Official NHL 2016-2017 Thread

[dparrott]

It's Los Angeles.  Unless it's the Lakers, they don't care about sports all that much.

That's a myth.  Dodgers lead MLB in average attendance.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

I guess I'm going from rooting for my nation's capital to Canada's capital. Go Senators! Anyone but Pittsburgh.

[mikeyd23]

Great, great series win by the Pens! Fantastic team performance, Flower was unreal and all four lines rolled well! 

Couple quick observations -

Ovie was bad last night. Like, bad. Interested to see what the Caps do moving forward, if they can't win with this group what's left to do but blow up their core big time?

Pens actually played a trap last night for good stretches of the game, pretty uncharacteristic for this team. It was an aggressive 1-2-2 trap that enabled a quick break the other way when the opportunity presented itself.

Murray is healthy again, and backed up Flower last night. Obviously, with the way Marc is playing you start him next round, but how long of a leash does he get? At this point, I'd say his performance through the first two series earn him a pretty long leash.

Based on the last several posts I get there are a lot of Pens haters here, but as a lifelong fan who remembers watching Mario with his dad as a kid, to see this team come through these really difficult matchups through the first two rounds has been awesome.

My best guess from here would be a Pens - Preds final.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

Great, great series win by the Pens! Fantastic team performance, Flower was unreal and all four lines rolled well! 

Couple quick observations -

Ovie was bad last night. Like, bad. Interested to see what the Caps do moving forward, if they can't win with this group what's left to do but blow up their core big time?

Pens actually played a trap last night for good stretches of the game, pretty uncharacteristic for this team. It was an aggressive 1-2-2 trap that enabled a quick break the other way when the opportunity presented itself.

Murray is healthy again, and backed up Flower last night. Obviously, with the way Marc is playing you start him next round, but how long of a leash does he get? At this point, I'd say his performance through the first two series earn him a pretty long leash.

Based on the last several posts I get there are a lot of Pens haters here, but as a lifelong fan who remembers watching Mario with his dad as a kid, to see this team come through these really difficult matchups through the first two rounds has been awesome.

My best guess from here would be a Pens - Preds final.

Hating on the champs and the team that owns the Caps when it matters most.  I do respect the hell out of the team though.

[mikeyd23]

Hating on the champs and the team that owns the Caps when it matters most.  I do respect the hell out of the team though.

Oh I know and I get everyone roots for their team and whoever the reigning champ is, pretty much everyone (but that team's fan base) roots against them. It's all good. I actually have a ton of respect for the Caps, they played a great series, it just didn't fall their way. That game 7 was a toss up. If the Caps had a couple bounces go their way, we would be having a different conversation today.

I'll be interested to see what the Caps do in the off season. How similar will their roster be next year with all those free agents they have to deal with this off season. How different will there coaching and management staff be?

[chknptpie]

It's Los Angeles.  Unless it's the Lakers, they don't care about sports all that much.

That's a myth.  Dodgers lead MLB in average attendance.

Only for innings 4-6....

[jingle.boy]

Ugh... worst possible outcomes last night.  Re: Anaheim fans... I heard more "Let's Go Oilers" chants than I heard "Go Ducks Go".  And holy irony that the seats at the Honda Centre are orange. 

The only good thing about last night is that I won't be pulling anymore 1am nights/mornings.  I'll casually watch the WCF, and hope like hell that Ottawa can keep some of this magic going against the Pens.

It's definitely time to blow up the Caps.... they went for broke this year, and have too many UFA's and cap problems to continue the course.  Didn't their owner or GM say last year that they were going to go 'all-in' for it last year and this year, and if it didn't pan out, then there'd be some serious adjustments?

[mike099]

Well I guess I'm rooting for Nashville to win it all now since I hate the Penguins, can't root for the Senators because they eliminated the Rangers, and don't particularly like the Ducks. Pittsburgh will probably repeat regardless.

I live in the Nashville area and have only been to one game since they came to town.  I will need to study up on the rules of the game and maybe go to some more games.  I have a co worker that works events in Bridgestone Arena and she enjoys the crowd.

Are any of the 4 remaining teams a favorite or is it basically a toss up?  I see there has only been one team in the last 20 years to win back to back championships(Detroit).

[TAC]

It's Los Angeles.  Unless it's the Lakers, they don't care about sports all that much.

That's a myth.  Dodgers lead MLB in average attendance.

Only for innings 4-6....

Yup, the 3rd through the 7th.

[mikeyd23]

Are any of the 4 remaining teams a favorite or is it basically a toss up?  I see there has only been one team in the last 20 years to win back to back championships(Detroit).

Speaking from a bias perspective, I'd think the Pens would be favorites at this point.

[Nick]

Are any of the 4 remaining teams a favorite or is it basically a toss up?  I see there has only been one team in the last 20 years to win back to back championships(Detroit).

Speaking from a bias perspective, I'd think the Pens would be favorites at this point.

There is no worry about bias there.

Penguins have beaten the biggest competition in the East, now have their top forwards all healthy AND both goalies back, and are of course the defending champs.

It's their repeat to lose.

[mikeyd23]

It's their repeat to lose.

It really is, but man, I'm still real hesitant to confidently call them favorites just because recent history in the NHL has shown how hard it is to repeat.

For example, the amount of hockey Crosy has played over the last couple years is insane. At some point they are going to hit the fatigue wall, it'll just be a matter of when. If they have already positioned themselves within a series well enough, they might be okay, or maybe it won't hit till the off season. Who knows.

[SchecterShredder]

Pens are easily the favourite of the remaining 4. Nashville has abeen a nice surprise, but Pittsburg is just too good. Anaheim might give them a little trouble if they knock off the Preds,  but i agree that it's the Pens Cup to lose.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

I picked Preds to go to the SCF, so I wouldn't agree with them being a surprise.

[SchecterShredder]

I picked Preds to go to the SCF, so I wouldn't agree with them being a surprise.

You're telling me you picked them to take out Chicago in the 1st round? You may have been the only person outside the Nashville dressing room to do so.

[PB1]

if the predators werent such a dirty team i would root for them. they got away with murder every game in the blues series. hard to win a series when the refs are literally calling everything against st louis.

i guess im fine with the ducks or the senators winning. fuck the penguins

[gmillerdrake]

if the predators werent such a dirty team i would root for them. they got away with murder every game in the blues series. hard to win a series when the refs are literally calling everything against st louis.

yeah. That was an infuriating series to watch. The Blues couldn't breath on a Predator in Game 1 without getting a penalty called on them....Preds score (2) PP goals and beat them by one goal.

But the largest travesty against the Blues came in Game 4 when they were playing a textbook perfect road game. Had sustained pressure for half the game, had Nashville looking all sorts of lost and the only reason they were even in the game was because of Pecca Rinne....then that utterly horrid BS call against Ryan Reeves when all (10)players on the ice locked up in a scrum and he (the Blues player) is the only one called for a penalty? Despite the fact it was a Nashville player who 'started' the scrum?   Nashville gets the power play...PP goal...and gained momentum which they could not get any of at even strength.

Not saying the Blues were a shoe in for a game 4 victory....but that BS call changed that game and the series.

But whatever. You have to score more than a goal a game to win and the Blues just didn't score enough. That was a very 'winnable' series....it's not like Nashville blew them out of the water. They just got a handful of very fortunate momentum changing calls and a few good bounces. You need that to happen to win a Cup.

[jingle.boy]

Gary... there's no need to create a duplicate account just so you can agree with yourself!   

[Destiny Of Chaos]

Been an Ottawa fan for 2 days. You can say it's getting serious 

[gmillerdrake]

Gary... there's no need to create a duplicate account just so you can agree with yourself!   

      I have to admit...it was so glorious to see that post. I couldn't contain myself
 

[mikeyd23]

 

It all comes back to inconsistency issues. I get that it's a fast game and there's no way that the refs are going to catch everything, but that's not what is happening. There are refs watching penalties happen and choosing not to call them for whatever reason. Because of the score, because of the time left, because of what month it is, because that team has got the last two called against them so the next one has to even it up, etc... Whatever the reason, the game just doesn't get called right and I for one think that it hurts the product on the ice a great deal.

[TheCountOfNYC]

It all comes back to inconsistency issues. I get that it's a fast game and there's no way that the refs are going to catch everything, but that's not what is happening. There are refs watching penalties happen and choosing not to call them for whatever reason. Because of the score, because of the time left, because of what month it is, because that team has got the last two called against them so the next one has to even it up, etc... Whatever the reason, the game just doesn't get called right and I for one think that it hurts the product on the ice a great deal.

I've been saying this for years. Also, there's too many rules that are up to ref discrestion. For example: In overtime of Game 5 of the Rangers-Senators series, Ottawa scored the game winning goal on a play that could have been called offsides. Now it wasn't offsides although I have seen similar plays get called but the fact that a rule can change from one referee to another is a huge problem. It makes for inconsistent officiating and takes away from the game. Rules should be as black and white as possible to take away ref discrestion.

[gmillerdrake]

Stars sign Bishop to 6 yr, $29 million deal. Saw that one coming a mile away.

[TAC]

Stars sign Bishop to 6 yr, $29 million deal. Saw that one coming a mile away.

Yeah, you could see it in the stars.

[mikeyd23]

Stars sign Bishop to 6 yr, $29 million deal. Saw that one coming a mile away.

6 years? Gheez, that deal is going to suck for them in a couple years...

[SystematicThought]

That's how I've always felt about the Dubnyk deal. I don't see him sustaining in a few years, but maybe I'll be wrong. But the Wild have two other bad contracts, so Dubnyk isn't as bad in comparison

[gmillerdrake]

The freaking Predators are gonna play for the Cup, and could win it to boot. This sucks.

[jingle.boy]

They got hot at just the right time.

[TAC]

The freaking Predators are gonna play for the Cup, and could win it to boot. This sucks.

Why does it suck? They've ran a great program since they entered the league. I'm actually rooting for them. They seem to have great support from their community, and I'm not sure what there is to dislike about them.

[gmillerdrake]

The freaking Predators are gonna play for the Cup, and could win it to boot. This sucks.

Why does it suck? They've ran a great program since they entered the league. I'm actually rooting for them. They seem to have great support from their community, and I'm not sure what there is to dislike about them.

I agree. I consider them my second favorite team. But what I'm referring to is the 'brother in law' factor. He lives in Nashville and recently (last couple years) hopped on the Preds bandwagon and if they win a Cup before the Blues do I will NEVER hear the end of it. I already have to tolerate listening to him try to talk about hockey.....he knows nothing about it other than the trash talking.


And, I'm actually a little put off at how the Nashville fans/crowd act. It's one thing to be enthusiastic and haze the other team....but they take it to a level beyond annoying and enter the outright ignorant category.

[KevShmev]

The next time he trash talks you, ask him to name the players on their team.  Heck, ask him to name someone who was on their team five years ago.

I am generally not a fan of shaming someone when it comes to sports, but if someone is gonna talk shit when they know nothing, I am all in favor of shaming them.  This annoying lady I worked with years ago was talking about kinds of smack once about the Steelers, and it was obvious that she knew squat, so I asked to her to name their coach prior to Mike Tomlin.  She had this blank look, so I said, "It was Bill Cowher, right?" And she said, "No, he was their QB before Ben."       She never talked shit again after that.

[gmillerdrake]

They got hot at just the right time.

They, and the Blues....have been playing lights out hockey for some time. Both teams were jockeying for the third spot the last month and I forgot the exact records but they both only lost a handful of games the last month of the season.

They just managed to get 'hotter' and stronger......and are taking advantage of every break they get.

[TAC]

 But what I'm referring to is the 'brother in law' factor. 

Eh,..fuck him! 

[jingle.boy]

Wa-fucking-hoo.  I hope this is the kind of series we get, and this one wasn't just an anomaly.  It would be great if the Sens could just suffocate the Pens.

I missed the first period, but from what I saw, Anderson looked rock-solid and just might have the ability to steal a victory or two.

[TAC]

from what I saw, Anderson looked rock-solid and just might have the ability to steal a victory or two.

Anderson was awesome. He made some great saves, even on misdirections.