NHL Season 2011-2012

[Devil]

Beat down by the Yotes. 

[leo8877]

Sharkies 4-0 on this road trip after beating Detroit tonight!

[kronovan]

So who's good in the draft this year?

What draft you tralking about?

[pr0ner]

[Koz]

So who's good in the draft this year?

What draft you tralking about?

Next year's? Bruins have the #2 pick right now, I need to get informed!

[kronovan]

So who's good in the draft this year?

What draft you tralking about?

Next year's? Bruins have the #2 pick right now, I need to get informed!

Well I only can comment on the WHL, because that's the league I mostly watch. It's unbelievable, but just about every decent WHL forward has been scooped already by NHL team - sadly none of them by the Canucks.   This years entry is probably going to be a good year for WHL blue liners, so if you're hoping for your Bruins to pick for the D-core here's who's impressed me:

Ryan Murray (D Everett Silvertips)
Mathew Dumba (D Red Deer Rebels)
Joseph Morrow (D Portland Winterhawks)
Griffin Reinhart (D Edmonton Oil Kings)

Many of those names probably aren't on any of the lists of the very OHL-QMJHL-Swedish-Czech league focused scouts. The fact is the WHL is the best league at it's level, so expect a few of those D-men to be in the top 10. Personally I'd love the Canucks to take any of them, but there's a slim chance at that. And if a WHL forward has a banner season they'll likely move up into the top 20 - too early to say right now though.

[Arkon]

Unless there are two Joseph Morrows, he was drafted by the Penguins last year in the first round.

[kronovan]

Unless there are two Joseph Morrows, he was drafted by the Penguins last year in the first round.

You're most definitely correct about that - edited my last post. Damnit, it's so hard to keep track of who available and who isn't now. And damn the Pen's for getting him! He's shaping up just fine, check out his stats so far this season:
GP    G    A    PTS   +/-
11    3    8    11      0
Plus minus isn't so good, but it's early. Those points are none too shabby for a D-man

I swear when I go to a game now a quarter, heck maybe even half, the players on the ice have been drafted by some NHL team.  

[Arkon]

Unless there are two Joseph Morrows, he was drafted by the Penguins last year in the first round.

You're most definitely correct about that - edited my last post. Damnit, it's so hard to keep track of who available and who isn't now. And damn the Pen's for getting him! He's shaping up just fine, check out his stats so far this season:
GP    G    A    PTS   +/-
11    3    8    11      0
Plus minus isn't so good, but it's early. Those points are none too shabby for a D-man

I swear when I go to a game now a quarter, heck maybe even half, the players on the ice have been drafted by some NHL team.  

Very nice stats for Morrow so far this year.  There was some serious internal conversations within the Pens organization about keeping Morrow up on the team for 10 games.  He is one of their best prospects.

[Kagath]

Man, the Wings need to start getting their shit together again. 

[leo8877]

Devil, your pal Avery is coming back to the Rangers

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/hockey/nhl/11/01/sean.avery.waivers.rejoins.rangers.ap/index.html?sct=hp_t2_a14&eref=sihp

[JayDee]

My 3rd place Leafs take on Devil's 12th place, er, Devils tonight!

[JayDee]

It was the Joffrey Lupul show in NJ last night.

[Devil]

Power out since Saturday night so I didn't see the Devils and Patriots losses. I can pretend they never happened. 

Hopefully power is back for tonight's Flyers game so I can watch a win.

[Devil]

and there goes my new goalie  

Hopefully Nashville runs out of money and leaves me a defenseman!

[Isgrimnur]

Miller got pulled at 6:23 last night after giving up 3 goals.  Enroth then pitched a 15 save shutout for the 52:45 he was in net.

[Isgrimnur]

Who is this asshole and why the hell is he on my team?!?

*Edit: From April:

"I try to play a clean, hard-nosed game. A lot of people don't like that."

Really?!? 

[Devil]

Called the win 
Lost Kovy 

[Canuck]

I just wanted to point out that we are now about 12-13 games into the season and the Leafs are in first place-in the league!

[JayDee]

I just wanted to point out that we are now about 12-13 games into the season and the Leafs are in first place-in the league!

 

 

[leo8877]

Woo hoo Sharkies down 3-1 and come back to beat the Pens in the SO.

[Arkon]

Woo hoo Sharkies down 3-1 and come back to beat the Pens in the SO.

Can't believe the Pens gave up a 2 goal lead...man they need to get healthy.  Last night they played without the following injured players:

Sidney Crosby – Concussion
Tyler Kennedy – Concussion
Jordan Staal – lower-body injury, hopefully will be back next game
Zbynek Michalek – broken finger from blocking a shot, out a few more weeks
Brian Strait – Our 1st choice of a call up on defense, recovering from hyper-extended elbow, out another 6 weeks I believe

Then last night, we lost Ben Lovejoy to a broken wrist, Lovejoy is a #5/#6 d-man, likely out 4-6 weeks.

[theohall]

Blues fired Davis Payne and hired Ken Hitchcock.  To the vast majority of Blues fans, this is completely from left field.

[Devil]

Why would Columbus let him go when they could probably use him behind the bench again?

[theohall]

Why would Columbus let him go when they could probably use him behind the bench again?

who knows?  But they did.  Already announced on the Blues official website.

And a few more details

• Hitchcock goes way back with Armstrong, who was an assistant GM with the Dallas Stars when Hitchcock was their head coach from 1995-2002. (He was also a front office guy for Team Canada in the 2010 Winter Games, where Hitch was an associate coach.) Columbus GM Scott Howson, in contrast, fired Hitchcock 59 games after the coach led the Blue Jackets to the playoffs for the first and only time in franchise history. Guess where Hitchcock decided to coach?

That was the important part from the Yahoo article linked.

[kronovan]

I like Hitch and I bet the Blues improve with him behind the bench. I say he's a decent bet for any struggling team, just as long as they have enough room for him to get around behind the bench. 

[theohall]

This is a funny out-of-context qoute from the press-conference today.

I've worked with some of these (Blues) players at different levels ... World Championships. I have a strong relationship with Jamie Langenbrunner. I don't like Jason Arnott.

Spoiler for Hiden:

He broke my heart (scoring the Stanley Cup-clinching goal for New Jersey against Hitchcock's Stars in 2000).

[Isgrimnur]

Well, I don't like Brett Hull.  His foot was in the crease.  And that was the year prior.  So Hitchcock can suck it.

[Devil]

Oh, Hitch, you joker!

Ha Ha! The Devils used to be good!!!  

My wife thinks he looks like Paul Bearer, the old wrestling manager.

[leo8877]

My wife think he looks like Paul Bearer, the old wrestling manager.

Oh man HE DOES!

[El-Producto]

I must say it is VERY enjoyable to watch the Leafs unravel the last 2 games.  See what happens when you rely on One Way Kessel?  Sure they are blaming everything on Reimer being injured, but shitty defense is shitty defense.

Love it.

[Canuck]

The Leafs are seriously screwed without Reimer.  Sure the D needs improvement but not if you have a great goalie.  Are back-up sieves just aren't getting the job done.

[JayDee]

Oh man Philly calling out T-Bay last night was pure gold!

[theohall]

Oh man Philly calling out T-Bay last night was pure gold!

It may have been pure gold, but who won the game?  Tampa Bay used their 1-3-1 against one of the best offenses in the league right now and held that offense to 1 goal.  Looks to me like Philly calling out Tampa Bay had zero effect on the games end-result.  Philly was too chicken-shit to attack the 1-3-1 and instead resorted to name-calling.  Yes, the 1-3-1 is boring.  The problem is it does slow down good offenses - as evidenced by the game last night.  When the Flyers started the "calling out" they had 4 shots on goal.   For the game, they only mustered 15.  Is only putting 15 shots going to win many hockey games??  I didn't think so.

Reading some quotes in the recap, if Philly's game requires opponents to forecheck for the Flyers to breakout of their own zone, they need to find a new tactic.  After reading that guess what the rest of the league will do to the Flyers?  Let them sit in their own end and hold the puck waiting for a forecheck that will never come.

[JayDee]

Oh man Philly calling out T-Bay last night was pure gold!

It may have been pure gold, but who won the game?  Tampa Bay used their 1-3-1 against one of the best offenses in the league right now and held that offense to 1 goal.  Looks to me like Philly calling out Tampa Bay had zero effect on the games end-result.  Philly was too chicken-shit to attack the 1-3-1 and instead resorted to name-calling.  Yes, the 1-3-1 is boring.  The problem is it does slow down good offenses - as evidenced by the game last night.  When the Flyers started the "calling out" they had 4 shots on goal.   For the game, they only mustered 15.  Is only putting 15 shots going to win many hockey games??  I didn't think so.

Eh? I'm pretty sure the Flyers started their "calling out" right from the opening face-off.

Yep, right from the beginning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lpMxc4fZNU

[theohall]

Oh man Philly calling out T-Bay last night was pure gold!

It may have been pure gold, but who won the game?  Tampa Bay used their 1-3-1 against one of the best offenses in the league right now and held that offense to 1 goal.  Looks to me like Philly calling out Tampa Bay had zero effect on the games end-result.  Philly was too chicken-shit to attack the 1-3-1 and instead resorted to name-calling.  Yes, the 1-3-1 is boring.  The problem is it does slow down good offenses - as evidenced by the game last night.  When the Flyers started the "calling out" they had 4 shots on goal.   For the game, they only mustered 15.  Is only putting 15 shots going to win many hockey games??  I didn't think so.

Eh? I'm pretty sure the Flyers started their "calling out" right from the opening face-off.

Yep, right from the beginning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lpMxc4fZNU

And they still lost putting up their fewest shots on goal for the season.  So their game plan was to "call out" the other team, instead of finding a tactic to beat them??  LAME!!!  Play the damn game.  Name-calling is for losers, which the Flyers were last night.

[JayDee]

They were playing the game. There is no rule saying that Tampa needs to forecheck and no rule saying that Philly needs to move the puck. If they don't like what they see they'll wait for an opening. Both teams made a mockery of the game. I just hate the 1-3-1 so much that I loved seeing it exposed to the public like that last night.

[theohall]

They were playing the game. There is no rule saying that Tampa needs to forecheck and no rule saying that Philly needs to move the puck. If they don't like what they see they'll wait for an opening. Both teams made a mockery of the game. I just hate the 1-3-1 so much that I loved seeing it exposed to the public like that last night.

I hate it when one team refuses to play, simply because they don't like what the other team is doing to stop them.  This is exactly what Philly did and the result was them losing the game.  And they looked like a bunch of pansy, whiny, losers doing it.  Name-calling?  Is that what Philly is reducing the NHL to these days??  Don't like what an opponent is doing - BEAT IT!  Don't be a bunch of sore losers playing the "we will just hold the puck and bitch at you all game" thing.

[Isgrimnur]

  When has a team from Philly ever been expected to take the high road?  When the most famous epithet applied to your team is Broad Street Bullies and was used as the title of your team documentary.

[theohall]

The vast majority of the talking heads on NHL Radio are calling out the Flyers for not playing the game.  They don't get those criticizing Boucher for his team playing a system.  Every team plays some kind of system and it is up to the opponent to beat the other guys system.  Standing around holding the puck doing nothing is not playing hockey.  The league memo that went out today basically told teams the puck has to be moved.  Not moving it will result in faceoffs in your own end, followed by delay of game penalties if the standing around continues - which is the right thing to do.

Beating the 1-3-1 - skate at it.  When guys are standing in the neutral zone - which the Lightning players were doing - they aren't going to stop guys who are actually skating without taking penalties.  That loss and idiocy was completely on the Flyers for not playing the game.