The NHL Thread

[Northern Star]

http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2014/10/13/6972237/panthers-attendance-senators

 

Sens at Panthers, and perhaps more people on the two teams than in the seats?

[Northern Star]

Speaking of the Panthers, holy s***, just four goals in four games. They might give Buffalo a run for their money for worst team this year.

[Northern Star]

Time to move the Panthers.

 

http://www.pensburgh.com/2014/12/6/7308295/hello-miami-we-have-a-problem

[Palodios]

I know I always talk about this.... but sports owners are obsessed with Florida. These billionaire owners don't understand exactly how oversaturated the state is with sports, want to build a nice stadium to retire in -- usually on taxpayer money -- and they bring in dozens of fans every game.

 

3 NFL teams, 2 MLB teams, 2 NBA teams, a NHL team, top college teams, a top tennis event, top golf courses. And guess what? They get an MLS team in Orlando in 2015. As if that was going to be successful.

[Northern Star]

I know I always talk about this.... but sports owners are obsessed with Florida. These billionaire owners don't understand exactly how oversaturated the state is with sports, want to build a nice stadium to retire in -- usually on taxpayer money -- and they bring in dozens of fans every game.

 

3 NFL teams, 2 MLB teams, 2 NBA teams, a NHL team, top college teams, a top tennis event, top golf courses. And guess what? They get an MLS team in Orlando in 2015. As if that was going to be successful.

 

I wonder how Roberto Luongo feels, escaping the Panthers only to wind up...back with the Panthers.

[Northern Star]

I'm taking a certain amount of perverse pleasure in the Edmonton train wreck. How low can they go? Can Todd Nelson pull them around, given the meager roster? Can either goaltender get his save percentage into the 900s? Is Derek Roy the savior? (doubtful).

[Northern Star]

Watching a Comcast Sports Net broadcast of a Blue Jackets game and it's f***ing brutal. They have an onscreen ad up next to the scoreline all the time, and the colorman sounds like a goddamn Simpsons character.

[Thunder]

That accurately represents my problems with CSN. Now I'm sure I wouldn't mind them if they were the regional network of one of my teams, but since they aren't I can dis them. I love National TV games, especially ESPN and CBS, almost regardless of the sport. They have the best announcers and the graphics that these small networks don't. I've grown up in the age of being able to watch almost any game I want at a given time because of how sports TV has evolved. This is never a problem in the NFL, and the Red Sox have one of the best regional TV networks (other than YES, I'm afraid), so it's never been a real problem. But let's use that Ohio market for example. They have CSN for Jackets games, STO for Guardians games, and Fox Sports Ohio for Reds and Cavs games. That's too many. At least be like NESN and consolidate it with two sports or more so that you have more revenue and can compete with ESPN in terms of viewing experience (graphics, picture, etc..).

[Northern Star]

Three Maple Leaf fans were ticketed and banned for a year for throwing their jerseys onto the ice. Could have been worse, they could have been banned for only six months.

[Northern Star]

Holy s***, were there enough goals in the All Star Game?

[Kimmi]

Holy s***, were there enough goals in the All Star Game?

 

 

I've heard that there is a "win" stat for goalies in the NHL.

 

It sounds about as useless as the "win" stat for pitchers.

[Northern Star]

I've heard that there is a "win" stat for goalies in the NHL.

 

It sounds about as useless as the "win" stat for pitchers.

 

Pretty much.

[seabeachfred]

Hockey is not my main sport or even my second but over the last decade I've become a pretty rabid Anaheim Ducks fan and they gave me a Stanley Cup title the third year I started following them. Truth be told, I hated the way they skated to a great regular season last year only to crap out once again in the Playoffs. This season I want to see them continue playing balls out hockey and give all Ducks fans another NHL Championship. I'm expecting Corey Perry and Co. to keep the pressure on and this time make it to the finish line.

[Northern Star]

next year is the first Winter Classic I care about but it's a simple equation: WANT TO GO - CAN'T GET TIME OFF WORK - EVERY SEAT IN A STADIUM IS s***** FOR HOCKEY = I'm not going.

[gojohn99]

Bruins thoughts anyone? Who would have called the Celtics in the playoffs and the Bruins watching the NHL playoffs from home.

[gojohn99]

Bruins thoughts anyone? Who would have predicted back in October the Celtics in the playoffs and the Bruins watching the NHL playoffs from home.

[mvp 78]

Bruins suck again. GM needs to go. I'd give Claude another year maybe.

[Navafan29]

End of the season was a HUGE letdown. With a few games to go, 4 teams were competing for 3 spots and the Bruins ended up as the 1 team that didn't make it. Going to try and forget this season but that might be hard since I play NHL 15 regularly. Bruins tied the record for most points a team has ever had without making the playoffs. Would have made the all time record if they won the shootout against the Lightning. I hate how our 9 shootout losses or whatever were the difference between us making it and not making it. We better have the 3 on 3 rule in effect for next year.

 

Bruins are one of the best teams at creating chances, but for the last 2 years they've been struggling at finishing. At first it seemed like a fluke and that they were just getting unlucky, but you have to wonder if their current style of play or skill at finishing is actually flawed. Something seems wrong with their style of play. They almost always dump the puck in and then try to force a battle along the boards in the offensive zone to win the puck. The problem with this is that it makes both teams fumble around with the puck, and after much stick jabbing and poke checking, the Bruins sometimes win the puck in the offensive zone and are able to get in their shooting formation. But the method they use to get the puck in the offensive zone seems luck reliant. By dumping and chasing, they create a chaotic battle for the puck where because they aren't more physical, it's luck which team ends up with it after much stick slapping and fumbling around. Then when they do get close to the net, or even get all alone on the goalie, they usually fail to elevate the puck. So all the goalie has to do is drop to the default butterfly position and he wins. This is what happened on pretty much every single one of the Bruins' breakaways in the last 5 games of the season.

 

With the referees getting softer and not allowing as many fights, perhaps it's harder to play the same physical style. As long as we have Claude's system in place and have guys like Hamilton and Lucic around, we should still try to be a physical team. We should try to become what we were in the 2014 season when we won the president's trophy. Let's be a physical team that also has a fast skater on every line. All of our lines should be made more like the Lucic and Pastrnak line, with both physicality and a finisher present. I guess. I'm not an expert on team building yet. But I know we had an awesome team in 2014 and just cause we lost a game 7 in the playoffs doesn't mean that team was flawed. Let's become like the 2014 team with more finishing ability.

Edited April 14, 2015 by Navafan29

[Spudboy]

MVP is right. This team does not have the best compliment of players and spends money on the wrong ones.

 

I'd keep Clod another year and see if new blood can take this team back to the playoffs.

[mvp 78]

I could be convinced to dump Claude if the Bruins wanted a different style of play.

[mvp 78]

@NaokoFunayama: Cam Neely: "We will leave it up to the (new) GM what he wants to do with the coaching staff." Meaning Claude Julien's job status, TBD.

 

Called it!!!

[Dojji]

Meh, I think it was an overreaction myself. Two bad years in a row means I can at least see what Neely was thinking, but PC was the architect of 2011 and I hate to lose that experience at the top.

 

I can't see CJ being done this year unless he and the new GM have a personality conflict. Personally I think several recent versions of the team were only as good as they are because of CJ and I'd be pretty reluctant to throw out a system that has allowed this team to play above itself at several points. I'd need at least one more year of convincing that that change is necessary.

 

Fans are never going to love CJ because of the stereotypes inherent in as defensive a system as he employs. Fans will always prefer aggressive hockey, but defense wins hockey games whether fans like it or not. Whoever we bring in will be one of two kinds of people, either one, just as defensive and unpopular as CJ, or 2, less effective at putting wins up on the standings board. Tell me your option.

 

I'm inclined to blame age and injuries in the defense corps for a large part of what happened this year. Losing Boychuk, a big tough top 4 D in his prime and a guy who's never had serious injury issues, as a cap casualty was huge. He's been one of the most underrated Bruins for years (frequently by me as well) but he won me over starting in the championship year. He's honestly one of the last guys I'd have sacrificed unless there was just no way to fit him, and keeping Seidenberg over him is just a mistake IMHO.

 

Just MHO, but I'd take another run with the same horses and feel pretty reasonable about expecting a better outcome. Sometimes the best laid plans just don't work, especially in a cap world.

Edited April 15, 2015 by Dojji

[mvp 78]

PC had some horrible signings. He's at fault for the B's having zero cap room. Claude is ok. I just feel coaching effectiveness diminishes over time. Players tune out the coaches after a few years.

[Northern Star]

MVP is right. This team does not have the best compliment of players and spends money on the wrong ones.

 

 

I agree. Oh wait, this is the hockey forum, isn't it? Thought you were talking about the Red Sox.

[gojohn99]

Like they did with Francona? Maybe. But Belichick is still going strong, although it's different in football without guaranteed contracts.

 

PC had some horrible signings. He's at fault for the B's having zero cap room. Claude is ok. I just feel coaching effectiveness diminishes over time. Players tune out the coaches after a few years.

[mvp 78]

Like they did with Francona? Maybe. But Belichick is still going strong, although it's different in football without guaranteed contracts.

 

BB isn't human. It's also harder to tune out the coach when he's an all powerful legend and cuts guys all the time. Thanks nonguaranteed contracts!

[Northern Star]

[Northern Star]

Yes, up 2-0. I hate Ottawa.

 

Pulling for Nashville and Minnesota.

[Northern Star]

God. f***ing. Dammit. I knew Buffalo wouldn't win the lottery because nothing good ever happens to them, but f***ing Edmonton AGAIN? Once you win a lottery you should be ineligible for the next three 1st round picks. Or better yet scrap the lottery altogether. It's ******** that every non playoff team has a shot at the first pick.

[Northern Star]

It will be interesting to see what Edmonton does. If I was them, I'd be listening to all offers for the pick that contain a top D or goalie. Or I might take McDavid and trade Nugent-Hopkins for the help on defense.