Official NHL 2015-2016 Thread

[TAC]

Amen, brother!

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Awful, awful effort by the Sharks in that third period. Looks like they didn't have enough energy to continue this series. Oh well. Congrats Pens. At least happy to see Kessel win it. Big FU to the Leafs media.

EDIT: What a joke. There were several players on the Pens alone that deserved Conn Smythe more than Crosby. Murray or Kessel should have gotten it IMO.

[Hyperplex]

Sharks had nothing left. They couldn't get a thing started, sustained, or through. And I call bullshit on the Conn Smythe. Should have been Murray or Kessel. Even Bonino or Hagelin. Crosby got it bc he's Crosby, and i hate that.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Yeah I'm usually pretty annoyed when people call bullshit in that fashion but nope, he definitely got it for being Crosby. Murray and Kessel deserved it way more.

[KevShmev]

Defensive clinic by the Pens in that 3rd period. Congrats to them.

[Hyperplex]

To me that taints the deserved celebration. I mean im sure the Penguins don't give a shit and they earned that Cup, but the hockey writers never miss a chance to slobber Crosby's knob, thereby shorting another player from the recognition he deserved.

[fadetoblackdude7]

Congratulations to the Penguins on another cup snag!

[Jarlaxle]

Lol at the guys hating on Crosby for winning the Conn Smythe. Watch every Pens game and tell me he's not the best player on the ice. Go Pens.

[DragonAttack]

Pitt's speed was the difference in this postseason.  This Red Wing tips his hat to the champs.

[TheSilentHam]

Congrats Pens Fans!

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Hopefully people stop writing off Eastern teams now. The conferences have becoming closer in skill level lately. IIRC the East had a winning record against the West for the first time in a while this season.

[TheCountOfNYC]

 

[Zantera]

Penguins! 

[Mr. Ister]

Pitt's speed was the difference in this postseason.  This Red Wing tips his hat to the champs.

Whoa you play for the Red Wings??!!

[SystematicThought]

Hopefully people stop writing off Eastern teams now. The conferences have becoming closer in skill level lately. IIRC the East had a winning record against the West for the first time in a while this season.

I was gonna say, weren't a lot of people saying that the cup won't be leaving the West for awhile? 

[mikeyd23]

Wow, as a lifelong Pens fan, it was something special to see that cup raised again. Huge moment for so many deserving players, coaches, etc...

Lol at the guys hating on Crosby for winning the Conn Smythe. Watch every Pens game and tell me he's not the best player on the ice. Go Pens.

This. Anyone complaining that Sid shouldn't have won the Smythe either didn't watch many Pens games or doesn't know very much about hockey. Hockey is waaaaay more than the score sheet (Wayne vs Mario debate applies here as well). There is a trophy for the guy that scores the most points, that's not this trophy. This trophy is for the most valuable player. He was easily the Pens best player throughout the entire playoff campaign. He did everything. The whole, he won because he's Crosby thing is such a ridiculous statement. You know why he won? Because he's the best player in the world, just led his team to a second Cup under his leadership and dominated the playoffs by playing, complete, dominate, two-way hockey. How about that? 

[mikeyd23]

I love all of you 

Late to the party, but I'm with you GMiller! Lemieux is the best player I've seen in a team sport. Period.

[Rattlehead]

Defensive clinic by the Pens in that 3rd period. Congrats to them.

The Penguins put on a defensive clinic pretty much the entire series. The Sharks looked flustered more often than not and had way too many uncharacteristic give-aways in this series. Congratulations Penguins fans!

[mikeyd23]

Defensive clinic by the Pens in that 3rd period. Congrats to them.

The Penguins put on a defensive clinic pretty much the entire series. The Sharks looked flustered more often than not and had way too many uncharacteristic give-aways in this series. Congratulations Penguins fans!

Most impressively, the only really big "name" on the Pens D-core is Letang. All the other Dmen played great and bought into a system that put them in a position to win. Using their speed and skating ability was a key, we don't really have any of those "big, "heavy" Dmen.

[mikeyd23]

Hey Blues fans

https://www.stltoday.com/sports/hockey/professional/yeo-will-succeed-hitchcock-as-blues-coach/article_fedc07f6-50c8-5212-b4be-ccda30243dbf.html

[Mr. Ister]

Good to establish the continuity early IMO.  I think this could work out well given that Yeo turns out to be at least a slightly above average coach.  It was hard to get a read on him in Minnesota.

[gmillerdrake]

Hey Blues fans

https://www.stltoday.com/sports/hockey/professional/yeo-will-succeed-hitchcock-as-blues-coach/article_fedc07f6-50c8-5212-b4be-ccda30243dbf.html

Good to establish the continuity early IMO.  I think this could work out well given that Yeo turns out to be at least a slightly above average coach.  It was hard to get a read on him in Minnesota.

The only qualms I have with this is that he isn't starting the season as the head coach. I'm perfectly happy with this move.....

[mikeyd23]

Yeo's pretty good. He was great as an assistant here in Pittsburgh. Smart coach, good guy.

[KevShmev]

I am fine with this move.

I am also fine with Crosby getting the Conn Smythe. No, he wasn't their top points scorer in the playoffs, but the eye test told ya that he was their best and most valuable player. Heck, he was a beast on face offs, too, and those are always important.

[Accelerando]

Hopefully people stop writing off Eastern teams now. The conferences have becoming closer in skill level lately. IIRC the East had a winning record against the West for the first time in a while this season.

This. Pittsburgh, Tampa, and Washington especially were good enough to beat anyone in the West.

[mikeyd23]

Hopefully people stop writing off Eastern teams now. The conferences have becoming closer in skill level lately. IIRC the East had a winning record against the West for the first time in a while this season.

This. Pittsburgh, Tampa, and Washington especially were good enough to beat anyone in the West.

Yeah, honestly the Sharks were probably not even close to being the toughest competition for the Pens on their road to the Cup. I'd say in order of hardest to least hard - Caps, Bolts, Sharks, Rags. Lots of really, really good teams from the East this year. It's good to see the gap closed between the West and East.

[TAC]

I am also fine with Crosby getting the Conn Smythe. No, he wasn't their top points scorer in the playoffs, but the eye test told ya that he was their best and most valuable player. Heck, he was a beast on face offs, too, and those are always important.

I definitely would've given it to Letang, and I didn't watch every Pens game throughout the playoffs, but as you say Kev, the eye test told me that Crosby was awesome in the finals.

[mikeyd23]

I definitely would've given it to Letang, and I didn't watch every Pens game throughout the playoffs, but as you say Kev, the eye test told me that Crosby was awesome in the finals.

Tanger would have been my second choice behind Sid. He played incredible.

[SchecterShredder]

Hopefully people stop writing off Eastern teams now. The conferences have becoming closer in skill level lately. IIRC the East had a winning record against the West for the first time in a while this season.

This. Pittsburgh, Tampa, and Washington especially were good enough to beat anyone in the West.

I'll openly admit that I was in the "Any western team wins in 4 or 5 games" camp at the start of the finals. I still think it's a more competitive conference than the east, but it's obviously not as lopsided as I thought.

[gmillerdrake]

Hopefully people stop writing off Eastern teams now. The conferences have becoming closer in skill level lately. IIRC the East had a winning record against the West for the first time in a while this season.

This. Pittsburgh, Tampa, and Washington especially were good enough to beat anyone in the West.

I'll openly admit that I was in the "Any western team wins in 4 or 5 games" camp at the start of the finals. I still think it's a more competitive conference than the east, but it's obviously not as lopsided as I thought.

As was I, and like you I still believe the level of competition is much tougher in the West than the East....but that obviously doesn't mean there aren't great teams in the East.

I still don't believe San Jose was the 'best' team per say out of the West....they were just the team who put it together at the right time.

[pogoowner]

I definitely would've given it to Letang, and I didn't watch every Pens game throughout the playoffs, but as you say Kev, the eye test told me that Crosby was awesome in the finals.

Tanger would have been my second choice behind Sid. He played incredible.

Agreed. Letang would be my other choice. He's been unbelievable, and he's probably the least replaceable player on the team.

[mikeyd23]

Agreed. Letang would be my other choice. He's been unbelievable, and he's probably the least replaceable player on the team.

As someone who watches him play every other night, I can't believe he isn't talked about more around the league as a premier D-man. I don't think he even made the Canadian team for the upcoming fake Olympics. IMO Tanger is a top 5 dman in the league, no question.

As was I, and like you I still believe the level of competition is much tougher in the West than the East....but that obviously doesn't mean there aren't great teams in the East.

This is hard for me to comment on, admittedly I don't get a chance to watch many Western Conf. games but the good teams in the East this year (Pens, Caps, Bolts) are very good teams that could easily compete with anyone in the West.  Beyond that, the level of competition might be closer in the West, but I'm not sure.

[gmillerdrake]

Agreed. Letang would be my other choice. He's been unbelievable, and he's probably the least replaceable player on the team.

As someone who watches him play every other night, I can't believe he isn't talked about more around the league as a premier D-man. I don't think he even made the Canadian team for the upcoming fake Olympics. IMO Tanger is a top 5 dman in the league, no question.

As was I, and like you I still believe the level of competition is much tougher in the West than the East....but that obviously doesn't mean there aren't great teams in the East.

This is hard for me to comment on, admittedly I don't get a chance to watch many Western Conf. games but the good teams in the East this year (Pens, Caps, Bolts) are very good teams that could easily compete with anyone in the West.  Beyond that, the level of competition might be closer in the West, but I'm not sure.

Those teams you mentioned can beat anyone at anytime, you're right.

Take a look at the Western Conference standings and the points associated with the teams and you'll get an idea of how competitive it is. The Central Division in the Western conference is the toughest division in hockey IMO....and that's not a 'homer' statement. It's pretty evident.

[mikeyd23]

Yeah that makes sense, like I said I don't know enough about the level of competition night-in, night-out in the Western Conference. I'll take your word for it!

So maybe saying the Eastern Conference is a little top heavy is fair then? Some really good teams at the top, but more of a drop in competition as you go further down?

[gmillerdrake]

Yeah that makes sense, like I said I don't know enough about the level of competition night-in, night-out in the Western Conference. I'll take your word for it!

So maybe saying the Eastern Conference is a little top heavy is fair then? Some really good teams at the top, but more of a drop in competition as you go further down?

I'm in the same situation as you to where I rarely get to see the Eastern conference actually play. I make my judgment off of the standings more than anything. the East has some powerhouse teams that are more than capable of winning the cup but IMO the West has more. What do I know though, nothing really. I'm under the illusion that Lemieux was better than Gretzky