Official NHL Thread

[redsoxrules]

we'll see about that they were 1 period away from the stanley cup finals with 2 regular defensemen in the lineup...how did detroit do?

 

talking about the past are we ? hmm detroit has 3 stanly cups in the last 10 years how much does buffalo have ??

[ARod2212]

we'll see about that they were 1 period away from the stanley cup finals with 2 regular defensemen in the lineup...how did detroit do?

Considering the health of the Sabres, I wouldn't be talking too much at this point.

[yankeessuck013]

Half our team is up from the AHL and we're still killing NHL teams...what does that say about the rest of the league?

 

We'll be the healthiest team going into the playoffs with Afinogenov, Connolly, Spacek, and Drury all coming back.

 

A stat from the news this morning about us having more goals in the last 4 games than all but 2 other 4-game stretches this year is ridiculous.

 

Kaleta, MacArthur, Stafford...

 

These three skaters have me really excited about the next couple of years....and they are all under 25. They've been playing smart, lights-out hockey the last three games? And two of those games were arguably the most important games Buffalo has played all season.

 

Kaleta's hitting everything that moves - and with authority! - but he's still been in position on breaks. Stafford's moving the puck like he's been playing for years, and I was so proud of the way he took on Neil instantly after the goon show. And MacArthur? Wow. He jets to the puck, looks so quick with the stick check, and just has a real scorer's sense of where the net is.

 

Great stuff from these young guys. It's amazing to think of how homegrown the talent is on this Buffalo squad - which, as I write this, is the best team in the league.

 

This is our year. There will be no choke job, no Cinderella story. If it wasn't bad for hockey I'd suggest the other teams just forfeit right now

[redsoxrules]

 

This is our year. There will be no choke job, no Cinderella story. If it wasn't bad for hockey I'd suggest the other teams just forfeit right now

 

BTW you do have one area for concern on your team ...your defense

 

like any other sports defense wins championship

[rician blast]

Good luck winning it all with Lindy Ruff at the helm. He's the same as a coach as he was as player...full of grit, lacking on ability and makes emotional decisions that eventually cost him.

[yankeessuck013]

I know man...defending Jack Adams Award winner for coach of the year...what a bummer

[ANiMAL]

first round of the playoffs, 1st seeded sabres face 8th seeded bruins and sabres lose 4-3 in a devistating OT loss, but there was a foot in the crease though!!! thank god they got rid of that rule. BUF will choke like always - i live in Buffalo, and its always funny to hear everyone talk about the how "we" always get screwed.

[CrespoBlows]

first round of the playoffs' date=' 1st seeded sabres face 8th seeded bruins and sabres lose 4-3 in a devistating OT loss, but there was a foot in the crease though!!! thank god they got rid of that rule. BUF will choke like always - i live in Buffalo, and its always funny to hear everyone talk about the how "we" always get screwed.[/quote']

 

Recently, haven't the Bruins been substantially worse in the "choking" department?

[CrespoBlows]

talking about the past are we ? hmm detroit has 3 stanly cups in the last 10 years how much does buffalo have ??

 

So you're a Red Wing fan, a Mavericks fan, a Colts fan, and a Red Sox fan?

[redsoxrules]

So you're a Red Wing fan' date=' a Mavericks fan, a Colts fan, and a Red Sox fan?[/quote']

 

everything right except colts fan .. im a 49ers fan

[rician blast]

Recently' date=' haven't the Bruins been substantially worse in the "choking" department?[/quote']

 

no.

 

its not a choke when the team just plain sux or is not built for the playoffs.

[TheKilo]

no.

 

its not a choke when the team just plain sux or is not built for the playoffs.

 

What happened when they played Montreal the other year?

[rician blast]

I know man...defending Jack Adams Award winner for coach of the year...what a bummer

 

yeah those post-season coaching awards are great aren't they?

 

so great that only ONE Jack Adams winner in the last 29 years won the Cup while accomplishing the feat (Tortorella with the Lightning).

 

-Bill Barber won it in 00-01 with the Flyers...when did they last win a cup?

-Joel Quenville won it with the Blues the year before...what have they ever done?

-Pat Burns won it in the late 90's with our hapless Bruins and the team didn't get out of the first round.

-Your own Sabres were represented in 96-97 by none other than Ted Nolan...we can see where that got them in terms of Championships.

 

So hang your hat on the fact that you have the returning Jack Adams award winner, and keep heaping praise on Ruff, and Nolan too, if you like, both who couldn't do a thing with all-world goalie Hasek in the fold (6 Vezinas in 8 years???).

 

IMO, credit for the Sabres success belongs with (1) the NHL which assumed control of the team around 2002 or 2003 as the Sabres onwers went belly-up , and (2) their billionaire owner (Gollisani? something like that) and the front office for putting together an impressive roster.

 

Until Ruff wins something, I'm not sold on him...and believe me I liked the Sabres and felt they could win it despite Ruff's presence behind the bench...although since their display against the Sens I am now strongly rooting against them.

 

How's Drury's head and when is the next time Neil gets to kick Maier's ass?

[CrespoBlows]

What happened when they played Montreal the other year?

 

Thanks. I had forgotten the series.

 

Anyway, I don't belong in this thread, I watch less hockey than the nation of Fiji.

[Cityofchampions33]

Bruins lose frustrating game to Avalanche 2-nil on a ******** goal that shouldv'e been waved off. Other goal was an empty-netter.

[schillingouttheks]

Doesn't matter. They probably weren't going to win that game anyway. They looked horrendous on the offensive end. They got nothing done. Tim Thomas bailed our asses out of trouble on plenty of occasions. Colorado was the better team last night.

[rician blast]

The Bruins were miserable offensively last night. Funny thing is Brian Engblom was saying what a nice group of forwards the B's have...naming Donovan and Mark Mowers. These guys are muckers and while they may be successful role players on a very good team, on the B's they're not.

 

I'm growing a little tired of the Patrice Bergeron talk too. he's good, don't get me wrong. But there are other teams that have 3 or 4 young guys of similar ability (i.e. Atl, Carolina, Buffalo, Nashville).

 

Bruins are a long, long way off, IMO.

[rician blast]

What happened when they played Montreal the other year?

 

 

First, it would help if you'd define what you mean by "the other year" since they lost to the Canadiens in both 2002 and 2004.

 

In '02 they were the top seed in the east, in '04 I think they were #2...but if you've watched a lot of hockey you know that come playoff time that doesn't mean s***. Hell, look at how many President's trophy winners that get bounced in the first round.

 

To call those years "chokes" is incorrect, those were teams not built for playoff success, period, and most of the Bruins fans I'm familiar with knew that going into the playoffs both years.

[Mr Crunchy]

the most recent year where the Bs were a 1 seed they played the Cs in the 1st round

i remember this like it was yesterday jim

 

ask the walrus who we played that week

 

the canadiens were a +260 dog in that series

we did very very well

 

if im not mistaken it was the same season the celts went to the conference finals

 

nice effort by the home team last nite

 

i would pay for the movers out of my own pocket based on that pathetic effort alone

[TheKilo]

First, it would help if you'd define what you mean by "the other year" since they lost to the Canadiens in both 2002 and 2004.

 

In '02 they were the top seed in the east, in '04 I think they were #2...but if you've watched a lot of hockey you know that come playoff time that doesn't mean s***. Hell, look at how many President's trophy winners that get bounced in the first round.

 

To call those years "chokes" is incorrect, those were teams not built for playoff success, period, and most of the Bruins fans I'm familiar with knew that going into the playoffs both years.

 

I couldn't give any less of a f***.

[rician blast]

the most recent year where the Bs were a 1 seed they played the Cs in the 1st round

i remember this like it was yesterday jim

 

ask the walrus who we played that week

 

the canadiens were a +260 dog in that series

we did very very well

 

if im not mistaken it was the same season the celts went to the conference finals

 

nice effort by the home team last nite

 

i would pay for the movers out of my own pocket based on that pathetic effort alone

 

 

Same here, Crunch, some things are seem too good/easy to pass up, one of them being that the B's will lose to the Habs in the playoffs.

[rician blast]

Chris Simon with the two-hander to Hollwieg's chest/neck/chin area....

 

...Hollweig's about as annoying, cheap and chippy on the ice as they come but even he didn't deserve that. Simon shoulda just beat the s*** outta him. Now there are some calling for a lifetime ban. I'm guessing he's out the rest of this year, maybe the first 10 of next year too.

 

Even still, I hate the fkn Rangers.

[AlexanderTheGreat13]

I have been at the past 2 Rangers/Islanders games and they have been great. Too bad what Chris Simon did will overshadow these games.

[rician blast]

I was watching a clip from ESPN.com regarding the incident.

 

They had Patrick McEnroy commenting on hockey...wtf? He had no clue about the game but was saying Simon should be gone for life to send a message to the players. Another doofus then chimes in that fighting should be outlawed in hockey.

 

LEt hockey guys comment on hockey, for krist sake.

 

Did I mention I hate the Rangers?

[redsoxrules]

it wouldn't surprise me if they would ban fighting in the NHL within the next 5 years

[ARod2212]

Chris Simon should not play hockey for a very long time. That was a disgusting act. And Hollweg is not a dirty player. He finishes his checks and hustles, but I've never seen the guy swing a stick like a baseball bat at somebody.

 

I seriously will be pissed if Simon is not punished for a very, very long time by the NHL. Absolutely atrocious.

[Beckett95]

 

disgusting act by Simon

[AlexanderTheGreat13]

 

Did I mention I hate the Rangers?

 

Islander fan?

[rician blast]

Islander fan?

 

No, Bruins.

 

I use the word "hate" loosely of course, as there are Rangers players, past and present, that I would have liked to see in a B's uniform...Hollweig being one of them, to be honst...but I really don't like the Rangers as a team. I've even rooted for Montreal against them, and we know how B's fans fel about the Canadiens, especially if your interest in hockey goes back to the mid/late 70's.

[rician blast]

it wouldn't surprise me if they would ban fighting in the NHL within the next 5 years

 

This would be a huge mistake. The violent part of hockey has been engrained in the sport forever and is one of the reasons many people watch. Also, without the occasional fisticuffs I believe you'd see more cheap hits, knee on knee stuff, Kasparaitis-like hip checks aimed at taking out a knee, Ulf Samuelsson-like cheap shots, etc.