Official NHL 2016-2017 Thread

[KevShmev]

What I find strange is that while there are quite a few great goalies in the league right now, there is no one even close to becoming an all-time great as of right now.  I mean, for about a 20-year period or so, we got to watch arguably the three best goalies ever (Roy, Hasek and Brodeur), yet there isn't a single goalie out there right now who is even close to being in the same conversation with any of those three.

[TAC]

Without looking, how do Rinne's stats stack up? Lundqvist?

[KevShmev]

It's never as simple as looking at stats (especially since they vary from era to era). Rinne has never won the Vezina, and Lundqvist has only won it once.  Both are really good and have their moments of pure greatness, but I never see either dominating like the aforementioned three.

[TAC]

Well, those were just the first two that popped into my head.

I agree on your main point. Other than Lundqvist, are there any other HOF goalies playing. What about Quick?

[mikeyd23]

Rough game last night from the Pens. I'm worried about this series. After the overly emotional Jackets and Caps series, I don't know how much the Pens have left in the tank. That plays right into how the Sens want to play.

[TAC]

I LOVE the "Every Letter Is Earned" campaign.

[jingle.boy]

I LOVE the "Every Letter Is Earned" campaign.

Yeah... that was an awesome commercial

[TAC]

The thought of an Ottawa/Nashville Final is quite interesting. You'd never see this kind of thing in the NBA.

[KevShmev]

Well, those were just the first two that popped into my head.

I agree on your main point. Other than Lundqvist, are there any other HOF goalies playing. What about Quick?

Nah.  Quick has has two rings and a Conn Smythe, but has never consistently been considered a top goalie.

It's interesting to note that when the NHL recently did their top 100 players in the history of the league thing, they had 15 goalies on there, none of whom are currently active.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

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.

Yep, although I picked it going to 7. Their final placement for the season was misleading. They are a much better team than it let on and I think they have a decent chance of taking the Cup (although I'd still place the odds in Pitt's favour).

Also for above, Quick might not even be one of the top 10 goalies in the NHL today. Outside of 2012 and an impressive 2013 playoffs he's never been one of the top goaltenders. Gotta be the most overrated player in the league IMO.

[jingle.boy]

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.

Yep, although I picked it going to 7. Their final placement for the season was misleading. They are a much better team than it let on and I think they have a decent chance of taking the Cup (although I'd still place the odds in Pitt's favour).

Also for above, Quick might not even be one of the top 10 goalies in the NHL today. Outside of 2012 and an impressive 2013 playoffs he's never been one of the top goaltenders. Gotta be the most overrated player in the league IMO.

Agreed.... Quick was scary good back then, but nowadays, he's middle of the pack at best.

[SystematicThought]

Laughing at the Pens fans from last night complaining about how boring the game was last night. I was having fun.

I'm just kidding about Pens fans complaining, but some of the comments were funny

[Jarlaxle]

It was kinda boring, but that's the way Ottawa needs to play to be successful. If they opened it up, Pittsburgh would likely walk all over them.

I expected a bit of a let down after the game 7 win, and I think PIT had the majority of the good chances (but I could be wrong, admittedly I was watching at a pub with many beers). Anderson was fantastic, but I expect this to be 1-1 heading to Ottawa.

[mikeyd23]

I agree, it was a boring game. And you are right, as a Sens fan I'd be loving it too.

The Sens have got to keep that 1-3-1 going strong or else they might get in some trouble. The Pens can help themselves out a lot by having cleaner breakouts and better passing through the neutral zone. Hopefully they get to that tonight.

The thought of an Ottawa/Nashville Final is quite interesting. You'd never see this kind of thing in the NBA.

For better or worse, there's a good reason for that...

[jingle.boy]

I dunno about "good" reason, but there's certainly a few reasons.  And we NHL fans know what they are.  And I'll take those reasons (and the NHL) over every other major professional sport.

[mikeyd23]

I dunno about "good" reason, but there's certainly a few reasons.  And we NHL fans know what they are.  And I'll take those reasons (and the NHL) over every other major professional sport.

Not sure if it's because you are in Canada and I'm in the states, but I can honestly say hockey is my favorite of the major NA sports but the NHL is my least favorite league.

[Nick]

The NHL surely has its issues, but if there is one thing they've done very well, it's that they've provided parity throughout the league. The salary cap and some other smaller measures help in that big time. Quite frankly any other major sporting league without a salary cap (and floor) is just a joke.

In 2013 the Yankees had an opening day payroll of 228m, while the Astros sat at 22m.

In basketball you have such blatant tanking that large chunks of the season for many teams is pointless.

In NASCAR you have a quarter pound of pressure being added to the right rear instead of left front.

Okay, maybe I don't know how this effects stock car racing at all.

[mikeyd23]

Yeah the cap is a good thing.

[Nick]

Yeah the cap is a good thing.

Yeah, and while the regular season has been good to most teams, the playoffs still let the big dogs come through on a little too much of a regular basis for my tastes. Keep in mind that the Flyers always spend to the cap, so this isn't helping me, but going off of last years numbers I'd love to see a bit more revenue sharing that would allow the floor to raise substantially with little impact to the ceiling.

It was 73 / 54 for 2016, and is expected to come back around 75 for the high end in 2017. I know the ratio is already set and this is pointless, but instead of 15-20 teams all getting that extra 2 million to spend I'd much rather see the floor raise 58 or 60.

In any case that 73 / 54 split is such a world better than a lot of other leagues.

[mikeyd23]

Nick, to clarify, I'm with you. Pretty much none of my issues with the league have anything to do with the cap.

As for last night - the Pens were able to tie up the series and man what a series this is going to be... Speaking of issues I have with the league this series encompasses a lot of them.

[KevShmev]

Nashville fans are cute.  They throw shit on the ice because the ref had the audacity to call a penalty on the Preds for constant goalie interference.  I guess when you haven't had hockey that long, you tend to be clueless about the actual rules.

[gmillerdrake]

Nashville fans are cute.  They throw shit on the ice because the ref had the audacity to call a penalty on the Preds for constant goalie interference.  I guess when you haven't had hockey that long, you tend to be clueless about the actual rules.

Those fans are annoying. The cuss word chants and what not....classless.


I'm amazed their getting calls against them. They have to be shocked after the soft treatment they've been getting. They're still getting away with that defensive zone pick/interference though.

[gmillerdrake]

Figures.

Nashville gets a 'fortunate' power play in the last three minutes of a tied home game. It's really getting annoying

[Jarlaxle]

Figures.

Nashville gets a 'fortunate' power play in the last three minutes of a tied home game. It's really getting annoying

Wait wait wait... it was an inarguable high stick.

[KevShmev]

Nashville simply overwhelmed Anaheim in that 3rd period.  Few teams could have withstood that kind of onslaught.

[PowerSlave]

In NASCAR you have a quarter pound of pressure being added to the right rear instead of left front.

Okay, maybe I don't know how this effects stock car racing at all.

On an oval track that would loosen/free up a car in the turns basically making it turn easier. Sorry, I'm a life-long auto racing fan. I couldn't resist. 

[gmillerdrake]

Figures.

Nashville gets a 'fortunate' power play in the last three minutes of a tied home game. It's really getting annoying

Wait wait wait... it was an inarguable high stick.

I'm not saying it wasn't unarguable. Just saying that 'fortune' found them again. It's getting old to me. I'm finding myself being less and less of a fan of Nashville given just how many breaks and what not they've gotten this playoff season. It's annoying....it's like when Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker. Every hand he was dealt was Ace/King or better....OF COURSE he should have won!

That's what this feels like to me for Nashville. Anytime they 'need' something to happen it happens. Some of it from working for it but most of it is 'fortune'. OF COURSE they're steamrolling everyone....they should given the repeated breaks.

[Nick]

Figures.

Nashville gets a 'fortunate' power play in the last three minutes of a tied home game. It's really getting annoying

Wait wait wait... it was an inarguable high stick.

I'm not saying it wasn't unarguable. Just saying that 'fortune' found them again. It's getting old to me. I'm finding myself being less and less of a fan of Nashville given just how many breaks and what not they've gotten this playoff season. It's annoying....it's like when Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker. Every hand he was dealt was Ace/King or better....OF COURSE he should have won!

That's what this feels like to me for Nashville. Anytime they 'need' something to happen it happens. Some of it from working for it but most of it is 'fortune'. OF COURSE they're steamrolling everyone....they should given the repeated breaks.

It doesn't hurt that they've played like the better team every series so far as well.

[jingle.boy]

Agree with Nick.  It isn't so much about the 'fortunate'-ness of the PP that Nashville got, but that they took advantage of it.  Anaheim got a "fortunate" call with the 2nd disallowed goal + PP.  I don't disagree with that call, I think it was 100% interference and deserved a no-goal + PP.  However, I have seen similar plays called the other way.  So, in the last 10 minutes, both teams got a "fortunate" call in their favour.  The difference is Nashville made something with it.

The Ducks were taking a standing 8-count all period.

And Gibson better do a better job of finding the puck.  This is two games in a row he's had no idea where the puck was resulting a wide open cage for Nashville. 

[gmillerdrake]

It doesn't hurt that they've played like the better team every series so far as well.

Ehh...I guess. That series with the Blues was very 'winnable' for the Blues. Nashville didn't steamroll them by any means. They just cashed in on every chance they had and were the recipients of a couple questionable calls that changed momentum.

Anyway....whatever. Just personally sick of Nashville at the moment.

[jingle.boy]

And you have every right to be.

[Nick]

At this point I have to pull for Nashville. Frankly I see them having a better chance to steamroll in the series and get the extra rest for the finals, and I will root for whatever team has the better chance of doing that and beating Pittsburgh.

[SystematicThought]

Quick start by the Boring Senators

[SystematicThought]

Man, Ottawa is BORING tonight

Boring game

[TAC]

WOW!!