard, because if they won, it would have been his 600th win). Gunnerson potted the winning goal and therefore got the money - which he said he will spend on a team dinner.

Apparently this violates the cap rules and the collective agreement prompting the fine:

The Spin

It may have been only $600. But it was $600 too much.

The NHL has informed the Maple Leafs they will be fined an undisclosed amount for violating the league's salary cap rules after head coach Ron Wilson rewarded his players with a small cash bonus after winning his 600th game in San Jose on Tuesday.

"We have no problem with this fine," GM Brian Burke told The Star today. "Ron wasn't aware this conduct is not permitted, nor was I. We accept the fine without objection or protest of any kind."

Part of the cap system instituted in 2005 was intended to make sure there were no more side deals between teams and players that were not specifically part of the Standard Player Contract. Teams used to routinely keep unofficial agreements "in the drawer" that allowed players benefits, cash or otherwise, that the league never knew about.

Article 26 of the current collective bargaining agreement states clearly "Neither a Club nor a Club Actor may pay or provide a Player anything of value except as provided in his (contract)."

Obviously, Wilson's cash-for-wins move isn't a violation on the same level as that committed by the New Jersey Devils with the Ilya Kovalchuk situation last summer, and it was a small amount. At the same time, if GMs and coaches were to start blatantly giving thousands of dollars in cash incentives to their players it would be a way for teams to get around the cap.

That said, it happens. At least one NHL manager put $100,000 of his own money out for his players if they could knock off a rival in a big playoff series several years ago, and nobody ever heard about that.

What the Leafs were most guilty of, quite probably, is making it too obvious, with Wilson caught on camera with a wad of cash in his hand after the 4-2 victory and with players openly commenting on the matter.

The moral of the story is probably that if you're going to violate the cap, do it quietly.

__________________
You said you didn't give a fuck about hockey
And I never saw someone say that before
You held my hand and we walked home the long way
You were loosening my grip on Bobby Orr

http://dune.wikia.com/wiki/Leto_Atreides_I

silent_jay

..

Nikilidstrom

How can you say such a thing about former All-Star and future Hall of Fame defensemen Mike Komisarek?!?! I mean, the Leafs wouldn't pay millions of dollars for a defensemen if he was a talentless bum, would they? Thats just crazy talk.

By the way, how's Bret Lebda working out?

silent_jay

..

silent_jay

..

Nikilidstrom

Hopefully this means he'll avoid spending the rest of his life Theo Fleury style. Not that he hasn't made huge mistakes already, but I still think he is way better off than Fleury, even minus a highly successful NHL career. Professional success and money ain't worth much if you can't find peace mentally or emotionally. Especially if you take that lack of peace out on your own body.

silent_jay

..

Nikilidstrom

The world will be an instantly better place the day that Pierre McGuire is decapitated by an "accidental" slap shot between the benches.

silent_jay

..

silent_jay

..

silent_jay

..

Leto

Jay.... are you in the penalty box?

__________________
You said you didn't give a fuck about hockey
And I never saw someone say that before
You held my hand and we walked home the long way
You were loosening my grip on Bobby Orr

http://dune.wikia.com/wiki/Leto_Atreides_I

silent_jay

Nope, just no longer wanted my posts here anymore, and accidentally hit the wrong button while editing them.....

Leto

Trade deadline day, here are the trades so far:

TRADES SO FAR TODAY:
(newest trades are on top)

To MON: Drew MacIntyre
To ATL: Brett Festerling

To CGY: Fredrik Modin
To ATL: 7th round pick

To VAN: Chris Higgins
To FLA: Evan Oberg, 3rd round pick

To VAN: Maxim Lapierre
To ANA: Joel Perreault, 3rd round pick

To NJD: Dave Steckel, 2nd round pick
To WAS: Jason Arnott

To NYR: John Mitchell
To TOR: 7th round pick (2012)

To LAK: Dustin Penner
To EDM: Colten Teubert, first round (2011), conditional 3rd round pick (2012).

To CHI: Chris Campoli, conditional 7th round pick
To OTT: Ryan Potulny, conditional 2nd round pick

To ANA: Brad Winchester
To STL: 3rd round draft pick

To FLA: Sergei Samsonov
To CAR: Bryan Allen

To EDM: Kevin Montgomery
To COL: Shawn Bell

To PHX: Rostislav Klesla, Dan Byers
To CLB: Scottie Upshall, Sami| Lepisto.

To WAS: Denis Wideman
To FLA: Jake Hauswirth, 3rd round pick

To ATL: Radek Dvorak, Fifth Round pick;
To FLA: Niclas Bergfors, Patrick Rissmiller

__________________
You said you didn't give a fuck about hockey
And I never saw someone say that before
You held my hand and we walked home the long way
You were loosening my grip on Bobby Orr

http://dune.wikia.com/wiki/Leto_Atreides_I

Jetée

Of all the trades that FLA made (four in total, from the listing above) one of the biggest trading chips on the team that was rumoured to be already packaged & shipped to a real contender actually ended up untouched (I'm talking about Vokoun, not Weiss). In the interest of the team, of which I'm no really a fan of anyway, the general management at the very least realized the best player on that team right now is Vokoun, and even though his cap hit on the team for this season and the next was probably the biggest fuel to the fire that he might not be long for the Panthers, Tomas gets the reprieve, up until next season.

So long as I make my unwarranted mention of the Panthers, I'll add: I don't believe the team is strong enough to make the playoffs this season, though I'll add the caveat that if they do, the two main reasons for that hypothetical to happen would be 1) primarily the play of G Tomas Vokoun, and 2) with all those new acquired forwards, if there can be some line-tinkering for the better, and the team actually finds a way to score maybe more than 2.5 goals more than 50% of the time, then... just maybe, do they secure a playoff spot (plus: their division rivals aren't all that difficult to overcome).

__________________
As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world (that is the myth of the Atomic Age) as in being able to remake ourselves.

—Mohandas K. Gandhi

Leto

and jump over Buffalo, Toronto, Atlanta and Carolina... That's going to be tough, but there is almost a quarter season left.

__________________
You said you didn't give a fuck about hockey
And I never saw someone say that before
You held my hand and we walked home the long way
You were loosening my grip on Bobby Orr

http://dune.wikia.com/wiki/Leto_Atreides_I

Nikilidstrom

Florida is 10 points out of 8th with 19 games left. Barring a Carolina and Buffalo free fall, Florida is screwed. And if that free fall were to happen, they would still be in a dogfight with a Toronto team thats playing alot better lately. Not to mention 6 of those 19 games are against Phili, Washington, and Tampa Bay, the 2 top dogs in there division and the eastern conference leader.

Leto

so Matt Cooke throws another elbow... What was he thinking? With all the focus on head shots, these guys should be on their best behaviour:


In this case, Cooke actually raised his elbow. What was it, a planned act or reflex?

__________________
You said you didn't give a fuck about hockey
And I never saw someone say that before
You held my hand and we walked home the long way
You were loosening my grip on Bobby Orr

http://dune.wikia.com/wiki/Leto_Atreides_I

Nikilidstrom

Even if this was his first and only offense, its clear that this was a planned skate-by elbowing. Since its Cooke, he probably meant to do worse and just didn't catch him flush. 10 games and a playoff round aren't enough. If Bylsma, Shero and Lemieux had any class, which they haven't shown in the past, they would bench Cooke when he returns and get rid of him over the summer.

Leto

Well it's Game On for the second season. The Playoffs have started.

The first set of game 1's:

Pittsburgh over Tampa - 3-1
Washington over New York - 2-1
Detroit over Phoenix (Winnipeg) - 4-2
Vancouver over Chicago - 2-0
Nashville over Anaheim - 5-4


That last one surprised me!

Tonight Boston & Montreal meet up under the swirl of the Chara controversy - will they really arrest him in Montreal? I also hear that Air Canada has banned him from the VIP lounge.

Also tonight is Buffalo / Philly & LA/San Jose.

__________________
You said you didn't give a fuck about hockey
And I never saw someone say that before
You held my hand and we walked home the long way
You were loosening my grip on Bobby Orr

http://dune.wikia.com/wiki/Leto_Atreides_I

Xazy

I am a bit disappointed in the rangers I felt they should of had that game last night.

I highly doubt Chara will be arrested or even detained.

__________________
Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool, you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.

Fly

__________________
BASTARD

SterlingStudios

Leto

Hah.


Chicago in 6. (a pint says so)

__________________
You said you didn't give a fuck about hockey
And I never saw someone say that before
You held my hand and we walked home the long way
You were loosening my grip on Bobby Orr

http://dune.wikia.com/wiki/Leto_Atreides_I

DDDDave

Actually it was 3-0 Pens.

Fleury stood on his head (as he is known to do), but the Lightning are the better team in this series.

It may go 7, but the Bolts will prevail.

__________________
I am just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe...

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." - Thoreau

"Nothing great was ever accomplished without enthusiasm" - Emerson

Leto

right you are... and I watched the game too. My typo.

I expect the Lightning to prevail as well, even though Pittsburgh was better during the season - they're handicapped now.

__________________
You said you didn't give a fuck about hockey
And I never saw someone say that before
You held my hand and we walked home the long way
You were loosening my grip on Bobby Orr

http://dune.wikia.com/wiki/Leto_Atreides_I

m0rpheus

My hockey pool hopes so... ugh last choice in a ten person draft suuuuuucks.

__________________
"it never got weird enough for me." - Hunter S. Thompson

Nikilidstrom

Where did you get your scores?

Pittsburgh beat Tampa 3-0
Nashville beat Anaheim 4-1

Vancouver might have won, but Chicago took its to them for much of that game. And Luongo better pull his head out of his ass, he was bailed out by lucky posts a few times while he was swimming around out of position.

As far as the Pittsburgh series, it makes the game alot easier when you spend the entire game on the power play. Nothing like Tampa having to play the entire series 7 on 5.

and GO WINGS!