always love hockey season even though the Canadiens will be brutal.
Habs @ Leafs, B's @ Caps, Flames @ Canucks, and Ducks @ Sharks
Some interesting games to start.
My predictions on standings (just by conference) * = playoffs
East:
*Tampa
*Toronto
*Washington
*Boston
*Pittsburgh
*CBJ
*Buffalo
*NJ
Philly
Florida
Carolina
Detroit
Islanders
Rangers
Habs
Ottawa
West:
*SJS
*Nashville
*Winnipeg
*Kings
*Calgary
*Chicago
*Canucks
*Dallas
Minnesota
Colorado
St Louis
Vegas (FU Vegas)
Anaheim
Edmonton
Arizona
Conference Finals:
East: Tampa vs Toronto
West: SJS vs Winnipeg
Finals: Tampa vs Win, Tampa wins
Awards:
Hart: McDavid
Lindsay: Crosby
Ross: Laine
Selke: Kopitar
Vezina: Martin Jones
Norris: Subban
Calder: Kotkaniemi
Adams: Maurice
Byng: who cares
That's it.
that's about all I have to hope for this season. I'm not overly confident about that prediction, but the Habs do have a shit roster. Especially up front. But they are considerably better on the blueline and in net compared to Ottawa.
I think the Rangers will deal Vesey, Spooner, and possibly even Namestnikov in addition to others.
just joking. I have no hate for LVG, great story last year, and a lesson to a lot of "experts" - not me, I'm not an expert, but i couldn't have been more wrong about them.
Plus, they got Pacioretty and I thought they would be really bad last year, but they were awesome and made me look bad.
that's about all I have to hope for this season. I'm not overly confident about that prediction, but the Habs do have a shit roster. Especially up front. But they are considerably better on the blueline and in net compared to Ottawa.
LOL, it's last or second to last. You are probably right though.
MTL is very young, and not good, so they can't even rely on their veterans. Though they do have Plekanec back to center the 4th line.
And maybe the Canes fan?
Still a pretty cool story.
I think you might be a bit surprised
By the end of the season, that's about the number of fans that will be at the Garden, if not sooner with that rebuilding roster.
Quote:
On hockey threads this year? Isles, rangers, habs, sens will all suck. I guess the 3 devils fans and the caps fan can enjoy the season.
And maybe the Canes fan?
I actually like the Canes off-season, they could be a sleeper team, but more likely a couple years away, some high upside youth in that system.
That's how I see it too. Maybe I'm just overrating the impact of the coaching change but Quinn has been such a breath of fresh air with his approach. The forward group is pretty deep with a few guys with the potential for a breakout. Defense could be a bit of an adventure. But Hank is still there and I think at the very least they'll be entertaining and on the fringes of the playoff race for a while
Metro: Pittsburgh, Columbus, Carolina, Washington
Central: Winnipeg, Nashville, St. Louis, Dallas
Pacific: San Jose, Vegas, Calgary, Edmonton
Hart: McDavid
Vezina: Hellebuyck
Norris: Karlsson
Laine leading goal scorer
San Jose over Toronto in the Cup Final
Last year, I went to the Winter Classic, froze my ass off, but it was probably the highlight (or peak) of their year.
After that they went from being in a great position to being out of the playoff hunt in about a 15 game span.
Hart: Chytil
Lindsay: Chytil
Ross: Chytil
Selke: Andersson
Vezina: Lundqvist
Norris: Skjei
Calder: Chytil
Adams: Quinn
Stanley Cup: Rangers
President's Trophy: Rangers
Last year, I went to the Winter Classic, froze my ass off, but it was probably the highlight (or peak) of their year.
After that they went from being in a great position to being out of the playoff hunt in about a 15 game span.
That game was miserably cold.
He looked great in pre-season, I don't even know if he'll stick beyond 9 games. he should, it's a rebuilding team, but that's not how coaches coach.
but that was 100% a homer pick. It could be any of:
Petterson, VAN** (if not being a homer, I'd have picked Petterson)
Donato, BOS
Chytil, NYR
Dahlin, BUF
Mittlestadt, BUF
Svechnikov, CAR
Necas, CAR
Zykov, CAR (not sure if he's still a rookie)
Heiskanen, DAL
Tolvanen, NAS
Kyrou, STL
Thomas, STL
Cirelli, TB
Borgstrom, FL
White, OTT
even guys like Zadina, Tkachuk or Lias Andersson who are starting in the minors/AHL/Juniors
so much good, young, talent in the NHL right now.
People in the FanZone had beers that were frozen! My buddy got a hot chocolate that was still undissolved powder in a cup of cold water.
It took me the train ride back to the parking garage in Long Island City before I felt my toes.
And as a fan, IMO, the fan experience is too unpredictable because of the weather and the site lines usually suck because hockey has boards and the football or baseball stadiums aren't built for viewing hockey. I went to Frozen Fenway - which was terrible, and was offered free tickets to the Habs vs Bruins winter classic a few years ago at Gillette and passed.
That said, I like watching them on TV.
This year Bruins Blackhawks at Notre Dame
and Flyers Penguins at the Linc
I skated on a legit outdoor rink in an International tournament in Sweden, people sitting on snow banks watching us (on a team representing the US) play a Swedish team in a light snow in an exhibition game, and it was amazing. it took a period and a half of being awe struck before any of my teammates could focus on the game, but I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. Kind of had a Mystery Alaska feel to it (from my memory - I was 14 years old).
Skating on a rink on baseball or football field? not a fan and I also hate watching those games in person.
Quote:
On hockey threads this year? Isles, rangers, habs, sens will all suck. I guess the 3 devils fans and the caps fan can enjoy the season.
And maybe the Canes fan?
And maybe even some of us Bruins fans? I know there are a few here. Yeah I know bleep Boston.
PJ - we were all made to look bad about Vegas - I think everyone got that one wrong.
Doubt it, unless multiple players take huge steps forward in their development in one year and multiple vets have career years.
Agree on Nico, kind of on Schneider too but I have to say Kinkaid seems to have taken that next step. He carried the team the 2nd half to get to the playoffs and was great in the Worlds. I think the big key for the Devils is their young guys on the tam like Nico, Zacha, Bratt etc... taking that next step and young guy like Quenneville stepping up as they really added nothing this off season in FA/trades. Carolina could step up, but their goaltending still sucks. The team I see that missed last year with the best chance of grabbing a playoff spot is Florida. They are loaded with offensive talent.
write-ups from the relevant team fans on here:
Svechnikov, 18, isnt going anywhere. Hurricanes GM Don Waddell said Svechnikov will remain in Carolina all season because there isnt much to benefit him in junior with the OHLs Barrie Colts. The No. 2 overall pick collected five points (two goals) in five preseason games after netting 72 points in 44 games last year in Barrie.
The second son of Keith to make it to the NHL, Brady Tkachuk announced his decision this summer to leave Boston University after one year. The No. 4 overall pick racked up 31 points in 40 games last season as a freshman. Tkachuk, 19, could open the season on a line with and for the Sens.
There is no question Kotkaniemi, 18, earned his opening night lineup spot with the Habs by virtue of a crisp preseason. He was arguably Montrals best player for a significant chunk of the time, clearly not overwhelmed by the stage. The question is whether the No. 3 overall pick sticks into late October or whether it makes more sense for his (and the Habs) development to continue to grow in the AHL or back in Finland with Assat.
8. LW/C Ryan Donato, Boston Bruins
Donato, 22, stepped right into the Bs lineup after leaving Harvard last March with nine points (five goals) in his first 12 NHL games. There is still clearly room to grow as he appeared in just three of Bostons 12 playoff games. He could start the season on the third line alongside and
.
9. C Martin Necas, Carolina Hurricanes
Necas, 19, is a dark horse candidate for the Calder. He will be the Hurricanes second line centre behind . The Czech Republic native with high-end skill was drafted 12th overall in 2017 and had four points in four preseason contests.
Zykov, 23, was acquired from Los Angeles for on deadline day in 2016 in one of Ron Francis best moves as GM. Zykov appears ready to burst on to the NHL scene. He had seven points in 10 games with the Canes last year and is expected to open the season on the top line with Aho and Teuravanian.
It was a busy season for Chytil, who got a nine-game NHL taste last season in New York. He played 46 games for AHL Hartford and also represented the Czechs in both the World Junior and World Championships.
Giddy up. Coach Guy Boucher has raved about Formentons speed, which should give the Sens a much-needed kick in the pants. Formenton, 19, was a second-round pick in 2017.
Howden, 20, was acquired from Tampa Bay in the trade last February. The 2017 first-rounder collected 75 points in 49 games with WHL Moose Jaw and seven in seven games when he helped Team Canada to World Junior gold.
Georgiev, 22, is one of two rookie netminders on season-opening rosters. s latest backup appeared in 10 games for the Blueshirts last year with the Bulgarian posting a .918 save percentage.
White, 21, will likely open the season in a fourth-line role alongside and . The 2015 first-rounder has 23 career games under his belt already.
Rookie head coach Rod BrindAmour raved about Foegele, a 22-year-old third-round pick who had seven points in five preseason games: Hes what we want in a Hurricane.
There will be no rookie dinner for vets from seven teams who are expected to open the season without any first-year players: Colorado, Nashville, New Jersey, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh and Vegas.
Link - ( New Window )
In all seriousness - I think the Rangers will be better than what the pre-season predictions state. They may hover around a playoff spot but it can go either way. Both NY teams with new coaches with entirely different resumes. Barry Runner's Trotz is obviously a great coach and Quinn hopefully brings a culture change to the Rangers as we rebuild this thing.
a lot of youth with some veterans, Staal, Williams, Ferland to name a few vets.
Will be down in Carolina for the Isles' opener on Thursday.
LGI!
Will be down in Carolina for the Isles' opener on Thursday.
LGI!
Hey Mike, I thought PGA told me you were off BBI for a bit. Good to "see" you on here. Still rocking the DiPietro look?
Good seeing you, too!
I think the Rangers will deal Vesey, Spooner, and possibly even Namestnikov in addition to others.
Resigning Namestnikov was imo a face-saving gesture. He did nothing with the Rangers.
But I think you are in thinking that these guys were not resigned with the future in mind.
Will be down in Carolina for the Isles' opener on Thursday.
LGI!
Mike,
I'm heading to the opener in Carolina too. Are you sitting with the Isles' fan group?
Quote:
I'm not going to make predictions, haha.
Will be down in Carolina for the Isles' opener on Thursday.
LGI!
Mike,
I'm heading to the opener in Carolina too. Are you sitting with the Isles' fan group?
GO CANES!
Quote:
optimistic but I don't think the Rangers are going to be that bad. I think they'll be in the wildcard mix but will smartly sell pieces that they don't view as part of the future.
That's how I see it too. Maybe I'm just overrating the impact of the coaching change but Quinn has been such a breath of fresh air with his approach. The forward group is pretty deep with a few guys with the potential for a breakout. Defense could be a bit of an adventure. But Hank is still there and I think at the very least they'll be entertaining and on the fringes of the playoff race for a while
I'm going in with similar expectations.
Quote:
This season and him taking another step. The Devils season will hinge on Cory Schneiders play. If he struggles they will miss the playoffs. They need him to return to form.
Agree on Nico, kind of on Schneider too but I have to say Kinkaid seems to have taken that next step. He carried the team the 2nd half to get to the playoffs and was great in the Worlds. I think the big key for the Devils is their young guys on the tam like Nico, Zacha, Bratt etc... taking that next step and young guy like Quenneville stepping up as they really added nothing this off season in FA/trades. Carolina could step up, but their goaltending still sucks. The team I see that missed last year with the best chance of grabbing a playoff spot is Florida. They are loaded with offensive talent.
I'm not a believer in Kinkaid. I doubt he repeats the level he was playing at last season. He played well above his head. I hope I am wrong but I am expecting him to return to his career norms.
Quenneville has finally won a roster spot and hopefully he will stick. He should be a 35+ point producer for the Devils. The Devils need one of Zacha, Quenneville, or McLeod to break out this season. Hopefully Zacha will because he will be given every opportunity as the 2nd line center. These are the projected lines as of now
Hall Hischier Palmieri
Johansson Zacha Bratt
Wood Zajac Quenneville
Coleman Boyle Noesen
Dea
Butcher Vatanen
Greene Severson
Mueller Santini
Lovejoy
Gryba
Hopefully Brind'Amour is the hard ass this team needs. Hold everyone accountable.
Agree, I have them missing the playoffs this year too. But not a bad sleeper pick. I think the Canes or Sabres are everyone's sleeper pick.
Aho, Svechnikov, Necas, Foegele, Zykov - that's a great young core to build on, not to mention the D they have.
Not sure who was calling the shots there, Francis or someone else, but the past couple years they've nailed almost every move.
Need to see it translate to on ice success now.
Quote:
I'm not going to make predictions, haha.
Will be down in Carolina for the Isles' opener on Thursday.
LGI!
Mike,
I'm heading to the opener in Carolina too. Are you sitting with the Isles' fan group?
Hey Metnut.. yup! Are you?
Quote:
In comment 14103721 Mike in Long Beach said:
Quote:
I'm not going to make predictions, haha.
Will be down in Carolina for the Isles' opener on Thursday.
LGI!
Mike,
I'm heading to the opener in Carolina too. Are you sitting with the Isles' fan group?
Hey Metnut.. yup! Are you?
Yes sir. I'm cutting out of work at 1PM and driving over to Raleigh to head to the tailgate (I live in Charlotte now). It's supposed to be pretty hot tomorrow, so hoping there's some shade somewhere.
Totally deserved too.
The worst part about it to his team and his teammates, is the stupidity, the last pre-season game before the regular season.
Wilson was suspended 3 times last year. This is his 4th suspension in his last 105 games.
I'm sure he'll appeal, but doubt he gets much back.
NHL Player Safety
Verified account @NHLPlayerSafety
Washingtons Tom Wilson suspended twenty games for an Illegal Check to the Head on St. Louis Oskar Sundqvist.
Link - ( New Window )
He's only 24 and he's already been suspended 24 regular season games, 3 playoff games and 2 pre-season games. He's a special kind of guy.
I like the physical players and consider myself a traditionalist, but there is not and never should have been a place in the game for hits like this one.
He deserves all that he's gotten so far in terms of suspensions.
Canadiens Leafs tied at 1 with 4 min left in the 2nd. Matthews had an absolutely sick top shelf PP goal. Some people may watch and say eh whatever nice shot, but watch the footwork and how he was holding his stick when he shot it, unstoppable.
I think you mean Matthew Peca
Quote:
abuses Michael Peca, puts Leafs up 2 - 1
I think you mean Matthew Peca
Fuck him. Too bad tom wilson cant hit him
Bruins getting steamrolled. Now down 5 - 0, just halfway through the 2nd.
3 Leafs goals, 2 from Matthews, 1 from Tavares.
They're going to be tough this year (captain obvious). The Leafs didn't even play well. MTL out skated them and out shot them, but lack skill players. As we all knew they did.
Only it was hockey and technically Boston not New England, but it makes me happy.
Link - ( New Window )
Including the Bruins right back on the ice in Buffalo for their home opener.
Probably good for the B's to get back at it so quickly after that pummeling last night.
Rangers and Islanders open tonight, as do the canes, sens, flyers, all the teams I've seen people on here root for except the devils (b/c I think they were overseas).
Including the Bruins right back on the ice in Buffalo for their home opener.
Probably good for the B's to get back at it so quickly after that pummeling last night.
Rangers and Islanders open tonight, as do the canes, sens, flyers, all the teams I've seen people on here root for except the devils (b/c I think they were overseas).
Looking forward to see what the Canes can do this year. Lots of good, young talent and D that should be very good.
*named
Has a team ever lost captains in back-to-back seasons? :)
Kidding. This may be a good indicator that Lee will sign an extension.
Quote:
names Islanders captain.
Has a team ever lost captains in back-to-back seasons? :)
Kidding. This may be a good indicator that Lee will sign an extension.
Hopefully the Canadiens do (lose their captain in back to back seasons). And by lose I mean deal/or have him leave some other way - not to injury
I think TJ Oshie (a player I have grown to like more and more) is going to have something to say to Marchand when these teams play next.
Link of Marchand being Marchand - ( New Window )
fucking tough guy Marchand decided to "talk" to him about it.
I support fighting in hockey, I think it's got a purpose, but this isn't that.
I think the Blues will be the sleeper team in the league this year.
No shit, this was literally Eller's third career fight.
Eller is almost 30 and this is his 10th NHL season.
Jets looked great.
Sadly the Bruins bounced back.
and Vegas got rolled by PHI @ home.
Just two games tonight, CBJ vs CAR and LAK open up hosting SJS.
Full slate on SAT, most of our teams back in action.
the pre-game openings were overdone, but what isn't in Vegas?
Link - ( New Window )
Rasmus Dhalin didn't debut until the next night, he's a little older than Kotkaniemi (3 mos) as did Andrei Svechnikov (also a few mos older than Kotkaniemi).
Talk about feeling old I was already out of college and on my second job before this guy was even born.
That's awesome.
my mother lives in Vegas and when UNLV won the NCAA hoops title she sent me a national champs t-shirt.
It has the year on it (1990). I still wear it. My wife hates it (of course she does) because it kind of shows it's age. It's my oldest remaining shirt. But that t-shirt was 10 before these guys were born. LOL.
He and Dahlin were the two no-brainers in the draft. I wished their was another option so Svechnikov fell to MTL, but it was never in doubt. It was Dahlin and Svechnikov for about 3 months leading up to the draft (at least).
Only thing I did read was a couple people (very small percentage) had Svechnikov ahead of Dahlin. I wouldn't have, but a few people did. He's that good.
Matthews, Tavares and company going head to head with Kane (who is putting on a show), Toews, etc...
Leafs scored (Matthews 2nd of the game) with a minute and a half left to take a 6 - 5 lead, Kane comes back his 2nd a minute later to send it to OT.
In OT now
But yesterday ANA vs LAK great. on SAT LVG vs MIN was great, Patches netted his 1st as a GK to tie the game with a minute plus.
Some interesting games today - Columbus Day matinees, BOS vs OTT, and NYI vs SJS. LVG vs BUF at 3pm.
And the team played very well too (as they did against Nashville in a loss).
They were winning the shots and possession battle until late in the 3rd when the Sharks, trailing 3-0, pulled their goalie with 5 minutes left and also had a 6-on-4 advantage during that stretch after a Clutterbuck penalty. But other than a few spurts from San Jose, the Islanders were the better team.
Having said that, 4-0 isn't indicative of the game. It was a much closer game for sure, but the Islanders deserved to win even outside of Lehner's performance.
Pretty encouraging pair of games after a piss poor effort against the Canes in the opener where they were very lucky to win.
Mike Morreale
Verified account @mikemorrealeNHL
Rangers goaltending prospect Igor Shesterkin (2014 Draft, No. 118) of SKA St. Petersburg (KHL) is 6-0-0 w/ a 0.83 GAA, 3 shutouts, and .966 SV% (141 saves on 146 shots) in 6 gms this season.
10:21 AM - 8 Oct 2018
Quote:
Against a strong cup favorite. Nice!!!
And the team played very well too (as they did against Nashville in a loss).
They were winning the shots and possession battle until late in the 3rd when the Sharks, trailing 3-0, pulled their goalie with 5 minutes left and also had a 6-on-4 advantage during that stretch after a Clutterbuck penalty. But other than a few spurts from San Jose, the Islanders were the better team.
Having said that, 4-0 isn't indicative of the game. It was a much closer game for sure, but the Islanders deserved to win even outside of Lehner's performance.
Pretty encouraging pair of games after a piss poor effort against the Canes in the opener where they were very lucky to win.
Mike - hold your breath I am about to compliment the Islanders : )
Maybe it's because the Ranger expectations are low due to this rebuild and of course you know the referees always have it in for us. I know the Tavares situation was a crappy experience but I think in the long term you guys will balance out nicely. I think you guys had a good draft on paper and have a lot of young talent. A good coach and a GM with a good history. Man, I hope pganut doesn't read this, he'll think I am getting soft (probably the case).
Speaking of officiating - on Saturday we were joking about the refs and then we have the Giant debacle on Sunday. Talk about one sided officiating.
Darren Dreger
Verified account
@DarrenDreger
Statement from Joe Resnick, Rick Nashs agent, addressing speculation: There is no truth to the tweet that Rick Nash is retiring today. Our position has not changed since July 1.
Maybe it's because the Ranger expectations are low due to this rebuild and of course you know the referees always have it in for us. I know the Tavares situation was a crappy experience but I think in the long term you guys will balance out nicely. I think you guys had a good draft on paper and have a lot of young talent. A good coach and a GM with a good history. Man, I hope pganut doesn't read this, he'll think I am getting soft (probably the case).
Hope youre well, buddy.
Quote:
Mike - hold your breath I am about to compliment the Islanders : )
Maybe it's because the Ranger expectations are low due to this rebuild and of course you know the referees always have it in for us. I know the Tavares situation was a crappy experience but I think in the long term you guys will balance out nicely. I think you guys had a good draft on paper and have a lot of young talent. A good coach and a GM with a good history. Man, I hope pganut doesn't read this, he'll think I am getting soft (probably the case).
Shhhh...you beautiful boy, you. Bring it in. Dont fight it. Youre getting a nice internet hug, Drew.
Hope youre well, buddy.
Haha - Hey PGA - good to hear from you - I hope all is well with you.
I'll poke my head in here from time to time. Besides, B and I are working on getting the band back together.
Elias Pettersson, 5 points in two games, probably leading all rookies in this early part of the season also in action.
Canucks have some good young players
Not sure if anyone has seen the Leafs play this year, but apparently Matthews worked all off-season on his shooting angles. Meaning most people shoot with their stick extended, he has been working on shooting from different angles and positions of his stick. I saw it opening night against MTL, he pulled the puck in close to his body and drilled a wrist show top shelf on Price.
It's hard to defend and stop as a goalie you just don't know when he'll shoot and goalies aren't prepared for the angle.
this is revolutionary type stuff IMO. I'll see if I can find a gif or youtube. He may not wind up with the same overall point numbers, but the way he plays defense and distributes he could be the better player.
Fun to watch.
Which is pretty cool, too, because it won't be because McDavid is a disappointment, but because Matthews is even more incredible than McDavid.
The talent level in the league is getting insane.
Quote:
Mike - hold your breath I am about to compliment the Islanders : )
Maybe it's because the Ranger expectations are low due to this rebuild and of course you know the referees always have it in for us. I know the Tavares situation was a crappy experience but I think in the long term you guys will balance out nicely. I think you guys had a good draft on paper and have a lot of young talent. A good coach and a GM with a good history. Man, I hope pganut doesn't read this, he'll think I am getting soft (probably the case).
Shhhh...you beautiful boy, you. Bring it in. Dont fight it. Youre getting a nice internet hug, Drew.
Hope youre well, buddy.
Well said and thanks, man.
As it stands now, I think we're slightly better than what most have us pegged as. I've got us around 88 points.
Having said that, if they can catch some lightning in a bottle at some point and sneak into mid-January trending 6-8 points better than that, I think you'll see them make a move for someone that could make them a playoff-contender.
As of now, I've got them 10th or 11th.
Quote:
may wind up better than McDavid.
Which is pretty cool, too, because it won't be because McDavid is a disappointment, but because Matthews is even more incredible than McDavid.
The talent level in the league is getting insane.
100% agree. McDavid is insanely talented. They call him "McJesus" (controversially) in the city that watched the best years of the "Great One".
I've been watching the NHL for almost 40 years and even the high scoring hey day with Gretzky and Lemieux in their primes I don't know of any era that matched today in terms of the combination of talent and youth.
I think Lyle Odelein will take part in the ceremony - I believe I linked his story up earlier in the thread.
Amazing and scary story.
Meanwhile, Morgan Reilly is tried with Matthews at 12 for the league lead in points through 5 games.
Tavares and Marner also near the top of that list.
After their opening night debacle, the Bruins unfortunately have righted the ship and reeled off 3 wins in a row.
NYR had a nice win last night, no clue what Dell was looking at on the OT winner, goalie plays shot, D plays pass. Dell played neither.
Blackhawks gave up the game tying goal, a shortie with 23 seconds left, then lost in OT. That will piss off a coach.
Penguins also lost Justin Schulz for 4 months with a broken leg. Huge loss.
Bruins look all the way back from opening night embarrassment. I'd solidly put Pastrnak in the "will compete for Hart/Ross trophy" category. He's among the elite players at 22 years, in case anyone still had doubts. I didn't.
Which I never understood. I don't think it was an expansion draft related trade.
And now Saad is likely to become a healthy scratch moving forward in CHI after already being demoted to the 4th line.
He has 16 points in his teams first 7 games, and multiple points in all 7. His 45% shooting percentage is ridiculously unsustainable, but suffice it to say he's off to a ridiculous start.
11 of his 16 points are 5v5, so while he does have some pp points, not like he's loading up on them.
Leafs are a juggernaut.
And I think DET may be a lock for Hughes. I don't know I've seen a team as bad defensively (they gave up 15 goals their last two games - including 7 to the offensively challenged Canadiens). In their defense (no pun intended), they lost 4 of their top 6 D.
Well there is the whole lottery process too, so nothing is guaranteed, and I think many of our teams will be in the lottery.
Rangers should see some good skill tonight with McKinnon. Another sub-25 year old super star.
Well that's somewhat self-inflicted due to good play (drafting late), trading away a lot of picks, and some terrible picks when they did keep them (El Cubano, McIlraith, Brendl, etc.).
Tim Hortons brings Kenyan hockey team to Canada.
Link - ( New Window )
Tim Hortons brings Kenyan hockey team to Canada. Link - ( New Window )
Exactly.
Guy does everything the NHL asks, totally low key, doesn't even have social media. Class act.
Some good games on tap tonight.
Habs vs Blues
B's @ Flames
NYR @ Caps
NYI @ Ducks
I like the Flames as an up and coming team, not sure if this year, but soon if they keep adding pieces.
Canadiens pulled off a stunner (not that they won, the Blues are off to a poor start), but they were leading most of the game, gave up the lead with a couple minutes left, and the team seemed resigned to each get a point and see what happens in OT, but no one told Brendan Gallagher, he stole a Parayko misfire clearing attempt and redirected a Tatar pass to the net over Allen's shoulder with under 10 seconds left.
Fans are not yet revolting in Montreal. I don't think this early season success is sustainable, they, like the Rangers, lack blue line depth and elite scoring, but some nice things happening early. Kotkaniemi, while not a finished product by any stretch, seems to fit in fine (except on the dots where he's brutal) and Tatar and Domi are playing really well.
I watched part of the Rangers Caps, not sure how teams still let Ovie camp out in that same spot. Pionk played a great game until OT when he tired out or just lost Niskanen.
Didn't see any of Islanders game.
Johnson is already better than Martin. That 4th line (especially Clutter and Martin) only has value when they are fresh and playing with maximum energy. Johnson should rotate in with that line so that Martin or Clutterbuck never play a back to back game. Let's keep these guys strong throughout the season.
Please please please put Pulock on the first power play. The power play didn't look bad, but Pulock would make it better.
Signs of life for Andrew Ladd? He's looked good his first few games back. He's another guy that we need to give 10-15 games off this year so that he stays relatively fresh. He'll never live up to his contract but if he can be an above average 3rd liner for the next few years it would help.
Biggest job for Lou this offseason isn't signing Panarin or even signing a new D-man, it's convincing Sorokin to come over here and locking him up long-term. The difference between bottom 5 goaltending and top 5 goaltending cannot be overstated.
IMO, you're crazy if you want to blame Trotz for 2-3. This is one of the least talented rosters we've had in a long time. They look MUCH better coached and smarter than they ever did under Cap or Weight and Trotz has only had a training camp and a week of practice. The way they exit the D-zone and work to gain offensive zone entry is light years more organized that the train wreck we saw last year.
Guy who surprised me in this one was Frederik Claesson. He was really solid.
Guy who surprised me in this one was Frederik Claesson. He was really solid.
probably, and miscommunicate on 3v3 and someone scores.
Claesson is IMO the epitome of a stay at home defenseman. He will usually give you solid, unspectacular minutes. Solid 3rd pair/7th D. Andy may have more insight on him watching him the past three years I only really paid attention to him if the Sens played the Habs and he was in the lineup, but I don't think he's going to give you much offense (which is fine, not counted on from him)
On a side note, I may have mentioned this before, but I actually love the 3v3 OT. I think they should play until there's a winner. forget the shootout. Not sure the downside, those games won't go on forever IMO.
Chris Johnston
Verified account @reporterchris
59m59 minutes ago
Four teams are sending TWO scouts to tonight's #leafs-#pens game: Carolina, New Jersey, N.Y. Rangers and Tampa.
That's unusual.
Would be a great addition to any of these 4 teams. Hope it's not TB. Otherwise, not sure the significance.
Some rumors are Kadri, Kapanen, and other forwards.